LaMelo Ball had private workout in front of head coaches and executives for the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons on Thursday in Southern California, sources told ESPN.
Those three teams own the Nos. 2, 3 and 7 picks, respectively, in next week’s NBA draft.
It was the second private workout Ball granted. On Wednesday, he conducted shooting, ballhandling and conditioning drills for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who own the top pick in the draft.
Fonte: ESPN.
The Boston Celtics are trying to put together the necessary assets in order to trade for Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.
The Celtics have three first-round picks in next week’s NBA Draft and, according to O’Connor, they’re trying to move up into the lottery to reroute that pick to the Pelicans.
Fonte: The Ringer.
Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. will bypass free-agency next week by not exercising the early termination option, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Conley will earn $34.5 million for the 2020-21 season, then he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in 2021.
Fonte: Chris Haynes.
Tampa Bay will be Toronto Raptors’ home if they can’t play in Canada due to coronavirus pandemic.
Per Sportsnet.ca, The Raptors’ preference is clear: “If we can get it done in Toronto, we’d do it tomorrow,” said one team executive.
But getting it done is outside their control, requiring sign off from three levels of government.
In the meantime, the Tampa Bay area has emerged from several potential destinations as the most likely temporary home for Canada’s only NBA team should it come to that, according to both Raptors and NBA sources.
Fonte: Sportsnet.ca.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to pick James Wiseman with the second pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
But the franchise is also listening to offers for the 2nd pick.
Three teams are interested according to ESPN: Bulls, Pistons and Knicks.
The Charlotte Hornets are interested in Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook wants to leave the Houston Rockets and the Hornets are expected to be one of the suitors of the former NBA MVP.
The Hornets have emerged as a potential suitor for Rockets All-Star Russell Westbrook, sources tell our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/8hineXP3AN
— Stadium (@Stadium) November 12, 2020
Russell Westbrook wants to leave the Houston Rockets after only one season.
The former MVP doesn’t like the direction the franchise is heading and will try to leave Houston.
James Harden doesn’t have the same idea as Westbrook and, for the moment, remains committed to the Rockets and is “locked in” for the season.
Rockets’ Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 12, 2020
Houston's James Harden remains committed to the Rockets and is "locked in" for the season, sources tell @KellyIkoNBA and me.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 12, 2020
The Brooklyn Nets announced the hiring of another assistant coach.
Royal Ivey will join Steve Nash on Nets’ bench.
OFFICIAL: We've added Royal Ivey as an assistant coach on head coach Steve Nash's staff. pic.twitter.com/eBIFpKivvU
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 11, 2020
Tim Duncan will not return as assistant coach of Gregg Popovich.
Duncan has been assistant coach of the Spurs for one season.
San Antonio’s internal belief was always a one-year stint on the bench for Duncan, who is expected to return to his previous post-retirement role in which he made frequent appearances at the team’s practice facility to provide various Spurs with player development assistance.
The Spurs' Tim Duncan is stepping away from full-time coaching after spending last season on the bench on Gregg Popovich's staff, @NYTSports has learned
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 11, 2020
The Atlanta Hawks have emerged as a potential trade destination for New Orleans Pelicans’ guard Jrue Holiday in multi-team trade scenarios that would involve Atlanta’s No. 6 pick in next week’s draft, league sources tells Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Stein also added that the Pelicans guard is widely expected to decline his $27 million option for 2021-22 and become a free agent after this season.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are promoting assistant Mark Daigneault to become the franchise’s next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Thunder were the lone NBA team remaining without a head coach.
Daigneault comes off a season in which he served as Billy Donovan’s assistant with the Thunder. It was his first full NBA experience, after a five-year run as coach of the G-League Thunder franchise, the Oklahoma Blue, which Daigneault led to three division titles. The 35-year-old coach also worked as Billy Donovan assistant at the Florida Gators from 2010 to 2014.
Fonte: Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Timberwolves are attempting to acquire a second lottery pick, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Minnesota is already in possession of the first overall pick.
They have had talks with the Atlanta Hawks for the 6th pick, with a possible deal including guard Jarrett Culver and the 17th pick. The New Orleans Pelicans and the Boston Celtics are said to be interested as well in Atlanta’s 6th pick, O’Connor reports.
Fonte: Kevin O'Connor.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Houston Rockets could be open to trade Russell Westbrook in the near future, with the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks being two teams potentially interested in the former MVP.
At the same time, James Harden and Russell Westbrook have expressed concerns about uncertainty of Rockets’ immediate future, sources told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Adrian Wojnarowski. Neither of the two All Stars have so far made requests for a trade, and Harden in particular remains engaged with front office in personnel discussions.
The Phoenix Suns have engaged trade talks with the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Paul.
Per ESPN, Talks have been ongoing and have continued to gather traction, but there is no deal imminent, sources said. There is currently a moratorium on trades as the NBA goes through procedures to start next season ahead of the league’s draft next week.
The Suns could have in excess of $20 million in salary-cap space going into the transaction season, leaving the possibility that they could assemble a trade and still look for other free agents.
Paul has two years and $85.5 million left on his contract, which is a motivation for the rebuilding Thunder to consider trading him.
The Houston Rockets are hiring Rick Higgins and Jeff Hornacek as an assistant coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Mark Berman of Fox 26 first reported that Hornacek was on the verge of signing with the Rockets.
Higgins, son of ex-NBA player and GM Rod Higgins, had been working for the Orlando Magic as a player development coach. Hornacek, whose No. 14 is retired by the Utah Jazz, last coached in the NBA in 2017-18 for the Knicks.
Fonte: Adrian Wojnarowski.
Twenty-one international players who had declared as early entry candidates for the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm® have withdrawn their names from consideration. Two players from educational institutions who previously had declared as early entry candidates have also withdrawn. There are 15 international prospects and 71 players from colleges and other educational institutions that remain early entry candidates.
The NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm will be held on Wednesday, November 18 on ESPN with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Here is the list of additional international players who have withdrawn their names from consideration for the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm:
Here are the two additional players from educational institutions who have withdrawn their names from consideration for the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm:
Following is a list of players from colleges and other educational institutions who remain early entry candidates for the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm:
Following is a list of international players who remain early entry candidates for the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm:
Fonte: NBA.
Spencer Dinwiddie is drawing interest from ‘multiple Western Conference contenders’, Ian Begley reports.
The Brooklyn Nets guard ended last year with career-highs in points -20.6- and assist -6.7- per game, shooting 41% from the field, 30% from beyond the arc and 78% from the foul line.
Dinwiddie is under contract with Brooklyn for over 23 million in 2 years, with a player option for the 2021/22 season.
Fonte: Ian Begley.
The Los Angeles Lakers are believed to chase the signing of Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka during the next free agency, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com.
Ibaka could be on the move from Toronto as the Raptors will also take into consideration the possibility to save some cap space for the 2021 offseason. The Lakers will be able to count on their MLE (worth aprox. $9.8M per season) and their bi-annual exception (aprox. $4M per season). Ibaka earned $23M in 2019-20, the last season of the 3-year deal signed in 2017.
Fonte: Sean Deveney.
Despite his re-signing being the Washington Wizards’ number 1 goal, there is a lot of interest around Latvian forward Davis Bertans, according to NBC Sports Washington: former Spurs and Baskonia could be targeted by several teams planning sign-and-trade proposals for him, because they don’t have the cap room to straight signing him.
There are three teams with cap space that reportedly plan to chase Bertans in the free agency: Atlanta, New York, Phoenix.
Fonte: NBC Sports Washington.
The NBA has determined its Social Justice Coalition Board, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The NBA and NBPA agreed to create a coalition to advance equality and social justice in August following the strike in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The following are the members of the coalition, per Charania:
Governors: Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry, Vivek Ranadive
Players: Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns
Coaches: Lloyd Pierce, Doc Rivers
The board will also feature NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts.
Fonte: Shams Charania.
LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman are expected to be the first three picks of the 2020 NBA draft in some order, sources tell Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Former Illawarra Hawks guard Ball is believed to be the most likely prospect to be selected first overall, according to Givony.
There are three teams that are reportedly trying to move up in the draft, scheduled for November 18th: Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fonte: Jonathan Givony.
Former New Zealand Breakers guard RJ Hampton has worked out for the Brooklyn Nets within the last two weeks, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Hampton has reportedly spent this last months frequently working out with Memphis University coach Penny Hardaway and former NBA Champion Mike Miller.
Brooklyn has the 19th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, scheduled for November 18th.
Fonte: Marc Berman.
According to a report from Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Toronto Raptors are still trying to play in Toronto next season and avoid a temporary relocation due to logistic reasons.
NBA is currently working on guidelines with both US and Canadian governments to make it possible for teams to travel and play in Toronto. Alternatives for the Raptors are believed to be the cities of Nashville, Kansas City and Tampa Bay.
Chauncey Billups and Larry Drew will be Ty Lue assistant coaches in L.A.
Billups and Drew are finalizing their deals to join Lue’s coaching staff with the Clippers.
Chauncey Billups and Larry Drew are finalizing assistant coaching deals to join Ty Lue’s staff with the Clippers, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 8, 2020
20-year-old Estonian forward Henri Drell has withdrawn his name from the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando.
Drell is currently playing for Pesaro in the Italian Serie A.
He made his debut with the Estonian senior national team in February at the FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers.
The Indiana Pacers will not buy out T.J. McConnell’s $3.5 million contract for $1 million as reported by indystar.com.
McConnell signed to a two-year deal last summer, the Pacers put in a $1 million buyout option that they could exercise before the draft.
McConnell, however, is a lock to return given the Pacers’ affinity for his professionalism, hustle and attitude despite his lack of 3-point shooting and having an undersized backcourt when he plays beside Aaron Holiday.
Lithuanian 19-year-old big man Marek Blazevic has withdrawn his name from the 2020 NBA Draft, according to Donatas Urbonas.
Blazevic has appeared in one game so far with Zalgiris Kaunas in the LKL.
Fonte: Donatas Urbonas.
ABA Liga prospects Nikola Miskovic, Marko Simonovic, and Darko Bajo have withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft, agent Misko Raznatovic announced. The three players, all born in 1999, will be auto-eligible in 2021.
Simonovic was ranked 70th in ESPN’s NBA Draft Top 100. He is off to a good start to the ABA Liga season, averaging 16.2 points and 10 rebounds in six games for Mega Soccerbet.
Miskovic and Bajo were not ranked in ESPN’s Top 100.
Fonte: Misko Raznatovic.
Serbian big man Filip Petrusev has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft, his agent Misko Raznatovic announced. He will be auto-eligible in 2021 because he left Gonzaga after his sophomore year to sign a professional contract in Serbia.
Petrusev is off to a strong start to the season in the ABA Liga (Adriatic League), averaging 21.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for Mega Soccerbet.
Petrusev was ranked 59th in ESPN’s NBA Draft Top 100.
Fonte: Misko Raznatovic.
Besides of an interest for Indiana Pacers’ Justin Holiday, the New York Knicks are looking to add to their rosters also Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Carmelo Anthony, as reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Kidd-Gilchrist name is a “new” one in Knicks strategies, as he’s seen as a solid locker room presence and a relevant defensive stopper in Tom Thibodeau plans. There is a belief, in the NBA, that Knicks’ executive Leon Rose will target players represented by his former player agency company, CAA.
Fonte: Marc Berman.