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Schmitz On Magic: Harrington, Dead Money, Noel

March 29th, 2013 at 5:53pm CST by Alex Lee

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel provides his latest update on all things Orlando Magic, addressing the Al Harrington situation, tallying all of the dead money on the Magic roster and questioning whether the Magic can risk gambling on Kentucky's Nerlens Noel.

Harrington told Schmitz that while he refuses to let his knee injury end his NBA career, the 33-year-old veteran understands that his time in Orlando is likely over. Schmitz says the Magic will probably try to trade Harrington. If they can't, they will buy out the remaining two years on his deal, which is worth $14.7MM though Schmitz says it would cost Orlando about half of that since the deal is not fully guaranteed. Harrington added that he is "through playing with bad teams" and hopes that his 10-game stint on the court earlier this season was enough to draw interest from a contender next season.
Schmitz says that the Magic currently have about $62MM committed to players who are currently not playing or are not on the roster. The team has two years and $43.1MM remaining on their deal with Gilbert Arenas and is still paying (or has paid) Hakim Warrick ($4MM), Quentin Richardson ($2.6MM), Christian Eyenga ($1.7MM) and Justin Harper ($762K), none of whom are on the roster. Hedo Turkoglu ($11.8MM), Arron Afflalo ($7.5MM), Harrington ($6.6MM) and Glen Davis ($6.4MM) are all injured or have been shut down.
Schmitz opines that the lack of high-impact talent in June's draft makes Nerlens Noel a worthwhile gamble for the Magic. While Nikola Vucevic has emerged this year as an elite rebounder, the 7-footer is not really a shot blocker (only 1.0 blocks-per-game this year). Enter Noel, who would seem to fit nicely alongside Vucevic. The Magic probably won't be ready to compete for several years, so Schmitz says they could give the Kentucky shot blocker all the time he needs to recover.

Ford’s Latest: Noel, Burke, McCollum, Robinson

March 26th, 2013 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to publishing a new piece on ESPN.com today, Chad Ford also updated his big board and conducted an afternoon chat. Let's check in on Ford's latest draft nuggets….

A day after our Zach Links profiled the injured Kentucky big man, Nerlens Noel has recaptured the top spot in Ford's 2013 prospect rankings. Ford explains that while some top prospects haven't looked great in the NCAA tournament, scouts and GMs are remember Noel's increasing productivity prior to his ACL injury. Ford doesn't go so far as to call Noel a "consensus No. 1" but says NBA decision-makers are starting to lean in that direction.
Other risers on Ford's big board include Michigan's Trey Burke, who moved into the top 10, Lehigh's C.J. McCollum (12th), Michigan's Glenn Robinson III (16th), and San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin (17th).
In a separate Insider-only piece, Ford looks at a few more players whose stocks have been affected by their play during the NCAA tournament, and addresses the topic of whether any Florida Gulf Coast players are candidates to be drafted, either this year or in the future.
Ford also answered an hour's worth of draft-related questions in his latest chat with readers at ESPN.com.

Prospect Profile: Nerlens Noel

March 25th, 2013 at 7:46pm CST by Zachary Links

A few months ago, there was little question that Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel would be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft. However, a gruesome knee injury suffered against Florida in February changed all of that. After chasing down Mike Rosario on a fast break layup and swatting his shot with authority, Noel slammed his left knee against the base of the hoop, resulting in a season-ending ACL tear.

The 18-year-old was close to a mortal lock to go first overall in the draft, but now no one is sure exactly where he'll go in the draft, or if he'll even enter. Kentucky's other standout freshmen, Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Archie Goodwin, could all return to campus next season, despite being projected first round picks. Noel seems less likely to come back for his sophomore year on the surface, but he may be tempted to stay in school by the prospect of playing with the nation's most talented college team next season. Heck, if things really go John Calipari's way, next year's UK team could also feature top high schoolers Andrew Wiggins and Aaron Gordon.

Odds are, however, that Noel will play it safe and enter this year's draft. After all, it doesn't make a great deal of business sense for Noel to return to Lexington, risk aggravating his injury, and jump in with the hyper-talented 2014 group when he can instead go top five in a historically weak class on one leg. If Noel can show that his knee is back to 100%, he could easily reclaim his spot as the consensus No. 1 overall pick ahead of Kansas' Ben McLemore.

In the 24 games that he did play for the Wildcats, the 6'10" forward showed that he has very rare athleticism for a player of his size. With tremendous footspeed and a wingspan that is reportedly six inches larger than his height, he has a highlight reel that most NBA big man can't accumulate in an 82 game season. Defensively, he is a game changer with a mindset similar to that of a young Kenyon Martin. He won't just lock on to his assignment, he'll go wherever he is needed on the hardwood to pressure both big men and guards.

Offensively, well, it's a different story. His size should lend itself to a strong back-to-the-basket game that attracts multiple defenders, but he isn't much of a scorer. This year's Kentucky team was fairly thin on offense and they did not call on Noel for points on a regular basis. He doesn't have a mid-range game either, but he'll have to come up with something at the next level to be effective in a halfcourt set. Of course, at the age of 18, there's no reason to think that he can't develop his offensive tools over time. Noel probably doesn't have as high of a ceiling as Kentucky alum Anthony Davis, but he can eventually become an impact player in his own right.

Kentucky Prospects Considering Return To School

March 20th, 2013 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

As we prepare for the NCAA Tournament to get underway in earnest tomorrow, one team is notably absent from the Madness: The defending champion Kentucky Wildcats. Not only did Kentucky fail to earn a spot in the field of 68 — the Wildcats also dropped their first game of the NIT, losing 59-57 to Robert Morris.

Despite a disappointing season, Kentucky still has plenty of candidates to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft this June. Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Archie Goodwin all rank in Chad Ford's top 20 at ESPN.com. Although Noel still seems like a good bet to enter the draft and be a top-five pick, the other three freshmen sound unconvinced about being one-and-done, as they tell Kyle Tucker of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

"I don’t know if it’s a question whether I’m going (to the NBA) or not," Goodwin said. "I don’t think I’m ready to go. It’s no reason why I think any of our guys should really leave. We should come back next year … and just try to do better than what we did this year. Because the expectations we had for ourselves this year, we didn’t meet them at all. We didn’t come close. So I think think that’s what says we should all come back."

For the most part, Poythress and Cauley-Stein echoed Goodwin's sentiment, indicating they didn't feel ready for the NBA. However, as NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper notes, front offices don't always put a ton of stock in what prospects say after emotional losses, and Cauley-Stein hinted that while he may be leaning toward returning for his sophomore year, he'll consider all his options.

"I’ve just gotta look out for me and my family," Cauley-Stein said. "If it comes down to it, if my family needs me, then I’ll go [to the NBA]. But if not, I’ll stay and get a couple more years of education and develop myself [into] more of an all-around basketball player."

Ford currently ranks Poythress, Cauley-Stein, and Goodwin 13th, 16th, and 20th respectively on his big board, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has them 16th, 21st, and 18th on his list. Should the trio decide to return to Kentucky for the 2013/14 season, it would be another blow to a draft class that's already being viewed as the weakest in the last several years.

Draft Updates: Noel, Magic, Oladipo, Zeller

March 15th, 2013 at 7:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

College basketball will take center stage for the next few weeks with the NCAA Tournament set to begin Tuesday. For NBA types, that means one final chance to evaluate a number of the top draft prospects in game action. Here are the latest draft-related dispatches we’re hearing:

Despite a torn ACL, Kentucky center Nerlens Noel remains in line to be picked in the top five this June, and could still go No. 1. That speaks to the weakness in the upper echelon of this year’s draft class, according to an NBA front-office veteran who spoke to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. “He can be good defensively, but it’s not like he’s the next Bill Russell,” the executive said of Noel. “There’s another reason he’s staying that high in the draft.”
The Magic are currently in line for the No. 2 overall selection, and Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks at five potential high lottery picks, projecting how their addition to the Magic would affect the team’s current roster.
Following up on last week’s look at a few top college prospects who will miss the NCAA tournament, Chad Ford of ESPN.com has an Insider-only piece on others within the ESPN top 60 whose seasons are essentially over, noting that few scouts pay much attention to the NIT and other consolation events.
An improved offensive showing this season is what has Victor Oladipo on a fast climb up draft boards, Howard-Cooper writes, projecting the Indiana swingman as a mid-lottery pick. That’s right around the range where teammate Cody Zeller, once thought of as a potential No. 1 pick, could wind up being drafted.

