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:
Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald believes the Celtics are targeting size with either or both of the team's back-t0-back first-round picks, at Nos. 21 and 22.
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 TrailBlazers, 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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
According to an ESPN report via The Associated Press, Eric Gordon has set a high priority on securing a long-term destination this summer as he hits free agency and still considers New Orleans a viable landing spot. The three-year veteran was seen as a key piece in the Chris Paul deal with the Clippers, but only managaged to play nine games this season while dealing with injury. With about three more weeks to go until free agency begins, here's the rest of tonight's news…
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress gives a preview of the Adidas Eurocamp in Treviso, Italy. With the exception of Evan Fournier projected as first-round pick, Givony says that the assembly of talent includes a group of players who he feels are draft-eligible second round prospects.
Eddie Sefko of SportsDay DFW began a series of articles covering ten free agents from the upcoming summer that would fit well with the Mavericks. At number 10 is Chris Kaman, a player who should be familiar playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki from their experience together on the German national team.
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian delves into the mind of newly namedTrail Blazers GM Neil Olshey as he prepares for what he calls "one of the most important Trail Blazers drafts ever." Freeman highlighted Olshey's philosphy of drafting the best available player versus drafting according to need, also mentioning that Neil is open to the possibility of dealing the picks in order to move up or trade for an established veteran player.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer contrasts the personalities of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Thomas Robinson, referring to Kidd-Gilchrist as a soft-spoken player with potential who will remind fans of Gerald Wallace and Robinson as a can't-miss prospect with a lower ceiling and a brooding personality.
In a video interview with HoopsWorld, Thomas Robinson elaborated on his thoughts leading up to the draft as well as what he believes he can bring to the table. When asked about the possibility of being drafted by the Bobcats, hereplied that he can bring a winning mentality and that his competitiveness will make him an enticing prospect for them to consider selecting. Robinson also pointed out that his faceup game and ability to defend any position on the floor as things that he'd like to focus on improving. Here are some more links to HoopsWorld's recent interviews with other draft prospects…
Meyers Leonard envisions his contributions as a rookie to entail being a defensive presence, impacting the game with his athleticism, blocking shots, and finishing around the rim. He mentions Joakim Noah and Tyson Chandler as current players that he tries to model his game after, also talking about his goal to someday be as skilled as Pau Gasol in the post. DraftExpress currently has Leonard going number 12 in their mock draft.
Will Barton may not be a projected lottery pick on some mock drafts, but he certainly is not lacking in the confidence department. The 6'6'' guard out of Memphis believes that he's the best player in the draft, saying that his ability to play multiple roles will help him translate into a solid contributor on the next level.
Scott Machado appeared very resolute in talking about his skills as a floor general and acknowledged that his defense and shooting are the biggest misconceptions about his game.
Charlie Westbrook took a moment to speak about his experiences as he trains for the NBA Draft at the IMG Academy. The 6'4'' guard out of the University of South Dakota said that he's mostly working on pick-and-roll plays, shooting from three-point range, and ultimately wants to show teams that he's capable of playing the point guard position.
The Cavs hold picks No. 4 and No. 24, but unlike other teams with two first-round draft choices, they aren't looking to trade one of them. The team seems to be zeroing in on Harrison Barnes with the fourth pick, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer says a scenario is in play that could have them leaving Barnes on the board.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist probably won't be there for the Cavs at No. 4, but if the Hornets take Thomas Robinson and the Wizards go for Bradley Beal, the Kentucky small forward could be in for a reunion with high school teammate Kyrie Irving, Boyer writes. Kidd-Gilchrist, who says he wouldn't mind becoming a Cav, has been working out in Cleveland for the past month thanks to agent Rich Paul, who went to high school in the city and is close with LeBron James.
Schmitt Boyer, in the same piece, runs down the Cavs' options with the 24th, 33rd and 34th pick, with a list including Evan Fournier, Fab Melo and Meyers Leonard.
The joint Twitter account of Schmitt Boyer and fellow Plain Dealer scribe Jodie Valade was abuzz with a comprehensive listing of players working out for the team (AllfourTwitterlinks).
Magic point guard Jameer Nelson has a June 15 deadline to decide whether to pick up his $8.6MM option for next season, and "all indications" are that he'll decline it and test free agency, tweets Evan Dunlap of OrlandoPinstripedPost.com. Nelson has expressed a willingness to stay in Orlando for the rest of his career, but doesn't want to be treated as a trade chip in the final year of his deal. Earlier today we heard the Jazz could make a play for him. That's just one of many items of note from around the league on a busy Friday.
GM Ernie Grunfeld and the Wizards have drafted three big men in the last two drafts, but Michael Lee of The Washington Post examines the possibility of the team going for another big at the No. 3 pick this year, with Thomas Robinson and Andre Drummond likely options. Robinson will work out for the team on Tuesday.
The Wizards also have their eyes on a pair of wing players, as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Bradley Beal will work out for the team next week, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (Twitterlinks).
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes that it may be more lucrative for Nick Calathes, currently playing in Greece, to remain in Europe rather than join the Mavs, who hold his NBA rights. We heard earlier that Calathes wants to jump to the NBA.
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.
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%.
The draft lottery for the 2012 NBA Draft was held on Wednesday, with the New Orleans Hornets receiving the top overall pick and the Charlotte Bobcats coming in second. In a draft filled with uncertainty and divisive prospects, the one note that virtually every fan and analyst agrees on is the inevitability of Kentucky forward Anthony Davis' top overall selection. After that, however, it gets murkier, with several players in line for consideration by the Bobcats. Which of these do you think will end up being the second overall pick in the draft?
The Bobcats suffered a setback to their offseason as they came up short on Wednesday during the NBA draft lottery and lost out on the top pick to the Hornets. Team owner Michael Jordan and his front office are now tasked with maximizing the value of the second pick in the draft especially when there are at least six prospects who could be deemed worthy of being selected after Anthony Davis come June. HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham has the latest news and rumors surrounding the draft including which player the Bobcats could take second and end up with a key piece to build around moving forward…
The Bobcats are exploring the possibility of trading the second pick in the draft, but Brigham says such a move would prove to be a mistake. One proposed trade has the Cavaliers sending the Bobcats the fourth pick and the #24 pick in exchange for the second pick. Unless the Bobcats can net an All-Star player by trading the pick, Charlotte should keep the selection and draft Kansas' Thomas Robinson.
While Anthony Davis has earned the distinction of being the consensus top pick in the NBA draft, Robinson has a chance to be an equally-successful NBA player. Brigham suggests Robinson has one of the most NBA-ready bodies in the draft given his height in combination with his muscular build. There's no denying Davis offers a unique skill-set that makes scouts drool over his potential, but Robinson's leadership in the locker room and intangibles make him a consolation prize that could rewrite the script for the Bobcats' future.
The Cavs were met with disappointment when they failed to win the lottery for a second year in a row as the team fantasized over the potential pairing of Davis with Kyrie Irving. Now slotted to select fourth, the Cavs are exploring the possibility of trading the pick along with their #24 pick to the Trail Blazers. The deal would send Cleveland's picks to Portland in exchange for the Trail Blazers' sixth and #11 selections.
