Magic GM Rob Hennigan contemplated moving up or down in the first round of tonight's draft, but ultimately decided to stay put and draft Andrew Nicholson. He told reporters, including John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (Twitter link), that Nicholson was "the best player on the board," in Orlando's estimation. Hennigan also made a number of other comments to Orlando media tonight, so let's round up the highlights (all Twitter links, via Denton, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel, and Josh Robbins of the Sentinel)….
6:16pm: The Rockets continue to exhaust all possibilities to acquire Howard, but if Houston is unable to put together a suitable package, the Lakers could move in on D12 in the next few weeks, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link).
6:01pm: A trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Lakers and Andrew Bynum to the Magic is still being discussed, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
It's not clear, based on Woelfel's tweet, whether the two sides are engaged in trade discussions, or whether the Lakers and/or Magic are internally discussing the possibility. However, reports have suggested for weeks that Howard is the only player that would make the Lakers seriously consider moving Bynum.
We've heard Josh Smith's name surface numerous times this week in trade discussions, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports the Magic are interested in bringing Smith aboard to curry favor with Dwight Howard, who is friends with Smith. New Hawks GM Danny Ferry is reluctant to move Smith, Stein says, despite the fact the athletic forward has said he'd welcome a trade and is entering the final year of his contract. Here's more from around the Southeast Division as the draft draws near:
The draft is today's primary focus, but once the 60th pick has been made, all eyes will turn to free agency, which begins Sunday. So, there will be plenty of news on that front as well. Zach Lowe of SI.com ranks the top 10 free agent point guards, and Deron Williams, No. 1 on that list, let it be known via Twitter that he played golf today with Jason Kidd, No. 8 in Lowe's ranking. Whether that means the two will be signing together with the Nets, the Mavs, or they won't be signing at all is open to interpretation, of course. Here's more from around the league:
The amount of rumors circulating around the Houston Rockets is dizzying to say the least. They currently have picks 12, 16 and 18 after making two draft-related trades in the past few days. There are multiple rumors about them trying to move into the top five of tomorrow night's draft, most frequently being connected with the Kings at 5. They could plan to use that pick or they could be trying to stockpile picks to make a run at Dwight Howard. Right now, for us, it's a waiting game. Let's round up the latest Rockets rumors here:
It was only a week ago that Rob Hennigan accepted the Magic's offer to become the team's new general manager. With the draft just over 24 hours away and free agency around the corner, the Orlando GM has a lot on his plate, and spoke to the media today about a few key decisions he's facing. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has Hennigan's quotes on Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, and more….
The Rockets appear to be stockpiling assets in an effort to make a run at Dwight Howard via trade and Deron Williams via free agency. But would Williams be open to signing with the Rockets? A recent report suggested that he has narrowed his options to the Nets and Mavericks, and SI.com's Sam Amick hears from a source close to Williams that even if the Rockets acquired Howard, Houston is not likely to be added to D-Will's free agent wish list.
When the Rockets and Timberwolves agreed to swap Chase Budinger for a first-round draft pick this morning, the T-Wolves' motives were clear, as Budinger gives the team a perimeter shooting threat it has lacked in recent years. For the Rockets though, the deal looked like the first in a series of bigger moves. We've heard that Houston is targeting Dwight Howard, or perhaps Josh Smith, but what exactly is the next step for GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets? Here's the latest from Sam Amick of SI.com and from Bill Ingram and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld….
TUESDAY, 10:01am: While Howard is the Rockets' top trade target, the team could pursue Josh Smith or other big-name players if a deal can't be consummated with the Magic, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
MONDAY, 8:05am: Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last night that the Rockets have engaged in trade discussions with teams in the top 10 in the draft, including the Kings (No. 5) and the Raptors (No. 8). In their initial report, Ford and Stein suggested Andre Drummond had caught the Rockets' eye, and was the target in any deal. However, a rival GM told the ESPN scribes that he believes Houston's real goal is to land Dwight Howard.
Cavs assistant general manager David Griffin has pulled his name out of consideration for the Clippers' general manager position, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Griffin spoke with officials from the Clippers organization while in Chicago for pre-draft camp but reportedly doesn't feel like now is the right time to make a career move. The Clippers have only formally interviewed former Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe for the opening after Neil Olshey left Los Angeles to take the same position with the Trail Blazers. Here are a few more stories and headlines from around the league…