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Odds & Ends: Mavs, Collins, Jackson, Jordan

April 12th, 2013 at 11:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban takes the blame for his team's subpar season, saying he failed to construct an adequate roster and promising he'll be more attentive this summer, observes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "I'm not making any predictions," the owner said. "All I'm saying is we're not going to do a traditional rebuild. That's (why) we got all this cap room, so we wouldn't. We're going to be opportunistic."

Cuban also made headlines this evening for his desire to keep Vince Carter for years to come, but there are plenty of other newsmakers tonight:

Contradicting a report from earlier this week, John Finger of CSNPhilly.com writes that Sixers management wants to keep Doug Collins for as long as he has a desire to coach.
Collins will still receive his $4.5MM salary for next season if the Sixers fire him, but he won't get the money if he quits, notes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Stephen Jackson's discontent, which was apparently at the root of his release from the Spurs, didn't stem from the lack of a contract extension, but simply a desire for more playing time, according to Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News.
Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan is nearing a deal to become the next head coach at Rutgers, tweets Chick Hernandez of CSNWashington.com. Jordan is willing to take the job even if it means he'd have to leave the Lakers right away, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
Mike Woodson has interest in Kurt Thomas rejoining the Knicks as an assistant coach next season, as Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal notes via Twitter.
North Carolina announced sophomore swingman P.J. Hairston is returning to school, tweets Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Hairston is No. 40 on Chad Ford's list of prospects for ESPN.com, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has Hairston at No. 14 on his 2014 mock draft.
Before he gets into the latest edition of his mock draft, Chris Mannix of SI.com discusses Louisville's Russ Smith, whom coach Rick Pitino now says is "50-50" to go pro after it seemed earlier that he would enter the draft. At least one scout who spoke to Mannix thinks Smith would go undrafted in June.

Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.

Russ Smith To Enter Draft

April 9th, 2013 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

3:12pm: Echoing his father's comments, Smith confirmed on SiriusXM radio today that he will enter the NBA draft, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

8:38am: Although junior guard Russ Smith didn't have his best game on Monday night, shooting just 3-of-16 from the floor, his Louisville Cardinals held on to top Michigan and win the national championship. And according to his father, Russ Smith Sr., that'll be the perfect note on which to end his collegiate career.

"When you go out, you want to go out with a national championship," Smith Sr. told SI.com's Michael Rosenberg. "He's got five rings: back-to-back Big East, back-to-back Final Four, national championship. What other way to go out?"

Asked specifically whether his son would be turning pro, Smith Sr. replied, "He's gone."

Assuming Smith does officially declare his intent for June's draft, he's a good bet to be drafted, albeit not necessarily in the first round. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com currently ranks him as the 39th-best prospect on the board, while ESPN.com's Chad Ford has him at No. 49. The 21-year-old averaged 18.7 PPG for Louisville in his junior year.

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.