NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Joel Embiid, DeMarre Carroll and More
With no more than two games left in the 2014-15 NBA season, league developments beyond those related to the Golden State Warriors' and Cleveland Cavaliers' championship bids are beginning to garner greater attention.
Fourteen NBA teams have been in offseason mode since mid-April, with another 14 joining them round-by-round as the playoffs whittled them out of title contention.
In this roundup of NBA rumors, we have injury developments, free-agency rumblings and draft machinations. Here's a look at some of the latest talk from around the league.
Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid missed his entire rookie season with a broken navicular bone in his right foot. The 76ers went 18-64 without him in the fold, but that wasn't considered an issue in general manager Sam Hinkie's analytics-driven plan, in which he hopes to convert short-term pain into long-term, championship-caliber gain by hoarding assets and young players until a path to title contention crystallizes.
Of course, he needs assets like Embiid to get on the court and develop, but a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey suggests Embiid could miss the entire 2015-16 season with a setback in his recovery.
"76ers center Joel Embiid may not be available to play at the start of the NBA season after the latest setback in the healing of his right foot, an NBA source said Sunday. There's also a legitimate chance that the 7-footer could miss the entire season," Pompey wrote.
WPVI's Jeff Skversky notes another surgery is not necessary:
While the 76ers already have power forward Nerlens Noel to develop in the frontcourt, the talent Embiid flashed in his time at Kansas and his status as the No. 3 overall pick in 2014 would make another long spell off the court incredibly difficult to swallow.
It could also throw off their draft plans. CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie, Gary Parrish and Zach Harper all have the Sixers taking Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell with the third overall pick this year. Should Embiid's foot appear to be a long-term issue capping his potential, they may be tempted to take a big man like Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein.
DeMarre Carroll
Although the Atlanta Hawks built an Eastern Conference contender this past season with an egalitarian, no-major-stars squad, their 60-22 record and appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals certainly raised the profile of a few of their key contributors.
Forward DeMarre Carroll has raised his game considerably since joining the Hawks before the 2013-14 season. Last year, he cost the team just $2.44 million, per Spotrac, a bargain for his defensive versatility and overall contributions.
| 2013-14 | 32.1 | 11.1 | .470 | 5.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| 2014-15 | 31.3 | 12.6 | .487 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
However, the Hawks may be forced to give him a huge raise if they wish to retain his services, per ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz:
"Sources say the Hawks are bracing themselves for an asking price of 4 years and $50 million -- and given the postseason Carroll put together and the interest around the league, possibly even more. If the price tag is much higher than that, there's good reason to believe the flexibility-minded Hawks could bow out, though their strong preference is to retain Carroll, who has been an essential cog in their two-way success.
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This could make for a tricky summer for Atlanta, as they see the contracts of Pero Antic, Elton Brand and John Jenkins expire and are likely keen on retaining power forward Paul Millsap (16.7 PPG, 3.1 APG), a more potent offensive force than Carroll. Millsap is coming off a two-year, $19 million contract, per Spotrac, but at 30 years old, he may be looking for one final great payday and long-term security in his next deal.
Both players may also be motivated to secure large sums of money knowing the 2016 class and beyond could benefit greatly from a projected salary-cap boost. Carroll is promising to step up his game in the future, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
If Carroll's asking price does exceed what Atlanta's willing (or capable, depending on Millsap talks) to pay him, he could garner interest from ready-to-spend teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics.
Justin Anderson
Virginia guard Justin Anderson figures to be a first-round lock in this year's NBA draft. The 6'6" soon-to-be former Cavalier averaged 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a junior last season.
His defensive bona fides appear to be strong, as he was a key contributor on a team that allowed just 51.4 points per game last year, best in the nation, per NCAA.com.
The Boston Globe's Jake L. Fischer provided some insight as to how the draft might pan out for the promising sharpshooter (45.2 percent from beyond the arc in 2014-15):
The Celtics currently hold the No. 16 pick, the Bulls No. 22 and the Lakers Nos. 2 and 27. Los Angeles could (and should) be in the market for capable defenders in this year's draft, as they gave up 108 points per 100 possession last year, the second-worst rate in the league, per ESPN.com. They might also need a more secure backup option for Kobe Bryant. Nick Young is a minus-defender, and the streaky shooter averaged just 13.4 points per game last season, down from 17.9 the year before.
The Boston interest bodes well for Anderson's draft prospects. DraftExpress.com currently has Anderson going to the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 25, while Harper has him going at No. 20 to Toronto, the highest of the three CBS Sports mock drafters. With strong workouts and increased demand, Anderson could very well sneak his way into the lottery this year.
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