NBA Rumors: Latest Draft and Free-Agent Buzz
There is no shortage of chatter surrounding the NBA in the buildup to the 2015 draft, which takes place Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The NBA draft is short compared to those of most major sports leagues, so for many teams and picks the plan is to take the best player available. Of course, that doesn't mean each pick isn't under careful consideration, nor that some teams won't have their eyes on particular collegiate prizes.
Free-agency machinations might also change some franchises' plans in a hurry, filling gaps on the roster or determining whether or not teams are looking for immediate contributors or project players to unleash much later on down the line.
Here's a look at some of the latest offseason rumors from around the Association.
Willie Cauley-Stein
Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein appears to be one of the top centers in this year's draft, a lanky 7-footer with an excellent blend of defensive prowess and strong finishing ability inside.
However, according to Draft Express, NBA teams may be shying away from taking Cauley-Stein early in the draft:
"Concerns around Cauley-Stein's background and medical history could cause him to fall out of the Top-10 according to recent reports we've received, which would be a huge boon for Indiana, who are currently in the market for a starting center. Cauley-Stein is the most versatile defender in this draft class, and the Pacers have done a great job of helping other young underachieving players reach their full potential in the past.
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The long term health and durability of big men will no doubt weigh on most front office's minds this year, considering the reports that Philadelphia's Joel Embiid—the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft—has had a setback in his recovery from a foot injury, one that kept him out for the entirety of last season.
Cauley-Stein would appear to be a durable player, having participated in 76 games for Kentucky over the past two seasons. He was lighter on minutes than many prospects due to the wealth of talent on coach John Calipari's squad and the platoon system used to deal with that enviable situation.
Cauley-Stein did miss the end of the 2014 NCAA tournament with an ankle injury—one that required surgery—and SB Nation's Yaron Weitzman offered one possible explanation for the DraftExpress.com report, referencing a report from Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal: "Cauley-Stein revealed he had a sickle cell problem in 2013, which occasionally hurts his endurance. Cauley-Stein said he was on no medication for the issue at the time."
Draft Express has Cauley-Stein falling all the way to the Pacers at No. 11, while Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman sees the Charlotte Hornets snagging him at No. 9. If anything, the buzz on Cauley-Stein would indicate that he has little chance of being selected ahead of either Jahlil Okafor or Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis.
Goran Dragic
The Miami Heat need talented players in place for the days when the abilities of Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade—31 and 33 years old, respectively—are no longer able to keep the team afloat in the Eastern Conference.
Twenty-six-year-old center Hassan Whiteside was one of the surprise success stories of the 2014-15 season, averaging 11.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Joining him on the perimeter was Goran Dragic, whom the Heat acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Suns last season.
Dragic has a $7.5 million player option for the upcoming season, according to Spotrac and could demand much more than that on the open market.
However, it appears the Heat are willing to make the 29-year-old guard a massive offer to keep him in South Beach, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein: "Sources told ESPN.com that the Heat are planning to offer Dragic a five-year deal in excess of $80 million to keep him in Miami after acquiring the 2014 All-NBA Third Team selection from Phoenix on trade deadline day in February."
There will likely be few talents better than Dragic on the market this summer.
The Slovenian slasher put up 16.6 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 26 games with the Heat last season, numbers well in line with his career averages.
Stein noted at the end of his piece that potential suitors such as the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks could offer up to $85 million. The Lakers may not be willing to go that high considering they have the young Jordan Clarkson developing at point guard, but the Knicks could certainly use an upgrade at that position.
Wade can opt out of his own contract this summer—he has a player option for $16.125 million, according to Spotrac—and Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix noted that the Lakers may be interested in the veteran guard:
If that is the case and Wade bolts for Los Angeles or another team, signing Dragic will become an even greater priority for the Heat this season. Wade's opting out could also work against the Heat in that it would bog down discussions with Dragic as the two sides haggle on a final price.
Brandon Jennings, Tim Hardaway Jr.
This rumor combines potential free agents and draft-day machinations. According to ESPN.com's Ian Begley, the Detroit Pistons could be looking to swing a trade with the New York Knicks:
"If you're looking for any clues regarding potential draft-night trades, here's one: the Detroit Pistons are said to have interest in trading for Tim Hardaway Jr. and have tried to engage the Knicks on a deal, per league sources.
Detroit may be looking to move guard Brandon Jennings because the organization traded for fellow guard Reggie Jackson last season. Jackson will be a restricted free agent this summer.
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According to James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press, however, a source told the paper's Vince Ellis that Detroit "never had a discussion on this (trade)."
CBS Sports' Matt Moore noted that Jennings may be quite happy to join New York, despite the team's obvious lack of talent and cohesion: "The two pieces of information seem unconnected, but Jennings has long wanted to play in New York, going back to draft night of 2009, when the Knicks passed him over for Jordan Hill. Jennings has since repeatedly talked about playing in New York."
Jennings played in just 41 games last season due to a torn Achilles injury, but put up a respectable 15.4 points and 6.6 assists per game. Never one to be confused with a pass-first point guard, his numbers don't compare favorably to those of Jackson, who did well to spread the ball around upon joining Detroit.
| 27 | 32.2 | 17.6 | .436 | 9.2 | 4.7 | 19.8 |
Jackson is due for a major pay raise after raking in just $2.2 million last season, as noted by Spotrac. Detroit would be unwise to commit money to both him and Jennings, especially with the latter suffering such a significant injury to his Achilles tendon.
Hardaway could slot in the backcourt alongside Jackson with ease. He shot 34.2 percent from three-point range last season and could serve as an effective kick-out option for Jackson.
