Lauri Markkanen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bulls Trade Jimmy Butler To Timberwolves

June 23rd, 2017 at 12:43am CST by Arthur Hill

JUNE 22, 8:58pm: The trade is now official, with commissioner Adam Silver announcing it during the TV broadcast of tonight’s draft. The Wolves used the No. 16 pick on Creighton’s Justin Patton to complete the deal.

6:44pm: The Timberwolves are set to acquire Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, with K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweeting that the two sides have reached an agreement in principle on a Butler deal.

According to Johnson (via Twitter), the Bulls will receive Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the No. 7 overall pick. The Wolves will also receive the No. 16 selection from Chicago. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter) first reported that a deal was close.

The deal reunites Butler with Tom Thibodeau, his former coach in Chicago, who now serves as coach and president of basketball operations in Minnesota. Butler has been an All-Star the past three seasons and averaged 23.9 points and 6.2 rebounds with the Bulls this year.

The Timberwolves are taking on much more salary in the deal than they are unloading. They had about $24MM in available cap room after waiving Nikola Pekovic on Tuesday and receiving cap relief for his remaining salary.

Butler has three seasons left on the $95MM deal he signed with the Bulls in 2015. He is due to make nearly $18.7MM next year and more than $19.8MM in both 2018/19 and 2019/20. He also has a 5% trade bonus in his contract, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical, giving him an extra $1.8MM over the next three seasons.

In return, the Bulls will receive LaVine, a promising 22-year-old combo guard whose season ended in early February when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee; and Dunn, the fifth overall pick last year. Both players are on rookie contracts and were discussed when the two teams talked about a Butler trade a year ago. Chicago will also land Lauri Markkanen, the seventh overall pick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Notes: Jackson, Ball, Ntilikina, Smith

June 21st, 2017 at 2:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kansas forward Josh Jackson wanted to work out for the Celtics after they traded for the No. 3 pick, but couldn’t work out the scheduling, tweets Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The Celtics are reportedly deciding between Jackson and Duke forward Jayson Tatum if they decide to keep the pick, and Tatum held a workout in Boston on Monday.

Jackson added that he has spoken to Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown and believes they would form a good combination (Twitter link). The former Jayhawk also disputed a rumor that he refused to work out for the team unless he was promised Boston wouldn’t trade its pick (Twitter link).

There’s more as the top prospects met with the media today in New York:

Lonzo Ball confirmed to reporters his only pre-draft meeting was with the Lakers, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. Ball also believes L.A. traded D’Angelo Russell to open up a spot for him and he can see that “the Lakers have a plan.” He adds that the Lakers haven’t promised to take him, relays Adam Zagoria of Fanrag Sports (Twitter link), saying, “We’ll just find out tomorrow night.” Ball also explained why he turned down a session with the Celtics when they had the top pick, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “If it’s either play for the hometown or go No. 1, I’d rather play for the hometown,” Ball said.
Frank Ntilikina met with the Knicks front office today, including team president Phil Jackson, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The French point guard, who is reportedly in strong consideration with New York’s No. 8 pick, said the team wanted to meet him in person.
Dennis Smith Jr. also met with Jackson and the Knicks front office, Begley relays (Twitter link). The North Carolina State point guard believes he can be effective in the triangle offense.
Indiana’s OG Anunoby said doctors have assured him that he can resume basketball activities by October or early November, according to Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Anunoby had surgery on his right knee after a season-ending injury in January.
Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen was a Timberwolves fan growing up, and Minnesota was among the four teams he worked out for, Fischer tweets. The others were the Mavericks, Celtics and Magic, and he had a meeting with the Knicks.
Gonzaga’s Zach Collins had private workouts with the Magic, Wolves, Kings, Mavericks and Suns, and a group session with the Lakers, Fischer relays (Twitter link).
Duke’s Luke Kennard held individual workouts for the Lakers, Pistons, Knicks and Mavericks (Twitter link).
The Nets and Bulls were among the teams to work out international big man Isaiah Hartenstein leading up to the draft, tweets David Pick.

