As I walked down a hallway last Thursday at the hotel for prospects and executives attending the NBA draft combine, a projected first-rounder strutted past me toward an elevator balancing two large bags and a box of sneakers like he was trying to bring in all the groceries in one trip.
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The elevator doors started to close, so the player picked up his pace and stuck his leg in to stop them from closing. The doors pushed up against his ankle, and they stayed like that for a second or two. I gasped and paused in case I had to help. For a moment, I thought something horrible was about to happen. Of course, the elevator doors opened back up, as elevator doors should when a limb is present. The prospect grunted, as if he were annoyed at the elevator for playing tricks. Crisis averted.
The scene felt symbolic of the prospect’s game: He’s a player who takes chances. Teams can learn a lot about a player from real-life situations, which is why they ask prospects questions about similar scenarios leading up to the draft. If the traffic light is turning yellow, would you speed up or slow down? The responses can be more telling about how players react in games than you’d think.
It’s fun to witness random behind-the-scenes moments like that—or seeing a general manager without a head coach talking to an employed coach from another team—but the best part about the week is what you learn about what’s happening around the league. Here are some musings, rumblings, and takeaways after a few days in Chicago for the NBA combine.
New York Calling?
Earlier this week, Trae Young’s father, Ray, told the New York Daily News that New York is a desirable destination for his son because of the spotlight its big market creates. “That’s what Trae lives for,” Ray said of his son, who interviewed with New York on Friday. Multiple league sources told me that the Knicks have the hots for the Oklahoma point guard, so the interest is mutual. It’s easy to understand why: Young is an ideal fit alongside Frank Ntilikina, whom the Knicks view as a 2-guard who can occasionally run the offense. Ntilikina could space the floor to allow Young to work his magic on the ball; conversely, Young could race through screens off the ball to get open for 3s while Ntilikina initiates the offense. It’d be a perfect pairing to ease the workload on Kristaps Porzingis.
Young is 178 pounds and 6-foot-2 with a puny 6-foot-3 wingspan. Players with similar physical dimensions include Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier, and Norris Cole. College offenses bullied the limited defender, and NBA offenses will take advantage of him even more. Unless he’s covered. Ntilikina, 19, already defends like a veteran, so he can take the tougher backcourt player and mitigate Young’s primary weakness. It’s unclear if Young will be available when the Knicks pick at no. 9. The Magic (no. 6) and Cavaliers (no. 8) both need point guards and have been connected to Young; after all, LeBron James did give Young his blessing. But fit is king in the NBA, and New York would provide Young both the ideal personnel and stage to perform.
Moving Up and Down
The Clippers are open to moving up in the draft, according to multiple league executives. They’re armed with picks nos. 12 and 13, and have the assets to get creative. A front-office exec said that Michael Porter Jr. is a possible target for the Clippers, who could slide the forward into their modernized system as a go-to scorer. Funnily enough, later that day, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer paused his own interview session with reporters to stand and listen behind a media scrum around Porter.
I’ve never seen an owner in the media area; the only other team owner that I’m aware was even at the combine is Golden State’s Joe Lacob. But Ballmer, a Seattle resident, is familiar with the former Nathan Hale High School product. “About my only real contribution [to the draft] is to say, ‘Hey, I saw some high school kid in Seattle and he looked really good.’ And it turns out it’s probably a kid who will be the no. 1 or no. 2 pick,” Ballmer said on The Bill Simmons Podcast in March 2017. “[Porter] plays in the same league as my son, so I have watched him play a few times. … And they say, ‘Thank you very much for your scouting. Go back to that mathy stuff.’”
Porter told that crowd of reporters that he was scheduled to meet with 13 teams, including an interview that morning with the Clippers. “I’m the best player in this draft and I just can’t wait to show what I’m capable of,” Porter told ESPN. “That’s just how I feel. I feel like everybody will know that soon.” If Ballmer and the rest of the Clippers front office feels the same way, they’ll need to develop a plan to move up. The Missouri forward likely won’t go in the top two, as Ballmer expected last March, but the odds that he’ll drop to no. 12 are slim to none.
