2013 NBA Draft Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Select Anthony Bennett First Overall

June 27th, 2013 at 6:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there was uncertainty all the way up until draft day on what the Cavaliers would do with the first overall pick, the team still managed to find a way to surprise. The Cavs kept the selection and have used it to make Anthony Bennett the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Chad Ford of ESPN.com was the first to report the decision (via Twitter), while ESPN.com's Andy Katz says (via Twitter) that the Cavs plan to hang onto Bennett.

Bennett, 20, wasn't viewed as the top prospect in this year's group, so the Cavaliers were expected to choose between Nerlens Noel and Alex Len. Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore, and Otto Porter were also thought to be in the mix for the top pick in the weeks leading up to tonight

In his freshman year at UNLV, Bennett averaged 16.1 PPG and 8.1 RPG. Our Zach Links examined Bennett more closely in April as part of our Prospect Profile series.

You can follow the rest of tonight's draft results right here.

More Draft Rumors: Thunder, Cavs, Raptors, Jazz

June 27th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers will be on the clock in less than two hours, and we still don't know exactly what they'll do with that No. 1 pick. The rest of the first round only gets more uncertain, so it looks like we're in for a fun night. Here are the latest rumors and rumblings related to the 2013 draft:

The Thunder tried to acquire the Cavs' first overall pick, but OKC's bid failed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter), the Cavs have made a decision on their first overall pick, assuming they hang onto it. Within the next 15 minutes or so, we'll know what that decision is.
The Raptors are finding no traction in their efforts to acquire a lottery pick, tweets Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
While the Wolves continue attempting to move up in the lottery, teams ahead of them are "hesitant" to move their picks, a source tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

While the Jazz could be seeking a point guard at No. 14, don't expect Michael Carter-Williams to fall to them, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
The Cavs "definitely" have interest in Lucas Nogueira, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's Chad Ford is hearing that the Pistons will ride things out and keep the No. 8 pick (Twitter link).
The Mavericks continue to shop the 13th pick "as hard as advertised," in hopes of landing a 2014 lottery pick, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com.
In addition to the Suns (mentioned below), the Timberwolves also remain in play for the No. 1 pick, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
The Suns have offered the Cavs the Nos. 5 and 30 picks for the first overall pick, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Phoenix is after Nerlens Noel, according to Ford. But given how highly the Cavs seem to value that top pick, I doubt that offer gets it done.
There's "little chance" that the Magic part with the No. 2 pick, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
While the Timberwolves still have interest in trading up from No. 9, the price remains high, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. In the likely scenario that Minnesota remains at No. 9, the team is expected to target Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cody Zeller, and C.J. McCollum, in that order.
The Cavs continue to explore trades involving the No. 1 pick, and Broussard says (via Twitter) that if they take anyone besides Alex Len, it could be part of a deal.
Various reports indicate that the Raptors are looking to acquire a lottery pick. Broussard tweets that they could be trying to get as high as No. 2, while Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com is hearing (Twitter link) Toronto is targeting a late lottery pick with its eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Suns are trying to acquire late-first-round picks, hoping to add more young players to the roster, tweets Broussard.
Although the Trail Blazers would like to add veterans more than youth, indications are that they'll keep the No. 10 pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
The possibility that the Thunder could draft Antetokounmpo at No. 12 probably scares the Hawks, who have long coveted the "Greek Freak," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Thunder Pushing Hard To Move Up To No. 2

June 27th, 2013 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder are "pushing hard" to complete a deal that would see them acquire the Magic's second overall pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski says the Thunder are targeting Victor Oladipo if they can move up.

Various reports over the last several days have suggested that the Thunder would like to move up into the top five. However, the club has indicated it has no interest in moving Serge Ibaka to do so. We heard yesterday that the club's trade chips would likely include the 12th, 29th, and 32nd picks, and perhaps Kendrick Perkins.

Although we heard earlier tonight that the Magic will likely keep the No. 2 pick, the Wolves also remain in the hunt for the selection in the hope of drafting Oladipo, tweets Wojnarowski.

Berger On Knicks, Spurs, Plumlee, Hawks, C’s

June 27th, 2013 at 5:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com is passing along a number of draft-night updates via Twitter, so let's dive in and check out the latest from him….

The Knicks figure to keep their first-round pick and will likely target the best available shooting guard at No. 24. Berger suggests Jamaal Franklin or Allen Crabbe.
With the Spurs hoping to get younger and more athletic, teams view Tony Mitchell and Lucas Nogueira as possibilities for San Antonio at No. 28.

Earlier updates:

Mason Plumlee is a "strong possibility" for the Hawks at No. 17 or 18, according to Berger. The team's other pick would likely be a draft-and-stash international player.
Jamaal Franklin has drawn interest from the Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, and Clippers.
Berger says that NBA teams are eager to see what the Celtics do at No. 16. If Boston drafts a point guard, it could be an indication that the club is open to trading Rajon Rondo as part of its rebuild.
On the other hand, if the Celtics intend to rebuild around Rondo, rival teams believe Reggie Bullock is a likely target for the C's at No. 16.
The Pacers (No. 23), Clippers (25), Wolves (26), and Nuggets (27) are teams who could end up moving their first-round picks.

Bobcats Seriously Weighing Offer To Move Down

June 27th, 2013 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bobcats are seriously weighing an offer to trade down from the No. 4 spot, tweets Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. According to Deveney, the offer likely comes from the Timberwolves, who have been trying to trade up to select Victor Oladipo or Ben McLemore.

As I wrote when I previewed the Wolves' offseason, if Minnesota wants to dangle the 9th and 26th picks and Derrick Williams to move into the top five, the Bobcats, who have plenty of holes to fill, would represent a logical trade partner.

If Charlotte keeps its No. 4 pick, Alex Len and Cody Zeller are among the club's top targets, as we heard earlier today.

Draft Notes: Cavs, Kings, McLemore, Karasev

June 27th, 2013 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest news as we get set for the Draft to get underway from the Barclays Center..

The Cavs haven't found a taker for the No. 1 pick yet, but it's not for a lack of trying. One source tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Twitter) that they still haven't given up on finding a trade.
The Kings have been aggressive in trying to move up from No. 7 in the draft, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Their likely target is Kansas guard Ben McLemore.
The Kings could find a partner in the Suns who pick at No. 5 and are looking to drop back, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Sergey Karasev left private interviews in Russia confident that he'll be in the top 15 and hope that he'll be a top ten pick, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Discussions with several teams continued even after the interviews and the Bucks’ apparent interest has fueled belief that the 19-year-old won’t last beyond No. 15.
The Knicks remain enamored with German guard Dennis Schroeder at No. 24 but they understand that he's unlikely to slip to them, Wojnarowski tweets. The Jazz like Schroeder (14, 21) and there's little chance that the Nets (22) and Pacers (23) let him reach the Knicks (link).
Teams are getting a clear message from the Wizards: they do not want to part with their No. 3 pick, tweets Berger.
More from Berger (link), who tweets that Miami guard Shane Larkin has attracted the interest of the Jazz at No. 14 and Milwaukee at No. 15.
After two workouts, N.C. State forward C.J. Leslie shut it down with teams and he's expected to be selected in the 30s, tweets Wojnarowski.

2013 NBA Draft Primer

June 27th, 2013 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the most fun days on the NBA calendar is upon us, with the 2013 draft scheduled to get underway in a matter of hours. If you've been following Hoops Rumors over the last several weeks, you've seen plenty of draft-related content, but we've yet to round it all up in one place. We'll do that today, with a handful of links to get you ready for tonight's draft right here:

In addition to covering all the picks and trades as they happen tonight, we'll be conducting a live draft chat during the first round, in which we'll welcome your opinions, questions, and observations on the moves as they happen. The chat, hosted by Chuck Myron, will get underway at about 6:00pm central time, so be sure to look for it this evening.
Our Alex Lee published a pair of mock drafts once again this year. You can check out the most recent version right here, and find last week's version here.
Since the end of the NCAA season, Hoops Rumors writers have profiled a handful of specific prospects, including all the players we expect to see drafted at the top.
You can browse through all of our posts relating to the draft by using our 2013 NBA Draft tag.
We expect to see plenty of picks traded tonight, but for now, here's the official order for the first and second rounds.
To quickly check on which selections a particular club holds, you can also refer to our list of draft picks by team.
We went through all 30 NBA teams and took an in-depth look at each club's upcoming offseasons, in our Offseason Outlook series. Our analysis for each team typically included our thoughts on the team's draft options.

