The NBA has informed its franchises that it is targeting no earlier than May 8 for any use of team’s practice facility, per Shams Charania.
The league has given teams new guidelines in order to potentially open facilities:
– Individual workouts; no more than four players permitted at facility at one time
– Max of one team staffer in person
– Players must wear facemasks except when in physical activity
– Staffers working with players must wear gloves
– Physical distancing of at least 12 feet
Fonte: Shams Charania.
The Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks have no plans to open their practice facilities, even if the NBA cleared teams to do so this week in states where stay-at-home restrictions have been eased.
“We are going to wait and see what happens in the state over the couple of weeks,” Hawks GM Travis Schlenk told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“The minute it’s safe we want to get back and get the guys practicing and getting ready for games. But we’re not there yet,” Mavs chairman Mark Cuban told CNN.
There are still other teams embracing the idea of re-opening facilities, per Wojnarowski.
Lonzo, LaMelo and LiAngelo Ball plan to sign representation deals with Roc Nation Sports, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Roc Nation Sports’ clientele already includes players such as All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Markelle Fultz.
Raymond Brothers will be the primary agent for the three brothers.
Fonte: ESPN.
Four more international players have declared for the NBA Draft, per Jonathan Givony.
Miguel Gonzalez, Baskonia, 1999
Sander Raieste, BC Kalev, 1999
Osas Ehigiator, Fuenlabrada, 1999
Njegos Sikiras, Fuenlabrada, 1999
Fonte: Jonathan Givony.
South Carolina sophomore forward AJ Lawson has declared for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent. He can withdraw from the draft and return to college.
South Carolina’s AJ Lawson will declare for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, source told @Stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 26, 2020
Florida sophomore guard Andrew Nembhard has declared for the NBA Draft, per Jon Rothstein.
Source: Florida's Andrew Nembhard has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 26, 2020
Gonzaga do-it-all guard Joel Ayayi has declared for the NBA Draft.
The french guard ended his sophomore year with 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assist and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 48% from the field, 34% from long range and 82% from the foul line.
Ayayi will mantain his college eligibility.
Some news from @joel_ayayi
?https://t.co/3sXA8q1DMy pic.twitter.com/3gV5vdoWQa— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) April 25, 2020
Australian big man Makur Maker is entering the 2020 NBA Draft, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Maker, the No. 75 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, was ruled eligible by the NBA because he meets the minimum age requirement (19 years old) and he had been two credits short of graduating with his original 2019 high school class.
Fonte: ESPN.
Gonzaga sophomore big man Filip Petrusev will declare for the 2020 NBA Draft without hiring an agent, according to Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops.
Petrusev, a 7-footer from Serbia, is the No. 60 prospect in the ESPN Top 100. He averaged 17.4 points and 7.9 rebounds this season at Gonzaga.
Fonte: Matt Babcock.
20-year-old Cameroonian forward Paul Eboua confirmed Sportando’s report, announcing to ESPN that he is entering the 2020 NBA Draft.
Eboua, the No. 53 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, played for VL Pesaro in the Italian Serie A this season, averaging 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22 minutes per game
New York Knicks’ general manager Scott Perry future is still doubtful, as reported by New York Post’s Marc Berman.
His long term future is reportedly not guaranteed, but is considered safe for now after the team hired Brock Aller. Perry’s contract with the Knicks is up June 30th.
For now, Perry is preparing for the draft and is expected to run it for the Knicks whenever the event takes place. The urgency for the Knicks to make a chance is lessened due to the new logistics amid COVID-19.
Fonte: Marc Berman.
Texas Tech freshman guard Jahmi’us Ramsey will declare for the NBA Draft, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
Ramsey, the No. 23 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, averaged 15 points, four rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season, shooting 42.6% for three.
Fonte: Jeff Goodman.
18-year-old Serbian center Aleksej Pokusevski has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft.
Pokusevski, the No. 27 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, spent most of the 2019-20 season with Olympiacos’ farm team in the Greek second division.
Fonte: Aleksej Pokusevski Twitter.
ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reports Kobe Bryant had a film crew documenting his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers and the footage will likely be used for a documentary.
Bryant’s camera crew had access in locker rooms both at home and on the road, in the training room, throughout the team’s practice facility and even on the team’s charter plane.
Fonte: ESPN.
Memphis freshman forward Precious Achiuwa is entering the 2020 NBA Draft, he told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Achiuwa is the No. 12 prospect in the ESPN Top 100.
Fonte: ESPN.
Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said that things are better now with coach Dwane Casey and his family.
Ujiri fired Casey in 2018 and decided to hire Nick Nurse that won the title at his first season as head coach in the NBA.
Per NBC Sports, “I will never, ever forget having to do that with Coach Casey and walking to his office, waking up that morning. Many times I wanted to move it and change it or think that you’re not making the right decision. It was incredibly hard, because Casey is an incredible person and so great to work with.
With Casey, it has gotten so much better now with his family and him”.
Tom Thibodeau is believed to solely be a candidate for the head coaching job of the New York Knicks, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Thibodeau and recently appointed Knicks president Leon Rose have been close for two decades.
Fonte: Marc Stein.
European Prospects Marko Simonovic, Nikola Miskovic and Darko Bajo have declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, his agent announced.
Simonovic and Miskovic played this season for Mega Bemax, while Bajo was in the crotian A-1 Liga with KK Split.
Simonovic averaged 16.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in ABA Liga, shooting 50% from the field, 31% from beyond the arc and 81% from the foul line.
