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Knicks Rumors: Westbrook, Draft, Okoro, Vassell

October 15th, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

While Chris Paul‘s name has been connected most frequently to the Knicks in recent months, it’s worth keeping an eye on Russell Westbrook as well, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley reports that some agents who represent top free agent point guards think the Knicks will “poke around” on a possible Westbrook trade if the Rockets make him available.

It’s certainly not a sure thing that Houston considers moving Westbrook this offseason. And even in that scenario, “poking around” doesn’t mean that the Knicks would make a deal.

Still, the Knicks are well-positioned to take on a big contract like Westbrook’s, which has three years and more than $132MM left on it. Begley also cites sources who say that Westbrook viewed New York as a favorable landing spot when the Thunder were shopping him last July. So if the Rockets do mull a potential trade at some point, it’s a safe bet the Knicks will be linked to the star point guard.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

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Eastern Notes: Sixers, Raptors, Pistons, Magic

October 14th, 2020 at 8:55pm CST by Jovan Alford

Former Kings head coach Dave Joerger is under consideration to join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff with the Sixers, according to Frank Isola (Twitter link). Joerger, who also coached the Grizzlies, interviewed for the Pacers’ head-coaching vacancy earlier this month.

As things stand, Rivers has not finalized his coaching staff in Philadelphia. Derek Bodner of The Athletic looked at several candidates last week who could join Rivers on the sidelines next season. Some of the names mentioned were Tyronn Lue, Sam Cassell, Armond Hill, and Rex Kalamian.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • Blake Murphy of The Athletic considers possible free-agent center targets for the Raptors, explaining that center is a pressing need for Toronto, even if the team re-signs Serge Ibaka or Marc Gasol. Murphy breaks down multiple free-agent targets into three tiers based on the Raptors’ financial situation, identifying Montrezl Harrell and Danilo Gallinari as expensive options while naming the likes of Jakob Poeltl and Noah Vonleh as more affordable alternatives.
  • In his latest mailbag, Rod Beard of The Detroit News suggests that Tyrese Haliburton or Killian Hayes would be a good pick for the Pistons in the 2020 draft. “Most mock drafts I’ve seen have one of those two available, and if they come out with either, they’d be happy with the pick, because they’d have filled a big roster gap,” he writes. The Pistons currently own the seventh overall pick, which means they’re in a prime position to take the best player available. Both Haliburton and Hayes are expected to be lottery picks next month.
  • Josh Robbins of The Athletic discusses the potential offseason moves that could be in store for the Magic in his latest mailbag. One of the questions that Robbins answered concerned the future of Evan Fournier. The 27-year-old guard has a $17.2M player option for the 2020/21 season, which he could ultimately decline next month. However, Robbins believes Fournier will likely accept the option due to the dip in NBA revenue as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Last season with Orlando, he averaged 18.5 PPG and shot 39.9% from three-point range.
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Suns Notes: Haliburton, Disney Practices, Booker

October 10th, 2020 at 5:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Suns have the tenth pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA draft, prompting Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic to wonder if Iowa State combo guard Tyrese Haliburton might drop to Phoenix. Haliburton, who touts his own passing ability as second to none among this year’s prospects, was also a high-level shooter in college.

“I’m coming in as a guy who can make shots,” said Haliburton. “And someone who can facilitate at a high level and I think I’m a really good off-ball defender. My IQ is very high. I know where to be at the right time.”

Rankin sees the 6’5″ guard as being able to eventually supplant Ricky Rubio as All-Star Devin Booker‘s eventual backcourt partner.

There’s more out of the Grand Canyon State:

  • Suns head coach Monty Williams recently discussed the intense team practices that helped spark the team’s 8-0 run during the NBA’s Orlando restart, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic in a separate piece. Booker and forward Dario Šarić, specifically, took the competitive practices to another level. “I’ll never forget Dario was kicking all of the [bigs’] butts playing one-on-one against the bigs and Book was on the other end whipping up on the guards,” Williams said.
  • Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic weighed in on a recent hypothetical Bleacher Report trade idea, a one-for-one swap of Booker for All-Star Sixers guard/forward Ben Simmons. Rankin postulated that Booker’s terrific all-around offensive ability, which appeared to take a leap during the NBA’s summer Disney World restart, is ultimately more valuable than Simmons’ more limited two-way game.
  • We recently passed along word that Sixers assistant coach Kevin Young has joined Williams’ staff as an assistant coach with the Suns.
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Atlantic Notes: Kemba, Tatum, Nets, Knicks

October 1st, 2020 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t expect Kemba Walker to require offseason surgery to address his left knee issues, but said today that the point guard was “definitely not himself” during the playoffs, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. According to Ainge, the club will construct a plan for Walker going forward to try to avoid having that happen again.

