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Draft Updates: Thursday

June 14th, 2012 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The countdown until the 2012 draft is down to two weeks, and this week has been heavy on workouts and trade speculation. We'll track the latest news and rumors on both fronts, along with a handful of other draft-related items, right here. New updates will be added to the top of the page throughout the day….

According to their official website, the Pacers will work out Evan Fournier, Ashton Gibbs, Travis Hyman, John Jenkins, Josh Owens, and Tony Wroten Jr. on Friday.

Earlier updates:

Charles F. Gardner Journal Sentinel reported that the Bucks hosted a pre-draft workout today which featured Tyler Zeller, Meyers Leonard, Fab Melo, and Kyle O'Quinn.
Aside from Anthony Davis, ESPN's Ric Bucher thinks that this year's draft still contains big men with star potential, focusing specifically on Andre Drummond, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Robinson (Insiders only).
Sean Meagher of The Oregonian presents the video interview of Perry Jones III after his workout for the Trail Blazers.
Nate Mulberg of CSN Philly discusses the mutual interest between the 76ers and Terrence Ross.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld quoted an NBA executive who thinks that the lottery is loaded with impact rotation players, but not impact starters. Pincus also offered highlights from interviews with JaMychal Green and Kevin Jones.
Tomorrow's workout schedule for the Wizards includes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Austin Rivers, Terrence Ross, and Tomas Satoransky, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Gene Wang, also of The Washington Post, wrote about today's workout with Hollis Thompson.
Stephen Hewitt of WEEI.com provided a breakdown of Mitchell Watt, a 6'10'' forward out of Buffalo who could be a realistic target for the Celtics' second round pick (51st overall).
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com wrote an interesting piece on the mental toughness of 27-year-old draft hopeful Bernard James, a 6'10'' power forward who served in the Air Force and did tours in Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq before starring at Florida State. Howard-Cooper also tweeted an update on John Henson, saying that he has no plans to rest his injured ankle in the midst of upcoming workouts with the Suns, Rockets, Bucks, Cavaliers, Raptors, Pistons, and 76ers.
Darren Heitner of Sports Agent Blog briefly documents the separation of Renardo Sidney and his agent, Johnny Foster.
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld believes John Jenkins and the Bulls could be a perfect fit at pick No. 29.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com published the second version of his mock draft today.
Thomas Robinson will work out for the Bobcats on June 22nd, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (Sulia link). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com calls Robinson the "clear frontrunner" to be picked second overall (Twitter link).
Jeremy Lamb turned an ankle at his Raptors workout this morning, but it's not serious, tweets Sam Amick of SI. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (via Twitter), the ankle is sprained, and Lamb will cancel at least his workout with the Blazers.
The Sixers announced in a press release today that they'll work out Moe Harkless and Hollis Thompson tomorrow.
Arnett Moultrie is the biggest name among the six players working out for the Trail Blazers today, tweets Joe Freeman of the Oregonian.
Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal will work out against one another for the Cavaliers on Saturday, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The two players are the most likely candidates to be picked at No. 4 by Cleveland, so that will be an intriguing workout.
Discussing potential targets for the Bobcats if they trade their No. 2 pick, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com names James Harden as a possibility. It's not clear of Goodman's source, who says Harden "could be in play," means the Bobcats will pursue Harden or the Thunder could make him available. Either way, I'm skeptical about how realistic that scenario is. Even with the long-term cap restraints facing the Thunder, overhauling the roster mere days after making the Finals seems unlikely.
SI.com's Sam Amick examines the question marks surrounding John Henson and the rising stock of Miles Plumlee in his latest draft piece.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld compares Perry Jones III to Jordan Hamilton, who slipped to 26th overall last year because most teams thought the risk outweighed the upside. Within the same piece, Kyler also says the odds the Bobcats keep a player the select at No. 2 overall are "extremely slim."
The Raptors have a big day of workouts scheduled, with Jeremy Lamb highlighting the first session, Austin Rivers in the second, and Harrison Barnes in an individual workout. Jay Satur of Raptors.com has the details. Unfortunately, Eric Koreen of the National Post passes along a bit of bad news from the first session, tweeting that Lamb left the workout with an apparent injury.
Chad Ford tries his hand at predicting where the players on the first-round bubble will land in an Insider piece for ESPN.com.
Will Barton and five other prospects will work out for the Pacers today, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
The Pistons' workouts so far suggest they're eyeing big men not just with their first-round pick but in the second round as well, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Bucks.com profiles the prospects that Milwaukee will be working out today.
Damian Lillard thinks he's ready to be an NBA starter, but he probably won't be a fit for the Kings at No. 5, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

