San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kawhi Leonard Wants Out Of San Antonio

June 15th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Star forward Kawhi Leonard wants the Spurs to trade him, league sources tell Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Multiple outlets have confirmed the news, with Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports writing that Leonard has “grown uncomfortable” in San Antonio and would like a change.

Sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that while it seems clear Leonard wants a change of scenery, he has yet to express anything directly to the Spurs about his future, and the team won’t rush the process.

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), Leonard – a Los Angeles native – has L.A. “at the center” of his preferred landing spots. While the Clippers could offer a compelling trade package and plan to pursue Leonard aggressively, per Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), the Lakers are atop his wish list, Wojnarowski adds.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Ian Begley reports (via Twitter) that people close to Leonard have expressed a desire for the 26-year-old to play in New York, though the Knicks might have trouble putting together a viable trade package without including Kristaps Porzingis. Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports adds the Kings to the list of teams who could kick the tires, tweeting that Sacramento has talked to teams about the No. 2 overall pick and “desperately” wants an established star.

The Sixers have also been cited as an asset-rich team with interest in acquiring Leonard, and the Celtics would fit that bill too. Boston reportedly made an offer for Leonard at the 2018 trade deadline, and Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the C’s still have interest.

Leonard is just a year away from being able to reach unrestricted free agency, so he should be able to assert some leverage in the process depending on how willing – or unwilling – he is to commit long-term to certain teams. However, as we saw last summer with Paul George, who also wanted to join the Lakers, there will likely be clubs willing to roll the dice on a player of Leonard’s caliber without any assurances that he’ll stick around for longer than one year.

Of course, in George’s case, he was coming off a healthy, productive season, which can’t be said for Leonard. As we’ve written throughout the 2017/18 league year, Leonard and the Spurs were at odds this season over the diagnosis and treatment of a troublesome quad issue, with Leonard’s own doctors disagreeing with team doctors about the nature of the injury. That disagreement has been a source of tension between the Spurs and Leonard’s camp. The veteran was also reportedly put off by having his status questioned during a players-only meeting.

There was a belief that the Spurs and Leonard would look to mend fences this offseason, especially since the former first-round pick is eligible for a “super-max” extension that would start at 35% of the cap and would pay him well over $200MM for five seasons. San Antonio is the only team eligible to sign Leonard to such a deal, though there was no guarantee that the club would put that offer on the table. If Leonard is traded, he’d be eligible next summer to sign a five-year contract worth up to 30% – rather than 35% – of the cap.

According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Leonard isn’t worried about the possibility of missing out on the super-max. Haynes adds that there’s a “feeling of betrayal” on Leonard’s side that at this point appears irreparable, as the two-time Defensive Player of the Year feels like the franchise turned on him after he sought a second opinion on his quad.

Per Haynes, Leonard and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich have been in touch in recent days, but have yet to speak in person.

Although a number of teams figure to be in the mix for the former NBA Finals MVP if and when San Antonio begins taking calls, it’s hard not to see the Lakers as an ideal fit, assuming the Spurs aren’t committed to sending him to the Eastern Conference.

Besides being Leonard’s preferred destination, L.A. also has several young players that could intrigue the Spurs in a trade, and has indicated that none are untouchable. The Lakers would still have more than enough cap room to add another star in free agency after taking on Leonard’s $20MM salary for 2018/19. They’re also projected to be so far below the cap that they wouldn’t necessarily need to match salaries in a deal after July 1.

When the Lakers weighed a George trade a year ago, one key question they had to answer was how much they were willing to surrender for a player who might simply head to L.A. as a free agent 12 months later. The franchise figures to face a similar dilemma this offseason as it considers trading for Leonard. If the Lakers are confident they can land another star or two, it may make more sense to go all-in for Leonard than it did with George in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Notes: Bagley, DiVincenzo, Sexton, Brunson, Gabriel, Bates-Diop

June 14th, 2018 at 7:30pm CST by marksuleymanov

Duke University product Marvin Bagley III is expected to sign an endorsement deal with Puma, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The deal is over five years and is expected to be the largest shoe deal signed by a rookie since Kevin Durant inked a seven-year, $60MM deal with Nike, Krawczynski adds.

The deal is historic as Puma has not represented an NBA player in nearly two decades. The last time Puma signed an NBA player was Vince Carter in 1998, per Yahoo! Sports. Bagley is widely expected to one of the top five picks in the draft.

Puma has also expressed interest in Oklahoma point guard Trae Young, another likely top-10 pick, per ESPN’s Nick DePaula.

