GREELEY, Colo. — The day before the COMO draft, Colorado general manager Collin Atkinson sent a surprise message to commissioner Alex Smith: This would be Atkinson's final season. Five years of subpar basketball had taken their toll. Smith confirmed details of the conversation with the Greeley Tribune. He said that the message wasn't shocking, given the Hilltoppers' struggles (110-300 in five seasons). But, hours later, he was stunned by the timing of another message, this one from a potential ownership group inquiring about 2019-2020 membership. Nate Atkins (based in Detroit) and his business partner Wade Rupard (Minneapolis) had stumbled into the conversation at the perfect time. Smith quickly asked Atkinson if he was willing to transfer ownership, and he obliged. Roughly 24 hours before the draft, Atkins and Rupard held the reins of the Colorado Hilltoppers. It'd be one thing if the pair were intimately familiar with the league rulebook and various transactional contexts. But, in fact, they knew little about the day-to-day process of owning a COMO team. It was with this baggage — or lack thereof — that they immediately began building their draft board. Once the event began, the league allowed Colorado to execute a basic trade with St. Louis that had been loosely agreed upon under Atkinson's watch (the Hilltoppers' No. 5 overall pick for Nos. 8 and 10). 'If you ain't first, you're last' The Toppers' first official pickup was Duke guard/forward Cam Reddish, and two picks later, they added Virginia guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who greatly boosted his draft prospects in the NBA Summer League. Atkins said the team originally targeted Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland at No. 5, but decided to accept the package of picks instead. The guy they got at No. 8 — Reddish — was high on their board, anyway. "We loved Cam Reddish so much we honestly considered him at No. 5," Atkins told the Tribune. "He is the reason we were OK passing on Garland (who went to Hamburg at No. 6). "Our picks are almost all about upside and the same is true for Nickeil, who could soon be lobbing passes to Zion (with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans)." Rupard said it was part of the organization's aggressive mindset. "We want to build a team that can contend for a title, and this is the first step," he said. "That's our ultimate goal. As the prophet Ricky Bobby once said, 'If you ain't first, you're last,' and that's a motto Nate and I live by." Zion arrives in Chaska The world has seen few conclusions as foregone as the No. 1 selection Sunday. Chaska — once a COMO powerhouse, now a cellar dweller — was able to inject a significant amount of positivity into its franchise with the addition of Duke legend Zion Williamson. General manager Joseph Fafinski told SWNewsMedia.com that no fewer than six COMO teams made trade inquiries regarding the No. 1 pick. Nothing was tantalizing enough to follow through on. Once Williamson's name was called, Fafinski made it clear to reporters: "We're rebuilding." A big part of that mindset is John Wall's albatross of a deal ($28M) that will hang around the Moose's neck until 2021. The roster is full of iffy contracts (Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, even Kristaps Porzingis), but even if Fafinski cleans house, Wall's deal makes it tough to complete a rebuild through free agency. Perhaps the former All-COMO player will show a spark this season and become a trade-deadline prospect. Regardless, Fafinski is feeling pretty good. "Woke up today and remembered getting Zion wasn't a dream," he said Monday. Expansion teams finally add talent The first-ever Hamburg Villagers and Scranton Stranglers arrived Sunday via the draft. Each team had three picks: first round, second round, and expansion round. The Stranglers, slotted at No. 4 overall, made a bit of a splash by taking North Carolina guard Cobi White. Two spots later, the Villagers selected Vandy guard Darius Garland. The two new teams are in the same conference, so they'll be able to directly measure their progress against each other in 2019-2020. Their next opportunity to land players will be in the Expansion Draft (slated for Sept. 29), when other teams' cut players $14M and below will be available. After that, they'll participate in unrestricted free agency with some limitations. 2019-2020 COMO Draft results (first round)
2019-2020 COMO Draft results (second round)
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CHANHASSEN, Minn. — It's a new dawn for Paisley Park. Tuesday, the long-suffering Rainmakers shed an ugly contract and collected an outstanding one. All it cost was a trio of draft picks and $17 million.
All-COMO guard Ben Simmons, who helped the Shorewood Show win a record 77 games in 2017-2018 and won a ring in 2018-2019, is now headed 5 minutes down the road to Chanhassen. In return, the Rainmakers are sending the Show their No. 17 overall pick in next Sunday's draft, as well as both their first- and second-round picks in 2020. Oh, and Paisley Park is untethering itself from the albatross that is DeMarcus Cousins' three-year deal ($17 million annually). It's a move that turns Paisley into an instant contender. The Rainmakers now have a pair of stars — Anthony Davis and Simmons — and some breathing room to bring in a third. "I still love Boogie," GM Brendan Halleron said, "but I took a 29-out-of-30 gamble he wouldn't be on the same [NBA] team as Davis. I lost on the 1-in-30 chance. I wish him all the best and hope he gets healthy, but I look forward to winning now with Simmons at the helm." Paisley has been one of COMO's most beleaguered frachises. The Rainmakers have only finished with one winning record in six seasons. Last summer's questionable pairing of Davis' and Cousins' long-term contracts only figured to lock the team into further turmoil. Suddenly, the winds have changed. There's Davis and Simmons. There's also likely No. 3 draftee R.J. Barrett, who should contribute immediately. Holdovers Jayson Tatum and Zach LaVine figure to score in bunches again. Oh, and last year's No. 2 overall pick, DeAndre Ayton, looks like a future All-COMO selection. Meanwhile, Shorewood has found a way to get return on Simmons, who was reportedly not in the team's future plans due to a complicated cap situation. Cousins will likely be cut this fall, but Paisley Park has agreed to pay the penalty for his 2021-2022 salary in that event, so Shorewood will only be on the hook for the next two seasons (perhaps the Show can find a suitor for Cousins in lieu of paying cash for his disappearance). Simmons arrived in Shorewood in summer 2017, following an injury-ruined season with Colorado. That season, he was the unanimous Rookie of the Year as the Show soared through the regular season with an unbelievable 77-5 record. While Shorewood lost to Newport Beach in the ensuing COMO Finals, the Show managed to claw back to the Finals this past April and upset the Minnesnowta Chill for their fourth championship. "Ben was an outstanding part of our organization for two seasons," GM Alex Smith said. "His work here was historic. And we'd love to keep him. But there was no wiggle room to make that happen." Despite losing Simmons, the Show will return two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, All-COMO stud Nikola Jokic and All-COMO Playoffs selection Devin Booker, among others. Shorewood figures to be a heavy favorite to win its fifth trophy next spring. It will likely need to slip past Simmons and Paisley Park to do so. DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia — At first glance, James Harden's $32 million contract with the Sunnyvale Slayers looks great. Same goes for the second glance. And the third. And, really, no matter how many times you look at it, it's attractive as hell.
Any team in the league would be more than pleased to build around Harden's relatively low cap number, given that he just finished second in the MVP race and has earned six consecutive first-team All-COMO nods. He's been a tank, and does not figure to slow down in 2019-2020. Despite all this, Slayers general manager Matthew Quammen is hellbent on moving Harden during the Summer Trade Window, which runs from July 22 until the final pick of the draft July 28. "I'm going full LaVar Ball this offseason," Quammen said, nodding to his current head coach. "Winners only." The idea that Harden is not a "winner" has permeated the Slayers facilities since a stunning beatdown in the semifinals. Following a 65-win regular season (the fourth-most in league history), Sunnyvale face-planted against the dynastic Shorewood Show, losing four games to one. Harden was noticeably flat during the series, but — on paper, at least — was set to be the Slayers' centerpiece for the foreseeable future. Now, he can turn another franchise into an instant contender. Teams such as Colorado, Duval United, Manhattan and St. Louis seem like natural landing spots (especially, the Hornets, which possess the No. 2 overall pick — and four total first-rounders — in the forthcoming COMO Draft). Simmons, Booker might also be available There figure to be a few other stars on the move next week, as well. Shorewood — bloated with attractive contracts after another title run — has been trying to move Ben Simmons ($24M) per sources. Rumors have swirled that Devin Booker ($15M) is also available, but general manager Alex Smith has publicly denied them. Elsewhere, Minnesnowta might be able to turn its influx of All-COMO candidates into more cap-friendly pieces, and teams such as Colorado (Kemba Walker) and Duval United (Blake Griffin) will likely make overtures to other front offices. |
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