Dennis Schröder

Cavs Would Give Up No. 1 Pick For Kevin Love

Immediately after the Cavaliers won this year's draft lottery, we heard that the team would be open to fielding trade offers for the first overall pick. But according to Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com, there's one particular the team with whom the Cavs would like to deal: The Timberwolves. Kotoch reports that the No. 1 pick would be available to the T-Wolves if they were willing to part with Kevin Love.

Kotoch's report doesn't come as a huge surprise — Love is a two-time All-Star and was a member of the gold-medal U.S. Olympic team in 2012, so he's a proven commodity, whereas there's no real consensus top pick in this year's draft class. Nerlens Noel, who sits atop many draft boards, is recovering from ACL surgery. As such, it makes sense that the Cavs, who hope to earn a playoff spot next season, would target a veteran who could make an immediate impact.

Love has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate in the past because he and the Timberwolves have had an up-and-down relationship since the team was unwilling to give him the five-year rookie scale extension he was seeking. Still, with former GM David Kahn out of the picture and Flip Saunders now running the show in Minnesota, I'd be shocked if the T-Wolves seriously considered moving Love this summer. Even if he does intent to opt out down the road, Love still has at least two more years remaining on his contract, so there'd be plenty of time for the Wolves to weigh their options.

In addition to the nugget on the Cavs and Love, Kotoch shared a few more draft-related rumors to go along with his latest mock draft. Here are the highlights:

  • Kotoch echoes a report by ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link) suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been given a first-round guarantee. According to Kotoch, two teams have made such a promise to the so-called "Greek Freak," and Kotoch believes one of them may be the Hawks, who have two first-round picks.
  • The Jazz are interested in C.J. McCollum, but would be happy to select Michael Carter-Williams or Dennis Schroeder if McCollum is off the board at No. 14, says Kotoch.
  • McCollum also intrigues the Thunder, who pick 12th, though Oklahoma City has been primarily linked to bigs so far.
  • The Knicks "really like" Shane Larkin, according to Kotoch.

Draft Links: White, Matthews, Celtics

Terrico White was the 36th player chosen in the 2010 NBA Draft. After the Pistons snagged him from Ole Miss, he broke his right foot in his very first preseason game. He bounced around the NBA's D-League, even averaging better than 17 PPG for the Idaho Stampede during an excellent 7-game stretch in the 2011/12 season, before heading to Serbia this year. 

After averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.5 APG for Serbia's Radnicki Kragujevac, his contract is set to expire at just the right time, writes Ridiculous Upside's Gino Pilato. White will be looking to make an NBA roster this summer after his Serbian contract runs out in June. 

There are plenty other college hopefuls looking to be drafted by an NBA team this summer..

  • Newsday's Roderick Boone discusses the NBA draft's biggest "wild card" big man hopeful in July: Farmingdale State's A.J. Matthews. The 6'11" center out of Division III Farmingdale State (academic issues kept him out of bigger basketball schools) was invited to the NBA's combine and the center with a wingspan measuring 7 feet, 3 1/2 inches impressed the Nets' director of player personnel Greg Polinsky
  • We already mentioned all the players the Celtics have worked out the last couple days and ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg broke it all down for you, but here are the projected draft positions for all those players based off Chad Ford's rankings.  
  • Darren Wolfson of ESPN1500 Twin Cities says Brandon Paul, Vander Blue and Derrick Nix are coming for the Wolves' NBA Draft workout. He also adds that Wisconsin's Mike Bruesewitz is hoping to get an invite (Twitter link)
  • Alex Kennedy at HoopsWorld has a profile of Dennis Schroeder of Germany. The son of a German father and a Gambian mother, Schroeder promised his dying father he'd make the NBA; he's projected as a mid-first-round pick next month.
  • The Jazz will pick 14th in next month's draft after failing to move up during last week's draft lottery.  Jody Genessy of the Deseret News spoke by phone with Jazz president Randy Rigby and general manager Dennis Lindsey about their moves in a busy Jazz offseason. 

Draft Links: Bennett, Cavs, Schroeder, Crabbe

The NBA draft takes place one month from Monday, and that means teams and prospects will soon be entering the home stretch. We'll be hearing plenty about the draft in the coming weeks as clubs bring in players for workouts and discuss possible trades. Here's the latest:
  • The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer takes a close look at UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett, whose left rotator cuff surgery this month doesn't appear to be hurting his draft stock. Bennett sits atop her rankings of the top power forwards available.
  • Boyer answers plenty of draft-related questions about the Cavaliers in her latest mailbag column. She theorizes that if the Cavs draft Nerlens Noel, that means they'll end their pursuit of Greg Oden.
  • HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy chronicles German point guard Dennis Schroeder's unconventional path to becoming a first-round prospect. Schroeder's long arms and wide hands have led him to be compared to Rajon Rondo
  • Shooting guard Allen Crabbe was surprised when he found out the Wizards wanted to meet with him, as he tells J. Michael of CSNWashington.com. The Wizards would likely have to trade into the late first round to take the Cal junior. 
  • Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com has more on the dozen prospects the Celtics have brought in for workouts the past two days.

