Darius Garland Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Notes: Garland, Sexton, Culver, Smith

June 17th, 2019 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers were well represented at Darius Garland‘s private workout Friday night in Los Angeles, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland officials had been hoping for a close-up look at the Vanderbilt point guard, whose Klutch Sports representatives limited his availability early in the pre-draft process.

There’s no guarantee Garland will still be on the board when the Cavs pick at No. 5, as the Pelicans now hold the fourth pick and are reportedly receiving strong interest from teams looking to move up. There are questions surrounding Garland’s durability after he played just four games in college before suffering a meniscus injury, but many teams view him as a potential All-Star because of his exceptional shooting and ball-handling, along with the ability to take charge of an offense.

The No. 4 pick may be more unpredictable now that the Lakers are sending it to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade, Fedor adds. The Suns and Bulls might trade up for Garland if they believe he’s significantly better than Coby White, while the Hawks, who own the eighth and 10th picks, may decide to move up for Jarrett Culver.

The Cavs wouldn’t be afraid to team Garland with last year’s No. 1 pick, Collin Sexton, even though that would be an undersized backcourt with a pair of 6’2″ guards. Fedor notes that the organization is early enough in the rebuilding process that draft decisions will be based more on talent than fit.

There’s more from Cleveland, all courtesy of Fedor:

Cleveland also likes Culver, but Fedor believes the chance to get him decreases if the Pelicans keep their pick. If another team trades up for Garland, then Culver becomes a strong possibility at No. 5. He had a private workout and dinner with several Cavaliers representatives last week, and the team has scouted him several times. New coach John Beilein faced Culver in the NCAA Tournament, where he scored 22 points in Texas Tech’s win over Michigan.
Even though the Cavaliers were hoping for a top three pick, they’re confident they can add a contributor at No. 5. De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish are on their radar as well as Garland and Culver.
The Cavaliers have less than two weeks to work out a trade involving J.R. Smith before his $15.6MM contract becomes guaranteed for next season. It carries just a $3.8MM guarantee until then and could be an enticing trade chip for a team looking to unload salary. Fedor sees the Heat as a prime contender for Smith, but lists the Hornets, Bucks, Thunder and Trail Blazers as other teams that could use some cap relief.

Suns, Bulls Interested In No. 4 Pick

June 17th, 2019 at 8:54am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns and Bulls have both expressed interest in acquiring the No. 4 pick from the Pelicans to draft Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland, a source tells Fletcher Mackel of WDSU in New Orleans (Twitter link).

The Pelicans would be seeking a protected first-rounder in 2020 as the price for moving down, Mackel adds, making the deal similar to the one last year between the Hawks and Mavericks that saw Dallas move up two slots for Luka Doncic.

Both Phoenix, which holds the No. 6 pick, and Chicago, which is at No. 7, have unsettled situations at point guard. The Suns never really replaced Eric Bledsoe after trading him early in the 2017/18 season and would love to land a prospect like Garland to play alongside Devin Booker. The Bulls want to find an upgrade over Kris Dunn, who is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he was limited to 46 games.

The Pelicans are listening to offers and setting up workouts as they try to decide what to do with the pick, which is part of the return for the Anthony Davis trade that was announced Saturday.

Draft Notes: Wizards, White, Garland

June 16th, 2019 at 11:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wizards will work out Coby White (North Carolina) and Nassir Little (North Carolina) on Monday, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports relays (Twitter link) Both prospects are options for the team at No. 9.

Jonathan Givony has White, who will be the highest-ranked prospect to work out for the Wizards, going to the Suns at No. 6 in his latest mock draft on ESPN. Givony places Little in Minnesota at No. 11.

Kevin Porter Jr. (USC) was previously scheduled to take part in the workout, though he will no longer be in attendance. Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

The Bulls will work out Darius Garland this week, Givony passes along (Twitter link). The Knicks, Lakers, Cavs, and Suns have either worked out Garland or plan to do so.
Garland believes he’s the best point guard in the draft, as he tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “I humbly say this, I think I’m the best [guard] in the draft,” he told McMenamin. “I mean, I think I can do everything that an NBA team wants me to do.”
Garland’s workouts with the Lakers was particularly impressive, a source tells McMenamin while referencing the point guard’s shot-making ability and deep range. The event took place prior to the Anthony Davis trade.

