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Howard-Cooper On Harkless, Centers, Warriors

By Chuck Myron | at June 23, 2012 4:27 pm

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.

Hornets Rumors: Gordon, Kaman, FA Targets

By Luke Adams | at June 22, 2012 9:35 am

The Heat officially became the winners of the 2011/12 NBA season last night, but now the focus shifts to the 2012 offseason, and the Hornets have a good chance to turn into the summer's big winners. After landing the No. 1 overall pick in May's draft lottery, the Hornets pulled off the offseason's first trade this week, dumping Emeka Okafor's and Trevor Ariza's big contracts, and even landing a second-round pick in the process. What's the next step for New Orleans? John Reid of the Times Picayune has the latest Hornets rumors right here….

0 comments New Orleans Pelicans Chris Kaman Eric Gordon

Odds & Ends: Heat, Deng, Lakers, Mullens

By Chuck Myron | at June 21, 2012 11:26 pm

Congratulations are in order for the Heat, who beat the Thunder 121-106 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight to clinch the 2011/12 NBA championship. LeBron James put up a triple-double, and was the unanimous choice for Finals MVP. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert took to Twitter and stopped short of recognizing James and the Heat, instead congratulating the Heat and Thunder for "an exciting Finals" (hat tip to Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer). With the season now at its end, the real fun begins, as full attention can be paid to next week's draft and the start of free agency soon thereafter. Here's some early offseason chatter:

3 comments Charlotte Hornets Los Angeles Lakers New Orleans Pelicans Byron Mullens Luol Deng

Draft Updates: Thursday

By Luke Adams | at June 21, 2012 11:02 pm

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).

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0 comments 2012 NBA Draft Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Charlotte Hornets Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Denver Nuggets Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets Miami Heat Minnesota Timberwolves New Orleans Pelicans Oklahoma City Thunder Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Andre Drummond Andrew Nicholson Arnett Moultrie Chris Cooper Damian Lillard Jared Sullinger John Henson Josh Owens Kent Bazemore Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Perry Jones III Quincy Acy Quincy Miller Ramone Moore Royce White Terrence Jones Thomas Robinson Tyler Zeller

Southwest Rumors: Landry, Rockets, Cabezas

By Chuck Myron | at June 21, 2012 10:50 pm

Tony Parker is seeking $20MM in a lawsuit against the New York nightclub where he sustained an eye injury during a fight involving singer Chris Brown and members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage, the Associated Press reports (via the New York Daily News). Parker isn't expected to miss any time for the Spurs because of the incident. There's plenty of other off-the-court news happening with Southwest Division teams that figures to have a greater on-court impact, as we detail here.

0 comments Dallas Mavericks New Orleans Pelicans New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs Carl Landry Carlos Cabezas Erazem Lorbek Goran Dragic Kyle Lowry

Amick On Bobcats, Cavs, Kings, Blazers

By Chuck Myron | at June 21, 2012 8:16 pm

Our Draft Updates post chronicles the rumors we've been hearing throughout the day, and Sam Amick of SI.com has a piece that warrants its own post. Amick details the latest on Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Harrison Barnes, Thomas Robinson and Damian Lillard, players who could be taken with picks two through six.

0 comments Charlotte Hornets Cleveland Cavaliers New Orleans Pelicans Portland Trail Blazers Sacramento Kings Bradley Beal Damian Lillard Harrison Barnes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Thomas Robinson

Reactions To The Hornets/Wizards Trade

By Luke Adams | at June 20, 2012 4:50 pm

The Wizards and Hornets finalized the first trade of draft season this afternoon, with Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza heading to Washington in exchange for Rashard Lewis and a second-round draft pick. The deal could be a win-win, as the Wizards acquire two solid veteran rotation players that could help them become a playoff club in the near future, while the Hornets clear two expensive contracts from their books and create excellent long-term cap flexibility.

If I had to pick a winner, I like the Hornets' side a little more. Clearing out their two biggest contracts without giving up any other assets means the Hornets will be in great position to build around Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, and the No. 10 pick in this year's draft, and could be a player on the free agent market this year or next. For Washington, I'm not sure if Okafor and Ariza are enough to put the team over the top in the short-term, and their contracts will make it difficult to make any other impact moves.

Here are a few more reactions and quotes on the deal….

Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld on the trade: "We are pleased to add two more solid pieces as we continue to build our roster with a balance of proven veterans and the core of young talent that we have developed. Emeka's defensive presence and rebounding ability will combine with Trevor’s versatility to add new dimensions to our frontcourt, and both players fit in very well with the type of team-first culture that we have been working to establish."
Asked why he dealt Rashard Lewis for two lengthier contracts rather than simply buying out the veteran, Grunfeld told Michael Lee of the Washington Post (Twitter link) that the buyout money would have gone toward a player who didn't contribute anything. Okafor and Ariza may be overpriced, but they should still be solid contributors.
Grunfeld added (Twitter link) that the move doesn't affect the team's draft plans, though the widely-held belief is that it opens the door for the Wizards to draft Bradley Beal at No. 3.
Hornets GM Dell Demps on the trade: "We are rebuilding our team and this is one step in our new direction. This trade will provide an opportunity for our young players to develop and create flexibility to add to our core group moving forward."
Zach Lowe of SI.com doesn't love the trade for the Wizards since he doesn't think Washington is good enough to play the "win now" game and believes the move limits the team's ceiling.
The move is much riskier for the Wizards than the Hornets, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, who says Grunfeld and the Wizards were under pressure to improve the roster by the team John Wall is eligible for an extension.
Trading Okafor could open the door for the Hornets to draft big man Tyler Zeller at No. 10, says John DeShazier of the New Orleans Times Picayune.
Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops thinks the move could allow the Hornets to pursue players like Ersan Ilyasova, Kris Humphries, Lou Williams, or Jamal Crawford in free agency. I'd be surprised if the Hornets pursue many major outside free agents this summer — I think they'll hold onto their cap space until next summer, when they'll be in position to clear even more room.

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0 comments New Orleans Pelicans Washington Wizards Emeka Okafor Rashard Lewis Trevor Ariza Tyler Zeller

Wizards Acquire Okafor, Ariza For Lewis

By Luke Adams | at June 20, 2012 1:21 pm

The New Orleans Hornets have traded Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Rashard Lewis and the No. 46 pick in the draft, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (via Twitter). The Wizards have officially announced the swap in a press release.

15 comments New Orleans Pelicans Transactions Washington Wizards Emeka Okafor Rashard Lewis Trevor Ariza

Draft Updates: Tuesday

By Luke Adams | at June 19, 2012 10:22 pm

In case you missed it yesterday, we published our first 2012 mock draft. Be sure to check out our projected first round and jump into the comments section to tell us which choices you like or dislike. In the meantime, we'll continue tracking the latest draft news and rumors. Tuesday's updates can be found right here, with the newest items added up top throughout the day….

John Reid of The Times Picayune writes that the Hornets will likely keep their 10th pick. GM Dell Demps says that he hasn't received any offers warranting any serious consideration to trade the pick and believes that they can come away with a good player at that slot.
Jared Sullinger will work out for the Cavaliers on Friday, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. Fab Melo is also scheduled for a workout this week and could join Sullinger.

Earlier updates:

James Ham of NBA.com tweeted earlier that Harrison Barnes cancelled his upcoming Friday workout with the Kings, speculating that the former Tar Heel may have been given a draft promise from a team in the top 4. However, Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated (Sulia link) was told that Barnes will reconsider working out for Sacramento after his workout with the Bobcats later this week and does not believe that Barnes was given a promise.
Sean Meagher of Oregon Live comprised a draft link roundup of Arnett Moultrie, who recently called himself the "sleeper of the draft."
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer provides a breakdown of this year's draft crop of point guard prospects. Damian Lillard tops the list, follwed by Kendall Marshall, Tony Wroten, Marquis Teague, and Tyshawn Taylor.
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star tweeted that those who watched Fab Melo during his workout with the Pacers came away very impressed.
WEEI.com continued their series of prospect profiles, this time focusing on Jeffery Taylor out of Vanderbilt.
Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times says (via Twitter) that the Bucks will host Perry Jones III and Terrence Jones for a workout on Wednesday.
This USA Today article via the Associated Press described Anthony Davis' visit with the Hornets today.
Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle has the full list of prospects that withdrew from the draft before yesterday's deadline. We've updated our list of early entrants here.
After working out for the Pacers today, Fab Melo talked about the academic issues that kept him from playing for Syracuse in this year's NCAA tournament. An Associated Press report (via NBA.com) provides the details and quotes.
Chad Ford fielded a handful of draft questions in a chat for ESPN.com this afternoon.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) is back with his newest mock draft, version 8.0. Ford's top four remain unchanged from his last mock, but there's plenty of movement after that, including Harrison Barnes to the Kings, Dion Waiters to the Warriors, and Damian Lillard to the Raptors.
Evan Fournier is on the Grizzlies' radar at No. 25, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Anthony Davis will be in New Orleans to meet with Hornets brass today, but he won't work out for the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer thinks the Bobcats should draft Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall.
Draymond Green is working out for the Hawks today, according to the team (via Twitter).
Bucks.com has the details on today's workout in Milwaukee, which features John Henson, while Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines some of the Bucks' draft options as they look to replace Andrew Bogut.

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0 comments 2012 NBA Draft Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Hornets Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Memphis Grizzlies Milwaukee Bucks New Orleans Pelicans Sacramento Kings Anthony Davis Arnett Moultrie Damian Lillard Dell Demps Draymond Green Evan Fournier Fab Melo Harrison Barnes Jared Sullinger Jeff Taylor John Henson Kendall Marshall Marquis Teague Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Perry Jones III Terrence Jones Tony Wroten Tyshawn Taylor

Hornets To Part Ways With Hugh Weber

By Zachary Links | at June 18, 2012 7:15 pm

The Hornets will not retain president Hugh Weber, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. New Orleans Saints president Dennis Lauschawill be now be president of both organizations and oversee the operations of both franchises. Saints GM Mickey Loomis will also oversee the Hornets' basketball operations in addition to his current football responsibilities.

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