Draft Combine Latest: Friday Evening

As day three of the NBA draft combine comes to a close, updates are still coming in from reporters stationed in Chicago for the event, which runs through Sunday. We covered the news from the first part of the day in this post, and we'll round up additional items here:

  • Robbins adds Victor Oladipo and Nate Wolters to the list of players the Magic have interviewed, which includes a total of 18 prospects. Trey Burke isn't one of them, but he'll likely visit Orlando soon for a lengthy workout and interview.
  • Zeller has interviewed with 10 teams at the combine, and the Sixers are one of them, reports Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Earlier updates:

  • Nerlens Noel told Andy Katz of ESPN that he's interviewed with the Celtics, Magic, Bobcats, Suns, Pelicans and Cavaliers, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv passes along. Katz also hears Gorgui Dieng and Jamaal Franklin are hopeful they'll be healthy enough to work out before the draft. Alex Len won't be ready to hit the court until August, but he's planning to talk with 15 teams at the combine, according to Katz.
  • Dennis Schroeder is one of a pair of international prospects rumored to have received a promise from a team, and he said following an interview with the Bucks at the combine that Milwaukee could be a fit for him, notes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Schroeder also sees a chance for playing time with the Jazz.
  • The Magic interviewed Otto Porter during the combine, and scheduled a meeting with Kelly Olynyk as well, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links).
  • Sean Deveney of The Sporting News counts Cody Zeller among those with a shot at becoming the top pick after an impressive showing in drills today.
  • Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press adds Brandon Paul and Tony Mitchell to the list of Pistons interviewees. Paul has a workout with the team scheduled for later this month.
  • The Oregonian's Jason Quick looks at the prospect interview process the Trail Blazers employ, and adds that GM Neil Olshey flew to Europe this spring to scout Rudy Gobert and Dario Saric, who aren't taking part in the combine.

Draft Updates: Friday

2:52pm: Here are a few more updates out of Chicago:

  • In a series of tweets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune lists a number of the prospects the Timberwolves have talked to or will talk to in Chicago. Among those we hadn't already heard about: Alex Len, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ricky Ledo, Archie Goodwin, Reggie Bullock, and Vander Blue.
  • The Trail Blazers will meet with Caldwell-Pope today, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com adds (via Twitter) that the Blazers met with Ledo yesterday.
  • Ryan Kelly has met with the Mavericks, Celtics, and Clippers, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
  • Dennis Schroeder will work out for the Bucks, Jazz, and Rockets, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
  • Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that there's some speculation at the combine that this could finally be the year the No. 1 pick is traded.

11:44am: It took us multiple posts yesterday to round up all the tidbits trickling out of Chicago, where the NBA is holding its draft combine this week. We'll see if today is as busy, but in the meantime, here are the latest updates on the 2013 draft:

  • Some NBA executives believe that it's possible Shabazz Muhammad falls out of the top 10 and perhaps even the lottery on draft night, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
  • In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford passes along the official measurements on the players in Chicago, and provides a few thoughts on the results.
  • Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) hears from an NBA source that the Warriors believe they can acquire either a first- or second-round pick in this year's draft, if they so choose. Kawakami adds in a second tweet that a pick would mostly just cost money, but I'm skeptical that the Warriors could pick up a first-rounder without giving up anything of value, or that they'd even want to add a rookie-scale salary, given their proximity to the tax.
  • Alex Len met with the Bobcats last night and will meet with the Cavaliers today, according to tweets from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal. David Mayo of MLive.com tweets that Len has nothing set up with the Pistons and "wasn't too enthused" when asked about them — perhaps that would change if Detroit jumped into the top three in next week's lottery.
  • The Pistons will meet with Rudy Gobert today, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
  • Steven Adams interviewed with the Magic last night, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Chad Ford heard that Adams was the big winner on the first day of the combine, with "GM after GM" impressed by his showing.
  • Kelly Olynyk has met with the Bucks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
  • Myck Kabongo met with the Knicks and Trail Blazers earlier in the week, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Mason Plumlee also expects to meet with the Blazers, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian.

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday Evening

9:03pm: We'll post any remaining evening updates from Chicago here:
  • Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy tweets that international prospect Mouhammadou Jaiteh will forego Eurocamp and will work out for NBA teams instead, possibly as early as a group workout with Minnesota. 
  • The Oregonian's Jason Quick reports that the Trail Blazers met with James Southerland yesterday.

