The 2012 NBA Draft Combine got underway Thursday in Chicago and will continue through Friday as prospects are tested, weighed and interviewed with hopes of improving their stock for June 28. Former Florida star Bradley Beal's height was a point of contention heading into the combine but the ex-Gator shooting guard surprised everyone when he told reporters he measured in at 6-foot-4, which was on the higher end of expectations. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has more news and headlines out of Chicago with the draft exactly three weeks away…
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.
The league is holding a two-day draft combine starting tomorrow in Chicago, but the event isn't likely to reveal much about the top prospects. Sam Amick of SI.com reports that Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Dion Waiters, and Harrison Barnes will not take part in running and shooting drills, and Matt Moore of CBSSports.com takes this as a sign that the league should either force players to participate fully or scrap the event entirely. Fellow CBSSports.com scribe Jeff Goodman nonetheless identifies some of the key issues surrounding prospects that the combine is likely to resolve. Here's more draft-related news from around the Association.
The Cavaliers will have the opportunity to rebuild their roster this offseason as they currently hold the fourth and #24 picks in the upcoming NBA draft. However, the Cavs aren't content with the fourth pick as they had their eyes on the draft's top spot and are currently exploring a variety of trade opportunities. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald has the latest news and rumors out of Cleveland with the draft looming mere weeks away…
At 6'11'', 235 lbs, and the ability to play either forward position, potential-lottery pick Perry Jones III from Baylor stands out as one of the most intriguing prospects among this year's NBA Draft crop. Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated takes a closer look at Jones' draft stock, acknowledging that it can significantly change depending on the impression he makes in his upcoming workouts and interviews. Amick adds that Jones and his representatives aim to put an emphasis on his small forward skills during workouts in order to better market himself to talent evaluators. In an interview, Jones elaborated about his newfound confidence, his current training at UC Santa Barbara, and the belief that he was not properly utilized at Baylor.
Here are some more tidbits from Amick's article, including a brief rundown of this year's top small forward prospects, Miles Plumlee's workout in Minnesota, and a guard prospect from Vanderbilt to keep an eye out for…
Following the Hornets' lottery win, ESPN.com's Chad Ford published his newest mock draft, which includes a handful of interesting scenarios, including Dion Waiters jumping to eighth overall and Austin Rivers slipping to 18th. With less than four weeks until draft day, Ford continues to talk to sources and visit workouts to get a better sense of how things will play out on June 28th. His latest draft blog (Insider link) explores potential options for the top 10 picks and is chock-full of interesting tidbits. Let's round up some of the highlights….
Earlier today, Luke Adams provided some draft updates on several international prospects. Last night Ryan Raroque posted a draft links list of his own. As we approach June 28, Hoops Rumors will provide our readers with extensive draft coverage. Here are some draft links headed into Thursday night:
- Sam Amick from Sports Illustrated examines who he considers high-risk, high-reward prospects in his "Part II" draft evaluation. He considers these names the most difficult for NBA teams to project – in essence, boom or bust types. Some of the high profile names that Amick lists are Andre Drummond, Perry Jones III and Jeremy Lamb.
- Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico puts together a draft profile piece on North Carolina swingman Harrison Barnes. Amico implies that Barnes is an NBA-ready piece that can contribute right away, albeit without the upside of a franchise-changer. Here is our Prospect Profile on Barnes.
- Jonathan Givony from DraftExpress provides his scouting reports on some of the top prospects at the Nike International Junior Tournament in Istanbul. These are some names to look out for in upcoming NBA Drafts.
While the Warriors await the May 30th draft lottery with crossed fingers, hoping they don't slide below their projected seventh slot and lose their pick to the Jazz, there are a few items of note from the Bay Area:
- The team has promoted Kirk Lacob, son of co-owner Joe Lacob, to assistant GM, according to a statement. He previously served as director of basketball operations for the Warriors and general manager of the Dakota Wizards, the team's D-League affiliate. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle provides detail.
- A "big" upgrade at small forward is on tap this summer, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. It's increasingly clear that the team has soured on Dorell Wright, Kawakami says, and the team will seek a replacement who can have an impact on both sides of the floor.
