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Trail Blazers Notes: Combine, Trent, Hutchison, Walker

May 19th, 2018 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers took an unorthodox approach to the NBA Draft Combine by giving a prominent role to their sports psychologist, writes Jason Quick of NBA Sports Northwest. Dana Sinclair has been working with the team for the past seven years and her role has evolved to coordinating pre-draft intelligence.

Players who met with Sinclair received a checklist with character traits and were asked to pick the ones that described them. Once they completed the list, they were given several follow-up questions.

“It was questions like, ‘What would people describe you as?’’’ said Louisville recruit Brian Bowen, who sat out the season. “And ‘What would you describe yourself as?’ It was interesting. It was her getting to know me personally. I liked it.’’

There’s more to pass on from Portland:

Among the players the team interviewed at the combine was Duke’s Gary Trent Jr., Quick adds in the same story. Trent, who averaged 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds as a freshman with the Blue Devils, would be a second-generation Blazer if he gets drafted by Portland. His father spent three full seasons with the organization at the start of his career. “He always he told me stories of those teams, and the name they had, the Jail Blazers,’’ Trent said. “But he told me funny stories, stories of him, JR [Rider], Rasheed [Wallace].’’
Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison was a late withdrawal from the combine, sparking rumors that he had a promise from a team with a pick in the 20s, but that promise didn’t come from Portland, Quick tweets. Hutchison would be a nice fit with the Blazers, who need to add wing depth, writes Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype.
Shooting guard Lonnie Walker of Miami was among the players who interviewed with Sinclair, but he isn’t planning a workout in Portland, according to Quick (Twitter link). The Trail Blazers hold the 24th pick, and Walker’s agent, Happy Walters, said that falls below the range where he expects Walker to be chosen. Walker was extremely impressive at the combine media session and reminded many observers of Donovan Mitchell‘s performance last year (Twitter link).
Oregon’s Troy Brown expects to work out for the Blazers in the coming weeks, Quick adds (Twitter link).

Combine Notes: Young, Carter, Knox, Walker, Bowen

May 18th, 2018 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trae Young claims the Sixers are interested in him, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Oklahoma freshman point guard was interviewed by Philadelphia at the NBA draft combine. “They are looking for a playmaker all-around,” Young said. “I know they are interested in me. But you never know how things will fall.”

Given the composition of the Sixers’ roster, it’s hard to see how Young would fit in. They have budding superstar Ben Simmons and last year’s No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz along with valuable backup T.J. McConnell to share the ballhandling duties. The Sixers hold the No. 10 and No. 26 picks in the first round and Young is currently ranked No. 6 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, so Philadelphia would likely have to move up to draft him if the interest is genuine.

In other combine developments:

Duke center Wendell Carter Jr. and Kentucky forward Kevin Knox met with the Knicks on Friday, Al Iannazzone of Newsday reports. The Knicks own the No. 9 pick. Carter is ranked No. 7 by Givony while Knox is listed at No. 15.
Carter also interviewed with the Bulls, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets, and the Sixers, according to Pompey. The Bulls have the No. 7 pick.
Miami shooting guard Lonnie Walker met with the Magic, Bulls, Sixers and Knicks, all teams with Top 10 selections, Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype tweets. The Clippers, who hold picks 12 and 13, are also interested in Walker, Kalbrosky adds. Walker is ranked No. 14 by Givony but those meetings could indicate that he’ll go higher in draft day.
The Trail Blazers interviewed forward Brian Bowen, who sat out last season after his controversial recruitment by Louisville, Jason Quick of NBCSNorthwest tweets. Bowen is still mulling whether to attend South Carolina or remain in the draft, Quick adds. Bowen barely cracks Givony’s Top 100 at No. 96.
Top point guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Collin Sexton and Young were interviewed by the Suns, Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic relays. Phoenix has the No. 1 and No. 16 selections. Texas center Mohamed Bamba, Michigan State forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and Carter are some of the other prominent players who met with the Suns.

Blazers’ Neil Olshey Discusses Offseason Approach

May 18th, 2018 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers may adjust their roster-building strategy to some extent during the 2018 offseason, team president of basketball operations Neil Olshey told ESPN (video link via Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com).

As Sean Meagher of The Oregonian transcribes, Olshey explained that the team has focused on retooling its roster around Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum since LaMarcus Aldridge‘s departure in 2015. While the Blazers’ goal in those years was to continue making the postseason and avoid bottoming out, Olshey suggests that it may be time for Portland to aim higher going forward, shifting the focus to success in the playoffs.

“I think this offseason we shift our focus to playoff-caliber guys,” Olshey said. “Guys that hit the right benchmarks or the body of work that can really perform come April knowing the rebuild got done quicker than we thought and it’s time to start thinking of playoff success over whether or not we can or can’t make the playoffs while retooling.”

