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 18, 2012 4:23 pm
Earlier this morning, we unveiled the first version of our 2012 mock draft, projecting every pick from No. 1 (Anthony Davis) to No. 30 (Quincy Miller). We'll publish one more mock next week, before draft day, and until then, we'll be keeping tabs on all the latest draft-related news and rumors. Here are today's updates, with the newest items added at the top throughout the day….
- The Pistons have a big workout scheduled for next Monday, with Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, Meyers Leonard, John Henson, Terrence Jones, and Perry Jones III expected to attend, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
- Harrison Barnes and a pair of possible second-round candidates will work out for the Wizards tomorrow, the team announced.
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Earlier updates:
- Spanish point guard Josep Franch will stay in the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
- Renardo Sidney is "getting trashed" by a number of teams and there's a good chance he'll go undrafted despite his talent, tweets says Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (via Twitter).
- The Bucks are considering John Henson with their first pick and will work him out tomorrow, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (on Twitter).
- Czech wing Tomas Satoransky has decided to remain in the draft pool, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com. Satoransky now projects as an early second-round pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- In an Insider piece at ESPN.com, John Hollinger looks for potential sleepers and busts in the draft, using PER projections.
- A pair of local products were among the six prospects the Pacers worked out today, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes.
- The Knicks will work out six players tomorrow, including Jordan Taylor, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Joffrey Lauvergne (France, 1991) has pulled out of draft consideration, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com. Maximilian Kleber (Germany, 1992) has also withdrawn, Givony adds in a separate tweet.
- Nemanja Nedovic (Serbia, born in 1991) and Sertac Sanli (Turkey, 1991) have both withdrawn from the draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
- International prospect Mindaugas Kupsas has withdrawn from draft consideration, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 1991-born Lithuanian big man will spend the season overseas.
- We rounded up a few draft updates from ESPN.com's Chad Ford in a separate post.
- The Bulls may be open to moving Luol Deng for a package that includes a lottery pick, according to Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. McGraw cites sources saying Chicago is considering such a move and points to concerns about the luxury tax and about Deng's decision to postpone wrist surgery until after the Olympics. Still, this seems like a long shot to me.
- A report yesterday suggested the Thunder would look to trade its first-round pick, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld is hearing that's not the case (Twitter link). Kyler hears from Thunder sources that there's plenty of late-first-round talent that the team likes (Twitter link).
- Speaking to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, agent Mark Bartelstein passes along a glowing report of Bradley Beal's weekend workout for the Cavaliers.
- Perry Jones III and Jared Sullinger are working out for the Hornets this morning, tweets Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com.
- Bucks.com has profiles for the four prospects working out for the Bucks today.
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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.
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- 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 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 3:47 pm
We'll track the day's draft-related news and rumors here, with the newest updates up top:
- Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress has measurements from Chicago's draft combine, including max verticals for all the prospects in attendance.
- Neither Perry Jones III or Terrence Jones blew away Warriors management when they worked out for Golden State, writes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors continue to hope they can use their lottery pick to upgrade at small forward, and both Joneses project as power forwards.
Read more
Earlier updates:
- Doron Lamb, Moe Harkless, Royce White, Fab Melo, and Quincy Miller are among the prospects scheduled to work out for the Hawks, the team announced today.
- David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies the Hornets, Bobcats, and Celtics as three teams who could see an immediate impact from their draft picks this year.
- Jared Sullinger is among the prospects the Trail Blazers are working out tomorrow, while Tony Wroten will work out with the team next Wednesday, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- Kentucky's Darius Miller tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that he'd love the chance to play with former Wildcat teammate John Wall on the Wizards.
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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 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 Luke Adams |
at June 4, 2012 11:36 am
The Southwest Division champion Spurs resume their series vs. the Thunder tonight, looking to hold serve at home in San Antonio. As ESPN.com's John Hollinger writes, the Spurs are very familiar with this situation, having entered a Game 5 with the series tied nine times already in the Tim Duncan era. Hollinger wonders what adjustments Gregg Popovich will make tonight, speculating that the team's changes could involve the use of Manu Ginobili and Matt Bonner. Here are a few more Monday updates out of the Southwest….
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- We heard over the weekend that Spurs 2009 second-rounder Nando De Colo was prepared to join the team, with his Spanish contract expiring. De Colo's agent Wassim Boutanos spoke to Basketnews.net (translation via Sportando) and said that there's no guarantee San Antonio will have room for his client. If De Colo doesn't sign with the Spurs this summer, he'll remain in Spain and sign with a Euroleague team, according to Boutanos.
- On the heels of yesterday's report that the Mavericks may target Roy Hibbert next month, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com explores potential options at center for the Mavs.
- The Hornets are holding a pair of workouts for draft prospects today, and John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has the details. The first workout includes big men Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Arnett Moultrie, Meyers Leonard, and Terrence Jones. The second workout features a handful of guards, including Austin Rivers, Jeremy Lamb, Terrence Ross, and Terrell Stoglin.
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