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.
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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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By Luke Adams |
at June 14, 2012 8:46 pm
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.
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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.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 13, 2012 11:16 pm
With 15 days remaining until draft night, we'll round up today's notes on draft workouts, stock watches, and potential selections right here, with the latest up top:
Earlier updates:
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- Morley Quatroche of WEEI.com breaks down Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from a Celtics perspective.
- HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston looks at whether Kentucky sixth man Darius Miller can be just as valuable as a key reserve in the NBA.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times has the latest on the Bucks' search for a big man.
- Portland native Terrence Jones talks about his workout for the Blazers today in a video posted by Sean Meagher of The Oregonian.
- Warriors.com shares mock drafts put together by broadcasters and well-known bloggers.
- Thomas Robinson worked out for his hometown Wizards today, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post chronicles.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at Andre Drummond as teams try to get a handle on his boom-or-bust potential.
- A number of beat writers have updates on draft workouts for the Trail Blazers, Wizards, and Bucks.
- Don't expect the Jazz to make a trade to get back into the first round of the draft. GM Kevin O'Connor tells Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune that the asking price for first-round picks will be high, and he doesn't anticipate his team will make a move "unless we find something we really like."
- SI.com's Sam Amick shares the list of participants for the Warriors' workout tomorrow.
- The Sixers announced via press release that they'll work out Quincy Miller, Terrence Ross, and Mike Scott tomorrow morning.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com becomes the latest draft scribe to release an updated version of his mock draft today.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford has provided a ton of draft content today, publishing his new mock draft and answering a number of readers' questions in a chat. Among the highlights of Ford's chat: He believes the Bobcats will trade the No. 2 pick for either multiple picks or a pick and a player.
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also conducted a chat heavy on draft-related inquiries.
- Harrison Barnes and Damian Lillard were among the lottery prospects to boost their stock in athletic testing, while Jared Sullinger and John Henson's scores didn't help them, says Chad Ford (Insider link).
- Anthony Davis isn't the only player in this draft class with star potential, writes Jay Bilas in an Insider piece for ESPN.com.
- Fab Melo and Andrew Nicholson highlighted the group of prospects in attendance at the Suns' first workout yesterday, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld and SI.com's Sam Amick each released updated versions of their mock drafts today.
- The Raptors worked out six more players today, including Canadian forward Kris Joseph, according to a team press release.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 12, 2012 9:37 am
We already rounded up a number of updates on the 76ers this morning, as the team begins to search for a replacement for Rod Thorn and weighs how to handle its free agents. Now, let's catch up on a few of their Atlantic Division rivals, with updates on the Raptors' draft workouts, a Celtic undergoing surgery, and a potential free agent target for the Knicks….
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- The Raptors will conduct a pair of draft workouts today, according to a team press release. Kendall Marshall and Terrence Ross are among the six players working out this morning, while Damian Lillard will work out individually this afternoon.
- Doc Rivers will make a major push to retain free-agent-to-be Kevin Garnett, and Garnett's friend Sam Cassell says he can't see KG leaving the Celtics. "KG is a loyal guy," Cassell told Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com. "I can't see him playing for anyone else except Doc at this point."
- The Celtics' other major free agent, Ray Allen, will undergo ankle surgery on Wednesday morning, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests Derek Fisher could be a realistic low-cost option to back up Jeremy Lin for the Knicks. Although Fisher was noncommital about whether he'd be interested in signing with the Knicks, Berman hears from people close to the player that he loves New York.
- Jeff Van Gundy thinks Mike Woodson was the right choice to coach the Knicks, and doesn't fault the team for not reaching out to Phil Jackson, writes Berman in a separate Post piece.
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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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- As expected, there's no chance the Hornets are trading the No. 1 pick. According to Ford, the Cavaliers offered all their picks this year (Nos. 4, 24, 33, 34), and were quickly turned down.
- Ford is hearing that Bobcats owner Michael Jordan "isn't sold on" Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and that Thomas Robinson is a possibility at No. 2. The Bobcats are also seriously considering trading the second overall selection for multiple picks.
- Although GM Bryan Colangelo denied making a promise to Dion Waiters, the Raptors may still take him if he's available at No. 8, says Ford.
