Houston Rockets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Thursday

June 21st, 2012 at 11:02pm CST by Luke Adams

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:

The Celtics appear to have promised Iowa State power forward Royce White that they will draft him at No. 21, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that one of his sources is denying the report.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News

reports that despite being red-flagged by NBA doctors, Jared Sullinger is unlikely to slip out of the first round, and he'll probably go no lower than the Cavs' 24th pick.

The picks between No. 27 and No. 29, held by the Heat, Thunder and Bulls, are "very available" for other teams looking to trade for a late first-round selection, a league executive tells Deveney.
We rounded up news from Sam Amick of SI.com in an earlier post, including word on a potential swap of the second and fourth picks.
Jonathan Feigen says the Rockets are trying to trade the 14th and 16th picks, as we noted earlier, and also gives us his own mock draft.
The Sixers will work out Arnett Moultrie, Tyler Zeller, Perry Jones, John Henson and Andrew Nicholson on Saturday, John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer says via Twitter, and Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets a list of possible second-rounders working out Friday for the Jazz.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com has the third version of his mock draft. He opines that the No. 7 pick would be a lot for the Warriors to give up in a rumored deal with the Bulls for Luol Deng (Twitter link).
The Blazers are shopping both of their first-round picks, at No. 6 and No. 11, but no deal is imminent, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Still, new GM Neil Olshey says, "My gut today is that we would keep the picks," according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Twitter link).
The Warriors plan on keeping the seventh pick, and even though they already have two first-round selections, they'd like to add a third, says Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter links).
The Bobcats will work out six players tomorrow, including Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond, the team announced. Second-round hopefuls Kent Bazemore, Chris Cooper, Ramone Moore and Josh Owens are the other prospects involved.
John Canzano of the Oregonian heard from one GM who believes the Blazers will draft Damian Lillard at No. 6 rather than risk him being taken before their 11th pick (Twitter link). ESPN.com's Chad Ford tweets that he's hearing similar rumblings.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Ford takes a look at how this month's workouts might have affected the draft stock of the top few prospects on the board.
A day after the Times-Picayune's John DeShazier suggested the Emeka Okafor/Trevor Ariza trade could open up the door for the Hornets to draft Tyler Zeller, his colleague John Reid reports that New Orleans is in fact seriously considering Zeller at No. 10.
That Hornets/Wizards deal could also increase the chances of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist falling to the Cavaliers at No. 4, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
As Jay Satur of Raptors.com notes, The Raptors have a number of top prospects in town for today's workout, including John Henson, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III, and Terrence Jones.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic explores the Suns' backup plan for the 13th pick if there are no shooting guards they like on the board.
Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond worked out against each other in Cleveland yesterday, with Robinson clearly coming out on top, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
The Timberwolves will work out six players tomorrow, including Quincy Acy for a second time, the team announced via Twitter.
Baylor's Quincy Miller thinks he'd be a great fit for the Nuggets, according to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
The Hawks' PR Twitter feed has the details on the team's workouts today (Twitter link).

—–

Rockets News: Dragic, Lee, Budinger, Camby

June 21st, 2012 at 6:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets appeared earlier today to be on the cusp of a deal involving Samuel Dalembert and the 16th pick, but multiple reports deny that a deal is imminent. There's plenty to suggest the Rockets will be active one way or another, including a report from Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston indicating the team will look to retain Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger and Marcus Camby.

Rockets Working On Trade Involving Dalembert

June 21st, 2012 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

2:13pm: A source tells Sam Amick that everyone should "slow down" on the Dalembert rumblings, which are coming from other teams rather than the Rockets (Twitter link). Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle also hears that a deal is "not happening" at the moment (Twitter link). Still, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says it sounds like Houston is "really open for business," even beyond Dalembert (Twitter link).

1:46pm: SI.com's Sam Amick (Sulia link) suggests the Rockets are shopping Dalembert and a first-rounder in an attempt to move up in the draft, rather than to acquire a veteran.

Free Agent Notes: Nash, Watson, Dalembert

June 21st, 2012 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

So far this morning, we've heard that Mo Williams could end up testing free agency and that Chauncey Billups is looking forward to hitting the open market. Let's check in on a few more potential free agents, including a Rocket, a Bull, and a two-time MVP….

Kyler’s Latest: Sullinger, Waiters, Lillard, Gasol

June 20th, 2012 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

We're tracking the majority of today's draft updates in a single post right here, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweeted out a number of draft-related rumors this afternoon that are worthy of their own post. Here's the latest from Kyler on Jared Sullinger, Dion Waiters, Damian Lillard, and more, along with one non-draft item….

Ford’s Latest: Draft Trades, Drummond, Waiters

June 18th, 2012 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

With draft night fast approaching, a number of trade possibilities are still in play, says Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link). According to Ford, the Bobcats (2), Kings (5), Trail Blazers (6, 11), and Raptors aren't entirely sold on the options available to them, and are open to moving their picks. The Bobcats are seeking multiple assets, the Kings and Raptors are targeting veteran talent, and the Blazers are open to "anything and everything," writes Ford. Here are the rest of the highlights from the ESPN Insider piece….

Woelfel On Draft, Trades, Jennings

June 16th, 2012 at 8:53am CST by Chuck Myron

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweeted last night about the workout the Bucks have scheduled today for wing players Will Barton and Evan Fournier, as we noted in our roundup of Friday's draft rumors. Woelfel has a full report today on those two and fringe draft pick Ramone Moore, who's also working out for the Bucks today. He also shares news from around the league on a possible extension for Brandon Jennings, teams willing to trade draft picks, and rising and falling draft stocks.

Katz On Celtics, Bobcats, Rockets, Jazz, Mavs

June 15th, 2012 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

We're rounding up most of today's draft-related updates in a single post right here, but Andy Katz's latest piece for ESPN.com is packed with so many rumors that it's worth a separate look. Here's what Katz is hearing about a few teams' draft plans:

Draft Updates: Thursday

June 14th, 2012 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Earlier updates:

Charles F. Gardner Journal Sentinel reported that the Bucks hosted a pre-draft workout today which featured Tyler Zeller, Meyers Leonard, Fab Melo, and Kyle O'Quinn.
Aside from Anthony Davis, ESPN's Ric Bucher thinks that this year's draft still contains big men with star potential, focusing specifically on Andre Drummond, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Robinson (Insiders only).
Sean Meagher of The Oregonian presents the video interview of Perry Jones III after his workout for the Trail Blazers.
Nate Mulberg of CSN Philly discusses the mutual interest between the 76ers and Terrence Ross.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld quoted an NBA executive who thinks that the lottery is loaded with impact rotation players, but not impact starters. Pincus also offered highlights from interviews with JaMychal Green and Kevin Jones.
Tomorrow's workout schedule for the Wizards includes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Austin Rivers, Terrence Ross, and Tomas Satoransky, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Gene Wang, also of The Washington Post, wrote about today's workout with Hollis Thompson.
Stephen Hewitt of WEEI.com provided a breakdown of Mitchell Watt, a 6'10'' forward out of Buffalo who could be a realistic target for the Celtics' second round pick (51st overall).
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com wrote an interesting piece on the mental toughness of 27-year-old draft hopeful Bernard James, a 6'10'' power forward who served in the Air Force and did tours in Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq before starring at Florida State. Howard-Cooper also tweeted an update on John Henson, saying that he has no plans to rest his injured ankle in the midst of upcoming workouts with the Suns, Rockets, Bucks, Cavaliers, Raptors, Pistons, and 76ers.
Darren Heitner of Sports Agent Blog briefly documents the separation of Renardo Sidney and his agent, Johnny Foster.
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld believes John Jenkins and the Bulls could be a perfect fit at pick No. 29.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com published the second version of his mock draft today.
Thomas Robinson will work out for the Bobcats on June 22nd, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (Sulia link). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com calls Robinson the "clear frontrunner" to be picked second overall (Twitter link).
Jeremy Lamb turned an ankle at his Raptors workout this morning, but it's not serious, tweets Sam Amick of SI. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (via Twitter), the ankle is sprained, and Lamb will cancel at least his workout with the Blazers.
The Sixers announced in a press release today that they'll work out Moe Harkless and Hollis Thompson tomorrow.
Arnett Moultrie is the biggest name among the six players working out for the Trail Blazers today, tweets Joe Freeman of the Oregonian.
Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal will work out against one another for the Cavaliers on Saturday, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The two players are the most likely candidates to be picked at No. 4 by Cleveland, so that will be an intriguing workout.
Discussing potential targets for the Bobcats if they trade their No. 2 pick, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com names James Harden as a possibility. It's not clear of Goodman's source, who says Harden "could be in play," means the Bobcats will pursue Harden or the Thunder could make him available. Either way, I'm skeptical about how realistic that scenario is. Even with the long-term cap restraints facing the Thunder, overhauling the roster mere days after making the Finals seems unlikely.
SI.com's Sam Amick examines the question marks surrounding John Henson and the rising stock of Miles Plumlee in his latest draft piece.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld compares Perry Jones III to Jordan Hamilton, who slipped to 26th overall last year because most teams thought the risk outweighed the upside. Within the same piece, Kyler also says the odds the Bobcats keep a player the select at No. 2 overall are "extremely slim."
The Raptors have a big day of workouts scheduled, with Jeremy Lamb highlighting the first session, Austin Rivers in the second, and Harrison Barnes in an individual workout. Jay Satur of Raptors.com has the details. Unfortunately, Eric Koreen of the National Post passes along a bit of bad news from the first session, tweeting that Lamb left the workout with an apparent injury.
Chad Ford tries his hand at predicting where the players on the first-round bubble will land in an Insider piece for ESPN.com.
Will Barton and five other prospects will work out for the Pacers today, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
The Pistons' workouts so far suggest they're eyeing big men not just with their first-round pick but in the second round as well, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Bucks.com profiles the prospects that Milwaukee will be working out today.
Damian Lillard thinks he's ready to be an NBA starter, but he probably won't be a fit for the Kings at No. 5, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

