Founder and president of Impact Basketball Joe Abunassar thinks Kawhi Leonard’s jumpshot is a simple fix.

He says the ball rotation and footwork is fine. In drills, he tried to shorten his stroke and get the basketball on his fingertips and out of his huge hands.

It’s likely something the Spurs tweaked this week, too. Abunassar thinks it’s easily correctable when Leonard returns to work with him in a few weeks.

“It’s just a repetition thing,” Abunassar said.

But repetition isn’t always fun. Leonard turned 20 on Wednesday. How many guys that age, finally free of school and with some money, really want to spend summer sweating in a gym?

Leonard appears to be one. “If his workout was scheduled for 9 a.m.,” Abunassar said, “then he was in at 7:45 a.m.”

Sometimes he stayed until 11:30 p.m. Sometimes they had to tell him he had to leave.

“Kawhi is one of the most focused and serious,” Abunassar said, “I’ve ever had.”

Bismack Biyombo's Spanish team apparently expects a buyout of approximately $1.4 million to allow the 18-year-old forward/center to join the Bobcats, who drafted him No.7 overall Thursday.

NBA rules say the Bobcats can't pay more than $500,000 toward any buyout, so in some ways the team's hands are tied.

The primary negotiation will need to be between Biyombo's agent and the Madrid-based team that currently holds the player's rights.

Jazz center Enes Kanter plans to play for Turkey's national team in the 2011 EuroBasket tournament if there is an NBA lockout.

Kanter said last Wednesday before being drafted by Utah that he would likely participate in the tournament, which is scheduled August 31-September 18 in Lithuania.

He added that he would not play professionally in Turkey during a lockout, but would consider signing with a European team.

After an inconsistent freshman season, Harrison Barnes decided to remain at North Carolina for the 11-12 season.

Barnes was impressive on Monday while battling Kevin Durant at the Elite Skills Camp in Chicago.

"Top pick in the next draft -- by far," said one scout of Barnes.

Chicago Bulls first-round draft pick Nikola Mirotic probably isn't going to be playing for the Bulls for a few seasons, but that doesn't mean the organization isn't excited about his potential fit with Derrick Rose.

"His skill set, I think, fits us well," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said on Monday. "It's not only the way he complements Derrick, but also the way he complements Carlos (Boozer). I think when you see big guys that can play out on the perimeter, it puts a lot more pressure on the defense. He's highly skilled, great touch, but more than just a spot-up shooter. He can put it on the floor. I like his frame. He's one of those guys that will continue to get better year after year, so we're excited about having him."

Charlotte Bobcats draft pick Bismack Biyombo and his Spanish club have scheduled a mediation session Friday in hopes of settling a dispute over the contract buyout required before he'd be allowed to play in the NBA.

Jorge Sanz, spokesman for the Madrid-based team Fuenlabrada, said Biyombo has two seasons left on his deal and his buyout clause is more than $1.4 million. NBA rules say the Bobcats can't pay more than $500,000 toward a buyout.

While Sanz said the team has accepted and won't fight the 18-year-old Congo native's desire to leave, it expects to receive the buyout.

The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired a future second round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to forward Tanguy Ngombo, it was announced today by the team.

Selected by Dallas with the 57th overall pick in the second round of last week's draft, Portland gained the draft rights to Ngombo as part of the trade that sent guard Rudy Fernandez to the Mavericks.

Jimmy Butler was in the Houston airport when the text message landed on his phone.

"Congratulations. Welcome. Maybe come by tonight and chill out for a bit and get to know each other."
 
The sender was none other than Derrick Rose, the reigning most valuable player in the NBA. So Butler landed and hung at Rose's house Sunday night.
 
Butler, the Chicago Bulls' first-round pick, revealed this anecdote at his introductory news conference at the Berto Center on Monday.

Josh Harrellson might give the Knicks a presence every team needs to advance, especially in the playoffs.

"I'm going to protect my stars," Harrellson said yesterday at halftime of the Liberty's win over the Los Angeles Sparks at the Prudential Center. "Amar'e, Carmelo, if someone's getting rough with them, I'm going to protect them. I'm going to make my presence felt. They'll know I'm there."

Harrellson, the No. 45 overall pick whom the Knicks acquired from the Hornets in a draft-night deal for about $750,000, said he thinks he can have a long NBA career as -- his words -- a garbage man.

It might seem like Jeremy Tyler's already been around the block a time or two, but then you realize the kid turned just 20 years old three days ago. Naturally, that's why Warriors executive vice president Larry Riley is preaching patience.

"What I want to see happen with this guy is to put some real muscle on him," Riley said. "And have Mark Jackson and his staff spend time with him. We're not going to rush him; we're going to give him plenty of time to develop and give him an opportunity to become a good NBA player. That's going to require some focus. He's young. There is some immaturity. I'm not going to duck that issue. But he seems to be committed, seems to be ready to go to work and we're anxious to go to work with him."

New coach Mark Jackson, however, views Tyler a little bit differently.

"I don't have time to draft somebody (and wait) for a couple of years," Jackson said. "He's a big kid who is an athlete that can block shots, finish and rebound the basketball. He's going to have every opportunity to do it now. Who's to say we didn't get better today?”