Andre Drummond Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Young, Heat, Beyer

September 7th, 2012 at 10:23pm CST by Alex Lee

It has been a busy day and night for the Lakers on this early-September Friday, which is certainly nothing new considering the influx of material since they landed Dwight Howard. Today they signed their second round pick, finalized their offseason coaching staff overhaul and their GM, Mitch Kupchak, spoke with SI.com's Sam Amick about all things Lakers. In addition to the earlier stories, Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles gives his take on three of the small, but meaningful issues facing the team.

But there are 29 other teams in the NBA, so let us round up some of the odds and ends from around the Association here tonight:

Chauncey Billups is way ahead of schedule in his recovery from a left Achilles injury, writes Helene Elliot of the L.A. Times. Billups hasn't set a target return date yet, but said, "When my body feels right, that's when I'll be back. That being said, I'm far ahead of schedule. It's not even like I had a summer. I've been on the whole time, doing rehabbing and other work every day. I'm looking forward to getting back to playing and being with the guys and resuming my normal life as a player."
Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld, via USA Today, writes that with the moves that the Knicks made – getting older and wiser – the team should be better equipped to compete and that the window to win is now. One interested tidbit from Beer – there are only five active NBA players over the age of 38 and the Knicks acquired three of them this offseason in Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd and Kurt Thomas.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News evaluates the chances of the Mavericks ending up with Kevin Martin and/or Josh Smith next summer, both of whom are free agents. After striking out this summer in free agency, the Mavericks should be in position to try again in a year with a similar level of financial flexibility.
Dei Lynam of CSN Philly is doing a player by player breakdown of the revamped 76ers roster, and today she tackles swingman Thaddeus Young. The small forward position is much less crowded in Philadelphia after the departure of Andre Iguodala, and Young has made it an offseason goal to slide into that position as a starter.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside says that while the D-League has been increasingly effective as an NBA farm system, there is additional room for growth. He uses Andre Drummond as an example of a guy who would never be a D-League candidate, but for his development's sake, should be.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses a few questions about the world champion Heat, including his thoughts on what roles of Rashard Lewis and Udonis Haslem may play on the Miami bench.
The NBA coaching carousel continues as the Warriors have reportedly hired Bob Beyer as an assistant coach, who spent the last five years in Orlando on Stan Van Gundy's staff, says Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area. Beyer will replace Wes Unseld Jr., who joined Jacque Vaughn's staff in Orlando.

Odds & Ends: Lin, Drummond, Joseph, Cavaliers

July 15th, 2012 at 3:08pm CST by Michael Pina

With ongoing uncertainty surrounding Jeremy Lin's tenure with the Knicks, ESPNNewYork.com's Jared Zwerling took the liberty of comparing the former Harvard point guard's skill set with the incoming Raymond Felton, who was acquired in a sign-and-trade with Portland last night. According to a few advanced statistics it's evident that Lin would be the better basketball option for New York, but the decision to let him go would be more of a financial one.

As we dig into this Sunday afternoon, here are a few more tidbits from around the league.

Pistons Sign Andre Drummond

July 10th, 2012 at 6:51pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Pistons have signed first-round pick Andre Drummond, reports Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (via Twitter). Detroit selected the former UConn star with the ninth overall pick in the June draft.

Drummond will earn approximately $2.4MM during his first year in the league if he signs for the full 120% allowed by the rookie scale amount. The 18-year-old center averaged 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his lone season with the Huskies.

Draft Notes: Friday

June 29th, 2012 at 11:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the 2012 draft is officially a thing of the past, we shouldn't require multiple posts to round up all the day's draft-related content, like we did on Thursday. But even with the draft over, a few updates continue to trickle in. We'll round up today's leftover draft notes here, adding any new items to the top throughout the day….

Sean Deveney of The Sporting News offers grades for each team's draft, and The Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat shares his list of winners and losers.

