Emmanuel Mudiay Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Rumors: Towns, Okafor, Lakers, Hezonja

June 17th, 2015 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The gap between Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke center Jahlil Okafor has widened over the past few months to the point that it seems like a foregone conclusion that Towns will go No. 1 overall, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress writes amid his latest mock draft. That doesn’t mean it’s set in stone just yet, of course, but it does further the notion of Towns as the front-runner for the top pick, one that took hold during the NCAA Tournament. Givony also has Emmanuel Mudiay falling to the Nuggets at No. 7. Chad Ford of ESPN.com suggests in a chat with readers that the Nuggets would like to trade up in search of Mudiay at an earlier pick but have found little traction with the Kings, who hold the No. 6 pick, and others in trade talk involving Ty Lawson. Here’s more with the draft just one week and one day away:

The Lakers are worried that finding a quality big man via free agency or trade will be tougher than finding a guard who can score, as Ford reports in his new mock draft, citing it as an edge for Okafor as the team mulls what to do with the No. 2 pick. It appears that the Lakers are debating Okafor and Ohio State combo guard D’Angelo Russell if the Wolves pick Towns, Ford writes.
The stock of Arizona small forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is rising, making him a sleeper lottery pick, Ford hears, writing in the same mock draft. Multiple sources told Ford that they believe Oregon shooting guard Joseph Young has a promise from a team picking late in the first round.
Agent Arn Tellem is negotiating with Barcelona of Spain to reduce the buyout clause in top-10 prospect Mario Hezonja‘s contract, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The buyout is the equivalent of $2.27MM as it stands, well north of the $625K cap that NBA teams can shell out without it coming out of the player’s salary. Tellem is set to become an executive in the Pistons organization, and Detroit picks eighth.

Draft Notes: Lakers, Mudiay, Nuggets

June 14th, 2015 at 7:19pm CST by Will Joseph

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News that the team, which owns the second overall pick in the draft, is not going to pick a player based on whether or not he meshes well with Kobe Bryant. “We’re not going to pick a player because he can play with Kobe, likes Kobe or dislikes Kobe,” Kupchak said. “We’re going to pick the player that can have the longest and best career.” Bryant has signaled that next season will be his last as an NBA player. The Lakers hope their No. 2 pick can lead the franchise following Bryant’s eventual retirement, Medina writes. “Kobe is going to impart a work ethic in training camp that will be beneficial to any player we bring,” Kupchak said. The Lakers are expected to take either Jahill Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns.

Here’s more draft-related news:

Emmanuel Mudiay will work out for the Sixers, who own the third overall pick, on Tuesday, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets.
Gilvydas Biruta (Rhode Island), Trey Lyles (Kentucky), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), Cameron Payne (Murray State) and Serbia guard Nikola Radicevic will all work out on Monday for the Nuggets, who own the seventh and 57th overall picks, the team announced in a press release.
Former UNLV guard Rashad Vaughn had a private workout for the Hawks and will work out for the Timberwolves Monday, followed by showcases for the Mavs, Spurs and Celtics, Zagoria also tweets.

Atlantic Notes: Monroe, Raptors, Bogdanovic

June 14th, 2015 at 4:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

There is “strong speculation” that Pistons free agent Greg Monroe will sign with the Knicks or Celtics, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. Detroit apparently prepared for Monroe’s departure with this week’s trade that sent Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to the Bucks for Ersan Ilyasova. Monroe signed a one-year qualifying offer with the Pistons for nearly $5.5MM last offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent July 1.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Minor injuries disrupted a scheduled workout with the Raptors Saturday for Kansas’ Cliff Alexander and Utah’s Delon Wright, writes Steven Loung of sportsnet.ca. Alexander was nursing an injury from a prior workout and was forced to skip the event, while Wright had to end his session early after tweaking something, a team official said. The biggest names at the workout were Montrezl Harrell of Louisville and Kevon Looney of UCLA. Louisiana Tech forward Michale Kyser was also on hand, conducting his second workout of the week for Toronto.
Bojan Bogdanovic may have a larger role with the Nets next season, according to Fred Katz of Bleacher Report. Bogdanovic averaged 9.0 points per game and was a second team All-Rookie selection this season, but his responsibilities could increase dramatically if Brooklyn can find a taker for Joe Johnson.
The Knicks are in position to land the tall type of point guard they like for the triangle, according to the latest mock draft from Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. Bontemps has New York selecting 6-foot-5 Emmanuel Mudiay with the fourth pick, behind Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell.

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.”

Lottery Notes: Porzingis, Lakers, Sixers, Suns

June 13th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis‘ impressive workout on Friday is giving the Lakers something to ponder at No. 2, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Stein added that the big man is also in play for Philadelphia at No. 3. Multiple sources previously told Chris Mannix of SI.com that Los Angeles has zeroed in on selecting Jahlil Okafor, though that was reported before Porzingis’ workout.

Here’s more from some of the teams in the lottery:

Emmanuel Mudiay is another player that Los Angeles is considering with its No. 2 pick and he is excited about the possibility of playing alongside Kobe Bryant, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times writes. “He’s got five championships. He’s a winner. He’s a proven winner,” said Mudiay. “His determination, I’m the same way. If he steps on the court, he’s going to feel like he’s the best player. If I step on the court, I’m going to feel like I’m the best player.”
Joel Embiid was evaluated recently and a standard CT scan on his right foot revealed less healing than anticipated at this point, according to a team press release. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) adds that Embiid’s participation in summer league is in jeopardy.
The Suns feel like they can get a player they want with the No.13 pick in the draft, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic writes. “We’re very comfortable staying there and picking there,” GM Ryan McDonough said. “It would have to take a really good offer for us to move the pick. I think it’s unlikely we’ll add an additional first-round pick this year or drop down in the draft. We’ll take those calls if they come to us but we’re comfortable with where we are at 13. We like the pool of players we think will be there.”

Draft Notes: Payne, Mudiay, Wood, Upshaw

June 8th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks are giving serious thought to drafting Murray State point guard Cameron Payne, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. That’s sign that the team is also strongly considering trading down from the fourth pick, since Payne isn’t widely considered a top-four prospect, Begley surmises. The notion that Payne has a promise from a team late in the lottery doesn’t hold too much water, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in an Insider-only piece, suggesting that Payne has a decent chance to rise all the way to the Kings at the No. 6 spot. That would exceed Payne’s goal of going as high as seventh that the point guard told Zach Links of Hoops Rumors that he’d set for himself. Here’s more from around the draft:

It appears that No. 6 is the floor for Emmanuel Mudiay, as a source tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that the Kings would snap him up if he were still available when they pick.
UNLV power forward Christian Wood‘s stock is taking a beating, as Ford writes in the above-linked piece, suggesting that Wood is in danger of falling out of the first round. Ford also speculates that the back injury that is to keep Tyus Jones from working out for a while is cover for a promise from the Rockets at pick No. 18.
Former University of Washington center Robert Upshaw is optimistic that a heart issue that prompted him to stop workouts last week isn’t serious, citing similar scares in the past, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Upshaw is expected to be cleared to resume predraft prep this week, Howard-Cooper adds (Twitter links).
The Mavericks, Spurs, Rockets, Celtics and Kings are among the teams interested in Indian-born center Satnam Singh, according to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. Boston had him in for a workout, but it’s unclear if the other teams have or plan to do so.

Atlantic Notes: Mudiay, Crowder, Raptors, Nets

June 7th, 2015 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Emmanuel Mudiay is on his way to New York as he tries to prove that he is worthy of a top four pick in the NBA Draft, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Mudiay, who worked out for the Lakers Saturday, is scheduled to undergo physicals and have dinner with Knicks‘ brass Monday, and then follow that with a formal workout Tuesday. After skipping last month’s combine in Chicago, Mudiay is trying to make an impression through individual workouts. He gets high marks from scouts as a penetrator, defender and passer, but they question his outside shot. “I think I can be a great player when it’s all said and done,” he said. “I’m just the type of player who loves to win and compete and whatever I have to do for the team to win.’’ Berman noted that the Knicks also have interest in Duke’s Justise Winslow, who will be working out tomorrow, and Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein, who is due in June 16th.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

Jae Crowder hopes to return to the Celtics, but not before testing the market, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. The restricted free agent, who made a little more than $915K last season, is currently rehabbing a knee injury he suffered late in the playoff series with Cleveland. Despite initial concerns that the injury might impact his free agent value, it turned out to be just a sprain and bone bruise. “Of course you want to find out what your value might be,” Crowder said. “Time will tell that. I’m talking to my people and others, and everything will eventually show. My worth will be revealed.”
The Raptors are looking at former players to fill vacancies on their coaching staff, reports Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. One of the names mentioned is Jerry Stackhouse, whose tough-guy attitude might be perfect for getting through to some of the Raptors players, Smith writes.
The Nets are still compiling their workout schedule, but Oregon’s Joseph Young and UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn have been confirmed, tweets NetsDaily.com. Brooklyn owns the 29th pick of the first round.

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.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Winslow, Knicks

June 6th, 2015 at 3:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Celtics are looking at small forwards as the team prepares for the upcoming NBA Draft, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald writes. One skill any draftee of Boston’s will require is the ability to score, preferably from the outside, Murphy notes. “Some things guys get better at easier than others,” director of player personnel Austin Ainge said about the franchise’s search for shooters. “There’s things we as a basketball profession do a better job of teaching. Are skills more acquirable? That’s something we evaluate. Their shooting fundamentals may be fixable, and other guys . . . wow, that may be hard to fix, that may take some time. We look at all of those things.”

Here’s more from the NBA’s Atlantic Division:

Duke forward Justise Winslow is slated to work out for the Knicks on Monday, and the franchise is seriously considering the freshman with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets.
The Knicks have scheduled a physical for Emmanuel Mudiay on Monday, and the guard is set to work out for the team on Tuesday, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). You can view our full prospect profile for Mudiay here.
Another player under consideration for the Knicks at No. 4 overall is forward Kristaps Porzingis, but the Latvian may not be the best for for the triangle offense, Begley writes. “He prefers to attack from outside. Make three-point shots,” says Christopher Ney, the founder of EuropeanProspects, a European scouting service. “He is quite similar in playing style to Andrea Bargnani so this might be a problem.”

Prospect Profile: Emmanuel Mudiay

June 5th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

19-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay enters the 2015 NBA draft as a mystery man to many around the NBA. Possessing a résumé that only encompasses 12 contests worth of non-high school scouting data, and owning a wealth of physical potential and skills, Mudiay is perhaps the biggest risk versus reward player in this year’s draft. While he is almost assuredly going to be a top five pick come June, his selection certainly comes with some risk attached to it. Mudiay is currently ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in this year’s draft by both Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Mudiay eschewed an opportunity to play college ball for coach Larry Brown at Southern Methodist University during the 2014/15 campaign, and instead signed a one-year, $1.2MM agreement with Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association. It remains to be seen if the non-traditional path Mudiay has taken will pay off for him in the long run, and if the lack of competing against NCAA players this past season will hurt his short-term development.

An ankle injury that Mudiay suffered back in November cut his season short, depriving him of some needed growth opportunities on the court. But as a testament to his talent and ability, Mudiay did return to the hardwood during the playoffs, and despite not competing in any games for over three months, the 19-year-old scored 17 points in the first half and finished with a total of 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in his first game back in action. It is that kind of difference-maker ability that has numerous NBA teams intrigued by Mudiay’s potential as a player.

His numbers overseas were solid in an admittedly miniscule sample size, averaging 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in 31.5 minutes per contest. Mudiay’s shooting percentages were .478/.342/.574. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton projects those numbers to translate to 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per 36 minutes in the NBA, which compare favorably to Celtics rookie Marcus Smart, who averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per 36 minutes this past season.

Mudiay’s decision to skip the draft combine didn’t sit well with many NBA scouts since that venue would have been the first opportunity for many around the league to see him perform live, Ford writes. His absence at that showcase has impacted his draft stock a bit, with more than one GM asking how they could be expected to rank Mudiay higher than Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell, when Russell has done more to prove himself worthy of being a top three pick, the ESPN scribe relays. The young guard is not without his supporters, and a number of scouts have him ranked as the second best player in the draft behind Karl-Anthony Towns. One such scout told Ford, “Mudiay was regarded by everyone as a much better prospect than Russell this time last year. Russell went to Ohio State, was put into a lead role on a high-profile team, and wowed us. He’s improved and we all saw it. But I suspect Mudiay improved too and we just didn’t see it. We’re judging Russell now versus Mudiay one year ago. This is such a huge developmental time for everyone; I suspect he’s gotten better. When teams in the top five see him in workouts, their decision will get much harder.”

The 19-year-old is a combo guard, and there will be a learning curve involved if the team drafting him wants to utilize Mudiay as a full-time point guard. He certainly has the ability to be a dominant playmaker, but it will take some time for his basketball IQ to catch up with his ample physical tools. Mudiay, like many young ball-handlers, has a tendency to over-dribble, as well as force the issue when a simple pass would make all the difference. He’s not a selfish player who will frustrate his teammates by being a ball-stopper though, and his effectiveness at the point will increase along with his knowledge of the game. Mudiay will need to cut down on his turnovers, which have been a persistent issue for him in high school, AAU ball, as well as during his time spent overseas.

Mudiay’s outside game is still a work in progress. His mechanics are sound, which bodes well for future improvement, though his shot selection will need some adjustment. Mudiay also needs to quicken his release, and he often appeared uncomfortable when defenders closed in on him while he was getting his shot off. He has the ability to score from anywhere on the court, but Mudiay is most effective in transition. With his size and athleticism, Mudiay is virtually unstoppable when he takes it to the rack with a full head of steam. He is a devastating finisher at the rim, and will likely become a highlight reel regular with his dunking ability. Mudiay doesn’t get to the foul line as often as he should, which is perhaps a good thing, seeing as he only drained 57.4% of his shots from the charity stripe. That will require immediate improvement or Mudiay will spend quite a bit of time on the bench during the waning minutes of close contests.

The young guard is able to defend both backcourt positions, which will increase his value, as well as keep him on the court during tougher defensive assignments, since his coach can employ more switches on defense. Mudiay is not a good pick and roll defender yet, but that is more a result of his inexperience than it is a reflection on his overall ability. His rebounding skills also stand out, and he’ll be a player who will post a few triple doubles in his career as a result.

Mudiay is certainly a special talent, though how well he will adapt to the NBA game still remains to be seen. His lack of experience will certainly be a factor, though his time spent playing abroad will provide him with a level of maturity that many young players lack when they first step onto the court in the pros. A number of NBA scouts have compared Mudiay’s game and upside to that of Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and John Wall, while some scouts who were less enamored with him used Tyreke Evans as a template for what teams can expect from Mudiay. If he can come close to the production of any of those named players, then Mudiay will certainly be worth nabbing in the draft lottery. He’ll likely be the second guard off the board behind Russell, and should hear commissioner Adam Silver intone his name sometime during the first five picks on draft night.