2012 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Irving, Harkless, Moser

February 4th, 2012 at 4:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs are relying on top-pick Kyrie Irving for heavy minutes, notes Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and a rotation shortened by injuries is taking its toll on the team, Reed says. The heavy use must not be affecting Irving's play, however. Justin Kubatko notes in The New York Times that Kyrie Irving is quietly on his way to perhaps becoming the first rookie to ever shoot 50% from the floor, 40% from three-point range, and 80% from the free-throw line.

Here are a few notes as teams try to find the next Irving in preparation for June's draft:

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports multiple sources have said St. John's freshman Moe Harkless may enter the draft. The 6-foot-8 Harkless is rated as the 36th best prospect by DraftExpress.com. Zagoria quotes a scout who predicts a "great future," but wishes he'd stay another year.
ESPN projects UNLV sophomore forward Mike Moser, a UCLA transfer, as a late first-round pick (Insider only), but Moser tells Jim Beseda of The Oregonian that he's glad to be a Rebel and isn't planning on leaving for the draft after this year.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wonders what would have happened if the Magic hadn't passed over Danny Granger for Fran Vasquez in the 2005 draft.

Odds & Ends: Morris, Hibbert, Knicks, Bulls

February 3rd, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

A few odds and ends for Friday afternoon:

The Rockets have assigned Marcus Morris to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
Roy Hibbert's play over the rest of the season could drive up his price tag for the cost-conscious Pacers, as this RealGM.com report suggests.
Playing against the Knicks, Derrick Rose showed New York exactly the kind of player they need, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Sam Smith answers readers' questions in a Bulls.com mailbag, and many of them surround around a possible Dwight Howard trade.
Speaking of Howard, Michael Lee of the Washington Post says D12 will have to live with "the inevitable backlash" of his trade demand in Orlando. Check out the rest of today's Howard updates here.
In an Insider piece, Chad Ford of ESPN.com runs through teams with a chance at the second overall pick and predicts whether they'd select Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The team with the first pick is expected to select Kentucky's Anthony Davis, of course.

Odds & Ends: Sessions, Kings, Mavs, Hornets

January 31st, 2012 at 10:06pm CST by Luke Adams

On January 31st, 1979, the Cleveland Cavaliers sent Terry Furlow to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Butch Lee and a 1983 first-round pick. Both Furlow and Lee played their last NBA minutes in 1980, but that '83 draft pick ended up in the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, who used it to select Derek Harper. Harper went on to score over 16,000 points in his 16-year NBA career — nearly five times the combined career totals for Furlow and Lee.

As for January 31st, 2012, here are a few items from around the Association:

Ramon Sessions isn't surprised to hear his name involved in trade rumors, writes Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer. The Lakers have inquired about the point guard's availability and the Cavaliers are receiving interest from other clubs as well.
Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter links) spoke with Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof who spoke highly of the jobs that GM Petrie and coach Keith Smart are doing. Last night, it was reported that the club could be looking to replace Petrie, who has been with the Kings since 1994.
After J.J. Barea departed in the offseason, the Mavericks managed to replace him admirably and cheaply, as Jeff Caplan writes at ESPNDallas.com.
There shouldn't be any sense of security for Hornets players, with a major roster overhaul coming this offseason, or sooner, says John DeShazier of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) checks in on the stocks of a few college players. While Anthony Davis still has a stranglehold on the top spot on Ford's draft board, the rest of the top five is in flux.
Heat fans may have a love affair with Michael Beasley, but there probably would never have been a Big Three in Miami if Beasley had put it together during his time with the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
A few members of ESPN.com's TrueHoop network discussed Dwight Howard and other potential trade candidates.

Bonnell On Bobcats, Top Draft Prospects

January 30th, 2012 at 10:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Charlotte Bobcats have the league's worst record (3-18) and are headed to L.A. on Tuesday to face the Lakers. The consolation is the team is likely headed for a high draft pick in June. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer broke down some of the probable top picks and how they would fit in with the Bobcats. Some highlights:

Kentucky's Anthony Davis, a Marcus Camby type, could help fix Charlotte's porous interior defense.
Andre Drummond of Connecticut has raw athleticism and the body of a center, a position the Bobcats need to improve as much as any other, Bonnell says.
Catch-and-shoot small forward Harrison Barnes could provide an heir apparent to Corey Maggette, and the fact he comes from North Carolina is a plus.
Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is a big man with range and deft passing skills, but the power forward position is already too crowded in Charlotte.