With the 2012 draft order now finalized, barring further trades, mock draft season begins in earnest. We'll be publishing our own mock draft in the coming days, but until then, there are plenty of post-lottery mocks out there to hold you over. Check out the mock drafts below to see who a few prominent NBA scribes and draft experts think your favorite team will select….
NBA commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver spoke Wednesday about a number of on- and off-court issues, including the Summer Olympics, potential rule changes, and the upcoming hearing on Bird rights and waiver claims (link via ESPN.com). Let's round up a few of the highlights from Stern and Silver….
The 2012 NBA draft lottery is behind us, which means the official order for the June 28th draft has been established. Listed below is the complete order for the first and second rounds of the 2012 draft, including traded picks. You can find the list at any time under the "Hoops Rumors Features" section on the right sidebar.
The Warriors were one of a few teams to benefit from Wednesday night's draft lottery results, hanging onto their lottery pick for another year. According to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, GM Bob Myers doesn't intend to use all four picks the Warriors hold, but views them as valuable trade assets. Myers also aims to land a starter with the seventh overall pick, pointing out that "I don't think anyone would accept the thought of drafting a backup" with a top-10 pick. Here are a few more of the morning's Warriors updates:
The NBA's draft lottery played out nearly exactly as expected last night, given the odds. Only one team, the Hornets, moved up into the top three, with the top-ranked Bobcats, Wizards, and Cavaliers each sliding down a spot and the rest of the order holding to form. Despite the lack of drastic movement, the lottery results had major ramifications for a number of clubs besides the Hornets. Let's take a brief look at the teams whose fates were most affected by the ping pong balls….
The NBA draft lottery brought good fortune to the Hornets organization, robbed the Bobcats of a chance to quickly advance in the rebuilding process and saw teams like the Nets and the Jazz miss out on securing lottery picks. The Cavs will have to use the fourth pick in the draft to build around Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson and the Warriors should simply be happy they were able to keep their spot at seventh. Beyond the Hornets, count the Trail Blazers as the second biggest winner Wednesday night as Portland will make two selections among the first 11 picks.
As the talking heads put together their latest mock drafts, let's take a look around the NBA to catch up on the the news and rumors making headlines as Hurricanes and Hand Grenades flow freely on Bourbon St…
The city of New Orleans caught a rare break on Wednesday evening. In a place riddled by murder, inadequate public education and general blight, the redeeming nature of sports put everything else on hold if but for a moment when the Hornets won the draft lottery and the right to select Kentucky's Anthony Davis. The franchise that saw Chris Paul leave via trade and David West sign with the Pacers within the last year has the chance to build a foundation for success heading forward thanks to the pairing of a legitimate big man and a healthy Eric Gordon. With the addition of new owner and New Orleans businessman Tom Benson to rehabilitate the general health of the franchise, the future is surely bright for basketball in the Crescent City.
The Bobcats set an NBA record for futility during the 2011/2012 season as the team finished the year with the lowest winning percentage in league history. Fast forward to earlier this evening and the Bobcats, with the best chance to secure the top spot in the NBA draft, lost out on the opportunity to select consensus first-overall pick Anthony Davis to the Hornets, who are partying like it's Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Instead of having the chance to stock the roster with a seemingly sure-fire franchise player, owner Michael Jordan and his front office will have to continue the rebuilding process by finding the best fit with the second pick. Here's the latest news and happenings from the Bobcats…
The results are in and New Orleans has won the right to draft Anthony Davis this June as the Hornets secured the top spot in the NBA draft. Count the Nets and Jazz among the lottery's losers as Brooklyn lost their draft pick to the Trail Blazers and Utah missed out on an opportunity to take the Warriors' selection. The Nets would have kept their pick if they had landed one of the top three spots in the draft whereas the Jazz would have netted a lottery pick if the Warriors fell outside of the top seven selections.
Hawks general manager Rick Sund intends to return to Atlanta for at least one more season, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Hawks recently picked up the option on head coach Larry Drew's contract after leading the team to a 40-26 record and a playoff appearance. Sund considered taking a season off but decided last week that he wanted to continue his work with the Hawks after speaking with friends and colleagues.