De’Aaron Fox Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Rumors: Risers/Fallers, Fox, Giles, Bradley

May 12th, 2017 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Power forwards Jordan Bell (Oregon) and Kyle Kuzma (Utah) are among the players who have impressed scouts and executives during five-on-five action in Chicago at this year’s combine, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link). Kuzma’s performance was so strong that he pulled out of today’s five-on-five game, quitting while he was ahead, tweets Ford.

Conversely, Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Iowa’s Peter Jok have struggled in Chicago, with Ford suggesting that Trimble’s draft stock has been “devastated” by his combine showing.

In addition to assessing the on-court performances of some notable prospects, Ford also passed along several interesting off-the-court items. Let’s dive in and round up those tidbits, along with a couple other draft-related notes and rumors…

There appears to be a “growing movement” among some teams to place De’Aaron Fox ahead of Lonzo Ball on draft boards, according to Ford, who suggests that the Kentucky point guard could come off the board as high as No. 3 — or even No. 2.
Teams are eagerly anticipating a look at the medicals on Harry Giles, who has been plagued by knee injuries. Ford says he has spoken to multiple NBA executives who are ready to move Giles into the 5-10 range if he’s fully cleared medically. “He’s the best prospect in the entire draft if he can fully recover and stay healthy,” one NBA exec told Ford. “He’s just a freaky talent.” Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times (Twitter link) also hears that Giles is moving up draft boards.
Ford’s sources expect freshman center Tony Bradley to remain in the draft rather than returning to North Carolina.
Some NBA scouts believe Donovan Mitchell (Louisville) will end up being selected in the lottery, or just outside of it, according to Ford.
Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo looks like one of the best athletes in this year’s draft class, and that could be enough to make him a first-round pick if he stays in the draft, Ford writes.
Arizona’s Rawle Alkins said on Thursday that he’s 50-50 on whether to remain in the draft or go back to school, and will get all the feedback he can before making a final call. Adam Zagoria of FanRagSports.com has the quotes and the details.

Draft Notes: Swanigan, Combine, Knicks, Allen

May 10th, 2017 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

There are 14 players attending the NBA draft combine this week despite not having signed with an agent, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com details. Getting feedback from NBA teams over the next few days will give those players a good idea of whether they should go pro or return to school for at least one more year — they’ll have until May 24, 10 days after the end of the combine, to make that decision.

Goodman spoke to several NBA executives about those 14 players to get an early idea of whether or not it makes sense for them to keep their names in the draft pool. For the most part, those execs felt that the early entrants could use another year of college seasoning, but they believe Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan is ready to go pro, and were split on SMU’s Semi Ojeleye.

Here are a few more draft-related notes:

The Knicks will have several members of their front office, including GM Steve Mills, in attendance at the combine in Chicago this week, though many of the top prospects on their board won’t be there, says Ian Begley of ESPN.com. According to Begley, outside of consensus top prospects like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Jackson, the Knicks’ front office has also become fond of guards Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, and Frank Ntilikina.
As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders explains, the NBA draft combine generally provides a pretty good picture of which players will come off the board on draft day, despite the fact that some top prospects skip the event. A year ago, 70 prospects participated in the combine and 42 of them were selected in June. Within his piece, Kyler also examines a number of potential misconceptions about the draft.
Chris Haynes of ESPN.com spoke to Texas center Jarrett Allen, who entered the draft after his freshman year, about his decision to leave school, what separates from from other bigs in this year’s draft class, and whether he’s NBA-ready. Allen is expected to be a first-round pick.

Lakers Eyeing Four Prospects For Potential Lottery Pick

May 9th, 2017 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers aren’t assured of a lottery pick in this year’s draft, but they appears to be zeroing in on a small handful of prospects in case they do get lucky in next Tuesday’s lottery and hang onto their pick. According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are focusing on Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and De’Aaron Fox.

As has been well-documented, the Lakers will only keep their first-rounder this year if it lands in the top three. Because L.A. finished the NBA’s third-worst record during the regular season, the club’s odds of keeping that pick are just about a coin flip. As our breakdown of the lottery odds shows, there’s a 46.9% chance the Lakers hang onto their selection, and a 53.1% chance it falls outside the top three and gets sent to the Sixers.

While the Lakers won’t find out until next Tuesday night whether or not they’ll have a pick, they’re doing their homework on top prospects now, and will head to Chicago this week for the NBA draft combine. Ball and Jackson are skipping the event, but Fultz and Fox will be in attendance, giving the Lakers a chance to get a first-hand look at the pair of point guards.

Fultz and Jackson are viewed as top-three prospects by most draft experts, so it’s no surprise that they’re among the players being eyed by the Lakers. As for Fox, he’s a little further down on many draft boards, but the Lakers are intrigued by his speed, athleticism, and upside, Ding writes.

Meanwhile, Ball – another consensus top prospect – and his father LaVar have publicly expressed a desire for the UCLA point guard to be selected by the L.A. However, the Lakers have “most definitely have not put Ball on some pedestal as their potential savior,” sources tell Ding.

Draft Notes: Blackmon, Ford, Fox, Colette

May 8th, 2017 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Indiana guard James Blackmon has decided to remain in the draft, Jon Rothstein of FanRagSports.com reports. Blackmon confirmed on his Twitter feed that he will sign with an agent. Blackmon, who averaged 17.3 PPG and shot 42.3% on 3-point attempts, is essentially betting on himself and could wind up overseas if not in the D-League. He is not ranked among the Top 100 by DraftExpress or ESPN Insider Chad Ford. Blackmon joins two other Hoosiers who have declared for the draft — forward OG Anunoby, a potential lottery pick, and center Thomas Bryant. Indiana junior guard Robert Johnson will decide this week whether to remain in the draft, Rothstein adds.

In other draft-related nuggets:

Washington guard Markelle Fultz remains atop Ford’s latest Big Board with UCLA’s Lonzo Ball holding the second spot. Gonzaga center Zach Collins moved from No. 11 to No. 9 and Duke guard Luke Kennard advanced from No. 17 to No. 15. Previously unranked Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell, who recently hired an agent, moved into the first round at No. 22.
Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox believes he’s the top defensive guard in the draft, as he told ESPN’s Chris B. Haynes in a Q&A session. “For me, it’s not about offensive scoring, I want to shut the other guy down,” Fox boasted to Haynes. Fox is considered a sure-fire Top 10 pick, ranked No. 5 by both DraftExpress and Ford.
A handful of NBA scouts and executives polled by Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.com believe there are nine impact players in the draft. That front-office group named 21 potential lottery picks and generally view this draft as much deeper in quality than the 2016 version.
Utah forward David Collette is expected to return to school, Rothstein tweets. The junior forward averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG last season. Collette, a Utah State transfer, did not make the Top 100 lists.

Draft Notes: Lottery, Fox, Tatum, J. Jackson

May 5th, 2017 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

While this year’s draft class features a clear-cut top two in Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, the consensus rankings breaks down after that, says ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link). As Ford explains, some teams would likely target Kansas forward Josh Jackson with the No. 3 pick, but others – like the Sixers, Magic, Timberwolves, and Knicks – may be more inclined to nab Kentucky sharpshooter Malik Monk once Fultz and Ball are off the board.

Jackson or Monk come in at No. 3 for most of the lottery teams, Ford writes that Dennis Smith Jr. might be the best fit for the Nuggets after the two top point guards. Meanwhile, Ford also suggests that Ball could be a better fit than Fultz for some teams near the top of the lottery, including the Lakers, who “appear to be enamored” with the UCLA product.

Here are a few more draft-related notes worth rounding up:

Most of this year’s top 10 prospects won’t be in Chicago next week for the NBA’s draft combine, but De’Aaron Fox is expected to attend, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Outside of Fox, Markelle Fultz is the only other top prospect whose combine intentions haven’t been reported, though it would be a surprise if Fultz participated.
Duke prospect Jayson Tatum isn’t getting any real buzz as a candidate to be picked first overall, but in an appearance on The Sidelines podcast with Evan Daniels, Tatum made the case for why he should be.
North Carolina’s Justin Jackson has officially gone pro, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility by hiring agent Jim Tanner, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Jackson is viewed as a potential lottery pick.

De’Aaron Fox To Enter NBA Draft

April 3rd, 2017 at 1:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox will sign with an agent and declare for the NBA draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

The move was widely expected as Fox is projected to be a high lottery pick. He is ranked fifth on the prospect lists compiled by both Jonathan Givony at DraftExpress and by Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Ford cites Fox’s speed and play in the open court as assets, but cautions that he is prone to turnovers and doesn’t shoot well from distance.

A 6’4″ freshman, Fox helped the Wildcats compile a 32-6 record, averaging 16.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. He was named to both the all-conference and all-rookie teams in the SEC.

Draft Notes: Ball, Fox, Chartouny, Jones

March 30th, 2017 at 9:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Lonzo Ball recently appeared on ESPN’s First Take and told the cast that he would be happy to play for any franchise, as Andrew Joseph of For The Win relays.

“At the end of the day, I’ll play for any team,” Ball said. “NBA is NBA. It would be a blessing to be able to play for the Lakers just because it’s in LA — I’m from here, my whole family’s here.”

Ball’s father, LaVar Ball, previously said he wanted his son to play for Los Angeles. “All I said was that my boy is going to play for the Lakers, and I’m going to speak it into existence,” the elder Ball said last month.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

Lonzo Ball said he was a better prospect than Markelle Fultz, as ESPN.com passes along. “Markelle’s a great player, but I feel I’m better than him,” said Ball. “I think I can lead a team better than him.” The two guards are expected to be the first players to come off the board on draft night.
After an impressive NCAA Tournament run, De’Aaron Fox‘s stock may be on the rise. Evan Daniels of Scouts.com tweets that the point guard has been a “major topic of conversation” amongst NBA executives.
Joseph Chartouny of Fordham has declared for the NBA Draft, Mike Watts of USL reports (Twitter link). The point guard has not hired an agent, so he could still decide to head back to school. The 22-year-old is not ranked in Draft Express’ Top-100.
Andrew Jones from Texas University has declared for the draft, but will not sign an agent, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. Jones is currently No. 47 in Draft Express’ Top-100.

Knicks Notes: Point Guard Search, Rose, Thomas

March 3rd, 2017 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will have a hard time finding their next point guard either through the draft or free agency, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. With Derrick Rose unlikely to return next season, getting a replacement will be an offseason priority. However, Kerber notes that New York’s draft pick won’t be high enough to snag one of the elite point guards available, and the top free agents are likely to stay where they are.

The Knicks are currently in a three-way tie for eighth in our latest Reverse Standings, giving them just a remote shot at a top two pick that will probably be necessary to draft Washington’s Markelle Fultz or UCLA’s Lonzo Ball. That leaves lower-tier options such as De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky or international standout Frank Ntilikina.

The problem is similar in free agency, where the Knicks will have about $25MM to spend, but the best available players — Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and George Hill — are all expected to remain with their current teams. Kerber says the Knicks might target Jrue Holiday or Jeff Teague, but the Pelicans and Pacers with both have Bird rights and the advantages of being able to offer more money and more years.

There’s more this morning from New York:

Rose is optimistic about reaching the playoffs despite the Knicks’ 25-36 record, and says he plans to unleash his 3-point shot in the postseason, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’m trying to put pieces of my game together,” Rose said. “I’m not shooting 3s yet. Hopefully I’ll start shooting them in the playoffs. It’s going to take a lot of sacrifice and dedication to get there. I’m just adding pieces to my game throughout the season.”
One positive for Rose this season has been his health, Berman notes in the same piece. Rose has appeared in 52 of the team’s 61 games, and if he plays 15 more it will be the most in a season since his ACL tear in 2012. “Two times, three times a day, the entire summer,” Rose said of his offseason workout schedule. “I worked on my game and body. That’s one of the reasons my body is holding up.”
The Knicks’ defense has improved significantly since Lance Thomas returned six games ago, Berman writes in a separate story. Thomas missed about a month after taking an elbow to the face in a January game and breaking the orbital bone. The time off also allowed Thomas to overcome plantar fasciitis that had been affecting him since training camp.

Eastern Notes: Draft, Knicks, Magic, Pacers

January 28th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks‘ biggest need is a long-term answer at the point guard position and the upcoming draft should provide them an opportunity to pair Kristaps Porzingis with a playmaker, Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes. New York will likely pick in the bottom half of the lottery and Ford believes Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox, who is expected to go in that range, would be a great fit for the team. Fox is a fast, defensive-minded point guard and while he’s not the best shooter, his playmaking skills are “top-notch,” according to Ford.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

UCLA’s Lonzo Ball would fit nicely in Orlando, Ford opines in the same piece. The Magic currently have Elfrid Payton manning the point guard position and he’s having a nice season. However, if they draft Ball, he’d immediately have the highest ceiling of any player on the team, Ford adds.
The Wizards‘ bench unit has been key to their success lately, especially on the road, as J. Michael of Comcast Sportsnet details. Offseason addition Trey Burke has made 11 out of his last 17 shots from the field during the last four away games. He also has 10 assists over that stretch.
Al Jefferson is enjoying his role as a mentor with the Pacers, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “Thirteen years in the league, I feel like I’m at the teaching point. I like that. I really do,” Jefferson said. The big man signed a two-year, $20MM deal with Indiana during the offseason.

Draft Notes: Fultz, Ball, Smith, Jackson, Monk

January 12th, 2017 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2017 NBA draft is still more than five months away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start looking ahead to see which players might come off the board first. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders did just that today, publishing his first mock draft of the year. It’s a bare-bones edition of the 2017 mock, since there’s still plenty of time for players to improve their draft stock, and for teams to move up or down in the draft lottery standings. Nonetheless, Kyler’s first mock has Markelle Fultz coming off the board at No. 1, with Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonzo Ball right behind him.

Here are a few more draft-related items to pass along:

Although Fultz went first in Kyler’s mock draft, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) suggests that the field for that top pick is “wide open.” According to Ford, he has heard from executives and scouts that seven different prospects hold the No. 1 spot on at least one NBA team’s draft board. Ford and ESPN’s Kevin Pelton have Fultz and Ball first and second on their respective boards, in some order, with Smith, Josh Jackson, Malik Monk, and Jayson Tatum also earning top-five consideration.
Fultz, Ball, Smith, and top prospect De’Aaron Fox are all point guards, creating a deep and talented draft class at that position. ESPN’s Jeff Goodman spoke to 15 NBA executives about the group, and passed along some of the more interesting comments. “It’s not an easy decision,” one NBA general manager said of the top four point guards. “They could all go in the top 10. Whoever gets any of them has a chance to have a guy you can build around.”
Bobby Marks of The Vertical examines how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will impact first-round picks — Marks focuses on both future first-rounders and players selected in the top 30 in recent years.
Be sure to check out our Reverse Standings feature to see how the 2017 draft class currently looks.