We've already linked one Friday piece from ESPN.com's Chad Ford in our daily Draft Updates post, but Ford is back with another Insider-only column full of draft news and rumors. Here are his newest items on the Pistons, Bucks, Rockets, and more….
Earlier this morning, we unveiled the first version of our 2012 mock draft, projecting every pick from No. 1 (Anthony Davis) to No. 30 (Quincy Miller). We'll publish one more mock next week, before draft day, and until then, we'll be keeping tabs on all the latest draft-related news and rumors. Here are today's updates, with the newest items added at the top throughout the day….
- The Pistons have a big workout scheduled for next Monday, with Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, Meyers Leonard, John Henson, Terrence Jones, and Perry Jones III expected to attend, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
- Harrison Barnes and a pair of possible second-round candidates will work out for the Wizards tomorrow, the team announced.
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.
It was easy to miss in the midst of our flurry of draft updates on Wednesday, but Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times weighed in yesterday to discuss the Bucks' options with the 12th overall pick. According to Woelfel, Milwaukee has zeroed in on a short list of prospects, mostly big men, for pick No. 12 — Meyers Leonard, Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Perry Jones III, and Terrence Ross are among the team's targets.
Woelfel also shared a few more tidbits from around the NBA in his column, so let's dive in….
Former Celtics center Jermaine O'Neal is in Germany to undergo platelet-rich plasma therapy on his knee, the same procedure Kobe Bryant had last summer, tweets Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy.
In a video interview with HoopsWorld, Thomas Robinson elaborated on his thoughts leading up to the draft as well as what he believes he can bring to the table. When asked about the possibility of being drafted by the Bobcats, he replied that he can bring a winning mentality and that his competitiveness will make him an enticing prospect for them to consider selecting. Robinson also pointed out that his faceup game and ability to defend any position on the floor as things that he'd like to focus on improving. Here are some more links to HoopsWorld's recent interviews with other draft prospects…
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.
The Trail Blazers have a pair of first-round picks, at No. 6 and No. 11, and back-to-back second-round picks, at No. 40 and No. 41. Four rookies would be a lot to carry on a roster, but earlier this week we passed along a report from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com suggesting the Blazers would keep both lottery selections. Yesterday, Haynes tweeted that the Blazers have a workout scheduled with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist that could indicate they're looking to trade up. Haynes echoes that sentiment in a report today, and adds plenty of other draft-related news.
The Bulls, who hold the 29th pick, met with small forward Harrison Barnes on Thursday at the draft combine in Chicago, leading K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune to allude to the possibility that the team is thinking of trading up in the draft. That doesn't mean the team is interested in such a deal, of course — the Bulls could simply be trying to get a feel for as many players as they can — but as Johnson notes, Barnes would come in handy as a replacement for Luol Deng if he misses time next season because of his wrist injury. There's been plenty of other draft news from the rest of the Central as well.
- The Bulls are focusing on the backcourt as they look toward the draft, according to several players who've worked out for the team, as Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Earlier updates:
The NBA combine continues in Chicago today, with the buzz this morning surrounding the official measurements of the prospects in attendance. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal provides the complete list. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, a handful of players saw their stock rise a little due to the results, but Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress heard from scouts that there weren't many big surprises (Twitter link). A handful of rumors and rumblings have also emerged from the combine today, so let's round up some of them….