Earlier updates:

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said he may try to get teams that were interested in trading for the No. 8 pick to take something else in return. Colangelo also said a team offered $1.75MM to get pick No. 37, but the Raptors had three guys they liked too much to give up the pick, which they used on Quincy Acy, Wolstat also tweets.
Cavs coach Byron Scott compares No. 4 pick Dion Waiters to Dwyane Wade and isn't concerned that he never started a game in his two years at Syracuse, according to the Associated Press (via NBA.com). Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer believes the Cavs got better through the draft, but isn't sure exactly how that will show up in the won-lost column.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at the draft's biggest losers.
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, undrafted rookie Maalik Wayns will play for the Magic's summer league team (Twitter link).
Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo "tried hard" to move down in the draft, but most offers involved trading out of the draft entirely, which he didn't want to do, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter).
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com provides an interesting behind-the-scenes perspective of the Cavaliers' draft night.
The Thunder took steps in the days leading up to the draft to assure James Harden he wouldn't be dealt for a top-three pick, and then proved it, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
The Rockets were interested in trading up to No. 8 to take Andre Drummond, but the Raptors' asking price was way too high, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
It was a little surprising not to see Iona guard Scott Machado drafted last night, but he's already drawing interest as an undrafted free agent. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), Machado has the Raptors, Rockets, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Hawks, and Hornets calling him about playing in the Summer League.
Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside examines a few more of this year's top undrafted prospects.
Draft evaluations are already beginning to roll in, as ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) provides his grades for all 30 teams, while SI.com's Chris Mannix and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports are among those to name this year's winners and losers.
Proving it's never too early to look ahead to next year's, Ford (Insider link) also has a preview of the 2013 draft class, and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com publishes his first 2013 mock draft.

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More Draft Rumors: Thursday

June 28th, 2012 at 9:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Our previous round-up of Thursday's draft rumors was getting a little unwieldy, so here's a new post for the evening's rumors. Even with the draft underway, the rumors continue to pour in, so we'll round up the latest updates right here. Here's the latest draft buzz, with the newest items up top:

After trading three picks for one to land Tyler Zeller, the Cavs are trying to trade back into the draft, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
The Grizzlies intend to keep Tony Wroten, the 25th overall pick, but are working on a trade, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Earlier updates:

The Mavericks shopped the No. 24 pick they acquired from Cleveland and were "very open" to moving it, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. However, Stein adds in a second tweet that the Mavs will draft Jared Cunningham for themselves with the pick.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com says he wouldn't be surprised if the Celtics packaged their picks to trade for Royce White, who the Rockets selected at No. 16 (Twitter link). According to Givony, Boston was "very worried" about another team drafting White.
The Celtics' interest in Austin Rivers was fueled more by GM Danny Ainge than Doc Rivers, says Chris Mannix of SI.com (via Twitter).
The Cavaliers are still "aggressively pursuing" a second lottery pick, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Warriors GM Bob Myers says his phone "almost blew up" with teams trying to trade up to No. 7 to draft Harrison Barnes, says Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link).
While Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a surprise pick for the Bobcats at No. 2, multiple reporters, including David Aldridge of TNT and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweet that Charlotte isn't expected to trade MKG. However, Givony adds in a second tweet that that door isn't entirely closed.
Though they couldn't complete a trade with the Kings, the Rockets are still trying to get into the top 10, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Despite plenty of talks, the Bobcats and Cavaliers "never had anything close," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
If Austin Rivers and Damian Lillard come off the board within the first nine picks, the Hornets are "strongly leaning" toward Meyers Leonard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Cavs and Bobcats are still engaged in "deep discussions" involving the No. 2 pick, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
The Rockets are talking to the Bobcats and Kings and pushing hard to acquire a top-five pick, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
If the Cavs trade up to No. 2 to land Bradley Beal, the Wizards will likely decide between Harrison Barnes and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at No.3, with Barnes having the slight edge, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
Teams interested in Fab Melo may be looking to trade into the late teens, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
The Pistons may attempt to trade back into the end of the first round, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Detroit has its eye on a couple players that could slip.
Several teams believe that there is starting-caliber talent in the second round and are trying to buy second-rounders, tweets SI.com's Chris Mannix.
The Wizards (No. 3), Kings (No. 5), and Blazers (No. 6) all appear likely to stand pat, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
The Cavaliers are offering the Bobcats the 4th, 24th, and 33rd picks for Charlotte's 2nd and 31st picks, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link), the Bobcats still appear set on making Cleveland take a contract in the deal.
The Blazers are putting out "serious signs" that they might draft Dion Waiters over Damian Lillard at No. 6, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
The Rockets are showing interest in guards like Austin Rivers and Terrence Ross, along with centers like Andre Drummond and Meyers Leonard, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. Berman adds in a separate pair of tweets that the Rockets are also interested in high-upside players like Perry Jones III, and that Houston doctors don't believe Jones' health concerns are serious.
If the Bobcats can't find a trade partner who will take on Tyrus Thomas' contract, they may look to move Matt Carroll's deal instead, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Speaking of the Bobcats, they've narrowed their five offers for the second overall pick to just two offers, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Marc Stein). The Rockets and Cavaliers are still in the mix for the No.2 pick.
The Cavs have also talked to the Warriors at No. 7 and the Rockets at No. 12 about trades involving Anderson Varejao, says Broussard (via Stein on Twitter).
Austin Rivers tops the Hornets' wish list for the 10th overall pick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

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Draft Rumors: Thursday

June 28th, 2012 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Well, we're here. After weeks of following draft rumors and speculating on which player will be picked by which team, we're just hours away from the 2012 draft. Before things get underway tonight though, we're sure to hear plenty more draft rumors, so be sure to follow this page for the latest updates throughout the day. And to fully immerse yourself in tonight's draft, you can also check out our most recent mock draft, the complete draft order, our Prospect Profiles series, and all the rest of our draft content. Here are today's updates, with the latest up top:

The Kings and Warriors will make decisions on whether to trade their picks while they're on the clock, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says (Twitter link).
It's highly unlikely the Grizzlies use the 25th pick on a point guard, the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
The Grizzlies, Rockets and Celtics are all interested in Royce White, says Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Warriors may trade up from No. 30 to land him, Rothstein also tweets.
The Bobcats are "getting closer" to trading the No. 2 pick, tweets ESPN.com's Andy Katz (hat tip to Tom Ziller of SBNation).

Earlier updates:

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets the Rockets aren't as close to a deal with the Kings for the fifth pick as an earlier report suggested (see below). Sam Amick of SI.com agrees, as has the Kings taking Harrison Barnes at No. 5 in his latest mock.
The Warriors will likely keep the No. 7 pick after talks with the Rockets broke down, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, via Twitter.
Part of the reason the Celtics are trying to move up into the lottery is because they'd like to draft Austin Rivers, son of coach Doc Rivers, Sam Amick of SI.com reports (Sulia link). Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN.com say the team is pessimistic about its chances to get Rivers (Twitter link).
If the Warriors trade down to No. 12 or lower, the team would consider Moe Harkless, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
Thomas Robinson appears to be the preferred target of the Kings, who will wait as long as possible to decide whether to trade the No. 5 pick, Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com report. If they do trade it, the Rockets are "in position" to acquire that pick, the report says. Stein and Ford suggest that means the Kings are in line to get even more thanKyle Lowry and a package of first-rounders if the deal is done.
Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group hears the Warriors will take Dion Waiters at No. 7 if he's there.
Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer passes on the latest on the Cavs' interest in Waiters and more from around the draft.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) and Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com have updated their mock drafts, both of which cover all 60 picks.
The Warriors are leaning away from Andre Drummond, writes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
The Blazers appear to be holding on to the sixth and 11th picks for now, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is in the process of selling the team, and he would also like to trade the team's first-round pick, at No. 25, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Twitter account. The team's execs, however, like Royce White and John Jenkins.
There is a "growing expectation" the Bobcats will swap the No. 2 pick, Chris Mannix of SI.com tweets.
Teams drafting before pick No. 20 have little interest in Jared Sullinger, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sullinger is "falling like a rock," says Mannix (Twitter link).
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee looks at what the Kings can do to upgrade at small forward through the draft, and speculates via Twitter that the team could trade down to draft a player at another position and re-sign Terrence Williams.
The Cavs are actively pursuing another lottery pick, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link). Discussions with the Warriors for No. 7 have stalled, but the No. 12 pick, held by the Rockets, is in play. Lloyd speculates it will be tough to trade for a pick that high without including Anderson Varejao in the deal.
Jared Sullinger's stock was slipping even before word came out about the medical red flag on his back, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the league's recent small ball trend doesn't mean prospects like Fab Melo and Festus Ezeli won't be highly valued.
