NBA Rumors: Latest Scoops Across the League Entering 2015 Draft Week
Running out of time before Thursday's NBA draft, front offices are working furiously behind the scenes to plan out the evening and offseason.
Along with the picks themselves, draft night regularly hosts trades stretching beyond the incoming rookies. Thursday presents everyone's first chance to maneuver before free agency officially begins on July 1.
Expect a bevy of "Team X is looking to move up" and "Team Y wants to slide down" draft rumors through the next few days, but this is when several current players get dragged into the discussion. The latest buzz involves two 2013 first-round picks leading the conversation.
Timberwolves Shopping Anthony Bennett
For fans hoping Thursday's draft will erase all their franchise's foibles, here's a jarring reminder that not all top picks pan out. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Minnesota Timberwolves are shopping Anthony Bennett:
Two years ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers made Bennett the No. 1 pick in a weak draft class. Following a dreadful rookie campaign in which he shot 35.6 percent, Cleveland packaged him with Andrew Wiggins, last year's top pick, to Minnesota for Kevin Love.
Bennett didn't fare much better in his new locale, averaging 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Through two wildly disappointing years, he has netted a minus-1.5 value over replacement player (VORP).
| 14.3 | 4.7 | 39.3 | 26.3 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Anyone taking a flier on him a year after the T-Wolves tried will hope he takes the Kwame Brown path to redemption. Although the 2001 opening choice never met the hype, he quietly matured into a decent contributor.
Yes, Bennett becoming more like a fellow draft bust looks like the bright side. Minnesota likely won't get much for him unless he gets thrown into another bigger deal, but perhaps someone still views the 22-year-old as the draft prospect likened to Larry Johnson.
Kings "More Than Willing" to Move Down
This year offers far more promise than the 2013 draft class, but it's not stuffed to the brim with high-level talent. Due to the field's top-heavy nature, lottery teams picking outside the top three are exploring other options.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported the Sacramento Kings' interest in moving down from their No. 6 slot:
Although there isn't a no-brainer choice at their current spot, Willie Cauley-Stein would vastly help a defense that ranked No. 27 in defensive rating last year. Two weeks ago, ESPN's Ryen Russillo cited the Kentucky big man as star Demarcus Cousins' preferred choice:
Yet Cauley-Stein's offensive limitations could shove him down or outside the top 10. The Kings haven't made the postseason or finished above .500 since the 2005-06 season. Last year's 29-win season, which occurred under the watch of three different head coaches, actually represented the organization's highest tally in seven years.
So without a game-changing youngster on the board, Sacramento is looking to get better immediately under George Karl. Yet despite constant chatter linking him to Ty Lawson, ESPN Insider Chad Ford said Sacramento has shunned the Denver Nuggets' attempt to deal him for the pick.
Pistons Interested in Knicks' Tim Hardaway Jr.
It's impossible these days to walk into a room with a TV, newspaper or working Internet connection and not stumble upon a rumor regarding the New York Knicks. Team president Phil Jackson will start a huge offseason with cap space, the No. 4 pick and few other valuable assets on a largely empty canvas.
Among the six players under contract for next season, per Spotrac, Tim Hardaway Jr. represents the only New York first-round selection. The 23-year-old guard also represents the team's most intriguing future asset despite his ineffective shooting (38.9 field-goal percentage) last season.
According to ESPN.com's Ian Begley, the Detroit Pistons are interested in Hardaway:
"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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As noted by Begley, Hardaway's father, former NBA player Tim Hardaway Sr., currently works for Detroit as an assistant coach. However, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy claimed to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press there was no substance to a potential Hardaway-Jennings swap, saying, "'Who makes that up?' I've always wondered about things that we have never even had one discussion on."
Begley merely speculated on the Pistons' offering Jennings, but the ball-dominant point guard would make a poor fit with Carmelo Anthony and Jackson's triangle offense. Hardaway also wouldn't be enough to reel in Detroit's No. 8 overall selection.
The Knicks will entertain offers for anyone and anything not named Anthony, but don't expect Jennings to wear orange and blue.
Note: Advanced stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
