Anderson Varejao Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Varejao, Olympics, Hornets, Spurs

July 29th, 2012 at 4:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao has seen his name pop up in trade rumors this month, mostly in connection with a possible three-team Dwight Howard trade. However, the Brazilian says that the speculation doesn’t bother him, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “There’s nothing that I can do. If they trade me, they trade me,” Varejao said. Here’s more from around the Association..

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tells told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that “…the Olympics are a huge for-profit endeavor. It makes no sense that NBA owners subsidize it.” An NBA GM agreed with Cuban’s assessment, suggesting that players shouldn’t have their salaries guaranteed in the event of injuries in the Olympic games (Twitter link).
Hornets owner Tom Benson is hoping to raise the club’s profile to the level of his New Orleans Saints, writes Peter Finney of The Times-Picayune. The Hornets sold 10,000 season tickets last season and Benson has an ambitious goal of selling 17,000 for the upcoming year.
Mark Nugent of HoopsWorld runs down the best remaining free agents by position. The best player left on the open market, he writes, is arguably forward Carl Landry.
Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype caught up with Hall Of Famer David Robinson to discuss Tim Duncan‘s new contract, the Spurs‘ knack for finding international talent, and the Dream Team.

Magic, Lakers, Cavs Making Progress In D12 Talks

July 19th, 2012 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

6:45pm: The Cavaliers are eager partners in the trade talks but won’t proceed until the Lakers grant them permission to talk to Bynum and his agent about the center’s willingness to sign a contract extension, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, the Lakers want the deal agreed to in principle before letting Cleveland talk to Bynum and his representatives.

2:07pm: David Lee, the agent for Bynum, told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that he hasn't been approached by Cavs GM Chris Grant at all about a possible trade, adding, "I would imagine any team involved in this trade would be smart enough to talk to us" (Sulia link).

Asked if Bynum would be open to a long-term deal with the Cavs, Lee declined comment, but said he was baffled by a recent report that named Cleveland as a potential destination for his client in free agency: "I was taken aback by the list considering there is nobody in anybody’s camp he could’ve been talking to. I have no idea where that came about" (Sulia links).

11:03am: The Magic, Lakers, and Cavaliers have the "framework" in place for a trade that would send Dwight Howard to Los Angeles and Andrew Bynum to Cleveland, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter). While Amico hears that the three teams are moving closer to a deal, a Lakers official denies that anything is imminent (Twitter link). Amico clarifies that there is talk throughout the league that a trade is getting closer, but none of those rumblings seem to be coming from the Magic, Lakers, or Cavs camps (Twitter link).

Overnight reports suggested that Howard has become open to the idea of signing a long-term deal if he's traded to the Lakers, which removes one significant roadblock from the discussions. However, the Magic still don't appear to be in any rush to pull the trigger quite yet. I'd be a little surprised if they finalized a deal before the Rockets get resolution on Omer Asik and are able to make their final offer to Orlando.

The talks involving the Magic, Lakers, and Cavs would reportedly include the Lakers taking on Howard and a bad contract or two, the Cavs acquiring Bynum and perhaps another bad contract, and the Magic getting Anderson Varejao, draft picks, and cap relief.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

July 18th, 2012 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

A morning report yesterday suggested that the Lakers were "pushing hard" for Dwight Howard, but nothing seemed to come of it, as follow-up reports indicated that the two teams had been talking for weeks without making a ton of progress. With a few months before the season begins, the Magic don't seem to be in any hurry to move Howard, but the rumors keep trickling in. Here's Wednesday's latest:

The Cavaliers have inched back ahead of the Rockets as the potential facilitator for a Magic/Lakers deal, according to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher. Bucher says the Cavs are discussing a three-way trade that would see them land Andrew Bynum for a package that includes draft picks and Anderson Varejao. However, nothing is close.

Earlier updates:

The Lakers have no interest in taking on Hedo Turkoglu in a deal for Howard, but could be open to taking on Jason Richardson's contract, says Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
There was no face-to-face meeting between Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak and Magic GM Rob Hennigan yesterday to discuss Howard, according to Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
While the Cavaliers and Rockets have been involved in trade talks as a potential third-team facilitator, the most substantial talks have been directly between the Lakers and Magic.
Although Howard will still not commit to signing an extension in Los Angeles, the team is willing to continue its pursuit of him without any assurances. It's not clear if the Magic feel the same way about Andrew Bynum, however.
The Lakers have been "resistant" to the idea of taking on any bad contracts from Orlando, especially since signing Steve Nash to an expensive three-year deal.
The latest round of Howard discussions "is starting to hamstring business around the league," and there's a belief that the Lakers or one of the other Howard suitors could pull out of talks at some point this week to focus on other moves, like the Nets did.
If the Lakers back off of Howard, they'd turn their attention to re-signing Jordan Hill and extending Bynum.

Odds & Ends: Hinrich, Bulls, Meeks, Mayo, Tolliver

July 7th, 2012 at 9:51pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago reported earlier that the Bucks presented Kirk Hinrich with an offer of about $4 MM per year, while the Bulls have made an offer somewhere between the veteran's minimum and around $2 MM per year. The proposed length of either deal is still unknown. Although the Bulls have been relatively quiet at this point during the offseason, Sam thinks that Chicago could eventually become financially viable for free agent point guards such as Ramon Sessions, Raymond Felton, Jerryd Bayless, and Delonte West, who could be available if they are not acquired during the first wave of free agent signings. Derek Fisher and Jonny Flynn were also mentioned as potential additions.

We are currently less than four days away from the end of the NBA's moratorium period, and here is the rest of what we've heard around the league this evening…

Ersan Ilyasova plans to meet with Bucks owner Herb Kohl on Tuesday, which is seen as an important opportunity in the team's effort to retain the 6'10'' forward (Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times reports). Earlier this week, we reported that Milwaukee offered a deal worth around $40MM over five years.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweeted that the Lakers are scheduled to meet with unrestricted free agent Jodie Meeks early next week. In another tweet, Amico says that the Celtics have reportedly stepped up their interest in O.J. Mayo, but thinks Boston would likely have to add him via a sign-and-trade.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweeted that although the Timberwolves express interest in Anthony Tolliver, the team has not made any promises. Zgoda also added via Tolliver's agent that there are five other teams that have shown interest.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer answered some questions from Cleveland fans about the Cavaliers' offseason. While the team appears committed to keeping Anderson Varejao, Boyer thinks that his name will be brought up by other teams during trade discussions. With regards to free agency, she believes that Anthony Tolliver, Sonny Weems, Jonny Flynn, and Royal Ivey could be targets.
Ben Golliver of the BlazersEdge wonders if there are more front office changes coming after the resignation of Larry Miller, considering that the Trail Blazers still have executives held over from two prior regimes (Twitter link).
Carmelo Anthony publicly endorsed the Knicks' efforts to recruit Marcus Camby, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Bulls forward Taj Gibson told Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago that he'd like the team to keep Omer Asik and would be ecstatic if the team somehow found a way to bring unrestricted free agent Kirk Hinrich back to Chicago. The two had been teammates during Gibson's rookie season.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes about Austin Daye and Charlie Villanueva as two players who will look to stake their claim as the stretch-four in Lawrence Frank's rotation. Both are in Orlando participating in summer league practices, but only Daye will compete on the Pistons' summer league team.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel talked about Jameer Nelson's return to the Magic and what it means for his leadership role moving forward.

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More Draft Rumors: Thursday

June 28th, 2012 at 9:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Our previous round-up of Thursday's draft rumors was getting a little unwieldy, so here's a new post for the evening's rumors. Even with the draft underway, the rumors continue to pour in, so we'll round up the latest updates right here. Here's the latest draft buzz, with the newest items up top:

After trading three picks for one to land Tyler Zeller, the Cavs are trying to trade back into the draft, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
The Grizzlies intend to keep Tony Wroten, the 25th overall pick, but are working on a trade, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Earlier updates:

The Mavericks shopped the No. 24 pick they acquired from Cleveland and were "very open" to moving it, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. However, Stein adds in a second tweet that the Mavs will draft Jared Cunningham for themselves with the pick.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com says he wouldn't be surprised if the Celtics packaged their picks to trade for Royce White, who the Rockets selected at No. 16 (Twitter link). According to Givony, Boston was "very worried" about another team drafting White.
The Celtics' interest in Austin Rivers was fueled more by GM Danny Ainge than Doc Rivers, says Chris Mannix of SI.com (via Twitter).
The Cavaliers are still "aggressively pursuing" a second lottery pick, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Warriors GM Bob Myers says his phone "almost blew up" with teams trying to trade up to No. 7 to draft Harrison Barnes, says Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link).
While Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was a surprise pick for the Bobcats at No. 2, multiple reporters, including David Aldridge of TNT and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweet that Charlotte isn't expected to trade MKG. However, Givony adds in a second tweet that that door isn't entirely closed.
Though they couldn't complete a trade with the Kings, the Rockets are still trying to get into the top 10, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Despite plenty of talks, the Bobcats and Cavaliers "never had anything close," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
If Austin Rivers and Damian Lillard come off the board within the first nine picks, the Hornets are "strongly leaning" toward Meyers Leonard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Cavs and Bobcats are still engaged in "deep discussions" involving the No. 2 pick, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
The Rockets are talking to the Bobcats and Kings and pushing hard to acquire a top-five pick, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
If the Cavs trade up to No. 2 to land Bradley Beal, the Wizards will likely decide between Harrison Barnes and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at No.3, with Barnes having the slight edge, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
Teams interested in Fab Melo may be looking to trade into the late teens, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
The Pistons may attempt to trade back into the end of the first round, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Detroit has its eye on a couple players that could slip.
Several teams believe that there is starting-caliber talent in the second round and are trying to buy second-rounders, tweets SI.com's Chris Mannix.
The Wizards (No. 3), Kings (No. 5), and Blazers (No. 6) all appear likely to stand pat, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
The Cavaliers are offering the Bobcats the 4th, 24th, and 33rd picks for Charlotte's 2nd and 31st picks, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link), the Bobcats still appear set on making Cleveland take a contract in the deal.
The Blazers are putting out "serious signs" that they might draft Dion Waiters over Damian Lillard at No. 6, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
The Rockets are showing interest in guards like Austin Rivers and Terrence Ross, along with centers like Andre Drummond and Meyers Leonard, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. Berman adds in a separate pair of tweets that the Rockets are also interested in high-upside players like Perry Jones III, and that Houston doctors don't believe Jones' health concerns are serious.
If the Bobcats can't find a trade partner who will take on Tyrus Thomas' contract, they may look to move Matt Carroll's deal instead, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
Speaking of the Bobcats, they've narrowed their five offers for the second overall pick to just two offers, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Marc Stein). The Rockets and Cavaliers are still in the mix for the No.2 pick.
The Cavs have also talked to the Warriors at No. 7 and the Rockets at No. 12 about trades involving Anderson Varejao, says Broussard (via Stein on Twitter).
Austin Rivers tops the Hornets' wish list for the 10th overall pick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

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Draft Rumors: Thursday

June 28th, 2012 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Well, we're here. After weeks of following draft rumors and speculating on which player will be picked by which team, we're just hours away from the 2012 draft. Before things get underway tonight though, we're sure to hear plenty more draft rumors, so be sure to follow this page for the latest updates throughout the day. And to fully immerse yourself in tonight's draft, you can also check out our most recent mock draft, the complete draft order, our Prospect Profiles series, and all the rest of our draft content. Here are today's updates, with the latest up top:

The Kings and Warriors will make decisions on whether to trade their picks while they're on the clock, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says (Twitter link).
It's highly unlikely the Grizzlies use the 25th pick on a point guard, the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
The Grizzlies, Rockets and Celtics are all interested in Royce White, says Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Warriors may trade up from No. 30 to land him, Rothstein also tweets.
The Bobcats are "getting closer" to trading the No. 2 pick, tweets ESPN.com's Andy Katz (hat tip to Tom Ziller of SBNation).

Earlier updates:

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets the Rockets aren't as close to a deal with the Kings for the fifth pick as an earlier report suggested (see below). Sam Amick of SI.com agrees, as has the Kings taking Harrison Barnes at No. 5 in his latest mock.
The Warriors will likely keep the No. 7 pick after talks with the Rockets broke down, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, via Twitter.
Part of the reason the Celtics are trying to move up into the lottery is because they'd like to draft Austin Rivers, son of coach Doc Rivers, Sam Amick of SI.com reports (Sulia link). Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN.com say the team is pessimistic about its chances to get Rivers (Twitter link).
If the Warriors trade down to No. 12 or lower, the team would consider Moe Harkless, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
Thomas Robinson appears to be the preferred target of the Kings, who will wait as long as possible to decide whether to trade the No. 5 pick, Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com report. If they do trade it, the Rockets are "in position" to acquire that pick, the report says. Stein and Ford suggest that means the Kings are in line to get even more thanKyle Lowry and a package of first-rounders if the deal is done.
Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group hears the Warriors will take Dion Waiters at No. 7 if he's there.
Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer passes on the latest on the Cavs' interest in Waiters and more from around the draft.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) and Joe Kotoch of SheridanHoops.com have updated their mock drafts, both of which cover all 60 picks.
The Warriors are leaning away from Andre Drummond, writes Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
The Blazers appear to be holding on to the sixth and 11th picks for now, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is in the process of selling the team, and he would also like to trade the team's first-round pick, at No. 25, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Twitter account. The team's execs, however, like Royce White and John Jenkins.
There is a "growing expectation" the Bobcats will swap the No. 2 pick, Chris Mannix of SI.com tweets.
Teams drafting before pick No. 20 have little interest in Jared Sullinger, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sullinger is "falling like a rock," says Mannix (Twitter link).
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee looks at what the Kings can do to upgrade at small forward through the draft, and speculates via Twitter that the team could trade down to draft a player at another position and re-sign Terrence Williams.
The Cavs are actively pursuing another lottery pick, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link). Discussions with the Warriors for No. 7 have stalled, but the No. 12 pick, held by the Rockets, is in play. Lloyd speculates it will be tough to trade for a pick that high without including Anderson Varejao in the deal.
Jared Sullinger's stock was slipping even before word came out about the medical red flag on his back, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the league's recent small ball trend doesn't mean prospects like Fab Melo and Festus Ezeli won't be highly valued.
The Nets could bundle Johan Petro and $3MM in cash to try to acquire a second-round pick and clear cap space, according to NetsDaily.com via Twitter.
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets that the Blazers are eyeing Damian Lillard and Dion Waiters with the No. 6 pick, with a "hard lean" toward Lillard. Smith also says the Jazz still have hopes of moving into the lottery, and may be targeting a "draft-and-stash" international player in the second round (Sulia link).
Chad Ford of ESPN.com unveils the site's final top 100 ranking before the draft (Insider only).
Vin Parise of NBC Sports is hearing that the Bulls intend to draft Tyshawn Taylor at No. 29 (Twitter link).
Besides liking Thomas Robinson at No. 5, the Kings are also high on Harrison Barnes,tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Sam Amick shares a number of draft tidbits in his latest piece for SI.com, including items onJared Sullinger, the Kings, and the Rockets.
According to ESPN's Chad Ford, the Cavaliers have narrowed their choices at No. 4 toBradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Harrison Barnes. While the team has interest in Dion Waiters (as linked below), that interest doesn't extend to the fourth overall pick, says Ford.
As for the Cavs' second-round picks, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says the team has "strong interest" in Turkish forward Furkan Aldemir (Twitter link). Aldemir doesn't have an NBA out clause until 2014.
Temple center Michael Eric is drawing interest from teams in the second round, including the Warriors, Sixers, and Nuggets, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
The Kings won't decide whether or not to trade the No. 5 pick until they see who is available, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, the Kings loveThomas Robinson, so if he slips past the first four picks, Sacramento is unlikely to trade down.
While Evan Fournier has long been considered the only international player that will go in the first round, interest in Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou is intensifying. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Heat and Thunder are considering Papanikolaou with their late-first-round picks, and Al Iannazzone of Newsday says theKnicks could try to acquire another pick to draft him.
Wojnarowski's piece also includes a few other updates, including the Bucks seriously considering Terrence Jones at No. 14, and Andrew Nicholson drawing interest from the Rockets and Nuggets.
Perry Jones III may have a knee issue that's causing his slide down draft boards, reportsESPN.com's Chad Ford.
The Bobcats have five "legit offers" for the second overall pick that they're considering, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
Rumblings that the Cavaliers are seriously considering Dion Waiters at No. 4 continue to gain momentum. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Cavs are losing interest in dealing with the Bobcats if taking Tyrus Thomas is a requirement in any trade, and are leaning toward Waiters if Bradley Beal and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist are off the board at No. 4.
According to Wojnarowski, the Raptors are also looking into trading up for Waiters, and there's plenty of members of the Warriors' front office that like him a lot too.
The Grizzlies have talked to a number of teams about trading the No. 25 pick, according toRonald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. However, Tillery tweets that there's a major internal push for Memphis to select John Jenkins or Royce White.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) has released version 10.0 of his 2012 mock draft. Ford also heard from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who explained to the ESPN.com draft expert why he shouldn't be down on Austin Rivers.
In a pair of tweets, Ford reports that the Pistons conducted a last-minute workout withAndre Drummond and that Detroit would likely take the big man if he slips to them at No. 9.
Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details on the players the Knicks are eyeing with their second-round pick.

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Amico On Lakers, Mayo, Rockets, Varejao

June 28th, 2012 at 3:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

With the Lakers holding only the 60th pick in the draft, much of the talk surrounding the team has had to do with Pau Gasol. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears much more from L.A. and shares it along with a number of tidbits from around the Association. A source tells Amico the Lakers will look to dump salary this offseason and sign Spencer Hawes, Nick Young, Kirk Hinrich and Kris Humphries. The Lakers may also look into trading for Jordan Crawford if the Wizards draft Bradley Beal tonight. Here's more from Amico:

Draft Updates: Monday

June 25th, 2012 at 6:51pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of the rumors we've already covered today involve the draft in some way, whether it's the Rockets looking to acquire top-10 picks to flip for Dwight Howard, or the Bulls' disinterest in trading Luol Deng for a package that includes the Warriors' No. 7 pick. But there are still so many draft-related odds and ends out there that we'll continue to publish daily Draft Updates posts this week, for the latest news on workouts and rumors about what teams are thinking. Here are today's items, with the newest additions added to the top of the page throughout the day….

New Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap thinks trading the team's No. 2 pick to strengthen its roster with multiple players makes sense, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com).
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle says Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is pleased with the depth of talent available in the draft but would like to add another veteran to his current roster.

Earlier updates:

It sounds like John Henson was the standout of the Pistons' workout today, which included Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III, and Terrence Jones, says Chad Ford of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com publishes his latest mock draft, which includes both rounds, and has a separate piece up on potential under-the-radar prospects.
Although earlier today he heard from one general manager (linked below) who was bearish on Jared Sullinger, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio talks to another GM who says Sullinger's slide has been greatly exaggerated (Twitter link). "Sullinger will lead all rookies in rebounding," one GM told Amico. "So yeah, please, let him drop to us" (Twitter link).
In a pair of tweets, the Timberwolves announced the participants in their Tuesday workout, which will include Fab Melo.
Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv hears from a source close to Moe Harkless that he thinks the Trail Blazers will select Harkless at No. 11.
Speaking to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, Raptors executive Ed Stefanski expressed excitement about last year's fifth overall pick Jonas Valanciunas. Stefanski also conceded that the Raps could take more of a long-term project at No. 8 this year if they so choose, since the team will essentially be adding two lottery picks.
If Jared Sullinger somehow fell to No. 29, he'd be a terrific fit for the Bulls, says ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link).
Meyers Leonard will work out for the Sixers tomorrow, the team announced in a press release.
A GM drafting in the 20s said he probably wouldn't take Jared Sullinger if he were available, tweets Sam Amico. Amico also published his third of four mock drafts today at FOX Sports Ohio.
Today's Trail Blazers workout is headlined by Jeremy Lamb, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets.
In the "Nobody Asked Me, But…" section of his weekly column for NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge runs through the top 15 picks of the draft and passes along what he's hearing. There's a lot of good info in the piece, which is worth checking out, but here's one highlight: The Cavs are dangling Anderson Varejao and the No. 24 pick in an attempt to land a second top-five pick, but the Bobcats, Wizards, and Kings don't appear to have any interest.
Version 9.0 of Chad Ford's mock draft is up at ESPN.com, and it includes both the first and second rounds (Insider-only links).
Within a column at Bulls.com, Sam Smith writes of "suspicion around the league" that reports of Jared Sullinger's medical issues were pushed by a team in the mid-first-round, in hopes that Sullinger would slip. For what it's worth, ESPN's Andy Katz reports that the league didn't invite Sullinger to the Green Room for the draft, based on rumblings that he won't go in the top 15 (Twitter link).
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld examines which members of this year's draft class, besides Anthony Davis, have the potential to be franchise players.
The Sixers are still deciding whether they want to draft a big man or a shooter like Terrence Ross, writes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
The official sites for the Bucks and Raptors list the prospects working out for the two teams today. Most are second-round candidates.

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Schmitt Boyer On Cavs’ Free Agency, Draft, Varejao

June 16th, 2012 at 10:08pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer has posted a new mailbag column, covering various topics surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold the fourth overall pick in the June 28 draft. Relevant points below:

Finnan On Samuels, Varejao, Jamison

April 22nd, 2012 at 9:45am CST by Daniel Seco

The Cavs take on the Spurs as they head to San Antonio today in a battle between youth and experience. Winners of their last six games, the Western Conference-leading Spurs have won by an average of 19.1 points over the course of the streak. Let's check in with Bob Finnan of The News-Herald to get the latest scoop on what's happening with the Cavs.

In a lengthy conversation with Samardo Samuels, Finnan and the former Louisville star discuss Samuels' expectations heading into the current season, how he fell short of his goals and how the forward plans on getting into the best shape of his life this summer. For Samuels, the key is starting off the season at the right weight as he entered camp at a hefty 265 pounds and became much more comfortable on the court once he got down to 253. "It's tricky," he said. "Being a guy that's undrafted, there's much you have to deal with. I've been trying to deal with it and grow from it.
Blame six weeks of inactivity for why Anderson Varejao is experiencing soreness in his wrist during workouts after breaking a now-healed bone earlier this season, writes Finnan. The Cavs don't mind that Varejao plans to play for Brazil during the Olympics this summer, but Finnan says that the team doesn't have the power to keep him from heading to London if they were opposed to his decision. Cavs head coach Byron Scott supports Varejao's desire to help bolster his country's chances of winning a medal but wants to ensure that his starting center's wrist is given the opportunity to properly heal.
Expect Antawn Jamison to have a bevy of suitors this offseason says Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy, a fan of the former UNC star's style of play. Van Gundy expects contending teams to come calling this summer with hopes of Jamison being the missing piece to completing a championship puzzle. "…He never complains. You never read a quote. He just comes and plays. As a coach, someone from the outside, you have to have great appreciation for that."