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Draft Notes: Wiseman, Mannion, Stewart, Bulls

November 16th, 2020 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Wiseman has only formally worked out for the Warriors, who hold the No. 2 pick, and the Hornets, who sit at No. 3, he said today in a conference call, per Austin Kent of SlamOnline.com. Wiseman has had little to no contact with the Timberwolves, but said he’d be OK if Minnesota takes him, ESPN’s Nick Friedell relays. “Whatever team that picks me, I’m going to go in there, learn as much as possible, work my tail off, and just want to win,” he said.

We have more news on the draft:

  • The Raptors and Jazz have worked Arizona freshman guard Nico Mannion, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. As previously reported, Mannion also visited with the Lakers. Mannion, who averaged 14.0 PPG and 5.3 APG as a freshman last season, is ranked No. 25 on ESPN’s Best Available list. The Jazz hold the No. 23 overall selection, while the Raptors have the No. 29 pick in the opening round.
  • University of Washington center Isaiah Stewart is ranked No. 27 by ESPN and his college coach believes his former player is being overlooked, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. “I think he’s the best big man in the draft. … Every head to head matchup, it wasn’t even close,” Mike Hopkins said. “Go watch the film. It doesn’t lie.”
  • With the Bulls allowing Kris Dunn to enter unrestricted free agency, it’s even more likely they’ll target a play-maker in the draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets. Chicago holds the No. 4 pick. The Bulls have also been exploring a trade for an experienced point guard, O’Connor adds.
  • Josh Green worked out for the Jazz, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News reports. He previously visited the Nuggets. The Arizona shooting guard is rated No. 21 by ESPN.
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Examining Five Prospects Jazz Could Consider Drafting

November 15th, 2020 at 9:01pm CST by JD Shaw
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Southwest Notes: Holiday, Brewer, Spurs, Guthrie

November 15th, 2020 at 7:16pm CST by JD Shaw

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday has continued to register league-wide interest, with several teams looking to acquire a top-10 draft pick in hopes of flipping it in a deal for the 30-year-old, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).

Several rival executives have mentioned the Nuggets as a strong threat to acquire Holiday, Mannix adds. Denver has a unique combination of veterans and young talent that could be used in a potential deal, with Holiday holding a $27.1MM player option in his contract after next season.

Holiday, an 11-year NBA veteran, is known for being one of the league’s most accomplished defenders. In addition to his impressive defensive play, he averaged 19.1 points, 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds last season, shooting a respectable 45.5% from the floor.

Here are some other notes from the Southwest Division:

  • Veteran forward Corey Brewer is joining the Pelicans in a player development role, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 (Twitter link). Assuming this is it for Brewer’s playing career, the 34-year-old spent 13 seasons with eight different teams, most recently with the Kings. Brewer held career-averages of 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 22.9 minutes per game, appearing in a total of 819 contests.
  • A potential shake-up would make sense for the Spurs, a team that last won an NBA championship during the 2013/14 season, Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News writes. The Spurs have fielded interest for both DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge in recent weeks after finishing with a 32-39 record last season.
  • The Mavericks have hired Jazz assistant Zach Guthrie as part of Rick Carlisle‘s staff, replacing Stephen Silas, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Silas recently left Dallas to accept a head coaching position with the Rockets, the first of his professional career. Guthrie had been an assistant with the Jazz since 2015, previously serving as an assistant video coordinator with the Spurs and advanced scouting manager with the Magic.
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And-Ones: G League, Mitchell, Magnay, GM Moves, Jones

November 15th, 2020 at 3:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The G League plans to have its elite Ignite team, which includes top 2021 draft prospects Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Isaiah Todd, face G League alumni in closed-door scrimmages in Walnut Creek, California this week, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. They will also hold two streamed scrimmages next month, Charania adds. The Ignite team, which is based in Walnut Creek, was formed as a part of the league’s development program for top prospects.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Donovan Mitchell, Lonzo Ball and John Collins are some of the high-profile rookie scale extension candidates who might not be worth a full max, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Hollinger anticipates Mitchell will get a max extension but the Jazz might be wise to go four years rather than five. Hollinger takes a closer look at the value of all extension-eligible candidates from the class of 2017.
  • Australian big man Will Magnay is drawing interest from NBA clubs, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets. His current club, the Brisbane Bullets, is preparing to play without him this season, Uluc adds. Magnay, 22, was named the NBL’s Most Improved Player last season.
  • What are the best and worst moves that top NBA executives have made with their current teams? ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a closer look at all the GMs who haven’t been recently hired by their current organizations.
  • Former NBA player Jalen Jones may have suffered a torn Achilles playing in Italy, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Jones was playing his first game this season for Pallacanestro Varese. The prognosis was first reported by La Prealpina. He last appeared in the NBA during the 2018/19 season during a 16-game stint with Cleveland.
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Mike Conley Opting In With Jazz For 2020/21

November 12th, 2020 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Jazz point guard Mike Conley won’t exercise the early termination option on his contract for the 2020/21 season, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Unlike a standard player option, an early termination option must be exercised in order for the player to reach free agency immediately — as its name suggests, it ends the contract early. By waiving that ETO, Conley is essentially opting into the final year of his contract in ’20/21. He’ll earn a $34.5MM salary next season before becoming a free agent in 2021.

Conley’s decision doesn’t come as a surprise. Following a somewhat up-and-down first year in Utah in 2019/20, the 33-year-old was unlikely to come anywhere close to matching his $34.5MM salary if he had opted for free agency and signed a new deal — especially with the NBA’s salary cap remaining flat at $109MM.

After 12 seasons with the Grizzlies, Conley was sent from Memphis to Utah last summer. He averaged 14.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.2 RPG with a .409/.375/.827 shooting line in 47 games (29.0 MPG) for the Jazz. The veteran guard got more consistent and found his footing as the season went on, recording 19.8 PPG and 5.2 APG on .484/.529/.864 shooting in five postseason contests.

With Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert all locked up for next season and Bojan Bogdanovic expected to be back following wrist surgery, the Jazz will be looking to make a deeper playoff run in 2021. The team is expected to focus on bolstering its wing defense this offseason, as well as possibly extending both Mitchell and Gobert.

Accounting for Conley’s substantial cap hit, Utah is now an over-the-cap team, with approximately $112MM in guaranteed money committed to eight players. Even after adding the cap hold for their first-round pick and multiple non-guaranteed salaries to that figure, the Jazz should have the flexibility to use their full mid-level exception and/or re-sign Jordan Clarkson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Draft Updates: Ball, Nesmith, Green, Nnaji, Hornets, More

November 11th, 2020 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

With one week to go until the 2020 NBA draft, we’re continuing to get conflicting information on LaMelo Ball‘s outlook. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said that most front office are operating under the assumption that Ball will be the No. 1 pick. Today, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes that league sources have begun speculating that the Timberwolves have decided to draft Ball, assuming they keep the top selection.

However, there’s still plenty of chatter pointing in another direction. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said this week during an appearance on The Jump (video link) that many of the executives he has spoken to think Ball could slide a little on draft night. Jeremy Woo of SI.com has heard similar whispers, writing that there’s an increasing belief that Ball could fall into the 4-6 range of the draft.

As we wait to see which reports pan out, here are several more draft-related updates:

  • Vanderbilt sharpshooter Aaron Nesmith told reporters today that he has worked out for the Pelicans, Suns, Spurs, Heat, and Pistons so far, and has a workout lined up with the Celtics (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). Nesmith is considered likely to be drafted in the back half of the lottery.
  • Arizona guard Josh Green has worked out for the Nuggets, while his college teammate Zeke Nnaji has had workouts for the Nuggets, Clippers, and Jazz, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Green’s workout with Utah and Nnaji’s workout with Miami – both mentioned by Rankin – were previously reported.
  • Count K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) among those hearing more and more talk around the NBA linking the Hornets to Onyeka Okongwu. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer previously reported that Charlotte is eyeing Okongwu, but ESPN said the team hasn’t seriously considered picking any prospects outside the top tier of Ball, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards.
  • ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, and Kevin Pelton share their mock draft detailing which player each team in the first round should pick.
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And-Ones: Social Justice Board, Boatright, Jazz, Moore

November 9th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns are the players chosen to serve on the league’s Social Justice Coalition Board, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).

The NBA and NBPA agreed to create the group to advance equality and social justice after teams walked out of games in late August to protest a police shooting. Commissioner Adam Silver, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, as well as owners Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Randadive and coaches Lloyd Pierce and Doc Rivers.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Ryan Boatright has signed with Lithuanian club team BC Rytas Vilnius, the team tweets. Boatright, 28, played in Europe last season after spending time in the G League during the 2018/19 season. The former University of Connecticut guard also played in Italy, China and Turkey.
  • The sale price of the Jazz bodes well for the league’s franchise valuations, Bill Shea of The Athletic notes. The team, along with an arena and a couple of minor-league teams, were sold to Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith for $1.66 billion, and the league’s owners are expected to approve the sale. The valuation falls in line with expectations and doesn’t reflect any pandemic discount, Shea continues. It also reinforces the notion that team values keep going up.
  • Former Pacers forward Ben Moore has signed with South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s NBL, according to the team. Moore is expected to join the club for preseason training next month. Moore, who also spent time in the Spurs organization, logged two games with Indiana during the 2017/18 season.
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Western Notes: Silas, Clippers, Caruso, Jazz

November 8th, 2020 at 7:00pm CST by JD Shaw

New Rockets coach Stephen Silas applauded the team’s diverse approach in hiring a new head coach and general manager this offseason, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.

Silas is one of seven black head coaches in the NBA, joining Doc Rivers, Tyronn Lue, Lloyd Pierce, J.B. Bickerstaff, Monty Williams and Dwane Casey. Rafael Stone is one of 11 black general managers or heads of basketball operations, including the first black GM in Rockets franchise history (53 years).

“It’s gratifying to be in this situation with Rafael and the organization,” Silas said. “The organization, it starts with [owner] Tilman [Fertitta]. For Tilman to, I wouldn’t say think outside the box, but to have that commitment to the best man for the job is great. That’s how it needs to be around the league as a whole.

“We don’t want to have a leg up. We just want to be on an even playing field. In this organization, that’s what it is.”

There’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:

  • Jovan Buha of The Athletic examines a number of topics related to the Clippers in his latest mailbag, including the team’s upcoming free agency and various trade options. Los Angeles disappointed its fanbase by losing a seven-game series to the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs this year, failing to reach the conference finals despite having stars such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
  • Lakers swingman Alex Caruso considered playing in Europe after going undrafted in 2016, he said on the JJ Redick Podcast (as relayed by Sportando). Caruso would wind up joining the Sixers for summer league, later playing for the Oklahoma City Blue — G League affiliate of the Thunder. He played an integral role in helping the Lakers win their first championship since 2010 last month.
  • Sarah Todd of The Deseret News explores what the Jazz are looking for this offseason. Utah played without Bojan Bogdanovic during the Orlando restart, losing 4-3 to the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. “Going from good to great is hard,” general manager Justin Zanik admitted at the time, as relayed by Todd.
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