HoopsHype.com Draft Rumors

Wednesday, July 1

Real Madrid wants to sign Ricky Rubio and Jorge Garbajosa. AS.com

How hard was draft night, watching all the other draft picks selected until you were taken at No. 28. Wayne Ellington: It was very tough, I was drained emotionally. It was crazy. I can’t even describe it. My palms were sweating. HoopsHype.com

Are you looking to come in and be a starter for the Timberwolves? Wayne Ellington: That is definitely what I am looking for. I feel it’s a great opportunity. HoopsHype.com

Tuesday, June 30

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is hoping to have Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio in a Minnesota uniform this season, but he knows it won't be easy. ot with Rubio needing to work out a $6.6 million buyout with his Spanish team before he can play in the NBA. "Our goal is to give them time to try to resolve their issues to work it out so he can be here this year," Taylor said today. "Without question, that's our No. 1 choice. But if because of his contract and his money problems he has to stay over there another year to get that resolved, that isn't something that we couldn't work with. After all, he is 18 years of age. That's like a high school kid coming out. Another year of experience would probably only give us a better player." St. Paul Pioneer Press

Asked if Rubio or his agent have said anything about not wanting to play in Minnesota, Taylor said, "Not to my knowledge." Taylor, who has kept a low media profile since hiring Kahn on May 21, said he hopes Rubio's contractual situation can be resolved quickly, "but I would guess this is going to take a little while." Asked if not having Rubio this season would be a tough sell to fans who cheered his selection on draft day, Taylor said: "It would be tougher this year. Probably if he came in next year, it then would be better. It isn't like that's a terribly bad thing, if he can't work it out any other way and that's what he has to do. I'm just comfortable that we can work with him on that." St. Paul Pioneer Press

Does Kahn have any interest in trading him? “None,” Kahn says, “but you know how this works. If we’re offered Dwyane Wade ... but this was not done with the intention to trade him. I’ve been in love with this player for years.” Portland Tribune

Executives across the league are flooding Timberwolves president David Kahn's office with calls offering trades to bring Rubio's slick passing skills and moptop hairstyle to their cities. In the Twin Cities, fans can't wait to see the highlight factory zipping behind-the-back feeds to Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. But Rubio's availability for the upcoming season has been cast into doubt by a $6.6 million buyout of his contract with DKV Joventut in Spain. His agent, Dan Fegan, is trying to negotiate that number down to ease the financial burden on his client, and there is some question as to whether Rubio wants to play in the relatively small Minnesota market. AP

That’s OK with Kahn, who by the way, has a good relationship with Fegan, and wasn’t going to be bluffed into passing on Rubio – blessed with Pete Maravich-like flair and passing skills – at No. 5. “I saw Ricky play in March in Spain, and I think he could be something that’s never been seen before in our game,” Kahn says. “I’m not saying he’ll be the best player ever, but he is unique. You have to see him to believe it. I’m not talking about what he can do now. He’s so young, with his whole career in front of him. “Ricky has already played in a gold-medal game for his country. Watching video of that game, it’s eerie. He’s 17, yet he looks like he belongs out there.” Portland Tribune

Real Madrid, Efes Pilsen and a Greek team are among those interested in signing Rubio. El Pais

Clearing up one piece of draft business: While one of the many executives who spoke with the Nets on draft night came away convinced that the team had selected Terrence Williams for someone else with the No. 11 pick, a person with knowledge of the situation said Monday that T-Will is most likely to stay in New Jersey. On the heels of trading Vince Carter in the hours before the draft, the Nets had conversations with numerous teams involving, among other things, the No. 11 pick. Nothing came to fruition, and while the Nets are still listening, it appears that Williams is staying put for now. CBSSports.com

Another source said Eyenga's agents purposely kept him under wraps and didn't promote him much during the draft season in hoping that he could slip through without being picked. Not only would that have helped with negotiations with European teams, but it can be an advantage because then he could sign with any NBA team when he was ready. He also wouldn't be stuck to a rookie scale contract. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Dumars wracked his brain trying to remember where he might have met this 22-year-old kid from Sweden. Then Jerebko reminded him about the 2001 Euroleague Championship, which was held in Sweden. "I remember there was this little kid maybe 12, 13 years old who kept running up and sitting with me, bringing me stat sheets, bringing me cokes and popcorn," Dumars said. "He was telling me which guys could play and which guys couldn't play. I basically adopted him for two days and at the end he says to me, 'One day I want to play in the NBA.' And I am like, 'Sure, OK.'" And there he was, eight years later, drafted by the Pistons in the second round. "He said to me in my office, 'Remember the kid from the Euro championships?' And I said, 'Do you know that kid?' And he said, 'I am that kid.' I was like, you've got to be kidding me." Detroit News

Former Lake Howell and Florida Gators standout Nick Calathes told Channel 9 that he made his decision to honor his contract with Greece and play overseas. Calathes was selected 45th overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and then traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Prior to Thursday's draft, Calathes agreed to a 2 year deal with an option for a third that would pay him $3.5 million dollars with Euroleague team Panathinaikos. Both he and the Mavericks thought it would be best for the guard to play in Europe where he'll get more playing time to sharpen his skills. WFTV Orlando

Monday, June 29

Ricky Rubio was reportedly in Minnesota this weekend to meet with Wolves GM David Kahn, whose decision to draft the Spanish guard is looking better by the minute. Mitch Lawrence in Sunday's Daily News reported that the Wolves turned down a deal with the Houston Rockets that would have resulted in Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier headed to Minnesota for Rubio. If the Wolves are receiving those types of offers—Brooks and Battier were starters on a playoff team - do the Knicks really have much of a chance to get Rubio? Donnie Walsh is offering Wilson Chandler but that's not going to get it down. Walsh originally offered Chandler to Washington to get the fifth pick last week. New York Daily News

But he took Rubio to trade him. Now comes the hard part: Finding Rubio a new home. Houston was one of the first teams to come in with an offer. But the Rockets got nowhere with Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier. New York Daily News

Q: Hey Ira, any chance that Miami, with its large Hispanic population, would make a run at trading for Ricky Rubio? Some package of Cook, Chalmers, draft pick(s) might work. He would be a marketing dynamo, would allow Wade to play more off the ball, and a guy with his passing could really help draw Bosh in 2010. -- Shane. A: At this stage of the game, it likely would take Beasley as a starting point to get involved in the bidding. The price, however, could go down over time. Cook, Chalmers and picks in no way is going to get it done. The 'Wolves would need a replacement guard, something the Heat doesn't truly have to offer. And it's not as if Minnesota needs any of the Heat's expiring contracts. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Well-placed people inside the Wolves say they don’t know whether Rubio slipped into town or whether Kahn will try to meet with him and/or Fegan when Kahn hits the road this week to begin his coaching search. Minneapolis Star Tribune

So what's the holdup? Here are the possibilities: # He doesn't want to play in Minnesota. # The Spanish version of the IRS is making life very difficult for him. # He isn't really sure what he wants to do. What if he stays in Spain for another year or two, and Jonny Flynn establishes himself as a terrific point guard for the Wolves? That is entirely possible. Then what? Tell Flynn he has to switch positions? Trade Rubio? With each passing day, it appears less likely that Rubio will be in Minnesota this fall. Kahn says he loves Jonny Flynn. Wolves fans probably should take the same approach and try to forget about the other guy. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Sources told TUBASKET.com that Real Madrid GM Jorge Valdano called Ricky Rubio to ask him if he would like to play with Real Madrid. TuBasket.com

While he waited for his chance, Hudson hit the gym with a strict regimen of a 1,000 jumpshots a day. It was a humbling experience that forced him to grow up on and off the court. “He didn’t complain, didn’t whine,” James said. “He just got in the gym everyday and made himself a better player, and that’s just kind of how he is. I think the year he sat out really kind of helped him grow up. It matured him because he knew there were things he had to do to play basketball and he knew there were things he had to get better at.” The following season Hudson prepared to make his mark on the Skyhawks. At a kick-off potluck dinner, UTM Athletic Communications Director Joe Lofaro handed Hudson a flip card of the team’s roster. He had never met Hudson before and asked him to pick out the best player. Hudson pointed to himself. “He can do everything,” he told Lofaro. Three games later, Hudson recorded the first quadruple-double in NCAA Division 1 history with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals against Central Baptist College. It was Lofaro who realized Hudson was closing in and prompted him to snag the final two steals -- not necessarily because he wanted UTM to win but because he wanted Hudson to succeed. WEEI

But Hudson is used to waiting. After all, he waited long enough to reach the NBA at 24 years old. James believes Hudson’s defensive toughness, court vision, and offensive range will be a fit for the Celtics once he adapts to their system and speed of the NBA. In the meantime, he expects Rivers will enjoy working with his former player. “He is a very coachable young man,” James said. “He takes criticism well. He understands that you may get on him but you’re not necessarily getting on him as much as you’re getting on what he did. He wants to please you so he’ll do whatever he can to fix it. “You know, because of what he’s been through in his life, it takes him a second to learn to trust you. But once he trusts you, even as his coach, he’ll do anything in the world for you.” WEEI

Sunday, June 28

A representative for Ricky Rubio's agency in Spain told The Post yesterday the 18-year-old flamboyant point-guard phenom is receiving offers this weekend to play for a club in Turkey and Real Madrid, which would decrease the likelihood of him playing in the NBA next season. New York Post

Meanwhile, Knicks team president Donnie Walsh spoke to Timberwolves general manager David Kahn yesterday. According to a source, Kahn's being patient and is not interested in talking trade yet and is "trying to keep him." Tim Shea, the former Knicks European scout who is a consultant for Rubio's agency, Winners Factory, said he expects a formal offer from a Turkish club tomorrow. The offer would be about $1 million, with another $2 million going toward a $6 million buyout for his Spanish team, DKV Joventut. Real Madrid also is in talks with Joventut, according to Shea. An NBA team is allowed to pay just $500,000, with the rest coming out of Rubio's future earnings. New York Post

"I think he understands he has a gold nugget," Shea said. "The price of gold is always going up. He's only 18, so Rubio's stock will go up next year. He drafted so many point guards because of this. He's in the driver's seat. He doesn't have to trade him to the first suitors. (In an online letter to Minnesota fans, Kahn said he's willing to wait one or two years on Rubio, who could use seasoning). As for Rubio's interest in the Knicks, Shea said, "In a meeting back in February, I suggested to the parents New York would be the best place because they have a European style coach in Mike D'Antoni and they agree. The mother loves the idea. She said there's a direct flight to Barcelona and talked about the shopping and living there." New York Post

I've read what's being implied -- Kahn owes Walsh, that's why he'll come through for the Knicks. Walsh gave Kahn his NBA start in the Pacers front office. Walsh strongly recommended Kahn for the job as T'wolves president. Also, Rubio, through agent Dan Fegan, is making a very real threat to play in Europe for the next season or two if his resolve to play in New York isn't accommodated. This merely seems like 16 tons of pressure. It's actually weightless. No way does Kahn capitulate. I suspect he can conjure up a more subtle way to show his gratitude than repay Walsh with Rubio. That would be tantamount to sleeping with your ex-wife. That would be like begging to get fired. New York Post

What also appears unlikely, despite some baseless reports out of Spain, is that either will be involved in a potential trade for Timberwolves draft pick Ricky Rubio. The Knicks' interest in the Spanish guard is not great enough to take back a contract, which is the only way a deal would work that would involve Lee or Robinson. Walsh said he will begin negotiations with both players Wednesday. By rule, negotiations can begin right after midnight. Walsh, 67, likely will prefer to wait until morning, but he'll make sure beforehand. "Do you really want me to call you at 12:01? Is it that important to you?" Walsh said with a laugh. "If it's that important to you, I'll call at 12:01." Newsday