The 3rd mvp of Aba league, Marko Simonovic from Mega Bemax declared for Nba draft 2020! #BeoBasket
— Misko4Raznatovic (@MiskoRaznatovic) April 22, 2020
Nikola Miskovic, former mvp European championship u 18, declared for Nba draft 2020! #BeoBasket
— Misko4Raznatovic (@MiskoRaznatovic) April 22, 2020
Darko Bajo, pf, player of Croatian team, BC Split, declared for Nba draft 2020! #BeoBasket
— Misko4Raznatovic (@MiskoRaznatovic) April 22, 2020
According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Utah Jazz have no plans to break up their core and trade either Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert.
“If you made a list of the most untouchable players in the league, Mitchell would be on that list. He’s a dynamic talent, who is very well liked and a draw to other players around the league. He’s been terrific in the community. Most important, the Jazz have years of team control left in regards to his contract. As for Gobert, the Jazz have built their entire identity defensively around his talents. He’s one of the top 15 players in the league. He’s a unique player in the league. It’s imprudent to speculate on who the Jazz can get for either guy, because there aren’t any plans on trading either guy”, Jones said.
Fonte: Tony Jones.
Tyronn Lue is interested in Brooklyn Nets coaching job.
Lue wants to reunite with Kyrie Irving with whom he won an NBA title in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Per NY Daily News, the former Cavaliers coach is, in fact, interested in the Nets gig, according to a source, following a Yahoo! report that Irving prefers Lue on Brooklyn’s sideline. Of course, Lue, who is currently a Clippers assistant, also wanted to coach the Lakers before reportedly turning down a three-year, $18 million offer. He sought compensation more fitting of a championship coach, so it’s fair to assume Lue wouldn’t come cheap. Nets GM Sean Marks declared on April Fool’s Day that the coaching search is paused during the coronavirus shutdown and he’s pleased with the leadership of interim Jacque Vaughn
Sam Mitchell will be the head coach of G League’s newly formed “Select Team” that will be headlined by five-star prospects Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd.
Mitchell has already coached Jalen Green in AAU and has recruited him to University of Memphis (a school Green will never join because he decided to turn pro).
Mitchell joined University of Memphis first staff in spring 2018 leaving the program in May 2019.
Mitchell began his coaching career in 2002 with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant and became head coach of the Toronto Raptors in 2004. During the 2006-07 season, Mitchell’s Raptors finished 47–35, earning him NBA Coach of the Year honors.
20-year-old Cameroonian forward Paul Eboua has switched representation and signed with BDA Sports, a source told Sportando.
Eboua, a potential second-round pick, will declare for the 2020 NBA Draft soon.
He played for VL Pesaro in the Italian Serie A this season, averaging 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
20-year-old Latvian guard Arturs Kurucs has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, his agent Arturs Kalnitis told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Kurucs averaged 10.6 points per game in the Basketball Champions League for VEF Riga this season.
Fonte: Jonathan Givony.
New York Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose still doesn’t know if Kevin Knox is part of the team’s future, according to the New York Post.
In his second year, Knox hasn’t been able to find his footing in the league, averaging 6.5 points on 36% shooting from the field in 17.9 minutes.
Fonte: New York Post.
20-year-old Swiss point guard Selim Fofana has declared for the NBA Draft, his agent Sevag Keucheyan told Sportando
Fofana plays for Union Neuchatel Basket in Switzerland. He averaged 6.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 18.1 minutes per game this season in the Swiss national league.
Leandro Bolmaro has declared for the NBA draft, according to several reports from Argentina.
The prospect is playing with Barcelona where he was averaging 4.4 points in 13 games played this season.
Bolmaro is expected to keep his name in the draft even if he won’t be selected in the first round.
Former NBA coach of the year Sam Mitchell is the front runner to become the head coach of the new G League team in Southern California that will be headlined by five-star prospect Jalen Green, a source told Sportando.
On June 13, 2018, Mitchell was hired by the University of Memphis as assistant coach under Penny Hardaway but he left the program after one year.
Mitchell has been NBA coach of the year in 2007 while he was at the helm of the Toronto Raptors.
Interviewed by the New York Post, Cole Anthony discussed his love for the New York Knicks, adding that he could potentially fill a role with the team as a guard.
“It would be pretty cool. I was a fan for a good amount of time. I do like the Knicks. I think they definitely can use a guard, a good scoring point guard. If that happens, it would be pretty cool to play in front of my little brother,” Anthony said.
Fonte: New York Post.
Spencer Dinwiddie is getting the Nigerian passport and he will play for the African country the Olympics Games in 2021.
The Nets guard was not in USA Basketball expanded roster for Tokyo so he decided to acquire the Nigerian passport.
He will play for coach Mike Brown in Tokyo.
Sources: Nets‘ Spencer Dinwiddie is acquiring a Nigerian passport to play for the Nigeria national team. Dinwiddie didn’t receive Team USA Olympic invite; now joins Nigeria roster under Mike Bown that includes Al-Farouq Aminu, Josh Okogie, Chimezie Metu, Ekpe Udoh.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2020
CJ Elleby has entered the 2020 NBA Draft, Jonathan Givony of Espn reports.
The forward ended his sophomore year at Washington State with 18.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals, shooting 40% from the field, 34% from beyond the arc and 82% from the foul line.
Washington State's CJ Elleby, a first-team All-Pac 12 player after averaging 18 points per game, has entered the 2020 NBA Draft, a source told ESPN. He'll maintain his eligibility while testing the waters.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 18, 2020