Mason Plumlee

Draft Updates: Friday

2:52pm: Here are a few more updates out of Chicago:

  • In a series of tweets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune lists a number of the prospects the Timberwolves have talked to or will talk to in Chicago. Among those we hadn't already heard about: Alex Len, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ricky Ledo, Archie Goodwin, Reggie Bullock, and Vander Blue.
  • The Trail Blazers will meet with Caldwell-Pope today, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (via Twitter). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com adds (via Twitter) that the Blazers met with Ledo yesterday.
  • Ryan Kelly has met with the Mavericks, Celtics, and Clippers, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
  • Dennis Schroeder will work out for the Bucks, Jazz, and Rockets, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
  • Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio tweets that there's some speculation at the combine that this could finally be the year the No. 1 pick is traded.

11:44am: It took us multiple posts yesterday to round up all the tidbits trickling out of Chicago, where the NBA is holding its draft combine this week. We'll see if today is as busy, but in the meantime, here are the latest updates on the 2013 draft:

  • Some NBA executives believe that it's possible Shabazz Muhammad falls out of the top 10 and perhaps even the lottery on draft night, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
  • In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford passes along the official measurements on the players in Chicago, and provides a few thoughts on the results.
  • Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) hears from an NBA source that the Warriors believe they can acquire either a first- or second-round pick in this year's draft, if they so choose. Kawakami adds in a second tweet that a pick would mostly just cost money, but I'm skeptical that the Warriors could pick up a first-rounder without giving up anything of value, or that they'd even want to add a rookie-scale salary, given their proximity to the tax.
  • Alex Len met with the Bobcats last night and will meet with the Cavaliers today, according to tweets from Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer and Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal. David Mayo of MLive.com tweets that Len has nothing set up with the Pistons and "wasn't too enthused" when asked about them — perhaps that would change if Detroit jumped into the top three in next week's lottery.
  • The Pistons will meet with Rudy Gobert today, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
  • Steven Adams interviewed with the Magic last night, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Chad Ford heard that Adams was the big winner on the first day of the combine, with "GM after GM" impressed by his showing.
  • Kelly Olynyk has met with the Bucks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
  • Myck Kabongo met with the Knicks and Trail Blazers earlier in the week, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Mason Plumlee also expects to meet with the Blazers, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian.

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday Evening

9:03pm: We'll post any remaining evening updates from Chicago here:
  • Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy tweets that international prospect Mouhammadou Jaiteh will forego Eurocamp and will work out for NBA teams instead, possibly as early as a group workout with Minnesota. 
  • The Oregonian's Jason Quick reports that the Trail Blazers met with James Southerland yesterday.

2:47pm: More afternoon combine updates from Chicago:

  • Ben McLemore has already interviewed with the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans, according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (via Twitter). McLemore expects to meet with the Bobcats, Magic, and Pistons tonight, according to various reports (all Twitter links).
  • Victor Oladipo will also meet with the Pistons tonight, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
  • Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter) adds Otto Porter to the list of prospects interviewed by the Timberwolves, but says the T-Wolves won't get a chance to meet with Oladipo, who was on the team's wish list.
  • Jamaal Franklin tells Jason Quick of the Oregonian that when he met with the Trail Blazers yesterday, the whole meeting consisted of a psychological test (Twitter link).
  • Andre Roberson met with the Magic yesterday, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Shams Charania of RealGM.com has a list of the 12 prospects the Bulls plan to work out on Monday (Twitter link).
  • Jeff Withey is "extremely excited" to be meeting with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

1:35pm: We covered the Thursday morning updates from Chicago's predraft camp earlier today, but with so many tidbits surfacing throughout the day, we're starting an afternoon post to round up the latest notes:

  • ESPN.com's Chad Ford hears that two international prospects have received first-round guarantees: Dennis Schroeder and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Twitter link).
  • Michael Carter-Williams has met with several teams, including the Trail Blazers, Bobcats, Pistons, Timberwolves, and Thunder, according to various reports (all links go to Twitter). Carter-Williams is hearing he could be drafted anywhere between third and 15th overall, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • We heard this morning that the Celtics had spoken to Cody Zeller and Glen Rice Jr. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe adds a few more names to the list of Boston interviewees (via Twitter): Mason Plumlee, Rudy Gobert, and Victor Oladipo.
  • C.J. McCollum won't meet with the Trail Blazers this week, according to Jason Quick of the Oregonian (Twitter link). However, he will meet with the Pistons tomorrow, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (via Twitter), and has already interviewed with the Magic, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter). SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter link) adds the Thunder, Nuggets, and Cavaliers to the list of teams who have spoekn to McCollum, who has 15 total interviews scheduled.
  • Robbins notes in a separate tweet that the Magic also met with Myck Kabongo.
  • Isaiah Canaan will meet with the Wizards on Friday, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
  • Canaan, Andre Roberson, and Grant Jerrett all met with the Pistons last night, tweets Langlois.
  • Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that the Bucks met with Shane Larkin yesterday and will work him out later this month.
  • Erik Murphy has interviews lined up with the Grizzlies, Clippers, and possibly the Pacers, tweets Robbins.
  • Seth Curry will meet today with the Lakers, Rockets, and Knicks, tweets Bonnell.

Draft Combine Updates: Thursday Morning

11:56am: More A.M. updates out of Chicago:

  • Nerlens Noel told reporters that he hasn't completed any interviews so far, but that he's "pretty sure" he has one scheduled with the Magic. He's not quite so sure about the Cavaliers (Twitter links).
  • Steven Adams and Kelly Olynyk are among the prospects that have met with the Wizards so far and think they'd fit in well in Washington (Twitter links). Mason Plumlee is also on the Wizards' list, tweets J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.
  • Olynyk has met with the Bobcats as well, says Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
  • Gorgui Dieng will work out for the Bucks, who will also interview Rudy Gobert and Plumlee, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links).
  • A couple notes from SI.com's Chriss Mannix (via Twitter): Cody Zeller has spoken to the Raptors, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Celtics, while Mike Muscala only has interviews lined up with the Spurs and Hawks, but will do "nine or 10" workouts later. One of those workouts will be with the Blazers, tweets Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
  • Shabazz Muhammad and Deshaun Thomas interviewed with the Timberwolves last night, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

11:09am: With a number of reporters in attendance at the NBA's predraft camp in Chicago, we're expecting plenty of noteworthy tidbits to trickle in throughout the day. Here's a round-up of the first batch of updates on 2013's draft combine participants:

  • According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), the Cavaliers aren't on Otto Porter's list of teams he's meeting with this week. That's a bit of a surprise, given the rumblings that he's high on the team's big board, though as Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets, the Cavs drafted a pair of players they didn't interview last year.
  • Porter is scheduled to meet with the Wizards, who spoke to Victor Oladipo earlier this week, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Porter will meet with the Pistons as well, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Bobcats, Thunder, and Suns have already met with Porter, according to Lee (via Twitter).
  • The Pistons are also prepared to meet with Shabazz Muhammad today, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Muhammad interviewed with the Trail Blazers yesterday and felt it went very well, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
  • Nate Wolters and Adonis Thomas were among the prospects who have met with the Lakers so far, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).
  • Glen Rice Jr., who played in the D-League this past season, has been interviewed by the Bucks, Celtics, Warriors, Sixers, and Spurs, he confirmed to reporters (all Twitter links).

Draft Links: Gobert, Mock Drafts, Muhammad

With so many likely first-round prospects suffering from injuries or simply not wanting to hurt their draft stocks (if they're already surefire lottery picks), don't expect too many big names to get on the court at this week's predraft camp in Chicago, writes Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. Most of this week's participants will be potential late-first or second-round picks, fighting to move up in the draft. Nonetheless, Goodman identifies seven guys worth keeping an eye on, led by Frenchman Rudy Gobert.

Here's more on the Chicago combine and the 2013 NBA draft:

  • HoopsWorld has released the third installment of its consensus mock draft, with four writers contributing their projections for the first round.
  • Also receiving updates today: Chad Ford's top 30 at ESPN.com (Insider-only link) and Chris Mannix's big board at SI.com. Ford's list includes the latest rumblings about who will and won't be participating in drills in Chicago this week.
  • Ford also shares observations (Insider link) on a number of players he saw yesterday at the Fitness Formula Club, including Mason Plumlee and Tim Hardaway Jr.
  • In one final non-Insider Ford link, the ESPN.com scribe answers readers' draft questions in an hour-long chat.
  • Shabazz Muhammad is expected to choose Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management for his representation, according to Goodman (Twitter link). Goodman adds that the decision is surprising, considering Wasserman Media Group was the favorite for Muhammad.