Check out more draft notes below:

Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo is in Phoenix to interview with the Suns, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. DiVincenzo has already worked out for the Timberwolves, Bulls, Pacers, and several other clubs.
Fellow Villanova guard Jalen Brunson completed a previously-reported workout with the Pacers on Thursday, tweets Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports. Brunson now has scheduled visits with the Spurs and Celtics.
Alabama point guard Collin Sexton, who has been selective with the teams he works out for, is scheduled to meet with the Magic on Saturday, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Possible first-round pick Keita Bates-Diop will work out for the Hawks soon, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Ohio State forward worked out for the Wizards on Thursday.
After working out for the Raptors on Thursday, Wenyen Gabriel has scheduled visits with the Sixers, Pistons, and Hornets on tap, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.
The Hornets will work out six players on Friday, the team announced in a press release. The scheduled participants include Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett, Mississipi’s Markel Crawford, Oregon State’s Drew Eubanks, Nebraska’s Anton Gill, Virginia’s Nigel Johnson, and Wichita State’s Shaquille Morris.

Draft Updates: Porter, Doncic, Bagley, Bamba

June 14th, 2018 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Teams that had planned to attend Michael Porter Jr.‘s workout tomorrow are being told it will be held at another time, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Porter’s representatives canceled the session late Wednesday night without providing an explanation.

The move has led to speculation that Porter’s surgically repaired back may be bothering him, but it’s also possible he has received a guarantee that would make a group workout unnecessary. Porter’s camp may be rethinking his status and devoting time just to teams at the top of the draft, according to Tom Ziller of SB Nation, who adds that they now believe he will be taken in the top four.

There’s “a very real chance” that the Kings will use their No. 2 pick on Porter, Amick adds, but it’s not certain at this point whether last night’s news will impact their decision. The organization may request more medical information and take another look at Porter in action before making a commitment.

There’s more draft-related news this morning:

The Kings, who were among the teams slated to attend Friday’s workout, have been interested in Porter for weeks, according to James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. They have also spent a lot of time looking at Luka Doncic, visiting him twice in the past three weeks, and Marvin Bagley III, who was in town Monday for a workout. Ham, who covers the Kings on a regular basis, moved Porter up to second in his most recent mock draft.
The Hawks, who hold the No. 3 pick, will host Bagley and Texas center Mo Bamba for separate individual workouts today, the team announced in an email.
The Spurs are hoping to schedule a second workout for Villanova’s Omari Spellman, reports Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio views Spellman, who shot 43% from 3-point range in college, as a potential stretch four.
The Sixers plan to bring in Kentucky’s Kevin Knox for a pre-draft workout, possibly by Friday, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Oklahoma State’s Jeff Carroll worked out Monday for the Knicks and has sessions scheduled with the Pistons, Wizards and Bucks, relays Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog (Twitter link).
The Wizards will welcome six players for a workout today, tweets ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. On the schedule are Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop, Seton Hall’s Khadeen Carrington, Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford, UNLV’s Brandon McCoy, Wake Forest’s Doral Moore and Murray State’s Jonathan Stark.
The Raptors will host Rhode Island’s Jared Terrell, New Mexico State’s Zach Lofton, North Carolina’s Theo Pinson, Seton Hall’s Desi Rodriguez, Wyoming’s Hayden Dalton and Kentucky’s Wenyen Gabriel today, the team tweeted.

Five Key Offseason Questions: San Antonio Spurs

June 13th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

For only the fifth time in the last two decades, the Spurs failed to win a playoff series in 2018. Of course, San Antonio did extend its incredible streak of postseason appearances to 21 in a row, and managed to post a 47-35 record despite only having Kawhi Leonard for nine games, so it’s hard to consider the season a failure.

Still, the Spurs have long been considered the NBA’s model franchise, establishing the sort of continuity and stability that other teams strive for, and that mystique was stripped away to some extent in 2017/18. A public fraying of the relationship between the Spurs and Leonard cast a cloud over the second half of the season, and that cloud continues to hover over the club heading into the offseason.

Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:

1. How will the Spurs resolve the Leonard situation?

It’s possible that the apparent rift between the Spurs and Leonard’s camp has been overstated, and a sit-down between the star forward and head coach Gregg Popovich will swiftly heal all wounds. But there has been too much smoke for there not to be at least a little fire in San Antonio, where the Spurs’ medical team and Leonard’s own doctors reportedly disagreed over the diagnosis and treatment of his quadriceps injury.

