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Draft Combine Updates: Thursday Morning

May 16th, 2013 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

11:56am: More A.M. updates out of Chicago:

  • Nerlens Noel told reporters that he hasn't completed any interviews so far, but that he's "pretty sure" he has one scheduled with the Magic. He's not quite so sure about the Cavaliers (Twitter links).
  • Steven Adams and Kelly Olynyk are among the prospects that have met with the Wizards so far and think they'd fit in well in Washington (Twitter links). Mason Plumlee is also on the Wizards' list, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
  • Olynyk has met with the Bobcats as well, says Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
  • Gorgui Dieng will work out for the Bucks, who will also interview Rudy Gobert and Plumlee, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links).
  • A couple notes from SI.com's Chriss Mannix (via Twitter): Cody Zeller has spoken to the Raptors, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Celtics, while Mike Muscala only has interviews lined up with the Spurs and Hawks, but will do "nine or 10" workouts later. One of those workouts will be with the Blazers, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
  • Shabazz Muhammad and Deshaun Thomas interviewed with the Timberwolves last night, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

11:09am: With a number of reporters in attendance at the NBA's predraft camp in Chicago, we're expecting plenty of noteworthy tidbits to trickle in throughout the day. Here's a round-up of the first batch of updates on 2013's draft combine participants:

  • According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), the Cavaliers aren't on Otto Porter's list of teams he's meeting with this week. That's a bit of a surprise, given the rumblings that he's high on the team's big board, though as Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets, the Cavs drafted a pair of players they didn't interview last year.
  • Porter is scheduled to meet with the Wizards, who spoke to Victor Oladipo earlier this week, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Porter will meet with the Pistons as well, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Bobcats, Thunder, and Suns have already met with Porter, according to Lee (via Twitter).
  • The Pistons are also prepared to meet with Shabazz Muhammad today, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Muhammad interviewed with the Trail Blazers yesterday and felt it went very well, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • Nate Wolters and Adonis Thomas were among the prospects who have met with the Lakers so far, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).
  • Glen Rice Jr., who played in the D-League this past season, has been interviewed by the Bucks, Celtics, Warriors, Sixers, and Spurs, he confirmed to reporters (all Twitter links).
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Odds & Ends: Wiggins, Kings, Hinkie, Mavs

May 14th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Knicks are staring at a 3-1 deficit after falling to the Pacers for the second game in-a-row tonight in Indiana, 93-82. The Pacers will look to close out the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday in game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup.

While the now-less exciting second round of the NBA playoffs trundles on with the Spurs back at the cozy confines of AT&T Arena in San Antonio for game 5 against the Warriors, we've got more Andrew Wiggins and Sam Hinkie news, and some reports from the predraft NBA combine starting in Chicago tomorrow and going through Sunday..

 

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Draft Updates: Agents, Oladipo, Larkin, Burke

May 9th, 2013 at 7:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hoops Rumors Agency Database isn't just for current NBA players. Several draft prospects have already selected their agents, and we'll keep track of them in the database as well. We'll also pass along the news in a regular post whenever a player changes agents or chooses one for the first time. That's what we're doing here as we round up the latest on the draft ahead of next week's Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago:

  • Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports tweets that Nerlens Noel and Alex Len are expected to show up, although neither are expected to do much of anything. 
  • Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com shared the list of players invited to the pre-draft camp (Sulia link). ESPN's Chad Ford tweets that James Ennis and Norvel Pelle are among the most interesting names on the list, and that it'll be surprising if Rudy Gobert and Dennis Schroeder show up, on account of the rarity of international prospects making the trip in years past.  
  • Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times tweets that potential lottery pick Dario Saric will not be attending the Pre-Draft Camp, as he is still playing overseas. 
  • Former Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo is going with Raymond Brothers of IAM Sports & Entertainment, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Brothers' list of NBA clients includes Zach Randolph and Caron Butler. 
  • Happy Walters of Relativity Sports is expected to sign Shane Larkin, Goodman reports via Twitter.
  • Trey Burke's father, Benji, will represent his son, opening up a basketball division of his family's agency to do, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The agency, Infinite Sports, specializes in football (Twitter links).
  • In his NBA AM piece, Lang Greene of HoopsWorld explores the question of whether highly touted underclassmen should stay in school, like Marcus Smart, or enter the draft. Greene also passes along a video interview with first-round hopeful Jamaal Franklin. 
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Odds & Ends: Pistons, Kings, Draft, Balkman

May 1st, 2013 at 11:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game reported in March that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting a tournament-style format this year, and the league confirmed the news today. The games will take place between July 12th and July 22nd, and while the move promises excitement, the contests won't necessarily have much meaning. Damian Lillard won the circuit's co-MVP honors last summer to kick off his Rookie of the Year campaign, but the other co-MVP was Josh Selby, who's been out of the NBA since March. While we wait to see how the revamped summer league shakes out, there's plenty of other NBA news: 

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Odds & Ends: Magic, Noel, Stan Van Gundy, Curry

April 19th, 2013 at 10:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

The future of the Kings was far from the only issue on the table at the NBA's Board of Governors meeting this week. USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt rounds up the other issues that owners discussed, including human growth hormone testing for players, the effect of widespread reliance on three-pointers, and the possibility of a joint bid for the 2015 All-Star Game between New York and Brooklyn. Here's more from the Association on the eve of the playoffs:

  • Magic GM Rob Hennigan has demonstrated a reluctance to pick up players with question marks surrounding their health, but Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel hears they wouldn't hesitate to draft top prospect Nerlens Noel, who tore his left ACL in February. 
  • Schmitz also hears Stan Van Gundy has no interest in becoming the next coach of the Cavaliers, Sixers or Pistons, the three teams with current coaching vacancies. The former Magic coach has been linked to the openings in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
  • Sixers assistant coach Michael Curry will interview for the head job in Philly, but a source tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that interest from other teams will be high. 
  • Jamaal Tinsley started 32 games in place of the injured Mo Williams for the Jazz this season, and the 35-year-old Tinsley is convinced he has plenty left, telling Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune he "realistically" thinks he can play for another three or four years in the league (Twitter link).
  • A report earlier this season suggested Omri Casspi was thinking about returning to play in his native Israel, but he tells Walla Sport that as long as he receives an offer from an NBA club, he won't play overseas next season (translation via HoopsHype). 
  • Mike Dunlap is rumored to be in danger of losing his job with the Bobcats, but the team is in no hurry to make its decision about him, preferring to listen to exit interviews and watch the coaching market develop first, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Warriors GM Bob Myers told Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group that he had every confidence Stephen Curry would remain healthy when he signed the point guard to his four-year, $44MM extension last fall.
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Nerlens Noel To Enter Draft

April 15th, 2013 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

Nerlens Noel has officially decided to forgo his remaining three seasons of NCAA eligbility and enter the NBA draft, the University of Kentucky announced today in a press release. "I have loved my time at Kentucky, but I feel that I'm ready to take the next step to the NBA," Noel said in a statement.

Noel, 19, averaged 10.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, and 4.4 BPG in 24 contests with the Wildcats before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. Despite the injury, the freshman center is still considered a near-lock to be a top-three pick, and could still be the No. 1 overall choice. ESPN.com's Chad Ford wrote last month that, with many top prospects not playing well in the NCAA tournament, Noel's stock may have actually improved, and while he isn't viewed as the consenus No. 1 pick, most NBA teams are leaning in that direction. Ford and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com both currently have Noel ranked atop their respective big boards.

While Kentucky's press release didn't include word of Noel's agency, at least one report over the weekend suggested that the big man could become Jay-Z's first client when the rapper becomes formally certified as an NBA agent.

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Nerlens Noel To Become Jay-Z’s First Client?

April 13th, 2013 at 3:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

Rumors are circulating around the league that Kentucky center Nerlens Noel, the leading contender to become the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, will be Jay-Z's first NBA client as a sports agent, NetsDaily reports (Twitter link). Jay-Z has a strong relationship with Kentucky coach John Calipari, NetsDaily also points out via Twitter. The rapper, entrepreneur and minority owner of the Nets is selling his stake in the team to found the Roc Nation Sports agency, which he hopes will represent players in baseball, basketball and football. New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano has already come on board.

 Jay-Z must formally divest himself of his Nets share and become formally certified as an NBA agent before he can sign Noel or any other NBA player. Noel, a freshman, hasn't formally declared his intent to enter this year's draft, though it would be a shock if he didn't. The 6'11" 19-year-old with a 7'4" wingspan occupies the No. 1 spot on the draft boards of ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.