Draft Notes: Big Boards, Harris, Adams, Kabongo

March 13th, 2013 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A week from now, we'll be gearing up for this year's NCAA Tournament to get underway in earnest. In the meantime, here's the latest on a number of the prospects whose teams will be participating in March Madness:

Chad Ford of ESPN.com and Chris Mannix of SI.com have both published the fifth editions of their respective big boards for the 2013 draft. Both scribes have Ben McLemore, Nerlens Noel, and Marcus Smart ranked first, second, and third respectively.
Within Ford's big board, he reports that Gary Harris, Ford's No. 10 prospect, is "strongly contemplating" returning to Michigan State for his sophomore year. Pittsburgh's Steven Adams, ranked No. 23, is also a good bet to return to school next year, according to Ford.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com also updated his list of top 100 prospects for 2013, which still has Noel in the top spot, despite yesterday's knee surgery.
Ford's weekly chat at ESPN.com included plenty of interesting draft-related tidbits. Among the highlights: A number of GMs believe Texas' Myck Kabongo could be a great value in the 20s or 30s, and Ford believes that James Michael McAdoo of UNC is one player whose stock would benefit significantly from a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament.

Ford’s Latest On 2013 NBA Draft

February 28th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We may still have nearly a third of the NBA regular season left to play, but it won't be long before talk of this summer's draft starts to increase exponentially. With just three weeks until March Madness and the June draft less than four months away, the busy season is around the corner for ESPN.com's Chad Ford, who has a number of draft-related items up for us today. Let's round them up….

Ford's mock draft tool, which provides mock results for 2,184 different lottery scenarios, is up and running for the 2013 draft.
There doesn't seem to be a consensus No. 1 pick this year yet, as one veteran general manager tells Ford (ESPN Insider link): "As you look at the guys atop your Big Board, I'm struck with how depleted the talent pool is this year at the top. This is a pretty good draft if you want to talk depth. I just don't see a player who turns our franchise around at the top. I could be wrong. I didn't see Kyrie Irving doing what he's doing for the Cavs right now. But this year is especially troubling."
Based on his conversations with GMs, Ford says six players appear to be in contention for the first overall pick: Ben McLemore of Kansas, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart, Anthony Bennett of UNLV, Indiana's Victor Oladipo and Alex Len of Maryland. Cody Zeller of Indiana and UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad have fallen out of contention for now, according to Ford.
McLemore is currently atop the Suns' big board, according to Ford.
In a separate Insider-only piece, Ford and ESPN.com's Jay Bilas discuss which players top their respective big boards, with Ford choosing Smart and Bilas going with McLemore.

Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Gordon, Heat, Rose

February 14th, 2013 at 8:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Despite Mark Cuban's belief that adding an overpaid player with a massive contract would be a huge mistake considering the framework of the current CBA, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks would explore trading for Hornets guard Eric Gordon as a possible fallback option if the team falls short in its effort to land Dwight Howard this summer. On another note, Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops explains why it would be wise for Dallas to deal Vince Carter and Shawn Marion for expiring contracts and draft picks now if they want to give themselves a legitimate chance at going after Howard, Chris Paul, or Andrew Bynum in upcoming free agency.

Here are more of this evening's odds and ends:

A report from ESPN (via the Associated Press) states that NBA Commissioner David Stern expects a concrete plan from Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson within the next two weeks regarding the Kings' future. Although the NBA Board of Governors does not meet until April 17-18, Stern believes that the official proposal could be made by March 1st "if (Mayor Johnson) follows through on what he's told us." He also put the kibosh on the idea of expansion and doesn't foresee a scenario where both Seattle and Sacramento wind up with teams.
With 15 guaranteed contracts and the team on a roll as of late, Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida figures that the Heat will be very quiet at the trade deadline next week (Twitter link).
Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago gets the sense that Bulls superstar Derrick Rose won't be returning this season.
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside provides a rundown of the top available point guards in the D-League and organizes them in groups by what they specifically have to offer.
After suffering a torn ACL on Tuesday night, Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel figures to be on a six-to-eight month recovery. Once touted by some to be the number one overall pick in this June's draft, Noel has slid to number three in Chad Ford's ESPN rankings of the top 30 prospects (Insiders only). On a side note, Darren Rovell (also of ESPN) tweets that Noel has a $10MM insurance policy in the event that he suffers a career ending injury.
In a statement issued to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, David Falk (the former agent of Michael Jordan) apologized for his disparaging comments about John Wall and the Wizards recently.
There have been a flurry of reports today about Lakers owner Jerry Buss' bout with terminal cancer, which was first reported by Amber Goodhand of Radar Online this morning. In a statement issued by the team today, it was made clear that there is no intention of selling the team to an outside group and that the Buss family plans to keep ownership of the Lakers for many generations to come (Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).

Odds & Ends: Smith, Sixers, Noel, Exceptions

February 13th, 2013 at 8:48pm CST by Alex Lee

As we've seen, the Josh Smith rumors have been frequent and plentiful. While Smith is aware of the buzz, the veteran forward seems unaffected, reports Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld via a series of tweets. Per Kyler, Smith has asked his family to refrain from bringing up media reports to him since he attempts to block that stuff out. While he is flattered to hear how many teams are interested, Smith's mind is on the present and he says the Hawks have yet to discuss the situation with him. While it certainly looks like there is a solid chance he will be traded, Smith reminds us that his name has been mentioned in rumors before to no avail. (Kyler tweets are listed here)

Smith's Hawks are in Orlando tonight – one of 12 games on the NBA schedule on Wednesday. Let's round up all the odds and ends from around the league here for the night:

The Sixers are not interested in trading Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner for Josh Smith, tweets the Philadelphia Inquirer's John Mitchell, citing two league sources. Philly has reportedly been dangling that duo and may be considered sleepers in the Smith sweepstakes.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweets that he keeps hearing Smith will end up as a member of the Celtics.
In light of the news that Nerlens Noel suffered a torn ACL on Tuesday, Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld drops the Kentucky freshman to No. 4 in his mock draft. Similar to what we heard from Jeff Goodman earlier, Koutroupis suspects that Noel will remain in this year's draft despite the injury, referencing the strength of next year's field. To me, since Noel will likely miss a sizeable chunk of next year with the Wildcats if he were to stay in school, it makes more sense to leave and rehabilitate his knee under NBA trainers if he can go anywhere in the top 10.
Several general managers still consider Noel a top-5 pick, while one has him slipping to between 10-12 if he comes out, tweets SI's Chris Mannix. Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader, quoting Draft Express' Jonathan Givony, writes that the prevailing wisdom is that Noel is still a lock for the top-5. Givony believes Noel could still go No. 1 overall. Roberts adds that young NBA players that have suffered similar injuries have not had long term effects.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Bradford Doolittle points to the Nuggets ($13MM), Magic ($17.8MM), Grizzlies ($7.5MM) and Bulls ($5MM) as teams with Traded Player Exceptions worth $5MM or more. The Nuggets may just have the urgency (their exception expires March 15) and the ability (it's large enough to acquire a significant piece) to make utilizing their exception worth it, Doolittle says. While Memphis is likely to use their modest exception, Orlando and Chicago will likely refrain.

Odds & Ends: Noel, Celtics, Barbosa, NBPA

February 13th, 2013 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2013 draft class took a bit of a hit today, when the University of Kentucky announced today that freshman Nerlens Noel has torn his ACL, and will undergo surgery in the coming weeks — he's expected to be out at least six to eight months (Twitter links). Nonetheless, while there's a possibility Noel will return to the Wildcats for his sophomore year, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com hears that NBA people still expect the big man to be a top-five pick if he declares for the draft this summer (Twitter link).

Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the league:

Danny Ainge shares a couple of Celtics injury updates with Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, noting that Dr. James Andrew performed ACL surgery on Rajon Rondo yesterday. Additionally, Leandro Barbosa suffered MCL damage, and will have to wait until March to undergo surgery on his knee (Twitter links).
According to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter), the Celtics would like to bring back Barbosa next season if they can.
Iman Shumpert has been the subject of a few trades rumors recently, but George Willis of the New York Post believes it would be a mistake for the Knicks to move him.
The Jazz should be in no rush to trade Al Jefferson, writes Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune.
As All-Star weekend approaches, so too do the NBPA's annual meetings, which will include plenty of discussion about executive director Billy Hunter. Tom Ziller of SBNation.com writes that the union owes it to itself to replace Hunter with a director that's more aggressive about challenging issues like the NBA's age minimum.
The latest piece of bad news for Hunter comes from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who reports that the U.S. Attorney's office is investigating a contract that authorized future payment of more than $3MM to a firm that employed Hunter's son. The NBPA's executive committee is required to authorize any expenditures more than $25K, but were reportedly never shown a deal that would have paid Prim Capital $600K+ annually for five years.
An ESPN.com 5-on-5 panel that includes Marc Stein, Chris Broussard, and Chad Ford predict the odds that some of the big-name trade candidates will be dealt within the next eight days.