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Kotoch On Bledsoe, Magic, Oladipo, Noel, Cavs

June 5th, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com has Nerlens Noel atop the latest version of his mock draft, and he has news about the Cavaliers, Noel and other potential lottery storylines. We'll round up the highlights here:

  • The Magic and Clippers have had conversations about Eric Bledsoe, according to Kotoch. Chad Ford of ESPN.com wrote a week ago that if Orlando took a shooting guard in the draft, the team would have interest in trading Arron Afflalo for Bledsoe and Caron Butler.
  • Speaking of the Magic and shooting guards, Victor Oladipo has eclipsed Ben McLemore on Orlando's draft board.
  • Noel's torn ACL won't allow him to work out, but he'll visit with the Cavs on June 20th. 
  • The Thunder are prioritizing centers at No. 12, unless C.J. McCollum falls to them.
  • An established wing player is what the Timberwolves are seeking as they reportedly dangle Derrick Williams in an effort to move up from No. 9.
  • The Trail Blazers are in search of a big man who can defend and rebound in exchange for the tenth pick. 
  • The Mavericks would also "love" to trade pick No. 13, Kotoch writes.
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Western Notes: Hollins, Suns, Liggins, Kings

June 4th, 2013 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing on Memphis radio to express surprise and disappointment at his current situation with the Grizzlies, head coach Lionel Hollins reiterated to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's still holding out hope for a contract extension.

"I hope things can work out and I think things can work out," Hollins said. "I'm happy in Memphis. I've been there for a long time. My kids went to school in Memphis. My son graduated as a doctor in Memphis. My daughter is a grad student at the University of Memphis. I love the city of Memphis and really want to be there. I have no reason to want to leave."

Despite Hollins' comments, Grizzlies management is still upset that the head coach didn't publicly support the Rudy Gay trade, according to Spears. It appears the team and Hollins will end up going their separate ways, with the Grizzlies coach potentially receiving interest from the Clippers and Nets.

Here's more from around the Western Conference:

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Timberwolves Looking To Move Up In Draft

June 2nd, 2013 at 8:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Timberwolves will try to deal Derrick Williams and No. 9 pick to move up in the draft, according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press.  It's not known who the Timberwolves might be targeting, however.

This certainly isn't the first time that the Wolves have explored a trade for Williams and finding a solid return for him could prove to be difficult.  The former No. 2 overall pick hasn't lived up to his potential in Minnesota, averaging 10.5 PPG with 5.1 RPG in his first two seasons.  

A change of scenery might do Williams some good, however, as he's just a couple years removed from his status as a promising prospect.  The forward attacked the basket in his days at Arizona and did well with his opportunities on the free throw line by converting 75% of the time.  The 22-year-old boasts above-average raw strength but often times has found himself outmuscled by larger opponents in the NBA. 

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Draft Notes: Gobert, T’Wolves, Adams

June 2nd, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, we learned that the Mavericks are continuing to shop the No. 13 pick in the draft and they're not asking for all that much in return.  Moving that selection would free up a little bit of extra cap space for Dallas as they hope to make a big free agent splash, which would ideally mean landing Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.  Their chances for either player may not seem that strong right now, but Mark Cuban can certainly change things with a convincing pitch after July 1st.  Here's today's draft news..

  • French draft prospect Rudy Gobert reiterated to HoopsHype (Twitter link) that he has no intention of returning to Europe for another season, which means that he's not a candidate for a "stash" pick.  DraftExpress' latest mock has Gobert going No. 10 to the Trail Blazers.
  • The T'Wolves next set of workouts won't be until June 12th and that'll be a big man's day with Pittburgh's Steven Adams, Bucknell product (and Minnesota native) Mike Muscala, and others, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.  Adams figures to be a first round pick while Muscala is slated for the second round in most mock drafts.
  • Minnesota senior Trevor Mbakwe will audition for the T'Wolves on June 19th, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. 
  • Marquette guard Trent Lockett is working out for the Bulls and Bucks this week, according to Wolfson (via Twitter).  Lockett was also at the big workout in Las Vegas on Friday where 26 teams had representatives.  
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Draft Rumors: Thomas, Cavs, Porter, Wizards

June 2nd, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Chuck Myron

There are three teams still alive in the NBA playoffs, but draft season is already upon us, with news of potential trades, players jockeying for the top pick, and fringe prospects simply hoping to hear their name called on June 27th. Here's the latest:

  • Bob Finnan of The News-Herald hears the Kings have offered Isaiah Thomas to the Cavs in exchange for the No. 19 pick, though he hasn't confirmed that rumor. Thomas, a starter in Sacramento, would back up Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
  • Finnan unveils the latest version of his mock draft, writing that the Wizards hope the Cavs pass on Otto Porter.
  • John Wall tells Eric Detweiler of the Washington Post that he thinks the team should use the No. 3 pick on "a four man that can pick and pop," leading Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com to point to Anthony Bennett as Wall's likely favorite (Twitter link).
  • The Timberwolves will work out several big men later this month, including Steven Adams and Mike Muscala, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). 
  • The Wizards are giving second-round hopeful Travon Woodall his first pre-draft workout, reports Josh Newman of SNY.tv.
  • Zeke Marshall, another second-round prospect, has worked out for the Mavs and will also do so for the Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Lakers, Bulls and Pacers, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Agent Dino Pergola said other teams could be in the mix, too.
  • Brandon Triche will work out with nine teams, including the Lakers, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Mike Waters of The Post-Standard identifies the Blazers, Kings and Knicks as three of those clubs.
  • The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto makes the case that the Cavs should take Ben McLemore first overall.
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Cavs Notes: Pekovic, Aldridge, Noel, Porter

June 1st, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported earlier today that the Cavs aren't going after DeMarcus Cousins, and he has plenty more on Cleveland's team in his latest dispatch. He gets credit for the updates below, unless otherwise noted.

  • The Cavaliers have tried and failed to pry Kevin Love from the Timberwolves, and their alternative may be to go after center Nikola Pekovic, one of the leading restricted free agents. Cleveland has the cap room to make him an offer of $12MM or better, a price Wolves owner Glen Taylor has said he won't pay. 
  • The Blazers have no interest in Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters or draft picks, and have turned down the Cavs' inquiries about LaMarcus Aldridge. 
  • Nerlens Noel says he'll be ready to play around Christmas, but the Cavaliers don't think he'll be back from his ACL injury until February or March. The team remains undecided about whether Noel will be the No. 1 pick, and Amico confirms that Otto Porter is also in the mix for that selection.
  • Amico hears the Cavs are willing to trade up to nab Sergey Karasev in the middle of the first round if it doesn't look like he'll fall to them at No. 19. The Cavs are also high on Alex Len, and he could be theirs if they trade out of the No. 1 pick.
  • The Cavs like Shaun Livingston, but he's seeking a larger payday than the team wants to give him.
  • Omri Casspi and Luke Walton probably won't be re-signed, but the Cavs hope to bring back Wayne Ellington.
  • The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers reader questions in her mailbag column, and opines that Al Horford makes more sense as a trade target for the Cavs than Love or Aldridge do. 
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Draft Notes: Knicks, Larkin, Hardaway Jr., Bucks

June 1st, 2013 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Otto Porter, Victor Oladipo, Ben McLemore, and Anthony Bennett will likely be among the candidates visiting with the Wizards in the second or third week of June, when the team will look at candidates for the No. 3 overall pick, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. For now, the team is concentrating on targets for its pair of second-round pick, and Lee lists more than a dozen such players scheduled for workouts with the team next week.  The Wizards' pick may very well come down to a decision between who is left over between Porter and Nerlens Noel, but they'll leave no stone unturned when it comes to their top pick.  Here's more draft news..

  • Former Miami point guard Shane Larkin won’t work out for the Knicks, his agent told Adam Zagoria of SNY.   “Currently, Shane’s not scheduled to work out for the Knicks,” agent Steve McCaskill said. “And we don’t have any intentions of scheduling one. We don’t feel like he’s going to be on the board when they select.”  The Knicks have the No. 24 pick in the draft and while some view Larkin as a mid-round talent, it's worth noting that DraftExpress currently has him going at No. 23 to the Pacers.
  • Tim Hardaway Jr. auditioned for the Bucks and told reporters, including Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, that he has already worked out for the Bulls and T'Wolves.  The Michigan product is widely viewed as a fringe first-round talent.
  • Murray State's Isaiah Canaan says he has already worked out for the Spurs and he has more workouts scheduled with the Pacers, Knicks, Cavs, Suns, Mavs, and Jazz, Gardner writes.  Canaan, who auditioned for the Bucks, could be a candidate for the club's No. 43 selection.
  • Former Creighton and Rutgers big man Gregory Echenique will work out for the Wizards, Suns, and Nets in the coming weeks, Zagoria writes. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound center has already worked out for the Celtics, Timberwolves, and Trail Blazers.  At this time, Echenique figures to be a second round pick at best.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Northwest Notes: T’Wolves, Oladipo, Pelicans

May 31st, 2013 at 4:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the Northwest Division..

  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN hears that a couple NBA people are wondering why Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman has not yet publicly declared his intention to return for a third season.  There also hasn't been any contact yet between Adelman and his long-time confidant, Elston Turner, about a spot on the staff with the Wolves. 
  • More from Wolfson, who writes that multiple sources say that Wizards VP Milt Newton is a good bet to be the Wolves' new GM. That wouldn't happen until after the draft, however.  Newton was in town earlier this week for the draft workouts.
  • Victor Oladipo's mentor told Wolfson (via Twitter) that the high flyer has only worked out so far for the Magic.  The rest of his schedule for this weekend is TBD, but the Timberwolves hope to bring him in.
  • If the Pelicans draft Trey Burke with the No. 6 pick, they should shift Greivis Vasquez over to shooting guard, opines John Reid of The Times Picayune.  Many mock drafts have New Orleans grabbing the Michigan product, but he could very well be off the board before it's their turn.
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Draft Notes: Noel, Jones, Franklin, Mitchell

May 30th, 2013 at 6:37pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Andy Katz of ESPN noted earlier that Nerlens Noel will visit with the Magic this Sunday, and is yet to schedule a meeting with the Cavaliers. The potential number one pick is up six pounds (from 206 to 212) since the Chicago Pre-Draft Camp two weeks ago, and isn’t expected to visit any other teams beyond Orlando and Cleveland unless a team trades up to the first or second draft slots or there is a strong sense that a deal gets done (All Twitter links). We’ll keep you posted on anything draft related tonight below:

  • The Wizards are slated to bring in Archie Goodwin, Peyton Siva, Mike Muscala, James Southerland, Will Clyburn, Adonis Thomas, Khalif Wyatt, and Romero Osby for workouts starting on Monday. Otto Porter, Victor Oladipo, and Ben McLemore may be among the next wave of prospects to work out for the team during the following week.
  • SNYtv’s Josh Newman passes along that Iona standout Lamont Jones is set to work out for the Nets on June 20. Jones is the second confirmed prospect set to work out for Brooklyn, who will also take a look at San Diego State product Jamaal Franklin at a date yet to be determined (Twitter links).
  • Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports that the Trail Blazers brought in six draft hopefuls in for predraft workouts today, among them being a projected first-rounder in Tony Mitchell. Joining the North Texas big man were second round prospects Richard Howell, Dexter Strickland, Adonis Thomas, BJ Young, and James Ennis. Freeman profiled each of today’s visitors in a separate piece.
  • Hoopworld’s Alex Kennedy presents his list of 10 possible steals in this year’s draft.
  • Although the Pistons GM Joe Dumars acknowledged that the team’s preference would be to draft a viable wing player, he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of drafting the best available big man by the time Detroit is on the clock with the eighth pick (Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press).
  • According to this article from NBA.com, the Timberwolves hosted Tim Hardaway Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ricky Ledo, Allen Crabbe, Mouphtaou Yarou, and Gregory Echenique for workouts today.
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Northwest Notes: Malone, Blazers, Timberwolves

May 29th, 2013 at 6:30pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes from around the NBA's Northwest Division.

  • Hall of Fame forward Karl Malone announced on the radio today that he would be taking on a part-time coaching gig with the Jazz, tweets Deseret News reporter Jody Genessy. Malone will primarily focus on helping the team's big men develop.
  • The Trail Blazers will began holding pre-draft workouts and interviews this week, writes The Oregonian's Joe Freeman. Portland holds the number 10 overall pick as well as three second round selections. They're sure to be a busy team leading up to draft night.
  • Marcus Fuller of TwinCities.com spoke with Timberwolves president Flip Saunders about Andrei Kirilenko, upcoming draft needs, and the status of restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic.
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