Draft Notes: No. 4, Garland, Hunter, Hawks

June 16th, 2019 at 3:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Despite the notion that there is a drop-off after the first three picks, there are a number of teams that see value in the No. 4 selection, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic hears. Venecie writes that Darius Garland is the player most frequently mentioned around the league as the fourth-best player in the draft.

The Bulls may be looking to move up into that No. 4 spot or at least that’s the chatter behind the scenes. A previous report implied that Chicago would be open to dealing any player or pick on the roster outside of Lauri Markkanen or Wendell Carter Jr.

Here’s more from Venecie on the upcoming draft:

There’s no sense of who the Pelicans will pick at No. 4 should they keep the selection. If Venecie were making the pick, he’d take a hard look at De’Andre Hunter or Jarrett Culver, though the scribe notes that many around the NBA are not as high on Hunter as he is.
Had the Lakers held onto the No. 4 overall pick, many within the league believed Garland would be the selection, with Venecie citing the prospect’s connection to Klutch Sports.
New Cavaliers head coach John Beilein is a fan of Hunter, a source tells Venecie. It’s unclear what kind of influence the coach will have on the team’s draft decisions. It’s worth noting that Cleveland doesn’t need a point guard, having Collin Sexton installed as franchise’s future at the position.
If Garland remains on the board at No. 5, Cleveland may have a more attractive trade asset on their hands. Phoenix at No. 6 is said to be in the market for a point guard and that could create urgency for another team to trade up to No. 5.
The Hawks appear to favor Hunter, though they may need to trade up to take the Virginia product. Atlanta has the No. 8 and No. 10 overall in addition to four other selections in the top 44. The franchise has had talks with teams about moving up in the draft but they’ve also spoken with clubs about moving down.

Pelicans Notes: Griffin, Draft Picks, Markkanen, C. White

June 16th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans executive David Griffin put his stamp on the franchise with Saturday’s Anthony Davis trade and now needs to prove he can build a winner without the star big man, writes Scott Kushner of The Advocate. The franchise is making a transition from the Davis era to the Zion Williamson era, and its success will depend on the package of assets that New Orleans received from the Lakers.

Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart provide a nice collection of young talent, but Griffin didn’t land the proven All-Star he set out to get when he set the parameters for potential offers. Griffin opted for quantity rather than quality, choosing to gamble on three players with high upsides, along with three picks, including the No. 4 selection in this week’s draft.

Griffin likely has a lot of deals left to make. Each of the new assets has trade value that might enable him to increase his return for Davis, but whatever Griffin does, yesterday’s deal will be the pivotal step in defining his tenure in New Orleans.

There’s more on the Pelicans:

By accepting two picks so far in the future, the Pelicans are gambling that the Lakers won’t be among the league’s best teams once LeBron James retires, Kushner tweets. New Orleans will receive L.A.’s pick in 2021, which will become unprotected in 2022 if it doesn’t convey. The Pelicans also get an unprotected selection in 2024 and the right to exchange picks in 2023 and 2025 with no protection in either year. Those future choices could fall in the late 20s if the Lakers remain an elite team or they could provide a draft haul similar to what the Celtics got from the Nets a few years ago.
The Bulls might be the best option if the Pelicans decide to deal this year’s pick, suggests Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. Chicago is in the market for a point guard, and Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland should be on the board at No. 4. Vecenie speculates Lauri Markkanen might be available because of his defensive liabilities and the Bulls’ commitment to Wendell Carter as their long-term center. He adds that the Pelicans will probably spend the next few days bringing in as many top prospects as possible before making a decision.
If the Pelicans keep the fourth pick, they are likely to take North Carolina’s Coby White ahead of Garland, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.

More On Anthony Davis-To-Lakers Trade Agreement

June 15th, 2019 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Just days after the NBA Finals and less than a week before the annual draft, the Pelicans and Lakers shook up the basketball world with one of the biggest blockbusters in league history. New Orleans agreed to trade disgruntled superstar Anthony Davis to the Lakers for guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, forward Brandon Ingram and three first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft.

We have more details and developments regarding the trade, which can’t be made official until next month.

The other two first-rounders the Pelicans will receive are a 9-30 protected pick in 2021 – which subsequently becomes unprotected in 2022 – and an unprotected pick in 2024. New Orleans will also have the right to swap unprotected first-rounders in 2o23 and will have the option to defer the 2024 pick until 2025, according to reports from Tim Bontemps of ESPN and Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links).
The Pelicans are already receiving significant interest in the fourth overall pick, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Ingram is expected to get back on the court next month and be ready for training camp, according to Wojnarowski. He did not play after March 2 due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
ESPN Jonathan Givony updated his mock draft in the aftermath of the deal, with Texas Tech shooting guard Jarrett Culver going to New Orleans at No. 4, Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland heading to the Cavaliers at No. 5, North Carolina shooting guard Coby White ticketed to the Suns at No. 6 and Virginia power forward De’Andre Hunter winding up with the Bulls at No. 7 (Twitter link).
Former Lakers president Magic Johnson, who called GM Rob Pelinka a backstabber in a recent TV interview, praised his former front office partner after the deal. Johnson tweeted, “Great trade Rob Pelinka! Job well done.”
The Celtics’ chances of re-signing free-agent-to-be Kyrie Irving took a major hit with Davis heading to L.A. instead of Boston, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets.
New Orleans will have $18.8MM in cap space after the trade is finalized, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
LaVar Ball, Lonzo’s outspoken father, called the trade “the worst move the Lakers ever did in their life” and guarantees they won’t win another championship, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets.

Draft Notes: Green Room, Mourning, Simon, Alexander-Walker

June 8th, 2019 at 9:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, R.J. Barrett, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Jarrett Culver, Coby White, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes were the first nine prospects invited to sit in the Green Room at the NBA draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets. There were no surprises on the list, as the first eight comprise Givony’s top 8 prospects and Hayes is ranked No. 11. The invites reinforce that all nine will be selected in the lottery and probably the top 10. Another 11 invites are expected to be made, Givony adds.

We have more draft news:

Trey Mourning has a workout lined up with the Heat, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweets. Mourning, son of longtime Heat star Alonzo Mourning, averaged 6.3 PPG for Georgetown last season. The 6’9” forward previously visited the Wizards and Kings, Winderman adds.
Guard Justin Simon (St. John’s) will work out for the Thunder on Thursday, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Givony’s No. 22 overall prospect, worked out for the Pistons on Friday, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. The combo guard, who averaged 16.2 PPG and 4.0 APG for Virginia Tech last season, has already visited the Hornets and Celtics, Beard adds.
Point guard Tremont Waters, Givony’s No. 49 overall prospect, will visit the Pacers and Spurs, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Waters will probably not do any on-court work as he’s still rehabbing a right ankle sprain suffered at the NBA combine, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post tweets.

Lakers Notes: Butler, Vogel, Draft, Moser

May 25th, 2019 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers forward Jimmy Butler wouldn’t hesitate to join the Lakers if they made a max offer, tweets Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times. Butler likes the idea of playing in L.A., and LeBron James has reportedly already reached out to gauge his interest.

Because Philadelphia owns Butler’s Bird rights, the Sixers can offer the 29-year-old a longer contract and larger annual raises than anyone else. However, Philadelphia has two other free agent starters to address in Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick, and there are durability concerns for Butler, who has topped 67 games in a season just once in the past six years. He played a combined 65 games this season for the Timberwolves and Sixers.

There’s more Lakers news to pass along:

New coach Frank Vogel offers his first public comments on several players in a video tweeted by the team. Vogel calls Lonzo Ball “one of the most unique players I’ve ever studied” and said he wants Ball’s passing to serve as a blueprint for the whole team. He says “the sky’s the limit” for Brandon Ingram because of what he has accomplished at a young age. Vogel also shares his thoughts on James, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
The Lakers are believed to have strong interest in Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter and Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland with the No. 4 pick in next month’s draft, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The fourth choice is believed to be the first spot of uncertainty in the draft after Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett are off the board.
Assistant coach Clay Moser has left the Lakers’ staff to take a job at Arkansas, according to Pete Roulier of HawgSports. Moser, who was with L.A. for seven and a half years, will be an assistant to long-time cohort Eric Musselman. “Clay and I have worked together in the NBA, with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, and in the NBA Development League with the Reno Bighorns and Los Angeles Defenders,” Musselman said. “We also worked together with the Dominican National Team. Clay is an incredible ‘X and O’ coach and he has been at the forefront of basketball analytics. He loves player development and brings the NBA experience that our players look for and will soak up.”

Hawks Notes: Draft, No. 8, Reddish, Fernando

May 21st, 2019 at 6:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks agreed to send their top-5 protected 2019 first-rounder to the Hawks as part of the Luka Doncic draft night trade last June. Entering the NBA draft lottery, Dallas had hoped to keep this year’s pick and delay conveying the selection.

Assistant GM Keith Grant told Chris Kirschner of the Athletic that the Mavs would have liked to add another young piece to the Doncic-Kristaps Porzingis nucleus. Still, the team views last year’s trade as a win for both parties.

“We actually do believe that,” Grant said about both teams getting the guy they wanted. “We evaluated every player and thought Luka was our guy. Atlanta obviously had Trae as theirs, and so we had a deal.”

The trade between Dallas and Atlanta had been agreed to prior to the actual draft but was contingent on both Doncic and Trae Young being available at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively.

The Hawks are armed with two top-10 draft selections in this year’s draft and Kirschner passes along more from Atlanta:

It would be surprising if the Hawks didn’t pick a wing, assuming they stay at the No. 8 spot, Kirschner hears from sources within the organization. Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver has been linked to Atlanta but it’s hard to envision him falling out of the top seven.
Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are widely expected to be the top two picks in the draft. One Hawks executive told Kirschner that he expects three other players—R.J. Barrett, Darius Garland, and Coby White—to be unavailable when Atlanta makes its first selection at No. 8. The Suns and Bulls both covet upgrades at the point guard spot and Garland and White are the best available after Morant.
The Hawks have interest in Cam Reddish. While he failed to live up to lofty expectations at Duke, there’s “not much doubt” within Atlanta’s organization that playing alongside Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter would allow him to reach his potential, Kirschner adds.
Coach Lloyd Pierce prefers a center who can stretch the floor but that wouldn’t stop the team from selecting Jaxson Hayes if he’s the best player on the board at No. 10. “Roster building isn’t always about trying to perfectly pair up guys,” a source tells Kirschner.
Multiple sources tell Kirschner that the team likes Bruno Fernando out of Maryland. The big man likely isn’t in play with one of the Hawks‘ two top-10 selections, but the franchise holds three second-round picks (No. 35, No. 41, No. 44).

Bulls Rumors: Ball, No. 7 Pick, Dunn, Asik

May 20th, 2019 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

A report last month indicated that the Bulls and Lakers had “initial conversations” about Lonzo Ball prior to the 2019 trade deadline, and it sounds as if Chicago still has some interest in Ball. According to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune, Ball’s pass-first mentality, defensive ability, and positional size intrigue the Bulls, who will be on the lookout for a point guard this offseason.

Johnson’s latest article for The Tribune includes several other Bulls-related rumors and notes, so let’s round up the highlights…

Multiple league executives believe that top point guard prospects Darius Garland and Coby White received draft promises from teams that pick before the Bulls, says Johnson. If either Garland or White is available when Chicago is on the clock at No. 7, that player would be a good bet to end up in a Bulls uniform, Johnson adds.
League executives tell Johnson that Kris Dunn‘s trade value is “low to nonexistent,” so if the Bulls attempt to upgrade the point guard spot on the trade market, the former No. 5 pick is unlikely to be a major outgoing asset.
There’s internal optimism within the organization that the NBA will allow the Bulls to remove Omer Asik‘s cap charge from their books for medical reasons, Johnson writes. That would create an extra $3MM in cap space for the summer.
The Bulls may be more interested in restricted free agent point guards than many of the unrestricted options expected to be available. Johnson points to Terry Rozier and Malcolm Brogdon as two potential targets for the club.
The Bulls would also like to add a veteran big man in free agency, but the point guard position is the team’s top priority.