Alex Len Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Nash, Bynum, Len

December 16th, 2012 at 7:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Sunday night linkage from around the Association..

The HoopsWorld staff held a roundtable to weigh in on which injured player has been missed most by their respective team, and Lakers summer acquisition Steve Nash was Alex Kennedy’s choice. John Wall, Landry Fields, Dirk Nowitzski, and Derrick Rose were also among those receiving votes, but Sixers big man Andrew Bynum was noticeably absent from the list.
Chris Walker of The Baltimore Sun looks at Maryland sophomore center Alex Len, who is positioning himself as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 Draft. This year’s class has gotten less-than-stellar reviews from talent evaluators, but there is optimism about the 19-year-old Ukranian.
Former Sonics forward Mickael Gelabale has officially signed with Spain’s Valencia, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Gelabale wasn’t asked back beyond his second year in Seattle after tearing his ACL mid-season.

Odds & Ends: Kobe, Wizards, Draft, Bledsoe

December 7th, 2012 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Kobe Bryant continues to make a run at Michael Jordan's number of championship rings and career points, but he doesn't expect to follow in Jordan's footsteps in another area. In a video interview with Bloomberg.com (hat tip to SI.com's Ben Golliver), Kobe said he couldn't see himself owning an NBA team after his playing career is over.

"I’d go crazy," Bryant said. "If a player misses a game because he has a broken fingernail, I’d lose my mind. I wouldn’t be able to take it."

While ownership may not be for him, Bryant did say he hopes to stay around the game after he retires as a player. Here are a few other odds and ends from around the NBA:

The Wizards have gotten off to an awful start this season, but team president Ernie Grunfeld is still focusing on the big picture, as Michael Lee of the Washington Post writes.
NBA scouts and general managers are starting to consider options beyond Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, and Shabazz Muhammad as No. 1 picks in the 2013 draft, says ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link). Ford identifies Alex Poythress, Alex Len, and Rudy Gobert as three other possible top picks.
Even though Eric Bledsoe isn't eligible for restricted free agency until 2014, Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com is already wondering if Bledsoe will eventually become to the Clippers what James Harden was to the Thunder — a star-in-waiting that the team may not be able to afford.
On the heels of last night's big win in Miami, Tyson Chandler praised the moves Knicks GM Glen Grunwald made over the summer, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
According to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com, while the Grizzlies won't discuss it openly, the absence of O.J. Mayo this year has made the team's offense and locker room happier places.
David Mayo of MLive.com tries his hand at picking out a few free agents the Pistons could target next summer.

Most Execs Would Trade 2013 Top Pick, Poll Says

December 6th, 2012 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com surveyed 35 NBA executives, most of whom said they'd rather trade the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft than select from a thoroughly disappointing crop of prospects that lacks a franchise-changer like last year's No. 1, Anthony Davis (Twitter link). One GM called the field, "The worst I've ever seen."

"I'd trade the pick for sure," another GM said. "No one wants to pick first this year — and no one can live up to the No. 1 billing."

Goodman compares the draft class to 2006, when Andrea Bargnani was taken first overall and Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams and Tyrus Thomas were also top-five picks. No prospect among this year's bunch was favored by a majority of the executives Goodman polled, though Indiana center Cody Zeller garnered 31% of the vote. Kentucky's Nerlens Noel was second, with 23%.

Zeller's defensive shortcomings worry the executives, while Noel's offense and skinny frame similarly concern them. UCLA two-guard Shabazz Muhammad, the DraftExpress.com No. 1 prospect, tied for third in Goodman's poll amid doubts about his shooting and athleticism. Maryland center Alex Len, who tallied 11% of the vote just like Muhammad, has shot up draft boards thanks to the weight he added this summer, Goodman writes.

Others garnering votes as the No. 1 pick include Alex Poythress, Rudy Gobert, Tony Mitchell, Archie Goodwin and Anthony Bennett, though many of the executives say they wouldn't be surprised if someone emerges "out of nowhere," much like Andrew Bogut did in 2005.