Delete/Lock...Draft talk over in JPZ's thread....

[eyes of hazel]

I think we're gonna see a lot of trades on the 25th.

I think teams are gonna draft guys (like Curry) early due to other teams wanting them.

Swapping for the guy you actually wanted in the first place, with extra incentives, will happen often.

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Originally Posted by dreClark

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Safe to say curry is as good as gone for NYK.

gona have to move up to get him. stand pat and take Flynn.

Looks like airmaxpenny1 is gonna get his wish.

B/c as I remember, and I quote "Steph is a !#+%+%* bum"

I had actually warmed up to the idea of us taking Steph but I would still prefer Flynn.

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Originally Posted by dreClark

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Safe to say curry is as good as gone for NYK.

gona have to move up to get him. stand pat and take Flynn.

Looks like airmaxpenny1 is gonna get his wish.

B/c as I remember, and I quote "Steph is a !#+%+%* bum"

I had actually warmed up to the idea of us taking Steph but I would still prefer Flynn.

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

i honestly don't know if i see a Star player outside Blake. (discounting Rubio, i havent seen him play)

but; Flynn and Harden will be damn good IMO. Jeff Teague is becoming the most undervalued player in this draft, too.

Earl Clark could go on both lists.

busts; Jennings, Derozan and Lawson.

I love Jeff's game, he's got the most consistent shot outside of Steph imo...the games i saw i was impressed...hope he lands in a good spot aka notMilwaukee

I cant see DeRozan and Holiday beginning big contributors this year.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Originally Posted by cleansneaksonly21

besides Griffin......opinions..............

Top 3 with STAR potential:

Top 3 with BUST potential:

Good players: Griffin, Harden, Clark.

Bad players: DeRozan, Holiday, Thabeet.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1

I had actually warmed up to the idea of us taking Steph but I would still prefer Flynn.

Son, I was sitting right next to you.

You called him a @%#@*$* bum

 

[clutchshooter]

Originally Posted by cleansneaksonly21

besides Griffin......opinions..............

Top 3 with STAR potential:

Top 3 with BUST potential:

star: griffin, thabeet, flynn.

bust: rubio, jennings, evans.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Evans a bust?

 

[im not you]

Vasquez back to College Park University

 

[i nasmatic i]

Gani Lawal going back to Ga. Tech

 

[airjordan1217]

anyone know who the bulls are interested in drafting with their 16th and 26th picks?

 

[yungmatt]

Originally Posted by dreClark

Evans a bust?

 

[bigmike23]

POSTED: June 15 -- 2:08 p.m. ET

Smith​

Chad Ford: The big trade rumor flying around (if you're already tired of the Shaq-to-Cleveland talk) centers on the Hawks' Josh Smith. Several league sources told ESPN.com that the Hawkshave been working hard the past few weeks to see whether they can find a taker for Smith.

The Hawks have some financial issues coming into the summer. Two key players, Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams, are free agents. So are a few others on theroster -- Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia and Ronald Murray. Although the Hawks would like to keep thoseplayers, they can't afford to pay all of them. That has opened the door to the possibility of trading Smith, who, although talented, has a reputation as adifficult player to coach.

The Hawks have had no problem finding teams interested in Smith. The issue is the whopping $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract. The tradekicker essentially would require the team that trades for Smith to pay him the $6 million immediately. In this economic climate, many owners will balk at thepayment.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade.There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."

Flynn​

• Brandon Jennings,Jonny Flynn and Jrue Holiday went head-to-head infront of the entire Kings brass in Sacramento this past weekend.

The Kings are looking closely at those three prospects, along with Spain's Ricky Rubio. And the chances thatRubio will slip to No. 4 seem to grow by the day.

Rubio has been pretty adamant that he doesn't want to play in Memphis. Although he doesn't have the same objection to Oklahoma City, it sounds asthough the Thunder are leaning toward drafting either James Harden or Stephen Curry. So, if neitherteam makes a trade, Rubio would be there at No. 4.

But sources in Sacramento say that the Kings have reservations about Rubio and that it's far from a done deal that they will take him if he is on theboard.

That's what made this past weekend's workout so important.

Flynn appeared to have won the off-the-court battle. Although both Holiday and Jennings came off as mature, Kings officials were impressed with Flynn'scharisma and his potential leadership qualities. That transferred over into the workout, too, where sources say Flynn really ramped up the energy in thegym.

The team also loved Flynn's penetration ability, his defense and the swagger he brought to the court -- something the Kings desperately need.

Sources say Jennings' combination of speed and quickness was impressive, but his shot selection and jump shots were not. Neither was his slight frame.From the sound of things, Jennings was probably more impressive in his Golden State workout than in the one in Sacramento.

Holiday was solid and shot the ball well, but he melted into the background a bit in a three-on-three drill when paired with Flynn. Apparently, Holidaydeferred a bit too much to Flynn and ended up being a 2-guard in the workouts.

Holiday already has been in twice for the Kings, and you can expect them to try to bring back Flynn once more. Ideally, they would get to see him gohead-to-head with Rubio, but right now I don't think Rubio would agree to even a one-on-none workout, let alone a competitive one like that.

Rubio​

• Speaking of Rubio, his situation looks a little more precarious Monday than it has seemed. I've assumed that Sacramento at No. 4 was his floor, and itstill may be. But if he slips past Sacramento, things could get pretty interesting.

First, Rubio has been avoiding the Wizards. Apparently, his people don't think he's a good fit in the backcourt with Gilbert Arenas. If the Wizards pass on him because of that,I'm not sure where he'll land. Minnesota needs a point guard, but the Wolves seem to be leaning toward Curry and Tyreke Evans. The Warriors needRubio badly, but they have a pretty rocky relationship with his agent, Dan Fegan.

Of course, both the Knicks and Rubio would love for a marriage to happen, but Rubio would be in a financial bind if he falls that far. He no longer wouldmake the cash to afford a buyout in Spain unless the buyout is really reduced.

I still believe the most likely scenario is that a team will move up into the top two or three to grab him. But if that doesn't happen, things could getpretty crazy.

Mullens​

• The word out of the workouts in New Jersey was that Ohio State's B.J. Mullens skipped the workout because he had been promised to be picked in the top16.

The top 16 probably means No. 16, which is the Chicago Bulls.Mullens would be a really good fit for Chicago, as he has huge upside and plays a position of need. He's a long ways away, but the Bulls probably couldafford to gamble at this point in the draft.

A few other teams, including the Knicks, Bobcats and Suns, also are considering Mullens, but it is most likely that he'll be on the board at No. 16 whenthe Bulls pick.

If Mullens does go to Chicago, that could be really bad news for Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, who is slipping abit after the medical report from Chicago red-flagged his knees. Although teams have varying degrees of concern, a number of the teams in his sweet spot in thedraft -- 10 to 15 -- sound worried that a couple of previous ACL tears could cause problems for him later in his career.

If they are concerned and pass on him -- and Chicago takes Mullens at No. 16 -- Blair could be in for a draft night slide. The Sixers (No. 17), Wolves (No.1 and Hawks (No. 19) don't really need a 4 like Blair. And although the Jazz (No. 20) could use another big if they lose Carlos Boozer, Blair probably is too similar to Paul Millsap.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Portland GM Kevin Pritchard, always the opportunist, try to find a way to move up into the middle of the first round tograb him. The Blazers want more toughness up front, and Blair certainly would provide that.

Hill​

• There were a few weeks when it looked as though Jordan Hill might be slipping ondraft boards. But the feedback I've been getting during the past few days says he's still very much in the mix in Washington and that the Warriors andKnicks also are taking a serious look at him.

As for the Warriors, Hill isn't a real need for them -- they have Brandan Wright, Ronny Turiaf andAnthony Randolph, who can all play the 4. However, ifGolden State doesn't find a point guard it loves by the time it picks, Hill could be the guy.

The Knicks also could choose to go that way. If DavidLee leaves via free agency, they would have virtually no front line and could use Hill's energy, rebounding and emerging offensive game.

Curry​

• Sometimes NBA teams put too much emphasis on the workout process and lose sight of the bigger picture.

New Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn made a point after taking over the team that he was adamant that players must come in and work outfor the Wolves if they want Minnesota to draft them.

Then came word that Curry, who has done workouts with just two teams -- the Knicks and Bobcats (and possibly a third, the Wizards, on Monday) -- wasshutting down his workouts before coming to Minnesota.

So Curry is out of the mix in Minnesota, right?

Um … no.

"I am [adamant]," Kahn told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "But I don't want it to be so adamant that it's some sort of ironclad,pound-the-fist [rule]. I think that would be inaccurate. I think it's important that everybody we look at does come in, so I don't want to back off ofthat. But I don't think it's something that is such an ironclad rule that it can't be violated.

"I think that in his case, he has such a long body of work because he's been in college for a few years, and we saw him [at the draft combine] inChicago," Kahn said. "We interviewed him in Chicago, so it's not as if we're missing an interview on him. So I would feel in his case that weat least have a lot of information already. It would be more problematic if it were somebody that we didn't know as well."

With that said, I think Curry is the Wolves' best-case scenario at No. 6. Are they really going to scratch off a guy they want at No. 6 just because hedidn't come in for a workout?

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN.com

 

[bigmike23]

With the deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft approaching at 5 p.m. Monday, Chad Ford and Andy Katz weigh in on thevarious prospects with decisions to make. Perhaps no one faces a tougher choice than Wake Forest guard Jeff Teague. While hehas solidly positioned himself in the first round, Teague was drawing high lottery buzz at one point during the season. As of now, he's a scoring pointguard who will have to develop other aspects of his game; the question is whether that will happen coming off an NBA bench next season or for 30-plus minutesper game on a team that would immediately become a contender if he returns to Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio isn't giving anything away before the deadline. He told the Winston-Salem Journal thatTeague's decision won't come until Monday evening. Teague, however, seems pretty confident in his plans, so Wake fans shouldn't be holding out muchhope at this point. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Teague said, "For right now, I'm 100 percent in the draft. I want to make this my life,and I've been working hard, and I don't see why I shouldn't go for it."

Elsewhere from around the draft world…

• Gani Lawal didn't need to wait until 5 p.m. to make up his mind. He wasn't sure he'd be a first-round pick, so he decided to remain at Georgia Tech, reports ESPN.com's Katz. Lawal made a smart decision, ESPN's own Jay Bilas told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Gani will be a better player when he gets into the league because of this," Bilas said. "He'll rise up in the draft and probably end up making more money in the process." Another added benefit: Lawal will get to play next to Derrick Favors, the nation's top recruit, next season.

• The Sixers, who hold the 17th pick, seem to be targeting point guards, and they may end up with a choice between VCU's Eric Maynor and North Carolina's Ty Lawson, writes Tom Moore. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, agent Andy Miller thinks Andre Miller would be a good mentor for Maynor. It helps that Andy Miller represents both players.

• The New York Knicks finally will get a look at point guard Brandon Jennings on Monday. Alan Hahn of Newsday reports the Knicks will also work out Austin Daye (another stay-or-go guy), Tyreke Evans and Earl Clark. Watching Jennings is important since Stephen Curry, who wants to play for the Knicks, may not be available at No. 8. A source told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that there is enough interest in Curry that he could go in the top seven picks, and perhaps as high as third.

• Jordan Hill has overcome many obstacles on his way to the NBA, writes Sekou Smith.

• Despite being 24 years old and coming from tiny Tennessee-Martin, Lester Hudson believes he can help a team right away. "I think there are only 10 to 12 players who can play right away," Hudson tells Matt Vines of the Jackson Sun. "I have the NBA body and am more mature. The economy is so low, and teams need somebody to come in right away and produce."

• The Deseret News reports Tyler Hansbrough is working out for the http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=uthUtah Jazz on Monday. Since impressing teams at the draft combine, though, the question now is whether he'll still be on the board for the Jazz's 20th pick. Chad Ford currently has Hansbrough going 11th to New Jersey, and there's other buzz around the league that he could land somewhere in the teens.

• Miami guard Jack McClinton is out to prove he has the ability to make an impact in the NBA, writes Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel . He is still being criticized for having skipped the Portsmouth Invitational, though, especially when he needs to prove that he can handle the point, since he's only 6-foot-2.

• The http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=houHouston Rockets don't own a pick in the 2009 NBA draft. But Gersson Rosas, the Rockets' director of player personnel, tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that the team is busier than ever. GM Daryl Morey has said the Rockets will look into buying a pick from a team that is looking to save some cap/tax room.

 

[manamazing55]

im not saying Mullens wont be good someday but heres the funny thing.

When he was in high school, people were slobbering over him talking about how he was going to ball in college. That never happened. He was mediocre.

 

[ValarMorghulis]

thanks for posting^^^^
Rubio looking like he's spoiled and scared

the Mavs should target Josh Smith...

 

[i nasmatic i]

Cavs need to make something happen for Josh Smith.

At the very least, he should be able to stay in front of Rashard Lewis.

 

[im not you]

Rubio has nothing to gain by working out against those dudes. He's a top 3 pick. That's like saying Blake Griffin would be "scared" to workout against Jordan Hill or somebody.

 

[shuges]

Josh Smith would be a FANTASTIC piece for a lot of championship contenders. A complete game-changer. Imagine say for instance.... the Spurs with Josh?

If they move Manu as rumored, Josh could fir right in.

And I wouldn't mind seeing Jonny in Sacto. That would probably be the biggest help to Donte Greene's game. So in essence the Kings would be getting 2players for 1.

Not surprised that they were impressed with Jonny's charisma either. That's just the type of guy he is....

 

[henz0]

if memphis gets love & curry

 

[jaflash]

Thabeet on Jim Rome is Burning right now.

 

[bigmike23]

why would the wolves trade love? if anything get rid of that ball hog jefferson you can proably bring more back from jefferson also

 

[jaflash]

Wolves should have just drafted Brook Lopez last year if they are looking for a true Center instead of Love

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by henz0

if memphis gets love & curry

Where are you coming up with this?

Give the Mavs Josh Smith and James Harden.

 

[jaflash]

If Memphis trades for Love.

They would have two stocky white guys as their frontcourt. LOL

They are both good though so it's not that funny.