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Draft Updates: Saturday

June 23rd, 2012 at 8:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

We've already covered a few draft rumors today, and Zach Links went in-depth on West Virginia power forward Kevin Jones in our latest Prospect Profile. There's plenty more going on as the draft approaches, including news from John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Sixers put point guard Marquis Teague through an "exhaustive" individual workout this morning. Bookmark this post for the rest of the day's draft news, with latest on top.

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star has an article on the Pacers' scouting staff as they prepare to pick 26th overall in Thursday's draft.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports looks at several players with the potential to become the second-best talents in the draft.
Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News suggests Meyers Leonard as a possible fit for the Warriors.
The Lakers are in talks to acquire a first-round pick, and could be after the Heat's selection at No. 27, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer offers his thoughts on the implications of a rumored swap of the second and fourth picks by the Bobcats and Cavs.
Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group thinks the Warriors could trade down from No. 7 and still get the player they want, unless it's Damian Lillard or Dion Waiters. He also believes the team will give serious consideration to Andre Drummond (Twitter links).
We have the latest from Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com in a separate post.

Earlier updates:

Draft Updates: Friday

June 15th, 2012 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday's roundup of draft links included a ton of updates on workouts and speculation on where certain players may land. We expect more of the same today, so we'll track today's draft notes right here, adding new items to the top of the list throughout the day….

Anthony Davis has decided to hire Wasserman Media Group to represent him, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The former Kentucky star will work out for the Hornets on Tuesday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com.
The Jazz will host six players on Saturday for a pre-draft workout, according to a team press release. The participants will include Kim English, Jorge Gutierrez, Noah Hartsock, Robbie Hummel, Toure' Murry and Malik Wayns.

Earlier updates:

Perry Jones III, Terrence Jones, Arnett Moultrie, and John Henson will work out against one another for the Suns tomorrow, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld explores whether John Henson is a perfect fit for the Pistons at No. 9.
Andre Drummond has an individual workout with the Wizards scheduled for Monday, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
In a series of tweets, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News lists the prospects the Pistons have worked out this week.
We rounded up a handful of draft rumors from ESPN.com's Andy Katz in a separate post.
Damian Lillard to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian (Twitter link) on the possibility of being drafted by the Trail Blazers: "I could see it happening. And I hope so. I think I really fit in here."
The Nuggets have a six-player workout scheduled for Monday, according to a team press release. Will Barton, Royce White, Andrew Nicholson, Marquis Teague, Tyshawn Taylor, and Kevin Murphy are the participants.
Evan Fournier and Will Barton will work out for the Bucks tomorrow, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines potential targets for the 76ers at No. 15, concluding that Terrence Jones could be the best fit.
The Wizards will work out Harrison Barnes next Tuesday, tweets Michael of the Washington Post.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist believes the Wizards would be a playoff team if they drafted him third overall, he tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Kidd-Gilchrist is working out alone for Washington, with Austin Rivers, Terrence Ross, and Tomas Satoransky in a group workout, tweets Lee.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his latest mock draft for Yahoo! Sports.
SI.com's Sam Amick takes a look at Andre Drummond's stock, and says the Hornets haven't made a draft-day promise to Austin Rivers.
At Raptors.com, Jay Satur has the list of prospects working out for the Raptors today.

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Draft Updates: Thursday

June 14th, 2012 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Earlier updates:

