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Draft Notes: Zion, Norvell, Ponds, Tinkle

May 9th, 2019 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s a ton at stake this offseason for many of the teams involved in next week’s draft lottery, but there’s plenty at stake for consensus top prospect Zion Williamson as well. As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, Kevin Pelton, and Bobby Marks outline in an Insider-only article, not every team that has a shot at Williamson would be an ideal fit for him.

In the view of ESPN’s insiders, the Hawks, Mavericks, and Pelicans would be the most preferable landing spots for Williamson. The opportunity to play with up-and-coming play-makers – Trae Young in Atlanta, or Luka Doncic in Dallas – would help unlock Williamson’s potential.

On the other hand, ESPN’s panel doesn’t consider the Lakers, Bulls, and Sixers great fits for Williamson. Spacing is the primary concern for the Lakers and Sixers, and it’s unclear how a pairing with Joel Embiid would work. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine‘s ball dominance and Jim Boylen‘s “outdated” offense are viewed as red flags.

Here are several more draft-related notes:

Gonzaga sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. told reporters today that he intends to keep his name in the 2019 NBA draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Norvell was one of 66 prospects announced on Wednesday as a 2019 draft combine participant.
St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds, another one of those 66, has workouts lined up with the Warriors, Bulls, Kings, Jazz, Celtics, and Mavericks, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Ponds is ranked as the No. 51 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
After working out for Utah and Philadelphia, Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle has auditions this week with the Raptors, Celtics, and Hornets, and will work out for the Hawks next week, writes Nick Daschel of The Oregonian.
After turning in an impressive performance at the Portsmouth Invitational, forward Jarrell Brantley (Charleston) has workouts lined up with 10 teams, including the Celtics, Nets, Timberwolves, Hornets, and Clippers, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

Kyler: Raptors Optimistic About Re-Signing Kawhi

May 8th, 2019 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Echoing what we heard from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this week, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes that the Raptors are optimistic about having a legit shot to re-sign Kawhi Leonard.

While they’ll face competition from the Clippers – and likely a handful of other teams – the Raptors feel as if they’ve done all they can to gain Leonard’s trust and to make sure he understands what the future could look like if he returns, according to Kyler. That doesn’t mean Leonard won’t take meetings with other teams, or that he’s a lock to re-sign, but Toronto is at least viewed as one of the two frontrunners for the star forward, along with the Clips.

Marc Gasol Undecided On Future With Raptors

May 7th, 2019 at 5:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

New addition Marc Gasol is fitting in with the Raptors, though this could be his only season with the club. The 34-year-old has a player option on his deal worth approximately $25.6MM for the 2019/20 campaign and he has yet to make a decision on his future.

“We’ll see when we get there,” Gasol said (via Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report). “It would be pointless for me to say anything now. Not because I’m hiding anything, but I would be lying, it’s just impossible to know. We’ll have to see what makes sense for everyone. You can’t weigh things on a scale before you have everything to weigh. I much rather focus on the present and make the most of it.”

The center didn’t ask for his trade to the Raptors but the team has grown on him.

“It’s really well-run,” Gasol said. “All first class.”

Gasol still misses Memphis, the place where he began his NBA career as a second-round prospect. The Grizzlies weren’t in a position to compete at a championship level when they dealt his brother, Pau, to the Lakers and acquired him in exchange for a package that originally brought the younger Gasol to Memphis. They likely won’t sniff contention in the near future, which was part of the reason they made the decision to send Gasol north at this year’s trade deadline.

According to Weitzman, Gasol and Mike Conley assured Grizzlies owner Robert Pera that they could turn around the franchise’s fortunes with some help. However, the team was on the verge of missing the playoffs for the second straight season and Pera could clearly see the writing on the wall. A few weeks later—just hours before the trade deadline—Pera called Gasol to tell him that the Grizzlies and Raptors had completed a deal.

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri also spoke with Gasol on February 7. The executive told Gasol that Toronto was “going for it” – in reference to a title – and he believed Gasol could help.

Toronto’s path to a championship has never been clearer. LeBron James is no longer in their way. Kawhi Leonard, who is reportedly warming up to the idea of staying in Toronto, is arguably having the best postseason for any player in franchise history.

Gasol’s arrival gave the Raptors something they were missing. Among other things, it gave them a big man who could battle in the post with the likes of Sixers star Joel Embiid. “[Gasol has] changed who we are,” coach Nick Nurse said. Gasol recognizes the impact that he can make without being the core of the offense.

“We’re not talking about something negative here,” Gasol said of being traded. “As you get older, you understand that this is a game, that we’re fortunate to have a great life. It’s just something impactful.”

Raptors Making Progress In Kawhi Sweepstakes?

May 6th, 2019 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have made “pretty good progress”in their efforts to retain Kawhi Leonard, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said on his podcast. (Hat tip to RealGM)

While the Clippers have long been considered the frontrunners when Leonard hits free agency this summer, the Raptors’ gamble by trading for Leonard last offseason might pay long-term dividends. Toronto’s success in the playoffs thus far and the bonds Leonard has formed with the team has improved the Raptors’ chances of re-signing Leonard.