According to Olshey, he believes in retrospect the Blazers may have been too conservative during the 2017 offseason and at the 2018 deadline, suggesting that there would have been value in exploring moves aimed at increasing the team’s ceiling in the postseason.

“We were probably far too protective of our draft pick and our trade exceptions and the tools we had to continue to build the roster long term, and maybe lost sight of the fact that the first round was going to be more competitive that we expected,” Olshey said.

While the Blazers may look to be less conservative during the 2018 offseason, they’ll also have to be wary of their financial situation. For instance, the club would certainly like to find a good use for its $13MM trade exception that expires in July, but with $110MM+ in guaranteed salary on the books for 2018/19 and Jusuf Nurkic unsigned, the luxury-tax line looms as a potential deterrent.

Combine Notes: Bridges, Sixers, DiVincenzo, Sexton

May 18th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Michigan State wing Miles Bridges, a probable lottery pick, interviewed with the Bulls, Pacers, Kings, Cavaliers, Spurs, Nuggets, and Clippers earlier this week, and was set to meet with the Sixers, Hornets, and Knicks on Friday, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bridges is one of several intriguing prospects the Sixers are meeting with in Chicago this week, according to Pompey, who adds Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr., Michigan State power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., and IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons to that list. Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo was also scheduled to interview with Philadelphia on Friday, Pompey tweets.

Finally, Pompey has details on Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, who has been impressing NBA evaluators at this week’s combine and says he’s received plenty of “positive feedback.” According to Pompey, DiVincenzo has had meetings with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks, and Grizzlies in Chicago.

Here’s more on meetings taking place at the combine:

Creighton guard Khyri Thomas has met – or will meet – with the Trail Blazers, Suns, Bulls, Wizards, Hawks, Celtics, and Lakers at this week’s draft combine, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian. Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News adds the Jazz to that list. Thomas is viewed as a potential first-round pick, ranking 23rd on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.
Miami guard Lonnie Walker, the No. 14 prospect on Givony’s top 100, met with the Knicks and a few other top-10 teams at the combine, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
Landry Shamet (Wichita State), Moritz Wagner (Michigan), and Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke) were among the prospects to interview with the Timberwolves this week, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
Miami swingman Bruce Brown Jr. and Alabama guard Collin Sexton are among the combine participants who have met with the Magic, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). According to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, Sexton also met with the Hornets this week and expects to work out for Charlotte sometime before the draft.
The Grizzlies and Hawks were among the teams to interview Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham this week, writes Eric Woodard of The Deseret News.
South Carolina wing Brian Bowen may not stay in the draft, but he has been busy lately. According to Woodyard, Bowen had pre-draft workouts with the Nets, Celtics, Spurs, and Jazz, and interviewed with the Timberwolves, Raptors, and Kings at the combine.

2018 NBA Draft Picks By Team

May 17th, 2018 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

While the Sixers were knocked out of the 2018 playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the underdog Celtics, few teams are better positioned in this year’s draft than Philadelphia. The 76ers own six of the 60 picks in the 2018 NBA draft, including a pair of first-rounders.

As our full 2018 draft order shows, the Sixers are one of seven NBA teams that holds more than two selections in this year’s draft. On the other end of the spectrum, eight teams have just one pick in 2018, while two teams – the Heat and Raptors – don’t have any selections.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2018 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 picks by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

Philadelphia 76ers (5): 10, 26, 38, 56, 60
Phoenix Suns (4): 1, 16, 31, 59
Atlanta Hawks (4): 3, 19, 30, 34
Dallas Mavericks (3): 5, 33, 54
Orlando Magic (3): 6, 35, 41
Charlotte Hornets (3): 11, 45, 55
Denver Nuggets (3): 14, 43, 58
Los Angeles Lakers (3): 25, 39, 47

Teams with two picks:

Sacramento Kings: 2, 37
Memphis Grizzlies: 4, 32
Chicago Bulls: 7, 22
New York Knicks: 9, 36
Los Angeles Clippers: 12, 13
Washington Wizards: 15, 44
San Antonio Spurs: 18, 49
Minnesota Timberwolves: 20, 48
Utah Jazz: 21, 52
Indiana Pacers: 23, 50
Brooklyn Nets : 29, 40
Oklahoma City Thunder: 53, 57

Teams with fewer than two picks:

Cleveland Cavaliers (1): 8
Milwaukee Bucks (1): 17
Portland Trail Blazers (1): 24
Boston Celtics (1): 27
Golden State Warriors (1): 28
Detroit Pistons (1): 42
Houston Rockets (1): 46
New Orleans Pelicans (1): 51
Miami Heat (0)
Toronto Raptors (0)

Can Portland Afford To Re-Sign Jusuf Nurkic?

