2012 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Garnett, Spurs, Randolph, Howard

March 29th, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The top of this year's draft figures to be particularly UNC-heavy, with three Tar Heel underclassmen declaring their intentions to enter the draft earlier today. Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Kendall Marshall will join senior Tyler Zeller as potential North Carolina lottery picks. And as ESPN.com's Chad Ford writes, the Tar Heels could make it five first-rounders if James McAdoo decides to enter the draft as well (Insider link).

Here are a few more afternoon links from around the Association:

Kevin Garnett seems open to returning to the Celtics next year and it's hard to argue Boston would be better off without him, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News breaks down the contract details for Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills. Each of the new Spurs signed a minimum deal, with Diaw's expiring at season's end and Mills holding a minimum-salary player option for next season.
The Kings worked out Shavlik Randolph yesterday, but didn't sign him to a contract, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Jones adds that Randolph may be an option for Sacramento later.
According to Jeff Van Gundy, "only the most gullible fans" would believe Dwight Howard's decision to play another season with the Magic was about loyalty. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel has the details and more quotes from Van Gundy.

UNC’s Barnes, Henson, Marshall To Enter Draft

March 29th, 2012 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Three North Carolina players, Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Kendall Marshall, will leave UNC early and enter the draft, the Tar Heels announced today (link via ESPN.com).

"It's a great day for three youngsters who are taking another step toward their ultimate goal of playing professional basketball," coach Roy Williams said in a statement. "On a very small stage, it's a sad day for me because I won't get to coach them again. All Tar Heel fans will miss them greatly, as well."

While Barnes, a sophomore, has the potential to be a top-five pick, Marshall (sophomore) and Henson (junior) are expected to be picked early on June 28th as well. In the latest update to his mock draft, ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) projected all three Tar Heels to be picked in the top 15 — Barnes seventh, Marshall 12th, and Henson 15th.

Draft Updates: Moultrie, Mock Draft, Cavaliers

March 28th, 2012 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA officially announced today that this year's draft will be held at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. With exactly three months until the June 28th event, let's round up the latest news and rumors….

Arnett Moultrie, who projects as a mid-to-late first-round pick, intends to enter the draft, as he tells Brad Locke of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. "I… have decided to explore my options and enter my name into the 2012 NBA Draft," the Mississippi State big man wrote in a text message. "I have not signed with an agent, as of yet. However, I do anticipate doing so."
Moultrie's declaration will prevent him from returning to Mississippi State for his senior year. However, there's one loophole that could allow him to withdraw and play one more year of college basketball, as Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com explains.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford released his second mock draft today (Insider-only link) and fielded draft-related questions in a chat. In another Insider piece, Ford previews the best of the 2012/13 NCAA freshman class.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also answered a number of draft questions in his latest chat, with a strong focus on the Cavaliers' draft prospects.

Odds & Ends: James, Gibson, Draft, Stuckey

March 27th, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Michael Pina

It's being reported by ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that early on in Miami's 105-90 loss against Indiana last night, LeBron James may have dislocated the ring finger on his left hand. In 41 minutes, James scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds in what was Miami's second straight loss.

According to the Associated Press, Georgetown junior Hollis Thompson is planning on hiring an agent, and will enter the NBA draft. This year he shot 43% from behind the three-point line, which led the entire Big East. Thompson finished the season as the Hoyas' second leading scorer, and third leading rebounder.
Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson has a torn tendon in his right foot and may miss the remainder of the season. Gibson is currently seeking multiple opinions pertaining to the injury's severity, but with only a month left in the season and Cleveland all but out of the playoff picture—not to mention the fact that they recently signed guards Donald Sloan and Manny Harris—it's more than likely he won't see the court again.
In a recent USA Today article, Rodney Stuckey told writer Jeff Zillgitt that he saw a psychologist in order to cope with all the recent losing he's experienced with the Pistons. Stuckey is in the midst of a resurgent season that last saw him hit a game-winning shot against the Wizards last night.
Since being traded to the Nets, Gerald Wallace has experienced loss after loss, but he's keeping a positive attitude, according to the Newark Star-Ledger's Colin Stephenson.
The Bobcats haven't found the most success this season. The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell writes that if they don't turn things around, they could go down as the worst team in NBA history.

Odds & Ends: Draft, McCollum, Chandler, Magic

March 27th, 2012 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

As we approach the season's final few weeks, some teams will jockey for playoff spots while clubs on the other end of the spectrum jockey for draft position. Henry Abbott of ESPN.com's TrueHoop writes today about the issue of tanking that inevitably arises at this point in the season, and what can be done to avoid it. The piece is highly recommended, and includes a fascinating tidbit on four general mangers on non-playoff teams who reportedly only put in part-time hours.

Here are a few more links from around the Association for Tuesday afternoon:

Lehigh guard C.J. McCollum has declared his intent to enter the draft, according to a release from the University's website. McCollum won't hire an agent, so he could still withdraw by April 10th and retain his NCAA eligibility. In his first mock draft, ESPN.com's Chad Ford had McCollum going early in the second round.
Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld talked to Wilson Chandler and the Nuggets about Chandler's return from China and the team's chances of qualifying for the postseason.
With a focus on Ryan Anderson and other upcoming free agents, Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida discusses how a player's height affects the sort of contract he signs.
Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside updates his list of D-League players who could receive auditions from NBA teams over the remainder of the season.
Magic GM Otis Smith sat down for a question-and-answer session with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Draft Updates: Sidney, Waiters

March 26th, 2012 at 10:45pm CST by Daniel Seco

The flurry of underclassmen declaring themselves eligible for the 2012 NBA draft has continued well into Monday evening. Earlier today, Duke's Austin Rivers announced his decision to leave school for the NBA after only one season and sign with an agent. Let's see who else will be joining him in what is shaping up to be one of the deeper drafts in recent memory.

Mississippi State forward Renardo Sidney will forgo his senior season after signing with an agent and declaring himself eligible for the draft. Sidney had an impressive sophomore season with 14.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG, but saw his production slip as a junior as the Bulldogs went 21-12 on the season. The 6-foot-10 forward dealt with eligibility issues earlier in his career and was involved in a fight with a teammate this past season during a tournament in Hawaii.
Syracuse guard Dion Waiters announced on Monday his decision to leave school early and enter the draft. The sophomore from Philadelphia nearly doubled his offensive output from his freshman year by averaging 12.6 PPG while leading the Big East in steals for a Syracuse team that reached the Elite Eight during the NCAA tournament. Lauded for his gutsy leadership during an especially tumultuous start to Syracuse's season, Waiters projects as a mid to late first-round draft pick by many draft experts.

Rivers Officially Declares For NBA Draft

March 26th, 2012 at 6:53pm CST by Daniel Seco

Duke guard Austin Rivers has announced his decision to leave school and officially declare for the 2012 NBA draft. Rivers, 19, played one season for the Blue Devils in which he averaged 15.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG with a season-high 29 points coming in a buzzer-beating victory over the University of North Carolina. The consenus ACC rookie of the year will hire an agent and is projected to be one the first players selected in the draft.

"I would like to thank the coaches, my teammates and the fans for helping make this past year at Duke so special," Rivers said in a statement released by the university. "It was a difficult decision to leave Duke, but I am excited about chasing my dream of playing in the NBA."

The son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers led his squad to a 2-seed in the 2012 NCAA tournament only to lose in the first round to 15-seed Lehigh University.

Draft Updates: Green, Beal, Kabongo, Cunningham

March 26th, 2012 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Associated Press announced its All-America team today (link via ESPN.com), with Thomas Robinson of Kansas leading the way as the only unanimous selection. Kentucky's Anthony Davis, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Michigan State's Draymond Green, and Creighton's Doug McDermott rounded out the AP's picks. Three of those players are still alive in the NCAA Final Four, but most prospects with NBA aspirations are looking ahead to the June draft. Here are the latest draft updates:

Michigan State's Green has signed with agents Ron Shade and Herb Rudoy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Chad Ford had the Spartan senior going 28th overall in his first mock draft.
Ford also takes a look at how the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight may have affected a number of players' draft stocks (Insider link). Not good news for Harrison Barnes.
Like Ford, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld recaps the weekend action for a few top prospects. He also adds that the Wizards are "enamored with" Bradley Beal.
Freshman Myck Kabongo will return to Texas for his sophomore season, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports.
Jared Cunningham of Oregon State will test the draft waters, according to Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Cunningham won't officially declare or hire an agent right away, so he'll have until April 29th to make his decision. For more details on the deadlines facing underclassmen, click here.

Damian Lillard Expected To Enter Draft

March 24th, 2012 at 1:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

Weber State junior point guard Damian Lillard will enter this year's NBA Draft, sources have told Gary Parrish of CBS Sports. The 6'3" Oakland, California native averaged 24.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this year.

Lightly recruited out of high school, he projects as the 12th overall pick by NBADraft.net and 13th by Draft Express. It's a fast rise for a lightly recruited player out of high school who appeared in only nine games last season because of a broken right foot. Earlier this season, Walker Beeken of Draft Express examined his game, praising his shooting and ball-handling while wondering about his playmaking skills and abilities to play NBA-level defense. Tyler Ingle of NBADraft.net likes how he gets to the free-throw line, but doesn't think he's a true point guard, which his low assist total backs up.

Doc Rivers Denies Son Austin Is Entering Draft

March 23rd, 2012 at 6:26pm CST by Luke Adams

6:26pm: Austin Rivers is still deciding whether he will stay at Duke or enter the draft, according to his father, reports Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston (Twitter link)

10:15am: After one season at Duke, Austin Rivers will sign with an agent and forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Doc Rivers' son will declare for the 2012 NBA draft and could be a lottery pick.

Rivers' Duke career ended prematurely when the Blue Devils were upset by a 15-seed, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In his freshman season, the 6'4" guard averaged 15.5 points and 1.7 three-pointers in 33.2 minutes per game.