By Chuck Myron |
at June 23, 2012 3:17 pm
Thunder coach Scott Brooks will sit down with the team in the next few days to discuss his return, as we heard earlier. Though a dozen Thunder players already have guaranteed contracts for next season, re-signing the coach isn't the only item on GM Sam Presti's offseason agenda. There are possible extensions to negotiate with James Harden and Serge Ibaka, and the team must decide what it wants to do with backup center Nazr Mohammed, who fell out of the rotation in the playoffs and is now an unrestricted free agent. Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor has plenty of work to do as well, and we have news about both teams.
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- Harden dropped a hint that he may be willing to give the Thunder a discount, saying he values team success above the ability to make money elsewhere, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. “This is something special here,” he said. “A dynasty is being built here. So we’re winning, we’re having fun and we’re brothers. The other stuff, you can’t buy it.”
- Mohammed wants to come back, but acknowledged it may be time for the Thunder to give 2010 11th overall pick Cole Aldrich more minutes, as Mayberry notes (Twitter links).
- O'Connor confirmed that the Jazz have an option on DeMarre Carroll for next season, instead of a non-guaranteed deal, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. The team is still deciding whether to pick it up, and Jones said it's believed that they must decide on the option by June 30th.
- The deadline for the Jazz to pick up Jamaal Tinsley's $1.35MM option is also June 30th, and the chances Tinsley will be back may hinge on whether the Jazz take a point guard in the draft, Jones says in the same piece.
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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:
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- 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 Luke Adams |
at June 21, 2012 1:57 pm
The Jazz don't currently have a first-round pick in next week's draft, having sent their pick to the Timberwolves. However, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll stand idly by during draft night. According to Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz have long coveted Weber State point guard Damian Lillard, and could consider trading up on draft night, depending on how far Lillard falls and what trade packages are available (Twitter links). Here are a few more Jazz updates from Smith:
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- Whether Lillard is selected by pick No. 8 will likely impact any attempt the Jazz make to move up to land him, tweets Smith.
- Once the free agent period begins, Paul Millsap, who is entering the final year of his contract, will attempt to negotiate a contract extension with the team (Sulia link). The veteran forward likes Utah and hopes to reach an agreement to stay with the Jazz long-term.
- Unrestricted free agent Josh Howard doesn't have an ideal destination in mind this summer. He'll be looking for the best fit, perhaps a team that will give him a chance to start, and hasn't ruled out the possibility of returning to the Jazz, as he tells Smith: "I'm still interested in the Jazz. They gave me the opportunity, so that's my loyalty to them, to see what they're going to say. But as far as being a free agent and being around the league for a while, I'll have to weigh my options and decide what's best for me at the end of the day."
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By Zachary Links |
at June 18, 2012 10:37 pm
Former Jazz point guard Blake Ahearn is an option for the club's Summer League team, tweets Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. As for the starting one-guard role, the Jazz know that they need a young floor general but are open to sticking with Devin Harris for another year. Utah fears that they will take a step back if they trade Harris because the 2012 draft is light on point guard prospects (via these Twitter links). Here's more on the Jazz and other items from around the Association as we await Game 4 tomorrow night..
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- The Jazz have done their homework and are prepared to move up in the draft if there's a deal to be made, Smith tweets. Paul Millsap is one of the club's biggest assets as they face a big decision to make with a possible extension and his long-term future (Twitter link).
- A source told Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) that the Raptors are far more likely to keep their No. 8 pick than trade it. Moving up also appears to be unlikely.
- Free agent guard Jason Kidd believes that Mavericks teammate Jason Terry deserves the three-year deal that he is seeking, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. Earlier today, Kidd made his case for joining the Nets while also saying that he would like to return to Dallas.
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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.
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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:
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- 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 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 8, 2012 8:42 am
Plenty of the bigger names among this year's free agent class are in their 30s, and it's that over-30 group that ESPN.com's Ric Bucher focuses on in his latest Insider piece. Bucher spoke to GMs, scouts, and personnel experts that gave him feedback on this summer's free agents, including tidbits on Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, Jameer Nelson, and plenty more. Here are a few highlights:
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- The Suns, Blazers, and Raptors are expected to be the top suitors for Nash, with the Nets lurking as a wild card if they can't re-sign Deron Williams.
- The "prevailing wisdom" suggests that teams on the verge of playoff contention willing to overpay need not apply for Garnett. According to Bucher, KG is only interested in situations where title contention is realistic.
- One of Bucher's sources names the Jazz as a team that could make a play for Nelson.
- The Rockets could be in the mix for Andre Miller if they only retain one of Goran Dragic or Kyle Lowry.
- A source tells Bucher that Chris Kaman would "welcome the chance" to return to the Hornets and play alongside Anthony Davis.
- One source on Jason Kidd: "Hurts to say this, because I have so much respect for him, but he's run his course. This was his final chapter. He's 15 minutes a night as a backup for someone like San Antonio or Oklahoma City or maybe Brooklyn."
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By Luke Adams |
at May 31, 2012 8:30 am
The NBA's draft lottery played out nearly exactly as expected last night, given the odds. Only one team, the Hornets, moved up into the top three, with the top-ranked Bobcats, Wizards, and Cavaliers each sliding down a spot and the rest of the order holding to form. Despite the lack of drastic movement, the lottery results had major ramifications for a number of clubs besides the Hornets. Let's take a brief look at the teams whose fates were most affected by the ping pong balls….
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- Hornets: Of course, no team was a bigger winner on lottery night than the Hornets, who not only moved into position to snag Anthony Davis with the first overall pick, but have another top-10 pick that remained in place at #10. Davis will be the franchise-changer, but the Hornets' opportunity to add another lottery talent shouldn't be overlooked.
- Bobcats: Charlotte went from potentially having the easiest decision of the draft to having one of the hardest, with the number two overall pick. Thomas Robinson and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are probably the favorites to fall to the Bobcats, but players like Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal could be in the mix too. Whoever they pick with Davis off the board, the Bobcats will be adding a solid contributor rather than a franchise player.
- Trail Blazers: Because the Nets failed to jump into the top three, the Blazers snagged their pick and now have the sixth and 11th selections. Considering the team has talked about wanting to contend immediately, it wouldn't be a shock to see one or both of those picks shopped for veteran help. Either way, Portland's trade of Gerald Wallace paid huge dividends last night.
- Nets: On the other hand, the evening was a disaster for the Nets. While they had dreams of landing the number one overall pick and moving to Brooklyn with Davis on their roster – or trading him for Dwight Howard – now they're left without a first-rounder.
- Magic: If and when the Magic trade Howard, they're not going to land an asset better than Davis, so I'd imagine Orlando was holding out hope that the Nets could luck into that top pick. After all, Brooklyn is probably the one lottery team that would be willing to give up a 19-year-old potential superstar for a big man on an expiring contract coming off back surgery.
- Warriors: Holding onto the top-seven-protected pick was a win for Golden State, but the team will want to make sure it uses that asset to improve the roster in the short-term. After all, it's not like the Warriors' debt to Utah has been extinguished. Next year, they'll owe a top-six-protected pick to the Jazz, and could risk going through this same song and dance again.
- Jazz: While the Jazz would've loved to see the Warriors slip a spot or two so that they could land Golden State's lottery pick, it's not a disaster for Utah to wait another year. With a ton of expiring contracts in 2012/13, the summer of 2013 will be a big win for the Jazz, and having a pair of first-rounders will give them even more flexibility to go along with their presumed cap space.
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