NBA Rumors: Examining Latest Reports on Top Prospects of 2015 NBA Draft
The days of NBA draft-related chatter are almost over, but that hasn't stopped last-minute rumors regarding this year's top prospects from trickling out.
From point guards like D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay to a new-age big man like Willie Cauley-Stein, there's plenty to sift through as lottery teams prep to make franchise-changing moves.
Before diving into the latest news and notes on the draft's top prospects, take a look at Bleacher Report draft guru Jonathan Wasserman's latest mock draft and big board.
Philadelphia Honing in on D'Angelo Russell
Despite reports to the contrary, Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell appears likely to land with the Philadelphia 76ers when Thursday's draft gets underway.
"League sources say the Sixers want D'Angelo Russell and are willing to trade up from the No. 3 spot to get him," CBSSports.com's Ken Berger wrote.
While ESPN's Chad Ford reported Philadelphia has interest in Latvian 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix offered up some insight into those strange rumblings.
"It's hard to believe the Sixers would take Kristaps Porzingis, not with a gaping hole at point guard and Russell, who is well liked in the organization, on the board," Mannix wrote. "More likely: Philadelphia is trying to manipulate the Knicks or Magic to trade up for Porzingis. You know Sixers GM Sam Hinkie loves collecting draft picks."
All of that chatter comes on the heels of Russell reportedly gushing about the franchise.
"He really loves Philly," a source said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey.
If Russell is ultimately Philadelphia's pick, he should slot in as the team's starting point guard right away. The point guard platoon of Tony Wroten—who's coming off a partial ACL tear—Ish Smith and Isaiah Canaan is hardly inspiring, particularly as it pertains to off-the-dribble scoring.
That's where Russell can provide a major boost.
DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony wrote:
"While very capable with his feet set (39% FG%, 1.11 points per possession), he's especially impressive with his ability to make shots off the dribble, hitting 44% of his shots in those situations, good for 1.04 points per possession, which ranks second among all college basketball players according to Synergy Sports Technology.
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In a league dominated by depth at point guard, it's about time the Sixers added a flashy floor general of their own.
Detroit Targeting Another Point Guard?
While there may be a favorite to land Russell at this late stage, the same can't be said of point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.
Yes, Mudiay should go in the lottery as projections have insisted all along, but he appears to have fallen out of the top-five range where he was originally penciled in. At present, Wasserman has Mudiay sliding to the Denver Nuggets at No. 7 overall.
Should the Nuggets pass on Mudiay, though, there could be an interesting new contender for his services, according to Berger:
"If Emmanuel Mudiay falls to the Pistons at No. 8, they might be inclined to take him and let Reggie Jackson walk as a free agent. "They're not 100 percent sold on Reggie," a league source said. Detroit also likes Justise Winslow and Mario Hezonja at that spot, sources said, though Hezonja isn't expected to get past the Magic at No. 5.
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Off the bat, Detroit certainly isn't the most logical locale for Mudiay. Reggie Jackson is slated to become a restricted free agent, and Brandon Jennings is under contract through next season at $8.3 million, according to Spotrac.com.
Heck, Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy even went out of his way to shoot down rumors from ESPN's Ian Begley regarding a potential trade of Jennings, according to the Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis:
"I've always wondered about things that we have never even had one discussion on. Like, does the writer make it up or does somebody else make it up and feed it to the writer? Like, who does the fiction writing and why? I've never quite understood that.
Some things at least might be overblown just a little bit. There might have been a discussion somewhere in passing. Literally, if there's been discussion of that it has not been with [general manager] Jeff [Bower] or I.
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It couldn't hurt Detroit to add another explosive ball-handler if it believes Mudiay is the best player available, but the team has a much more glaring need on the wing right now.
With Tayshaun Prince an unrestricted free agent and Quincy Miller's 2015-16 salary non-guaranteed, according to BasketballInsiders.com, Detroit doesn't have a single viable starting option at the 3 on its roster.
In that sense, it's more logical for the Pistons to target a wing like Croatia's Mario Hezonja or Arizona's Stanley Johnson when they're on the clock.
Willie Cauley-Stein's Injury History a Concern?
Athletic wunderkind Willie Cauley-Stein projects as an elite defender at the next level. That is, if a troublesome foot doesn't hinder his mobility.
Givony provides the details:
"Uncertainty surrounding Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein's foot could impact his standing in Thursday night's NBA Draft, league executives tell DraftExpress.
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Cauley-Stein suffered a stress fracture in his ankle on March 28th of 2014 in Kentucky's NCAA Tournament victory over Louisville, and had a pin inserted via surgery to repair what Cauley-Stein described then as a "cracked bone or a stress fracture." The injury may have occurred in Kentucky's opening game against Kansas State, until he finally heard a 'pop' in his words against Louisville two games later.
For the time being, Cauley-Stein's camp isn't letting the big man's injury history stand in the way of a potential top-10 selection.
"Willie is not stressing about where he goes in this draft, and teams that have done their research know that there is nothing to be concerned about," Cauley-Stein's agent, Rich Kleiman, said, per Givony. "Martin O'Malley, a renowned ankle and foot specialist in New York, checked his foot out last week and said he's completely fine."
If that is the case, whichever team drafts Cauley-Stein will be getting a defensive gem.
"According to Synergy, on any shots taken at the rim (no post-ups), Cauley-Stein limited opponents to 34.8 percent shooting (16-of-46), which ranks in the 87th percentile among NCAA players who defended at least 40 such shots," ESPN Stats & Information's Jungkyu Lee wrote. "Cauley-Stein blocked 13 of the 46 shots (28 percent), and his help defender blocked three additional shots."
A disruptive presence all over the floor, Cauley-Stein should be able to parlay his absurd lateral mobility and 9'3'' standing reach into plenty of success at the next level.
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