Charles F. Gardner Journal Sentinel reported that the Bucks hosted a pre-draft workout today which featured Tyler Zeller, Meyers Leonard, Fab Melo, and Kyle O'Quinn.
Aside from Anthony Davis, ESPN's Ric Bucher thinks that this year's draft still contains big men with star potential, focusing specifically on Andre Drummond, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Robinson (Insiders only).
Sean Meagher of The Oregonian presents the video interview of Perry Jones III after his workout for the Trail Blazers.
Nate Mulberg of CSN Philly discusses the mutual interest between the 76ers and Terrence Ross.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld quoted an NBA executive who thinks that the lottery is loaded with impact rotation players, but not impact starters. Pincus also offered highlights from interviews with JaMychal Green and Kevin Jones.
Tomorrow's workout schedule for the Wizards includes Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Austin Rivers, Terrence Ross, and Tomas Satoransky, according to Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Gene Wang, also of The Washington Post, wrote about today's workout with Hollis Thompson.
Stephen Hewitt of WEEI.com provided a breakdown of Mitchell Watt, a 6'10'' forward out of Buffalo who could be a realistic target for the Celtics' second round pick (51st overall).
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com wrote an interesting piece on the mental toughness of 27-year-old draft hopeful Bernard James, a 6'10'' power forward who served in the Air Force and did tours in Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq before starring at Florida State. Howard-Cooper also tweeted an update on John Henson, saying that he has no plans to rest his injured ankle in the midst of upcoming workouts with the Suns, Rockets, Bucks, Cavaliers, Raptors, Pistons, and 76ers.
Darren Heitner of Sports Agent Blog briefly documents the separation of Renardo Sidney and his agent, Johnny Foster.
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld believes John Jenkins and the Bulls could be a perfect fit at pick No. 29.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com published the second version of his mock draft today.
Thomas Robinson will work out for the Bobcats on June 22nd, according to SI.com's Sam Amick (Sulia link). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com calls Robinson the "clear frontrunner" to be picked second overall (Twitter link).
Jeremy Lamb turned an ankle at his Raptors workout this morning, but it's not serious, tweets Sam Amick of SI. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (via Twitter), the ankle is sprained, and Lamb will cancel at least his workout with the Blazers.
The Sixers announced in a press release today that they'll work out Moe Harkless and Hollis Thompson tomorrow.
Arnett Moultrie is the biggest name among the six players working out for the Trail Blazers today, tweets Joe Freeman of the Oregonian.
Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal will work out against one another for the Cavaliers on Saturday, according to Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The two players are the most likely candidates to be picked at No. 4 by Cleveland, so that will be an intriguing workout.
Discussing potential targets for the Bobcats if they trade their No. 2 pick, Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com names James Harden as a possibility. It's not clear of Goodman's source, who says Harden "could be in play," means the Bobcats will pursue Harden or the Thunder could make him available. Either way, I'm skeptical about how realistic that scenario is. Even with the long-term cap restraints facing the Thunder, overhauling the roster mere days after making the Finals seems unlikely.
SI.com's Sam Amick examines the question marks surrounding John Henson and the rising stock of Miles Plumlee in his latest draft piece.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld compares Perry Jones III to Jordan Hamilton, who slipped to 26th overall last year because most teams thought the risk outweighed the upside. Within the same piece, Kyler also says the odds the Bobcats keep a player the select at No. 2 overall are "extremely slim."
The Raptors have a big day of workouts scheduled, with Jeremy Lamb highlighting the first session, Austin Rivers in the second, and Harrison Barnes in an individual workout. Jay Satur of Raptors.com has the details. Unfortunately, Eric Koreen of the National Post passes along a bit of bad news from the first session, tweeting that Lamb left the workout with an apparent injury.
Chad Ford tries his hand at predicting where the players on the first-round bubble will land in an Insider piece for ESPN.com.
Will Barton and five other prospects will work out for the Pacers today, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
The Pistons' workouts so far suggest they're eyeing big men not just with their first-round pick but in the second round as well, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Bucks.com profiles the prospects that Milwaukee will be working out today.
Damian Lillard thinks he's ready to be an NBA starter, but he probably won't be a fit for the Kings at No. 5, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.

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Southwest Notes: Diaw, Hornets, Grizzlies, Mavs

June 12th, 2012 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

It may not be Sherlock-caliber detective work, but Tony Parker tells Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News he noticed a hint that Boris Diaw could be leaning toward re-signing with the Spurs. Diaw, who had been living in Parker's guest house, left all his belongings there when he departed San Antonio for the summer, which Parker views as a good sign. Here are a few more Tuesday morning items from out of the Southwest Division:

HoopsWorld on Robinson, Leonard, Barton

June 9th, 2012 at 9:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

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…

Prospect Profile: Will Barton

June 6th, 2012 at 4:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Will Barton does not lack confidence. The University of Memphis swingman currently sits 38th on the DraftExpress.com prospect listing, but he recently told Lang Greene of HoopsWorld he believes he's the best wing player in the draft.

"If you look at stats across the board, I’m talking about every stat, every stat and you compare me to every shooting guard or even a small forward if you want to say," Barton said. "All the wings no matter which guys you choose, Kentucky, North Carolina, Washington, all those guys, I was clear cut better at every stat. Not one, not two, but every stat. Averaged the most assists, averaged the most points, averaged the most rebounds and we were winning."

If we assume by Barton's comments that he's referring to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of Kentucky, Harrison Barnes of North Carolina and Terrence Ross of Washington, he's correct; Barton's per game averages from this past season of 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, as well as his 50.9% field goal percentage, are better in each category than those three players he seems to point out. They're also better than the numbers of Bradley Beal, currently No. 5 on the DraftExpress.com list. Conference USA didn't exactly provide stellar competition, ranking ninth in conference RPI according to CBSSports.com, but the league rated ahead of the Pac-12, which produced Ross, and Memphis had the 20th best strength of schedule.

The primary reason Barton's stats are downgraded is probably because the Tigers were so dependent upon him, as he was the team's leading scorer and rebounder by wide margins. Chad Ford's player evaluation on ESPN.com criticizes Barton's shot selection and streak shooting, but his 50.9% shooting seems to address that. Earlier this season, Walker Beeken of DraftExpress.com applauded Barton's improved shot selection, noting his increased willingness to attack the basket. Barton shot 34.6% from the college three-point line this year, a concern as he adjusts to the longer NBA distance, but less than a third of his shot attempts this season came from behind the arc.

A common knock on the 6'6", 175-pound Barton is his lack of strength, but that's an issue that an NBA-level weight training program can help address. He may not be able to rebound at nearly the rate he did in college even if he does bulk up, given his height, but he seems to have plenty of other attributes to make up for that. Don't be surprised if a team drafting at the end of the first round that could use a shooting guard, like the Cavs or the Pacers, scoops Barton up. It may be seen as a reach at the time, but it could wind up looking like a steal.

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Draft Updates: Davis, Wayns, Barton, Plumlee

March 22nd, 2012 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

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.