Ismael Bako Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Jackson, Bako, Collins

June 18th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Austin Kent

The Hornets worked out a handful of possible first-round draft picks Sunday, including familiar face Justin Jackson. Alongside video footage of Jackson following the workout, Diedra Laird of the Charlotte Observer writes that club additionally auditioned Bam Adebayo, Luke Kennard and more.

Jackson, a North Carolina product, is being forecast as the No. 19 overall pick in NBADraft.net‘s latest mock draft. Duke product Kennard, on the other hand, has been projected as the No. 12 pick. Adebayo, out of Kentucky, is currently forecast to go No. 17 in that same mock.

Although the Hornets will pick earlier than any of those projections at No. 11, it’s reasonable that they could elect to take a flyer on a blue chip prospect that played their college basketball in state.

There are more pre-draft workout notes from around the league:

Although he doesn’t crack NBADraft.net‘s latest mock draft, Belgian center Ismael Bako is gaining steam prior to the big day, international basketball reporter David Pick tweets. Bako has already worked out for the Bucks and Nuggets and is expected to see the Thunder and Nets this week.
The Sixers will bring a number of deep sleepers in for a workout on Monday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Frank Mason, a point guard out of Kansas, is the only one currently projected to sneak into the second-round of the draft, per NBADraft.net.
On Monday, the Kings will bring a number of various draft prospects in for workouts, including potential lottery pick John Collins, the team reports on its official site. Collins is currently floated as a possible No. 13 pick by NBADraft.net. Joining Collins will be possible second-rounder Johnathan Motley (projected at No. 37) and Sindarius Thornwell (projected at No. 42)

Central Notes: Cavs, Pacers, Pistons, Bucks

June 15th, 2017 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Since the Cavaliers fell to Golden State earlier this week in the NBA Finals, there has been a ton of speculation about how the Cavs should respond this summer, and the idea of acquiring Pacers forward Paul George in a trade involving Kevin Love has been a popular one.

There are no reports at this point suggesting that either team is considering such a deal, but Ben Golliver of SI.com makes the case that a Love/George would make a lot of sense for both the Cavaliers and Pacers. Golliver argues that Cleveland would get a badly-needed perimeter defender to combat Kevin Durant, while Indiana would land an impact player in his own right and could avoid embarking on a lengthy rebuilding process.

While Golliver’s piece is an interesting one, I’m less inclined to believe that the move would be in the Pacers’ best interests. The club isn’t yet at a point where it needs to trade George to avoid losing him for nothing. Even if and when that time comes, Indiana may prefer to move him for a package that includes picks and/or young players, rather than for a pricey veteran like Love.

Here’s more from around the Central division:

Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders is the latest to try his hand at determining the next steps for the Cavaliers as they enter the offseason.
Jarrett Allen (Texas) and Justin Patton (Creighton) headlined a group workout for the Pistons today, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Landen Lucas (Kansas), John Gillon (Syracuse), and Jonathan Williams (Toledo) also participated.
The Bucks‘ Thursday pre-draft workout features Ismael Bako (Belgium), Tyler Roberson (Syracuse), Ben Moore (SMU), Tony Farmer (Lee College), Matt Thomas (Iowa State), and Ty Sabin (Ripon), the team announced on its website.
Point guard appears to be a position of interest for the Pacers as they prepare for the draft, writes Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com. With Jeff Teague and Aaron Brooks both eligible for free agency, Indiana may look to add a point guard in the draft to address its depth at the position.