The difficulty is finding a team willing to trade down at a slot where Porter might be available. The teams picking from nos. 4 to 7—Memphis, Dallas, Orlando, and Chicago—could all use more than one player to fix their rosters. But it’s unclear if any of them would be willing to move from the middle of the lottery to the back. In fact, I’ve been told that Memphis, despite a recent report, isn’t actively looking to trade down and that it’s likely to stay at no. 4. Things can change between now and the draft, but for now the prospects most closely connected to Memphis are big men: Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr. and Duke’s Marvin Bagley III. It requested a meeting with Mo Bamba, according to sources, but wasn’t granted one because the center’s interview schedule was already at the maximum stipulated by the NBA.
Mavs Thinking Big?
Bamba told reporters that he believes he’s the type of big that point guard Dennis Smith Jr. wants to play with. “Rick Carlisle has said himself that he thinks Dennis is best with a big who rolls hard and finishes above the rim,” Bamba said. “It would be an interesting deal, me and Dennis.” Considering Carlisle’s affinity for a rim-running center, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see the Mavericks connected with Bamba, who posted an unfathomable 7-foot-10 wingspan and 9-foot-7.5 standing reach. But I’ve received mixed signals regarding Dallas’s interest in the Texas big man.
Ever since word spread in league circles in March that Dirk Nowitzki would return to the Mavericks for his 21st season, there have also been rumblings that the Dallas front office will look to make additions this summer that can put the team back on a winning track. The Mavericks can create space to sign a max free agent, and multiple league sources expect them to pursue a trio of big men: DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins, and restricted free agent Julius Randle. If the Mavericks do indeed plan to pursue expensive bigs in free agency, then it’d make sense to target a primary scorer, like Porter, rather than Bamba.
Randle and Jordan are both Texas natives. Randle fits the timeline of Dallas’s young roster, while Jordan could finally get a glimpse at what he missed out on after backing out of a deal with the Mavs in the summer of 2015. Jordan has a $24.1 million player option for 2018-19, so he may not hit the market, but the Mavs would be a great fit considering, as Bamba said, Smith’s game is best suited with a center who can roll and flush lobs.
A core of Porter and Harrison Barnes at forward, Smith at guard, and Jordan at center seems solid on paper, with some upside to get even better. I’d be less enthusiastic if Dallas signed Cousins coming off a ruptured Achilles. The Mavericks have already dealt with the repercussions of signing a player coming of an Achilles injury in Wesley Matthews, who still produces, but lacks the same bounce and burst that made him one of the NBA’s best 3-and-D players. Cousins, an unrestricted free agent this year, will beat the odds if he becomes the same dominant-yet-flawed player he was prior to the injury. But Dallas’s history working with Cousins’s agent, Jarinn Akana, is undeniable. Of Akana’s 12 NBA clients, five are current or former Mavericks, and one played for their G League team: Boogie’s brother, Jaleel Cousins.
Antetokounm-Bro
Kostas Antetokounmpo, the 20-year-old brother of Giannis, played in both scrimmages at the combine and showed flashes of tantalizing upside with his ability to cover ground quickly in transition and his defensive versatility. The younger Antetokounmpo is incredibly raw, much like his brother was when he entered the league in 2013. But with a 9-foot-2 standing reach, a 7-foot-2 wingspan, and fluid agility, Kostas is certainly worth a flyer in the second round or with a two-way contract if he goes undrafted.
If a team is looking for extra incentive, Giannis will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021. One agent said it’d be a savvy move to sign Kostas as a means of developing a relationship with Giannis by proxy. Seems like a good reason for the Bucks to acquire Kostas, doesn’t it?
Promising Start
Boise State forward Chandler Hutchison abruptly withdrew from the combine and shut down all workouts Wednesday, which league executives believe to be the result of a promise from a team in the range of no. 18 (Spurs) and no. 24 (Trail Blazers). I inquired about the odds he’d drop to playoff teams at the end of the first like the Sixers, Celtics, and Warriors and was told outright he won’t make it that far. The 22-year-old forward had already worked out for the Timberwolves (no. 20) and Bulls (no. 22) before shutting it down.
It’s unclear who made the promise, if one was made at all, but it’s no secret that Hutchison’s agent Mark Bartelstein, the CEO of Chicago-based agency Priority Sports, is a family friend of Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf. The Bulls and Bartelstein have a successful working relationship. Bartelstein has represented a long list of former Bulls, from Steve Kerr and Jud Buechler to Taj Gibson and Bobby Portis, among many others.
Hutchison will be great for whichever team drafts him. He has a pro-ready body, and his shooting stroke and defensive intensity create a good foundation to become a 3-and-D player. There’s more to Hutchison’s game as an attacker off the dribble. The team that drafts him will have a chance to tap into that upside.
KAT’s Out of the Bag
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe flirted with the idea of the Wolves trading center Karl-Anthony Towns on a podcast last week, with Lowe stating that Minnesota isn’t “in a good place internally right now.” This shouldn’t come as a total shock considering Minnesota’s chemistry issues from earlier in the season, Jimmy Butler’s subtweet about his young teammates not understanding what it takes in the NBA, and the fact Towns largely underwhelmed as the third wheel for the Wolves. Not to mention Towns liked tweets showing him modeling the current jerseys of ex-Kentucky teammate Devin Booker, and (sort of) ex-Wolves teammate Zach LaVine.
The problem is what Minnesota would deal Towns for. He’s 22 years old, and one year removed from averaging 25.1 points and 12.3 rebounds, so his value would be sky-high around the league. But the Wolves likely wouldn’t take a package based around picks (i.e., the no. 1 pick from the Suns) or unproven young players since they’re trying to stay in the playoff picture. And with Towns making a reasonable $7.8 million, it’d be hard for the Wolves, who are already over the cap and pushing the luxury tax, to find a player of equal value without taking on salary. They’d need to add a filler like Gorgui Dieng, who will earn $15.2 million in 2018-19 and has three years remaining on his contract. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a taker for him. And if Butler walked in 2019, the Timberwolves would be left with only Andrew Wiggins and a player presumably locked in for fewer years than Towns, who’s up for a rookie extension this offseason.
With all that said, it’s fun to imagine the possibilities. The Wolves expressed interest in Clippers center DeAndre Jordan during the season, so perhaps a deal could be struck around Towns for DJ and both Clippers first-rounders. Or what if Towns is the solution to Portland, Toronto, or Washington breaking up their backcourts? C.J. McCollum or Bradley Beal would be intriguing fits next to Butler, and they’re both signed long term.
There’s no such thing as an untouchable in the NBA, but Towns probably won’t be traded this summer—nor should he be. There isn’t any realistic deal out there that makes the Wolves better now or in the future. If the Wolves need to shake things up, there are other changes that ownership could make before trading away one of the game’s most promising players.
Combine Risers and Fallers
- Multiple league sources say Missouri big man Jontay Porter, the younger brother of Michael Porter, is leaning toward returning to school for his sophomore season. Porter is a skilled shooter and passer who needs to get in better shape to prove he can defend. He’s currently projected as a late-first- to mid-second-round pick. The 2019 draft class is weaker, so Jontay could rise into the lottery with a strong sophomore season.
- Georgia Tech’s Josh Okogie impressed as a 3-and-D wing tailor-made for today’s NBA. Okogie defended four positions, hit spot-up 3s, and attacked the rim in transition and in closeout situations. His shot selection is still iffy, but it’s a forgivable weakness considering he’s only 19.
- Tulane’s Melvin Frazier was equally impactful as Okogie was defensively, and measured at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a 40.5-inch vertical. Frazier is an inconsistent scorer, but he showed off his upside by hitting multiple shots off the dribble.
- Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo is expected by most executives I spoke with to return to Villanova despite a strong showing in Chicago. DiVincenzo impressed with his energetic defense and shotmaking off the dribble. Though it’s not inconceivable he’d get drafted in the first round, a return to school could lead to a rise similar to that of teammate Mikal Bridges this season.
- West Virginia point guard Jevon Carter proved to be a pesky defender who can lock down opposing guards. On Thursday, the 22-year-old picked up Penn State’s Tony Carr and figuratively pantsed him. Kansas point guard Devonte’ Graham didn’t fare much better against Carter. The former Mountaineer still needs to rein in some of his decision-making on offense, but there are flashes of a Derek Fisher type of guard.
