2012 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Miller, Henson, Moultrie, Pistons

June 9th, 2012 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Even as his Celtics gear up for Game Seven tonight against the Heat, we learned yesterday that head coach Doc Rivers is still helping son Austin Rivers through the draft process. If the C's want to tab the Duke standout, they'll likely have to move up on the board. Boston currently holds the No. 21 and 22 picks in the draft. Do you have the draft on your brain despite tonight's big game as well? Don't worry, we've got you covered..

One general manager says Quincy Miller could go in the top 10, while another executive doesn't think he's a first-rounder, reports NBA.com's Scott Howard Cooper, who says the truth is somewhere in the middle. Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has the Baylor small forward going 22nd to the Celtics in his latest mock draft.
The itinerary for North Carolina power forward John Henson reveals he's working out for teams picking fifth through 15th, as Susan Bible of HoopsWorld writes.

Earlier updates:

Odds & Ends: Mavs, Haywood, Pacers, Pistons

June 9th, 2012 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Thunder bench starts firing in the NBA Finals, it will be a case of what could have been for the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. For the Heat, Derek Fisher is the one that got away while Daequan Cook was given away. In order to create cap space in the summer of 2010, Miami sent Cook and the No. 18 pick to the Thunder for the No. 32 pick. Fisher, meanwhile, rejected the Heat that summer in order to re-up with the Lakers. More items from around the Association..

Central Rumors: Bulls, Barnes, Bucks, Cavs

June 8th, 2012 at 9:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls, who hold the 29th pick, met with small forward Harrison Barnes on Thursday at the draft combine in Chicago, leading K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune to allude to the possibility that the team is thinking of trading up in the draft. That doesn't mean the team is interested in such a deal, of course — the Bulls could simply be trying to get a feel for as many players as they can — but as Johnson notes, Barnes would come in handy as a replacement for Luol Deng if he misses time next season because of his wrist injury. There's been plenty of other draft news from the rest of the Central as well.

The Bulls are focusing on the backcourt as they look toward the draft, according to several players who've worked out for the team, as Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Earlier updates:

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Rivers, Raptors, Knicks

June 8th, 2012 at 9:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tomorrow night, the Celtics will either advance to the NBA Finals or face a summer of uncertainty, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen as unrestricted free agents. Win or lose, this "big three" will go down as a success for Celtics executive Danny Ainge, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com. If the Celtics win tomorrow and advance to face the Thunder, it will set up an interesting referendum on Ainge's trade that sent Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City. There's plenty of other news swirling around the Atlantic as the draft and free agency near, including a promise for the son of the Celtics coach.

Goodman On Draft Combine Winners, Losers

June 8th, 2012 at 7:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

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.

Odds & Ends: Spoelstra, Lakers, Krstic, Marshall

June 8th, 2012 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat are certainly in better position to advance to the NBA Finals than they were 24 hours ago, but they aren't out of the woods yet, with a Game 7 looming. Given the high expectations in Miami, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Twitter link) polled 27 NBA executives on 20 clubs on whether they'd fire Erik Spoelstra if the Heat lose the series to the Celtics — 17 said no, while 10 said yes. While we await tomorrow's winner-take-all matchup and prepare for a night without NBA action, let's check in on some other updates from around the Association….

Sixers Rumors: Draft Targets, Brand, Williams

June 8th, 2012 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

It figures to be an eventful summer for the 76ers, who hold three picks in the draft, should receive plenty of inquiries on Andre Iguodala, and could use the amnesty clause to clear Elton Brand's $18MM+ salary from their books. I previewed the Sixers' offseason last week, but as the draft and free agency approach, we'll gain a better understanding of their plans. In the meantime, let's check in on the latest items out of Philadelphia….

Kyler On Bobcats, Combine, Warriors, Magic

June 8th, 2012 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we passed along tweets from HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler on Dion Waiters' possible draft-day guarantee. Kyler is hearing that the Suns may have made promised Waiters they'll draft him at 13th overall, resulting in the Syracuse guard shutting down his workouts. That wasn't Kyler's only update of interest this morning, however, as he tweeted a few more notes from the draft combine. Let's round them up….

Dion Waiters Leaves Combine, Has Guarantee?

June 8th, 2012 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, Dion Waiters has left the Chicago draft combine and cancelled his scheduled workouts, leading to speculation that the Syracuse guard has received assurances from a team that he'll be selected in the lottery. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Raptors at No. 8 were the team to give Waiters a guarantee, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports that GM Bryan Colangelo emphatically denied making such a promise.

Bulls Notes: Taj Gibson, Draft, Derrick Rose

June 7th, 2012 at 9:25pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Bulls seemed poised to make a playoff run this spring when they finished the regular season tied with the Spurs for the best record in the NBA. Derrick Rose, who had missed 27 games over the course of the season, was finally healthy when the team drew a Sixers team that had collapsed in the second half of the season. What ensued continues to give the entire city of Chicago nightmares as the Bulls faithful remains hopeful Rose can regain the form that netted him MVP during the 2010/2011 season. Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines out of Chicago as the franchise's future going forward remains unclear…