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Pacific Notes: David West, Jerry West, Kings, Bell

June 10th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Arthur Hill

No one gave up more to be part of this year’s NBA Finals than the Warriors‘ David West, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. The 37-year-old turned down a $12MM player option with the Pacers in 2015 to pursue a ring, signing veteran’s minimum contracts with San Antonio and Golden State. Grange estimates West could have earned about $20MM over the past two seasons if he had sought a long-term deal instead of a championship. “I’m 36 and I’ve been playing basketball for 30 years of my life and you get to a point where [The Finals] is the only environment, the only stage I haven’t been in,” West explained. “I’ve been in high school championships, played collegiately at a high level, but you want to get this final stage and it was an opportunity where personally I felt I had to jump at.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

  • The Warriors plan to meet with consultant Jerry West after the playoffs are finished to discuss his future with the team, according to Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. West recently met with the Clippers to discuss a similar role in their organization and confirmed he received an offer. West has been with Golden State for six seasons and GM Bob Myers and owner Joe Lacob have said they want him to stay. However, West said isn’t sure if the team still needs his input now that it has risen to the top of the league.
  • Markelle Fultz‘s willingness to visit the Kings is a sign that Sacramento no longer has a toxic reputation among potential draftees, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The Kings, who own picks No. 5 and 10, were only able to bring in one first-rounder, Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin, in last year’s pre-draft workouts. The team has already had sessions with Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox, North Carolina’s Justin Jackson and Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell.
  • Texas center Jarrett Allen, another potential lottery pick, will have a private workout with the Kings today, the team announced on its website. Also on today’s schedule is a group session with SMU’s Semi Ojeleye, St. Mary’s Joe Rahon, Loyola’s Milton Doyle, Texas A&M Corpus Christie’s Rashawn Thomas, BYU’s Eric Mika and Central Florida’s Matt Williams.
  • The Suns are intrigued by Oregon’s Jordan Bell, who worked out for the team Friday, relays Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Bell, who compares himself to Draymond Green, enhanced his reputation when he blocked eight shots in an NCAA Tournament win over Kansas. “I very much take pride in my defense,” Bell said. “That’s what I hang my hat on every time I step on the floor. I think my ability to guard perimeter players, switch on screens and keep people in front of me is definitely something that will help me in the long run and keep me in the league for a long time.”
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Northwest Notes: Hood, Kanter, Blazers

June 9th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by Austin Kent

When Gordon Hayward hits free agency next month he’s expected to generate considerable interest. While the Jazz are intent on retaining the All-Star, Benjamin Mehic of the Deseret News suggests that Rodney Hood could be a possible, in-house replacement.

Mehic argues that Hood’s career thus far has followed a similar trajectory to that of Hayward’s, with the former facing similar critiques to what Hayward faced early in his own career.

Although, like Hayward, Hood will look to add bulk to finish stronger around the rim, he could potentially surpass Hayward on the defensive side of the ball. Mehic cites Hood’s 6’9″ wingspan as one of his best attributes heading forward.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

  • In an update to a story we discussed earlier this week, Enes Kanter‘s father has been released from a Turkish prison, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman relays. On June 2, the Thunder big man announced that his family’s Istanbul home was raided by local authorities and that his father was arrested.
  • The Timberwolves worked out Jarrett Allen on Wednesday and the Texas forward profiles as a good fit for the organization, Jerry Zgoda of the StarTribune writes. Allen has been projected in the 10th-20th range, below Minnesota’s current No. 7 overall selection, but the team could always trade down.
  • The Trail Blazers have been busy auditioning potential draft picks this week, bringing in players like Harry Giles and Donovan Mitchell on Thursday (Joe Freeman of the Oregonian tweets) and then several more on Friday including Tyler Lydon and Isaiah Briscoe (per Casey Holdahl of Portland’s official site)
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Eastern Notes: Hornets, Bulls, Knicks, Nets

June 8th, 2017 at 6:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hornets have six players on the roster who will make $12MM or more next year and that leaves the team without much flexibility heading into the offseason, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The franchise has roughly $102MM on the books for the 2017/18 campaign, as we outlined on the team’s Salary Digest page.

Bonnell believes GM Rich Cho needs to find a way to improve the team’s depth. The 2015/16 squad was able to make the playoffs because of a deep rotation, but after losing several contributors to free agency, Charlotte fell in the standings.

Cho will have the No.11 and No. 41 overall picks in this year’s draft as well as two exceptions (the highest mid-level exception—approximately $8.4MM —and the bi-annual exception, which is projected to be around $3.3MM) to work with as he looks to add talent.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Donovan Mitchell recently met with the Bulls and Vincent Goodwill of Comcast Sportsnet (Twitter link) hears that the team was impressed with the guard’s workout. Goodwill notes that there is a good chance that Mitchell is off the board by the time Chicago picks at No. 16.
  • Steve Vasturia worked out for the Knicks, Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old shooting guard has plans to work out for the Nets as well.
  • Isaac Hamilton will work out for the Knicks, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). Begley notes that the UCLA product fits the mold that team President Phil Jackson is looking for and the shooting guard could be an option for the team in the second round. New York owns the No. 44 and No. 58 overall selections in addition to the No.8.
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Knicks Draft Notes: Smith Jr., Mitchell, Williams-Goss

June 8th, 2017 at 3:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dennis Smith Jr. met with Knicks team president Phil Jackson and according to the prospect’s trainer, he would love a chance to play with Carmelo Anthony, as Adam Zagoria of Fan Rag relays.

