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Draft Notes: Booker, Hornets, Knicks, Qualls

June 15th, 2015 at 9:36pm CST by Charlie Adams

The trade sending Lance Stephenson to the Clippers will likely have an impact on how the draft unfolds, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets that the move raises the probability that the Hornets take Devin Booker or Kelly Oubre with the 10th pick. Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune concurs (on Twitter), suggesting that Booker “definitely” won’t be around by the time the Jazz are on the clock with the 12th selection. Ford adds (via Twitter) that the Hornets have an affinity for R.J. Hunter too but that the team won’t take him as high as 10th. Instead, Ford thinks they could potentially move down in the draft if the right deal presents itself. Let’s have a look at more on the quickly approaching draft:

The Knicks are giving serious consideration to trading down and drafting Cameron Payne, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who adds that the decision not to bring in the former Murray State point guard for a workout means there could potentially be varying opinions on his value in the team’s front office.
Kristaps Porzingis’ draft stock is rising faster than any other lottery pick’s, league executives tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Second round hopeful Michael Qualls has been diagnosed with a torn ACL, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress passes along on Twitter. The Arkansas wing had been listed as the 40th best prospect by Givony and the 48th best one by Ford, but this injury almost certainly means Qualls won’t be selected.
The Pacers possess the 11th pick, but Frank Vogel insists that the depth of this draft has him feeling like he can get a talent that would usually be taken with the third, fourth, or fifth selections, as Dana Hunsinger of the Indy Star details.
If the Hornets are to move down in the draft, Ford tweets that the most logical trade partner for the team is the Celtics, who have the 16th pick. It’s unclear whether his statement is an indicator of interest on either team’s part or if it’s merely speculative, however.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Jazz, Oubre, Booker

June 14th, 2015 at 3:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets may be looking to deal for another lottery pick, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey says Denver, which holds the No. 7 selection, may target a slightly lower pick, possibly No. 8 from the Pistons. He notes Detroit’s need for a small forward and writes that the Nuggets have players to offer. Denver has worked out just one point guard so far — Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant — but Murray State’s Cameron Payne is due in Monday, along with Serbian Nikola Radicevic. The Nuggets are also trying to schedule a visit from Emmanuel Mudiay, who has been widely regarded as a top four selection.

There’s more as Northwest teams prepare for the draft:

Six more players are scheduled for workouts with the Jazz Monday, the team tweeted. Due in are Stanford’s Anthony Brown, California-Davis’ Corey Hawkins, Temple’s Jesse Morgan, Harvard’s Wesley Saunders, Bobby Parks Jr. of the Philippines and Mateusz Ponitka of Poland.
Kansas’ Kelly Oubre was filled with confidence during Sunday’s workout with the Jazz, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Oubre compared himself to NBA stars Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, saying, “I feel like I can be as good as or better than those guys.” Oubre also had a message for NBA teams considering him in the draft: “Whoever calls my name on draft night, I’m going to help them win a championship.” (Twitter link).
Kentucky’s Devin Booker is a potential draft steal for the Thunder, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma finished 22nd in three-point shooting last season and could use a perimeter sniper like Booker. “I know Oklahoma would be a good fit for me,” Booker said. “A lot of good looks with Russell [Westbrook] and KD [Kevin Durant] there. So that’d be nice to have. A few people have said things to me about that’d just be a good fit for me. So we’ll see what happens.”

Southeast Notes: Carroll, Hornets, Wizards

June 10th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll is the top unrestricted free agent set to hit the open market this summer, and Carroll can expect to command an annual salary in the $14MM-$15MM range, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 28-year-old also believes that his best basketball is still ahead of him, Vivlamore adds. “I think I have a lot more to come,” Carroll told Vivlamore. “I think I can be an All-Star player, like Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard. I see myself as one of those guys, but in order for me to get to being on the elite level, like Paul George, you have to be consistent. People got a glimpse of it this year.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast:

Though Carroll is happy in Atlanta and with the Hawks, he still intends to test the market this offseason, Vivlamore notes. “A player has few opportunities to hit the free-agent market and get a contract to take care of his family,” said Mark Bartelstein, Carroll’s agent. “However, there are a lot of elements to consider other than pure economics. The Hawks have been sensational with DeMarre’s development in so many ways. They deserve a lot of credit. At the same time, DeMarre’s work ethic and his relentless pursuit of greatness is why he continues to get better every single year, and I know it will just continue. We will weigh everything in making a great decision for DeMarre.”
The Hornets held workouts today for Devin Booker (Kentucky), Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Keon Moore (Winthrop), Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), Travis Trice (Michigan State), and Julian Washburn (UTEP), the team announced (via Twitter).
Scheduled to work out for the Wizards on Thursday are Brandon Ashley (Arizona), Corey Hawkins (UC Davis), David Laury (Iona), Nikola Radicevic (Serbia), Rashad Vaughn (UNLV), and Dez Wells (Maryland), the team has announced.
Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre has a workout scheduled with the Hornets on Thursday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Wizards, Carroll

June 9th, 2015 at 7:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy had the opportunity to veto the team’s hire of Arn Tellem as the vice chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. “[Team owner] Tom [Gores] told me, if you’re not comfortable with this, you can veto this,” Van Gundy said. “And I had no intention of doing that. I have 100 percent confidence in Tom. I respect his intellect. I respect his integrity.”

Van Gundy will still make the final calls on personnel in Detroit, but he plans to use Tellem’s experience and knowledge in determining player values, Aldridge adds. “Clearly he has a lot of contacts and people that have a loyalty to him,” Van Gundy said. “And that’s what most people will focus on. But the other side that will help us even when it’s with people that Arn doesn’t have a relationship with is, Arn’s been through this so many times with so many clients, he knows what pushes players’ buttons in the recruiting process. He’s been on the other side of it to know what works and what doesn’t. He can bring to us the other side and educate us on the other side of things.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Wizards have workouts scheduled on Wednesday for Traevon Jackson (Wisconsin), Antoine Mason (Auburn), Gabriel Olaseni (Iowa), M.J. Rhett (Mississippi), Satnam Singh (India), and Maurice Walker (Minnesota), the team announced.
Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker and Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker will work out for the Hornets on Wednesday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets.
DeMarre Carroll reiterated past comments indicating that the Hawks will be his first choice in free agency this summer, adding that he’ll nonetheless keep his options open as he spoke in a radio interview on Paul Gant’s “Go For It” show (audio link; transcription via Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Booker, Wade

June 8th, 2015 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant and Georgia State guard R.J. Hunter were among the six players the Hornets worked out on Monday, according to the team’s official website. Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison, Presbyterian College guard Jordan Downing, Michigan State forward Branden Dawson and Wyoming forward Larry Nance Jr. were the other participants. Grant is the most highly-regarded prospect among that group. He’s ranked No. 17 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford on his list of Top 100 prospects while DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony currently rates him at No. 15.

In other news around the Southeast Division:

Aaron Harrison was originally scheduled to be at the Hornets workout but his twin brother replaced him, Max Bultman of the Sporting News reports. Andrew Harrison did not offer an explanation for the switch, Bultman adds. “I talk to him a couple times a day, but he’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine,” Andrew Harrison said to reporters at the workout.
Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker had a scheduled workout with the Heat on Monday, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com. The Heat hold the No. 10 overall pick and Booker is expected to go in the back half of the lottery. Booker, ranked No. 13 among Ford’s Top 100 prospects and No. 12 by DraftExpress, worked out for the Nuggets on Friday and recently worked out for Thunder and Suns, Ford adds.
Dwyane Wade‘s evasive comments about his future during the NBA Finals telecast on Sunday were odd and unsettling, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel opines. Wade has until the end of the month to decide whether to opt out of his $16.1MM salary for 2015/16 and become a free agent. Hyde urges Heat owner Micky Arison to take care of Wade because of all he’s done for the franchise.

Central Notes: Pistons, Howard Jr., Middleton

June 7th, 2015 at 12:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Team President Stan Van Gundy believes the team’s hiring of Arn Tellem will help the franchise attract free agents, but that’s not the only reason that the former agent was added to the payroll, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes.

