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Sixers 2015 draft results

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today the team has selected the following players in the 2015 NBA Draft: Jahlil Okafor with the 3rd overall pick, Richaun Holmes with the 37th overall pick, Arturas Gudaitis with the 47th overall pick, J.P. Tokoto with the 58th overall pick and Luka Mitrovic with the 60th overall pick. Additionally, the Sixers acquired the rights to the New York Knicks two future second round picks in exchange for the rights to the 35th pick.

The 6’11”, 272 pound Okafor was an early entry candidate for the NBA Draft following a standout freshman season at Duke, during which he helped lead the Blue Devils to a 35-4 mark and the NCAA Championship. The 19-year-old Okafor averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks, and was selected as a consensus First Team All-American. Additionally, he was named the 2015 ACC Player of the Year and the USBWA 2015 National Freshman of the year, while also being selected as a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year awards. Okafor is also a three-time gold medal winner while playing for Team USA during the 2011 Under 16 FIBA Americas, the 2012 Under 17 World Championships and the 2013 Under 19 World Championships.

Holmes was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year for Bowling Green after the 2014-15 season, in addition to a First Team All-MAC selection. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks as a senior and recorded 244 career blocks to top the Falcons’ all-time list.

Gudaitis played for Zalgiris in Lithuania’s LKL league in 2014-15, where he averaged 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 57 total games, which included 21 starts. The 6’10” forward has spent the past three seasons in the Zalgiris organization.

Tokoto spent three seasons at North Carolina, where he averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game as a junior in 2014-15. The 6-foot-6 wing was selected First Team All-ACC Defensive Team for two consecutive seasons.

Mitrovic averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for Crvena Zvezda during the 2014-15 season, where the team won the Adriatic ABA League title. The 6-foot-8 forward spent three seasons with Crvena Zvezda, where he played in 75 games in 2014-15, which included 60 starts.

Knicks trade Tim Hardaway Jr to Hawks

Knicks trade Tim Hardaway Jr to Hawks

The shakeup of the New York Knicks continues. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting a trade agreed to during the 2015 NBA Draft:

Phil Jackson’s second move Thursday night probably was more popular than his first.

After drafting Latvian project forward Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick overall, the Knicks’ president picked up another first-round talent by agreeing to trade Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta for No. 19 selection Jerian Grant, the point guard out of Notre Dame.

Grant, 22, was a four-year starter for the Irish, averaging 14.6 points and 5.8 assists over 119 collegiate games.

Several NBA Draft-night Hawks trades

Several NBA Draft-night Hawks trades

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting on some Atlanta Hawks trades agreed to during the 2015 NBA Draft:

The Hawks made two draft-night trades – and ended up with NBA player Tim Hardaway Jr. Thursday night.

The Hawks made their No. 15 overall pick in the first round of Kelly Oubre. The freshman small forward from Kansas won’t play in Atlanta. The Hawks sent Oubre to the Wizards for the No. 19 pick and two future second-round picks.

Twenty minutes later the Wizards picked Jerian Grant for the Hawks, who sent the point guard from Notre Dame to the Knicks for Hardaway.

Sixers draft Jahlil Okafor No. 2 overall

Sixers draft Jahlil Okafor No. 2 overall

Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the 2015 NBA Draft:

The 76ers took the best available player, who just happens to be another towering post player.

The team selected Duke center Jahlil Okafor with the third pick in the NBA draft Thursday night at the Barclays Center at Brooklyn.

The Sixers were expected to take Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell in that spot. But they settled on Okafor after Russell went second overall to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Okafor is a 7-foot, 275-pound man-child with an imposing presence on the blocks.

Warriors guard Brandon Rush exercises player option for next season

Golden State Warriors guard Brandon Rush has exercised his player option for the 2015-16 season, the team announced today.

Rush, 29, appeared in 33 regular-season games for the Warriors in 2014-15, averaging 0.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per contest. The 6-6 guard saw action in three playoff games during Golden State’s championship run, which saw the Warriors capture their first NBA title in 40 years.

Rush, who enters his fourth season with the Warriors, holds career averages of 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 23.4 minutes in 362 games (105 starts) over seven seasons with Indiana, Golden State and Utah. His career three-point percentage (.401) ranks 11th best among all active players.

A member of the NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks in 2007-08, Rush is one of seven active players with both an NCAA title and NBA championship (Corey Brewer, Mario Chalmers, Danny Green, Nazr Mohammed, Marreese Speights, Jason Terry).

Timberwolves select Karl-Anthony Towns first in 2015 NBA Draft

The Minnesota Timberwolves tonight selected forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Towns, a 6-11 forward/center, averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.26 blocks and 21.1 minutes in 39 games (all starts) for the Wildcats this past season and was named SEC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-SEC. He shot 56.6 percent from the field, 81.3 percent from the free-throw line and recorded a team-best eight double-doubles. Towns was a Consensus Second Team All-American and was named NCAA Midwest Region Most Valuable Player after leading Kentucky to the Final Four. He scored a career-high 25 points, on 10-of-13 shooting, to lead the Wildcats past Notre Dame in the Elite Eight.

