Jazz Acquire Trey Burke
9:29pm: The deal is now official, with Burke heading to Utah for Shabazz Muhammad (No. 14) and Gorgui Dieng (No. 21).
7:34pm: The Jazz will acquire ninth overall pick Trey Burke from the Timberwolves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that the T-Wolves will acquire the 14th and 21st picks in the swap.
There was speculation earlier today that Utah would trade up in the draft to land one of the top point guards on the board. It was reported that the team may have to include Alec Burks along with the two first-rounders to get a deal done, but with Burke slipping to No. 9, the Wolves were apparently ahppy to simply pick up an extra pick.
Jazz To Acquire Rudy Gobert
The Nuggets will draft Rudy Gobert with the 27th overall pick, but will send him to the Jazz. Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post first reported (via Twitter) the pick and the trade, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com added the Nuggets' trade partner (via Twitter). According to Hochman (via Twitter), Denver will receive cash and the 46th overall pick in the deal.
You can check out the night's full draft results right here.
Draft Updates: Raptors, Bucks, Mavs, Cavs
As the first round continues to roll along in Brooklyn, let's round up a few odds and ends from draft night….
- The Raptors "went hard" after the 13th overall pick, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter). However, it doesn't look like the Raps will be trading into the draft now, says Wolstat (via Twitter).
- The Bucks don't intend to stash Giannis Antetokounmpo overseas, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who says (via Twitter) that Milwaukee will bring the "Greek Freak" stateside immediately.
- The Mavericks intend to keep No. 18 pick Shane Larkin, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. Dallas wanted to avoid the cap hold attached to a first-round pick, but that cap hold was made marginally smaller by the move down from No. 13. The team also shed some salary by sending Jared Cunningham to Atlanta.
- A source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant's "need to fleece teams in trades has cost him tonight" (Twitter link). Although they were rumored to be discussing a ton of deals, the Cavs haven't been active so far tonight.
Mid-Draft Rumors: Noel, 76ers, Warriors, Suns
You can follow tonight's draft picks right here, but we're hearing plenty of other rumblings outside of the picks themselves. Let's round up a few….
- One executive whose team passed on Nerlens Noel told Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Kentucky big man is actually healthier than Anthony Bennett or Alex Len, so injury concerns weren't the reason Noel slipped.
- The blockbuster trade the Sixers made, acquiring Noel and a 2014 first-rounder for Jrue Holiday, signals one reason the team hasn't hired a coach yet, tweets Broussard. With a rebuild seemingly on the way, the 76ers wanted a new head coach to know what he was getting into.
- The Warriors are receiving calls on Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, but value both players "very, very, very highly," according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).
- The Suns drafted Alex Len to keep him, and have no deals in place, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- A Luke Ridnour/Ekpe Udoh swap between the Timberwolves and Bucks won't happen tonight, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- The Cavs are in the process of trying to move up from No. 19, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Cavaliers Select Anthony Bennett First Overall
Although there was uncertainty all the way up until draft day on what the Cavaliers would do with the first overall pick, the team still managed to find a way to surprise. The Cavs kept the selection and have used it to make Anthony Bennett the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Chad Ford of ESPN.com was the first to report the decision (via Twitter), while ESPN.com's Andy Katz says (via Twitter) that the Cavs plan to hang onto Bennett.
Bennett, 20, wasn't viewed as the top prospect in this year's group, so the Cavaliers were expected to choose between Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore, and Otto Porter were also thought to be in the mix for the top pick in the weeks leading up to tonight
In his freshman year at UNLV, Bennett averaged 16.1 PPG and 8.1 RPG. Our Zach Links examined Bennett more closely in April as part of our Prospect Profile series.
You can follow the rest of tonight's draft results right here.
More Draft Rumors: Thunder, Cavs, Raptors, Jazz
The Cavaliers will be on the clock in less than two hours, and we still don't know exactly what they'll do with that No. 1 pick. The rest of the first round only gets more uncertain, so it looks like we're in for a fun night. Here are the latest rumors and rumblings related to the 2013 draft:
- The Thunder tried to acquire the Cavs' first overall pick, but OKC's bid failed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter), the Cavs have made a decision on their first overall pick, assuming they hang onto it. Within the next 15 minutes or so, we'll know what that decision is.
- The Raptors are finding no traction in their efforts to acquire a lottery pick, tweets Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
- While the Wolves continue attempting to move up in the lottery, teams ahead of them are "hesitant" to move their picks, a source tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- While the Jazz could be seeking a point guard at No. 14, don't expect Michael Carter-Williams to fall to them, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- The Cavs "definitely" have interest in Lucas Nogueira, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford is hearing that the Pistons will ride things out and keep the No. 8 pick (Twitter link).
- The Mavericks continue to shop the 13th pick "as hard as advertised," in hopes of landing a 2014 lottery pick, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com.
- In addition to the Suns (mentioned below), the Timberwolves also remain in play for the No. 1 pick, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- The Suns have offered the Cavs the Nos. 5 and 30 picks for the first overall pick, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Phoenix is after Nerlens Noel, according to Ford. But given how highly the Cavs seem to value that top pick, I doubt that offer gets it done.
- There's "little chance" that the Magic part with the No. 2 pick, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
- While the Timberwolves still have interest in trading up from No. 9, the price remains high, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. In the likely scenario that Minnesota remains at No. 9, the team is expected to target Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cody Zeller, and C.J. McCollum, in that order.
- The Cavs continue to explore trades involving the No. 1 pick, and Broussard says (via Twitter) that if they take anyone besides Alex Len, it could be part of a deal.
- Various reports indicate that the Raptors are looking to acquire a lottery pick. Broussard tweets that they could be trying to get as high as No. 2, while Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com is hearing (Twitter link) Toronto is targeting a late lottery pick with its eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- The Suns are trying to acquire late-first-round picks, hoping to add more young players to the roster, tweets Broussard.
- Although the Trail Blazers would like to add veterans more than youth, indications are that they'll keep the No. 10 pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- The possibility that the Thunder could draft Antetokounmpo at No. 12 probably scares the Hawks, who have long coveted the "Greek Freak," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Rockets Looking To Move Jeremy Lin?
The Rockets would like to move Jeremy Lin's contract, and are prioritizing cap relief or acquiring young basketball assets, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com (via Twitter). Deeks adds (via Twitter) that in addition to gaining cap relief, dealing Lin would allow the team to play Patrick Beverley more.
With the Rockets considered a potential destination for Dwight Howard, the team continues to try to clear the space necessary to make a maximum-salary offer to the big man. Thomas Robinson's name has come up more frequently in trade rumors, but Lin's cap hit is more than twice what Robinson's is, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Rockets were gauging Lin's value as well.
Warriors Inquired On Kevin Garnett
The Warriors inquired on Kevin Garnett's availability on Wednesday, but no progress was made in talks between Golden State and Boston, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
With talks between the Celtics and Nets heating up, it appears that Garnett and Paul Pierce could be headed to Brooklyn, assuming KG decides to waive his no-trade clause. Even if the Celtics and Warriors had been able to agree on a Garnett deal, I would've been surprised if the veteran big man would've waived his no-trade clause to play in Golden State, though that's just my speculation.
Nets, Celtics Discussing KG/Pierce Deal
5:45pm: Although the two teams would like to resolve the situation soon, Garnett "doesn't want to be pressured into a quick decision," a source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
5:28pm: Boston Globe scribes Baxter Holmes and Gary Washburn are both reporting (via Twitter) that the deal appears close, pending Garnett's decision. Meanwhile, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets that the '16 and '18 first-rounders in the proposed swap would be unprotected.
5:22pm: A source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that KG is expected to touch base with Pierce before making a decision on whether or not to waive his no-trade clause (Twitter link).
4:45pm: The proposed deal has been presented to Garnett to waive his no-trade clause, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). While the move couldn't be finalized until July 10th, the Nets and Clippers are hoping to reach an agreement in principle well before then, tweets Stein.
4:29pm: If a deal was to be made, the first-rounders going from the Nets to the Celtics would be Brooklyn's 2014, 2016, and 2018 picks, tweets Wojnarowski.
4:19pm: No agreement is expected to be reached tonight, but the talks definitely have momentum, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
4:12pm: The talks between the Nets and Celtics have now reached the ownership level, according to Wojnarowski, who says that Jason Terry has joined Garnett and Pierce as part of the package (Twitter link). On the other side, the Nets would include Reggie Evans, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade), and one more minimum-salary player, tweets Wojnarowski.
Odds & Ends: KG, Pierce, D12, McMillan, Kanter
Draft rumors are dominating headlines today, but there are a few other stories and links we don't want to let slip through the cracks. Let's round them up….
- As talks between the Celtics and Nets progress, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the C's also raised the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce package to a Western Conference team, but few, if any, other clubs would go all-in like the Nets.
- Perhaps that Western Conference team was the Timberwolves? Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears that Garnett's name, at least, has come up in Minnesota (Twitter link).
- The Warriors are hoping to meet with Dwight Howard in free agency, and D12 figures to give them an audience, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
- Nate McMillan is finalizing an agreement to become the top assistant on Frank Vogel's Pacers staff, tweets Wojnarowski.
- Enes Kanter will not be traded tonight, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News gives the Mavericks a 28% chance of landing Howard this summer, and thinks Andrew Bynum and Monta Ellis could be among the team's backup plans.
- Ty Lawson and Brian Shaw met to discuss the Nuggets' future, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post details.