“In fairness to Kemba, he doesn’t want to say (that he wasn’t himself). He doesn’t say that to our coaches. He doesn’t say that to you, the media. He doesn’t say that to me. I haven’t heard one excuse from him,” Ainge said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “But watching the games, even the games we won, even the games where he played well, I could tell he wasn’t the same physically as he was in October, November, December. So we’re going to try to get that Kemba back.”

While Walker still made some big plays for the Celtics en route to the team’s appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, his postseason numbers reflect that he wasn’t at his best. He made just 31.0% of his three-point attempts in 17 playoff contests after knocking down 38.1% during the season.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Ainge didn’t sound worried about being able to lock up Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to a long-term contract extension sooner rather than later. “Jayson knows how much we like him,” Ainge said, according to Bontemps. “We have a good relationship. Jayson likes it here, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to work something out this summer — this offseason, I should say.”
  • Appearing on Kevin Durant‘s podcast this week, Nets teammates Durant and Kyrie Irving denied playing a role in Kenny Atkinson‘s dismissal and made some unusual comments about the club’s new head coaching situation. Brian Lewis of The New York Post has the details.
  • Alex Schiffer and William Guillory of The Athletic explore whether a Jrue Holiday trade between the Pelicans and Nets might make sense, as well as what such a deal would look like. The two Athletic writers conclude that it’s probably not a great match.
  • Marc Berman of The New York Post takes a closer look at Tyrese Haliburton as a possible Knicks draft target, while Kira Lewis‘ trainer Cory Underwood talks to Ian Begley of SNY.tv about the Alabama guard’s potential fit with the Knicks.
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Draft Notes: Ball, Haliburton, Okongwu, Bane

September 30th, 2020 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

LaMelo Ball was the highest-profile prospect to take part in this year’s virtual draft combine, but as we noted earlier this week, there was an expectation that his participation in the event might be limited.

According to Jeremy Woo of SI.com (Twitter link), that will indeed be the case. Sources tell Woo that Ball has withdrawn from the remainder of the combine after taking part in a media session on Monday, as well as the standard league interview.

According to Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link), Ball will still interview with team representatives, but won’t participate in the combine’s on-court program, so teams scouting him will have to rely on existing video.

Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

  • Projected top-10 pick Tyrese Haliburton said today that he has interviewed with the Knicks, Warriors, and Pistons so far during the pre-draft process (video link via Ian Begley of SNY.tv). Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link) has heard that the Pistons – who hold the No. 7 pick – “really like” Haliburton.
  • In a Q&A with Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, former USC big man Onyeka Okongwu said that he aspires to emulate Bam Adebayo‘s game at the NBA level. Like Haliburton, Okongwu is a projected top-10 pick, ranking fifth overall on ESPN’s top-100 list.
  • TCU sharpshooter Desmond Bane has interviewed with nearly every team in the NBA, telling reporters today that he has spoken to 26 clubs (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). Bane, the No. 41 prospect on ESPN’s big board, said that his agent thinks the Suns, Sixers, and Bucks have shown the most interest in him, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
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Draft Rumors: Hayes, J. Smith, Ball, Edwards, Krejci

September 28th, 2020 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA’s virtual combine underway, a handful of this year’s top draft-eligible prospects are speaking with reporters today on conference calls and are revealing some information about their pre-draft meetings.

French point guard Killian Hayes, for instance, confirmed that he has interviewed with the Spurs, Wizards, Knicks, Bulls, and Warriors, adding that his agent has told him to expect to come off the board between No. 2 and No. 10 on draft night (Twitter link via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic).

Maryland big man Jalen Smith told reporters, including Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter links), that he has met with the Wizards, Spurs, Raptors, Nets, Suns, and Bulls, among other teams. Smith ranks No. 20 on ESPN’s big board.

Potential No. 1 pick LaMelo Ball was more evasive when asked about his meetings, refusing to name any teams he has talked to except for the Knicks, as K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. That meeting occurred prior to the lottery, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).

While it’s possible Ball has had other meetings with top teams that he declined to mention, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) hears that the guard’s interview with the Timberwolves is still to come. Minnesota, of course, holds the top pick in the draft.

