HoopsWorld On Deng, Lowry, Gay, Gasol, Draft
Luol Deng's decision to play in this summer's Olympics rather than immediately undergoing wrist surgery has created some tension between the player and his NBA team, and Deng said this weekend that he wouldn't be shocked if the Bulls traded him. Both Alex Kennedy and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld looked at the possibility of a deal, with Kennedy noting that the Bulls would "love to add a young star" in the draft lottery. Kyler adds that Deng's trade value takes a bit of a hit since he's expected to miss the start of the season, but says the Raptors and Warriors have shown "more than a passing interest."
Here are a few more Monday morning notes from the pair of HoopsWorld scribes on potential trades that could be consummated this week:
Woelfel On Jennings, Bucks, Lamb, Bobcats
In the months since Brandon Jennings talked about "doing his homework" on large-market teams to prepare for free agency, the Bucks guard has become more amenable to a long-term extension in Milwaukee, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. The 22-year-old talked to Woelfel about wanting to become the face of the franchise, and indicated a willingness to work out a contract extension in the near future.
"If everything is right, why not?" Jennings said of an extension. "If my agent (Bill Duffy) comes back and says this is what we should do, I’m going to do it."
Woelfel also shares a few more updates in a second piece for the Journal Times, so let's round those up….
Draft Updates: Sunday
With the draft just four days away, teams are scurrying to get their plans in order before Thursday evening's big event in Newark, NJ. Saturday saw another full slate of draft rumors and Sunday's already shaping up to look the same. Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price reports the Mavs will be looking to add a rotation-type player with the 17th pick. We'll keep track of all of the day's latest draft news and happenings with the most recent information on top.
- The Rockets are looking to move into the top 10, dangling some combination of picks 14, 16 and Kyle Lowry, says Chad Ford. Ford suspects that the Rockets are eyeing UConn's Andre Drummond and could be speaking with the Kings at pick 5 and the Raptors at pick 8.
- Jodie Valade addresses the comparisons between Bradley Beal and Ray Allen in a story for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, implying that Beal could be more versatile than Allen.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group takes a look at potential Warriors targets Moe Harkless, Terrence Ross and Quincy Miller and where the selection of the three wings would make sense for Golden State.
Draft Updates: Saturday
We've already covered a few draft rumors today, and Zach Links went in-depth on West Virginia power forward Kevin Jones in our latest Prospect Profile. There's plenty more going on as the draft approaches, including news from John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Sixers put point guard Marquis Teague through an "exhaustive" individual workout this morning. Bookmark this post for the rest of the day's draft news, with latest on top.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star has an article on the Pacers' scouting staff as they prepare to pick 26th overall in Thursday's draft.
- Kurt Helin of NBC Sports looks at several players with the potential to become the second-best talents in the draft.
- Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News suggests Meyers Leonard as a possible fit for the Warriors.
- The Lakers are in talks to acquire a first-round pick, and could be after the Heat's selection at No. 27, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer offers his thoughts on the implications of a rumored swap of the second and fourth picks by the Bobcats and Cavs.
- Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group thinks the Warriors could trade down from No. 7 and still get the player they want, unless it's Damian Lillard or Dion Waiters. He also believes the team will give serious consideration to Andre Drummond (Twitter links).
- We have the latest from Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com in a separate post.
Earlier updates:
Howard-Cooper On Harkless, Centers, Warriors
We're tracking most of today's draft updates here, but Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com has a piece that deserves some extra attention. Howard-Cooper also wrote about the pressure on new Warriors GM Bob Myers today, as we noted, and he has more here on potential choices for Golden State at No. 7 and a player whose stock is on the rise.
Odds & Ends: Raptors, Melo, Brooks, Heat
We're less than a week away from the NBA Draft, and the Raptors big board doesn't seem to be getting any clearer, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. However, multiple team sources say that the club was impressed with North Carolina power forward John Henson’s workout on Thursday. More draft news and other odds and ends on this Sunday afternoon..
Odds & Ends: Pacers, Walsh, Cavs, Jones, Roy
The second, third and fourth overall picks in the 2001 draft (Tyson Chandler, Pau Gasol, and now Eddy Curry) have won titles in consecutive years since 2009, HoopsHype notes (via Twitter). The draft's top pick, Kwame Brown, continues to wait. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
Warriors GM Bob Myers Talks Rush, Roy, Draft
About two months after we first heard that new Warriors GM Bob Myers would "aggressively" try to keep restricted free agent Brandon Rush in Golden State, Myers' comments on Rush today were even more unequivocal. "We have a restricted free agent who we really like, and who we're going to keep," the GM said, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Although Rush is expected to join Klay Thompson, Richard Jefferson, and Dorell Wright as options at the two and three, Myers didn't rule out targeting another veteran shooting guard — Brandon Roy.
Draft Updates: Friday
ESPN.com's Chad Ford will be in his element over the next few days, as the NBA shifts its focus from the Finals to the 2012 draft. Ford's latest Insider-only piece at ESPN.com breaks down the first-round candidates into tiers, from Tier 1 (Anthony Davis) to Tier 6 (14 players, including Evan Fournier, John Jenkins, and Miles Plumlee). Of particular note is Tier 4, where 10 players figure to compete for the final five lottery spots. The tier ranges from the high-upside prospects (Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III) to the safer plays (Tyler Zeller, John Henson). As the countdown until draft night continues, we'll round up today's draft notes right here throughout Friday, with the latest updates on top:
- Raptors sources tell Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that John Henson had a very good workout for Toronto, putting him into the mix at eighth overall (Twitter link).
- Meyers Leonard headlines the list of prospects scheduled to work out for the Warriors this weekend, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Earlier updates:
Draft Updates: Thursday
All eyes tonight will be on Game 5 of the NBA Finals, as the Thunder look to stave off elimination in Miami, but exactly one week from now, we'll be gearing up for the 2012 draft. The first draft-related trade of the month was finalized yesterday, when the Wizards sent the No. 46 overall pick to the Hornets along with Rashard Lewis as part of a three-player swap. Will we see another deal consummated today? We'll keep track of the day's latest draft news and rumors right here, with the newest items added up top….
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com wonders whether Royce White's decision to pull out of his remaining workout has to do with an injury or his fear of flying instead of a promise from the Celtics (Twitter link). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune pegs White as a candidate to be picked at No. 18 by the Wolves, and lists the second-round hopefuls the team will be working out Friday.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal sizes up Andrew Nicholson and the chances he'll go to the Cavs at pick No. 24.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com has tweaked his mock draft in the wake of the latest developments (Insider link).
Earlier updates: