Take this with a game of salt, since it's from Peter Vecsey
[h1]IT'S DRAFT-Y IN HERE![/h1]
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PICK OF LITTER: Memphis guard Derrick Rose is expected to go tothe Bulls at No. 1 in the NBA Draft. After that ...
June 24, 2008 -- CONTINUED Look for the Nets to go out of their way to acquire Marcus Camby; they have one team to beat. As partof that deal or independent of it, I expect them to trade back to No. 13 (the Blazers are primed to deal the slot, that's for sure) perhaps to snare WestVirginia's Joe Alexander - the league's looming lone American capable of trash talking Yao Ming in Mandarin.
*
Sources say:
* Knicks (
Eddy Curry or
Zach Randolph), Pacers (
Jermaine O'Neal) and Suns (
BorisDiaw) have had some casual conversation with the Raptors concerning
T.J. Ford.
* Warriors and Cavaliers are discussing an
Anderson Varejao-
Al Harrington swap.
*
Rasheed Wallace is principally untouchable; his gifted versatility is too tough to replace. Nuggets called the Pistons about
Chauncey Billups but were unwilling to discuss
Carmelo Anthony.
*
Pat Riley's first offer late last week to
Shawn Marion was beyond being an insult. Meaning he'shighly unlikely to opt out of next season's $17.8 million guarantee. Meaning the Heat won't be able to re-sign him for six years and instead may onlyextend him four years. Meaning the odds of Marion being traded will greatly increase.
* Ron Artest will exercise his Kings option to become a free agent; Lakers, Spurs and Mavs figure to be most ferventsuitors.
*
Tommy Heinsohn is having an abdominal aneurism removed tomorrow. I love Tommy and
Helen Heinsohn!
*
Del Harris and
Bernie Bickerstaff, who would have been
Mark Jackson's mentors hadthe Knicks hired him, are in line to flank
Vinny Del Negro on the Bulls bench.
*
Rod Strickland,
Sam Perkins,
Kenny Anderson,
EddieYounger (Harlem Rens),
Lewis "Lu-Lu" Bender (98 years young),
Pete Gillen,
BobMcCullough and
Joey Goldstein were voted into the New York City Hall of Fame. Official induction: Sept. 17 at theNYAC.
* One of the elite draftees smokes more herb than both
Cheech and
Chong.
* Twenty percent of those invited to Orlando's pre-draft camp have children. No, not by the same woman!