Trae Young Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Casey, Nwaba, Bulls, Pacers

June 12th, 2018 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

While Dwane Casey was always viewed as a strong candidate for the Pistons‘ head coaching job, right up until the team hired him on Monday, the former Raptors coach seriously considered taking a year off, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. As Lewenberg observes though, the Pistons really sold Casey on their situation, and sitting around isn’t really in his nature anyway.

TNT’s David Aldridge provides further context on Casey’s decision, tweeting that the veteran coach wasn’t inclined to accept the job as recently as Saturday morning. However, Pistons ownership and management – led by Tom Gores – put the “full-court press” on in order to finalize a deal.

According to Aldridge, one concession the Pistons made was letting Casey pick his assistants. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) hears from a source that there was no pressure from ownership to pick Casey’s assistants for him, and Aldridge notes the team’s denial, but insists that multiple sources say otherwise (Twitter link). As Aldridge notes, it wouldn’t have been unprecedented for Casey to inherit some assistants that Pistons management likes, and it’s possible he’ll do just that, but he won’t be obligated to do so.

Here’s more from around the Central division:

With his restricted free agency approaching, Bulls swingman David Nwaba has hired new representation, signing with agent Charles Briscoe, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Charania previously identified Nwaba as an under-the-radar RFA target who should generate plenty of interest this summer.
When word of Jimmy Butler‘s trade broke last June, Butler’s trainer Travelle Gaines made some pointed comments about the Bulls and GM Gar Forman in a now-deleted tweet. However, as he tells Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago, Gaines doesn’t “feel the Bulls are a bad organization or franchise” and wouldn’t steer current clients like Trae Young away from Chicago.
As Thaddeus Young considers opting out of his contract, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that the Pacers could easily carve out about $23MM in cap space if Young walks. Meanwhile, J. Michael and Scott Horner of The Indianapolis Star identify some free agents the Pacers could go after with that space.

East Draft Notes: Knicks, Hawks, Bulls, Hornets, Pacers

June 11th, 2018 at 7:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks will work out UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday shortly before draft night, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. Holiday will have to make quite an impression to get drafted by New York. He’s currently ranked No. 17 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and the Knicks hold the No. 9 pick.

Texas A&M big man Robert Williams, ranked No. 12 by Givony, and Missouri State forward Alize Johnson worked out for the Knicks on Monday, according to another Begley post. Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo was scheduled to work out for New York this week but it will not happen as scheduled, Begley adds.

In other draft workout news concerning Eastern Conference teams:

The Hawks will work out Oklahoma point guard Trae Young on Tuesday, according to a team press release. Young is ranked No. 8 by Givony; Atlanta holds the No. 3 pick.
Kentucky forward Kevin Knox, rated No. 9 by Givony, worked out for the Bulls on Monday, according to the team’s website. Bryant McIntosh (Northwestern), Donovan Jackson (Iowa State), Jae’Sean Tate (Ohio State), Jeff Roberson (Vanderbilt) and Nick Dixon (UTRGV) were also evaluated by Chicago. The Bulls have the No. 7 selection in the first round.
The Hornets will soon work out Michigan State forward Miles Bridges, Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports tweets. Bridges, who visited the Sixers Monday, is ranked No. 15 by Givony and Charlotte holds the No. 11 pick.
An injury prevented Tulane small forward Melvin Frazier from working out with the Pacers on Monday, Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports tweets.

Draft Updates: Porter, Young, Simons, Sexton

June 9th, 2018 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Porter Jr. was impressive at Friday’s pro day in Chicago, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Although there’s no question about his talent, several teams are concerned about Porter’s physical condition in the wake of back surgery that cost him nearly his entire freshman season at Missouri. Porter’s representatives will decide over the next few days which teams they plan to hold meetings with and who will receive his medical records.

Kyler adds that most scouts view Porter as a top three to five talent in the draft (Twitter link), but the back problems may scare some teams away. Even so, Kyler speculates that he won’t fall lower than the Bulls at No. 7 (Twitter link).

