20-year-old Estonian forward Henri Drell has withdrawn his name from the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando.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Lithuanian 19-year-old big man Marek Blazevic has withdrawn his name from the 2020 NBA Draft, according to Donatas Urbonas.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ABA Liga prospects Nikola Miskovic, Marko Simonovic, and Darko Bajo have withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft, agent Misko Raznatovic announced.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Serbian big man Filip Petrusev has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft, his agent Misko Raznatovic announced.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.
Nashville, Tennessee, could serve as a temporary home for the Toronto Raptors next season, sources told Adam Vingan of The Athletic. The Raptors, who reportedly toured the city earlier this week, would play at Bridgestone Arena, the home to the Predators of the NHL.
Florida’s Tampa Bay and Missouri’s Kansas City are still in play as temporary homes, according to sources.
Fonte: Adam Vingan.
1999-born Lithuanian guard Arnas Velicka is withdrawing his name from the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando. He will be automatically draft-eligible in 2021.
Velicka is currently playing in the French Jeep Elite, averaging 11.8 points and 5.8 assists per game for Chalons-Reims.
Velicka played for the Lithuanian national team at the U16, U17, U18, and U20 levels.
Popeye Jones is joining the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach, he told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Jones is coming off seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers.
Fonte: Marc J. Spears.
Greek 19-year-old prospect Nikos Rogkavopoulos is withdrawing from the 2020 NBA Draft.
Rogkavopoulos has appeared in three games for AEK Athens so far this season, including one in the Basketball Champions League.
Fonte: SDNA.
Greek 21-year-old prospect Georgios Kalaitzakis is withdrawing from the 2020 NBA Draft, according to Donatas Urbonas. He will be automatically draft-eligible in 2021.
Kalaitzakis has appeared in two games for Panathinaikos so far this season, including one in the EuroLeague.
He was the 90th-ranked prospect in the ESPN Top 100 for the 2020 draft.
Fonte: Donatas Urbonas.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, some decision-makers within the Knicks organization see Justin Holiday as a player worth pursuing in free agency.
Holiday averaged 8.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 25 minutes per game with the Indiana Pacers last season. He is an unrestricted free agent.
Fonte: SNY.
Senegalese 21-year-old guard Brancou ‘Papi’ Badio is withdrawing from the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando. He will be automatically draft-eligible in 2021.
After spending the whole 2019-20 season with FC Barcelona’s second team in the LEB Plata, the Spanish third division, Badio has made the jump to the senior team under head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius this year, appearing in four Liga ACB games so far, while also playing for the second team in the LEB Plata.
Reigning NBA Finals MVP LeBron James initially resisted the NBA’s desire to start the 20-21 season on December 22nd, but eventually went along with the greater financial good for the league and players. James and the Los Angeles Lakers won The Finals on October 11th.
“LeBron initially pushed back against this, and subsequently, it’s been explained to me that LeBron changed his position,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “Crossed the aisle, said ‘I’m okay going December 22nd even though I have to change my routines and I’m not happy about the short offseason because it’s the best thing for business.’ But LeBron owes the NBA money right now. He owes them cash. As crazy as that is to say”, Windhorst said referring to James being one of the NBA’s 12 players who has already got his contract front loaded with his 20-21 salary received in full.
Denver Nuggets guard Monte Morris has confirmed he is interested in signing a contract extension with the team.
“I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone,” Morris told The Denver Post. “I would love to get an extension here. I love Denver. I love everything from the organization to the coaches all the way down to equipment, to everyone. Me, personally, hopefully, if it goes that way. I would love to be in Denver for however long.”
Fonte: Denver Post.
The Golden State Warriors are believed to have narrowed down their options at number 2 for the upcoming NBA Draft to either James Wiseman or Anthony Edwards, if both of them were to be available.
“The Warriors are believed to view Edwards as someone who can blossom into a face of a franchise and multi-time All-Star if put in the right situation,” writes Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle. “According to league sources, Golden State would likely take Edwards at No. 2 should Minnesota pass on him at No. 1.”
Fonte: Connor Letourneau.
The Milwaukee Bucks would “love” to have Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.
Serbian guard is a restricted free agent with the Sacramento Kings and the Bucks would have to acquire him via a sign-and-trade deal, which would hard cap them for the 20-21 season.