—–

Amico On Celtics, Warriors, Kings, 76ers, Cavs

June 12th, 2012 at 5:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Grit and determination got the Celtics to the doorstep of the Finals, but the team now has some serious decisions to make this summer, writes Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are free agents while Paul Pierce celebrates his 35th birthday in October. Plenty of other contracts will be coming off the books leaving the C's with a good deal of flexibility and back-to-back draft picks (Nos. 21 and 22) in this year's draft. Here's Amico on what might be in store for Boston and others this offseason..

It's too early to tell what the Celtics might do, but early buzz suggests that they'll stay the course with Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo while rebuilding through free agency and the draft. “I think they’ll re-sign Garnett, but let Allen walk,” said one Western Conference GM. “Then, they’ll spend some money in free agency. They’re a respected franchise. They’ll draw some interest from the available bigger names. But the key will be to keep Garnett first.”
The GM wasn't sure of who the Celtics may target in free agency, but suggested that they could look at Jason Terry, Andre Miller, Carlos Delfino, Nick Young, Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, and Shannon Brown.
The Celtics are also said to be looking to package their picks to move up five or six spots in the draft.
According to a source familiar with their thinking, the Warriors are looking into trading the seventh pick for a veteran at practically any position. The source suggested that their pick plus a player could net them someone like Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay.
The Kings might be interested in moving their pick for a big man if Andre Drummond doesn’t fall to them at No. 5, says a source. Sacramento has plenty of perimeter players and are anxious to get another big man to pair with DeMarcus Cousins. The source "wouldn't be the least bit surprised" if they shopped Marcus Thornton or Tyreke Evans and their pick to see what they could get.
The 76ers and Rockets are open to trading out of the first round for a veteran. Philadelphia has the No. 15 pick while Houston would use their second first-rounder at No. 16.
As we've heard, the Cavaliers’ reported offer of all four of their draft picks (Nos. 4, 24, 33, and 34) was never really considered by the Hornets. One Eastern Conference GM said that the offer didn't entice New Orleans in part because everything beyond the 10th pick appears to be a crapshoot. The GM went on to praise Cavs GM Chris Grant for his aggressiveness.

—–