“Those guys are proven, USA [Basketball], Olympic players, I think he would mesh well. And Junior wants to learn now, too,” Smith’s longtime trainer Shawn Farmer. “He doesn’t just want to go in and think he knows everything. He wants to get up under those guys’ wing and learn from those guys.”

Farmer added playing in the triangle wouldn’t upset Smith. “He saw it was successful prior years with Kobe [Bryant] and all of those kids [on the Lakers]. So Junior is one of the smartest basketball players I’ve ever been around and I’ve played professionally in Europe. I’ve been around a lot of pros and not being biased, he’s such a smart kid,” Farmer said.

The NC State product was expected to work out for New York on Wednesday, but that never took place, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports (ESPN Now link). The point guard also met with the Magic on Wednesday, so it’s possible that he received a draft promise from Orlando and decided not to go through drills with the Knicks, though that is merely my speculation.

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

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Pacific Notes: Fox, Kings, Suns, Lakers, Warriors

June 6th, 2017 at 5:19pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Kings may be willing to trade both their No. 5 and No. 10 picks to move up in the draft so that they can move up to select De’Aaron Fox, according to Chad Ford of ESPN (link via Sporting News’ Joe Rodgers). Sacramento has apparently become infatuated with Fox and does not believe that he will be available at No. 5, prompting internal discussions about the possibility of trading up.

Here is more from the Pacific division:

  • On Wednesday, the Kings will host their fifth pre-draft workout, per the team’s official website. Attendees will be Donovan Mitchell (Louisville), Dominique Hawkins (Kentucky), Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), Cameron Oliver (Nevada), Erik McCree (Louisiana Tech), and Jabari Bird (California).
  • Beyond bringing back the Warriors‘ core, “every non-core player might end up elsewhere if the price is too high,” writes Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. As Kawakami states, the Dubs have shown in the past “they can be fairly cut-throat in evaluating the middle-to-bottom of their roster.” The Kawakami piece also includes +/- statistics for the Warriors and Cavaliers this postseason, this year’s NBA Finals, and the Finals from a year ago.
  • Malik Monk worked out for the Suns on Tuesday, per the team’s official Twitter account.
  • Yoan Granvorka will work out for the Suns on Wednesday, according to Sportando (link via Twitter).
  • The Lakers worked out point guard Jawun Evans and are considering him at No. 28, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com reports (link via Twitter). Howard-Cooper adds that Evans is “getting interest in the 20s, including from the Blazers with two in that range.”
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Eastern Draft Notes: Knicks, Smith, Hornets, Bulls

June 6th, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is in town to work out for the Knicks, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Marc Berman of The New York Post tweets that the workout will take place tomorrow.

Smith, who was previously said to have a tentative session lined up with New York, has frequently been mentioned as a potential target for the club at No. 8. By that point, top point guards like Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, and De’Aaron Fox will almost certainly be off the board, but Smith may still be available, and the Knicks are in the market for a point guard of the future.

Here are a few more draft-related notes from around the Eastern Conference:

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Draft Notes: Fox, Ball, Mitchell, Workouts

May 31st, 2017 at 10:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

In a draft expected to be dominated by point guards, John Wall thinks De’Aaron Fox will be the best of the bunch, relays Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic. Wall insists his opinion stems from watching Fox play and isn’t because they went to the same school. “A lot of people say it’s bias because he’s from Kentucky, but I think De’Aaron Fox might end up being the best point guard out of that class,” Wall said. “He reminds me of myself a lot, just a lefty.” Wall was the first player picked in 2010 and has been a four-time All-Star. Fox is widely projected to be taken early in the lottery, but after point guards Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.

There’s more news as the draft looms three weeks away:

  • Fox is the latest rookie to get a shoe deal before being drafted, tweets Nick DePaula of The Vertical. Fox, who was highly sought after by shoe companies, agreed to a multi-year deal with Nike.
  • Ball may need an exceptional workout with the Lakers to be the No. 2 pick, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who notes that L.A.’s interest is growing in Fox and Kansas forward Josh Jackson. Ball’s camp, which once said he would only meet with the Lakers, is now willing to hold meetings, but probably not workouts, with the Sixers and Kings.
  • Donovan Mitchell is a non-traditional point guard who may be a steal for somebody in the middle of the draft, writes Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Louisville product is celebrated for his defense, but doesn’t possess great passing skills.
  • Oregon guard Dylan Ennis has been among the most active prospects in pre-draft workouts, tweets Oliver Maroney of Dime Magazine. Ennis has already worked out for the Thunder, Raptors and Celtics, and has sessions with the Clippers, Kings and Spurs set for next week. He is listed by DraftExpress as a long shot to be selected.
  • Pitt’s Jamel Artis will work out for the Magic on Thursday, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
  • Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan was the top name at Tuesday’s Raptors workout, tweets Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. Swanigan was joined by Virginia’s Austin Nichols, Dayton’s Scoochie Smith, Houston’s Damyean Dotson, North Carolina’s Nate Britt and Southeast Missouri’s Antonius Cleveland.
  • The Knicks welcomed six players on Tuesday, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. At the workout were Kentucky’s Isaiah Briscoe, South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell, Duke’s Amile Jefferson, Colorado’s Derrick White, Florida’s Canyon Barry and Columbia’s Luke Petrasek.
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New York Notes: NBA Finals, Gaines, Mitchell, Draft

May 28th, 2017 at 9:09am CST by Arthur Hill

Personnel decisions by the Knicks and Nets helped turn the Cavaliers and Warriors into the NBA’s best teams, writes Fred Korber of The New York Post. New York gave Cleveland two much-needed pieces in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in a January 2015 trade that also involved the Thunder. Backup big man Channing Frye was drafted eighth overall by the Knicks in 2005, and reserve forward Derrick Williams spent time in New York. The Knicks were hoping Stephen Curry would fall to them with the eighth pick in the 2009 draft, but Kerber says they didn’t try to trade up because they didn’t believe the Warriors would take him at No. 7. New York has been through 23 point guards since then, and may be looking for another with Derrick Rose headed to free agency. Recent Golden State signee Matt Barnes was also briefly a Knick.

The Cavs’ bench is filled with players who have ties to the Nets. Richard Jefferson spent eight years with the team, including two finals appearances. Kyle Korver was drafted by the Nets in 2003 and shipped to the Sixers. Deron Williams spent nearly four years in Brooklyn before being bought out in 2015. Dahntay Jones signed a training camp deal last year, but was cut in preseason. The Nets sent the 35th pick in the 2012 draft to Golden State along with Troy Murphy in a 2011 deal that brought them Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric. The Warriors used that pick on Draymond Green. Shaun Livingston revived his career with the Nets in 2013/14, but they couldn’t afford to keep him and he signed with Golden State.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

  • Clarence Gaines Jr. is Phil Jackson’s secret weapon when it comes to draft preparation, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Formerly a scout with the Bulls, the vice president of player personnel was the first executive Jackson hired when he took over as team president. Gaines was a strong advocate for Kristaps Porzingis two years ago and pushed the team to sign Langston Galloway out of the D-League.
  • The Knicks have “more than a casual interest” in Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, Berman writes in a separate story. At 6’3″, Mitchell was an undersized shooting guard for the Cardinals, but he projects as a point guard in the NBA. That’s a position of need for New York, which holds the eighth pick. That may be high for Mitchell, although he is reportedly rising on draft boards, but the Knicks might trade down and take him later in the lottery. New York’s front office requested an interview with Mitchell at the combine, though it wasn’t granted, and hopes to work him out before the draft.
  • Brooklyn, which has about $27MM in cap space available this summer, will see that figure trimmed slightly by the draft, tweets NetsDaily. If the Nets sign, rather than draft-and-stash, all three of their picks, it will cost them about $3.9MM — about $1.7MM for No. 22, $1.3MM for No. 27 and $852K for No. 57.
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Draft Notes: Wilson, Fox, Suns, Mitchell

May 27th, 2017 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are denying a report that they offered a guarantee to take Michigan’s D.J. Wilson in the first round, according to Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. That story was passed on by Rod Beard of The Detroit News, who said the team promised to select Wilson with either its 24th or 30th pick in the June 22nd draft. Walt Perrin, Utah’s vice president of player personnel, said the Jazz haven’t offered a definite guarantee to any player in his 16 years with the organization. “It does put you at somewhat of a disadvantage because if someone comes to you with a great trade, you’ve made your commitment to that player, so you can’t trade,” he said. … “We try to keep our flexibility.”

There’s more news as draft day approaches:

  • Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox will hold workouts for the Lakers, who hold the second pick, and the Sixers, who have No. 3, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. The workout in L.A. is expected to happen between June 11th and 17th.
  • The Suns will begin draft workouts Monday, writes Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic. A session is also set for Tuesday, with Jarrett Allen of Texas and Luke Kornet of Vanderbilt expected to attend. Kornet, a 7-foot senior who is projected to be taken in the second round, grew up near Phoenix and would love to join the organization. “The Suns were my favorite team growing up, like when Steve Nash was there,” he said. “Right now I know they’re super young with [Devin] Booker and [Marquese] Chriss and [Dragan] Bender. They’re growing and finding their identity, but they have some great pieces.” Phoenix owns the fourth pick, along with second rounders at 32 and 54, and is expected to bring in most of the top-billed players.
  • Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell is steadily moving up NBA draft boards, relays Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Reichert compares Mitchell to Celtics guard Avery Bradley and says he has decent offensive skills to go with his celebrated defense.
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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.
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