“It’s certainly an advantage that some of his guys probably have a high level of trust in him and great loyalty to him. I don’t think there’s any question about that. I think that could be some help, but I think that’s different from thinking Arn’s going to go out and use that relationship and be manipulative. I don’t see that,” Van Gundy said.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Juwan Howard Jr. worked out for the Pistons on Saturday, according to Terry Foster of The Detroit News. Although Howard Jr. is not expected to be drafted, Foster speculates that Detroit could sign him as an undrafted free agent. The scribe also suggests the Heat could bring him aboard because they employ his father.
Khris Middleton would like to re-sign with Milwaukee this offseason, Gene Sapakoff of The Post and Courier writes. “We have a lot of great pieces with the Bucks,” Middleton said. “If we can stay together, we can do something special.” It was reported that Middleton could command an annual salary in the range of $13MM to $15MM.
Devin Booker is definitely on the Bucks‘ radar, Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times writes. Booker met with the team during the pre-draft camp in Chicago. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors has the guard going to the Hornets with the No. 9 pick in his latest Mock Draft.

Pacific Notes: Mudiay, Lakers, Hollis-Jefferson

June 6th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Emmanuel Mudiay, who worked out for the Lakers today, told Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times that he identifies with Kobe Bryant‘s passion for the game. “Kobe, I admire his determination,” Mudiay said. “That’s what made me a fan of his. He’s got a dog in him and that’s kind of how I approach the game. You got to be a dog.” Mudiay, widely considered to be a top four pick in this year’s draft, is also reportedly working out for the Timberwolves, Sixers and Knicks. He reneged on a commitment to play college ball at SMU and spent the past season with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China, making him somewhat of a mystery to American fans. The Lakers got an up-close look at his talents, with coach Byron Scott and GM Mitch Kupchak monitoring the workout.

There’s more draft news from the Pacific Division:

Mudiay wasn’t the only player working out for the Lakers today, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Also present were Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker and Dakari Johnson, while Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell will work out for the team soon. Of the group, only Russell is expected to be in the mix for the number two overall pick that the Lakers own.
Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was comfortable and confident after Friday’s workout with the Suns, according to Matt Peterson of NBA.com. After averaging 11.2 points and 6.8 rebounds as a sophomore with the Wildcats, Hollis-Jefferson is hoping to attract the attention of a lottery team. The Suns hold the 13th overall pick. “[It doesn’t matter] if you’re the underdog or if you’re being talked about or mentioned more,” he told reporters. “You should be ready no matter what.”
The Suns held several other workouts Friday, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic (Twitter links). The group included Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell, Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter, UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn and Christian Wood, Utah’s Delon Wright, California-Santa Barbara’s Alan Williams, Arizona’s T.J. McConnell, Wyoming’s Larry Nance Jr., Temple’s Will Cummings, Bosnian player Nedim Buza and D-League player Jarvis Threatt.

Northwest Notes: Aldridge, Jazz, Nuggets

June 4th, 2015 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, a report surfaced indicating that Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge had put his Portland area home up for sale. Apparently, that is not the case. Yes, the house is up for sale, but the 29-year-old free agent isn’t the owner. It turns out that the West Linn, Oregon home is actually owned by former Blazers guard Damon Stoudamire and Aldridge was simply renting it, as John Canzano of The Oregonian writes. Stoudamire later confirmed as much on Twitter [sic]:

“eating lunch and my house in West Linn comes across the screen. Don’t know if LA is leaving PO but, thx for the pub! #4sale,” Stoudamire wrote.

While Blazers fans calm down a bit, let’s take a look at more news out of the Northwest Division..

The Jazz have a greater chance at bringing over Tibor Pleiss next year than Ante Tomic, ESPN700’s Andy Larsen tweets. However, it’s also possible that both players make the jump or that neither player does. Larsen notes that what Utah does with both players is very much dependent on who they draft (link). There won’t be much room for both players if they draft a big man at No. 12 later this month.
The Jazz formally announced on Twitter that they will work out six prospects on Friday. That group includes SMU center Yanick Moreira, UNC Asheville center Jaleel Roberts, Kentucky guard Aaron Harrison, Maryland guard/forward Dez Wells, N.C. State guard Trevor Lacey, and St. John’s guard Phil Greene. Hoops Rumors spoke with Greene and his former coach Steve Lavin recently about the guard’s NBA prospects. Greene is represented by veteran NBA agent Keith Kreiter.
In a press release, the Nuggets announced that they will audition seven players on Friday. The morning group will feature forward Darion Atkins (Virginia), guard Devin Booker (Kentucky), forward Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), guard Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), guard Pierria Henry (Charlotte), and guard/forward SirDominic Pointer (St. John’s).
The Blazers‘ second pre-draft workout includes Henry, George de Paula, Chris Walker, Joshua Smith, and Seth Tuttle, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (on Twitter). As previously reported, Jarell Martin will also be a participant.

And-Ones: Booker, Clippers, Sanders

June 1st, 2015 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker will work out for the Thunder on Tuesday, Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman tweets. Oklahoma City owns the No. 14 overall pick. The Suns, who have the No. 13 pick, brought in Booker for a workout on Monday. according to a tweet from Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.com. Dez Wells, Josh Richardson, Derek Cooke, Vince Hunter and Jarvis Summers also participated in Phoenix’s workout, according to Scotto.

In other news around the league:

The Clippers, who don’t have a pick in the draft, nonetheless brought in several prospects for workouts on Monday, including Chris Walker, Dwayne Polee, Ralston Turner, Keifer Sykes, Shannon Scott and Richaun Holmes, Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reports.
Trevor Lacey, Dakari Johnson, Rayvonte Rice, Corey Hawkins, Kenneth Smith and Alpha Kaba worked out for the Lakers on Monday, according to the Lakers’ Twitter feed.
Jerian Grant and Delon Wright participated in the Wizards’ first pre-draft workout, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.
Larry Sanders has no regrets walking away from the Bucks and the NBA, he tells Gus Turner of Complex.com in a lengthy feature article. Sanders left approximately $27MM but has found peace and happiness outside of basketball, Turner adds. “I couldn’t function outside of the gym and my studio,” he told Turner. “I couldn’t be around my family; I couldn’t be around anybody else. I was creating from a place of anxiety and fear, suffering. I wasn’t creating from a place of joy or happiness or freedom. Everything I did was pure avoidance.”
Alvin Gentry’s four-year deal to coach the Pelicans is worth a total of $13.75MM, and that includes a team option of $4MM for the final season, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Heat Notes: Wade, Chalmers, Draft

June 1st, 2015 at 1:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwyane Wade doesn’t intend to leave the Heat, cautions Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), but the contract squabble that apparently has him at least open to the idea will test the bond that has held Wade and the Heat together for 12 years, as fellow Herald scribe Dan Le Batard writes. Wade has subjugated his financial position multiple times over his time with the Heat, having never been the team’s highest player, as Le Batard points out, but it looks like he wants to recoup some of that sacrifice this summer. Here’s more on Wade and Miami:

The Heat would love to end up with Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson or Croatian swingman Mario Hezonja with the 10th overall pick in the draft, as Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel makes clear. In any case, there’s a decent chance Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker will be available to Miami at that selection, as Winderman hears the Hornets would like to end up with more out of the No. 9 pick than Booker could provide.
Wade’s willingness to take a stand is symbolic of the union’s shift toward a more star-friendly strategy in which it appears poised to pursue collective bargaining agreement terms that will better suit the upper class of NBA players, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller observes. That could come at the expense of the rest of union membership, and the dynamic threatens to weaken the players association, Ziller argues.
That Wade might find himself only the fourth most highly paid member of the Heat by the 2016/17 season, behind Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside, has to eat at the 11-time All-Star shooting guard, Winderman believes.
Longtime starter Mario Chalmers figures to play a backup role if Dragic returns, but there’s little value for the Heat in trading Chalmers now, as Winderman posits in the same piece.