Draft Notes: Mitchell, Jackson, Tatum, Ferguson

June 21st, 2017 at 10:47am CST by Arthur Hill

Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell will hold a last-minute workout for the Knicks today, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. The sophomore out of Louisville, whose session was originally scheduled for Tuesday, is being considered with the No 8 pick, Begley adds, along with French point guard Frank Ntilikina, Kentucky guard Malik Monk, Arizona big man Lauri Markkanen and others. Team president Phil Jackson is intrigued by Mitchell’s defensive prowess and athleticism and likes the fact that he prefers to work out in a group setting to showcase his defense. Joining Mitchell today will be Villanova’s Josh Hart, Miami’s Davon Reed, Iowa State’s Naz Long and others.

There’s more draft news on the eve of the big event:

The Celtics have received Josh Jackson‘s medical records, but the Kansas forward still refuses to work out for the team, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Boston appears to be leaning toward Duke’s Jayson Tatum with the No. 3 pick, Ford states, but no decision has been made.
Ford still has Jackson as the third selection in his latest mock draft, which was released today. Markelle Fultz remains No. 1, followed by Lonzo Ball, with the rest of the top 10 as Tatum, Jonathan Isaac, De’Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith Jr., Monk, Zach Collins and Markkanen.
Terrance Ferguson recently pulled out of workouts with the Pistons, Hawks and Bucks, tweets Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated. It’s possible that Ferguson received a draft promise from the Nuggets or Nets or he may have been responding to poor workouts (Twitter link).
A 7-footer with a soft shooting touch, Markkanen is drawing comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki, writes Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Some scouts believe the 20-year-old Finnish star is the best 3-point shooter in the draft. “It’s probably not fair to him to have some young guy compared to a Hall of Fame player and champion,” Markkanen said of Nowitzki. “We have similarities because of the height, being from Europe and shooting. But I have a long way to go before I’m in the same category as him. Hopefully, I can get there one day.”
The Wizards will work out six players today, the team announced on its website. They are French center Alpha Kaba, Cincinnati’s Troy Caupain Jr., VCU’s JeQuan Lewis, Eastern Michigan’s Jalen Ross, Niagara’s Tahjere McCall and East Tennessee State’s Hanner Mosquera-Perea.

Phil Jackson Not Ruling Out Kristaps Porzingis Trade

June 20th, 2017 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

12:38pm: There’s growing skepticism among some executives who have been in touch with the Knicks about whether the club is serious about moving Porzingis, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical. Mannix tweets that New York’s asking price is “extremely high.”

11:01am: Within his full report on Porzingis, Wojnarowski writes that the big man “remains determined” to stick with the Knicks and help turn the team around. However, Jackson has become “increasingly intrigued” by the possibility of testing the market for Porzingis. If the Knicks get serious about engaging teams and pursuing a deal, they’d want to acquire a front-line guard, says Wojnarowski.

Janis Porzingis, Kristaps’ brother and an employee at his agency, tells Begley that his brother wants to remain in New York “despite how the Knicks are treating their players.”

10:20am: Knicks president Phil Jackson has not ruled out the possibility of trading Kristaps Porzingis, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that a “frenzy of interest” is growing as teams become aware that Porzingis isn’t considered untouchable.

The Knicks have received several calls about Porzingis from teams in recent days, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com, who confirms (via Twitter) that New York hasn’t dismissed the possibility of a trade. Meanwhile, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that Jackson recently met with stretch-four prospect Lauri Markkanen, who would receive consideration with the No. 8 pick in the draft if New York were to move Porzingis.

Porzingis, who will turn 22 in August, is coming off a second NBA season in which he averaged 18.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.0 BPG, while making 35.7% of his three-pointers. His ability to protect the rim on defense and stretch the floor on offense makes Porzingis one of the most desirable young players in the league, so it’s no surprise that teams would be calling the Knicks if there’s a chance he’s available.

While I wouldn’t expect Jackson to move Porzingis, there have been some concerning signs on that front this year. Apparently displeased with the treatment of Carmelo Anthony and the dysfunction surrounding the team, Porzingis skipped his exit meeting with the Knicks at the end of the season. He then opted to spend his offseason in his home country of Latvia, where the Knicks have had a harder time staying in touch with him — according to Begley, no one from the team has been in contact with Porzingis since he skipped his exit meeting.

I’d still be shocked if Porzingis was on the move anytime soon, but this will obviously be a story we keep a close eye on going forward.

Mavs Notes: Noel, Draft, Harris

June 16th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Austin Kent

Having performed admirably during his half season with the Mavs and said all the right things to the media, Nerlens Noel is an excellent option to man the paint in Dallas for years to come. Unfortunately, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News explains, the restricted free agent will likely field significant offers from other teams this summer for those very same reasons.