A little birdie said Ricky Rubio and his father were to fly to Minneapolis on Saturday to quietly meet with Timberwolves President David Kahn, who was to welcome the team's top draft pick to Minnesota and chat about beginning his NBA future here. The Wolves don't plan to exert any pressure on Rubio, the draft's No. 5 overall pick, to sign with them. But they will do what they can to accommodate the flashy point guard from Spain without interfering with his current contract status. Rubio, 18, was paid just $97,000 last season to play with his Spanish team, which wants him to remain in his homeland so much that it attached a $6.6 million buyout to his contract. The Wolves have no control over Rubio's contract, but he's considering going to court to get the amount of the buyout reduced as well as negotiating with his team for a buyout reduction. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Kevin Love: How do I say, Ricky please come to Minnesota, play PG for us PLEASE? AND has anyone ever told you that you sound like the lucky charms guy? Twitter.com

Budden: What happened? You ran in the draft late or some dumb s*** like a loser? Jennings: No, I was at the hotel. This is what happened right. My agent is like "Well, we ain't hear nothing .We ain't have no guarantee." So we makin' phone calls and s*** and n***** is saying like "The workouts is great and everything and he's the best point guard but we don't know yet, we just don't know." Budden: They didn't say that about Rick Rubio, number one, and number two they didn't say you the best point guard. They said your jump shot is shaky, you got some potential, but your work ethic is bull****. You averaged 3 points. Jennings: You're a liar. I know you're lying now. Budden: I'm just telling you what they said. Jennings: That ain't nothing but a college person. Sporting News

The agent for Jonas Jerebko, the Pistons' second-round draft pick, said his buyout clause won't prevent him from possibly playing for Detroit this season. Jerebko played this past season for Biella in the Italian league. "Unlike a lot of the European players in the draft, Jonas has a very affordable buyout clause," said his agent, Doug Neustadt. "Getting out of that, that's not going to be a problem." Booth Newspapers

Saturday, June 27

The Houston Rockets have already inquired about the possibility of trading for Ricky Rubio. EFE

What’s strange is how surprisingly unaggressive New York was while all this was going on. They really tried hard to move up in the days and weeks leading up to draft night, but decided to take a wait and see approach once it became clear that Rubio would slip to 5. It appears likely that Kahn initially took Rubio with the intent of “auctioning off the pick,” in the words of one source close to the situation, but it seems like the market isn’t quite as robust as initially anticipated. Rubio’s comments after the draft made it very clear that he has no problem going back to Spain, and there will likely be a number of lucrative offers coming his way from the direction of Real Madrid and other top European teams once he returns home. This is likely going to be a long and drawn out process, and it’s very possible that we see teams like Dallas, New Jersey, New York and Indiana get back into the mix. DraftExpress.com

A person with knowledge of the situation said Rubio - who worked out for only one team, the Kings - had been pushing for the Knicks and Mike D'Antoni's system all along. Rubio's camp has wanted New York - or another big market - mainly because his endorsement opportunities would be more lucrative and, therefore, would enable him to pay for a ridiculously expensive buyout with his Spanish team, DKV Joventut. The source indicated, however, that the previously reported $6.6-million price tag is higher than the actual buyout. Newsday

Hot items like Rubio have a long shelf life in the basketball-starved New York news cycle. And yes, things change. Circumstances change. People have a right to change their minds. But as of now, Kahn believes in Rubio so much that he's willing to wait a year or two for him to come out of exile in Spain. And the Knicks like their first-round pick, Jordan Hill, just fine. "Kahn thinks Rubio is the best point ever," a knowledgeable, high-level basketball source told me. And the Knicks? Coach Mike D'Antoni, the person said, "loves Hill. Both stay put." CBSSports.com

Just to make sure, I asked the same person early Saturday if anything had changed or was expected to change based on Walsh's planned conversation with Kahn. "No," he said. OK, then. But just to satisfy the endless thirst for a splashy move by the Knicks, what is the best they could offer Minnesota in such a deal? Not Hill, but restricted free agent David Lee, who has received a qualifying offer from the Knicks and can be signed-and-traded after the league and NBA Players Association agree on the 2009-10 salary cap and luxury tax in mid-July. Last time I checked, the Timberwolves have Al Jefferson. No disrespect to Lee, but Jefferson is better. Yes, things change and circumstances change. And people have the right to change their minds. But as another high-level basketball source (note sarcasm) said as one of the media availability sessions ended during the NBA Finals: "Move along. There's nothing to see here." CBSSports.com

On No. 1 draft choice Ricky Rubio, Kahn said the Wolves will give the point guard whatever time and space he needs to work out his contract buyout issue with his Spanish team. "If it means that we have to wait a year, we'll wait a year," Kahn said. "If it means two years, two years. He's 18." St. Paul Pioneer Press

I have talked to sources in several NBA front offices -- and elsewhere -- who are knowledgeable of the situation. Want to know how many of them buy Kahn's reasoning? None. Not one believes it even a little bit. Collectively, the executives rank the likelihood of a long-term Rubio and Flynn tandem at precisely zero. ESPN.com

Sources suggest that the reason Rubio is not pro-Minnesota is the presence of Flynn. ESPN.com

David Kahn: Ricky has one of the most tenacious, most capable agents in our sport, Dan Fegan. He cares deeply about his clients. I explained to Dan late afternoon that we were singularly motivated to build an NBA championship-contending team in Minnesota — that it might take a few years, of course — but that nobody here cared about anything other than competing for an NBA title. That we have only one life to live, and that we must spend our lives trying, as Pat Riley once taught me, to leave footprints. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Kahn also insisted in an ESPN interview Thursday night that he was committed to keeping both Rubio and Flynn and playing them together, but a huge factor in that equation is how easy or difficult it is going to be for the Wolves to play ball with Rubio and his agent, Dan Fegan, who has a history of trying to steer his international clients away from small-market teams. A rival agent of Fegan's predicted that Minnesota owner Glen Taylor would take a stubborn stance if Rubio tried to force the Wolves' hand. ESPN.com

Kahn: I purposely selected Ricky with the fifth pick, not the sixth, to help with his buyout situation. Ricky and his family have taken a very bold step to enter the NBA despite having two years remaining on his contract with his Spanish team. I know that they would have preferred that we try to move to the second or third pick to take him, and I respect their wishes, but my belief was that we need during these next 15 months to acquire multiple pieces to make this a championship-contending team over the next three-to-four years. The price for moving to No. 2 or 3 was far too steep. St. Paul Pioneer Press

If Rubio's agent, Dan Fegan, cannot negotiate a more favorable buyout with Joventut, the Timberwolves will simply wait. "I told the agent we would be willing to wait if it made it easier for them," Kahn said at the news conference, attended by Flynn and Wayne Ellington, the team's other first-round pick. "We want to be supportive and helpful on that front because I do believe the contractual issue is a little thorny. "To the extent that if it means we have to wait a year, we wait a year. If it means two years, two years. He's 18. If we had to wait, God forbid, two years, he'd be 20 when he got here. That's pretty young." AP

Jokes aside, Kahn made it abundantly clear that the team is prepared to play the waiting game for a player who just turned 18: "Nobody here ... will be banging his fist on the table, saying, 'He must be here!' It's a very complicated matter," Kahn said Thursday night. "We need to understand that we're not in control of the situation vis a vis the buyout. ... I think it's too early to worry about that. But I said this to the agent tonight: If any team in this league can afford to wait a year, dare I say two, it's us. Y'know? It's us." Yahoo! Sports

Rubio's presence next season won't fill Target Center, but it will grow buzz about the team created by Kahn's presence, his decision to search for a new coach rather than keep Kevin McHale as coach and his bold, debated moves that included swapping Randy Foye and Mike Miller for Rubio's rights. "I want to give this thing some space, let it breathe," Kahn said. "We want to be supportive and helpful because I do believe the contractual issue is a little thorny. The way I look at it, this was a gift. I didn't see any plausible scenario where getting Ricky Rubio with the fifth pick would occur. It's fine. It will be fine." Minneapolis Star Tribune

Pistol Pete was a one-and-only, never to be replicated in any era, a prolific scorer and exquisite passer whose showmanship would have thrived in a time when entertainment and SportsCenter hits seem to trump winning championships. Rubio? He's 18. I have no idea how much he'll improve his shaky jumper and adapt to the raw physicality of NBA ball. He very easily could be a Eurobust who has brainwashed us with YouTube reels that conveniently ignore his turnovers and no-look flips with no-chance recipients. "I don't see Rubio being that dynamic player now," said Danny Ainge, general manager of the Boston Celtics. "I think he's got a lot of potential. He's a flashy player. I don't see him -- just physically, and because he doesn't shoot the ball very well -- I don't see him having an impact as a rookie." AOL

Hill is also the son of a father who was a cross-country trucker until his wife died of breast cancer when Hill was just 3. His father quit his job to help raise his son, who remembers little about his mother except a recollection he recalled Friday. "I have flashbacks thinking about things I remember doing with her, but I don’t know," he said. "There’s one thing I remember, I was in an ambulance one time. I don’t know why.” Bergen Record

Friday, June 26

Ricky Rubio: "Right now I wouldn't rule out at all returning to Spain." El Pais

Ricky Rubio: "It's surprising that, aside from me, they choose another point guard at No. 6, but let's see what they want." El Pais

Ricky Rubio: "It's a team that would even wait a year for me, so we'll see if I come over next year or not." El Pais

Watching the young point guard's face when he fall when he wasn't drafted by the Kings at No.4 was revealing. Watching his reaction when he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves five minutes later was almost painful. He was crushed. He (and his agent, Dan Fegan) obviously wanted things to work out differently in Sacramento. That's why you have to remain skeptical when new Wolves boss David Kahn - former owner of the NBDL Reno Bighorns, by the way - says he plans on pairing Rubio and Jonny Flynn in the backcourt. Those phone lines to Mike D'Antoni's New York Knicks are probably buzzing as we speak. Sacramento Bee

Kahn said the buyout situation will be an “interesting ride.” He called the complications a buyout issue and said he doesn’t think Rubio will refuse to play in Minnesota. “I don’t think its a destination problem,” he said. “I really don’t. I believe he would have been more than happy to play in Oklahoma City, and with all due respect to Oklahoma City (a very long pause). Minneapolis Star Tribune

Receiving some conflicting info on how hard the New York Knicks did or did not go in their efforts to acquire the No. 5 pick from Minnesota to draft Ricky Rubio. One source insisted New York discussed sending Wilson Chandler and the No. 8 pick to Minny, while another source said the discussions never went that far. This much is clear: Both Rubio and Jonny Flynn are likely flummoxed by the Wolves taking them back-to-back at 5 and 6, and no one in the Garden expects the Wolves to end up keeping both of them. ESPN.com

One source said the Knicks' best chance at acquiring Rubio's rights from Minnesota would be to get him through a sign-and-trade for one of their two restricted free agents, David Lee and Nate Robinson. ESPN.com

"We loved Ricky Rubio," a visibly elated, almost giddy Joe Maloof said midway into Thursday night's festivities, "but Tyreke is the player Geoff thinks is going to help get us back to where we want to be. Geoff, coach (Paul) Westphal, all the scouts, everybody felt this was the right guy. It's about winning. Winnings sells tickets. Believe me, the room erupted when David Stern announced that Oklahoma City took ... Harden." Modesto Bee

Griffin's move to the Clippers was all set the night Mike Dunleavy's team won the draft lottery, vaulting over Washington and Sacramento for the No. 1 pick. The former Oklahoma forward is not projected to be a franchise-changing player, and some GMs have doubts if he'll develop into an All-Star. But with Eric Gordon, the Clips' No. 1 pick last June, L.A.'s "other team" could have two good young building blocks to get back to playoff contention. They've made the playoffs only once since 1997. "I'm going in with high expectations," Griffin said. "I'm not competing against the Lakers. I'm competing against 29 other teams." New York Daily News

I text messaged Baron Davis, Al Thornton and Marcus Camby tonight to get a bit of reaction to the Clippers draft. Only Camby wrote back, which on the surface is a little surprising because Blake Griffin's presence is one of the main reasons why Camby's name keeps popping up in trade rumors. But if you know Camby -- as stand-up a guy as there is in the NBA -- it's not all that surprising. Anyway, here's what he had to say: ``I think Blake is a tremendous young talent with a great future,'' Camby wrote. ``I feel he can really help this team and organization.'' Los Angeles Daily News

According to those familiar with the Curry situation, the guard never worked out for the Warriors in Oakland and Golden State was considered a worst-case scenario. Biedrins plays with a high-revving motor that makes him a good rebounder and defender, although he is foul-prone. He is limited offensively but would be able to run in a fast-paced system. He averaged 11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds last season. Arizona Republic

Brandon Jennings: I feel Milwaukee is going too be good for me. Ready too make things work. Twitter.com

Nuggets coach George Karl not only got a Tar Heel in Thursday night’s draft, he also got a Nuggets fan. Ty Lawson, the newest Nugget, had eyes for the team long before they had eyes for him. As it turns out, Lawson is a bit star struck by all-star forward Carmelo Anthony. “I’m a Carmelo fan, a big fan of his,” Lawson said on Thursday night. Denver Post

Ben Golliver: KP is adamant that Claver was the target all along. He's ready and willing to wait multiple years to bring him over. Twitter.com

Ben Golliver: Pritchard notes Mills "has a passport", leading to speculation he plays overseas this year. Twitter.com

For now, however, the Rockets believed they added two players, Taylor and Budinger, with the sort of offensive games they coveted, and a project point guard with potential to grow. According to a person with knowledge of the deals, they spent roughly $6 million to acquire the picks. They will send a conditional second-round pick to Detroit to complete the deal for Budinger. “We feel the two guys who are going to stay in the US are talented guys who might contribute,” Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. “We feel like Sergio Llull is an extremely talented point guard, a big point guard which are hard to find. We feel like he is a real good bet as a trade asset or to bring over some day.” Houston Chronicle

Though he went undrafted in the first round, his landing site could not have worked out better for Blair. He'll join the Spurs and help them as a rookie while playing limited minutes, which should set him up for a contract in three years. Many executives in the league didn't like seeing Blair fall this far, but there was little they could do to stop it. Most team doctors red-flagged him, which prevented the GMs from taking Blair in the first round. "This is the worst I've ever seen as far as doctors unwilling to put their butts on the line," said a senior executive of an Eastern conference team. "If there's any kind of gray area, they're going to flunk the player." SI.com

Daryl Morey: We targeted JT, Chase, and Sergio as worth significant resources to obtain. Twitter.com

Kevin Love: you can always tell when stern is going to call a foreign players name cause he looks at the card like WTF? Twitter.com

Thursday, June 25

Reports earlier this week had incumbent Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook offering some public friction to the idea the Thunder could draft Ricky Rubio at No. 3 and slide Westbrook over to shooting guard. In fact, Westbrook's quote (published by ESPN) to the idea was two impossible-to-misinterpret words: "You trippin'." But in a draft day appearance on ESPN's Rome is Burning this afternoon, Westbrook stepped back from those comments, saying he trusts the franchise and will do whatever is asked of him. He did reiterate that he feels he is a point guard -- "I've been a point guard my whole life," he said -- while giving off the vibe he didn't want to cause drama for the Thunder. We'll see tonight whether OKC has any concerns with a Westbrook- Rubio backcourt. AOL

Spanish guard Ricky Rubio looks like a kid compared to the other lottery picks. Physically, he's a long way from being an NBA-ready player. Newsday

Memphis guard Tyreke Evans, who is believed by many to be the leading candidate for the team's No. 4 pick in the draft that is just hours away, was the driver in a 2007 shooting in which his cousin, 18-year-old Jamar Evans, killed 19-year-old Marcus Reason from the passenger seat of the car. Tyreke Evans was not charged after a police investigation, but the story resurfaced Tuesday when Jamar Evans was sentenced to nine to 20 years in jail after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and firearm charges. Sacramento Bee

A league source who has spoken to the Kings regarding Tyreke Evans said they have been aware of the tragedy and the prospect's role in it throughout the evaluation process, so it seems certain that they have taken that into account regarding their pick. The Kings issued a short statement when contacted as well, by way of text message from Kings vice president of media relations/basketball operations Troy Hanson. Sacramento Bee

A source close to the situation has informed HOOPSWORLD that the Phoenix Suns are now in hot pursuit of Brandon Jennings. The word is the Suns will try to trade up to at least the sixth pick, with Amar'e Stoudemire as the likely bait, as the Golden State Warriors are reportedly interested in taking Jennings at seven so they can trade him. HoopsWorld

Brandon Jennings, who skipped college and played a year of professional ball in Europre, is not at the Garden. Here's the statement from his agent, Bill Duffy: "Because we do not have a strong grasp of Brandon's draft position. I've advised that he and his family enjoy this day in a more private setting with the people he loves the most. Brandon Jennings will have a very illustrious career in the NBA, and at the end of the day, that is all that is important." Newsday

OK, anyone reading this post knows who David Stern and Adam Silver are. But did anyone ever wonder who the heck the woman is who is always photographed handing players their hat before they walk across the stage? Her name is Chrysa Chin and she is the league's vice-president of player development. Most of the players, however, just refer to her as The Hat Lady. Newsday

Two people familiar with the situation told CBSSports.com that one of the teams inquiring about the No. 2 pick is the Celtics, who currently have no first-round picks. The notion was first floated Thursday in the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Boston's target, the two people said, would be Evans, described by one of the sources as "a Danny Ainge type of player." The question, as mentioned above, is whether Memphis would be willing to risk Evans leaving the city where he played college ball and finding glory and championships in Boston. More developments coming on this one. CBSSports.com

The Sacramento Kings have all but ruled out drafting star Ricky Rubio with the fourth pick and have focused on two other guards: Tyreke Evans and Jonny Flynn, league sources said. The Kings’ front office is fearful of the legal wrangling needed to free Rubio from the contractual mess with his Spanish team, and doesn’t feel strongly enough about him as a “can’t-miss” star to endure the saga. Yahoo! Sports

Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles has become a proponent of Brandon Jennings, a source said and could push to make the point guard the Bucks’ choice at No. 10. Yahoo! Sports

Sources say that Louisville’s Terrence Williams is back in the mix with the Nets at No. 11. He’s on the short list with North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and Duke’s Gerald Henderson. Charlotte is offering two second-round picks to try to get a second first-round pick (in the 20s), but has no takers so far. Yahoo! Sports

The Chicago Bulls are attempting to work a trade with the New Jersey Nets for the No. 11 pick with an eye on Louisville shooting guard Terrence Williams, a league source said. The Bulls currently hold the 16th and 26th picks in the first round. ESPN.com

Memphis is trying to package No. 27 and 34 to move up, too. Yahoo! Sports

The Raptors have been debating all week between DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday. James Johnson has been a dark horse there lately, too, but it sounds like DeRozan has the slight edge. ESPN.com

A source with the New York Knicks tells us that they've acquired the #29 pick from the LA Lakers in exchange for 3 million dollars in cash. DraftExpress.com

Mike Jones: League insider: Wizards talking to "lots" of people in regards to deal involving 32nd pick. Twitter.com

Word is Brandon Jennings won't be in green room. He's got to be Top 20. Twitter.com

Memphis has locked in on center Hasheem Thabeet at No. 2, according to league sources. And Thabeet says he has no problem with that. Rumors that Thabeet wanted no part of Memphis surfaced after he canceled a workout with the Grizzlies over the weekend. But Thabeet said in addition to suffering from a right shoulder injury, he needed to be in New York to renew his visa, which had expired when he left UConn. "I think it could be a great opportunity," he said of playing for Memphis. SI.com

There is still some talk that Phoenix will trade Oklahoma City the #14 pick in exchange for the #25 and the Suns’ unprotected 2010 first rounder the Thunder currently own. We have a hard time seeing Sam Presti make that deal, though, especially now that Phoenix decided to dump Shaq for financial considerations. The 2010 draft already looks much stronger than 2009, and Phoenix is one injury away from finding themselves in the lottery next season. We’d be very surprised if that happened. DraftExpress.com

While much of our attention revolves around the lottery, we don’t want to forget about the rest of this draft, which is likely to be even more unpredictable. We’re touching base with a number of NBA teams sitting inside their war rooms on an hourly basis to figure out the latest, and it seems like we can expect quite a bit of movement to occur in the 17-30 range based on what we’re hearing. “I’ve never seen a draft with so many loose ends this late in the game” one longtime observer told us this morning. DraftExpress.com

Multiple teams are trying to trade into the first round at the moment, with the most aggressive of them still being Houston, Miami and San Antonio. Another team that has begun to explore that option more thoroughly is Denver apparently. They could be in the hunt for a point guard, with the likes of Toney Douglas, Jeff Teague and possibly Darren Collison being their targets. Picks that are potentially available include Oklahoma City (#25), Chicago (#26), Memphis (#27), Minnesota (#28) and the Los Angeles Lakers (#29). The going price will likely be cash. DraftExpress.com

What are you looking for in this draft? Geoff Petrie: “The areas of the team that we would like to address are to get some more creativity, somebody that can break people down off the dribble, more size, get better rebounding the ball and defensively, and try and get some more leadership at some level out of this draft. Now, we’re not getting that all in one player - Magic Johnson is not in this draft.” Sports Radio Interviews

After you draft Griffin, you’re overloaded at the power forward spot. Is there a trade in the works? Mike Dunleavy: “I don’t know. Basically, right now, we’re kind of looking in to those different options. We haven’t done anything in that regard yet, these guys may be able to play together depending on certain circumstances. Overall, I think people know that we have a pretty good front line player that’s available and under the right circumstances we’d move him.” Sports Radio Interviews

Can you compare this year’s draft to last year’s? Mike Dunleavy: “Last year’s draft was a more impactful draft. I think the top 10 last year, you had guys that would step in and play right away and put up some pretty strong numbers, and I think that’s what happened. I think in this year’s draft that the team getting the right player for their team, and their game, and their style of play is probably gonna be the most important thing for each one of these young guys coming in to the league.” Sports Radio Interviews

DeJuan Blair on his knees and why he thinks it should be a non-factor in his draft status: “My knee issue, it isn’t nothing because like I’ve been saying, I got Player of the Year in high school three years in a row after my knee issue; and I got Rookie of the Year [in the Big East] on these knees; and I got Player of the Year on these knees, All-American, a Big East Championship and we got to the Elite 8 and I’ve been fine. So if you’re worried about my knees [chuckle], then I don’t know what to say…” Sports Radio Interviews

The NBA has notified its teams to not disclose on Twitter picks made in tonight’s Draft before they are announced on stage. Twitter.com

An NBA source said Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet is expected to be taken by Memphis second overall. The 7-foot-3-inch, 265-pound shot-blocking machine, who started playing basketball only six years ago in his native Tanzania, could become the next big defensive star. Whether Thabeet has the personality or the finger wag of Dikembe Mutombo remains to be seen. Tanzanians are expecting to celebrate around 2 a.m. tomorrow when their homeboy gets selected. Boston Globe

A source told The Oklahoman on Wednesday that Minnesota, which has the Nos. 5, 6, 18 and 28 picks, might try to move up to No. 3, not to select Hasheem Thabeet or Rubio, but Tyreke Evans. Oklahoman

Oklahoma City appears to have narrowed in on Ricky Rubio as their top choice with the #3 pick, at least according to what most NBA teams have on their board at the moment. For now, it seems like they will be keeping him. While we’re told that the Knicks will definitely explore a sign and trade with David Lee to acquire Rubio, it might take more to convince Oklahoma City to make that trade. It will be interesting to see what the fallout is from Russell Westbrook’s camp after this, as he’s been extremely vocal publicly about not wanting to relinquish the full-time point guard duties, which is bound to happen eventually with Rubio around. Westbrook is currently scheduled to be on Jim Rome’s show tomorrow, so we may expect some fireworks. DraftExpress.com

Latest talk out of Sacramento is that the Kings are no longer interested in taking Ricky Rubio, or at best are in hot debate about whether to take him or Tyreke Evans or Jonny Flynn. A source, however, says that there's one huge missing piece in the picture: GM Geoff Petrie has stayed quiet as the debate has raged over what to do and he continues to have the biggest voice on the basketball staff. ESPN.com

Several league sources questioned why the Kings are debating their choice. Sacramento's climate and geography apparently remind Rubio of his Spanish home, the team desperately needs a point guard and he has the potential star appeal that the franchise historically has had a hard time attracting. ESPN.com

There have been rumblings and suggestions that if things get extremely complicated with Ricky Rubio's Spanish team, DKV Joventut, he might not be able to afford to play in the NBA. Depending on where he's drafted, it's conceivable that his NBA salary will approximate the buyout he owes his original team. In other words, he might play in the NBA without making a penny. Rubio says that wouldn't bother him. "I have a dream," he said. "I want to play in the NBA." The point guard, who presumably could make some money from sponsorships, could not have been clearer that it's not about the money. If his rookie contract nets him zero, he says, "I don't care." ESPN.com

In New York, meanwhile, some interesting remarks, starting with Rubio, who proclaimed "New York is the dream team." There's been late talk that, because of his buyout, he could slip all the way down to eight, but talk is cheap these days and actions speak louder than words. He may have to start dreaming about Graceland Garrison Keilor or Gov. Terminator. Bergen Record

Sam Amick: Rubio not out of Kings' conversation, though. Could still see it for a number of reasons. Yesterday. Twitter.com

Kahn said the Wolves have been in discussions with the Memphis Grizzlies, who own the No. 2 pick, over the last several days, but that he doesn't know the chances of the team making another deal. "What I will not do," he said. "I want to be really clear about this. We will not trade five and six for two. We will not do that, under no circumstances." The Wolves acquired the No. 5 overall selection and three players in Tuesday's trade with Washington that sent guards Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards, giving Minnesota four first-round picks: 5, 6, 18 and 28. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Kahn denied that the Wolves have agreed to sell the No. 28 pick to the New York Knicks for $3 million and said no decisions have been made on any of their selections. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Brandon Jennings has pretty much surrendered the idea of being a Knick: “I doubt if get picked by the Knicks, I think everybody knows who they’ re trying to get," he said. "I’m not really going to talk too much about the Knicks. I would love to be there in NYC, don’t get me wrong, and play for D’Antoni. You see what he did for Steve Nash those two years. But I think any team I go to I’ll be ready mentally.” Fixer buddy Andrew Marchand of ESPN Radio was stunned. He interrupted, "You don’t think there’s a chance?" “Well, I mean there’s always a chance," Jennings said. "It just depends on what happens that night. With the trades, I think kind of shake the draft up a little bit. It all depends on those two picks from Minnesota I think.” Newsday

Another interesting quote in today’s media session came from Jordan Hill, as he was very candid in deflecting criticism he had received from some comments he made in private interviews at the NBA combine in Chicago earlier this month about affinity for nightlife. “I definitely don’t regret it; they asked me to be honest. I don’t go out and party all night, I’m not like that, but I like to have a little fun. When I get my work done first, then I’ll go out and have a little time for myself. I don’t regret saying what I did, they wanted me to be honest and I was.” DraftExpress.com

I'm told that Toronto really likes Jonny Flynn and that the Raptors will strongly consider taking him if he's there at No. 9. According to sources, there is some sentiment within the Raptors organization that they need more of a risk-taker than Jose Calderon at PG, especially if they re-sign Shawn Marion. Flynn, projected to go anywhere from No. 4 to No. 11, would love to go there. ESPN.com

According to league sources, the Raptors are now concentrating more on three players – 6-foot-4 UCLA guard Jrue Holiday, 6-foot-7 USC guard DeMar DeRozan and 6-foot-8 Wake Forest forward James Johnson – with Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn and Duke forward Gerald Henderson dropping further out of favour but not entirely out of the picture. Toronto Star

Despite there being less than 48 hours to the actual selection, Colangelo, given his druthers, wouldn't mind making the pick right now. "It's almost like the draft can't come soon enough," Colangelo said. "Right now is when things get really muddy. All the clarity you had gets a little bit scrambled because as the draft nears, names start to creep in. Is this guy going to go here and if this team trades pick No. 5 -- which has been talked about a lot and is readily available if you are willing to part with the assets they are asking for -- that's a scenario where it would change the flow of the top 10." Toronto Sun

Minnesota began the week with three first-round picks (Nos. 6, 18 and 28) and added No. 5 to the coffers in a Tuesday trade with Washington. The Timberwolves, looking to build around Al Jefferson, are getting their ducks in a row to make a major move. The second choice is possibly Minnesota's target. "I would be really surprised if Minnesota kept all those picks," a Western Conference general manager said. NBA.com

According to a league source, the Wizards are considering parting with the 32nd overall pick - possibly in a package with aging point guard Mike James, whose contract expires after next season - in an effort to acquire a veteran big man who would add depth to the frontcourt. Washington Times

The Wizards, says a source, were the sole team in the top 10 that was prepared to move its pick. That's why there was a trade leak per day oozing out of Washington or from a dejected team whose advances Ernie Grunfeld had just rejected. New York Post

Sacramento has reportedly offered Detroit the #23 and #31 picks in exchange for the #15. The Kings may target DeJuan Blair at 15 if he’s available, while the Pistons like Toney Douglas and possibly DaJuan Summers. DraftExpress.com

Does Atlanta unloading Acie Law for Jamal Crawford change their priorities in this draft? GM Rick Sund has supposedly told people that he will surely target a point guard, possibly Eric Maynor or Jeff Teague (assuming Lawson is gone at 13 or 17), but this might change things for him. Tyler Hansbrough and DeJuan Blair appear to be firmly in the mix here as well. DraftExpress.com

Washington was able to save decent money in their trade with Minnesota, as well as bring in two players that appear to be more equipped to help them win right away than the #5 pick. At #32 they seem to be targeting a big man, although it’s not quite clear if they can find a quality player there. Some options include Taj Gibson (likely gone already), Ahmad Nivins and Victor Claver. DraftExpress.com

Three teams that are looking to move into the first round are Miami, San Antonio and Houston. The Heat are supposedly looking at Taj Gibson and the Spurs are intrigued by Omri Casspi and Jonas Jerebko. DraftExpress.com

The Suns are hoping to pry Oklahoma City’s 25th overall pick, using a 2010 unprotected first-rounder as bait. CBSSports.com

Multiple NBA teams believe that the Lakers have zeroed in on Nick Calathes as their likely target with the #29 pick, and will likely leave him over in Greece for one to two years until they sort out their salary cap situation. Calathes is an excellent fit for the triangle offense as a big point guard who can shoot and has an excellent feel for the game. DraftExpress.com

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge acknowledged via text message tonight that he doesn't expect his franchise to make any trades to get into the first round, acquire a second round pick or to get a player. Boston currently only has the 58th overall pick in the second round. Boston Globe

How are you feeling about Sacramento? That’s probably where your range starts, are you hearing good things over there? Jonny Flynn: Well you know you hear a lot of good things. The first thing is when a team brings you back for a second workout you can tell that they’re really interested. A lot of crazy things are starting to happen now, a lot of trades, so I’m just going in with an open mind and wherever I fall I’m just going to put on my hardhat and get right to work. DraftExpress.com

There were too many questions about his athleticism and height and about whether he had any "upside" left after staying in college for -- Gasp! -- four seasons. But Hansbrough did what he typically does. The ACC's all-time scoring leader buckled down and went to work on chipping away at the naysayers' doubts. "It seems like people were saying the same old things -- that I couldn't do this, couldn't do that," Hansbrough said in a phone interview Tuesday. "But that just challenges me like it always has and gives me an opportunity to prove people wrong." Raleigh News & Observer

James Harden made the unconventional decision to skip out on the NBA’s media session with the players who have been invited to sit in the Green Room tomorrow evening. Harden was in Minnesota today, working out for David Kahn and the Timberwolves. This was a direct response to yesterday’s trade, in which Minnesota acquired the #5 pick from Washington. Harden’s agent Rob Pelinka previously felt that their floor was at Washington following an outstanding workout there, and needed to quickly readjust once they moved their pick to cover their bases in case Oklahoma City decides to select Ricky Rubio. His camp appears to have given up on the chances of being selected by Memphis, which goes along with everything else we're hearing from around the NBA. DraftExpress.com

Terrence Williams: Shout out to nbadraft.net and draftexpress. Got your boy in the lottery whooaaaaaaaaa well thanks for the love after four years. Twitter.com

His name does not appear among the 60 players on the mock drafts published by Web sites such as ProBasketballNews.com, RealGM.com, nbadraft.net, HoopsWorld.com and NBAdraftdepot.com. Hoopshype.com lists his status as "undrafted." "I leave that stuff alone," Suton said. "I think you've got to be optimistic and realistic. A lot of it depends on how you do in these different workouts. You have to self-evaluate, and I can't complain. I've been doing pretty well. "My agent's very optimistic. At this point, you just want to get in and get the opportunity to show what you can do." Booth Newspapers

Wednesday, June 24

While Memphis is expected to draft UConn center Hasheem Thabeet at No. 2, there are rumors that Minnesota could be interested in trading its newly acquired fifth and sixth picks for the No. 2 pick to get Spanish guard Ricky Rubio. Boston Globe

As the 2009 NBA Draft draws closer, the excitement from here in New York is certainly starting to build. I just passed Ricky Rubio in the lobby of my hotel. He had a Spanish television crew following his every move and seemed to actually be enjoying the handful of fans who were approaching him asking for pictures and autographs (As you can see I did take his picture ... I did not ask for an autograph). News10.net

The latest rumor out of Minnesota, according to a source that follows the Timberwolves, is they might want to trade the No. 5 and 18 picks to Oklahoma City for the No. 3 pick. The latest twist is Minnesota’s target is Tyreke Evans, not Ricky Rubio or Hasheem Thabeet. Sacramento, which picks No. 4, is believed to have Evans at the top of its board. Minnesota might feel compelled to move up to take Evans but doesn’t want to give up the No. 5 and No. 6 picks to Memphis to get Evans since that would be a high price, especially since they also have interest in Rubio and Thabeet. Oklahoman

ESPN's TrueHoop reports that Rubio was asked to react to various NBA cities and that his gut reaction to the word "Minnesota" was: "Too cold." Oklahoma City earned a "My best friend lives nearby." And when Rubio thinks of Sacramento, the first thing that comes to mind is: "Nice weather." St. Paul Pioneer Press

League sources say the Nets have narrowed their choices at No. 11 to North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough and Duke’s Gerald Henderson. Yahoo! Sports

The Utah Jazz are enamored with University of Pittsburgh tough guy Sam Young at No. 20, who is a perfect fit for head coach Jerry Sloan. Yahoo! Sports

Detroit is interested in Gonzaga forward Austin Daye and Ohio State center B.J. Mullens with the 15th pick. Chicago also has interest in Mullens and Israel forward Omri Casspi. Boston Globe

A person familiar with the team’s plans said Minnesota is loaded for a run at Rubio, the gifted but raw 18-year-old point guard, and Thabeet, the 7-3 shot-blocker who would finally replace Kevin Garnett’s inside presence. “In a perfect world, both,” said the person with knowledge of Minnesota’s master plan. CBSSports.com

The Memphis Grizzlies select No. 2, and Rubio is widely viewed as the second-best prospect. But Rubio and his agent, Dan Fegan, have made it clear that Memphis is an unfavorable landing spot, and the Grizzlies have engaged in discussions with the Sacramento Kings about exchanging the second and fourth picks, according to a Western Conference executive who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was speaking about another organization’s dealings. New York Times

While Memphis is expected to draft UConn center Hasheem Thabeet at 2, there are rumors that Minnesota could be interested in trading its newly acquired 5th and 6th picks for the No. 2 pick to get Spain guard Ricky Rubio. Boston Globe

Ric Bucher: Hearing a lot of crazy stuff - like maybe Rubio isn't a lock 4 Sac and that NY might still have a shot at him somehow. But nothing concrete. Twitter.com

Ric Bucher: This is usually when major smoke is blown. OKC now wants Rubio, Sac now off Rubio, Mem likes Tyreke. Teams rarely change course this late. Over 4 hours ago. Twitter.com

I’ve heard the Kings are backing off Rubio and looking at Evans and Flynn now and leaning toward Flynn. Which leaves the Timberwolves picking a pair of guards. The guessing now is it will be Evans and Curry. Neither one is a pure point guard, but both can handle the ball, and Curry’s shooting would get defenses off Jefferson. It’s not a team contending soon, but maybe it develops. Of course, they could go for Rubio. It’s possible the Thunder pass on Harden if Thabeet drops to them as he declined to work out for the Grizzlies at No. 2. Then Harden probably goes to Minnesota with a point guard. Bulls.com

The New York Knicks, who currently have the eighth overall pick, are trying to acquire the No. 3 pick from Oklahoma City. The Knicks are targeting Curry, whose dad, Dell, played for the Bucks during the 1998-99 season. Racine Journal-Times

Portland and Phoenix are interested in trading for one of Minnesota's 5th or 6th picks. Boston Globe

Don't drink the Ricky Rubio Kool-Aid....despite Pritchard's relationship with Jordi Villicampa - team president of Rubio's DKV Joventut - Portland is not trying to snag him by moving up in the draft. Beyond The Beat

The Oklahoma City Thunder have hired a prestigious Barcelona law firm to assist them should they draft Spanish guard Ricky Rubio. Rubio has a large buyout with Spanish team DKV Joventut Badalona, and Thunder officials are using the firm to brief them on the country’s contract law and procedures. Thunder GM Sam Presti met with Rubio and his agent this past weekend. Yahoo! Sports

If Davidson guard Stephen Curry is gone before New York selects 8th, the Knicks would likely lean toward drafting Duke guard Gerald Henderson with USC forward DeMar DeRozan also getting strong consideration. While the Knicks have some interest in Italian Roma Lottomatica guard Brandon Jennings, there is talk he could drop to the mid-teens. Boston Globe

Being the No. 1 overall pick will bring comfort to Griffin, the all-American Oklahoma forward, but there will be uneasiness for his peers. “We’ve made it clear we’re taking Blake Griffin,” said Neil Olshey, the Clippers’ assistant general manager. “After that, it gets convoluted. There’s a consensus on who the next three or four players are. The question of where those players end up will be based on trades and movement.” New York Times

It’s no secret the Bucks are hoping to use their No. 1 pick — the 10th overall selection — on Syracuse University point guard Jonny Flynn. According to several league general managers and player personnel people, the odds are fairly good the Bucks will land the dynamic point guard. Racine Journal-Times

But what if Flynn is chosen before the Bucks? Who is their second choice? Again, according to several league officials who have had discussions with Bucks officials in recent weeks, the Bucks would choose Arizona power forward Jordan Hill. However, Hill is likely to be chosen before the Bucks’ pick. Racine Journal-Times

The Raptors seem to have narrowed it down to DeMar DeRozan, Gerald Henderson and Holiday. We're sticking with DeRozan in our mock draft, but well-placed sources in Toronto say that Holiday has a lot of fans in Toronto right now. The Raptors had James Johnson in for a second workout as well. Johnson's stock has been all over the board and he could be a target as well. The Raptors may have a need at small forward if they're unable to resign free agent Shawn Marion this summer. ESPN.com

One rumor that won't go away has the Suns and Thunder talking about a draft-day swap that would give Oklahoma City the 14th pick and land the Suns the Thunder's 25th pick and, more importantly for Phoenix, the return of their first-round pick in 2010. The Suns traded that pick to the Thunder several years ago as part of the Kurt Thomas trade. The trade is unprotected next year, and with the Suns flirting with rebuilding, they don't want to lose it. Sources say the Thunder have an eye for Ohio State center B. J. Mullens and would likely take him if he's there at No. 14. ESPN.com

North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough's stock is rising. While Atlanta, Utah and New Orleans have interest, he will likely get picked before they got a chance to snatch him. Boston Globe

Vandeweghe said Hansbrough was more athletic than people might expect, which is a reason to consider. But here is the real reason: "You get a player who plays that hard, whatever position he is, he makes your team better," Vandeweghe said. "He makes practices better. He challenges everybody else at that position. A guy like that is valuable to a team." Bergen Record

Multiple league sources indicated Tuesday that the Cavs are now mulling some offers to move up significantly from the 30th pick in the draft. Most involve largely economic deals that would require the Cavs to take on salary. Cleveland Plain Dealer

I'm hearing from sources that it's 50-50 that the Lakers trade their first-round pick either to move down in the draft or to acquire a future pick. Mitch Kupchak acknowledged last week they were actively seeking trade partners for the No. 29 pick because the Lakers lack room both on their roster and under the salary cap for another guaranteed contract. Riverside Press-Enterprise

Exchange of the day: Big Ben: "Kiki says you're more physical after playing overseas." Jennings: "Who?" Newark Star-Ledger

Tuesday, June 23

A league executive tells me that the Grizzlies will not take Ricky Rubio at No. 2. They like Hasheem Thabeet, Tyreke Evans, James Harden .. Twitter.com

Two league executives told me the Knicks like Stephen Curry more than Rubio. Twitter.com

Rubio is generating the most curiosity among team executives who are monitoring his situation, particularly with regard to Sacramento. It's widely known that Dan Fegan, who represents Rubio and Jrue Holiday, hired an agent who used to work for Jason Levien, the Kings' assistant GM who left the agent business last year to join Geoff Petrie in Sacramento. Levien's clients went to three different agencies, including Fegan's. If Rubio winds up going to Sacramento with the fourth pick, it will provide plenty of ammunition for conspiracy theorists who believe Levien's relationship with Fegan was the deciding factor. But one Eastern Conference executive described the situation more as "familiarity" between Fegan and Levien and between Levien and the international basketball community. Levien worked for agent Lon Babby when the Kings drafted Hedo Turkoglu, who at the time was the only Turkish player in the NBA. CBSSports.com

Rubio not only will be the lone foreign prospect taken by a lottery team, he could be the lone international prospect taken the entire first round. "It's definitely down from what is was," Heat scout Chet Kammerer said. "It's the same thing that's happened in America: these young kids have come out, and right now, there's just not a lot out there for teams to glean." Last year, 11 foreign players were drafted, including four in the first round. Two years ago, there were five international prospects taken in the first round and 13 drafted in all. The year, before there were six first-round picks and 16 overall international selections. "It's pretty sparse now for what's available," Kammerer said. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

There are those who believe he will be worth the wait. "He is, in my opinion, one of the best passers I have ever seen and has a great basketball IQ," ESPN international-basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said. "I compare Ricky Rubio to Wayne Gretzky in his prime. He sees plays two and three passes ahead." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's no certainty that the Kings will take Ricky Rubio at No. 4 on Thursday even if Rubio lasts that long. Point guard is an obvious need, many teams have the 18-year-old from Spain as the top prospect at the position and the second-best overall after Clippers-bound power forward Blake Griffin, but Sacramento is giving serious looks to Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn and Tyreke Evans. It's a talent thing as well as the uncertainty of Rubio's legal web to renegotiate the buyout of his Spanish contract. Rubio had a solo workout with the Kings on Monday, but unlike most every other session with prospects, the media were prohibited from any glimpse at the light drills, per instructions from agent Dan Fegan. SI.com

Rubio would be the perfect gift for the Wizards if he lands in their lap at No. 5 in the not-impossible scenario of something along the lines of Griffin going first, Hasheem Thabeet second, James Harden third and one of the other point guards fourth. Not perfect for the Rubio camp, which wants him somewhere with a clear path to develop immediately, and that doesn't happen if Gilbert Arenas and a ball are on the court together, but Washington wants to deal, and Rubio being there will chum the trade waters much more than Jordan Hill or DeMar DeRozan. With the degree of certainty around the league that the pick is up for bidding, the Wizards could also have made a move before the draft. SI.com

"I think moving up in the draft is going to be unlikely," said Ainge. "We're not anxious to do too much to move up in this draft." "I wish we had a first round pick because I'd like to take a swing at another chance of drafting a player and seeing what they can do," said Ainge. "There's some intriguing talent in the second round and the late first round," said Ainge. "We have a very good team right now," said Ainge. "We have a very young roster." "There's no guarantees in this business," said Ainge. NECN.com

Flynn skipped the workout but met and chatted with the Nets brass. By mutual agreement, he was not going to work out after he cramped up in a previous workout with another team. If he felt fine this morning, he'd go. He didn't. so he sat. "My agent told me I was going to come in and meet with the front office people and meet people from the organization," said Flynn, who said he has heard he'll go anywhere from "4 to 14" on draft night. New York Post

Former Syracuse University point guard Jonny Flynn met with the New Jersey Nets' management on Tuesday morning, but he did not participate in the workout. Flynn was still not feeling great after cramping up in a previous workout with another team. Flynn worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday and visited with the Sacramento Kings for a second time on Sunday. The Nets were the 10th NBA team Flynn visited with. On Tuesday, Flynn said he's heard he can go anywhere from the No. 4 pick to 14th. Flynn's name is on the list of an exclusive group of players invited to the Green Room for the NBA Draft on Thursday night. This means Flynn and his family will sit in Madison Square Garden Theater and wait for his name to be called. He'll then be brought up to the podium to shake commissioner David Stern's hand. Syracuse.com

James Johnson is already 20-0 as a kickboxer and has MMA fight under his belt. That came as an 18-year-old against 31-year-old Damond Clark. SI asked about that fight back in 2006 but presented it in the past tense, Johnson responded by saying he's still a fighter: "I'm not done fighting," he says, throwing a few air jabs while exhaling sharply for effect. "I think about fighting all the time." Yahoo! Sports

His family's involvement in martial arts is insane: James was called Little Ali because of his footwork, but nicknames are standard in the family. Willie won five world and 10 national karate titles as Tuqik (pronounced TOO-quick). Vi, a Samoan immigrant who began street fighting as a teenage gang leader of the Krook City Bloods in Oceanside—"I would go after the bullies," she says, "and beat up more men than women"—won five nationals as Vicious. Joseph (a.k.a. Baby Boy), 32; Jearamie (Hot Nickels), 28; Jessica (Bam-Bam), 26; Pal'e (the Legend); Scott (Nudo), 20; Mino (the Professor), 18; Nikko (Tuqik II), 15; and 10-year-old Kiandra have all also won national titles or been runners-up. "[J&P's] was like our playground: Every night we'd go there and work on stuff," says James. "Going to other people's houses was weird for me. I'd be like, What do you guys do after dinner?" Yahoo! Sports

Don't believe James is legit? Ask Wake Forest alum and NBA all-star Chris Paul: The Hornets point guard was teasing Johnson, saying, "I keep hearing about your fighting, but you're way too big to be a fighter." Johnson told Paul to stand still directly in front of him, and said, "I'm not going to kick you; I'm that good." Then he did a roundhouse kick within inches of Paul's face, causing Paul to step back and say, "O.K., I believe you." Yahoo! Sports

The Clippers remain intent on keeping the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and they're expected to make Oklahoma's Blake Griffin the top selection. Assistant general manager Neil Olshey said Monday that the pick is not going anywhere. Coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said he hasn't spoken to anyone seriously about trading the pick in more than two weeks. He and Olshey haven't ruled out the possibility of acquiring another pick before Thursday's draft. ESPN.com

All we almost know for certain is Blake Griffin, an athletic Tim Duncan with a Charles Barkley-like first step to the buffet table, ordered swordfish when Clippers management took him to an exclusive steakhouse. Go figure, a guy from Oklahoma who doesn't eat red meat. A vegetarian in search of a venomous slanted springer off glass; sounds like another Hollyweird basketball movie starring Will Ferrell; can't wait to miss that one, too. New York Post

The word on Monday night is that it looks like Hasheem Thabeet will be the Grizzlies' pick at No. 2 if they don't trade the pick. ESPN.com

Ricky Rubio's second Sacramento visit was much like his first, a covert operation that was seen as mysterious and methodical by some, maddening and manipulative by others. But there was one significant difference this time around: he worked out. With just three days remaining until the NBA draft, and the Kings' desire to have more questions about the 18-year-old Spanish point guard answered, he stepped on the floor at the Kings' practice facility and picked up a basketball for the first time since his Euroleague season ended nearly a month before. Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Kings finally got their wish on Monday … Ricky Rubio in their gym. Unfortunately for Rubio and the Kings, he was playing one-on-none after going a month without picking up a basketball. The results shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone. Several sources surrounding the Kings said Rubio didn't blow anyone away. ESPN.com

"It's difficult to show them what I have to do on the court, because there are no teammates and nobody there," Rubio said at the Sacramento airport just before leaving town. "I can't show them what I do on the court. This workout is not my style. I need my teammates around me to play basketball. I was alone." Sacramento Bee

Most importantly, the Kings got word that Rubio was making progress on a deal with his club in Spain, DKV Joventut, that will lower his buyout to roughly $4 million. When you factor in that Rubio will be allowed to make his payments over several years, there is no longer a huge financial impediment for Rubio to come to the draft. ESPN.com

Rubio is generating the most curiosity among team executives who are monitoring his situation, particularly with regard to Sacramento. It's widely known that Dan Fegan, who represents Rubio and Jrue Holiday, hired an agent who used to work for Jason Levien, the Kings' assistant GM who left the agent business last year to join Geoff Petrie in Sacramento. Levien's clients went to three different agencies, including Fegan's. If Rubio winds up going to Sacramento with the fourth pick, it will provide plenty of ammunition for conspiracy theorists who believe Levien's relationship with Fegan was the deciding factor. But one Eastern Conference executive described the situation more as "familiarity" between Fegan and Levien and between Levien and the international basketball community. Levien worked for agent Lon Babby when the Kings drafted Hedo Turkoglu, who at the time was the only Turkish player in the NBA. CBSSports.com

We recently talked to front office personnel people from two different NBA teams who have seen Rubio several times. One had an optimistic outlook for Rubio and the other displayed a healthy dose of skepticism. Each asked not to be identified so they will be referred to as Evaluator No. 1 and Evaluator No. 2. “I’m a fan and think that people always look for the negative, saying he can’t shoot and is scrawny,” said Evaluator No. 1. “Remember, at 17 he played in the Olympics against the greatest players in the world and when asked who impressed them, the Olympians said Rudy Fernandez and Ricky Rubio.” HoopsHype.com

“His basketball IQ is off the chart and he is one of the best greatest passers I have ever seen,” Evaluator No. 1 said. “He has a chance to be special.” Even Evaluator No. 1, admitted that there are legitimate concerns about Rubio’s athleticism. “If he only remains a good athlete and he is now a good athlete, not elite, then maybe he won’t be a superstar,” he said. “But I believe you have a starting point guard which in our league has become an elite position.” HoopsHype.com

Evaluator No. 2 acknowledged that Rubio has talent, but he thinks he has been over-hyped. “I never saw a guy who has drawn as much varied opinion,” Evaluator No. 2 said. “He is a brain-first, clever and tricky player, but I don’t know if his physical package is built to stand the test of time.” Evaluator No. 2 says he feels that Rubio is worthy of a first round choice, just not as high as others are suggesting. “I don’t see him being picked near No. 2 or 3,” he said. “I see him as one of those point guards who has a chance to be OK like a bunch of other players, but I don’t see him as a savior.” HoopsHype.com

At the same time, Rubio's flaws scare numerous talent scouts more than just a little bit. "Ricky has a big upside," a Western Conference coach concedes. "Nevertheless, he's very light, like Steve Nash only without the offense. He has no mid-range game, never gets to the free throw line and is a defensive liability due to his lack of strength and size. "Ricky makes sense for a team loaded with great outside shooters, because he can make plays," the coach continued. "He would've been a perfect fit for the Suns under Mike D'Antoni, and he could play for him with the Knicks because they don't worry about playing defense. New York Post

The Wolves are working today to set up at least meetings or interviews with Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet as they continue to explore options for Thursday’s draft. Sounds like the Wolves are next on Rubio’s list of teams to talk to after he leaves a workout in Sacramento this afternoon. Not sure if that means in person or not. Minneapolis Star Tribune

I asked yesterday what the Wizards would do if Ricky Rubio slipped to five. Grunfeld said that even though Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet didn't work out for the Wizards, it would be no problem if one or them slipped down to No. 5. "We've seen enough of them all to know what we need to do," Grunfeld said. "Last year, we drafted JaVale McGee and he never worked out for us, that never stopped us from drafting someone. Having someone in for a workout is just a small part of the scouting process." Washington Post

And just as Kings GM Geoff Petrie was getting ready to pass -- reports were that Tyreke Evans or Jonny Flynn moved ahead on their draft board -- Rubio's people made sure the New York media got wind of the Knicks interest, regardless of how mild it was. But the Knicks had already decided not to have this meeting afterall. "I don't need to, really," Walsh said. "I know he's a good player." Newsday

David Kahn has been doing more background checks on Thabeet as well and earlier today was trying to set up something with agent Bill Duffy but they were playing phone tag. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Danny Ainge: "Most of the players in the first round I wouldn't trade for J.R. Giddens or Bill Walker..." Twitter.com

UCLA's Jrue Holiday was feeling the pressure. He was in New York today for a callback with the Knicks -- a team he would love to go to at No. 8. His first audition wasn't all that it should've been. He was overshadowed by more experienced players like Stephen Curry and Gerald Henderson. He struggled to shut down Curry defensively. He got frustrated. A little down. And then those old feelings of self-doubt, the ones that were on display all season at UCLA, started creeping up. ESPN.com

The Knicks were down on his first workout, but recognized that he could do better and invited him back to New York on Monday -- this time against Miami's Jack McClinton. The result? "He was much, much better today," one Knicks source told ESPN.com. "He shot the ball better, played with confidence -- he's a special player." ESPN.com

As of Sunday night, the Knicks had Jennings ranked slightly ahead. Jennings' workout in New York was full of sizzle and bravado and surprised the Knicks' brass, who thought he'd be less polished. Basketball guru Sonny Vaccaro, who orchestrated Jennings' year in Italy this past season, began telling people that Jennings was going to prove everyone wrong on draft night -- alluding to New York as a possible destination, according to sources who talked to Vaccaro. Is Sonny speaking too soon? The word I got out of New York on Monday was mixed. On the one hand, the Knicks had originally had Holiday ranked higher and were persuaded that his size and versatility made him a better pick. On the other, Jennings seems to have the makeup to be a star in the NBA. ESPN.com

The Nets host their final workout tomorrow and it seems their pick will come out of this group. As you already knew, Johnny Flynn, Brandon Jennings and Tyler Hansbrough are coming in, but Terrence Williams and Gerald Henderson have been added, too. For Williams and Henderson it's a second look. Bergen Record

The Bulls have held trade talks with several teams about packaging picks Nos. 16 and 26 into one higher selection, with two league sources insisting the target is Duke shooting guard Gerald Henderson. Chicago Tribune

Word is that Portland is extremely active in its attempts to trade up from No. 24 to an area from 8-14, where the Blazers are confident they could land a point guard. Portland hosted North Carolina's Ty Lawson for a workout Monday. A person familiar with the situation said the Blazers explored a trade involving the Suns' No. 8 pick. That deal also would've involved Stoudemire, a scenario that would've presented billionaire Paul Allen with three max players to pay over the next few years -- Stoudemire, Brandon Roy, and LaMarcus Aldridge. Those are big-ticket items, even for Allen. CBSSports.com

However, with the Blazers possessing the 24th pick in the 2009 draft, the number of teams interested in their intentions is far fewer than two years ago. "What smoke screen could we put out there at 24?" Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "I'm picking at 24, and I'm not picking up high in the draft. There's always more action up top." All the draft speculation wears on the minds of players. "We try to joke around with the (general managers) and ask them who'll they'll pick. But they'll never tell us," said UCLA guard Darren Collison, who is expected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick. "There's nothing we can do. We can only control what we do on the court." Oregonian

The Blazers have been making inquiries all over the first round. Their main target has been Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, a burly power forward who plays with a toughness the Blazers lack and coach Nate McMillan would appreciate. ESPN.com

Jodie Meeks told me he hasn't received a draft promise, contrary to reports. I'm not sure what I expected him to say. But there you go. Twitter.com

Unlike many NBA teams, the Cavaliers are on solid financial footing and willing to spend money. That means there’s a possibility, however remote, that Cleveland could buy another team’s pick and move up in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday night. The Cavaliers own the 30th and final pick in the first round and the 16th choice in the second (46th overall), but owner Dan Gilbert has made it clear to general manager Danny Ferry that he’s willing to spend money if it will improve the team’s chances of winning an NBA title. The Cavaliers can pay up to $3 million to acquire another club’s pick, and a number of financially strapped organizations will probably be willing to consider that offer. Houston Chronicle

If Taylor Griffin gets bored before Thursday's NBA Draft, he might want to find some game tape of the Washington Generals and brush up on his half-court hook shot. The former Oklahoma basketball star was "drafted" first overall by the Harlem Globetrotters on Monday, earning an invite to the team's training camp in Sayville, N.Y. Despite his selection, Griffin remains eligible for Thursday's NBA Draft. "We don't contact guys personally before they're drafted," said Globetrotter coach "Sweet" Lou Dunbar. Oklahoman

Monday, June 22

Thunder GM Sam Presti flew to L.A. on Saturday to talk to Rubio. He also got a chance to review Rubio's physical and contract -- two important pieces of the puzzle for whoever drafts him. Then, on Sunday, he met with James Harden and Hasheem Thabeet in L.A. And just to make things even more confusing, we hear Presti is now hot for Stephen Curry. ESPN.com

What’s your take on Ricky Rubio and will you draft him despite him not working out for Memphis? Chris Wallace: “We met with Ricky, Coach Lionel Hollins and I flew to Spain within days of getting the second pick in the lottery back in May, watched him play. I’d seen him play in the past and we had a good meeting with him and his family, and our Spanish center, Marc Gasol, accompanied us to that meeting. Ricky has not agreed to come in to a visit yet for Memphis but as we’ve told his representatives, if we want him, we’ll take him. We’ve told that to other players that for whatever reason didn’t wanna come in here and work out as well. So, that won’t deter us from drafting him.” Sports Radio Interviews

So now I've heard Tyreke Evans, Hasheem Thabeet, Ricky Rubio, Stephen Curry, Jordan Hill and James Harden as possible No. 2 picks either by Memphis or from a trade. Going into draft week, the talk is DeJuan Blair, Chase Budinger and Ty Lawson have dropped, while Jrue Holiday, Tyler Hansbrough and Jonny Flynn have moved up. Bulls.com

Just had our media availability with general manager Larry Riley. He said, pretty much, the Warriors are looking at taking a power forward or point guard. I will have more on this later, but I walked away feeling like it’s down to two people: Jordan Hill and Stephan Curry. Contra Costa Times

Terrence Williams: Hopefully by the end of the day I'm a Bobcat. Twitter.com

In a relatively surprising move, Antawn Jamison did not take a member of North Carolina's championship team (I'm half-kidding). Jamison went with USC freshman swingman DeMar DeRozan. But when you read his explanation, you will see the North Carolina connection (there had to be one, right?). Jamison says: "He reminds me of Vince Carter as a Tar Heel -- the build, the body and athleticism. He could've been a top pick if we didn't have the age limit. But he'll benefit from the veterans, and in two or three years, he can be a household name." Washington Post

Brandon Jennings on alluding to Rubio’s game being overrated: “I think it got a little out of hand. The kid’s not overrated. He has more experience than anybody in this draft. He’s been playing pro ball since he’s been 15. The kid is a great kid. I know him off the court; we did a photo shoot in Italy for Slam Magazine and that was awesome. No disrespect to the kid. I think since he’s the best point guard in this draft and I want to be the best point guard in the draft, I’m just a competitor and I just want to compete against the best.” Sports Radio Interviews

Chris Herrington: Griz draft workout: Marcus Thornton (powerful, three-point range) impressive, Danny Green (stiff, can't handle) slightly disappointing. Twitter.com

According to a source close to Rubio, the $6.6 million buyout of the Spanish point guard's contract with his current team, DKV Joventut, will likely be reduced today or tomorrow to an amount where "he knows he'll be able to make the payments," the source said. The resolution of that element of the Rubio equation will, in effect, clear a major obstacle for teams that are considering drafting him Thursday but have concerns about when he would join their team. And that, of course, includes the Kings. Sacramento Bee

Rubio's eventual NBA team is only permitted to pay $500,000 of a buyout, meaning the rest of the undetermined amount will be paid by Rubio. Because he made approximately $97,000 last season with DKV Joventut, his representatives had asked an arbitrator to settle the matter while claiming the buyout is disproportionate to his salary. They also claimed Rubio never signed his contract when it was drafted when he was 16, although he reportedly did sign an addendum last season. - Sam Amick. Sacramento Bee

Speaking of Rubio, do we have a second player openly telling the Grizzlies that they aren’t interested in playing in Memphis? From what we can gather, it doesn’t seem like Thabeet’s camp is all that enamored with the direction Memphis is heading in, and there seems to be strong indications that he feels very good about his chances of being drafted by Oklahoma City, with one NBA source going as far as to say that the chances of him being picked there if available are “100%.” DraftExpress.com

That would probably be news to Ricky Rubio, who Oklahoma City spent the last day and a half with in Los Angeles meeting with alongside his family. Sam Presti also took time out on Sunday evening to meet with James Harden, which is Oklahoma City’s third meeting with him so far, including his workout at their facility and an interview at the NBA combine in Chicago. DraftExpress.com

The Knicks have not given up hope on Ricky Rubio and are still trying to interview the 18-year-old Spanish point guard phenom this week before Thursday's NBA Draft, according to a source. Rubio will be in New York for the draft but hasn't worked out for teams. Rubio visited Sacramento, but did not work out. New York Post

The wildcard in all this are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who could throw a wrench in things by trading up to #2 to take Ricky Rubio. Sources say that Rubio’s camp has warmed up significantly to David Kahn and the Timberwolves organization as of late, and that they would not be opposed to him landing there. The catch is that the rookie scale salary slot of the #6 pick would not be sufficient in terms of satisfying Rubio’s gigantic buyout from DKV Joventut, so Kahn would have to trade into the top three to make that happen. DraftExpress.com

In other Warriors news, it appears that despite not having worked him out, Stephen Curry is the team’s main target should he be available with the 7th pick. Other options include Jordan Hill, Tyreke Evans and James Johnson. DraftExpress.com

At this point, Kahn is holding firm on not putting Kevin Love on the table for the right to move up in the draft, and is instead trying to acquire another pick to entice Memphis to swap with them. As other media outlets have reported, they are targeting Washington’s #5 pick, but are only offering some combination of Randy Foye, Mike Miller and the #18 pick, which probably won’t get it done. DraftExpress.com

The Timberwolves brought a number of guards in over the weekend, including Flynn, Evans, Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson and Jeff Teague. From what I gather, Evans won some hearts in Minnesota and Flynn stole a few as well. As for Jennings, it sounds like they'll pass. ESPN.com

According to a league source, the Wizards attempted to set up something with Holiday but Holiday's agent did not want him to work out for the team. Holiday's agent? Dan Fegan. Yep, the same Fegan who doesn't want Rubio in the same time zone as the Wizards. The source didn't say why Holiday wouldn't come, but if you recall, Fegan was concerned about Rubio sharing the floor with his former client, Gilbert Arenas. Washington Post

Typically there are 15 players invited to attend, but the NBA reserves the right to bring in less or more at their judgment. Right now we know about 13 players that have confirmed. Here are the invites, from what we’ve been able to gather: 1. Blake Griffin 2. James Harden 3. Hasheem Thabeet 4. Ricky Rubio 5. Jordan Hill 6. Tyreke Evans 7. Stephen Curry 8. Jonny Flynn 9. Demar DeRozan 10. Jrue Holiday 11. Gerald Henderson 12. Brandon Jennings 13. Tyler Hansbrough 14. B.J. Mullens (potentially declining) 15. James Johnson (declining invite) 16. Eric Maynor (potentially declining) DraftExpress.com

The biggest snubs would likely be considered Terrence Williams, Austin Daye, Earl Clark and DeJuan Blair. There is apparently still a chance that one or more of them could make it to the Green Room when it’s all said and done, as at least one snubbed agent thinks that “discussions are on-going.” We were unable to confirm whether Ty Lawson was invited or not. DraftExpress.com

There was one rumor that caught some internet buzz but has not emerged anywhere else. The website NBADraft.net suggested the Knicks were pushing Wilson Chandler to the Wizards for the No. 5. I asked around. Heard nothing but crickets. Since neither David Lee nor Nate Robinson can be moved in draft night, reality suggests Chandler may be the lone chance for the Knicks to move up, if that's the plan. Newsday

UCLA freshman guard Jrue Holiday is in town Monday for his second workout with the Knicks. The decision to ask Holiday for a second look can mean one of two things: he is the Knicks back-up plan for the NBA Draft if Stephen Curry is not around. The least likely scenario is that the Knicks are trying to inflate Holiday’s value this way a player they really covet falls to them at No. 8. New York Daily News

Today came word from the Associated Press that Hasheem Thabeet canceled his workout with the Memphis Grizzlies, citing a shoulder injury. "Thabeet was a combination of he's had some shoulder situations and he wanted to talk to some other teams," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said of the 7-foot-3 center out of Connecticut. "It's also what goes on this time of the year with guys showing, not showing, that type of thing. The gamesmanship of the draft." DraftExpress.com

A quick call to Thabeet’s agent, Ugo Udezue, seems to indicate differently. “He has scheduling issues,” Udezue told us. “He has to come to New York to see his family real quick.” DraftExpress.com

Digging a bit deeper, though, it simply seems like Thabeet just isn’t interested in working out for anyone at this point, since he does not feel like that setting is conducive to his strengths. “He’s not going to block shots in a workout, and that’s what he’s going to do in the NBA,” Udezue told us. “What are they going to do, have Hasheem shoot 3-pointers? Ricky Rubio is not doing any workouts either.” DraftExpress.com

At any rate, Thabeet's financial status will be making a decided upgrade come Thursday. "I knew athletics could be a way for me to provide for my family, " Thabeet said by phone last week while going through final pre-draft workouts in Los Angeles. "Thank God I was able to come here, stay humble and work hard. "So this is a very exciting time for me." New Orleans Times-Picayune

B.J. Mullens worked out for the Philadelphia 76ers (#17) on Sunday, and is scheduled to work out for Chicago (#16) on Tuesday. While many NBA teams we spoke with have picked up on the rumor that he may have a promise from Detroit at 15, things don’t really seem to add up here. If anything, the Pistons seem to be most interested in Earl Clark, and have reportedly told him as much, as have the Phoenix Suns, drafting 14th. On the other hand, Detroit continues to be very active in trade-talk, though, and could very well decide to move the pick, which would make all of this moot. DraftExpress.com

A pair of MRIs making the rounds amongst NBA teams appear to be easing some concerns about DeJuan Blair’s knees, according to his agent Happy Walters. Blair was red-flagged at the NBA pre-draft camp for the ACL tears he suffered in both knees while in college. He does not appears to have an ACL in either knee now, and there were concerns that he may struggle to stay healthy as his career moves on. DraftExpress.com

In response, Blair’s camp retrieved an MRI from November of 2008 done at Pittsburgh for doctors to compare with the MRI of his knees from the pre-draft camp earlier this month. The specialists found that there had been “no deterioration in the situation of his knees whatsoever over the course of the season,” which has been conveyed to the doctors of various NBA teams that are most interested in Blair at the moment. DraftExpress.com

Dr. Jeffrey Crippin, one of the leading experts in the world on liver disorders, has given DeMarre Carroll a positive evaluation that has eased the concerns of several NBA teams, Carroll’s agent Mark Bartelstein told DraftExpress. DraftExpress.com

Carroll was put through a liver biopsy procedure, which showed no signs of deterioration from when he first diagnosed with a disorder a year and a half ago. In a letter sent out to every NBA team outlining the test, results and prognosis, the chances given of something happening to Carroll’s liver that would impact his pro career was estimated at “1-2% at most.” In other words, there is “a negligible risk that his liver situation would have any effect on NBA career,” and that if anything needed to be done, it would be “20-25 years from now.” DraftExpress.com

I get the feeling the Jazz are seriously interested in drafting Oklahoma forward Taylor Griffin, if he's still on the board when they make the 50th overall pick in the second round. Salt Lake Tribune

The draft is Thursday. Fans are devouring mock drafts and player biographies and learning hard-to-pronounce European names. They are refreshing Web pages every few hours to read the latest insights from people like Givony, NBADraft.net’s Aran Smith and ESPN’s Chad Ford. It should be a glorious time. It isn’t. “I hate mock drafts,” Ford said. “I just think they’re a joke.” New York Times

