2012 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Updates: Dominic Cheek, Jonathon Simmons

April 12th, 2012 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard that UConn freshman Andre Drummond would leave school early and declare for the NBA draft. While Drummond projects as a potential top-five pick, many of the underclassmen entering the draft early figure to be picked later, if they're drafted at all. We'll keep track of today's early entry decisions for those players here:

Junior guard Dominic Cheek will declare for the draft, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (via Twitter), who notes that the Villanova product may end up overseas. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com adds (via Twitter) that Cheek wasn't enjoying his college experience and would also be willing to play in the D-League. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks Cheek 118th on his prospect board.
University of Houston guard Jonathon Simmons will forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the draft, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. The junior doesn't show up anywhere on Chad Ford's or DraftExpress.com's top prospect lists, so it'd be a surprise if he's drafted. "I know right now that I'm kind of at the bottom of the list, but I've always been the underdog all my life," Simmons said. "So it's nothing I can't overcome."

Draft Links: Davis, MKG, Robinson, Sleepers

April 11th, 2012 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Chad Ford of ESPN.com has released the third version of his NBA mock draft (Insider only), and Kentucky's Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist continue to occupy the top two spots. Of course, those two players haven't even officially entered the draft yet, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer notes (via Twitter). Kentucky coach John Calipari is only paying attention to the NBA's early-entry deadline, so Kentucky players will have until April 29th to make a decision on their futures.

Here are a few more of today's draft-related links:

Chad Ford and FOX Sports Ohio's Sam Amico both answered plenty of draft questions in their respective chats today.
If they don't win the lottery and land Davis, the Bobcats' best pick would be Thomas Robinson, according to ESPN.com's David Thorpe.
Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld identifies five potential sleepers in this year's draft: Darius Miller, Jae Crowder, Will Barton, Khris Middleton, and Kevin Jones.

Update On Protected First-Round Picks

April 10th, 2012 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

12 teams have traded their first-round picks in the 2012 draft, but not all of those picks will end up changing hands. 11 of the 12 traded picks are protected to some degree, meaning the draft-pick debt will be deferred if certain conditions are met. Coming into the season, only the Timberwolves' first-rounder was a lock to be moved — it was unprotected and will be sent to the Hornets, via the Clippers' Chris Paul trade.

With an assist from Hoops Rumors' tentative 2012 draft order, let's run through the other 11 first-round picks that could be on the move, and check in on the likelihood that they'll actually change hands in this year's draft….

Bobcats (to Bulls, top-14 protected): Charlotte will keep this pick, having been eliminated from playoff contention long, long ago.
Kings (to Cavs, top-14 protected): Like the Bobcats, the Kings have been officially eliminated from the playoffs, so Sacramento will hold onto its pick for this year.
Nets (to Blazers, top-3 protected): New Jersey is currently the league's seventh-worst team, so there's still hope here for the Nets — as it stands now, they'd have a 15% chance of jumping into the top three via the draft lottery. They could also greatly increase those chances by slipping two or three more spots in the NBA standings over the next couple weeks.
Warriors (to Jazz, top-7 protected): With the league's ninth-worst record, Golden State's chances of retaining this pick look slim. The Warriors would only have a 6.1% shot at the top seven if the season ended today. They're two games ahead of the seventh-worst Nets, so if they could sink below New Jersey in the standings, their top-seven odds would soar to nearly 75%.
Jazz (to Timberwolves, top-14 protected): John Hollinger's playoff odds over at ESPN.com put Utah's chances for a postseason berth at 34.7%. If the Jazz make the playoffs, they'll give up this pick, so if you trust Hollinger's formula, the team currently has a 65.3% chance of keeping its first-rounder.
Knicks (to Rockets, top-5 protected): Barring a collapse by New York, this pick will be Houston's. If the Knicks fall out of the postseason, they'll have a very slim chance to jump into the top three and keep the pick.
Mavericks (to Rockets, top-20 protected): Trading a first-round pick for Lamar Odom didn't exactly work out like Dallas hoped, but that pick may not be going anywhere this season. The Mavs are currently tied for 17th overall in the draft order. If they don't finish the season strong, they'll keep their first-rounder, which the Lakers flipped to Houston in the Derek Fisher deal.
Rockets (to Nets, top-14 protected): A Rockets' playoff berth will ensure the Nets receive this pick. And right now, Hollinger's playoff odds gives Houston a 90.4% chance at the postseason.
Clippers (to Celtics, top-10 protected): The Clips hold a four-game lead on the West's ninth-place team (Phoenix), so this pick is almost certainly heading to Boston.
Lakers (to Cavs, top-14 protected): A lock to go to Cleveland, it currently projects as 26th overall.
Spurs (to Warriors, top-14 protected): A lock to go to Golden State, this will likely be a bottom-five pick in the first round.

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2012 NBA Draft

Draft Decisions: Tuesday

April 10th, 2012 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Today marks the NCAA's deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from consideration for this year's NBA draft. As we previously outlined, today isn't necessary a hard deadline, but plenty of prospects will be announcing their decisions today, if they haven't already. We'll track those decisions here, with the latest up top:

B.J. Young, who previously entered the draft, has withdrawn his name from consideration, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). The Arkansas freshman was able to back out because he hadn't hired an agent.
Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut will enter the draft, according to UConn's assistant director of athletic communications Phil Chardis (via Twitter). The sophomore guard is ranked as the 12th-best prospect by both DraftExpress and ESPN.com.
Junior forward Mason Plumlee has decided to return to Duke for his senior season, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham will forgo his senior year and enter the draft, according to Gary Horowitz of the Statesman Journal. The junior figures to be a second-round pick at best, ranking 66th on DraftExpress' top 100 prospects list and 96th on Chad Ford's ESPN.com list, but he must have liked what he heard when he tested the draft waters.
Vanderbilt's John Jenkins announced Monday that he will enter the draft, according to The Tennessean. The junior guard ranks 36th on DraftExpress and 40th on ESPN.com.
Junior forward Christian Watford will return to Indiana for his senior year, reports Jeff Rabjohns of Peegs.com (via Twitter). Watford's teammate, freshman Cody Zeller, will also return to school, the team announced today (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports via Twitter). The freshman was projected to be a potential lottery pick.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Magic, Odom, Celtics

April 9th, 2012 at 10:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Its been a rocky few weeks in Orlando, but you wouldn’t know it by the result of tonight’s contest against the Pistons. The Magic blew out Detroit, 119-89, without the services of Dwight Howard. Here’s more on the Central Florida soap opera and other items from around the Association..

Magic senior vice president Pat Williams, who helped found the franchise in 1989, says that he believes that coach Stan Van Gundy and Howard can co-exist in Orlando, according to the Associated Press.
Adding Lamar Odom would make the Knicks instant title contenders in 2013, but there are a number of hurdles the club will have to clear in order to make that happen, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
In less than a month, the Celtics have gone from rebuilding mode to title contention, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
Thomas Robinson would be a tremendous fit for the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Texas A&M junior Khris Middleton announced that he will enter the draft, according to the AP. The small forward started 72 games in three seasons with the Aggies.

Prospect Profile: Perry Jones III

April 9th, 2012 at 4:31pm CST by Michael Pina

When it comes to selecting players in the NBA draft, potential and production have long battled one another in the minds of each team's top decision makers. Is selecting an undeveloped talent with incredible "raw" ability worth more than taking a serviceable "sure thing" who holds a limited ceiling?

Earlier today, Baylor sophomore Perry Jones III announced his plan to leave school and enter the NBA draft. He's the most interesting pawn this argument's had in years; a case can be made that no player in recent memory does a better job of matching otherworldly skill with overwhelming frustration. In his two years at Baylor, Jones has been college basketball's great model of inconsistency. Before the season began, the 6'11" Jones was pegged as a sure-fire top five pick, with some scouts even pegging him in as a possible number one overall selection. But after another up and down season that saw him disappear time and time again in the biggest of moments, the prodigious 20-year-old has dropped down to the middle of the first round on several boards.

In an insider article, ESPN.com's Chad Ford says a possible reason for Jones' unpredictable play was Baylor head coach Scott Drew's decision to play him out of position. With the mentality of a guard who likes the ball in his hands on the perimeter, it's crucial for whatever team that selects Jones to place him in situations where he's comfortable. One site has compared him to Anthony Randolph, which isn't glowing praise. But on the other end, Jones has the physical skill set to dominate on both ends of the court. Think Lamar Odom or LaMarcus Aldridge.

From a statistical standpoint, Jones' numbers didn't improve from his freshman to sophomore season. He averaged 13.5 PPG this year but his points and free-throw attempts went slightly down while his rebounds (7.6 RPG) stayed the same. There was no more aggression in his second year than there was in his first, no enhancement in attitude or change in style.

Jones has unbelievable talent, but which team selects him could be a larger factor in determining what type of career he has than his ability to exercise that once in a generation type of skill. His upside is scary but so is his basement.

Perry Jones III is the 2012 draft's most delicate flower, and right now the sun isn't shining in Charlotte, Toronto, Washington D.C., or any other cities that are most likely to scoop him in a move of pure desperation.

Draft Update: Mitchell, Jenkins, Cheek, Plumlee

April 9th, 2012 at 2:31pm CST by Michael Pina

In what's somewhat of a surprising decision being that he was projected to be a first round pick, North Texas freshman Tony Mitchell will return to school, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle's Brett Vito. Mitchell averaged 14.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG and was named the Sun Belt Conference's Freshman of the Year.

According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, sources say Vanderbilt junior John Jenkins and Villanova junior Dominic Cheek will soon declare for the draft, but Duke junior Mason Plumlee will go back to school.

Jenkins averaged 19.9 PPG on 43.9% shooting from beyond the arc last season and is projected to be an early second round pick. Cheek put up averages of 12.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG. In a separate report, Steve Wiseman of The Herald Sun writes that Plumlee still has not decided whether or not he'll enter the draft. Plumlee has until April 29th to make a decision.

Perry Jones III To Enter Draft

April 9th, 2012 at 12:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Baylor coach Scott Drew has confirmed Baylor sophomore power forward Perry Jones III will enter the draft, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Goodman tweeted earlier that sources indicated the move was forthcoming.

The 6-foot-11, 220-pound Jones averaged 13.5 PPG and 7.6 RPG for the Bears this season after missing the first six games because of an NCAA suspension for accepting impermissable benefits. ESPN.com's Chad Ford has him ranked ninth in his latest list of the Top 100 prospects based on his versatility, size and athleticism. NBA teams have questioned his toughness and intensity, Goodman says, but he's unlikely to fall out of the lottery. He was widely expected to enter the draft last year.

Draft Notes: Burke, Jones, McCollum

April 9th, 2012 at 12:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier we passed along that Kansas junior Thomas Robinson is announcing his decision to enter the draft today. Here's more on the draft front:

Freshman point guard Trey Burke is headed back to Michigan, the school has announced, as Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter link). He would have been a second-round pick, according to NBADraft.net.
Goodman also tweets that sources say Baylor sophomore power forward Perry Jones III will enter the NBA Draft. Jones is projected to go ninth overall by Draft Express and 13th by NBADraft.net.
Lehigh junior C.J. McCollum writes on The Sporting News website that he will return for his senior season. He declared his intent to enter the draft last month, but did not hire an agent. Tomorrow is the deadline for collegians who've declared for the draft to withdraw and still maintain their college eligibility. The hero of 15th-seeded Lehigh's win over No. 2 seed Duke in the NCAA Tournament this year has been projected as the 28th overall pick in this year's draft by NBADraft.net, while Draft Express looks ahead and sees him as the 22nd best prospect for 2013.
TNT's David Aldridge, writing for NBA.com, takes a look at the point guards in the draft this year, which has plenty of question marks after North Carolina's Kendall Marshall. With McCollum, whom Aldridge calls his sleeper, off the board, it looks even thinner.
In his NBA.com Morning Tip column, Aldridge also says the league and the NCAA have money in mind when they talk about requiring players to spend more time in college before entering the draft. Schools would benefit from keeping their stars around, and the league wouldn't have to pay them as they develop.

Thomas Robinson To Enter Draft

April 9th, 2012 at 8:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Kansas junior power forward Thomas Robinson will announce at a press conference today he is entering the NBA draft, Kansas coach Bill Self told Andy Katz of ESPN.com. Robinson, who measures 6'9" and 240 pounds, is slated to go second overall in NBADraft.net's latest mock, and fourth according to Draft Express and ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

He put up 17.9 PPG and 11.8 RPG for the Jayhawks, who fell in last week's national championship game to Kentucky. He trailed only Anthony Davis, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick, in voting for the Wooden Award and Associated Press Player of the Year.

In the Hoops Rumors Prospect Profile of Robinson, Daniel Seco writes that his 7'1" wingspan and rebounding ability are his greatest assets as he heads into the NBA. Ford lists his weaknesses as a lack of size (wingspan notwithstanding) and too much of an infatuation with the perimeter game.