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Draft Updates: Monday

By Luke Adams | at June 18, 2012 4:23 pm

Earlier this morning, we unveiled the first version of our 2012 mock draft, projecting every pick from No. 1 (Anthony Davis) to No. 30 (Quincy Miller). We'll publish one more mock next week, before draft day, and until then, we'll be keeping tabs on all the latest draft-related news and rumors. Here are today's updates, with the newest items added at the top throughout the day….

The Pistons have a big workout scheduled for next Monday, with Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, Meyers Leonard, John Henson, Terrence Jones, and Perry Jones III expected to attend, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
Harrison Barnes and a pair of possible second-round candidates will work out for the Wizards tomorrow, the team announced.

Earlier updates:

Spanish point guard Josep Franch will stay in the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Renardo Sidney is "getting trashed" by a number of teams and there's a good chance he'll go undrafted despite his talent, tweets says Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (via Twitter).
The Bucks are considering John Henson with their first pick and will work him out tomorrow, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (on Twitter).
Czech wing Tomas Satoransky has decided to remain in the draft pool, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Satoransky now projects as an early second-round pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
In an Insider piece at ESPN.com, John Hollinger looks for potential sleepers and busts in the draft, using PER projections.
A pair of local products were among the six prospects the Pacers worked out today, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes.
The Knicks will work out six players tomorrow, including Jordan Taylor, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Joffrey Lauvergne (France, 1991) has pulled out of draft consideration, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. Maximilian Kleber (Germany, 1992) has also withdrawn, Givony adds in a separate tweet.
Nemanja Nedovic (Serbia, born in 1991) and Sertac Sanli (Turkey, 1991) have both withdrawn from the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
International prospect Mindaugas Kupsas has withdrawn from draft consideration, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 1991-born Lithuanian big man will spend the season overseas.
We rounded up a few draft updates from ESPN.com's Chad Ford in a separate post.
The Bulls may be open to moving Luol Deng for a package that includes a lottery pick, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. McGraw cites sources saying Chicago is considering such a move and points to concerns about the luxury tax and about Deng's decision to postpone wrist surgery until after the Olympics. Still, this seems like a long shot to me.
A report yesterday suggested the Thunder would look to trade its first-round pick, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld is hearing that's not the case (Twitter link). Kyler hears from Thunder sources that there's plenty of late-first-round talent that the team likes (Twitter link).
Speaking to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, agent Mark Bartelstein passes along a glowing report of Bradley Beal's weekend workout for the Cavaliers.
Perry Jones III and Jared Sullinger are working out for the Hornets this morning, tweets Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com.
Bucks.com has profiles for the four prospects working out for the Bucks today.

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Ford’s Latest: Draft Trades, Drummond, Waiters

By Luke Adams | at June 18, 2012 12:08 pm

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….

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Draft Updates: Saturday

By Chuck Myron | at June 16, 2012 8:15 pm

Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal go head-to-head in a workout today for the Cavs that could determine who the team takes with the fourth overall pick. We'll be keeping an eye on that, as well as all other draft-related news with a dozen days to go until teams make their selections. Already today we've heard some news regarding teams shopping their picks from Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, and there's plenty more to share here. We'll update this post throughout the day, with the latest news on top.

Earlier updates:

Syracuse center Fab Melo tells HoopsWorld's Stephen Litel that he is emulating Tim Duncan in his style of play.
Morley Quatroche of WEEI.com looks at Miles Plumlee as a potential draft target for the Celtics.
Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that the Suns are looking to improve their offense in the draft.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel looks at a handful of guards who have worked out for the Bucks recently.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld.com talks to Iona's Scott Machado, who is attempting to raise his profile ahead of the draft.

Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge provides a transcript of Andre Drummond's comments after his workout with the Blazers today.
Agent Mark MacGillivray says big man Reeves Nelson, who was dismissed from the UCLA basketball team this past season, worked out Thursday for the Lakers, HoopsHype reports.
WEEI.com continues its series on prospects and how they'd fit with the Celtics, with Morley Quatroche profiling Tyler Zeller and Jashvina Shah looking at Kim English.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld shares a number of draft rumors in his chat, including his thoughts on several sleepers, with shooting guard Orlando Johnson chief among them.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has a list of the half dozen players who worked out for the Magic today. That group didn't include injured power forward Kevin Jones, who interviewed with the team instead.
Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com says Bradley Beal emerged with a slight edge over Harrison Barnes after today's one-on-one workout for the Cavs, but cautions that it doesn't mean the team has made up its mind about the fourth pick (Twitter links).
Small forward Quincy Miller has added 17 pounds to his 6'10" frame since the end of his season at Baylor, bringing his weight up to 220 pounds, tweets Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Noah Hartsock has only an outside shot to get drafted, and he's still recovering from ankle surgery in late March, as Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. The 6'8" forward has a deal lined up with a team in Belgium, but he a handful of other players took part in a workout for the Jazz today, Luhm says, and Hartsock will participate in a group workout for the Warriors tomorrow, according to Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets the latest workout schedules for players near the top of the draft board. Damian Lillard will audition Sunday for the Warriors. The Bobcats will look at Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal on Monday, and Harrison Barnes will work out Tuesday for the Wizards.
Andre Drummond, one of a group of players working out today for the Blazers, goes in front of the Wizards on Monday and the Bobcats and Cavs after that, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports. (Twitter links)
During his workout for the Hornets, Arnett Moultrie connected with coach Monty Williams, and now the Mississippi State big man is "openly rooting" for New Orleans to take him with the No. 10 pick, writes Scott Howard-Cooper on NBA.com.
In the same piece, Howard-Cooper profiles Perry Jones III, explains why 7'4" Turkish center Dusan Cantekin could be passed over on draft night, and notes that John Henson is slowed by an ankle injury.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identifies 10 teams trying to trade either up or down in the draft.
Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com unveils the latest version of his mock draft, which encompasses both the first and second rounds.
Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld ranks the draft's small forwards, beginning with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
In Sacramento for a workout with the Kings, Terrence Jones invoked comparisons to Lamar Odom and Marvin Williams in describing his versatility as an asset, writes Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee.
In his mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says there's "very little chance" the Raptors will find a starter with the eighth pick, which leads Smith to speculate that the team will use the selection to fill its need for a backup guard.
David Mayo of MLive compares three North Carolina prospects with whom the Pistons have had contact: Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller.
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at Moe Harkless and Hollis Thompson, two players who worked out Friday for the Sixers, and how they'd fit in with the team.
In a pair of Celtics-themed features for WEEI.com, Morley Quatroche breaks down point guard Damian Lillard and Jashvina Shah looks at small forward Kris Joseph.
Second-round longshot Larry Anderson, a shooting guard from Long Beach State, will participate in a workout for the Bucks today, according to the team's website.

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0 comments 2012 NBA Draft Boston Celtics Charlotte Hornets Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks New Orleans Pelicans Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Washington Wizards Andre Drummond Arnett Moultrie Bradley Beal Damian Lillard Dusan Cantekin Fab Melo Harrison Barnes John Henson Kevin Jones Kim English Larry Anderson Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Miles Plumlee Noah Hartsock Orlando Johnson Perry Jones III Quincy Miller Reeves Nelson Scott Machado Terrence Jones Tyler Zeller

Draft Updates: Friday

By Luke Adams | at June 15, 2012 7:10 pm

Yesterday's roundup of draft links included a ton of updates on workouts and speculation on where certain players may land. We expect more of the same today, so we'll track today's draft notes right here, adding new items to the top of the list throughout the day….

Anthony Davis has decided to hire Wasserman Media Group to represent him, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The former Kentucky star will work out for the Hornets on Tuesday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com.
The Jazz will host six players on Saturday for a pre-draft workout, according to a team press release. The participants will include Kim English, Jorge Gutierrez, Noah Hartsock, Robbie Hummel, Toure' Murry and Malik Wayns.

Earlier updates:

Perry Jones III, Terrence Jones, Arnett Moultrie, and John Henson will work out against one another for the Suns tomorrow, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld explores whether John Henson is a perfect fit for the Pistons at No. 9.
Andre Drummond has an individual workout with the Wizards scheduled for Monday, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
In a series of tweets, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News lists the prospects the Pistons have worked out this week.
We rounded up a handful of draft rumors from ESPN.com's Andy Katz in a separate post.
Damian Lillard to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (Twitter link) on the possibility of being drafted by the Trail Blazers: "I could see it happening. And I hope so. I think I really fit in here."
The Nuggets have a six-player workout scheduled for Monday, according to a team press release. Will Barton, Royce White, Andrew Nicholson, Marquis Teague, Tyshawn Taylor, and Kevin Murphy are the participants.
Evan Fournier and Will Barton will work out for the Bucks tomorrow, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines potential targets for the 76ers at No. 15, concluding that Terrence Jones could be the best fit.
The Wizards will work out Harrison Barnes next Tuesday, tweets Michael of the Washington Post.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist believes the Wizards would be a playoff team if they drafted him third overall, he tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Kidd-Gilchrist is working out alone for Washington, with Austin Rivers, Terrence Ross, and Tomas Satoransky in a group workout, tweets Lee.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his latest mock draft for Yahoo! Sports.
SI.com's Sam Amick takes a look at Andre Drummond's stock, and says the Hornets haven't made a draft-day promise to Austin Rivers.
At Raptors.com, Jay Satur has the list of prospects working out for the Raptors today.

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0 comments 2012 NBA Draft Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons Milwaukee Bucks New Orleans Pelicans Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Toronto Raptors Utah Jazz Washington Wizards Andre Drummond Andrew Nicholson Anthony Davis Arnett Moultrie Austin Rivers Damian Lillard Evan Fournier Harrison Barnes John Henson Kevin Murphy Marquis Teague Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Perry Jones III Royce White Terrence Jones Tyshawn Taylor Will Barton

Sale Of Hornets To Tom Benson Now Official

By Daniel Seco | at June 15, 2012 6:18 pm

Saints owner Tom Benson can now officially add owner of the Hornets to his resume as the team released a statement confirming the finalization of the sale. The NBA's Board of Governors approved the sale of the team to Benson on Wednesday after the New Orleans businessman reached an agreement to purchase the franchise from the league in April for $338MM. Benson expressed his excitement over completing the purchase of the team on Friday and the opportunity to make the Hornets as competitive as his Saints.

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Board Of Governors Approves Hornets Sale

By Chuck Myron | at June 13, 2012 6:00 pm

The NBA's Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Hornets to Tom Benson, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. The sale will become official later this week, according to Smith.

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

By Zachary Links | at June 12, 2012 5:52 pm

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.

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Southwest Notes: Diaw, Hornets, Grizzlies, Mavs

By Luke Adams | at June 12, 2012 10:54 am

It may not be Sherlock-caliber detective work, but Tony Parker tells Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News he noticed a hint that Boris Diaw could be leaning toward re-signing with the Spurs. Diaw, who had been living in Parker's guest house, left all his belongings there when he departed San Antonio for the summer, which Parker views as a good sign. Here are a few more Tuesday morning items from out of the Southwest Division:

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Draft Rumors: Monday

By Luke Adams | at June 11, 2012 8:12 pm

With the NBA draft just 17 days away, we're guaranteed to be following daily rumors and rumblings for the next two and a half weeks. We'll try to make it as easy as possible to follow the latest updates by including most of our draft-related items in a single daily post. Consider this Monday's post, and check back throughout the day for more draft notes, with the newest additions up top:

In a tweet, AZCentral.com's Paul Coro has wrangled up some news from CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman and SI.com's Sam Amick. North Carolina teammates Kendall Marshall and John Henson will reportedly work out for the Suns this week.

Earlier updates:

On Tuesday, the Wizards will hold a workout to help decide what direction they want to go with their two second round picks (as of today, the team holds both the 32nd and 46th picks in the draft), tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Some notable names Washington plans to workout are Syracuse's Scoop Jardine, and Duke's Miles Plumlee.
The Trail Blazers will work out North Carolina's John Henson on Tuesday, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.
Also from Amick, the Kings will work out several players, including North Carolina's Tyler Zeller, on Tuesday. Sacramento currently holds picks 5 and 36.
The Hornets plan on bringing in several point guards and shooting guards when they resume workouts next week, writes Nola.com's John Reid.
After predicting the top 15 picks in the draft last week, TNT's David Aldridge takes a crack at the rest of the first round in this week's NBA.com column.
Royce White and Jordan Taylor are among the six prospects scheduled to work out for the Timberwolves on Tuesday, says Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The Pistons are eyeing potential fits for the second round, working out Miles Plumlee and Kyle O'Quinn, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Perry Jones III tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he'd love to play on the Trail Blazers alongside LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Magic will be prepared for the draft no matter how long it takes to hire a GM, but a lengthy GM search could have other negative effects, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
If the Hornets decide to deal their tenth overall pick, gaining future draft assets is more important to them than ditching bad contracts, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler doesn't expect the Hornets to include players like Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza with the pick in a deal that merely creates cap space. According to Kyler, New Orleans could seeking a 2012 second-rounder along with a future first-rounder in any deal.
Within the same piece, Kyler adds that the Warriors and Knicks have expressed some interest in Alabama's Tony Mitchell.
In a pair of tweets, Kyler says Harrison Barnes did not officially meet with the Bulls, and that a brief chat with coach Tom Thibodeau was blown out of proportion.
The Sixers met with Andre Drummond at the draft combine and could be trying to trade up, since Drummond will be long gone at No. 15, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com makes some changes in his latest post-combine mock draft.
The Kings will need some help if they want a shot to land Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

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Ford’s Latest: Cavs, Bobcats, Waiters, Rivers

By Luke Adams | at June 11, 2012 12:27 pm

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:

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New Orleans Pelicans News & Rumors

Draft Updates: Monday

Ford’s Latest: Draft Trades, Drummond, Waiters

Draft Updates: Saturday

Draft Updates: Friday

Sale Of Hornets To Tom Benson Now Official

Board Of Governors Approves Hornets Sale

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

Southwest Notes: Diaw, Hornets, Grizzlies, Mavs

Draft Rumors: Monday

Ford’s Latest: Cavs, Bobcats, Waiters, Rivers