In the last edition of his SportsDay series ranking notable available players, Sefko rounds up the five most appealing free agent options at the center position (he recently wrote about the top five power forwards and the top five small forwards). Noel, not surprisingly, is ranked No. 1 by Sefko, although Dewayne Dedmon, Greg Monroe, Nene Hilario and Tiago Splitter round out the list. The scribe adds that the athletic big man would work well in this era and could contribute to what the Mavericks are trying to accomplish.

In April, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News wrote about Noel’s time with the franchise since the trade deadline day deal that sent him from Philadelphia south. In it, Townsend quotes Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle saying that the available center has “got to get signed”.

“I’ve been impressed with him,” Carlisle added in the Townsend piece. “He’s a very likable guy. Guys in the locker room took to him. He’s an exciting young talent, and I do think he can expand his game.”

There’s more from the Mavs:

Count veteran point guard Devin Harris among those who admire how the Warriors built their dynasty. Harris recently told the Dallas Morning News’ Eddie Sefko that the Mavs should look to draft wisely and hone their talent. Harris adds that building through free agency should be a secondary option considering that there is so much competition with other franchises.
The Mavs have been busy working out possible draftees, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News tweets. On Thursday the team saw Zach Collins (projected to go No. 10 by NBADraft.net) and Lauri Markkanen (No. 11). Dallas holds the No. 9 pick in the June 22 NBA Draft.
Hoops fans may have to wait a while for the next great NBA team to come and unseat the Warriors and there’s no reason to believe that, when it happens, it will be any less of a surprise than when Golden State rose to prominence by drafting Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green in consecutive drafts. Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News writes that it may not be the Mavs who take the throne in 2020 but, then again, it could be anybody.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, N. Kerr, Ntilikina

June 4th, 2017 at 6:32pm CST by Austin Kent

A recent Dallas Morning News report has rounded up a number of mock drafts and two common themes prevail as possibilities for the Mavs: Dallas could either draft point guard Frank Ntilikina to ultimately man the franchise’s playmaking duties or take a gamble on Lauri Markkanen, a sharp-shooting forward being likened to Dirk Nowitzki.

In Ntilikina the Mavs could get a potential point guard of the future, one that the team is said to have actively scouted thus far. The guard is being hailed for his perimeter defense, although the rest of the 18-year-old’s game may take time to develop.

Markkanen, in contrast, represents a different course of action for the Mavs. The modern-day stretch four is celebrated for his already impressive ability to shoot the ball and would benefit from the tutelage of Nowitzki.

Other potential Mavs target that come up in the report are Dennis Smith Jr., Jonathan Jeanne and Jonathan Isaac.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Nick Kerr will be serving in a video role with the Spurs after this season, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News confirms. Nick is the son of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Vanderbilt center Luke Kornet is expected to work out with the Spurs on Monday, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News tweets. The 7’1″ senior could be a potential second-round target.
Consider Frank Ntilikina a safer bet than Dennis Smith Jr., says Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News. The scribe also mentions that he would be disappointed if the Mavs drafted Lauri Markkanen, citing the difficulties he could have replacing Dirk Nowitzki.
Another Dallas Morning News report takes a good, long look at Frank Ntilikina, collecting analysis published around the web. There’s an element of risk at play if the Mavs draft him, Dallas Morning News reporter Eddie Sefko says.

Texas Notes: Ntilikina, Mudiay, Paul, Rockets

May 28th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Several Mavericks executives have traveled to Europe over the past month to watch French point guard Frank Ntilikina, relays Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. At 6’5″, Ntilikina is among the bigger point guards in the draft, and he possesses athleticism and skill to go with his size. Dallas is believed to be targeting point guards after waiving Deron Williams in February so he could sign with a contender. The Mavericks hold the No. 9 pick, and Sefko expects Ntilikina to be among the players considered, along with North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr., Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen and Gonzaga’s Zach Collins.

There’s more news today out of Texas:

The Mavericks have a better shot at solving their point guard problems through the draft than by trading for someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, writes Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News. The seventh pick in the 2015 draft, Mudiay was a heralded prospect but has experienced shooting problems through his first two NBA seasons. He is a 37% shooter from the field and was stuck behind Jameer Nelson in the Nuggets’ rotation. Mosley says Ntilikina or Markkanen would be a better gamble with the No. 9 pick.
Signing Chris Paul may not get the Spurs any closer to challenging the Warriors for Western Conference supremacy, argues Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Adding the All-Star point guard would requiring sacrificing someone like LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol or Danny Green in a trade, and it would destroy the salary flexibility the team has set up for next summer.
North Carolina center Kennedy Meeks was the biggest name to attend a pre-draft workout for the Rockets this week, relays Tom Miller of The Grand Forks Herald. Also at the session were Quinton Hooker of North Dakota, Paris Lee of Illinois State, JaJuan Johnson of Marquette, Kavin Gilder-Tilbury of Texas State and Tacko Fall of Central Florida, who decided to withdraw from the draft and return to school. “My agent hadn’t said anything about the Rockets’ interest,” Hooker said. “I was anticipating at least one [NBA tryout]. But for the last month, I’ve just been waiting. It was definitely a humbling experience to get that first one and show my talents.” The Rockets own picks 43 and 45 in next month’s draft.

Tatum, Monk, Other Top Prospects To Skip Combine

May 2nd, 2017 at 10:09pm CST by Luke Adams

10:09pm: V.J. Beachem, Nigel Hayes, Peter Jok, Derrick Walton and Chris Boucher, originally alternative invitees, have now made the official NBA combine list, sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter).

9:19pm: Lonzo Ball won’t be the only top prospect skipping this year’s NBA draft combine. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter), a handful of other standout prospects expected to be top-10 picks won’t participate in the event next week in Chicago.

[RELATED: Lonzo Ball to skip combine]

Jayson Tatum, Malik Monk, Josh Jackson, Lauri Markkanen, Jonathan Isaac, and Dennis Smith Jr. will skip this year’s combine, Charania reports. While none of those players are quite as highly regarded as Ball, most are in the tier right below him — DraftExpress, which has Ball at No. 2 on its big board, ranks those six players between Nos. 3 and 9.

The mass exodus from this year’s combine leaves Markelle Fultz and De’Aaron Fox as the only elite prospects whose status for the event hasn’t been reported. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see either player – particularly Fultz – skip the combine, as more and more players in recent years have passed on attending and haven’t seen their draft stocks suffer as a result.

For a player like Ball, there’s little upside to attending the combine, since he’s already viewed as a near-lock to be a top-two pick. The event has more appeal to prospects whose stocks aren’t as high, since they could potentially move up a few spots on teams’ draft boards if they have a strong week in Chicago.

As Bobby Marks of The Vertical tweets, the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement indicates that the NBA and NBPA have agreed to work on a solution to address this issue.

Mavs Notes: Curry, Noel, Hammons, Harris, Cuban

April 14th, 2017 at 4:36pm CST by Milo Taibi

On the heels of a 33-49 season, the Mavericks will focus on improving their roster via free agency and the draft. Eddie Sefko of Dallas Morning News suggested two veteran FAs to provide an immediate boost: Serge Ibaka and J.J. Redick. Sefko explains that Ibaka is a “big-time rebounder” who is still relatively young, while Redick would help shore up the team’s mediocre shooting.

Sefko cautions against hoping for a point guard improvement through the draft. Unless the Mavs “get lucky” and secure one of the top two picks, they’re unlikely to obtain a top-shelf guard. In the event Dallas winds up with the 8, 9, or 10 pick, Sefko cites Jonathan Isaac, Miles Bridges, and Lauri Markkanen as potential fits.

Lauri Markkanen To Enter 2017 NBA Draft

March 30th, 2017 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Arizona power forward Lauri Markkanen will announce today that he has decided to leave school after his freshman year and enter the 2017 NBA draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Evan Daniels of Scout.com confirms that Markkanen intends to stay in the draft pool and will hire an agent.

Markkanen, a native of Finland, is viewed as a probable lottery pick. The seven-footer comes in at No. 8 overall on the big boards at both DraftExpress and ESPN.com, and could be the first power forward to be selected in June. According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, a late-season shooting slump negatively impacted Markkanen’s draft stock, but only slightly — he’s still a “near-lock” to be a top-10 pick.

In his first and only season as a Wildcat, Markkanen averaged 15.6 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 30.8 minutes per contest. He was also very efficient from the field, finishing the season with a .492/.423/.835 shooting line.