Draft Notes: Len, Plumlee, Hardaway, Saric

A 2013 draft that was already considered weak may have gotten even weaker when Sunday's early entry deadline passed without a few top underclassmen declaring their intent, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Taking into account the prospects that will be in this year's draft class, Deveney tries his hand at forecasting the first round in his latest mock draft. Here are a few more of Tuesday's draft-related links, courtesy of Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com:

  • Likely lottery pick Alex Len will be represented by Michael Lelchitski of Sports International Group, Inc., tweets Givony.
  • Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports has picked up another handful of clients, adding Mason Plumlee, Tim Hardaway Jr., Isaiah Canaan, and Jackie Carmichael to his agency, tweets Givony. Priority Sports has also added Gonzaga's Elias Harris, who will be represented by Brad Ames, Givony adds.
  • Nick Young of DraftExpress.com spoke to Dario Saric about entering the draft and what his future holds. Saric is considered the top international prospect in the draft by ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

Woelfel On Draft, Trades, Jennings

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweeted last night about the workout the Bucks have scheduled today for wing players Will Barton and Evan Fournier, as we noted in our roundup of Friday's draft rumors. Woelfel has a full report today on those two and fringe draft pick Ramone Moore, who's also working out for the Bucks today. He also shares news from around the league on a possible extension for Brandon Jennings, teams willing to trade draft picks, and rising and falling draft stocks.

Read more

Draft Decisions: Tuesday

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.

Draft Update: Mitchell, Jenkins, Cheek, Plumlee

In what's somewhat of a surprising decision being that he was projected to be a first round pick, North Texas freshman Tony Mitchell will return to school, according to the Denton Record-Chronicle's Brett Vito. Mitchell averaged 14.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG and was named the Sun Belt Conference's Freshman of the Year. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, sources say Vanderbilt junior John Jenkins and Villanova junior Dominic Cheek will soon declare for the draft, but Duke junior Mason Plumlee will go back to school. 

Jenkins averaged 19.9 PPG on 43.9% shooting from beyond the arc last season and is projected to be an early second round pick. Cheek put up averages of 12.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG. In a separate report, Steve Wiseman of The Herald Sun writes that Plumlee still has not decided whether or not he'll enter the draft. Plumlee has until April 29th to make a decision. 

Draft Updates: Brown, Plumlee, Watford, McAdoo

As we prepare for tonight's NCAA National Championship in New Orleans, let's round up the latest draft-related items….

  • Junior guard J'Covan Brown has decided to forgoe his senior year at Texas and enter the draft, the school announced today. Brown appears to be a borderline second-round pick, ranking 67th on DraftExpress' list of top 100 prospects and 91st on Chad Ford's ESPN.com list.
  • Two other juniors, Duke's Mason Plumlee and Indiana's Christian Watford, are still weighing their options and are torn on entering the draft, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • James McAdoo of North Carolina will make a decision this week on whether to enter the NBA draft early, his father told Robbi Pickeral of ESPN.com. The freshman is ranked seventh among draft prospects by Ford and 16th by DraftExpress.
  • TNT's David Aldridge takes an extended look at this year's point guard class, with quotes and opinions from a number of NBA executives and scouts.
  • Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News weighs in with his predictions for sleepers and busts among this year's draft class.

Draft Updates: Davis, Wayns, Barton, Plumlee

Earlier this afternoon, we looked at a number of deadlines facing NCAA underclassmen as they decide whether to declare for this year's draft. We also covered a report suggesting Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will enter the draft. Those aren't today's only draft-related updates though, so let's round up a few more, as June 28th creeps ever closer….

  • Anthony Davis of Kentucky remains undecided on whether or not he will declare for the NBA draft, according to Rick Bozich of Courier-Journal.com.  
  • Maalik Wayns of Villanova will hire an agent and remain in the draft pool, says Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Said Wayns of the decision: "The NBA has been a lifelong dream of mine and I have decided now is the time to pursue it." One NBA scout told Zagoria that Wayns might be drafted in the "bottom half of the second round" (Twitter link).
  • Memphis guard Will Barton will announce his intentions to enter the draft today, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. Barton will hire an agent and has no plans to withdraw by April 10th.
  • Duke's Mason Plumlee will test the NBA waters, according to Steve Wiseman of the Herald-Sun.
  • Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld identifies some potential 2012 draftees to keep an eye on during the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen this weekend.
  • The latest mailbag from Keith Langlois of Pistons.com is heavy on questions about what Detroit will do in this year's draft.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation looks at the current draft lottery odds, noting that the Blazers could end up with multiple top-ten picks in June.