- One of my favorite moments of the combine was seeing De’Anthony Melton force an eight-second violation during Friday’s scrimmage. It wasn’t the correct call, but who cares? After the ex-USC guard was deemed ineligible for his sophomore season, it was a joy to watch him Liam Neeson opposing guards and wings. Melton was understandably rusty on offense, but his jumper looked slightly improved.
- I usually understand why young, raw players don’t play in the five-on-five scrimmages. It was a good decision for Anfernee Simons to step out, for example. But I don’t get why Kentucky guard Hamidou Diallo didn’t play. Diallo is an excellent athlete, and flat-out huge—at 6-foot-6 with a near 7-foot wingspan. Diallo could’ve showed out on defense the same way Carter and Melton did.
- It’s old news that Maryland wing Kevin Huerter can stroke 3s and pass, but it was nice to see him do it against a number of athletic defenders. Huerter was so good on Day 1 that he sat out Day 2. He’s the next great redhead in the NBA, following the likes of Brian Scalabrine and Matt Bonner. Huerter could end up the best of the bunch.
- West Virginia sophomore center Sagaba Konate is known for his shot-blocking—he let out two loud screams after blocks on Day 1—but we already know he can do that. More encouraging is that he showed off extended range on his midrange jumper. As a 79 percent free throw shooter with soft touch, Konate is beginning to step out farther. He’s not taking and making 3s yet, but his progress is encouraging.
- What a rough week for SMU point guard Shake Milton, whose only highlight was a blocked shot against Wichita State guard Landry Shamet. Milton has always battled inconsistency, but this week he was flat-out invisible, shooting 0-for-6 from the field while struggling to generate offense for his teammates. Milton still has two-way upside, but I’ve soured on him.
- There were a handful of other players testing the waters who looked like they should go back to school, including Kris Wilkes (UCLA), Tyus Battle (Syracuse), and Caleb and Cody Martin (Nevada). And while most NBA execs thought Purdue point guard Carsen Edwards would go back to school regardless of his performance last week, his inability to generate offense only solidified that stance.
- Duke wing Gary Trent Jr. looked better defensively than he did during his entire college season. I’m still not that into his overall game, but there’s no denying his shot-making ability. If he keeps playing hard on defense, he has a chance to stick around in the NBA.
- It’s hard not to love Cincinnati wing Jacob Evans. There are more athletic players with longer arms and quicker feet, but there aren’t many with Evans’s grit. He took a charge during his game on Thursday, and put the clamps on whoever he was defending. Evans has all the qualities teams look for in a successful 3-and-D player.
- Kentucky’s PJ Washington looked the part of a small-ball 5 with explosive moments attacking the glass, good instincts, and switching to defend multiple positions. He lacks touch in the paint and from the free throw line, and can’t make 3s. But he did hit multiple midrange jumpers and has fine shooting form, which is an encouraging sign.
- Jaylen Hands had two strong days, showing off more advanced ballhandling skills than he did all season at UCLA by changing gears. But he’s still likely a late second-rounder, so a return to school for a year to run the show sans point guard Aaron Holiday could lead to a bump in his draft stock in 2019.
- Missouri State forward Alize Johnson didn’t measure that well at 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan and an underwhelming 31-inch max vertical—that’s comparable to what Robbie Hummel posted at the combine in 2012, but also what Klay Thompson measured in at. Some guys just know how to ball, and Johnson’s relentless energy on the boards combined with his ability to go coast-to-coast makes him a super-appealing sleeper.
- Kevin Hervey was the most intriguing player of the combine. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, the UT Arlington forward hit spot-up 3s, defended multiple positions, and hit a tough contested jumper off the dribble, which is something he did a lot of in college. Health is a concern—he’s torn both of his ACLs already—but his potential is tantalizing in the late first or early second round, areas where risks can be taken. With Hervey, a team may hit a home run.
This story was edited after publishing to reflect that the Grizzlies, according to sources, did ask for an interview with Texas center Mo Bamba but were not granted one because he had reached the maximum amount allowed.