Leonard will be eligible for a super-max extension worth 35% of the salary cap this offseason, but the Spurs will have to think long and hard about putting that offer on the table. Such a deal would be worth over $40MM annually, so if the team has any reservations about Leonard returning to his All-NBA form in the coming years, it would be a scary investment.

On the other hand, the Spurs probably aren’t eager to put Leonard on the trade block, since doing so would essentially mean admitting to a lack of confidence in the 26-year-old long-term outlook, reducing their leverage. San Antonio’s top personnel executives could still probably find a reasonable return for Leonard, but he’s a top-five player in the NBA when he’s healthy, so the team will hope it doesn’t come to that.

I’d expect the Spurs and Leonard to smooth things out, but we won’t get a real sense of which direction this is going until that meeting between Leonard and Popovich happens. This will be one of the most important NBA storylines to watch in the coming weeks, and July 16 will be a date worth keeping an eye on — that’s when Leonard will become eligible for that super-max extension.

2. Will Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili still be Spurs next season?

While Leonard’s future is the most pressing question for the Spurs in terms of on-court impact, two of the team’s other longtime stars also aren’t locks to be back next season. Parker is headed for unrestricted free agency, while Ginobili is mulling the possibility of retirement.

It’s probably early too say whether both players will return, but I’d lean in that direction. Ginobili continued to provide solid part-time minutes for the Spurs in 2017/28 and seems capable of playing at least one more season. With one year and $2.5MM left on his contract, it would make sense for him to play out that deal, then seriously consider calling it a career next summer.

As for Parker, his future in San Antonio is a little less certain. If he has no desire to go elsewhere, I could see him transitioning into a stage in his career where he starts signing shorter-term deals with the Spurs, adjusting his salary up or down depending on the club’s cap situation, like Dirk Nowitzki has done in Dallas.

However, with Patty Mills on a lucrative long-term deal and Dejounte Murray emerging as the Spurs’ starting point guard, Parker’s role on the roster is less defined than it used to be. He averaged just 19.5 minutes per contest last season, easily the lowest mark of his career. If he returns, it will be at a much lower rate than the $15MM+ salary he earned in ’17/18.

3. How will the player option decisions shake out?

Before the end of June, three Spurs players will have to make option decisions. Danny Green ($10MM), Rudy Gay ($8.83MM), and Joffrey Lauvergne ($1.66MM) will have the opportunity to either play out the final year of their respective contracts or hit unrestricted free agency. None of those decisions are automatic.

Of the three, Green is probably the most likely to opt out. A three-and-D wing who has knocked down 39.5% of his career three-pointers, Green hasn’t put up huge numbers during his time in San Antonio, but he’s the sort of player every team wants on its roster. Green, who will turn 31 next week, may not receive offers worth more than the mid-level, but a three-year, $25MM contract seems very much within reach and might be preferable to one year at $10MM.

Like Green, Gay isn’t a lock to match his option salary on the open market, but could probably comfortably exceed that total on a multiyear deal. Still, he seemed to enjoy his first year in San Antonio, so I wouldn’t be shocked if he opts in and looks to boost his value further in advance of 2019 free agency, when more teams will have cap room available.

As for Lauvergne, he was solid when given the opportunity to play for the Spurs. I think he’s a good bet to pick up his option, but if he wants to try to find a larger role than he received in 2017/18 (9.7 MPG in 55 games), opting out of his minimum-salary deal wouldn’t cost him anything — as long as he can find another guaranteed offer.

4. Will the Spurs re-sign Kyle Anderson?

In recent years, the Spurs have made a habit of building up the value of young contributors, only to watch them sign elsewhere. Aron Baynes, Boban Marjanovic, and Jonathon Simmons are among the players who have parlayed solid showings in San Antonio into lucrative multiyear deals elsewhere.

It’s possible that Anderson will follow in the footsteps of those players. One recent report indicated that approximately seven teams will have interest in the restricted free agent this summer, so if even one puts an aggressive offer sheet on the table, the Spurs may be reluctant to match it.

As long as Leonard’s future in San Antonio remains up in the air though, I’d expect the Spurs to make a stronger effort to retain Anderson than they have with some past RFAs. The 24-year-old was forced into a larger role in Leonard’s absence and held his own, with 7.9 PPG on 52.7% shooting in 74 games (67 starts). He has proven he can be an important rotation player with or without Kawhi in the lineup.

5. How much longer will Popovich want to coach?

This question is either tangentially or directly related to virtually every personnel decision the Spurs make, not to mention the decisions the club’s players will make. Longtime Spurs like Parker and Ginobili may only want to play in San Antonio as long as Popovich is on the sidelines. Similarly, Leonard may be reluctant to re-up with the Spurs on a long-term contract without knowing whether or not Popovich will still be coaching the team in two or three years.

Even after losing James Borrego to the Hornets this spring, the Spurs have a deep and talented staff of assistants, led by Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, and Becky Hammon, all of whom interviewed for head coaching jobs within the last couple months. Those coaches are respected by the players, and if one of them takes over for Popovich a few years down the road, it will probably be a smooth transition.

Nonetheless, Popovich is a future Hall-of-Famer, not to mention the de facto president of basketball operations for the Spurs. When he leaves the franchise, it will represent the end of an era, and that day might not be too far off. Popovich is 69 years old and lost his wife Erin earlier this year — it’s probably just a matter of time until he decides to trade in the NBA grind for more time with his family. One recent report suggested that most people don’t expect him to keep coaching beyond the 2020 Olympics.

Popovich appears set to return for the 2018/19 season, so this isn’t a question the Spurs will necessarily have to answer right away, but it’s one that will loom over the team’s longer-term outlook.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Spurs financially:

Guaranteed Salary

LaMarcus Aldridge ($22,347,015)
Kawhi Leonard ($20,099,189)
Pau Gasol ($16,800,000)
Patty Mills ($11,571,429)
Manu Ginobili ($2,500,000)
Tim Duncan ($1,881,250) — Waived via stretch provision
Derrick White ($1,667,160)
Dejounte Murray ($1,544,951)
Total: $78,410,994

Player Options

Danny Green ($10,000,000): Bird rights
Rudy Gay ($8,826,300): Non-Bird rights
Joffrey Lauvergne ($1,656,092): Non-Bird rights
Total: $20,482,392

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Brandon Paul ($1,378,242)¹
Total: $1,378,242

Restricted Free Agents

Kyle Anderson ($4,749,591 qualifying offer / $6,455,112 cap hold): Bird rights
Davis Bertans ($1,699,698 qualifying offer / $1,699,698 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Bryn Forbes ($1,699,698 qualifying offer / $1,699,698 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total: $9,854,508

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Tony Parker ($23,179,689): Bird rights
No. 18 overall pick ($2,337,014)
Nikola Milutinov ($1,689,080)²
David Lee ($1,499,698)
Total: $28,705,481

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $11,302,947

With so many player options and free agents to consider, the Spurs’ projected cap room could change significantly – or disappear altogether – depending on who returns and who leaves. For our projection, we’ve counted the Spurs’ seven guaranteed contracts, the cap holds for Anderson and the team’s first-round pick, and cap charges for three empty roster spots. The result is a total team salary of $89,697,053.
That projection assumes that Green, Gay, and Lauvergne will all opt out, Paul will be waived, and all non-Anderson free agents – including Parker – will be renounced. That may not be realistic. If a couple of those players are back, the Spurs’ cap room figures to dissipate quickly.

Footnotes:

Paul’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 1.
Milutinov was the Spurs’ 26th overall pick in 2015, meaning his cap hold is equal to the rookie scale amount for this year’s No. 26 pick. That cap hold will be removed when it’s officially determined that Milutinov won’t sign with the Spurs for 2018/19.

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Kawhi Leonard

June 13th, 2018 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The long-anticipated offseason meeting between Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and star forward Kawhi Leonard figures to happen sooner rather than later, writes ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

As Wojnarowski outlines, the two men may actually have a series of conversations as they determine whether “a lasting trust and partnership can be rebuilt.” They’ll also discuss Leonard’s medical care and treatment going forward, his relationships with teammates and the coaching staff, and – of course – a possible contract extension.

While Leonard will be eligible for a super-max extension this offseason, that eligibility wouldn’t necessarily carry over to the 2019 offseason unless he once again earns an All-NBA spot – or wins the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year award – in 2018/19. That’s one reason why those extension talks will be so important, and why the Spurs not putting an offer on the table could theoretically prompt Leonard’s camp to push for a trade.

Here’s more on Leonard:

The Celtics made a trade offer for Leonard prior to the February trade deadline, but the Spurs turned it down and didn’t make a counter-offer, league sources tell Wojnarowski. So far, San Antonio’s unwillingness to discuss trades involving the club’s standout forward has carried over to the offseason.
If the Spurs do become open to making a deal, expect the Lakers and the Sixers to be among the teams expressing interest, says Wojnarowski. The Celtics may be a less likely suitor at this point, given the strides their young core made during the 2017/18 season — and postseason.
Popovich wants to coach Leonard for the rest of his Spurs tenure, but the question of how much longer the veteran coach plans to stick around could be a factor in Kawhi’s decision on a long-term extension. According to Wojnarowski, few in Popovich’s “orbit” expect him to continue coaching the Spurs beyond the 2020 Summer Olympics.
In a separate report for ESPN.com, Wojnarowski and Michael C. Wright provide details on a story related to Leonard, writing that his former agent – Brian Elfus – is suing Impact Sports for allegedly withholding commissions on multiple contracts, including Leonard’s current deal. Elfus claims he’s owed up to $5MM in damages.

Draft Workouts: Brown, Lakers, Grizzlies, Alkins

June 11th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Oregon shooting guard Troy Brown worked out for the Spurs on Sunday, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. The Spurs hold the No. 18 pick and Brown is ranked No. 19 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Brown then worked out for the Wizards Monday and is headed to Milwaukee for an evaluation by the Bucks, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Washington owns the No. 15 selection with the Bucks at No. 17.

We have plenty of other workouts to pass along:

The Lakers will work out Abdul-Malik Abu (North Carolina State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Kameron Chatman (Detroit), Manu Lecomte (Baylor), Marcus Lee (Cal) and Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure) on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets. Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado will get a second look from the Lakers on Tuesday, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets.
The Grizzlies will bring in six second-round prospects on Tuesday, according to a team press release. That group includes A.J. Davis (UCF), Wenyen Gabriel (Kentucky), Brandon Goodwin (Florida Gulf Coast), Devonte’ Graham (Kansas), Terry Larrier (Connecticut) and Ray Spalding (Louisville). Memphis held a workout with projected lottery pick Wendell Carter Jr. on Monday, Chris Herrington tweets. Carter is ranked No. 6 by Givony; the Grizzlies have the No. 4 pick.
Arizona guard Rawle Alkins will be evaluated by the Warriors on Tuesday, according to another Zagoria tweet.
Swingman Todd Withers (Queens) has worked out for the Thunder, Nets and Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Zhaire Smith will work out for the Sixers and Suns after visiting the Wizards on Monday, Chase Hughes of NBCSWashington tweets. The Texas Tech forward is ranked No. 16 overall by Givony.

Spurs Expected To Give Kyle Anderson Qualifying Offer

June 11th, 2018 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Spurs are expected to extend a qualifying offer to forward Kyle Anderson, which would make him a restricted free agent, Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News reports. The qualifying offer is worth approximately $4.75MM.

San Antonio will probably have to pay significantly more to retain Anderson. As many as seven teams are expected to pursue Anderson’s services, according to Young, even though the Spurs can match any offer if they make the qualifying offer by the June 29th deadline.

The 6’9” Anderson saw a dramatic increase in his playing time during his fourth season, in part due to Kawhi Leonard‘s quad injury that kept him out for all but nine games. Anderson appeared in 74 regular-season games, including 67 starts, and averaged career highs in points (7.9), rebounds (5.4) and assists (2.7) in 26.7 MPG.

Anderson would be even more valuable to the Spurs if they can’t resolve their differences with Leonard. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Leonard are expected to meet as early as this week to determine Leonard’s future with the franchise, Young notes.

Spurs To Work Out Dzanan Musa

June 11th, 2018 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Bosnian wing Dzanan Musa, a potential first-round pick who will be keeping his name in the 2018 NBA draft, has workouts on tap with the Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Spurs, and Jazz, tweets Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports.

Raptors Down To Two Coaching Finalists?

June 10th, 2018 at 10:34am CST by Arthur Hill

Spurs assistant Ettore Messina had a second interview this week for the Raptors‘ head coaching vacancy and is believed to be a finalist for the job along with Toronto assistant Nick Nurse, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports.

Messina was a highly regarded coach in Europe before joining Gregg Popovich’s staff in 2014. He won four EuroLeague championships, along with multiple titles in Italy and Russia. He took over the Spur’s head coaching duties when Popovich’s wife died during the playoffs.

Messina also interviewed for head coaching positions this spring with the Hornets and Bucks.

Nurse, an assistant with the Raptors since 2013, also has extensive overseas experience. He spent 12 years there, mostly in Great Britain, and was twice named British Basketball League Coach of the Year. He is credited with helping the Raptors overhaul their offensive approach before the start of this season.

The Raptors have been searching for a head coach since deciding to fire Dwane Casey on May 11.

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.