Categories:
2013 NBA Draft

Wojnarowski On Draft, Len, Zeller, Bucks, Mavs

June 27th, 2013 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest draft news from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, with all links going to Twitter..

It's becoming harder to see how Anthony Bennett won't take a tumble in tonight's draft and he could leave the Blazers with a choice to make at No. 10 (link).
Other lottery teams are supremely confident that the Magic will take Victor Oladipo at No. 2, but Orlando is still talking trade, tweets Wojnarowski.
The Cavs are choosing between Nerlens Noel and Alex Len at No. 1. If they pick Len, Noel could fall to the Suns at No. 5 (link).
Alex Len is still the favorite for the Bobcats if he's there at No. 4, but Cody Zeller has remained in constant dialogue, sources tell Wojnarowski.
Zeller is in strong consideration for the Bobcats at No. 4 and the Suns at No. 5, sources say. If C.J. McCollum goes to the Pelicans at No. 6 or the Kings at No. 7, then the Pistons, who pick 8th, have Zeller high on their board.
The Bucks have discussed swapping their No. 15 pick for the Mavs' No. 13 pick to solidify itself to take Russian swingman Sergey Karasev, according to sources. However, Milwaukee is worried that the 13th pick may not be high enough to grab Karasev (link). The 6'7" Russian appears to be a hot commodity as we heard that the Cavs would also like to get their hands on the Mavs' pick in order to take him.
League sources say that Celtics GM Danny Ainge brought guard Ray McCallum to Boston's facility for a workout yesterday in the event that he moves back from No. 16.
Some are shying away from North Texas forward Tony Mitchell but he could find a home with the T-Wolves at No. 26, according to league sources. Flip Saunders was impressed with his workout and there's no question that he has high-lottery talents (link).
Everyone in the lottery says that they are extremely impressed by the NBA readiness of IU products Zeller and Oladipo.

Kennedy On Magic, Noel, Len, McLemore, Cavs

June 27th, 2013 at 2:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest draft buzz from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (all links go to Twitter)..

It sounds like the Magic are really high on Nerlens Noel, Kennedy tweets. If the Cavaliers select Alex Len at No. 1, Orlando may go with Noel.
If Noel is gone, the Magic will likely select Ben McLemore or Victor Oladipo. Many people are assuming Oladipo will be the pick in that case, but Kennedy is not so sure.
Some sources tell Kennedy that Shabazz Muhammad will slip out of the lottery, which lines up with him not being invited to green room.
There are still questions about Oladipo and teams are intrigued by McLemore's upside. Kennedy has been told that the Indiana product could slip all the way to the Suns at No. 5.
The Mavs continue to shop the No. 13 pick. The Wolves and Thunder want to move up while the Grizzlies, Rockies, Warriors, and 76ers want to add a first-rounder.

Atlantic Notes: Frank, Celtics, Knicks, Rivers

June 27th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

After taking a look at the Knicks and Nets earlier today, we learned that the Celtics are discussing a blockbuster that could send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn. Here’s the latest out of the Atlantic Division..

Lawrence Frank has agreed to join the Nets as an assistant on Jason Kidd‘s staff, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.
Steve Novak might be the one guy that the Knicks could move tonight in order to move up in the draft or acquire second-round picks, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. The sharpshooter is owed roughly $11MM over the next three seasons.
Doc Rivers claims that he didn’t push the Celtics to pull the trigger on the deal that sent him to the Clippers, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.
In a less-sexy transaction, the Celtics would like to pick up an additional second-round pick, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Target teams include the Blazers, Hawks, and Cavs.
The Knicks will be hard-pressed to find a key contributor with the No. 24 pick, but they better choose wisely as financial constraints will hurt their ability to add to the roster going forward, writes Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal.