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Most Execs Would Trade 2013 Top Pick, Poll Says

December 6th, 2012 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com surveyed 35 NBA executives, most of whom said they'd rather trade the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft than select from a thoroughly disappointing crop of prospects that lacks a franchise-changer like last year's No. 1, Anthony Davis (Twitter link). One GM called the field, "The worst I've ever seen."

"I'd trade the pick for sure," another GM said. "No one wants to pick first this year — and no one can live up to the No. 1 billing."

Goodman compares the draft class to 2006, when Andrea Bargnani was taken first overall and Adam Morrison, Shelden Williams and Tyrus Thomas were also top-five picks. No prospect among this year's bunch was favored by a majority of the executives Goodman polled, though Indiana center Cody Zeller garnered 31% of the vote. Kentucky's Nerlens Noel was second, with 23%.

Zeller's defensive shortcomings worry the executives, while Noel's offense and skinny frame similarly concern them. UCLA two-guard Shabazz Muhammad, the DraftExpress.com No. 1 prospect, tied for third in Goodman's poll amid doubts about his shooting and athleticism. Maryland center Alex Len, who tallied 11% of the vote just like Muhammad, has shot up draft boards thanks to the weight he added this summer, Goodman writes.

Others garnering votes as the No. 1 pick include Alex Poythress, Rudy Gobert, Tony Mitchell, Archie Goodwin and Anthony Bennett, though many of the executives say they wouldn't be surprised if someone emerges "out of nowhere," much like Andrew Bogut did in 2005.

Florida Notes: Heat, Magic, Big Three, Harris

August 18th, 2012 at 5:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Let's take a trip to the Sunshine State to check in on the Heat and Magic..

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at a few college players Magic fans should keep an eye on this season, including Nerlens Noel, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and James McAdoo.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel looks ahead to the summer of 2014 where the Heat's big three could be the biggest gets on the open market. Winderman sees the Magic as a potential threat to poach Miami's talent as they'll have the cap space to sign two top-tier free agents. The Lakers will also have payroll flexibility once the contracts of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant expire and as unlikely as it seems that they would part with Kobe, Winderman notes that they are the same club that traded Shaquille O'Neal.
More from Winderman, who is surprised that the Heat have yet to re-sign guard Terrel Harris. The 25-year-old is seeking a contract with some amount of guarantees, but the club may be holding its remaining two spots open for a different combination of players which may include Juwan Howard.
Undrafted free agent Charlie Westbrook has agreed to a three-year deal with Italian team Tezenis Veronia, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Westbrook, who was in summer league with the Magic, tweeted earlier this week that he would be passing on two training camp opportunities to play overseas.

Kyler On 2013 Draft Prospects

August 11th, 2012 at 5:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's never too early to look ahead to the next NBA draft, as Magic fans would surely attest after this week's Dwight Howard trade. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld has been keeping up with the top prospects, and shared some of his thoughts via Twitter this afternoon. We'll round up the highlights here:

Center Nerlens Noel sits atop the latest DraftExpress.com 2013 mock, but Kyler believes he has plenty of work to do at the University of Kentucky this year. He thinks UCLA shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad, No. 2 on the DraftExpress list, and perhaps center Isaiah Austin, going No. 6 in the mock, have made more progress in their development. Noel must get stronger and put in more time on the court to refine his raw talent, Kyler says (Twitter links).
Kyler is a fan of Indiana center Cody Zeller, but Muhammad has an "it" factor reminscent of other NBA stars, and is Kyler's current top choice (Twitter links).
The general consensus is that it will be a weak draft this year, and Kyler joins the chorus, tweeting that the 2013 draft class, like the one coming in behind it for 2014, offers no true star and plenty of projects.

Draft Decisions: Tuesday

April 10th, 2012 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Today marks the NCAA's deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from consideration for this year's NBA draft. As we previously outlined, today isn't necessary a hard deadline, but plenty of prospects will be announcing their decisions today, if they haven't already. We'll track those decisions here, with the latest up top:

B.J. Young, who previously entered the draft, has withdrawn his name from consideration, according to an Associated Press report (via ESPN.com). The Arkansas freshman was able to back out because he hadn't hired an agent.
Jeremy Lamb of Connecticut will enter the draft, according to UConn's assistant director of athletic communications Phil Chardis (via Twitter). The sophomore guard is ranked as the 12th-best prospect by both DraftExpress and ESPN.com.
Junior forward Mason Plumlee has decided to return to Duke for his senior season, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
Oregon State guard Jared Cunningham will forgo his senior year and enter the draft, according to Gary Horowitz of the Statesman Journal. The junior figures to be a second-round pick at best, ranking 66th on DraftExpress' top 100 prospects list and 96th on Chad Ford's ESPN.com list, but he must have liked what he heard when he tested the draft waters.
Vanderbilt's John Jenkins announced Monday that he will enter the draft, according to The Tennessean. The junior guard ranks 36th on DraftExpress and 40th on ESPN.com.
Junior forward Christian Watford will return to Indiana for his senior year, reports Jeff Rabjohns of Peegs.com (via Twitter). Watford's teammate, freshman Cody Zeller, will also return to school, the team announced today (hat tip to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports via Twitter). The freshman was projected to be a potential lottery pick.