The Nets could bundle Johan Petro and $3MM in cash to try to acquire a second-round pick and clear cap space, according to NetsDaily.com via Twitter.
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that the Blazers are eyeing Damian Lillard and Dion Waiters with the No. 6 pick, with a "hard lean" toward Lillard. Smith also says the Jazz still have hopes of moving into the lottery, and may be targeting a "draft-and-stash" international player in the second round (Sulia link).
Chad Ford of ESPN.com unveils the site's final top 100 ranking before the draft (Insider only).
Vin Parise of NBC Sports is hearing that the Bulls intend to draft Tyshawn Taylor at No. 29 (Twitter link).
Besides liking Thomas Robinson at No. 5, the Kings are also high on Harrison Barnes,tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Sam Amick shares a number of draft tidbits in his latest piece for SI.com, including items onJared Sullinger, the Kings, and the Rockets.
According to ESPN's Chad Ford, the Cavaliers have narrowed their choices at No. 4 toBradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Harrison Barnes. While the team has interest in Dion Waiters (as linked below), that interest doesn't extend to the fourth overall pick, says Ford.
As for the Cavs' second-round picks, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says the team has "strong interest" in Turkish forward Furkan Aldemir (Twitter link). Aldemir doesn't have an NBA out clause until 2014.
Temple center Michael Eric is drawing interest from teams in the second round, including the Warriors, Sixers, and Nuggets, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
The Kings won't decide whether or not to trade the No. 5 pick until they see who is available, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, the Kings loveThomas Robinson, so if he slips past the first four picks, Sacramento is unlikely to trade down.
While Evan Fournier has long been considered the only international player that will go in the first round, interest in Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou is intensifying. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Heat and Thunder are considering Papanikolaou with their late-first-round picks, and Al Iannazzone of Newsday says theKnicks could try to acquire another pick to draft him.
Wojnarowski's piece also includes a few other updates, including the Bucks seriously considering Terrence Jones at No. 14, and Andrew Nicholson drawing interest from the Rockets and Nuggets.
Perry Jones III may have a knee issue that's causing his slide down draft boards, reportsESPN.com's Chad Ford.
The Bobcats have five "legit offers" for the second overall pick that they're considering, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
Rumblings that the Cavaliers are seriously considering Dion Waiters at No. 4 continue to gain momentum. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Cavs are losing interest in dealing with the Bobcats if taking Tyrus Thomas is a requirement in any trade, and are leaning toward Waiters if Bradley Beal and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are off the board at No. 4.
According to Wojnarowski, the Raptors are also looking into trading up for Waiters, and there's plenty of members of the Warriors' front office that like him a lot too.
The Grizzlies have talked to a number of teams about trading the No. 25 pick, according toRonald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. However, Tillery tweets that there's a major internal push for Memphis to select John Jenkins or Royce White.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) has released version 10.0 of his 2012 mock draft. Ford also heard from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who explained to the ESPN.com draft expert why he shouldn't be down on Austin Rivers.
In a pair of tweets, Ford reports that the Pistons conducted a last-minute workout withAndre Drummond and that Detroit would likely take the big man if he slips to them at No. 9.
Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details on the players the Knicks are eyeing with their second-round pick.

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Draft Rumors: Wednesday

June 27th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

With draft night fast approaching, our Tuesday draft rumors post seemed to go on forever, and we're expecting things to be just as busy today. Earlier this morning, we published our second and final mock draft, but given the amount of trade chatter around the league, it wouldn't be surprising if some of our predictions were rendered moot within a matter of hours. We'll follow today's draft-related news and rumors right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….

ESPN's Andy Katz tweets that Dion Waiters could now be a possibility for the Cavaliers at the 4th pick. If Waiters lands in the top 5, his draft stock will have shot up boards over the past few months in historical fashion.

Earlier updates:

Five of ESPN's draft analysts participated in a rotating mock draft today.
Also at ESPN, Chad Ford and Skip Bayless name Austin Rivers and Tyler Zeller as two of the biggest potential busts. Steven A. Smith joins them to debate whether Rivers is overrated or clutch.
The Spurs have been able to pull talent out of the second round in the past, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune identifies Will Barton, John Jenkins and Doron Lamb as three players that have worked out for the Bulls and are realistic possibilities at 29.
The Knicks have been one of few quiet teams leading up to the draft, but Jared Zwerling put together a Knicks draft primer for ESPN New York. Al Iannazzone of Newsday offers his take on the Knicks' draft options as well.
Perry Jones III was in Houston today for his second visit with the Rockets, says Mark Berman of Fox Houston. Jones III's selection will probably fall somewhere between 12 and 18, where the Rockets have three picks.
Doug Smith of the Toronto Star examines the Raptors' trade options with the 8th pick. With Harrison Barnes likely off the board at 8, Smith thinks the team should either move up to get him or trade out with a teams like the Rockets.
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas says that it makes sense for the Mavs to keep their pick because a rookie contract will save them money in comparison to a free agent one.
Dion Waiters says that he did not get a promise from a team in the lottery, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
NBA.com's David Alridge tweets the Rockets are still trying to get into the top five tomorrow, with their latest offer being rejected by the Kings who hold the 5th pick.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has eight players the Magic may target should they keep the 19th pick tomorrow night – point guard and big men seem to be the trend.
Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune says via Sulia that while the Jazz are still interested in trading into the lottery, it seems unlikely as they are unwilling to overpay to make it happen.
Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area continues his extensive draft coverage by ranking the draft's power forwards and examing how each player would fit in Golden State.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford updated his most recent mock draft to reflect today's Bucks/Rockets trade, and conducted a chat with readers in which he answered a ton of draft questions.
Also at ESPN.com, Andy Katz spoke to a number of this year's top prospects on the eve of the draft.
Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap told Adam Zagoria of Sheridan Hoops that it's "possible" Charlotte trades down from No. 2, but team president Rod Higgins and GM Rich Cho both said it would take a "really enticing" offer for the 'Cats to move down, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Higgins also said that yesterday's trade for Ben Gordon won't affect the Bobcats' draft plans.
The Grizzlies don't intend to sell the No. 25 pick, owner Michael Heisley tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).
Damian Lillard had a second workout for the Raptors today and said it went much better than his first, tweets Ryan Woltsat of the Toronto Sun.
In a pair of new mock drafts, SI.com's Sam Amick updates his picks, while at Grantland, Chad Ford and Bill Simmons alternate picks for most of the first round.
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explains why the Warriors have a good chance to end up with Harrison Barnes or Dion Waiters at No. 7, rather than Andre Drummond.
A source tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News that Austin Rivers is a possibility for the Trail Blazers at No. 6 (Twitter link).
TNT's David Aldridge has Andre Drummond slipping all the way down to No. 16 in his mock draft for NBA.com.
Nets GM Billy King told reporters there's "no shot" his team will jump into the top six of the draft, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports and Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio are both hearing that Thomas Robinson will likely go to the Bobcats at No. 2 and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to the Cavs at No. 4 (Twitter links). Amico suggests the Cavs' rumored deal with the Bobcats could be off, or at least on hold.
According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (via Twitter), there could be as many as nine first-round prospects that have received medical red flags. As Givony points out in a series of subsequent tweets, many red-flagged players in the past have had perfectly healthy NBA careers.
While Thomas Robinson is considered the Bobcats' top target at second overall, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is still very much in the running, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
The Raptors may have narrowed their draft wish list to three players, but are keeping their options open, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. I'd guess the top three realistic targets for Toronto at No. 8 are Dion Waiters, Damian Lillard, and Austin Rivers, in some order.
The two lottery picks drawing the most trade interest are the Raptors' at No. 8 and the Kings' at No. 5, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) has updated his latest mock draft, which sees Michael Kidd-Gilchrist bumped up to fourth overall, to the Cavs.
According to Nets Daily, TNT's David Aldridge said on NBA TV that the Nets are exploring a way to land a first-round pick and snag Thomas Robinson as a trade chip for Dwight Howard. Given the lack of trade assets Brooklyn currently possesses, I doubt this one gets past the exploratory stage.
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes of an increasing possibility that the Bucks could draft a guard at No. 12.
Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Marquis Teague could have been a 2013 lottery pick if he'd stayed at Kentucky another year. The Grizz are eyeing Teague and others at No. 25, as Tillery writes.

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Draft Rumors: Tuesday

June 26th, 2012 at 10:32pm CST by Luke Adams

With two days remaining until the 2012 draft, we've seen a first-round pick change hands for the first time this offseason, as the Timberwolves agreed to send the 18th overall pick to Houston in exchange for Chase Budinger and the rights to Lior Eliyahu. The general consensus is that the move is the precursor to a bigger deal for the Rockets, and Houston isn't the only team rumored to be shopping picks. Here are today's draft-related rumors, with the newest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweeted that the Bucks are looking to move into the top 10, and are supposedly targeting John Henson.
Kennedy says that the Rockets are still trying to acquire another first round pick, most recently in discussions with the Hornets about the 10th pick before talks broke down (Twitter link). He also tweeted that the Lakers and Nets are both looking to acquire a first rounder.

Earlier updates:

The Bulls are looking to add perimeter help in the form of a combo guard and shooter, says K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. John Jenkins, Will Barton, and Tony Wroten are possible targets.
Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel believes that the Bucks need to start adding talent instead of looking to add more veterans. Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel says that the team could consider taking a guard with their pick.
Michael Lee of the Washington Post documented Jay Bilas' thoughts on Harrison Barnes, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Bradley Beal. He believes that Beal is the second best prospect of this draft, discusses Barnes' outstanding athleticism, and marvels at Kidd-Gilchrist's versatility and ability to guard multiple positions.
Doug Smith of The Star explores the many different directions in which the Raptors could go on draft night, even hearing that GM Bryan Colangelo remains undecided on what he wants to do.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com views the second round as a chance to find perimeter depth and highlights the team's possible targets with their 39th and 44th picks. Among those mentioned are Darius Miller, Kevin Murphy, Kim English, Jae Crowder, Will Barton, and Jared Cunningham.
Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area examines the draft's shooting guard options for the Warriors.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com lists the 10 biggest questions heading into draft night (Insiders only).
Morley Quatroche of WEEI.com takes a look at J'Covan Brown as a possible second round target for the Celtics.
Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution profiled Jefferey Taylor and the impact that the three-time SEC All-Defensive team selection wants to make in the league.
Jonathan Abrams of Grantland provides an outside-the-lines perspective of Royce White and the first-round hopeful's battle with anxiety disorder.
Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune produced a mock draft of his own, focusing solely on the top-14.
Sean Meagher of Oregon Live performed a link roundup of Damian Lillard, who appears to be a realistic target for the Trail Blazers on draft night.
Jay Bilas projects Fab Melo as the 30th best available player in the draft (Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel provided a Sulia link). While he sees the 7-foot center as a good rebounder and improved shot blocker, Bilas thinks that Melo's less-than-ideal mobility was offset by playing zone defense at Syracuse and could struggle guarding the pick and roll at the NBA level.
76ers GM Rod Thorn feels content with having the 15th pick and doesn't see a situation where he tries to move up (Dei Lynam of CSN Philly reports). Thorn would like to add an athletic big man and believes he will have about two or three of his targets available by the time Philadelphia is on the clock. It should be no surprise that he mentioned Jared Sullinger as one of those targets (Tom Moore of Philly Blurbs tweets).
Tim Kawakami of Mercury News tweeted that the Warriors have not made any definitive judgments after the meetings/workouts with Andre Drummond and Harrison Barnes. In another tweet, Kawakami added that Golden State could consider trading down depending on who gets drafted ahead of their slot.
In his latest mock draft for Yahoo! Sports, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com shares a number of tidbits. Among them: He's hearing that the Cavaliers are more likely to takeMichael Kidd-Gilchrist than Harrison Barnes if Bradley Beal is off the board at No. 4.
Warriors GM Bob Myers and owner Joe Lacob flew to New York to watch Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond in private workouts on Monday, according to Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.
A pair of sources who witnessed Damian Lillard's individual workouts for the Blazers earlier this month raved to Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com about the point guard's performance. Lillard is a strong candidate for Portland's No. 6 pick.
SI.com's Seth Davis has a ton of interesting quotes from scouts and executives on this year's top prospects, while Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld spoke to execs who believe the best values in the draft could be found in the picks in the teens.
The Warriors don't appear to have the assets to move up and may simply opt to take the best player available at No. 7, says Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. Damian Lillard and Dion Waiters are top contenders for the Warriors' pick.
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post thinks the Nets will draft a European player to stash overseas with their No. 57 pick.
A swap involving the Bobcats' No. 2 pick and the Cavs' No. 4 pick could have enough momentum to get done, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com in a piece that includes a handful of other draft tidbits.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times wonders whether the Bucks will consider drafting Fab Melo if Meyers Leonard and Tyler Zeller are off the board at No. 12.
Draymond Green is working out for the Pacers for a second time today and is a candidate to be picked at No. 26, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. However, another player working out for Indiana today, Will Barton, figures to be the team's pick if he's still on the board at 26, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (Twitter link).
ESPN The Magazine (Insider link) has released its annual players-only mock draft, in which a player representative from each team plays GM and makes his team's picks. Somewhat bizarrely, the players let Bradley Beal slip to J.J. Redick and the Magic at No. 19.
Washington guard Tony Wroten is drawing interest from a pair of teams with picks in the 20s. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says Wroten has piqued the Grizzlies' interest, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com says the Hawks have become "enamored" of Wroten.
Within the same mock draft, Ford says the Hornets offered the Rockets the No. 10 pick for Nos. 14 and 16 last week, but that Houston turned them down.
The Warriors' No. 7 pick could be in play for the Rockets as they look to line up a big offer for Dwight Howard, tweets Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
It appears unlikely the Raptors will trade the eighth overall pick, according to Eric Koreen of the National Post.
76ers president Rod Thorn doesn't expect the team to trade up from No. 15, tweets Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com.
The Suns' interest in Arnett Moultrie is intensifying, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
There's a decent chance that the Kings will draft a player that didn't work out for the team, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

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Rockets Targeting Dwight Howard In Trade Talks

June 26th, 2012 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 10:01am: While Howard is the Rockets' top trade target, the team could pursue Josh Smith or other big-name players if a deal can't be consummated with the Magic, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

MONDAY, 8:05am: Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last night that the Rockets have engaged in trade discussions with teams in the top 10 in the draft, including the Kings (No. 5) and the Raptors (No. 8). In their initial report, Ford and Stein suggested Andre Drummond had caught the Rockets' eye, and was the target in any deal. However, a rival GM told the ESPN scribes that he believes Houston's real goal is to land Dwight Howard.

NBA Invites 14 Players To Draft Green Room

June 25th, 2012 at 5:56pm CST by Daniel Seco

The NBA has invited 14 players to the 2012 NBA Draft Green Room, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. The Green Room allows some of the draft's best prospects to sit with their agents and families just off the stage as they await to be selected by a team. Players are extended an opportunity to attend based upon how they are projected to be picked in the draft in order to avoid an awkward situation where a player finds himself sitting around deep into the first round. Notable omissions from the Green Room include UNC's Kendall Marshall and Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, who has seen his stock drop due to health concerns.