HoopsRumors unveiled its Agency Database this week, listing the agent for nearly every player in the NBA. We'll be updating it continuously as players change agents and prospects, like Noel, enter the league.

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Odds & Ends: Kings, Babby, Bynum, 2014

April 3rd, 2013 at 11:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT's David Aldridge, writing for NBA.com, delivers a lengthy summary of the fallout from the presentations that competing bidders for the Kings made today before a group of owners. Aldridge concludes that the key issue has shifted from the size of the bids to how quickly each city can build a new arena. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com gives his take on the affair, noting that four of the 12 owners scheduled to attend today's meeting were not present. The Kings saga is the major story of the day, but there's plenty more happening around the Association:

Luke Adams also contributed to this post.

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Draft Notes: McGary, Risers, Adams, Thunder

April 2nd, 2013 at 9:31pm CST by Alex Lee

As more draft news pours in, be sure to check out our Early Entrants tracker which will be continuously updated as more underclassmen declare for the draft.  Here are the latest news and notes on the NBA Draft:

  • Goodman also tweets that all signs still point toward Nerlens Noel entering the NBA Draft.  Noel's rehab is "well ahead of schedule" according to Goodman, who adds that he doesn't envision Noel making an announcement by the April 16 NCAA deadline.  Since he will likely sit out next season regardless, Noel has the luxury of being able to wait until the April 28 NBA deadline to make dis decision. 

Earlier updates:

  • Despite his exploding draft stock, Michigan freshman sensation Mitch McGary will return to Ann Arbor for his sophomore season regardless of what happens in the Final Four, he told MLive.com's Kyle Meinke on Tuesday.  McGary and Trey Burke have fueled the Wolverines run this March, and some draft experts think his performance was impressive enough to have moved him into the first round conversation.
  • In an Insiders Only piece, Chad Ford of ESPN included McGary in his list of five draft prospects who gave NBA scouts and GMs something positive to think about with their play in the NCAA Tournament.  Also included are Louisville's Russ Smith, Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas and LaQuinton Ross, and Syracuse's C.J. Fair. 
  • Meanwhile, Pittsburgh 7-footer Steven Adams has decided to enter the NBA Draft, writes Jeff Goodman, adding that NBA executives have indicated to CBS Sports that Adams will be a first round pick.  Adams, from New Zealand, averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and two blocks per game as a freshman Panther.  Goodman is told that Adams primary motivation is to provide for his family.  Adams and his 18 siblings lost their father when he was 14.  
  • Royce Young of Daily Thunder breaks down the draft odds for the Thunder, who stand an excellent chance of being able to utilize the protected pick they received in the James Harden deal now that the Raptors have been officially eliminated from playoff contention.  The pick is top-3 and 15-30 protected and Toronto is currently tied for the seventh worst record.  Young outlines who should be available at seven or eight, according to an assortment of big boards and mock drafts.
  • Here are a handful of early entry draft trackers, courtesy of Draft Express, ESPN and HoopsWorld.
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Draft Rumors: Noel, Zeller, McLemore, Porter

April 1st, 2013 at 3:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

A pair of underclassmen declared their intentions to enter the NBA draft today, with N.C. State's C.J. Leslie and Kentucky's Archie Goodwin entering the mix. Here's more of what we're hearing with the draft now less than three months away:

  • The tournament bracket makes it clear which NCAA teams are winners, but Ben Standig of CSNWashington sorts through the March Madness winners and losers as it pertains to the draft. 
  • Standig cites Kentucky center Nerlens Noel as a winner, and Sean Deveney of The Sporting News agrees, even though Noel has been out since February with a torn ACL (Twitter link). Other contenders to be the No. 1 overall pick, like Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, Otto Porter and Marcus Smart all faltered, Deveney observes.
  • Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com unveils the initial version of his mock draft, and has Noel going first overall, followed by Smart and McLemore.
  • A Western Conference GM tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that six or seven members of the 2014 draft class would be in the mix for the No. 1 pick if they were eligible this year (Twitter link). 
  • A GM who spoke to Dave Telep of ESPN.com echoed that sentiment, citing five potential All-Stars who could be in next year's draft: Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle and Andrew Harrison (Twitter link).
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