May 12th, 2018 at 9:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers should resist the temptation to spend big on free agent center Jusuf Nurkic, writes Dan Favale of Bleacher Report. Portland is already in a dicey cap situation with more than $110MM committed for next season and little relief coming until the summer of 2020.

Favale’s advice is to re-sign free agent Ed Davis, who earned $6.35MM this season and should have a much smaller price tag than Nurkic. He adds that the Blazers can form an effective center combination with Davis and rookie Zach Collins without plunging themselves into luxury tax territory.

C.J. McCollum: Trading Me Or Lillard Is 'Lateral Move'

May 12th, 2018 at 10:57am CST by marksuleymanov

If the Trail Blazers can enter the hypothetical Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, the team should offer C.J. McCollum in trade talks for the Spurs superstar, John Canzano of The Oregonian opines.
During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take this week, McCollum discussed the possibility of either him or teammate Damian Lillard being traded by the Trail Blazers this summer, per Sean Meagher of The Oregonian. “If you trade one of us, it’s lateral movement,” McCollum said.

Spurs Not Fielding Offers For Leonard, Hope To Mend Relationship

May 10th, 2018 at 6:39pm CST by marksuleymanov

Despite a tumultuous regular season, highlighted by a persistent quadriceps injury, the Spurs are brushing off trade interest in Kawhi Leonard and hope to repair the relationship between both sides, Ken Berger of Bleacher Report writes in an in-depth feature.

Leonard appeared in just nine games this season as he dealt with a right quadriceps injury. He was absent from the team during the first round of the postseason, where the Spurs lost to the Warriors in five games. With Leonard set to hit unrestricted free agency after next season, it seems plausible for San Antonio to consider shopping its superstar — after a troublesome season — to get something of value in return.

Berger quotes several executives who believe Leonard wants out of San Antonio and that the Spurs would be smart to deal him now. The team also does not like the idea of its best player seeking outside medical help, which he did for most of the season in an effort to return. However, Berger also points to the last offseason when LaMarcus Aldridge, after a disappointing season, wanted out of San Antonio. Berger reported that Aldridge even reached out to former teammate Damian Lillard about possibly returning to Portland.

Head coach Gregg Popovich took control and mended the situation; Aldridge ended up signing an extension and enjoyed his best season with the Spurs.

“You can never say done because everybody thought that the Aldridge thing was over and that there was no chance to salvage that,” a person with knowledge of the situation said. “Pop went in and smoothed it over. You can’t underestimate the power of the Pop in these situations.”

Leonard, 26, remains an elite player with a third-place Most Valuable Player finish and two Defensive Player of the Year awards on his resume. It’s possible the Spurs change direction but for now, the team wants to repair the rift.

Hawks Narrow Coaching Search To Four Finalists

May 7th, 2018 at 10:44pm CST by Luke Adams

MAY 7, 10:44pm: Pierce’s previously-reported second interview with the Hawks will take place on Tuesday, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets.

MAY 6, 6:39pm: The Hawks have narrowed down their list of head coaching candidates to four finalists, reports Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to Cunningham, Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce, Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts, Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga remain in the running.

Pierce has emerged this weekend as a frontrunner for the position, with a Saturday report indicating he’d get a second interview for the job. Earlier today, we heard that Pierce would meet with Hawks ownership early this week, and could receive a job offer if that meeting goes well.

However, the Hawks are considering three other assistants from around the NBA, including Tibbetts, who has already met with team owner Tony Ressler, according to Cunningham. A source with knowledge of the Hawks’ plans tells Cunningham that Pierce’s own meeting with Ressler hasn’t yet been officially scheduled, adding that it’s premature to view him as a lock for the job over Atlanta’s other finalists.

As Cunningham details, David Fizdale interviewed with the Hawks and met with Ressler as well, but reached an agreement on Thursday to become the Knicks’ new head coach, taking him out of the mix for Atlanta.

Shortly after the Hawks parted ways with Mike Budenholzer, a report indicated that the team was looking to find an up-and-coming coach who could evolve along with Atlanta’s young roster. As such, it’s perhaps no surprise that none of the team’s finalists – Pierce, Tibbetts, Silas, and Larranaga – have held a permanent head coaching job in the past.

Stotts Will Likely Return Next Season

May 1st, 2018 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers would prefer to retain coach Terry Stotts for the final year of his contract, Marc Stein of the New York Times relays in his latest newsletter. The team’s stars are supporters of Stotts, as is a good chunk of Portland’s fan base, Stein continues. There’s a general sense that Stotts has gotten the most out of the rosters he’s been handed, despite getting swept by the Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs.