Ben McLemore Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Bennett, Smart

February 2nd, 2013 at 5:51pm CST by Michael Pina

NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper interviewed one NBA executive who believes UNLV's freshman forward Anthony Bennett could end up as the number one pick in the 2013 draft, and that several decision makers believe it could happen.

In the same Sulia link, Howard-Cooper goes on to discuss the number one pick, and how it's expanded beyond three players (Nerlens Noel, Shabazz Muhammad, and Ben McLemore) to include Bennett.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets that Oklahoma State freshman point guard Marcus Smart has established himself as the top point guard in the draft after an impressive performance against Kansas.

Odds & Ends: Lakers, Bulls, NBPA, Suns

January 25th, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

So far, the 2012/13 Lakers season has been packed with one low point after another, with repeated promises of fresh starts and silver linings. However, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, the nadir may still be on the way for the Lakers, if not this season, then down the road. Ding reports that Jerry Buss' children, Jim and Jeanie, haven't been on speaking terms since the Lakers chose to hire Mike D'Antoni rather than pursue a reunion with Phil Jackson. Jerry Buss turns 79 this weekend and won't be around forever, making the long-term future of the Lakers' ownership, which includes Buss' 66% share, uncertain, writes Ding.

Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:

Appearing on ESPN Chicago 1000, Bulls executive VP John Paxson said he remains open to exploring potential trades, but expects the return of Derrick Rose to be the team's impact "move" (link via ESPNChicago.com).
Bulls fans still have plenty of ideas about possible deals for the team, and Sam Smith of Bulls.com addressed many of them in his latest mailbag.
The New York Attorney General's office is looking into the reports released last week on Billy Hunter and the NBPA, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) examines possible targets for the Suns in June's draft, concluding that Ben McLemore of Kansas may be the perfect fit.

Ford’s Latest: Bargnani, Kings, Granger, Draft

January 23rd, 2013 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Chad Ford's latest chat at ESPN.com includes a handful of trade-related inquiries along with plenty of draft questions. Let's dive in and check out the highlights from both categories….

While the Raptors would likely move Andrea Bargnani for any decent offer, Ford hasn't spoken to any general managers that are excited about making an offer for the former first overall pick.
The Kings could still be active before the trade deadline, but the Maloofs are still in charge of any decisions until the NBA Board of Governors makes a decision on the sale of the franchise. As such, most rival teams view the Kings' assets as "essentially frozen" for now.
Danny Granger is receiving assurances from the Pacers that he won't be traded, but Ford thinks Indiana would change that stance if the right offer came along. A young power forward or point guard could interest the Pacers, says Ford.
Ford spoke to five different NBA GMs this week who said they'd take Kansas guard Ben McLemore first overall next June.
Ford also adds that McLemore would be at the top of his personal top-five list for 2013, with UNLV's Anthony Bennett and Marcus Smart of Oklahoma State right behind him.

Odds & Ends: Nolan Smith, Beverley, Draft

January 4th, 2013 at 11:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

It was an active day around the Association, and it might be that way for a while. Monday is the start date for 10-day contracts and the final day teams can waive players on non-guaranteed deals in time for them to be off rosters by January 10th, when those contracts would become guaranteed for the balance of the season. Come Monday, we'll also be just two weeks and a month from the trade deadline. As we count down, here's the latest NBA scuttlebutt.

Nolan Smith has fired agent Joel Bell, who asked the Blazers to trade his now former client, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports. Smith said he has never asked for a trade himself, and as we passed along earlier, he also spoke with Haynes about his upcoming free agency, professing his love for Portland in the process. Sam Amick of SI.com identified Smith as a trade candidate earlier today.
Sean Deveney tweets financial details on Patrick Beverley's $850K buyout from Spartak St. Petersburg. The Rockets, who are expected to sign Beverley, paid the maximum $550K while Beverley chipped in the rest out the $700K in earnings he had already drawn on his $1MM contract with the Russian club.
Chris Mannix of SI.com mentions Kansas freshman shooting guard Ben McLemore as a darkhorse for the No. 1 pick and ranks the top 20 draft prospects for June, with Kentucky center Nerlens Noel atop the list.
Hornets coach Monty Williams said the team wants to have the flexibility to bring in new players at small forward, as John Reid of The Times-Picayune notes, and presumably that's why New Orleans waived Dominic McGuire today. Williams has been unpleased with the play of the team's threes since before McGuire signed last month, and now the coach is calling for improvement from Al-Farouq Aminu, who'll be an unrestricted free agent in the summer because the Hornets declined his fourth-year option prior to the season.