- Ford hears rumblings that Austin Rivers may have received a guarantee from a team in the lottery.
- Andrew Nicholson is unlikely to slip past the Celtics' pair of picks in the early twenties.
- Damian Lillard is a candidate to be selected as high as No. 6 by the Trail Blazers, while Moe Harkless could go as high as seventh or eighth, to the Warriors or Raptors.
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By Michael Pina |
at June 10, 2012 3:57 pm
Former Celtics center Jermaine O'Neal is in Germany to undergo platelet-rich plasma therapy on his knee, the same procedure Kobe Bryant had last summer, tweets Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy.
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- According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons, the Warriors would be greatly interested in taking Andre Drummond if he's still available at the number seven pick. The team has also gone after Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay, and the Bobcats' number two pick. Simmons also tweeted that the Warriors plan to feature Perry Jones III and Terrence Jones in a workout on Monday that could ultimately decide who they take with the number seven pick.
- Former Weber St. point guard Damian Lillard's draft stock has been rising rapidly, according to Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy. The senior led the nation in scoring last season, and could be the first point guard selected in this year's draft.
- Heat forward Chris Bosh had a huge impact in last night's Game 7, writes the Toronto Sun's John McMullen.
- Restricted free agent Eric Gordon says that no matter where he goes next season, all that matters to him is that it's a long term stay. He still hasn't ruled out a return to the Hornets, a team that has the right to match an offer he receives this offseason, according to Nola.com's John Reid.
- On HoopsHype.com, Illinois center Meyers Leonard, a true seven-footer, says he wants his offensive skill set to soon resemble that of Lakers forward Pau Gasol.
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 9, 2012 1:48 pm
The Trail Blazers have a pair of first-round picks, at No. 6 and No. 11, and back-to-back second-round picks, at No. 40 and No. 41. Four rookies would be a lot to carry on a roster, but earlier this week we passed along a report from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com suggesting the Blazers would keep both lottery selections. Yesterday, Haynes tweeted that the Blazers have a workout scheduled with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist that could indicate they're looking to trade up. Haynes echoes that sentiment in a report today, and adds plenty of other draft-related news.
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- The Blazers are high on Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard, Harrison Barnes and Kidd-Gilchrist. Leonard is a player the team could take at No. 11, but the others will likely go sooner, including Lillard, according to a league executive who's watching the Weber state point guard climb the charts, Haynes says.
- As Lillard's stock rises, it becomes increasingly clear he'll be taken in front of fellow point guard Kendall Marshall, who says he doesn't think he'll be drafted as highly as No. 11, Haynes tweets. Marshall is currently ranked No. 14 on the DraftExpress.com list of the top 100 prospects.
- Haynes speculates that the Blazers will take Lillard at No. 6 as long as Barnes and Andre Drummond are off the board.
- Add Drummond to a list of players working out for the team that we learned about yesterday. That list includes Lillard, Tony Wroten, Jared Sullinger and Austin Rivers.
- We've heard that Jeremy Lamb looked disinterested in interviews, but Haynes also notes that during drills he struggled with his outside shot, a purported strength, which disappointed the Blazers and many others.
- A presumptive top-10 pick displayed a knowledge of the team that's months out of date, saying, “I would love to play for a city like Portland and play alongside LaMarcus and be coached by Nate McMillan.”
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 8, 2012 9:01 pm
Tomorrow night, the Celtics will either advance to the NBA Finals or face a summer of uncertainty, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as unrestricted free agents. Win or lose, this "big three" will go down as a success for Celtics executive Danny Ainge, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com. If the Celtics win tomorrow and advance to face the Thunder, it will set up an interesting referendum on Ainge's trade that sent Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City. There's plenty of other news swirling around the Atlantic as the draft and free agency near, including a promise for the son of the Celtics coach.
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- Even as his team is challenging the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Celtics coach Doc Rivers is actively helping son Austin Rivers through the draft process, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports observes. A source tells Spears that a team picking late in the lottery has promised the younger Rivers they will take him. The Celtics have two first round picks, at No. 21 and 22, and Doc Rivers is open to the possibility of the team trading up to draft his son.
- Rivers could be picked as high as No. 8 by the Raptors, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer suggests, via Twitter.
- The Raps met with Rivers, Harrison Barnes and Damian Lillard this week, but with so much unsettled about who will go where in the lottery, the team is "more reactive than active" at the moment, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com identifies some possible minimum-salary free agent targets for the Knicks, including point guards Gary Neal, Kirk Hinrich, and Jonny Flynn, and shooting guards Anthony Parker, Randy Foye and Nate Robinson.
- John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer says it's not certain the Sixers will use the amnesty clause on Elton Brand, as we noted earlier, but several NBA executives believe the team may indeed wipe out his $18.16MM salary for next season, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says (via Twitter).
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 8, 2012 7:04 pm
Tons of NBA executives have been in Chicago the past two days for the NBA pre-draft combine, and we've been following the updates throughout. Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com was on hand for the event, which wasn't nearly as revelatory as it could have been, he says, since several top prospects didn't participate in on-court action. Still, teams learned plenty about the draft-eligible field, and Goodman shares his list of winners and losers from the camp.
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Here are the highlights:
- Damian Lillard tops Goodman's list of winners, further distinguishing himself at the draft's top point guard. His perimeter shooting was the best in the camp.
- No one was more impressive in interviews than Iowa State power forward Royce White, NBA sources told Goodman. White has suffered from an anxiety disorder, but Fred Hoiberg, White's college coach, told Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that White's fear of flying "never affected the way he played" (Twitter link).
- Measurements dispelled concerns about height for Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson, Austin Rivers and Bradley Beal, all of whom wound up on the tall side of estimates.
- Agent Derek LaFayette pulled Arnett Moultrie out of the workout portion of the combine. Goodman was surprised by this move and counts it as a negative for Moultrie, but earlier today we heard the Pistons are giving Moultrie strong consideration for the No. 9 pick.
- It was a rough camp for Big East players, as Connecticut guard Jeremy Lamb looked disinterested in interviews, sources told Goodman, while Jae Crowder and Kevin Jones, the conference's top two finishers for its player of the year award, struggled on the court.
- Combo guard J'Covan Brown had the highest body fat percentage of anyone at the camp, at 12.5%.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 7, 2012 3:18 pm
The Nets may be looking to find a way into the first round of this month's draft, but a number of teams are considering moving their first-rounders. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter), every club besides the Cavs that has multiple first-round picks is trying to trade one of them for a young player. The Blazers, Celtics, Warriors, Rockets, and Hornets all fit the bill, with two first-rounders each. Let's round up a few more of today's draft rumors….
- Teams inquiring on the 10th overall pick are being told by the Hornets that taking on a contract like Emeka Okafor's or Trevor Ariza's won't be enough to land the pick, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
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Earlier updates:
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld is hearing "emphatically" that Harrison Barnes will be drafted by the Cavs fourth overall (Twitter link).
- Another candidate for that No. 4 pick, Bradley Beal, says he'd "love" to play with Kyrie Irving, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link).
- Kyler adds (via Twitter) that the Bobcats are "open for business" on the No. 2 pick, and are meeting with plenty of guys expected to be drafted later in the first round.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist would love to play with the Bobcats' Kemba Walker, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets that John Henson has a number of workouts lined up with teams drafting in the top ten, including the Kings, Blazers, Warriors, and Pistons.
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com says the Trail Blazers have workouts lined up with a number of top prospects, including Jared Sullinger, Austin Rivers, Damian Lillard, and Tony Wroten (all four Twitter links).
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford identifies Lillard as one of a number of prospects that stood out at the draft combine (Twitter link).
- While the Hornets are open to moving their No. 10 pick, it would likely take a starting-caliber point guard to pry it from them, tweets Amico.
- Bradley Beal has a workout scheduled with the Bobcats, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Beal is a candidate to be picked second overall, though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Thomas Robinson are probably better bets.
- Weber State's Damian Lillard says he's heard he could be picked as high as sixth by the Trail Blazers, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Sam Amick takes an in-depth look at the young point guard in a piece for SI.com.
- The Pistons have a number of players scheduled to come in for workouts, including Quincy Miller, Jeff Taylor, and Scott Machado (all Twitter links).
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