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Draft Updates: Wednesday

June 13th, 2012 at 11:16pm CST by Luke Adams

With 15 days remaining until draft night, we'll round up today's notes on draft workouts, stock watches, and potential selections right here, with the latest up top:

Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald believes the Celtics are targeting size with either or both of the team's back-t0-back first-round picks, at Nos. 21 and 22.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has more on Royce White and his anxiety disorder.

Earlier updates:

Morley Quatroche of WEEI.com breaks down Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from a Celtics perspective.
HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston looks at whether Kentucky sixth man Darius Miller can be just as valuable as a key reserve in the NBA.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times has the latest on the Bucks' search for a big man.
Portland native Terrence Jones talks about his workout for the Blazers today in a video posted by Sean Meagher of The Oregonian.
Warriors.com shares mock drafts put together by broadcasters and well-known bloggers.
Thomas Robinson worked out for his hometown Wizards today, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post chronicles.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at Andre Drummond as teams try to get a handle on his boom-or-bust potential.
A number of beat writers have updates on draft workouts for the Trail Blazers, Wizards, and Bucks.
Don't expect the Jazz to make a trade to get back into the first round of the draft. GM Kevin O'Connor tells Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune that the asking price for first-round picks will be high, and he doesn't anticipate his team will make a move "unless we find something we really like."
SI.com's Sam Amick shares the list of participants for the Warriors' workout tomorrow.
The Sixers announced via press release that they'll work out Quincy Miller, Terrence Ross, and Mike Scott tomorrow morning.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com becomes the latest draft scribe to release an updated version of his mock draft today.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford has provided a ton of draft content today, publishing his new mock draft and answering a number of readers' questions in a chat. Among the highlights of Ford's chat: He believes the Bobcats will trade the No. 2 pick for either multiple picks or a pick and a player.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also conducted a chat heavy on draft-related inquiries.
Harrison Barnes and Damian Lillard were among the lottery prospects to boost their stock in athletic testing, while Jared Sullinger and John Henson's scores didn't help them, says Chad Ford (Insider link).
Anthony Davis isn't the only player in this draft class with star potential, writes Jay Bilas in an Insider piece for ESPN.com.
Fab Melo and Andrew Nicholson highlighted the group of prospects in attendance at the Suns' first workout yesterday, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld and SI.com's Sam Amick each released updated versions of their mock drafts today.
The Raptors worked out six more players today, including Canadian forward Kris Joseph, according to a team press release.

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Draft Rumors: Tuesday

June 12th, 2012 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track the day's draft-related news and rumors here, with the newest updates up top:

Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress has measurements from Chicago's draft combine, including max verticals for all the prospects in attendance.
Neither Perry Jones III or Terrence Jones blew away Warriors management when they worked out for Golden State, writes Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors continue to hope they can use their lottery pick to upgrade at small forward, and both Joneses project as power forwards.

Cavs Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Fournier, Melo, Leonard

June 9th, 2012 at 4:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs hold picks No. 4 and No. 24, but unlike other teams with two first-round draft choices, they aren't looking to trade one of them. The team seems to be zeroing in on Harrison Barnes with the fourth pick, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer says a scenario is in play that could have them leaving Barnes on the board.

Sixers Rumors: Draft Targets, Brand, Williams

June 8th, 2012 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

It figures to be an eventful summer for the 76ers, who hold three picks in the draft, should receive plenty of inquiries on Andre Iguodala, and could use the amnesty clause to clear Elton Brand's $18MM+ salary from their books. I previewed the Sixers' offseason last week, but as the draft and free agency approach, we'll gain a better understanding of their plans. In the meantime, let's check in on the latest items out of Philadelphia….

