By Luke Adams |
at June 22, 2012 3:57 pm
ESPN.com's Chad Ford will be in his element over the next few days, as the NBA shifts its focus from the Finals to the 2012 draft. Ford's latest Insider-only piece at ESPN.com breaks down the first-round candidates into tiers, from Tier 1 (Anthony Davis) to Tier 6 (14 players, including Evan Fournier, John Jenkins, and Miles Plumlee). Of particular note is Tier 4, where 10 players figure to compete for the final five lottery spots. The tier ranges from the high-upside prospects (Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III) to the safer plays (Tyler Zeller, John Henson). As the countdown until draft night continues, we'll round up today's draft notes right here throughout Friday, with the latest updates on top:
- Raptors sources tell Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that John Henson had a very good workout for Toronto, putting him into the mix at eighth overall (Twitter link).
- Meyers Leonard headlines the list of prospects scheduled to work out for the Warriors this weekend, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Earlier updates:
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- The Suns, picking 13th overall, will bring Kendall Marshall and Arnett Moultrie in for a second look, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- According to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, the pressure is on new Warriors GM Bob Myers to make a good first impression with the seventh overall pick in the draft.
- In a pair of articles for the National Post, Eric Koreen examines the Raptors' options at No. 8, concluding that it's still impossible to say which prospect will land in Toronto.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside looks into the draft-night possibilities for Tomas Satoransky, including the chances of him being selected in the second round and "stashed" in Europe.
- The Hawks' PR Twitter account passes along today's list of prospects working out for the team, including Andrew Nicholson.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 20, 2012 6:32 pm
With eight days left until June 28th, mock drafts continue to roll in, with the latest coming from Tom Zeller of SBNation.com, who projects surprisingly high selections for Kendall Marshall and Evan Fournier, among others. You can find Hoops Rumors' mock draft right here, and you can follow today's draft notes in this post, with the newest updates added up top throughout the day….
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Earlier updates:
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford makes some slight adjustments to his latest mock draft in the wake of today's trade.
- Ford also points out (via Twitter) that Austin Rivers only worked out for teams in the 3-11 range, meaning he may not slip to a team like the Suns at No. 13.
- If Harrison Barnes isn't available when the Warriors pick at No. 7, there's a good chance Golden State selects Tyler Zeller, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News.
- Fran Fraschilla of ESPN.com (Insider link) suggests ways in which this year's lottery picks can improve their games and turn into stars.
- SI.com's Sam Amick released his latest mock draft today, albeit before this afternoon's Wizards/Hornets swap that could alter the lottery landscape.
- In his weekly chat, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio fielded mostly draft-related questions, and mentioned that the Lakers are exploring the possibility of trading into the first round.
- Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link) has the list of potential second-round prospects the Knicks will work out on Thursday.
- Could the Bucks be thinking about trading up in the draft? Director of scouting Billy McKinney hinted at the possibility while talking to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about how much the team liked John Henson: "Obviously, we like him, but he's not going to be there at 12 when we select. It's a matter of whether it's practical for us to move up or the teams ahead of us would value him as much as we would."
- Terrence Jones, Perry Jones III, and Arnett Moultrie headline the list of players working out for the Bucks today, as Bucks.com outlines.
- The Suns' interest in a shooting guard is as strong as this draft's crop of two guards, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, examining some potential candidates for Phoenix at No. 13.
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post has the full list of players the Nuggets worked out yesterday, along with the prospects the team will host today.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 19, 2012 10:22 pm
In case you missed it yesterday, we published our first 2012 mock draft. Be sure to check out our projected first round and jump into the comments section to tell us which choices you like or dislike. In the meantime, we'll continue tracking the latest draft news and rumors. Tuesday's updates can be found right here, with the newest items added up top throughout the day….
- John Reid of The Times Picayune writes that the Hornets will likely keep their 10th pick. GM Dell Demps says that he hasn't received any offers warranting any serious consideration to trade the pick and believes that they can come away with a good player at that slot.
- Jared Sullinger will work out for the Cavaliers on Friday, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. Fab Melo is also scheduled for a workout this week and could join Sullinger.
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Earlier updates:
- James Ham of NBA.com tweeted earlier that Harrison Barnes cancelled his upcoming Friday workout with the Kings, speculating that the former Tar Heel may have been given a draft promise from a team in the top 4. However, Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated (Sulia link) was told that Barnes will reconsider working out for Sacramento after his workout with the Bobcats later this week and does not believe that Barnes was given a promise.
- Sean Meagher of Oregon Live comprised a draft link roundup of Arnett Moultrie, who recently called himself the "sleeper of the draft."
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer provides a breakdown of this year's draft crop of point guard prospects. Damian Lillard tops the list, follwed by Kendall Marshall, Tony Wroten, Marquis Teague, and Tyshawn Taylor.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star tweeted that those who watched Fab Melo during his workout with the Pacers came away very impressed.
- WEEI.com continued their series of prospect profiles, this time focusing on Jeffery Taylor out of Vanderbilt.
- Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times says (via Twitter) that the Bucks will host Perry Jones III and Terrence Jones for a workout on Wednesday.
- This USA Today article via the Associated Press described Anthony Davis' visit with the Hornets today.
- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle has the full list of prospects that withdrew from the draft before yesterday's deadline. We've updated our list of early entrants here.
- After working out for the Pacers today, Fab Melo talked about the academic issues that kept him from playing for Syracuse in this year's NCAA tournament. An Associated Press report (via NBA.com) provides the details and quotes.
- Chad Ford fielded a handful of draft questions in a chat for ESPN.com this afternoon.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) is back with his newest mock draft, version 8.0. Ford's top four remain unchanged from his last mock, but there's plenty of movement after that, including Harrison Barnes to the Kings, Dion Waiters to the Warriors, and Damian Lillard to the Raptors.
- Evan Fournier is on the Grizzlies' radar at No. 25, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Anthony Davis will be in New Orleans to meet with Hornets brass today, but he won't work out for the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer thinks the Bobcats should draft Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall.
- Draymond Green is working out for the Hawks today, according to the team (via Twitter).
- Bucks.com has the details on today's workout in Milwaukee, which features John Henson, while Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines some of the Bucks' draft options as they look to replace Andrew Bogut.
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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 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.
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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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By Sean Highkin |
at June 10, 2012 10:20 pm
The 2012 NBA Draft is less than three weeks away. This post will update all evening with the latest noteworthy news and features surrounding the draft and its prospects.
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- The Washington Wizards, who own the No. 3 pick in the draft, will work out Bradley Beal, Thomas Robinson, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist this week, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- HoopsWorld.com's Stephen Litel interviews Kentucky forward Terrence Jones, who says he's focusing on improving his versatility before the draft. Litel suggests the Golden State Warriors as a possible fit.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com has a feature on Jones' Kentucky teammate, Anthony Davis, who is widely expected to be taken by the Hornets with the No. 1 overall pick. Davis says he welcomes the chance to do for the New Orleans community what Chris Paul did before his 2011 trade to the Clippers.
- Sam Amick of SI.com talks to Florida guard Bradley Beal about his admiration for Ray Allen, among other subjects. Beal is expected to be picked in the top five.
- Amick also points to North Carolina's Kendall Marshall as an option for teams looking for a point guard if Damian Lillard is off the board.
- The New Orleans Times-Picayune's Tom Reid speculates in a new video segment that Duke guard Austin Rivers could be the choice for New Orleans at No. 10.
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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 Luke Adams |
at June 8, 2012 4:32 pm
The Heat are certainly in better position to advance to the NBA Finals than they were 24 hours ago, but they aren't out of the woods yet, with a Game 7 looming. Given the high expectations in Miami, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Twitter link) polled 27 NBA executives on 20 clubs on whether they'd fire Erik Spoelstra if the Heat lose the series to the Celtics — 17 said no, while 10 said yes. While we await tomorrow's winner-take-all matchup and prepare for a night without NBA action, let's check in on some other updates from around the Association….
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- Lakers trainer Gary Vitti confirmed to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that both Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum are expected to travel to Germany to undergo platelet-rich plasma therapy this summer. According to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld, Bryant may head overseas for his treatment as soon as this weekend.
- Former NBA veteran Nenad Krstic told HoopsHype that he's unsure whether or not he'll return to the league or continue playing for CSKA Moscow next season.
- Kendall Marshall is hearing that he could be a late lottery pick, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld attempts to uncover a few potential free agent bargains at the point guard position.
- Nick Calathes has spoken to the Mavericks and indicated that he'd like to make the jump to the NBA, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. We heard earlier this week that the 23-year-old was considering such a move, though he was still drawing heavy interest from European teams.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com examines possible free agent fits for the Warriors.
- The Warriors, picking seventh overall, appear to be "especially high" on Jared Sullinger, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
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By Alex Lee |
at June 1, 2012 9:45 pm
Yesterday we heard that Eric Gordon would test free agency despite the Hornets winning the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. Gordon was back at it today, reiterating to John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayne his intentions to listen to offers once he is a restricted free agent on July 1.
Gordon did express some excitement about Davis, comparing his ability to catch lobs to his former teammate Blake Griffin. Gordon added, "I will still be open with my free agency to hear other opportunities. But like I said before, New Orleans has a very bright future to be a championship-caliber team soon."
With the Celtics up big in Boston, here are a few other notes from around the NBA:
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- Chris Haynes and Dwight Jaynes of CSNSW.com discuss the Blazers offseason via video, particularly the conundrum of the NBA Draft being before free agency. The Blazers have two picks in the top 11, but there are rumblings that they could trade one of both of the lottery picks for a veteran point guard.
- The Dallas Morning News rounded up the Mavericks' selections in various mock drafts, concluding that Dallas could target Jared Sullinger or Kendall Marshall at 17. That would be pretty late for Sullinger, but sounds in the right ballpark for Marshall.
- Jeff Barlis of ESPN.com's GatorNation takes a look at who will likely have an eye on Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal. As we heard earlier today, the Wizards are considering Beal with the third pick.
- RealGM posted their versatile NBA Draft Simulator, a tool that allows fans to explore draft scenarios and play general manager.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 1, 2012 10:11 am
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….
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- If the Bobcats keep the number two pick, they'll probably decide between Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Thomas Robinson. If they consider trading the pick to gain more assets, the Cavs are worth keeping an eye on — Cleveland likes Kidd-Gilchrist and could potentially offer the fourth and 24th picks.
- We've heard the Wizards won't be trading their pick, and Ford says Washington will be happy to take Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal at No. 3.
- If the Cavs stay put at No. 4, they'd also like Kidd-Gilchrist or Beal. If those players are picked second and third, Cleveland figures to consider a number of prospects, including Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, and even Jeremy Lamb.
- The Kings could be open to trading their fifth pick, since they need veteran help.
- Ford wouldn't be shocked to see the Blazers move one or both of their lottery picks for a young point guard. Kyle Lowry, Darren Collison, and Eric Bledsoe are a few potential trade candidates.
- The Warriors like Jared Sullinger and Terrence Jones at No. 7.
- The Raptors have been "looking hard" at Waiters, Lamb, Damian Lillard, and Terrence Ross at No. 8. Moe Harkless could also be in the mix.
- There's no perfect fit for the Pistons at No. 9, though John Henson would help the team add some size.
- "All signals point" to the Hornets taking a point guard with the tenth overall pick. Lillard, Waiters, and Kendall Marshall are options.
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