“They put themselves in it,” Wojnarowski said. “And when Kawhi showed up there, I’m not sure he imagined any future in Toronto. I do think it’s a serious consideration now.”

The season-long courtship has been facilitated by the emergence of young forward Pascal Siakam and Leonard’s good relationship with point guard Kyle Lowry. However, the Raptors’ main selling point is their ability to win with the group they have. The Raptors tied their conference semifinal series with Philadelphia 2-2 behind Leonard’s 39-point eruption on Sunday.

“Toronto is selling winning on him,” Wojnarowski said. “They can’t sell geography to him, I don’t think. I don’t think they can’t sell weather on him. There’s nothing they can do about that. When you have that kind of organization, you sell winning and again, the chance to make the most money.”

Leonard gave up an opportunity for a super max deal in the vicinity of $219MM when he asked out of San Antonio and was granted his wish. He can sign a five-year deal with Toronto for approximately $189MM or head elsewhere on a four-year, $141MM contract.

Draft Workouts: Raptors, Lamb, Sixers, Hawks

May 6th, 2019 at 10:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors will bring in six players in their first pre-draft workout on Tuesday, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. They’ll take a look at center/power forward Josh Sharma (Stanford) and Tanor Ngom (Ryerson in Canada), forward Tres Tinkle (Oregon State), swingmen Jordan Davis (Northern Colorado) and DaQuan Jeffries (Tulsa) and point guard Daishon Smith (Louisiana-Monroe).

We have more draft info:

Vermont junior forward Anthony Lamb (Vermont) will work out for the Cavaliers and Celtics this week, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. Lamb previously worked out for the Hawks. Lamb averaged 21.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG in his junior season.
The Sixers held their first pre-draft workout on Monday, Lauren Rosen of the team’s website reports. Forwards Oshae Brissett (Syracuse), CJ Elleby (Washington State) and Tinkle, and guards Justin Wright-Foreman (Hofstra), Ronshad Shabazz (Appalachian State) and Andrew Nembhard (Florida) were the participants.
The Hawks will bring in four guards among six players they’ll workout on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets. The backcourt group includes Allen-Shabazz, Aubrey Dawkins (Central Florida), Marial Shayok (Iowa State) and Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State). Forward Mamadi Diakite (Virginia) and center Trey Porter (Nevada) will also pay the Hawks a visit.

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Siakam, Embiid, Smart

May 6th, 2019 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors were never close to a trade that would have shipped Kyle Lowry out of Toronto at this year’s deadline, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Lowry’s name was mentioned in discussions with the Grizzlies that might have brought Mike Conley in return. The Raptors wound up dealing for Marc Gasol, but chose to hang on to their point guard.

Charania’s report is part of a story that focuses on a February meeting between Lowry and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri to clear the air about their relationship. Lowry made no effort to hide his disappointment after his long-time friend DeMar DeRozan was sent to San Antonio last summer in the deal that brought Kawhi Leonard to Toronto.

“You dwell on things that you don’t need to dwell on, and it makes things worse,” Lowry said. “You have a conversation, you figure things out, you talk about it, and you move on. Shake your hands, and you go about your business. It worked out for the both of us, worked out for everybody.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam plans to be ready for Game 5 after playing 28 minutes yesterday, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. Siakam, who was a game-time decision, has been dealing with a right calf contusion and said it was very sore in pre-game warmups. He added it may have affected his lateral movement, but he will continue to monitor and treat the injury and is confident he will available Tuesday night.
Sixers center Joel Embiid was up all of Saturday night with an illness and had to get an IV at 6 a.m. before yesterday’s game, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Embiid managed just 11 points after a 33-point effort in Game 3. “I got a text from him at 6:20 a.m. this morning telling me he didn’t really sleep all night, he really never felt this poorly and, ‘I wasn’t sure, Coach, if I’m going to play.’ That’s how my day started,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News examines how the possible return of injured Celtics guard Marcus Smart and Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon could affect their playoff series.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, Leonard, Small Lineup, Nurse

May 5th, 2019 at 10:15am CST by Arthur Hill

Kyle Lowry is facing a critical point not only in the Raptors‘ current playoff series, but maybe in his future in Toronto, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. A loss in the conference semifinals would likely lead to major changes for the organization, which could include moving on from Lowry, who will make $33.5MM next season in the final year of his contract.

The Raptors need more offense from Lowry, who made just two shots from the field and finished with seven points in a Game 3 loss. With Pascal Siakam listed as doubtful for today because of a calf contusion, Toronto will need someone to provide extra scoring punch.

“I passed up a lot of shots (in Game 3), and (I need to focus on) not anything but trying to make the next play, and the right play is me shooting sometimes,” Lowry said. “And overthinking that is trying to get everybody involved or get an easier shot or get someone else going. It’s kind of been one of the things where I shouldn’t have done (that) as much. But I’ve done it, but next game, and for the games going on, I’ve got to be a little bit more assertive.”

There’s more this morning from Toronto:

Toronto may be at a crossroads regarding its future, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. A loss today would put the Raptors in a 3-1 hole, making it unlikely that they’ll win the series, which in turn makes it harder to imagine that Kawhi Leonard will stay in Toronto, Ziller notes. Leonard is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and is rumored to want to play in Los Angeles. Siakam looks like a future star, but if Leonard leaves, the Raptors will be left with an aging core of Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
The Raptors may move away from their smaller lineups after being dominated inside in Game 3, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. That means the trio of Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell may not take the floor together in today’s game, which could result in more minutes for Leonard and Patrick McCaw. “Obviously you look at — jeez, they just look bigger, and the size problem, and with Kyle-Fred-Norm out there we get a little small, right?” coach Nick Nurse said. “But there’s some things we can do with the rotations. We’ll take a look at that, but we can get bigger out there.”
Max Whittle of Sky Sports examines Nurse’s journey from the British Basketball League to the NBA playoffs.

Raptors’ Pascal Siakam Doubtful For Game 4

May 4th, 2019 at 12:30pm CST by clarkcrum

In what some are describing as a karmic turn of events, Raptors’ forward Pascal Siakam, the team’s second-best player throughout this postseason, suffered a right calf contusion in Toronto’s Game 3 loss to the 76ers and is subsequently being listed as doubtful for Sunday’s Game 4, reports Adrian Wojnarowki of ESPN (h/t to Hoops Rumors’ own JD Shaw).

Siakam maintains that he is unaware of when the injury occurred, but as Tim Bontemps of ESPN and others have noticed, Siakam appears to have used his right calf to trip Sixers’ big man Joel Embiid during the fourth quarter of Toronto’s loss on Thursday night. A closer look at the video appears to show Embiid’s left knee colliding with Siakam’s calf, and Siakam did not return to the game after the collision.

A top-candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, Siakam is averaging 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game this postseason. Should he miss tomorrow afternoon’s game, Toronto will look for both Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol to step up their games in his absence to help Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the team even up the series with Philadelphia at 2-2.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Eastern Conference

May 3rd, 2019 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. With the playoffs in full swing, we turn our attention to the Eastern Conference:

Marcus Morris, Celtics, 29, SF/PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $20MM deal in 2015
Unlike his brother Markieff, who played sparingly for the Thunder during their annual first-round flame-out, Marcus remains a valued member of Boston’s rotation. Other than a goose egg in Game 2 against Indiana, Morris has delivered steady production. He’s shooting 49.1% overall and 40.7% from distance while ranking second on the team in rebounds (6.7). He posted a +11.1 net rating on NBA.com’s postseason advanced stats entering Game 3 against Milwaukee. He had 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks on Friday. Morris’ toughness and ability to play both forward positions will make him attractive in the free agent market.

Jimmy Butler, Sixers, 29, SF (Up) — Signed to a five-year, $92.3MM deal in 2017
Butler hurt his reputation by whining his way out of Minnesota. After forcing the Timberwolves’ hand, he got a chance to chase at least a conference title in Philadelphia. Following some ho-hum performances against Brooklyn, Butler has performed like a max-level player against Toronto the last two games. He’s averaged 26.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.0 APG and 2.0 SPG in those victories. You can put up with his abrasive style when he produces like that. He remains firmly entrenched as the third-best free agent wing — and perhaps overall player — behind Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

Sterling Brown, Bucks, 24, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3.8MM deal in 2017
Brown’s contract for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster at the beginning of July, when free agency begins. That in itself seems to be a near guarantee. With Malcolm Brogdon sidelined, Brown has received rotation minutes for much of the postseason. His most noteworthy performance came in the series clincher against Detroit when posted nine points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Brown also plays with a little bit of an edge and can get under opponents’ skin. Brown sat in Game 3 of the series with Boston but he’s already done enough to stay on the roster, especially with Brogdon a restricted free agent and Khris Middleton unrestricted.

Danny Green, Raptors, 31, SG (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $40MM deal in 2015
Green’s contributions to the scoring column are predicated on knocking down threes. A whopping 69% of his field-goal attempts during the regular season came from beyond the arc and he made a career-high 45.5%. It’s been a lot rougher in the postseason. He shot 31.8% from deep in the Orlando series and has made 30.6% in the first three games against Philadelphia. Green should still find a starting job this summer, whether he re-signs with Toronto or a team seeking veteran help. But his lack of versatility will limit the size of those offers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Simmons Assesses Fine, Foul For Striking Lowry

May 3rd, 2019 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers guard Ben Simmons has been assessed a Flagrant One foul and fined $20K for striking Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry in the groin on Thursday, according to a tweet from the league’s PR department. The incident occurred during the second quarter of Game 3, which Philadelphia won 116-95. Simmons, who had 10 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in the game, was whistled for three common fouls.