Sources say the Bucks have considered scenarios in which they would acquire both Bogdanovic and Harrison Barnes, while it is not clear yet if the Bucks have engaged the Kings in serious discussions on the scenario.
Fonte: Zach Lowe.
19-year-old Belgian guard Joel Ekamba has withdrawn from the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando.
Ekamba currently plays in the French LNB Espoirs league. He had 14 points, three rebounds and one steal in his debut with AS Monaco’s Espoirs team.
He has played for the Belgian national team at the U16 and U18 levels.
20-year-old Polish center Adrian Bogucki will keep his name in the 2020 NBA Draft, his agent Mateusz Jodlowski of BIG told Sportando.
Bogucki, a 7-foot-1 (215-cm) big man is currently playing in his home country with Anwil Wloclawek, averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game.
He played for the Polish national team at the U16, U18, and U20 levels.
The 2020 NBA Draft is scheduled for November 18.
1999-born Italian forward Michele Ebeling is withdrawing from the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told Sportando. He will be automatically draft-eligible in 2021.
Ebeling is currently playing for Kleb Basket Ferrara in Italy’s Serie A2. In the first three games of the league’s preseason tournament, the SuperCup, he averaged 12 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23.7 minutes on the court.
International early-entry candidates can withdraw until 10 days prior to the Draft, which is scheduled for November 18.
The Sacramento Kings announced that Rex Kalamian has been named Assistant Coach.
Kalamian is a longtime NBA coach who returns to the Kings after serving as assistant coach from 2007 to 2009. He spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers under head coach Doc Rivers. He has also coached with the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Thunder, and Raptors.
Fonte: Sacramento Kings.
Greg Foster is joining the Indiana Pacers as a new member of Nate Bjorkgren’s coaching staff, per Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Foster, who won an NBA championship with the Lakers in 2001 as a player, has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, many within the Milwaukee Bucks organization remain confident that Giannis Antetokounmpo will sign a five-year supermax extension valued at between $220 million and $250 million (depending on the cap level) before the start of the 2020-21 regular season.
Even if the two-time MVP doesn’t sign an extension, Milwaukee is not expected to trade him during the season, Lowe reports.
Fonte: ESPN.
The Detroit Pistons are interested in moving up in the NBA draft and they are intrigued by LaMelo Ball.
Per ESPN, Currently holding the No. 7 pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA draft, Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver says that “moving up is definitely an option.”
One possible target has been training in the team’s backyard throughout the pandemic: top prospect LaMelo Ball — whose mentor and manager, Jermaine Jackson Sr., is a former Piston and Motown native.
The NBA aims to have arena suites open to fans at a 25-to-50 percent capacity for the 2020-21 season tipoff, based on local regulations, according to Shams Charania.
Charania reports that the NBA wants to allow this amount of fans by following protocols such as masks, social distancing and coronavirus testing.
Fonte: Shams Charania.
John Lucas has agreed to a deal to join new Rockets head coach Stephen Silas on his coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon.
Lucas had been in a player development role under Mike D’Antoni.
Fonte: Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Atlanta Hawks will hire Nate McMillan as an assistant coach on the staff of Lloyd Pierce, who is entering his third season with the team, as reported by New York Times’ Marc Stein.
The Indiana Pacers parted ways with McMillan this offseason despite finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
Should the NBA and the NBPA agree to set the start of next season for December 22nd, Shams Charania of The Athletic report, there will be a 25 percent reduction in travel and 14 back-to-back games per team.
The plan is to end the regular season around May 16th, followed by a play-in tournament involving the Nos. 7-10 seeds in each conference with the playoffs then beginning on May 22nd. The Finals would conclude around July 22nd, a day before the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Fonte: Shams Charania.
Daryl Morey is believed to have signed the NBA’s most lucrative contract for a lead basketball decision maker since Phil Jackson’s five-year, $60 million contract with the New York Knicks, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed you a five-year deal last week estimated to be worth more than $10 million per season, according to industry insiders. Some insiders even insist the deal is worth more than Jackson’s, which paid $12 million annually.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the last team without a head coach during this offseason cycle, reports Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Spurs assistant Will Hardy, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and Thunder assistant Mark Daigneault are among the candidates who have received strong consideration by the Thunder after the vacancy left by Billy Donovan.
Fonte: Marc Stein.