The Raptors continue to try to acquire Kyle Lowry from the Rockets, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Raps appear to be fading in the Steve Nash sweepstakes, but even if they're able to land Nash, the team will still have interest in trading for Lowry, says Stein.
The U.S. squad for the 2012 Olympics has been hit hard by injuries, but Team USA isn't the only country that will see NBA players miss the London games. Already facing concerns over Tony Parker's health, France will be without Joakim Noah this summer, the Bulls big man told L'Equipe (French link). K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune confirms the news, noting that Noah will miss the Olympics to rest and rehab the ankle he sprained in the playoffs.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA on Independence Day….
After drafting a pair of power forwards, Royce White and Terrence Jones, on Thursday night, the Rockets are looking to trade last year's starter. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Houston is actively shopping Luis Scola in trade discussions. A specific trade partner has yet to emerge, says Stein.
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:
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:
In an earlier post, we passed along the latest on the Rockets' pursuit of Dwight Howard, courtesy of HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler. Kyler's NBA AM piece at HoopsWorld has a few other items of note though, including updates on Eric Gordon, Steve Nash, and the Thunder. Let's round up the highlights….
The Rockets have slowly improved their first-round assets as tonight's draft approaches, but with three picks at Nos. 12, 16, and 18, the team is still trying to move higher. TNT's David Aldridge reports that Houston offered Kyle Lowry and the 16th overall pick to Sacramento in exchange for the No. 5 pick and Chuck Hayes, but that the Kings turned down the proposal.
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:
10:55am: TNT's David Aldridge hears that, whether or not the offer Givony reported is actually on the table, there's "no way" the Kings would accept it (Twitter link). However, SI.com's Sam Amick (Sulia link) cites a variety of reasons why it makes sense that Evans would be available for the right price.
10:32am: After completing one trade this morning, the Rockets appear to be engaged in discussions with the Kings on another deal. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link), the Rockets have offered Kyle Lowry, the No. 14 pick, and the No. 16 pick to the Kings in exchange for Tyreke Evans and the No. 5 pick. However, SI.com's Sam Amick hears from two sources that such an offer isn't on the table (Twitter link).
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.