There’s more news as the draft draws closer:

The Knicks are among several lottery teams that will travel to Chicago next week to meet with Porter, a league source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link).
The Suns are trying to arrange a workout with Oklahoma’s Trae Young, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Team officials are expected to meet with Young before the draft, but scheduling conflicts may prevent the Suns from working him out. Because Phoenix holds the No. 1 pick and Young is unlikely to be taken that high, Wasserman cites the report as evidence that the team is trying to acquire a second top 10 selection.
Anfernee Simons, who worked out today for the Magic, has been among the most active pre-draft prospects, tweets Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Simons has already been to sessions with the Bulls, Suns, Trail Blazers, Lakers and Jazz and has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies and Bucks.
The Cavaliers brought in Alabama’s Collin Sexton for a workout today, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The Nuggets have six players scheduled for a session on Monday, according to a story on the team’s website. Expected to attend are Idaho’s Brayon Blake, Georgetown’s Marcus Derrickson, UNLV’s Brandon McCoy, USC’s Jordan McLaughlin, Wake Forest’s Doral Moore and Northern Colorado’s Andre Spight.
Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez will work out tomorrow for the Spurs, Zagoria writes. The Mavericks will see him Tuesday, followed by the Raptors, then then Lakers on June 20. Rodriguez has also worked out for the Knicks, Nets, Suns, Thunder, Celtics, Bucks and Kings.
The Nets have already held sessions with about 60 players, roughly the same amount the team saw through the entire pre-draft process last year, according to a story on NetsDaily.

Hawks Notes: No. 3, Bagley, Bamba, Allen

June 5th, 2018 at 8:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hawks own the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft and figuring out who they’ll select is no easy feat. Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com has the team selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. out of Michigan State. The big man, who won’t turn 19 until mid-September, has a high ceiling and would be an ideal partner in the frontcourt alongside John Collins, Givony contends.

Both Jackson and Marvin Bagley III, a projected top-3 pick, will work out for the team next week, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

Luka Doncic won’t work out for the Hawks, as he’s not holding any individual workouts for teams ahead of the draft. Heading into lottery night, he appeared to be a lock to be selected in the top-2. However, the 19-year-old will likely be available when Atlanta picks based on the Kings’ reported disinterest in the Slovenian wing. It’s been reported that the Hawks are likely to pass on him as well.

Whoever is selected with the No. 3 pick is projected to make a starting salary of approximately $6.5MM. While we wait to see what the Hawks do with their selection, check out some notes from Atlanta:

Mohamed Bamba is tentatively scheduled to work out for the Hawks on June 14, Cunningham tweets. Grayson Allen and Trae Young are also expected to workout for the team next week.
The Hawks will have several prospects come into town on Wednesday, according to a team press release. Alize Johnson (Missouri State), George King (Colorado), Billy Preston (Bosnia), Omari Spellman (Villanova), Jared Terrell (Rhode Island) and Thomas Welsh (UCLA) will all visit Atlanta.
Atlanta has hired Nate Babcock to be a special assistant on coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff, Cunningham reports (via Twitter). The Hawks’ coaching staff is now complete.

Trae Young To Work Out For Hawks, Bulls

June 5th, 2018 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Having worked out for the Knicks today, Oklahoma guard Trae Young will visit the Magic next, then has two more auditions with Eastern Conference lottery teams on his schedule, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. As Zagoria tweets, Young will work out for the Hawks and Bulls.

According to Zagoria (via Twitter), those four workouts are currently the only ones Young has lined up. It’s possible that more clubs could be added to that list between now and draft day (June 21), but that’s unlikely, tweets Marc Berman of The New York Post.

The Hawks (No. 3), Magic (No. 6), Bulls (No. 7), and Knicks (No. 9) all have top-10 picks, suggesting Young is unlikely to fall further than that.

While it would be a surprise to see him go as high as No. 3, Young has generated plenty of interest from multiple teams in the top 10. The Magic have been linked to the 6’2″ guard in several mock drafts, the Bulls are said to be “enamored” with him, and Berman has suggested that the Knicks probably wouldn’t pass on him if he slips to No. 9.

Young led the NCAA with 27.4 PPG in 2017/18, en route to a first-team All-American season. He also ranked first in APG (8.7), adding 3.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG.

Trae Young To Work Out For Magic

June 4th, 2018 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

11:29am: In addition to Young, Kevin Knox and Anfernee Simons will also work out for the Magic this week, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

9:54am: Oklahoma guard Trae Young has a private workout scheduled this week with the Magic, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Zagora, who previously reported that Young will work out privately for the Knicks, writes that the nation’s leading scorer will fly to Orlando following his time in New York.

The Magic currently hold the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft, making Young a viable target for the club. Outside of perhaps power forward, Orlando isn’t loaded with talent at any position, so the team isn’t a lock to target a point guard, but that spot figures to be an area of focus this offseason. The Magic traded away former first-rounder Elfrid Payton at this year’s deadline, and currently have D.J. Augustin and Shelvin Mack atop their depth chart.

In his most recent mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Young going to the Magic at No. 6, writing that the youngster’s “offensive profile is tailor-made for today’s NBA.”

Young, a 6’2″ guard, led the NCAA with 27.4 PPG in 2017/18, en route to a first-team All-American season. He also ranked first in APG (8.7), and chipped in 3.9 RPG and 1.7 SPG.

Magic swingman Terrence Ross suggested in a comment on Instagram that he intends to be in attendance for Young’s workout with the team this week.

Latest On Bulls’ Options At No. 7

June 4th, 2018 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls hold the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, making them unlikely to have a shot at top prospects like Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, and Marvin Bagley III. However, the team could have some interesting options on the board after the first six clubs make their selections.

According to Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls wouldn’t hesitate to draft a point guard at No. 7 if they felt that player was the right choice, despite the presence of Kris Dunn on their roster. Chicago appears “enamored” with Trae Young and is also high on Collin Sexton, Goodwill writes, noting that Young’s shooting would provide a different look in the backcourt than what Dunn provides.

While Sexton is a good bet to be available at No. 7, Young may be off the board. Regardless of whether one or both guards are available, the Bulls also figure to consider big men and wings, as Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic observes (via Twitter).

In Mayberry’s view, it feels like Chicago will end up landing Wendell Carter Jr., Mohamed Bamba, Mikal Bridges, or Miles Bridges at No. 7. Mayberry adds (via Twitter) that his best guess is that Chicago will draft a big man like Carter or Bamba with its lottery pick before targeting a perimeter player with its second first-rounder (No. 22 overall).

With some uncertainty about which players will be drafted in the top six later this month, it’s impossible to say definitively at this point which top prospect will land in Chicago. However, it sounds like the club is weighing several different options, regardless of position.

New York Notes: Young, Ntilikina, LeVert, Lin

June 3rd, 2018 at 2:37pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Knicks are scheduled to host Oklahoma point guard Trae Young for a private workout at the organization’s practice facility on Tuesday, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. We relayed earlier this week that the Knicks were one of a “handful” of teams Young will work out for privately.

Young has long been linked to the Knicks, but the chances of him being available when the team picks ninth are unlikely. Nonetheless, Berman wrote a feature in which Young’s style of play and attitude are highlighted as a match for the bright lights of New York City.

“After two years,’’ said Sooners assistant Chris Crutchfield, “he’ll be an NBA All-Star. One, he’s quick with the ball. Two, he can really, really shoot it. And three, he can pass it. Based on the way the NBA is designed with defensive rules, it’s ideal for a guy like Trae to have success. If you don’t guard him at 35 feet he may shoot it. If you do, he’s going to go by you.’’

Berman compares the Knicks’ interest in Young to the team’s 2009 interest in Stephen Curry, who was selected by the Warriors one spot before New York picked. There is concern that comparisons to Curry may impact Young’s career early, but he appears to be welcoming the pressure.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

Frank Ntilikina returned to the United States from his native France this week with a new look inspired by his desire to improve as part of the Knicks future, Berman writes. “I’ve added some weight and muscle,” Ntilikina said. “I spent a lot of time working on my body in France. I’m getting better and more comfortable with my skills and body. I had the chance to maximize my time and work on my body, which I didn’t have time to do during the season.”
Nets forward Caris LeVert spent time in India this week working with young kids as part of the Basketball Without Borders program, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. LeVert said he enjoyed going to Taiwan last year for a camp hosted by teammate Jeremy Lin and that he wants to see more of the world.
Speaking of Lin, his season ended on opening night when he ruptured the patella tendon in his knee. Lin reflected on how faith helped him overcome the grief of an injury ending his season, Net Income of NetsDaily writes. “The injury was like the last straw for me. This was the biggest setback in my life. It took place at the moment of my life’s most anticipated and highest peak,” Lin said. “I’m 30 years old. As a basketball player, I’m 30 years old already entering the end of the line.”

Knicks To Host Trae Young For Private Workout

May 31st, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma guard Trae Young has elected to grant the Knicks a private workout, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Young, who intends to work out for “a handful” of clubs, is still figuring out his schedule, so the date of the workout remains unclear, per Berman.

Young, widely viewed as a top-eight prospect, isn’t expected to be on the board when the Knicks pick at No. 9. Even if he’s available, he may not be the first choice for a New York club with multiple point guards already on the roster and a more glaring need on the wing. Still, Young is very much on the Knicks’ radar due to his high upside, sources tell Berman.

According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link), the Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Sixers have already “passed through” Oklahoma to talk to staff and faculty about Young. The Cavaliers have also been in touch with the program about Young, Zagoria adds.

In Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft for ESPN.com, he has Young coming off the board at No. 6 to Orlando, writing that the 19-year-old is a “highly skilled scorer and passer with unlimited range on his jump shot and tremendous instincts in the pick-and-roll.”

Knicks Notes: Porzingis, No. 9 Pick, Coaches, Workouts

May 25th, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Since being hired by the Knicks earlier this month, new head coach David Fizdale has talked repeatedly about making it a priority to connect with his new star, Kristaps Porzingis. On Thursday, Porzingis finally reciprocated some of Fizdale’s love, tweeting that he had a “great conversation” on the phone with Fizdale, and is “excited” about the hiring.

As Ian Begley writes at ESPN.com, Porzingis’ tweet isn’t a whole lot to go on, but it looks like a positive sign for the relationship between the big man and the Knicks’ new head coach. Porzingis didn’t always have the rosiest relationship with former head coach Jeff Hornacek, and skipped his exit meeting with Knicks brass – including Steve Mills – in 2017, so it’s important to get him on board with the franchise’s direction as he becomes extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

While it’s possible that the nation’s leading scorer, Trae Young, could still be on the board when the Knicks pick at No. 9, they should resist the urge to draft him, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who hears from sources that the club has “a genuine yen” for the Oklahoma guard.
In addition to being linked to Young, the Knicks are also believed to have interest in Miami guard Lonnie Walker. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype passes along a report connecting Walker to the Knicks, and confirms separately with a source that New York is “very interested” in the Hurricanes freshman.
Three Knicks assistants who were with the team last season – Jerry Sichting, Corey Gaines, and Dave Bliss – won’t be back next season as new coach David Fizdale reshapes the staff, per Stefan Bondy and Frank Isola of The New York Daily News.
Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez and Michigan’s Charles Matthews had pre-draft workouts with the Knicks, according to ESPN’s Ian Begley (Twitter links), who cites their respective Instagram accounts.