Tyler Zeller Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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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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:

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….

Draft Notes: Zeller, Pistons, White

June 6th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Michael Pina

As the Thunder prepare tonight for a possible Game 6 victory that could push them one step closer to their first championship since moving to Oklahoma City, rival owners and team executives marvel at a roster that was mostly built through brilliant draft day picks.

With the draft just a few weeks away, here are a few notes regarding some players and teams that looking to emulate the Thunder's success.

Southwest Notes: Spurs, De Colo, Mavs, Hornets

June 4th, 2012 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Southwest Division champion Spurs resume their series vs. the Thunder tonight, looking to hold serve at home in San Antonio. As ESPN.com's John Hollinger writes, the Spurs are very familiar with this situation, having entered a Game 5 with the series tied nine times already in the Tim Duncan era. Hollinger wonders what adjustments Gregg Popovich will make tonight, speculating that the team's changes could involve the use of Manu Ginobili and Matt Bonner. Here are a few more Monday updates out of the Southwest….

Odds & Ends: Draft, Sloan, King, Playoffs

June 3rd, 2012 at 3:12pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Chris Bosh-less Heat and Celtics resume battle this evening in a pivotal Game 4 in Boston. A win for the Celtics would continue a Conference Finals streak of the home team coming away with a victory. The Thunder brought their series with the Spurs to a tie as they beat San Antonio 109-103 in Oklahoma City on Saturday night. Let's catch up on the latest news and happenings making headlines from around the league…

Draft Updates: Celtics, Lillard, Zeller, Leonard

May 29th, 2012 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

We're just a little over 24 hours away from tomorrow night's draft lottery, aka the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. While fans of the Bobcats, Wizards, Cavaliers, Hornets, and the rest of the lottery teams hold their breath, let's round up a few of today's draft-related items:

The Celtics may be trying to package their two first-round picks to move up in the draft, tweets SI.com's Zach Lowe.
Damian Lillard appears to be a likely top-10 pick, writes ESPN.com's Chad Ford in an Insider-only piece that also touches on Terrence Ross, Arnett Moultrie, Fab Melo, and a number of other prospects.
Ford also fielded draft questions in his weekly ESPN.com chat earlier this afternoon.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio identifies his picks for the sleepers of this year's draft class.
Seven-footers Tyler Zeller and Meyers Leonard highlighted the participants at the Trail Blazers' first draft workout today, and interim Kaleb Canales had compliments for both players, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com writes.

Draft Links: Harkless, Drummond, Zeller, Owens

May 28th, 2012 at 6:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

With 48 hours to go until the draft lottery, here's the latest from the draft front:

Kyle Nelson of Draft Express speaks with St. John's freshman Moe Harkless, the site's 18th-ranked prospect who says he's putting in 12-hour days in advance of the draft.
TNT's David Aldridge, writing for NBA.com, ranks Andre Drummond as the top center in the draft but says Tyler Zeller is the only center most teams would feel safe taking high in the lottery.
Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group passes along observations from the Warriors pre-draft workout Monday, centering around Stanford power forward Josh Owens, whose "incredible" athleticism, according to one NBA executive, has helped him move from anonymity into the second-round picture.

Prospect Profile: Tyler Zeller

April 30th, 2012 at 8:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Lottery teams in search of centers know exactly who the top target at the position is in this year's class. If you have the good fortune of landing a pick between No. 2 and 5, the high-risk, high-reward Andre Drummond could be yours. After that, it gets a little bit tricky. Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger had some GMs drooling this time last season before he opted to stay in school for another season. The Buckeye has a more advanced post game than your average 20-year-old but at 6'9" is shorter than your average center as well. Teams that are less-than-enamored with Sullinger (or, drafting after he is taken) will take a long, hard look at North Carolina center Tyler Zeller.

The UNC standout improved his stock greatly by turning in a strong senior season in which he was the most reliable option on a star-studded team. Zeller averaged 16.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and shot 55.3% from the floor as he stuck close to the rim in 2011/12. In fact, he stayed so close to the rim that he hardly got the opportunity to show off his shooting range. In previous seasons, the 22-year-old has shown the ability to bury shots from mid-range and sometimes a step beyond.

While his 55.3% field goal percentage is impressive, the most eye-popping number on his stat sheet just might be his 81% success rate at the charity stripe. Zeller was widely mocked for his aversion to physical play as an underclassman but he has flipped a switch in recent years. Now that he has shown that he won't shy away from contact, you can expect the big man to get plenty of opportunities at the free throw line.

Unlike Sullinger, Zeller can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Association's big men at 7'0". He's also unlike Sullinger in that he doesn't have the world's most polished offensive skill set with his back to the basket. However, that's not unique to 7-footers coming into the league and it's likely something that Zeller will be able to develop with time. His post game should be accelerated by adding bulk to his 250 pound frame and any team that tabs Zeller will insist that he hits the weight room from day one. Will he get the distinction of being the second center off of the board on June 28th? That'll be largely dictated by where the ping-pong balls land and how the two perform in pre-draft workouts.