The 2012 NBA Draft Combine got underway Thursday in Chicago and will continue through Friday as prospects are tested, weighed and interviewed with hopes of improving their stock for June 28. Former Florida star Bradley Beal's height was a point of contention heading into the combine but the ex-Gator shooting guard surprised everyone when he told reporters he measured in at 6-foot-4, which was on the higher end of expectations. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has more news and headlines out of Chicago with the draft exactly three weeks away…
The Hornets have enjoyed good fortune off the court this spring after struggling through the 2011/2012 season with a 21-45 record. After finding a new owner in Tom Benson, New Orleans beat the odds by winning the NBA draft lottery last week which gives the team the opportunity to rebuild its roster with the top pick come June. Let's head down to the Big Easy to catch up on the latest news and headlines surrounding the Hornets…
The Nets may be looking to find a way into the first round of this month's draft, but a number of teams are considering moving their first-rounders. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter), every club besides the Cavs that has multiple first-round picks is trying to trade one of them for a young player. The Blazers, Celtics, Warriors, Rockets, and Hornets all fit the bill, with two first-rounders each. Let's round up a few more of today's draft rumors….
- Teams inquiring on the 10th overall pick are being told by the Hornets that taking on a contract like Emeka Okafor's or Trevor Ariza's won't be enough to land the pick, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
The league is holding a two-day draft combine starting tomorrow in Chicago, but the event isn't likely to reveal much about the top prospects. Sam Amick of SI.com reports that Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Dion Waiters, and Harrison Barnes will not take part in running and shooting drills, and Matt Moore of CBSSports.com takes this as a sign that the league should either force players to participate fully or scrap the event entirely. Fellow CBSSports.com scribe Jeff Goodman nonetheless identifies some of the key issues surrounding prospects that the combine is likely to resolve. Here's more draft-related news from around the Association.
An unsettled situation in Portland appears to be gaining stability as the Trail Blazers named former Clippers general manager Neil Olshey to the same post in the City of Roses. The next major decision becomes finding a permanent head coach for a team that went 28-38 and finished eight games behind the Jazz for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. John Canzano of the Oregonian has the latest news and headlines on the Trail Blazers after attending Tuesday's news conference introducing Olshey…
We already heard from new Blazers' general manager Neil Olshey tonight, who implied that he all but has his mind made up that the man to fill Portland's coaching vacancy should be interim head coach Kaleb Canales. Portland is one of multiple franchises that needs to make decisions coaching and front office decisions this offseason. Let's look at some of those latest rumors as well as a couple more notes from around the league on this Tuesday night:
For no NBA Draft prospect are the pre-draft workouts more important than for Baylor's Quincy Miller. If you haven't heard of Miller or don't know much about him, maybe it is because you saw him but just assumed he was Perry Jones III. There is no way one college team, much less the Baylor Bears, could have two 6-foot-10 super athletic wings who can shoot, right?
With just over three weeks remaining until draft day, ESPN.com's Fran Fraschilla (Insider link) identifies five prospects he feels are undervalued: Terrence Ross, Jared Cunningham, Andrew Nicholson, Royce White, and Moe Harkless. With a number of workouts, interviews, and trades still to come, there's plenty of time for players' stocks to fluctuate dramatically in the coming weeks, so there's no guarantee those five players will stay undervalued for long. As we count down the days until June 28th, let's check in on a few of today's other draft updates….
While most mock drafters simply forecast the first 30 picks, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld doesn't stop after the first round — in his latest mock, he predicts all 60 selections, from Anthony Davis at No. 1 to Kris Joseph at No. 60. He also shares a few more items of interest in his NBA AM column and via Twitter. Here are a few highlights:
The Bucks may be in need of a big man following their trade of Andrew Bogut to the Warriors, but Milwaukee is also taking a hard look at the guards in this year's draft, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel. While the club is expected to target size with their No. 12 pick, they could go after a guard with size at No. 42 in support of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Marquette's Darius Johnson-Odom and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor were among those auditioned yesterday. Here's a look at tonight's links..