A native of Piscataway, New Jersey, Towns was a three time first-team All-State selection while playing for St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey. He was named Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year in 2014 after averaging 20.9 points, 13.4 rebounds and 6.2 blocks and leading St. Joseph to a 30-2 record and a state title. Towns shot 66.1 percent from the field and 82.2 percent from the free-throw line as a senior. He made 127 three pointers over his three-year high school career.

The 19-year-old Towns has been a member of the Dominican Republic National Team since 2012 and averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in FIBA play.

Bulls hire Pete Myers as assistant coach

The Chicago Bulls announced today that Pete Myers has been hired an as assistant coach on Fred Hoiberg’s coaching staff. In accordance with club policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Myers, 51, returns to Chicago for his second stint with the Bulls after spending three seasons (2011-2014) with the Golden State Warriors, where he served as an assistant coach on Mark Jackson’s staff. Prior to his stint with the Warriors, Myers spent 12 seasons with the Bulls as an assistant coach (2001-2010) and scout (2000-01, 2011). He also served as Bulls interim head coach for two games (at Dallas on Nov. 25, 2003 and at San Antonio on Nov. 26, 2003) during the 2003-04 season and one game (at San Antonio on Dec. 26, 2007) during the 2007-08 season. During his eight-year NBA career, he played for five teams, including three seasons with the Bulls (1986-87, 1993-95).

Hornets trade Matt Barnes to Grizzlies for Luke Ridnour

The Memphis Grizzlies acquired forward Matt Barnes from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Luke Ridnour, General Manager Chris Wallace announced today.

Barnes (6-7, 226) holds career averages of 8.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 779 games (296 starts) over 12 seasons (2003-15) with the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. He owns career postseason averages of 7.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 79 playoff games (44 starts) with the Warriors, Magic, Lakers and Clippers.

A key member of the Los Angeles Clippers over the past three years, Barnes averaged 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in a career-high 29.9 minutes in 76 games (74 starts) last season. The 35-year-old shot .362 from three-point range and set personal bests for three-point makes (136) and attempts (376). He was traded by Los Angeles with Spencer Hawes to Charlotte for Lance Stephenson on June 16.

The Santa Clara, Calif. native originally was drafted by Memphis in the second round (46th overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft following a four-year collegiate career at UCLA and traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night.

Ridnour (6-2, 175) owns career averages of 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 26.1 minutes in 830 games (493 starts) over 12 seasons (2003-15) with the Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte and Orlando. The 34-year-old was drafted by Seattle in the first round (14th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft after a three-year collegiate career at the University of Oregon.

The Blaine, Wash. native was acquired by Memphis yesterday from Orlando, where he averaged 4.0 points in 47 appearances last season, in exchange for the draft rights to Janis Timma.

Thunder trade Jeremy Lamb to Hornets for Luke Ridnour

Thunder trade Jeremy Lamb to Hornets for Luke Ridnour

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired guard Luke Ridnour and a conditional 2016 second round draft pick from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Jeremy Lamb, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Ridnour (6-2, 175), a 12-year NBA veteran, has played in 830 career games (493 starts) with five teams, averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.00 steals in 26.1 minutes. The University of Oregon product spent the 2014-15 season with the Orlando Magic, appearing in 47 games and averaging 4.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 14.5 minutes. Ridnour was acquired by the Memphis Grizzlies on June 24, 2015 before being traded to Charlotte in a separate transaction earlier today.

Lamb appeared in 47 games (eight starts) for the Thunder in the 2014-15 season, averaging 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes. In three seasons with the Thunder, Lamb saw action in 148 games (eight starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.7 minutes.

Utah Jazz hire Jeff Watkinson and Zach Guthrie

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has hired Jeff Watkinson as assistant coach/integrated player development and Zach Guthrie as manager of basketball strategy/technology.

For the past three seasons, Watkinson served as the strength and conditioning coach for the Atlanta Hawks (2012-15), who won a franchise-record 60 games in 2014-15 en route to the best record in the Eastern Conference. He rejoins Jazz Head Coach Quin Snyder after working with him in Atlanta (2013-14) and also at the University of Missouri (2001-06). Before working for the Hawks, Watkinson owned and operated Wat Training, where he worked with NBA players, including Pelicans guard Eric Gordon, to improve their strength, conditioning and basketball development skills. Prior to the NBA, Watkinson served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Indiana University from 2006-10, after holding similar positions at Missouri, Clemson, Charlotte and College of Charleston.

A native of Chicago, Watkinson began his studies in 1989 at Kishwaukee College in Malta, Ill., where he earned an associate’s degree in pre-medicine. He then received a baseball scholarship to attend North Carolina State, where he played for two years and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine in 1993. Watkinson went on to earn a master’s degree in exercise science from Indiana in 1996.

Guthrie arrives in Utah after spending three years with the Orlando Magic as the manager of advanced scouting from 2012-15. Prior to his time in Orlando, Guthrie spent two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, ascending to the role of assistant video coordinator.

Guthrie got his start as a basketball operations intern with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League in 2007, where he worked closely under Coach Snyder, then the Toros’ head coach. The San Antonio native graduated in 2010 from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in business.