Amico On Bulls, Sloan, Blazers, Crawford
Within the last week, both Sam Smith of Bulls.com and Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com concocted trade scenarios in which the Bulls acquire Tyreke Evans from the Kings, increasing speculation about such a deal. But Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio hears from multiple sources that there's nothing to the idea, and that it's not something that's being discussed by the two teams. That tidbit comes from Amico's Thursday column, and he's back with another piece today, so let's take a look at the highlights:
Draft Updates: Thursday
The countdown until the 2012 draft is down to two weeks, and this week has been heavy on workouts and trade speculation. We'll track the latest news and rumors on both fronts, along with a handful of other draft-related items, right here. New updates will be added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- According to their official website, the Pacers will work out Evan Fournier, Ashton Gibbs, Travis Hyman, John Jenkins, Josh Owens, and Tony Wroten Jr. on Friday.
Sonny Weems To Return Next Season
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter), Sonny Weems plans to return to the NBA next season. The 6'6'' shooting guard will be a restricted free agent, and has drawn interest from the Celtics, Pistons, Cavaliers, and Clippers. He last played for the Raptors during the 2010-11 season before signing a one-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas of the Euroleague during the NBA lockout.
Mirza Teletovic Eyeing NBA
Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic is expecting to make the jump to the NBA in the near future, according to his agent Misko Raznatovic. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along and translates a report from Noticias de Alava in which Raznatovic says his client will play in the NBA next season, though his destination is yet to be decided.
Ford’s Latest: Cavs, Bobcats, Waiters, Rivers
We'll be following most of today's draft notes here, but the latest column from ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) featured enough items of interest that it required its own post. Here are some of the highlights from ESPN.com's draft guru:
Cavs Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Fournier, Melo, Leonard
The Cavs hold picks No. 4 and No. 24, but unlike other teams with two first-round draft choices, they aren't looking to trade one of them. The team seems to be zeroing in on Harrison Barnes with the fourth pick, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer says a scenario is in play that could have them leaving Barnes on the board.
Central Rumors: Bulls, Barnes, Bucks, Cavs
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:
Free Agent Stock Watch: Nick Young
Nick Young made an unusual decision in December, and this summer he’ll see if it pays off. Before the season, Young became just the 12th player ever to sign a qualifying offer, the minimum offer a team can make to retain the right of first refusal on a player coming off his rookie contract. Usually, the offer is just a starting point for negotiations, if that, but in Young’s case, the one-year, $3,695,857 deal on the table from the Wizards came in handy when the condensed post-lockout market limited his options.
Draft Rumors: Pistons, Leonard, Bobcats, Rockets
The NBA combine continues in Chicago today, with the buzz this morning surrounding the official measurements of the prospects in attendance. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal provides the complete list. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, a handful of players saw their stock rise a little due to the results, but Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress heard from scouts that there weren't many big surprises (Twitter link). A handful of rumors and rumblings have also emerged from the combine today, so let's round up some of them….
Amico On Barnes, Knicks, Sullinger
The 2012 NBA Draft Combine got underway Thursday in Chicago and will continue through Friday as prospects are tested, weighed and interviewed with hopes of improving their stock for June 28. Former Florida star Bradley Beal's height was a point of contention heading into the combine but the ex-Gator shooting guard surprised everyone when he told reporters he measured in at 6-foot-4, which was on the higher end of expectations. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has more news and headlines out of Chicago with the draft exactly three weeks away…