Here’s more on the draft:

  • There’s a belief around the NBA that the Timberwolves may make an effort to trade down from No. 1, but if they keep that pick, multiple sources believe they’ll select LaMelo Ball rather than Anthony Edwards, says Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
  • According to Wasserman, there’s some concern among scouts and executives about Edwards’ professionalism, drive, and desire to win. While the Georgia wing still figures to come off the board early, the likelihood of him falling to No. 3 appears to have increased, Wasserman notes.
  • One scout who spoke to Bleacher Report said his team will be putting more stock this year into prospects’ basketball IQ and other intangibles, and Wasserman believes other clubs around the NBA could take a similar approach. Tyrese Haliburton and Isaac Okoro are among the players who could benefit from that trend, Wasserman adds.
  • Czech guard Vit Krejci, who is playing for Zaragoza in Spain, has suffered a left ACL injury that will require surgery and is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season, according to the team (hat tip to Sportando). Krejci had declared for the 2020 NBA draft as an early entrant, but could still withdraw his name before the league’s November deadline.
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LaMelo Ball Headlines List Of Draft Combine Participants

September 28th, 2020 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Potential No. 1 overall pick LaMelo Ball will be among the prospects participating in the revamped virtual draft combine this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Ball is scheduled to take part in team interviews and a media session this week, but may not participate in any other portion, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cautions (via Twitter).

While Ball’s participation might be limited, many of this year’s other top prospects aren’t taking part in the event at all. As Woo points out (via Twitter), Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu, Cole Anthony, Aaron Nesmith, Devin Vassell, and Saddiq Bey are among the players who don’t appear on the list of participants sent out by the NBA.

The list of top prospects besides Ball who will be participating in the event includes Precious Achiuwa, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon, and Isaac Okoro, among others.

Here’s the full list of combine participants, via Charania:

  1. Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
  2. Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton
  3. Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
  4. Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
  5. LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
  6. Desmond Bane, G, TCU
  7. Tyler Bey, F, Colorado
  8. Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
  9. Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
  10. Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
  11. Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
  12. Paul Eboua, F, VL Pesaro (Italy)
  13. CJ Elleby, F, Washington State
  14. Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State
  15. Trent Forrest, G, Florida State
  16. Josh Green, G/F, Arizona
  17. Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
  18. Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
  19. Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep
  20. RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
  21. Jalen Harris, G, Nevada
  22. Killian Hayes, G, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
  23. Markus Howard, G, Marquette
  24. Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse
  25. Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas
  26. Mason Jones, G, Arkansas
  27. Tre Jones, G, Duke
  28. Nathan Knight, F/C, William & Mary
  29. Kira Lewis, G, Alabama
  30. Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL (France)
  31. Karim Mane, G, Vanier College (Canada)
  32. Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
  33. Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
  34. Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy
  35. Skylar Mays, G, LSU
  36. Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington
  37. Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
  38. Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona
  39. Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
  40. Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
  41. Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
  42. Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
  43. Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
  44. Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
  45. Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky
  46. Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech
  47. Paul Reed, F, DePaul
  48. Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky
  49. Grant Riller, G, Charleston
  50. Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College
  51. Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
  52. Cassius Stanley, G, Duke
  53. Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
  54. Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington
  55. Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
  56. Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State
  57. Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State
  58. Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky
  59. Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
  60. Robert Woodard II, F, Mississippi State

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is unable to hold its typical in-person draft combine this year, but the league has put together an alternative combine that will feature interviews through videoconferencing as well as the making of “pro day” videos, which will include strength and agility testing, anthropometric measurements, and shooting drills. Participants will also undergo medical testing and exams.

For more details on this year’s combine, be sure to check out our full story on the changes.

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Cavs Rumors: Draft, Porter, Sexton, Defense, Drummond

September 25th, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ last couple drafts have been fairly guard-heavy, with Collin Sexton joining the team in 2018 and Darius Garland becoming a Cav in 2019. However, general manager Koby Altman suggested today that the club isn’t ruling out the possibility of adding another backcourt piece with the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“We’re going to take the best talent,” Altman said. “We like where we are at — No. 5. We’re going to get a really good player.”

Although Altman’s comments suggest another guard is in play, Fedor believes the club is much more likely to take a wing or a big man.

Sources tell Cleveland.com that the Cavs’ top tier consists of LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards, in some order. Assuming those three players are off the board at No. 5, Tyrese Haliburton or Killian Hayes would be the best guard available, and the team is unlikely to view either of those players as definitively better than the backcourt options already on the roster, says Fedor.

Here’s more on the Cavaliers:

  • The Cavs are extremely high on 2019 first-rounder Kevin Porter Jr., according to Fedor, who hears that the former USC wing is at “at the top of Cleveland’s young player hierarchy.” The organization has been so averse to the idea of moving Porter that rival teams won’t even ask about him in trade talks anymore, Fedor adds.
  • Cleveland also remains “all-in” on Collin Sexton, viewing him as one of their leaders and hardest-working players, says Fedor.
  • Altman said on Friday that one of the Cavs’ offseason goals is to improve on defense and that the front office is considering how best to do that. “Whether that be adding personnel there, or internally, schematically, we know we need to look ourselves in the mirror and get better on that end,” Altman said, per Fedor. “… It’s not going to happen all at once. We’re not going to go from (30th) in the league to top five, but we need to see steady growth on that side of the ball. And I think the guys realize that and we need to hold them more accountable and do it that way. But ourselves as a front office, does that mean we need better personnel on that side of the ball or different pieces to help some of our guys? We’re looking at (that).”
  • While Andre Drummond isn’t attending the Cavs’ in-market mini-camp due to a personal matter, the club has stayed in frequent contact with him and isn’t concerned about his absence, according to Fedor. Altman said today that he doesn’t know whether Drummond will pick up his 2020/21 player option, though I’d be shocked if he opts out. A source confirmed to Fedor that Drummond is “highly likely” to exercise that $28.75MM option.
  • In case you missed it, Altman also said today that there’s mutual interest in a new deal between the Cavs and Tristan Thompson.
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Central Notes: Cavs, Warren, Bulls, Pistons

September 2nd, 2020 at 9:26pm CST by Jovan Alford

The Cavaliers are set to return to their practice facility in mid-September to hold a voluntary minicamp. While most players will be there, pending free agents Tristan Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova will not be participating, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Along with Thompson and Dellavedova, Andre Drummond isn’t expected to be in attendance at the Cavaliers’ minicamp due to a personal matter. Fedor says that the veteran center, who is likely to pick up his $28.7MM player option for next season, was initially interested in attending.

The Cavaliers are among eight teams who did not qualify for the NBA’s restart in Orlando that will get the chance to hold practices with their players.

Here’s more from across the Central Division:

  • In an extensive interview with Michael Pina of GQ, Pacers forward T.J. Warren spoke about his love of reading books. “I was thinking, I’ve gotta find a way to stimulate my mind when I’m not playing basketball and reading things that interest me,” Warren explained. “Sometimes you can get mixed up with some of the information you’re getting through social media or television, but if you actually like reading and getting it from the source, you can comprehend it better.” The 26-year-old forward had impressive performances in the bubble, which included a career-high 53 points against the 76ers in the seeding games.
  • Sam Smith of Bulls.com discussed some potential point guard options for the Bulls, who have the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. In his latest mailbag, one reader asked Smith if the Bulls would think about trading down if LaMelo Ball is available at No. 4. In response to that question, Smith points out that new Chicago general manager Arturas Karnisovas has had success with finding gems later in the draft. However, if Smith had his choice, he would trade down for Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton, especially if Memphis’ James Wiseman is off the board.
  • In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com wrote about Sekou Doumbouya‘s possible role next season under head coach Dwane Casey, various draft options for the Pistons, and Derrick Rose‘s outlook. When it comes to October’s draft, Langlois writes that all options are on the table for the Pistons, who own the seventh overall pick. He mentions that they could select either Deni Avdija, Killian Hayes, Isaac Okoro, Onyeka Okongwu, or Haliburton.
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Draft Notes: Ball, Edwards, Madar, Hayes

August 19th, 2020 at 6:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

ESPN’s Mike Schmitz examines the unusual path LaMelo Ball has taken to become a potential No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. Ball first gained notice when he skipped eighth grade so he could play a season in high school with his brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo. Since then, he has grown from 5’11” to 6’7″ and has taken a circuitous route through Lithuania, his father’s basketball league (JBA) and Illawarra in the NBL.

Several NBA general managers and executives told Schmitz they consider Ball to have the most star power in the draft and expect him to be selected in the top two or three. However, questions remain about the quality of competition he has faced and whether LaVar Ball will provide a distraction like he did when Lonzo was with the Lakers.

There’s more draft news ahead of tomorrow’s lottery:

  • This year’s draft class is among the most balanced in recent memory, and many teams would privately prefer to pick second or third to avoid the spotlight that comes with the top choice, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. He previews what’s at stake for all 14 teams involved in tomorrow’s drawing and cites the Warriors as the most intriguing. Woo suggests that if Golden State decides to keep its pick, it may prefer someone with more of a fully developed game, such as Obi Toppin or Tyrese Haliburton, rather than a talented project like Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman or Ball.
  • Edwards remains at the top of the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He states that Edwards, Ball and Wiseman have become a consensus top three, but a shortage of information resulting from the postponement of the draft combine and a ban on in-person interviews continue to make this year’s draft unpredictable. Rounding out Givony’s top five, in order, are Wiseman, Ball, Israeli forward Deni Avdija, and USC big man Onyeka Okongwu.
  • Israeli point guard Yam Madar confirmed his signing with CAA Sports, tweets international basketball writer Donatas Urbonas. Sources tell Urbonas that the 19-year-old has received “strong interest” from NBA teams after a good performance in the Israeli League playoffs. Madar, who projects as a possible late second-round pick, is training in Las Vegas.
  • Shams Charania of The Athletic posted a video chat with French point guard Killian Hayes, a possible lottery selection.
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