2:47pm: More afternoon combine updates from Chicago:

  • Ben McLemore has already interviewed with the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans, according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (via Twitter). McLemore expects to meet with the Bobcats, Magic, and Pistons tonight, according to various reports (all Twitter links).
  • Victor Oladipo will also meet with the Pistons tonight, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
  • Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter) adds Otto Porter to the list of prospects interviewed by the Timberwolves, but says the T-Wolves won't get a chance to meet with Oladipo, who was on the team's wish list.
  • Jamaal Franklin tells Jason Quick of the Oregonian that when he met with the Trail Blazers yesterday, the whole meeting consisted of a psychological test (Twitter link).
  • Andre Roberson met with the Magic yesterday, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Shams Charania of RealGM.com has a list of the 12 prospects the Bulls plan to work out on Monday (Twitter link).
  • Jeff Withey is "extremely excited" to be meeting with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

1:35pm: We covered the Thursday morning updates from Chicago's predraft camp earlier today, but with so many tidbits surfacing throughout the day, we're starting an afternoon post to round up the latest notes:

  • ESPN.com's Chad Ford hears that two international prospects have received first-round guarantees: Dennis Schroeder and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Twitter link).
  • Michael Carter-Williams has met with several teams, including the Trail Blazers, Bobcats, Pistons, Timberwolves, and Thunder, according to various reports (all links go to Twitter). Carter-Williams is hearing he could be drafted anywhere between third and 15th overall, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • We heard this morning that the Celtics had spoken to Cody Zeller and Glen Rice Jr. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe adds a few more names to the list of Boston interviewees (via Twitter): Mason Plumlee, Rudy Gobert, and Victor Oladipo.
  • C.J. McCollum won't meet with the Trail Blazers this week, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (Twitter link). However, he will meet with the Pistons tomorrow, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (via Twitter), and has already interviewed with the Magic, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter link) adds the Thunder, Nuggets, and Cavaliers to the list of teams who have spoekn to McCollum, who has 15 total interviews scheduled.
  • Robbins notes in a separate tweet that the Magic also met with Myck Kabongo.
  • Isaiah Canaan will meet with the Wizards on Friday, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
  • Canaan, Andre Roberson, and Grant Jerrett all met with the Pistons last night, tweets Langlois.
  • Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that the Bucks met with Shane Larkin yesterday and will work him out later this month.
  • Erik Murphy has interviews lined up with the Grizzlies, Clippers, and possibly the Pacers, tweets Robbins.
  • Seth Curry will meet today with the Lakers, Rockets, and Knicks, tweets Bonnell.

Draft Updates: Agents, Oladipo, Larkin, Burke

The Hoops Rumors Agency Database isn't just for current NBA players. Several draft prospects have already selected their agents, and we'll keep track of them in the database as well. We'll also pass along the news in a regular post whenever a player changes agents or chooses one for the first time. That's what we're doing here as we round up the latest on the draft ahead of next week's Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago:

  • Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports tweets that Nerlens Noel and Alex Len are expected to show up, although neither are expected to do much of anything. 
  • Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com shared the list of players invited to the pre-draft camp (Sulia link). ESPN's Chad Ford tweets that James Ennis and Norvel Pelle are among the most interesting names on the list, and that it'll be surprising if Rudy Gobert and Dennis Schroeder show up, on account of the rarity of international prospects making the trip in years past.  
  • Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times tweets that potential lottery pick Dario Saric will not be attending the Pre-Draft Camp, as he is still playing overseas. 
  • Former Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo is going with Raymond Brothers of IAM Sports & Entertainment, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Brothers' list of NBA clients includes Zach Randolph and Caron Butler
  • Happy Walters of Relativity Sports is expected to sign Shane Larkin, Goodman reports via Twitter.
  • Trey Burke's father, Benji, will represent his son, opening up a basketball division of his family's agency to do, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The agency, Infinite Sports, specializes in football (Twitter links).
  • In his NBA AM piece, Lang Greene of HoopsWorld explores the question of whether highly touted underclassmen should stay in school, like Marcus Smart, or enter the draft. Greene also passes along a video interview with first-round hopeful Jamaal Franklin

Dennis Schroeder To Enter Draft

German point guard Dennis Schroeder will enter the draft, agent Ademola Okulaja tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link). The speedy 6'2" 19-year-old projects as a second-rounder who could climb into the first, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him 55th overall among draft prospects, while Givony tabs him 31st.

Schroeder is taking part in the Nike Hoop Summit set for tomorrow in Portland, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The event pits top American high school seniors against a team of some of the best players age 19 and under from around the world.

A strong performance tomorrow could help Schroeder ascend draft boards, but if he falters, he can withdraw from the draft anytime before June 17th and continue playing overseas. College students who've declared for the draft can no longer pull out and return to school now that this week's deadline to do so has passed.