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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.

Draft Rumors: Monday

June 11th, 2012 at 8:12pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA draft just 17 days away, we're guaranteed to be following daily rumors and rumblings for the next two and a half weeks. We'll try to make it as easy as possible to follow the latest updates by including most of our draft-related items in a single daily post. Consider this Monday's post, and check back throughout the day for more draft notes, with the newest additions up top:

In a tweet, AZCentral.com's Paul Coro has wrangled up some news from CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman and SI.com's Sam Amick. North Carolina teammates Kendall Marshall and John Henson will reportedly work out for the Suns this week.

Earlier updates:

On Tuesday, the Wizards will hold a workout to help decide what direction they want to go with their two second round picks (as of today, the team holds both the 32nd and 46th picks in the draft), tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Some notable names Washington plans to workout are Syracuse's Scoop Jardine, and Duke's Miles Plumlee.
The Trail Blazers will work out North Carolina's John Henson on Tuesday, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.
Also from Amick, the Kings will work out several players, including North Carolina's Tyler Zeller, on Tuesday. Sacramento currently holds picks 5 and 36.
The Hornets plan on bringing in several point guards and shooting guards when they resume workouts next week, writes Nola.com's John Reid.
After predicting the top 15 picks in the draft last week, TNT's David Aldridge takes a crack at the rest of the first round in this week's NBA.com column.
Royce White and Jordan Taylor are among the six prospects scheduled to work out for the Timberwolves on Tuesday, says Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
The Pistons are eyeing potential fits for the second round, working out Miles Plumlee and Kyle O'Quinn, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Perry Jones III tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he'd love to play on the Trail Blazers alongside LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Magic will be prepared for the draft no matter how long it takes to hire a GM, but a lengthy GM search could have other negative effects, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
If the Hornets decide to deal their tenth overall pick, gaining future draft assets is more important to them than ditching bad contracts, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler doesn't expect the Hornets to include players like Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza with the pick in a deal that merely creates cap space. According to Kyler, New Orleans could seeking a 2012 second-rounder along with a future first-rounder in any deal.
Within the same piece, Kyler adds that the Warriors and Knicks have expressed some interest in Alabama's Tony Mitchell.
In a pair of tweets, Kyler says Harrison Barnes did not officially meet with the Bulls, and that a brief chat with coach Tom Thibodeau was blown out of proportion.
The Sixers met with Andre Drummond at the draft combine and could be trying to trade up, since Drummond will be long gone at No. 15, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com makes some changes in his latest post-combine mock draft.
The Kings will need some help if they want a shot to land Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

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Odds & Ends: O’Neal, Warriors, Lillard, Bosh

June 10th, 2012 at 3:57pm CST by Michael Pina

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.

Central Rumors: Bulls, Barnes, Bucks, Cavs

June 8th, 2012 at 9:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

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:

Amick On Perry Jones III, Small Forwards, Plumlee

June 2nd, 2012 at 8:36pm CST by Ryan Raroque

At 6'11'', 235 lbs, and the ability to play either forward position, potential-lottery pick Perry Jones III from Baylor stands out as one of the most intriguing prospects among this year's NBA Draft crop. Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated takes a closer look at Jones' draft stock, acknowledging that it can significantly change depending on the impression he makes in his upcoming workouts and interviews. Amick adds that Jones and his representatives aim to put an emphasis on his small forward skills during workouts in order to better market himself to talent evaluators. In an interview, Jones elaborated about his newfound confidence, his current training at UC Santa Barbara, and the belief that he was not properly utilized at Baylor.

Here are some more tidbits from Amick's article, including a brief rundown of this year's top small forward prospects, Miles Plumlee's workout in Minnesota, and a guard prospect from Vanderbilt to keep an eye out for…

Odds & Ends: Motiejunas, Bradley, Draft, Frye

May 25th, 2012 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Friday afternoon's odds and ends:

Donatas Motiejunas, Houston's 20th overall pick in 2011, spoke to Jakub Wojczynski of Przeglad Sportowy about his future and his plan to join the Rockets. While Motiejunas cautioned that it's "not 100%" he'll be in the NBA next season, he seems like a good bet to sign this summer.
Doc Rivers and the Celtics confirmed today that Avery Bradley will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the playoffs (Twitter link).
Hornets coach Monty Williams tells John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune that he doesn't think this draft class is as deep as advertised. "I don’t think you’re going to find a [Manu] Ginobili at 52," Williams said. "The last few weeks I’ve had a chance to look at all these young guys on tape and I’m not jaded by the hoopla as everybody else is. I think there are good players, but I don’t see this deep draft."
One GM told ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) that he'd have "no concerns" drafting Perry Jones III in the top five.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com discusses trade candidates Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol in his "Friday 5" feature.
Channing Frye's availability for the start of next season is in doubt as the Suns forward rehabs a shoulder injury, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Sam Smith fields plenty of Bulls questions in his latest mailbag for Bulls.com.

Draft Notes: Robinson, Ford, Acy, Jones III

May 23rd, 2012 at 9:02pm CST by Alex Lee

We're down to six teams in the 2012 NBA playoffs. While none of them will have lottery picks in June's NBA Draft, good teams that supplement their rosters via end of the first round picks significantly add to the longevity of their success. Here are some draft links on this Wednesday night:

In an interview with HoopsWorld, Kansas' Thomas Robinson says he thinks he should be the first pick in June's NBA Draft. “I think I’m very capable of being the number one pick. No disrespect to Anthony Davis, he’s a great player. But at the same time, as a competitor, I do feel that I’m worthy of the number one pick," Robinson said. Robinson has impressed scouts with an improved jumper in workouts, but I can't see anyone unseating Anthony Davis for that honor.
Chad Ford (via Twitter) released an updated top 100 available to ESPN.com insiders. Ford fingers Syracuse guard Dion Waiters as the big mover on the updated list, who is now up to number eight overall.
Quincy Acy worked out for the Warriors on Sunday, and had some positive things to say about former teammate and projected lottery pick Perry Jones III, via Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle on Twitter. "He’s 6-foot-11, and he can do what the little guys do. It’s amazing. People criticize him, but it’s nonsense to me. He loves the game of basketball. He’s going to play hard and he’s going to compete. I play very hard, so it might look like he’s not playing hard. But he goes hard in practice, and he’s not a prima donna," Acy said. Acy is ranked 80th on the Draft Express top 100, while Jones III is 8th.

Draft Notes: Combine, Machado, Jones, Blazers

May 22nd, 2012 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Many members of last year's draft class received recognition for their first NBA seasons today, when the league announced its All-Rookie squads. Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, Kenneth Faried, Klay Thompson, Brandon Knight, Iman Shumpert, and Kawhi Leonard all earned first-team honors due to a three-way tie for the fifth spot. The second team consisted of Chandler Parsons, MarShon Brooks, Derrick Williams, Tristan Thompson, and Isaiah Thomas. Here's the latest on the 2012 draft class that will be eligible for All-Rookie accolades a year from now:

HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy interviews Kansas forward Thomas Robinson, who says he believes himself worthy of the top overall pick.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio examines Jared Sullinger's potential to succeed at the NBA level.
The NBA announced all the players who will participate in the Chicago draft combine on June 7th and 8th, and Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com passes along the list. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com points out (via Twitter) that, besides #58 Casper Ware, the top 67 prospects on DraftExpress' top 100 were all invited to Chicago.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) takes note of a few prospects who may have improved their stocks during the weekend workouts in New Jersey. Iona point guard Scott Machado tops Ford's list.
Teams need to be careful of being wowed by Perry Jones' individual workouts and drafting him too high, one scout tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
2012 represents the Trail Blazers' most important draft since they selected Greg Oden in 2007, writes Joel Odom of the Oregonian.
Don't forget to follow Hoops Rumors' Prospect Profile series, where we've taken a closer look at many of the players expected to be drafted in the first round next month.

Central Notes: Collison, Jones, Cavs, Bulls

May 21st, 2012 at 10:50am CST by Daniel Seco

With the Bulls falling to the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs, the Pacers are the lone representative out of the Central Division still doing battle as their series against the Heat continues Tuesday night in Miami. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines out of the Central Division.

Thanks to his speed and quickness, Darren Collison continues to show that Larry Bird made the right decision to acquire him two summers ago from the Hornets, writes Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star. The backup point guard for the Pacers scored 10 points during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Heat in what could have been a less competitive effort for the Pacers if not for Collison. "As long as I try and be aggressive, I can create opportunities not only for myself, but for my teammates, too."
Brendan Savage of MLive.com says Perry Jones III might be a good fit for the Pistons thanks to his talent but his lack of desire may lead to a steep learning curve in the NBA. The 6-foot-11, 235-pound power forward has all the skills that make a player attractive teams especially with his ability to rebound and run the floor, but the former Baylor star showed little progress from his freshman to sophomore year in Waco. Simply put, the Pistons must be able to determine if they can get the most out of his boundless talents.
While it's all but certain that Anthony Davis will be the first pick of the NBA draft next month, the Cavaliers will have many different options to choose from if they end up selecting third, suggests Starting Blocks of Cleveland.com.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com wonders what star the Bulls need to add to their roster in order to remain competitive without Derrick Rose and how the team should go about making such an acquisition. Smith suggests the option of the Bulls looking to rebuild with eyes on adding a player or two from the 2014 free agent class to join Rose. Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Danny Granger headline the list of possibilities that could end up in Chicago two seasons from now.

Warriors Notes: Lacob, Small Forwards, Draft

May 14th, 2012 at 6:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

While the Warriors await the May 30th draft lottery with crossed fingers, hoping they don't slide below their projected seventh slot and lose their pick to the Jazz, there are a few items of note from the Bay Area:

The team has promoted Kirk Lacob, son of co-owner Joe Lacob, to assistant GM, according to a statement. He previously served as director of basketball operations for the Warriors and general manager of the Dakota Wizards, the team's D-League affiliate. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle provides detail.
A "big" upgrade at small forward is on tap this summer, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. It's increasingly clear that the team has soured on Dorell Wright, Kawakami says, and the team will seek a replacement who can have an impact on both sides of the floor.
In the same piece, Kawakami says the draft is the most likely means the team will use to get a new starter at the 3, and mentions Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones and Perry Jones as possibilities at No. 7, with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in play if the team moves up into the top three picks. If they make a deal to move into the middle of the first round, they're high on Meyers Leonard, Kawakami reports.
San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, along with all 11 city supervisors, sent a letter to the Warriors that said the city would cooperate to help the team return to San Francisco by 2017, according to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. The city, home to the Warriors from 1962-71, is likely seeking a privately financed arena near the Bay Bridge. The news comes on the heels of the state's demand that Oakland return $3.5MM it had hoped to spend on planning for a new arena.