The Bulls, who hold the 29th pick, met with small forward Harrison Barnes on Thursday at the draft combine in Chicago, leading K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune to allude to the possibility that the team is thinking of trading up in the draft. That doesn't mean the team is interested in such a deal, of course — the Bulls could simply be trying to get a feel for as many players as they can — but as Johnson notes, Barnes would come in handy as a replacement for Luol Deng if he misses time next season because of his wrist injury. There's been plenty of other draft news from the rest of the Central as well.
- The Bulls are focusing on the backcourt as they look toward the draft, according to several players who've worked out for the team, as Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Earlier updates:
- Bucks officials interviewed 7-footers Tyler Zeller and Meyers Leonard and have workouts scheduled for both, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks, picking 12th, could use a true center to replace former No. 1 overall pick Andrew Bogut, as Gardner observes.
- The Cavs met with Jared Sullinger, who seems to be growing tired of the scrutiny he's been facing, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Despite the meeting, Lloyd doesn't see a fit for Sullinger and the Cavs with either of the team's first-round picks, at No. 4 and 24.
- MLive's David Mayo looks at what makes Perry Jones III a polarizing figure in the draft and a tantalizing possibility for the Pistons at pick No. 9.
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