Markelle Fultz Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Anthony, Workouts, Thomas, Nets

May 21st, 2017 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ performance in the Eastern Conference finals may make Boston more interested in a Carmelo Anthony trade, speculates Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman states that executives at the draft combine were predicting that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge would base the extent of an offseason shakeup on his team’s ability to be competitive with the Cavaliers. After two straight routs on their home court, it appears Ainge will be more eager to make changes.

Boston will have up to $30MM in cap space, which Ainge would like to use on Jazz free agent Gordon Hayward. If he stays in Utah, the Celtics will have to consider other options, which could include Anthony. Berman says the Knicks would want Jae Crowder as the centerpiece of a deal, along with one of Boston’s two first-rounders in 2018. A signed-and-traded Jonas Jerebko might have to be included to make the salaries line up, but Boston has the cap space to handle most of Anthony’s $31MM price, including his trade kicker.

There’s more today out of the Atlantic Division:

Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan has a workout scheduled with the Knicks on Wednesday, Berman notes in the same story. The sophomore big man, who was named Big 10 Player of the Year, is projected as a second-round pick, and New York has the 44th and 58th selections. Iowa State point guard Monte Morris interviewed with the Knicks at the draft combine and will work out for the team June 8th.
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas will see more specialists this week to check on his injured right hip, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Thomas, who has been declared out for the rest of the playoffs, may require surgery.
Markelle Fultz is just the type of player the Celtics need to someday become a legitimate threat to Cleveland, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. The Cavaliers exploited Thomas’ lack of size by throwing frequent traps at the 5’9″ guard, Blakely writes, but it would be much tougher to do that against the 6’4″ Fultz, who has outstanding court vision and can create his own shot off the dribble. Boston earned a shot at Fultz by winning the draft lottery on Tuesday.
The Nets may target Spurs forward Jonathon Simmons in free agency, according to NetsDaily. GM Sean Marks has identified small forward as the primary position of need, and Simmons has been outstanding in the playoffs. Simmons, who will be a restricted free agent, has averaged 16 points per game in the Western Conference finals and is shooting 40% from 3-point range. The website also says Brooklyn might be the team to gamble on oft-injured Harry Giles in the draft, and identifies the Sixers, Celtics and Jazz as teams that could be most willing to sell some picks.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Fultz, Prigioni

May 19th, 2017 at 8:28pm CST by Austin Kent

According to Nets guard Jeremy Lin, a total of five of his former teammates across stints with the Knicks, Rockets and Hornets asked him if Brooklyn would be willing to make a trade for them, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes.

Kalbrosky breaks down a Nets Daily report based on a translation of an interview that Lin gave to Chinese website JD.com.

The combined appeal of the Nets’ willingness to play together, the culture unfolding in Brooklyn and the presence of head coach Kenny Atkinson makes the franchise an intriguing one as the free agency period approaches.

The Nets are projected to have approximately $26MM of cap space this summer to fortify their roster and, yes, several of Lin’s former teammates will be available, including Patrick Patterson, Donatas Motiejunas, Thomas Robinson, Aaron Brooks and Omri Casspi.

There’s more out out of the Atlantic Division:

It didn’t take long for Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas to reach out to Markelle Fultz, the expected No. 1 draft pick that could suit up in green next season, Chris Forsberg of ESPN writes. The two players currently play the same position but Thomas thinks the pair could thrive together.
Managing owner of the Sixers, Josh Harris, is confident in the direction of the franchise, even after this week’s lottery results that didn’t exactly work out in their favor, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We now are stacked for the future,” Harris said. “We have a young team already. So that leaves some slots for some vets to put around our young guys and teach them about what it’s like to be in the NBA.”
The Knicks are said to be interested in hiring former point guard Pablo Prigioni as an assistant coach, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays.
The Knicks will hope that Malik Monk is available to the at the No. 8 spot in next summer’s NBA Draft, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. College basketball analyst Wally Szczerbiak sees him as a good fit as a playmaker in Phil Jackson‘s triangle offense.

