HoopsHype.com Rumors

Shabazz Muhammad headlines Monday's 6-player workout for Kings. The biggest name is UCLA forward Shabazz Muhammad. He was the top prep player in the country last year, but didn't have the impact some expected for the Bruins. There were eligibility questions and questions about his real age. After being a projected lottery pick, Muhammad's stock is slipping in the eyes of some executives. Sulia

Sacramento Kings, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad, Workouts 

By numbers alone, Muhammad would appear to have the skill set with which to do that. He made nearly 38 percent of his three-point attempts, shot 71 percent from the free throw line and was, generally, a productive scorer in his only season at Westwood. However, there are questions about his ability to score against NBA defenders as well as his character. The former issue is one he's hoping to answer in these workouts, whereas the latter is something that is more about his father, not him. "I've been interviewing with these coaches and they know how good of a kid I am," Muhammad said. "I just want to come out here and play basketball. All the other extracurricular activity stuff is stuff I'm not really included in. "I just want to come out here and play basketball and that's my job." Arizona's Sports Page

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

Paul Coro: McLemore is doing an individual workout with the #Suns. Today's 6-man workout group: Oladipo, Zeller, Muhammad, Gobert, Singler & Berggren. Twitter @paulcoro

Phoenix Suns, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad, Cody Zeller, Rudy Gobert, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo, Jared Berggren, Workout, EJ Singler 

Paul Coro: #Suns announce that today's workout includes McLemore, Oladipo, Zeller, Muhammad & Gobert. Alex Len is in but can't work out due to injury. Twitter @paulcoro

Phoenix Suns, Draft, Injuries, Shabazz Muhammad, Cody Zeller, Workouts, Alex Len, Rudy Gobert, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo 

The Suns appear to have assembled an impressive Wednesday workout group with Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore, Indiana shooting guard Victor Oladipo, Indiana power forward Cody Zeller, UCLA swingman Shabazz Muhammad and French power forward Rudy Gobert, unless one of those players has come to town early for a different workout. Between Indiana coach Tom Crean’s media comments and the players’ social media, five players’ arrivals in Phoenix have become known and the Suns do have a workout scheduled today but have not confirmed the participants. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad, Cody Zeller, Workouts, Rudy Gobert, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo 

Brad Turner: NBA GMs, scouts say UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad's dradt stock is going down. Twitter @BA_Turner

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

He especially likes the way he’d fit with the Pistons, Muhammad said. “Great fit,” he said. “I love Andre. That’s my guy. And Greg (Monroe) and Brandon Knight also, who is a really good point guard. I see myself really fitting well with them. I like the young teams that have bits and pieces and I think I could really learn a lot and come out off the get-go and try to help them out right away.” NBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

He especially likes the way he’d fit with the Pistons, Shabazz Muhammad said. “Great fit,” he said. “I love Andre. That’s my guy. And Greg (Monroe) and Brandon Knight also, who is a really good point guard. I see myself really fitting well with them. I like the young teams that have bits and pieces and I think I could really learn a lot and come out off the get-go and try to help them out right away.” NBA.com

Detroit Pistons, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

Muhammad knows tough questions are coming his way, including the role of his father, portrayed as domineering and manipulative by the Times’ story, who picked a spouse, the story contended, with the intent of producing world-class athletes from their union. The questions might have gained oxygen with Thursday’s news that his father, Ronald Holmes, was indicted on federal bank fraud and conspiracy charges revolving around the obtaining of mortgage loans. He started getting a taste of those questions in Chicago. NBA.com

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

“I knew they were going to go over those questions,” Muhammad said, including the ones that led to his NCAA suspension when a family friend paid for unofficial recruiting trips across the country. “I just wanted to get them out of the way so they can know what’s really going on. A lot of people speculate how bad I am as a player, but I really cleared it up and I’m also happy to get that stuff and can’t wait to do the other interviews. I’m telling them everything, just telling them the truth. I’m a good kid. I’m here to play basketball and here to make a team really win.” NBA.com