- In the same piece, Kawakami says the draft is the most likely means the team will use to get a new starter at the 3, and mentions Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones and Perry Jones as possibilities at No. 7, with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in play if the team moves up into the top three picks. If they make a deal to move into the middle of the first round, they're high on Meyers Leonard, Kawakami reports.
- San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, along with all 11 city supervisors, sent a letter to the Warriors that said the city would cooperate to help the team return to San Francisco by 2017, according to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. The city, home to the Warriors from 1962-71, is likely seeking a privately financed arena near the Bay Bridge. The news comes on the heels of the state's demand that Oakland return $3.5MM it had hoped to spend on planning for a new arena.
If you were looking forward to watching Kobe Bryant try to drop 38 points on Sacramento tonight to win the scoring title, you may want to make alternate plans. According to Sam Amick of SI.com (via Twitter), Lakers coach Mike Brown says Bryant won't play in tonight's game, meaning Kevin Durant will finish as the NBA's leading scorer for the third straight season. While it would've been fun to see Kobe gun for 38, we have to give props to Durant — at just 23 years old, he's the youngest player ever to win three scoring titles.
Here are a few more Thursday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association:
- Marcus Camby reiterates to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that the Rockets will be his first choice in free agency this summer: "A lot of suitors are going to be trying to reach out. This is where I want to be. So hopefully, we can make something work."
- Ben Wallace has appeared headed toward retirement all season, but wants to make sure it's the right decision, as Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News writes. Wallace will sit down with Pistons management and his family and won't rush his final decision.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld believes Harrison Barnes could be the ideal fit for the Raptors in the draft.
- Samardo Samuels and Manny Harris will head into the summer looking to earn themselves a spot on next year's Cavaliers' roster, says Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. Both players are on non-guaranteed contracts for 2012/13.
- If the Magic let Stan Van Gundy go at season's end, the veteran coach will have no shortage of options, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Orlando is currently sixth in the East and owns a four game lead over the seventh place Knicks. A New York win against the Nets and an Orlando loss versus the Celtics tonight would reduce the lead to three with four games left to play. For both teams, the stakes involve avoiding a first-round matchup with Miami or Chicago. The Clippers have a chance at the third seed in the West with a win against Denver and a Lakers loss to Golden State. Those are just a few of the many storylines to follow as the NBA inches closer to its conclusion within the next week and a half. With that aside, here's the latest news from the world of basketball:
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports that the Pacers' Paul George has signed with Creative Artists Agency, the same organization that represents LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul to name a few (Sulia link).
- Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler is expected to miss the rest of the season, says Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post. Chandler had tried to play through pain on Sunday, but decided after the game that it would be best to shut himself down for the rest of the season.
- Don't expect to see the Pistons participating in the annual Las Vegas Summer League this year, as coach Lawrence Frank has opted to send his team to Orlando Magic Summer League instead (David Mayo of MLive reports). Frank cites the organizational structure and condensed schedule as the deciding factors.
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Jazz guard Blake Ahearn hopes to earn a second contract with the team and finish the rest of the season, as his initial contract is set to expire today. GM Kevin O'Connor says that he won't make a decision until after tonight's game against Portland.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld engaged in his weekly chat with fans tonight. A few thought provoking points included his assessment of Harrison Barnes as a player who won't be a franchise changer for a lottery team, the possibility that Austin Rivers slips in the draft, and Kendall Marshall as a player who belongs in the 16-20 pick range, among other topics.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune examines the emergence of Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10 sharpshooting forward for Real Madrid whose draft rights are currently owned by the Bulls. Johnson also writes that Mirotic could have a legitimate shot to make the Spanish team for this year's Olympics.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports that the Louisiana State of Exposition District board of commissioners has approved a long-term lease extension for the Hornets through 2024.
- Billy Witz of Fox Sports takes a closer look at Jerry Colangelo's criteria for assembling Team USA amidst a season of injuries and uncertainty for a number of players who are in his selection pool. Colangelo doesn't appear fazed, implying that the pool is deep enough to counter the potential unavailability of some of his choices for summer.