Lonzo Ball May Only Work Out For Lakers

May 17th, 2017 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The 2017 NBA draft lottery couldn’t have worked out much better for Lonzo Ball and his father LaVar, who have long expressed a desire for Lonzo to end up with the Lakers. In the wake of L.A. landing the No. 2 overall pick on Tuesday night, LaVar Ball told Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation that Lonzo may not audition for any other teams at or near the top of the draft.

“Just the Lakers,” LaVar said. “There’s nobody else that we need to work out for.”

[RELATED: 2017 NBA draft lottery results]

While LaVar’s comments sounded pretty declarative, a source close to Ball tells ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Lonzo remains undecided on whether he’ll work out for teams besides the Lakers. That source admitted that Los Angeles is the preferred destination for the Ball camp, but said a decision would be made “closer to June” on whether the former UCLA point guard will work out for any other teams.

Both Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka indicated to ESPN that there are several options available to them with that No. 2 pick, suggesting that the team won’t necessarily just take whoever is left after the Celtics select Ball or Markelle Fultz. A Lakers source tells ESPN that players under consideration for the team at No. 2 include De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson, and Jayson Tatum, in addition to Ball and Fultz.

Still, it seems likely that the Lakers will ultimately land on one of those top two point guards, assuming they don’t trade the pick. And Pelinka says a trade probably won’t happen, according to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t explore it,” Pelinka said of the possibility of trading the No. 2 selection. “But this pick has extraordinary value.”

The Lakers didn’t interview Ball at last week’s draft combine, but intend to have him in for a workout in the coming weeks, Johnson confirmed, according to Mark Medina of The O.C. Register. The new Lakers president also said the club will work out Jackson, per Medina.

Knicks Notes: Draft, Lottery, Jackson, Oakley

May 16th, 2017 at 4:53pm CST by Joshua Fischman

With the NBA draft lottery a mere hours away, the Knicks organization will soon learn where it will draft next month. The Knicks stands a 5.3% chance of grabbing the first overall selection and, at worst, will pick 10th overall. The team has trained its focus on wings and guards, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.

The Knicks delegation made up of Phil Jackson, GM Steve Mills, assistant GM Allan Houston, and head coach Jeff Hornacek interviewed Markelle Fultz, De’Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, and Frank Jackson, at the combine, per Zagoria. Fox beamed about his desire to play for the Knicks in another piece Zagoria wrote for FanRagSports.com.

“I don’t know too much about the triangle,” Fox said. “Everyone says it’s hard to learn but if I go in there I’ll have to learn quickly. And Porzingis, he’s amazing, watching the NBA this year. I really paid attention to the NBA this year knowing I’m about to go into this business; I had to stop watching it as a casual fan and start thinking of it as a business aspect. He’s great and if I get to play with him, I feel like we can do something special.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Phil Jackson is furious about the coverage he and the team are getting by the New York media, but it is Jackson who must take accountability for his failures for the Knicks culture to improve, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. In particular, Jackson should question the effect of his treatment of star players on the team, argues Isola. Jackson claims that NBA commissioner Adam Silver agreed that media coverage has become problematic when the pair recently met, but Isola is skeptical.
Jackson has tempered his expectations for the lottery and the draft, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Jackson knows that there are no guarantees and is approaching the draft in a holistic manner: “We don’t expect a whole lot. Even our franchise, the New York Knicks, deigned to draft guys back in the ’90s, went with all veterans, gave up a lot of their picks. There’s that feeling too. As this talent pool is narrowed, it really is important to have both draftable players, tradeable players and free agents. We want to look at all these options before we get into it.”
Lonzo Ball and Fultz top the list of Knicks possible targets, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. That’s no surprise, as those are considered the top two prospects in the draft by nearly every expert.
Charles Oakley is still facing charges stemming from his infamous February expulsion from Madison Square Garden and says that James Dolan should have been fined or suspended, writes Ted Berg of USA Today Sports. Oakley made his comments on the For the Win podcast.

Draft Notes: Ball, Adebayo, Fox, Alkins

May 13th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Outrageous statements by Lonzo Ball‘s father, LaVar, may prevent him from being the first player selected in next month’s draft, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman talked with several anonymous scouts and executives who said the headaches that LaVar Ball presents may cause Lonzo to slide, although possibly not lower than second. “Talking to people here, some guys are straying away from him as a top pick,’’ said a Western Conference scout. “If you don’t play him the right way, is the father going to say something? And you don’t want to have him on a big stage like New York. You’re always thinking: What’s next?’’ An Eastern Conference executive adds that whichever team drafts Ball should meet with him and his father to set “groundwork.”