Prospect Profile: Fab Melo

April 8th, 2012 at 10:57pm CST by Alex Lee

Before announcing that he would be entering the NBA Draft, the last we heard from Syracuse center Fab Melo was when he was being deemed ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. The Orangemen still made a decent run without him before falling to Ohio State in the Elite 8.

Melo makes for an interesting prospect study. His draft stock and his game would probably have benefited if he decided to return to Syracuse for his junior year. But he did enjoy a breakout season as a sophomore that resulted in him being named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Further clouding things are ineligibility questions and the fact that he is from Brazil, potentially making his thought process a bit different from your average college player.

It isn't hard to figure out Melo's primary asset. At 7-foot and 250 pounds, Melo has legitimate NBA center size. His 7-foot-3 wingspan enables him to alter shots effectively – he averaged 2.9 blocks-per-game in his sophomore season. Melo was a big recruit coming into Syracuse and was expected to contribute right away. Unfortunately, he struggled to assimilate to the college game and lacked conditioning.

Melo worked to right the latter of those issues heading into his sophomore year and it showed. He was more in shape and it helped his leaping and quickness on the defensive end both blocking shots and rebounding. Syracuse employs their famous zone defense so projecting how Melo fits in an NBA system will be crucial to teams considering him. Melo pulled down 5.8 rebounds-per-game this season, mostly through size alone. He doesn't yet have the instincts to be a volume rebounder, but again, it's hard to evaluate how he will transition from the zone. Instincts and "feel for the game" are things he has to continue to improve, but he made great strides between his freshman and sophomore seasons.

What will prevent Melo from getting anywhere near the lottery is his complete lack of an offensive game. This is clearly the last piece of his development as a player. He averaged 7.8 points as a sophomore and shot over 56 percent from the field, but most of points came on dunks and put backs from offensive boards. While his size enabled him to get by offensively at the college level, Melo has no semblance of a jumpshot and inconsistent evidence of a post game.

It's not all bad on offense for Melo though. He has shown good hands, solid footwork and a nice touch around the rim. These things suggest that there is at least some hope that through hard work, he can develop into enough of a threat on offense that it will justify him getting on the court.

Overall Melo projects as a late first round pick. He is never going to be a great offensive player, but he has the tools to impact games on the defensive end. As the saying goes, you can't teach size and Melo has it. There will always be a place for guys who can protect the rim in the NBA. Whoever takes him will be taking on a project that will require patience. As we saw in the similar case of Hasheem Thabeet, that is easier said than done.

Draft Update: Melo, McAdoo, Canaan

April 5th, 2012 at 4:14pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news about the 2012 NBA draft from around the web:

The Associated Press reports (via ESPN) that Syracuse center Fab Melo will enter the draft, as expected.
North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo will return to UNC for his sophomore season, TarHeelBlue.com reports.
Isaiah Canaan is also returning to Murray State for his senior season, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com.
HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis lists Iowa State forward Royce White, St. Bonaventure forward Andrew Nicholson, and Kentucky guard Marquis Teague among several other players who may have played themselves into first-round pick status over the course of the NCAA tournament.

Draft Updates: Melo, Sullinger, Ross, Moser

April 1st, 2012 at 9:36pm CST by Ryan Raroque

We'll post today's draft-related updates here:

Fab Melo has signed with agent Arn Tellem, which basically nixes a return to Syracuse next year (tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress).
Jared Sullinger appears undecided about whether or not to return to Ohio State next year, says Doug Lesmerises of The Plain Dealer.
Jeff Borzello of CBSsports.com reports that Washington sophomore Terrence Ross plans to hire an agent and will declare for the NBA draft.
According to Matt Youmans of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, forward Mike Moser will return to UNLV for his sophomore season instead of committing to the NBA draft.
Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com writes that high-school star Nerlens Noel is still undecided on where he will commit to for next year. His list is down to Georgetown, Kentucky, and Syracuse. Noel could possibly be among the headliners for the 2013 NBA draft.