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

Ronald Holmes, father of former UCLA basketball star Shabazz Muhammad, was indicted Thursday on federal bank fraud and conspiracy charges. Holmes’ address listed in the federal indictment matches one given by the family in a Dream Vision traveling basketball team program. Muhammad and his younger brother, Rashad, both played for Dream Vision, an Amateur Athletic Union team. Las Vegas Review Journal

Draft, Law, Shabazz Muhammad 

The indictment states that Holmes and his partners obtained “mortgage loans by fraudulent means to buy houses,” from 2006 to 2009. The U.S. attorney’s office is seeking to recover $2.5 million from Holmes. Shabazz, 20, played one year at UCLA before declaring for the NBA draft. UCLA recruited him while he played for Bishop Gorman High School. According to the court documents, Holmes is being detained pending a detention hearing. Las Vegas Review Journal

Draft, Law, Shabazz Muhammad 

The more executives you talk to about Muhammad, the more likely it seems he slips out of the lottery. Muhammad is a scorer who prefers to play the 2-guard spot, but he has the size and strength to play small forward, too. Questions about Muhammad's attitude and one-dimensional play linger. "He just doesn't do a lot of things," an Eastern Conference executive said. "If he's not a great scroer, he doesn't help you much." The Bucks ranked 21st points per possession this season, so a productive Muhammad will help. SI.com

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

If the Wolves stay at No. 9, one league source predicts Saunders will take UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad. Word has it that the Wolves like him. But so does Detroit, and they pick one spot ahead of the Wolves. 1500 ESPN

Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

Providence shooting guard Brandon Paul and North Texas power forward Tony Mitchell said they interviewed with the Pistons on Thursday night and UCLA guard Shabazz Muhammad said he was interviewing with the Pistons tonight. Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons, Draft, Shabazz Muhammad, Brandon Paul, Tony Mitchell 

Gary Washburn: Shabazz Muhammad said he hopes this week's NBA Combine interviews helped erase perceptions that he's a moody player. "I'm a nice guy." #ucla Twitter @GwashNBAGlobe

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

He said many of the NBA teams he has interviewed with in Chicago have asked him about the circumstances surrounding his suspension. "I knew (the questions) were going to come, and that's why I loved these interviews," Muhammad said. "I just wanted to get them out of the way so the teams could know what was going on. A lot of people speculated at how bad I am as a player and stuff like that, but I was glad to clear that up. I got good feedback. I was just telling the truth ... cleared some stuff up. Some of it I didn't even know was going on. I'm a guy who just plays basketball, and some of that was family members taking care of that. Now, as an NBA guy, I can speak for myself." Oregonian

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

NBA executives are raising the possibility that Shabazz Muhammad could fall out of the first top 10 picks in the NBA Draft and possibly the lottery entirely, the latest draft setback for the UCLA swingman who began the season in the conversation for the No. 1 pick. Muhammad being on the board until the middle of the first round on June 27 was once inconceivable, and still is to some within the league, for a prospect with the potential to be a scoring star. But in noting his selfish play, poor body language and the new perspective after the discovery Muhammad had been lying about his age, some teams had turned shockingly cold as the annual pre-draft combine Thursday began the first of two days of drills and workouts. NBA.com

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

One executive said, on the matter of Muhammed dropping in the draft, “I’m not saying it happens. But I wouldn’t be surprised.” “Out of the lottery?” another personnel boss said. “I guess it’s possible.” NBA.com

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

The climate has turned so bad that another general manager savaged the prospect even while saying there is no chance Muhammad gets out of the lottery, and maybe doesn’t even reach double digits. “It’s his overall attitude,” that executive said. “His presentation of himself. It’s an all-about-me presentation. I think that’s his biggest knock…. His selfish tendencies on the floor show up at certain times. But that’s what scorers do.” NBA.com

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad