By Daniel Seco |
at June 24, 2012 10:24 pm
With the draft just four days away, teams are scurrying to get their plans in order before Thursday evening's big event in Newark, NJ. Saturday saw another full slate of draft rumors and Sunday's already shaping up to look the same. Ft. Worth Star-Telegram's Dwain Price reports the Mavs will be looking to add a rotation-type player with the 17th pick. We'll keep track of all of the day's latest draft news and happenings with the most recent information on top.
- The Rockets are looking to move into the top 10, dangling some combination of picks 14, 16 and Kyle Lowry, says Chad Ford. Ford suspects that the Rockets are eyeing UConn's Andre Drummond and could be speaking with the Kings at pick 5 and the Raptors at pick 8.
- Jodie Valade addresses the comparisons between Bradley Beal and Ray Allen in a story for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, implying that Beal could be more versatile than Allen.
- Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group takes a look at potential Warriors targets Moe Harkless, Terrence Ross and Quincy Miller and where the selection of the three wings would make sense for Golden State.
Read more
Earlier updates:
- The Jazz have a history of striking gold in the second round, writes Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz pick 47th on Thursday, the same pick they have found second round steals Paul Millsap and Mo Williams with in recent drafts.
- Matt Steinmetz from CSN Bay Area has more on Moe Harkless' workout with the Warriors, including video of him answering questions from the media.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops revealed a number of draft related items via Twitter/Sulia feed, including that the Wizards are looking to swap picks with the Bobcats to ensure they land Bradley Beal.
- ESPN's David Thorpe, in an insider piece, takes a look at what the Warriors and Magic should be looking for. Golden State picks seventh and Orlando 19th.
- Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer put together a profile on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who went to high school in New Jersey.
- Kevin Massoth of USA Today examines the tough decision Bradley Beal faced on entering the draft versus returning for his sophomore season at Florida.
- Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that Moe Harkless, after working out for the Warriors (pick seven), will work out for the Kings (pick five) who are showing serious interest. Terrence Ross was supposed to work out against Harkless in Golden State, but couldn't because of an ankle injury (via Rusty Simmons on Twitter).
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune says Royce White, while blessed with immense talent, could be the hardest player to project given his star-crossed journey to the NBA draft.
- The Knicks will work out Erving Walker, Oscar Bellfield, Marcus Denmon and Harouna Mutombo on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com.
- The Cavs are currently trying to trade for the Bobcats' No. 2 pick, but FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico says he would be surprised if a deal came to fruition (via Twitter).
- The News-Herald's Bob Finnan has the latest news on the Cavs' draft plans and rumors from around the league.
- The Sixers plan to draft for talent rather than to fill a specific need, writes John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal says to look for the Grizzlies to select a shooting guard such as Vanderbilt's John Jenkins with the 25th pick in the draft.
- This year's draft will have more of an American feel as executives have seemingly cooled on the international talent pool, suggests Dwain Price of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin says the Kings will have numerous options to consider as they head into Thursday's draft armed with the fifth overall pick.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 21, 2012 11:02 pm
All eyes tonight will be on Game 5 of the NBA Finals, as the Thunder look to stave off elimination in Miami, but exactly one week from now, we'll be gearing up for the 2012 draft. The first draft-related trade of the month was finalized yesterday, when the Wizards sent the No. 46 overall pick to the Hornets along with Rashard Lewis as part of a three-player swap. Will we see another deal consummated today? We'll keep track of the day's latest draft news and rumors right here, with the newest items added up top….
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com wonders whether Royce White's decision to pull out of his remaining workout has to do with an injury or his fear of flying instead of a promise from the Celtics (Twitter link). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune pegs White as a candidate to be picked at No. 18 by the Wolves, and lists the second-round hopefuls the team will be working out Friday.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal sizes up Andrew Nicholson and the chances he'll go to the Cavs at pick No. 24.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com has tweaked his mock draft in the wake of the latest developments (Insider link).
Earlier updates:
Read more
- The Celtics appear to have promised Iowa State power forward Royce White that they will draft him at No. 21, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that one of his sources is denying the report.
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News
reports that despite being red-flagged by NBA doctors, Jared Sullinger is unlikely to slip out of the first round, and he'll probably go no lower than the Cavs' 24th pick.
- The picks between No. 27 and No. 29, held by the Heat, Thunder and Bulls, are "very available" for other teams looking to trade for a late first-round selection, a league executive tells Deveney.
- We rounded up news from Sam Amick of SI.com in an earlier post, including word on a potential swap of the second and fourth picks.
- Jonathan Feigen says the Rockets are trying to trade the 14th and 16th picks, as we noted earlier, and also gives us his own mock draft.
- The Sixers will work out Arnett Moultrie, Tyler Zeller, Perry Jones, John Henson and Andrew Nicholson on Saturday, John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer says via Twitter, and Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets a list of possible second-rounders working out Friday for the Jazz.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com has the third version of his mock draft. He opines that the No. 7 pick would be a lot for the Warriors to give up in a rumored deal with the Bulls for Luol Deng (Twitter link).
- The Blazers are shopping both of their first-round picks, at No. 6 and No. 11, but no deal is imminent, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Still, new GM Neil Olshey says, "My gut today is that we would keep the picks," according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (Twitter link).
- The Warriors plan on keeping the seventh pick, and even though they already have two first-round selections, they'd like to add a third, says Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitterlinks).
- The Bobcats will work out six players tomorrow, including Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond, the team announced. Second-round hopefuls Kent Bazemore, Chris Cooper, Ramone Moore and Josh Owens are the other prospects involved.
- John Canzano of the Oregonian heard from one GM who believes the Blazers will draft Damian Lillard at No. 6 rather than risk him being taken before their 11th pick (Twitter link). ESPN.com's Chad Ford tweets that he's hearing similar rumblings.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Ford takes a look at how this month's workouts might have affected the draft stock of the top few prospects on the board.
- A day after the Times-Picayune's John DeShazier suggested the Emeka Okafor/Trevor Ariza trade could open up the door for the Hornets to draft Tyler Zeller, his colleague John Reid reports that New Orleans is in fact seriously considering Zeller at No. 10.
- That Hornets/Wizards deal could also increase the chances of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist falling to the Cavaliers at No. 4, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- As Jay Satur of Raptors.com notes, The Raptors have a number of top prospects in town for today's workout, including John Henson, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III, and Terrence Jones.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic explores the Suns' backup plan for the 13th pick if there are no shooting guards they like on the board.
- Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond worked out against each other in Cleveland yesterday, with Robinson clearly coming out on top, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
- The Timberwolves will work out six players tomorrow, including Quincy Acy for a second time, the team announced via Twitter.
- Baylor's Quincy Miller thinks he'd be a great fit for the Nuggets, according to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
- The Hawks' PR Twitter feed has the details on the team's workouts today (Twitter link).
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 21, 2012 8:16 pm
Our Draft Updates post chronicles the rumors we've been hearing throughout the day, and Sam Amick of SI.com has a piece that warrants its own post. Amick details the latest on Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Harrison Barnes, Thomas Robinson and Damian Lillard, players who could be taken with picks two through six.
Read more
- The Cavs are likely to approach the Bobcats about swapping the second and fourth picks, Amick reports. The Cavs are infatuated with Beal, and he probably won't get past the Wizards at No. 3, Amick says, adding that if Beal is gone by the time the Wizards pick, Washington will go with Kidd-Gilchrist.
- If the Bobcats keep the No. 2 pick, there's continued uncertainty over whom they will take, with Kidd-Gilchrist, Robinson and Barnes in the running. Robinson can do plenty to help his chances with a strong workout against Andre Drummond tomorrow, Amick says.
- Beal, Barnes, Kidd-Gilchrist and Robinson have all declined to work out for Sacramento, meaning the Kings may wind up using the No. 5 pick on a player they haven't seen in person.
- The Blazers might be able to use pick No. 11 on Damian Lillard instead of No. 6, as teams drafting between those selections have other targets, and Lillard is resisting the efforts of the Hornets, who own the 10th pick, to have him work out for the team.
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By Luke Adams |
at June 20, 2012 4:01 pm
We're tracking the majority of today's draft updates in a single post right here, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweeted out a number of draft-related rumors this afternoon that are worthy of their own post. Here's the latest from Kyler on Jared Sullinger, Dion Waiters, Damian Lillard, and more, along with one non-draft item….
Read more
- According to a source from one team that's considering drafting him, Sullinger's back is "not that bad." The issue may require surgery, but it's entirely fixable and not an uncommon problem, the source added.
- Whether or not the Raptors were the team to make Waiters a promise, word is that the Raps like him a lot and that he could be their guy at eighth overall.
- The Kings are "strongly considering" Lillard at No. 5, after the point guard impressed in a workout for Sacramento.
- The Bobcats' decision at No. 2 will likely come down to Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. I wouldn't entirely rule out Harrison Barnes here either, as he'll work out for Charlote on Thursday, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
- Neither the Lakers or Rockets are pushing the other to revisit trade talks involving Pau Gasol.
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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.
Read more
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 Sean Highkin |
at June 16, 2012 10:08 pm
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer has posted a new mailbag column, covering various topics surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold the fourth overall pick in the June 28 draft. Relevant points below:
Read more
- Although the Cavs need a shooting guard, Suns free agent Michael Redd will likely not be a viable candidate, as the team is looking to build around younger players.
- Schmitt Boyer does not believe the Cavs have finished the process of ranking draft prospects to the point of moving up to take a player such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
- Cavs forward Anderson Varejao, who spent much of the 2011/12 season sidelined with a wrist injury, is practicing with the Brazilian national team and is reportedly pain-free.
- Schmitt Boyer says there's a possibility that the Cavs could acquire the 10th pick from the Hornets if it was packaged with the contract of Emeka Okafor.
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By Chuck Myron |
at June 16, 2012 8:15 pm
Harrison Barnes and
Bradley Beal go
head-to-head in a workout today for the
Cavs that could determine who the team takes with the fourth overall pick. We'll be keeping an eye on that, as well as all other draft-related news with a dozen days to go until teams make their selections. Already today we've heard some news regarding
teams shopping their picks from Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, and there's plenty more to share here. We'll update this post throughout the day, with the latest news on top.
Earlier updates:
- Syracuse center Fab Melo tells HoopsWorld's Stephen Litel that he is emulating Tim Duncan in his style of play.
- Morley Quatroche of WEEI.com looks at Miles Plumlee as a potential draft target for the Celtics.
- Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that the Suns are looking to improve their offense in the draft.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel looks at a handful of guards who have worked out for the Bucks recently.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld.com talks to Iona's Scott Machado, who is attempting to raise his profile ahead of the draft.
Read more
- Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge provides a transcript of Andre Drummond's comments after his workout with the Blazers today.
- Agent Mark MacGillivray says big man Reeves Nelson, who was dismissed from the UCLA basketball team this past season, worked out Thursday for the Lakers, HoopsHype reports.
- WEEI.com continues its series on prospects and how they'd fit with the Celtics, with Morley Quatroche profiling Tyler Zeller and Jashvina Shah looking at Kim English.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld shares a number of draft rumors in his chat, including his thoughts on several sleepers, with shooting guard Orlando Johnson chief among them.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has a list of the half dozen players who worked out for the Magic today. That group didn't include injured power forward Kevin Jones, who interviewed with the team instead.
- Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com says Bradley Beal emerged with a slight edge over Harrison Barnes after today's one-on-one workout for the Cavs, but cautions that it doesn't mean the team has made up its mind about the fourth pick (Twitterlinks).
- Small forward Quincy Miller has added 17 pounds to his 6'10" frame since the end of his season at Baylor, bringing his weight up to 220 pounds, tweets Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Noah Hartsock has only an outside shot to get drafted, and he's still recovering from ankle surgery in late March, as Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. The 6'8" forward has a deal lined up with a team in Belgium, but he a handful of other players took part in a workout for the Jazz today, Luhm says, and Hartsock will participate in a group workout for the Warriors tomorrow, according to Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets the latest workout schedules for players near the top of the draft board. Damian Lillard will audition Sunday for the Warriors. The Bobcats will look at Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal on Monday, and Harrison Barnes will work out Tuesday for the Wizards.
- Andre Drummond, one of a group of players working out today for the Blazers, goes in front of the Wizards on Monday and the Bobcats and Cavs after that, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports. (Twitterlinks)
- During his workout for the Hornets, Arnett Moultrie connected with coach Monty Williams, and now the Mississippi State big man is "openly rooting" for New Orleans to take him with the No. 10 pick, writes Scott Howard-Cooper on NBA.com.
- In the same piece, Howard-Cooper profiles Perry Jones III, explains why 7'4" Turkish center Dusan Cantekin could be passed over on draft night, and notes that John Henson is slowed by an ankle injury.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identifies 10 teams trying to trade either up or down in the draft.
- Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com unveils the latest version of his mock draft, which encompasses both the first and second rounds.
- Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld ranks the draft's small forwards, beginning with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
- In Sacramento for a workout with the Kings, Terrence Jones invoked comparisons to Lamar Odom and Marvin Williams in describing his versatility as an asset, writes Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee.
- In his mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says there's "very little chance" the Raptors will find a starter with the eighth pick, which leads Smith to speculate that the team will use the selection to fill its need for a backup guard.
- David Mayo of MLive compares three North Carolina prospects with whom the Pistons have had contact: Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller.
- John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at Moe Harkless and Hollis Thompson, two players who worked out Friday for the Sixers, and how they'd fit in with the team.
- In a pair of Celtics-themed features for WEEI.com, Morley Quatroche breaks down point guard Damian Lillard and Jashvina Shah looks at small forward Kris Joseph.
- Second-round longshot Larry Anderson, a shooting guard from Long Beach State, will participate in a workout for the Bucks today, according to the team's website.
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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.
Read more
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 15, 2012 4:29 pm
We're rounding up most of today's draft-related updates in a single post right here, but Andy Katz's latest piece for ESPN.com is packed with so many rumors that it's worth a separate look. Here's what Katz is hearing about a few teams' draft plans:
Read more
- Katz "would be surprised" if the Celtics keep both of their first-round picks (Nos. 21 and 22).
- Although the Bobcats are shopping the second overall pick, they like their options if they remain at No. 2.
- The Rockets will probably move at least one of their two first-rounders (Nos. 14 and 16), but if they can't find a deal they like, they don't mind using the picks.
- The Jazz are looking to trade into the first round, if possible.
- The 17th overall pick is available if the Mavericks get the right offer.
- Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are the lottery prospects worth keeping an eye on, since there's a good chance one of them slips to the Kings at No. 5.
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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.
Read more
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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