There’s more draft news as the combine moves toward its final day:

Kentucky center Edrice “Bam” Adebayo is a poor fit for the modern NBA, which may doom him to the second round, according to Chris Reichert of Fansided. Adebayo may tempt teams with his athleticism, strength, offensive rebounding and lateral quickness, but he’s not an exceptional shot blocker and doesn’t have the skills to space the floor.
Point guard De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky has been the most impressive player at the combine, tweets Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com. The network’s Chad Ford suggested this week that Fox is eclipsing Ball on some draft boards and could be the second player selected.
Arizona’s Rawle Alkins has made an impression on scouts at the combine, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. The shooting guard is ranked 78th in Jonathan Givony’s top 100 list and is trying to play his way into the draft.
Washington guard Markelle Fultz continues to hold the top spot in the latest mock draft posted by Draft Express. Ball comes off the board second, followed by Josh Jackson of Kansas, Jayson Tatum of Duke and then Fox.

Draft Notes: Jackson, Bulls, Sixers

May 11th, 2017 at 7:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

UNC’s Justin Jackson would be happy to play for any team in the league, but he believes he could help the Bulls on both ends of the floor, as Adam Zagoria relays for The Herald Sun.

“I can shoot the ball pretty well, which helps with spacing,” Jackson said. “Defensively, I can do a few things and so you kind of add both of those into it. At the end of the day, the Bulls are a great organization already but if I’m blessed to be drafted by them or whoever it might be, I can add a few things to it.”

The small forward is the 13th best prospect in the upcoming draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, and Chicago owns the No.16 overall pick.

Here’s more notes leading up to the June 22 event:

The Pistons struggled from behind the arc this year and Ansar Khan of Mlive wonders if Jackson could be a fit because of his improved 3-point shot. The small forward shot 29.2% from behind the arc as a sophomore, but he increased it to 37.0% last season. Detroit is currently slotted in the 12th spot, but the team has a chance to move up during Tuesday’s lottery.
Former NC State coach Mike Gottfried believes Dennis Smith Jr. would be a great fit on the Sixers next to Ben Simmons, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. “I think he has a chance to become an elite-level guard in time in the NBA,” Gottfried said of Smith Jr. “I personally think with Ben [Simmons] healthy that the two of them together would be quite an amazing combination. I think their skills actually complement each other.”
Markelle Fultz will meet with several teams during the combine, but the Magic won’t be among them, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Orlando has an 8.8% chance at landing the No.1 overall pick.

Draft Notes: Fultz, Swanigan, Allen, Ball

May 10th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Markelle Fultz will interview with several teams at the combine, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The projected No.1 pick will meet with the Celtics, Suns, Lakers, Sixers, Kings, and Knicks.

You can find the odds that each of those teams has at landing the top pick here. The Kings are a notable inclusion to Fultz’s meetings, as they will hand their selection over to the Sixers via a pick swap should they land the No. 1 slot.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

The Knicks will meet with Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan on Thursday, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News passes along via Twitter. The big man is the 29th best prospect, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
Jarrett Allen will meet with the Sixers are Thursday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Givony pegs Allen as the 11th best prospect in the draft.
Will Lonzo Ball‘s father cause teams to pass on the UCLA product? ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla doesn’t believe so, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News relays. “I doubt that will happen. I really do. The kid seems to be a great kid, an absolute delight to deal with and he was a great teammate. So that’s not going to be a big issue,” Fraschilla said.

Lakers Eyeing Four Prospects For Potential Lottery Pick

May 9th, 2017 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers aren’t assured of a lottery pick in this year’s draft, but they appears to be zeroing in on a small handful of prospects in case they do get lucky in next Tuesday’s lottery and hang onto their pick. According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are focusing on Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, and De’Aaron Fox.

As has been well-documented, the Lakers will only keep their first-rounder this year if it lands in the top three. Because L.A. finished the NBA’s third-worst record during the regular season, the club’s odds of keeping that pick are just about a coin flip. As our breakdown of the lottery odds shows, there’s a 46.9% chance the Lakers hang onto their selection, and a 53.1% chance it falls outside the top three and gets sent to the Sixers.

While the Lakers won’t find out until next Tuesday night whether or not they’ll have a pick, they’re doing their homework on top prospects now, and will head to Chicago this week for the NBA draft combine. Ball and Jackson are skipping the event, but Fultz and Fox will be in attendance, giving the Lakers a chance to get a first-hand look at the pair of point guards.

Fultz and Jackson are viewed as top-three prospects by most draft experts, so it’s no surprise that they’re among the players being eyed by the Lakers. As for Fox, he’s a little further down on many draft boards, but the Lakers are intrigued by his speed, athleticism, and upside, Ding writes.

Meanwhile, Ball – another consensus top prospect – and his father LaVar have publicly expressed a desire for the UCLA point guard to be selected by the L.A. However, the Lakers have “most definitely have not put Ball on some pedestal as their potential savior,” sources tell Ding.

Draft Notes: Blackmon, Ford, Fox, Colette

May 8th, 2017 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Indiana guard James Blackmon has decided to remain in the draft, Jon Rothstein of FanRagSports.com reports. Blackmon confirmed on his Twitter feed that he will sign with an agent. Blackmon, who averaged 17.3 PPG and shot 42.3% on 3-point attempts, is essentially betting on himself and could wind up overseas if not in the D-League. He is not ranked among the Top 100 by DraftExpress or ESPN Insider Chad Ford. Blackmon joins two other Hoosiers who have declared for the draft — forward OG Anunoby, a potential lottery pick, and center Thomas Bryant. Indiana junior guard Robert Johnson will decide this week whether to remain in the draft, Rothstein adds.

In other draft-related nuggets:

Washington guard Markelle Fultz remains atop Ford’s latest Big Board with UCLA’s Lonzo Ball holding the second spot. Gonzaga center Zach Collins moved from No. 11 to No. 9 and Duke guard Luke Kennard advanced from No. 17 to No. 15. Previously unranked Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell, who recently hired an agent, moved into the first round at No. 22.
Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox believes he’s the top defensive guard in the draft, as he told ESPN’s Chris B. Haynes in a Q&A session. “For me, it’s not about offensive scoring, I want to shut the other guy down,” Fox boasted to Haynes. Fox is considered a sure-fire Top 10 pick, ranked No. 5 by both DraftExpress and Ford.
A handful of NBA scouts and executives polled by Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.com believe there are nine impact players in the draft. That front-office group named 21 potential lottery picks and generally view this draft as much deeper in quality than the 2016 version.
Utah forward David Collette is expected to return to school, Rothstein tweets. The junior forward averaged 13.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG last season. Collette, a Utah State transfer, did not make the Top 100 lists.

Poll: Who Should Be Drafted First Overall?

May 6th, 2017 at 9:02am CST by Joshua Fischman

With the NBA draft nearly a month and a half away, potential lottery teams like the Celtics, Suns, and Lakers, and basketball fans alike debate: who should be taken first overall? A pair of freshman point guards from Pac-12 schools, Lonzo Ball of UCLA and Markelle Fultz from the University of Washington, dominate the discussion.

In 25 games, Fultz averaged 23.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, and 5.7 RPG, while shooting 47.6% from the floor. Although Fultz’s Huskies finished 9-22 and did not qualify for the postseason, the 6’4″ prospect was named First Team All Pac-12 for his performance.

Ball, too, was named to the First Team, after averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG on 55.1% shooting, while leading the nation with 7.6 APG. Ball’s Bruins finished 31-5 and were eliminated by Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

In an Insider-only piece at ESPN, Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton discuss potential sleepers to be selected first, but ultimately decide that it comes down to Fultz and Ball. After making the case for both players as the potential No. 1 pick, the duo diverges, with Ford leaning toward Fultz and Pelton preferring Ball.

What do you think? Should Ball or Fultz be drafted first? Or should someone else entirely go No. 1?

Vote below on which player you believe merits the honor of being the first name called on draft night. After placing your vote, share your thoughts in the comments section!