Most executives consider it a weak draft, filled with role players but devoid of potential stars. Front offices are torn. Several lottery teams are trying to trade their picks, so predicting who will go where is nearly impossible. “Right now 80 to 90 percent of the teams don’t know who they’re going to pick,” Givony said. “So for people to think that we can 100 percent say what’s going to happen, I think it’s kind of ridiculous.” New York Times

Indeed, the executive said that he had given false information about his intentions to a rival general manager, just to see if that person would repeat it to a reporter. (He did.) “Most G.M.’s are going to use mock drafts for the purpose of misdirection,” he said. “The only problem there is that if you have a relationship with one of these individuals and after draft day you make them look stupid, they’re not going to forget that.” New York Times

How did you become the NBA Draft guru for ESPN.com? Chad Ford: I started a Web site in 1996 called Sportstalk.com. Our idea was to do something that ended up being kind of the forerunner of blogs and Hoopshype. A number of people in the league, from agents to coaches to GMs began reading it religiously. And over time I just began to develop relationships with them. Eventually our Web site was bought by ESPN in 2001. Oklahoman

Sunday, June 21

Oklahoma City has one chance of getting the Clippers attention regarding a possible trade for the pick-of-the-litter-draft rights to Blake Griffin: Begin the dialogue with: "We're offering Kevin Durant." Past that, it ain't happenin'. New York Post

Boston could be trying to trade up to No. 2 (Grizzlies), No. 3 (Thunder), No. 4 (Kings), No. 5 (Wizards), No. 9 (Raptors) or No. 11 (Nets). Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen are players they might be willing to trade. The Celtics don’t have a first-round pick. Oklahoman

Just as the notion of Ricky Rubio in a Kings uniform is seeming less likely by the day, there is this unsurprising news: he is moving on. A source with knowledge of the situation said Rubio was visited in Los Angeles today by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have the No. 3 pick in the June 25 draft. This matters mostly because Rubio's visit in Sacramento this week came with unspoken terms, an understanding of sorts that a Rubio promise on the Kings' part could have stopped his American tour with just one concert. But that clearly never happened, and certainly not only because Rubio was unable to get on the floor Thursday when he fell ill. Sacramento Bee

From what I am hearing, the Kings are among the many teams whose scouts and personnel experts are all over the place - say, five votes going for five different players. Ultimately, Geoff Petire makes the decision, and his draft record is excellent. All of which makes me wonder whether the front office's disagreement about Ricky Rubio's value means anything. In other words, I find it hard to believe that a team president who appreciated the entertainment value of drafting Jason Williams isn't secretly enamored of the 6-foot-5 Spanish star. Sacramento Bee

Davidson guard Stephen Curry is in the Kings' conversation, one of four players I've been told will be discussed for the No. 4 pick by what remains an undecided Kings' front office and scouting staff. The others are Syracuse's Jonny Flynn, Spaniard Ricky Rubio, and Memphis' Tyreke Evans, two of whom will be on hand tomorrow (Flynn and Evans) to share the floor with Curry and see who can win the latest round in this fight to be fourth. Sacramento Bee

The Grizzlies held their second major draft workout Friday morning with former Arizona State swingman James Harden, considered a darkhorse candidate for the #2 pick. Harden had, frankly, a terrible workout, missing an avalanche of jumpshots while dealing with the stifling defense of small orange cones. Arguably worse than all the missed shots was how clearly frustrated Harden got. Memphis Flyer

Afterward, a team official pulled me aside and said 'Look, we both know that was one of the worst workouts we've seen, but we've seen this kid enough to know what he can do." Harden, who shot 50% from the floor and 38% from three last year at Arizona State, is clearly a better shooter than he showed. (And he did find his rhythm toward the end, hitting 19 of 25 going around the horn on long two-point shots and a somewhat less impressive but still respectable 13-25 from three in the same drill.) And he may have been hobbled slightly by recovering from a minor ankle injury and recent sickness. Memphis Flyer

An NBA scout said that Memphis freshman combo guard Tyreke Evans is expected to go in the top six. Boston Globe

As we draw closer to Thursday's NBA draft, the rumors figure to start flying fast and furious as teams try to either move up or move down, or even out, of the draft. Here's another interesting one involving the Wizards. In the past week, I've spoken to two different league sources that have linked Minnesota to the Wizards as a possible trade partner for that No. 5 pick in the draft. Washington Times

According to one insider, the Timberwolves (who already have the sixth, 18th and 28th picks in the draft) disparately want to move up in order to land UConn big man Hasheem Thabeet. Another report has them badly wanting Rubio. Either way, the T'Wolves are said to be craving Memphis' No. 2 pick, but believe to land it, they need to offer two top-six picks in the draft. Enter the Wizards. Washington Times

Another league source confirmed Minnesota has been haggling to land the Wizards 5th pick, but called it unlikely that the teams would be able to reach an agreement. The source said there is, however, a possibility that Minnesota would be able to work a deal with Oklahoma City to obtain the third pick. Washington Times

And one other note. Bryan Colangelo has been awfully forthright lately discussing the top prospects in this draft. It seems a little odd to me, considering he likes to keep his cards extremely close to the vest. He has been open in the past, ie. he talked up Andrea Bargnani quite a bit prior to the 2006 draft, but more often, he is quite cagey. However, he and assistant GM Masai Ujiri have been quite effusive in their praise for DeMar DeRozan, leading to speculation that they have even promised him they will pick him if available at nine. Toronto Sun

The Pistons (15th) and Bulls (16th) are expected to give strong consideration to Ohio State center B.J. Mullens if he is still available when they select. Boston Globe

The chatter in the league is that the Cavs are very interested in moving up in the draft. They have been talking to teams just outside of the lottery (starting with the 15th pick) down into the low 20s. Cleveland Plain Dealer

This draft is so weak that someone selected at No. 12 could end up being as good as someone drafted No. 4. “This year’s draft is not good,’’ the GM said. “Whether someone else besides Griffin ends up being really good, who knows? But the general consensus is it is weak.’’ Boston Globe

Working out for eight NBA teams in eight cities over a nine-day span is grueling. But B.J. Mullens knows it's not that bad. Mullens, a 7-foot draft prospect, lived through bad while growing up in Columbus, Ohio. Poor and struggling to make ends meet, Mullens, his mother and five half-siblings spent several years living in shelters. Even when they rented a home, they'd go to churches and shelters on holidays because there the family could get a hot meal. Bucks County Courier Times

From Serbia, Fabrizio Besnati scours Rome, Russia and Spain to dispel some claims and validate others. Besnati, the director of international scouting for the Los Angeles Clippers, annually compiles a list of about a dozen prospects. The list is shorter by the time Neil Olshey, the team’s assistant general manager, makes his trip overseas. It is narrowed to one or two names when Mike Dunleavy, the coach and general manager, makes the trek. This year, Besnati’s list started with two names, each of which was already on everyone’s radar: the point guards Ricky Rubio of Spain and Brandon Jennings, an American playing in Italy. “That pond has been fished out, and we need to give it a little time to restock,” Olshey said. New York Times

Others are hesitant to make the leap after watching the careers of international players get set back two or three years by disappointing forays into the N.B.A. “These guys just aren’t in as much of a rush as they were before,” said Jonathan Givony, the president and director of scouting for the Web site DraftExpress.com. “They’re improving, their facilities are much better, the coaching is better. The gap between playing in the N.B.A. and Europe has narrowed in a major way.” New York Times

Saturday, June 20

Two different sources have indicated to NBADraft.net on Friday that the Pistons have a promise in place to take BJ Mullens if he's available to the them at 15. Mullens works well with the rebuilding Pistons as he's a player with significant upside but will take time to become a contributor. With the Pistons in the process of rebuilding their squad, Mullens offers them a potential center for the future. NBADraft.net

While center Byron Mullens of Ohio State put on a good show for Bucks officials Friday, and reiterated his desire to be a teammate of Michael Redd -- who was his neighbor while growing up in Columbus, Ohio -- he isn't likely to get his wish. Considered the second-best center in the draft behind Thabeet, Mullens will more likely be chosen in the middle of the first round. Chicago, which plans to bring him back for a second visit, and Detroit have shown more than a passing interest in him. "I don't think he'd be a strong consideration for us at 10,'' Babcock said. Racine Journal-Times

Trying to read something into the 76ers' putting Ohio State center B.J. Mullens through a predraft workout today? Don't. A source familiar with the situation told the Daily News that the Sixers remain focused on using the No. 17 pick in the NBA's June 25 draft to select a perimeter player, either a point guard or a shooting guard. The workout for Mullens appears to be a case of the Sixers' honoring a long-standing commitment. At this point, there seems to be no reason to believe Mullens could be part of a trade scenario. The Sixers expect him to be off the board before No. 17. Philadelphia Daily News

The Sixers are bringing in Notre Dame's Ryan Ayers, the son of former Sixers coach Randy Ayers, as a competitive partner for Mullens. Ryan Ayers starred at Germantown Academy. There also is reason to believe that Randy Ayers, most recently an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards under new Sixers coach Eddie Jordan, is a candidate to join Jordan's staff here. Philadelphia Daily News

The Knicks love UCLA freshman Jrue Holiday, but they didn't like his pre-draft workout June 10, when he got outplayed by Stephen Curry. So team president Donnie Walsh has succeeded in luring Holiday back to the team's Westchester compound Monday for a second workout, according to a source. Selecting No. 8 in Thursday's draft, the Knicks have narrowed their point-guard search to three guys: Curry, Memphis' Tyreke Evans and Holiday, in that order. There's a strong chance Curry and Evans will not be around at 8, and the Knicks have considered moving up. New York Post

Trade rumors abound. We tried to ask team pres Rod Thorn but he declined to discuss anything specific in any way. He did, however, say a trade of the pick if a definite possibility and indicated trading it or keeping it is about even. "Either scenario is possible," he said claiming the odds were "about the same" for keeping or dealing. Multiple sources though squashed a Devin Harris to Memphis for the No. 2 pick rumor. "No way," said one source. "Absolutely nothing to that," said another. "Just not true," said a third. New York Post

Some Bucks officials who witnessed Hill's workout -- the media was banned from watching -- raved about Hill's showing. One of them was Dave Babcock, the Bucks player personnel director. "He's a very talented guy,'' Babcock said of Hill. "He's a very smooth athlete. He has loads of talent.'' Racine Journal-Times

Williams said "close sources" told him the Nets were interested so he worked even harder at his workout. "I looked forward to this workout," he claimed. "I know from close sources that New Jersey has interest in me, and I have a lot of interest in New Jersey with that level pick." New York Post

So Terrence Williams was asked whose game he most tried to copy as a kid. He picked a pretty good role model. "Magic Johnson, most definitely," Williams said after a - by all accounts - very impressive workout with the Nets New Jersey Nets today. "My grandpa and uncles told me to look up Magic Johnson. I used to see him always smiling, coming down and making passes, always talking team. I remember they lost by like 30 and he put it on himself, and he had a triple-double. "So I just took that whole thing when I started playing basketball, I just always wanted it to be on my shoulders at the end of the game and I always wanted to make the pass first," Williams said. New York Post

It's looking very likely that if he gets to them the Bulls will take DeJuan Blair. Blair makes a lot of sense as he would work well platooning with the longer and more versatile Joakim Noah at the 4 position. Blair's toughness and ability to rebound would fill a huge void for a team that was 20th in rebounds last year. NBADraft.net

After measuring very impressively in Chicago and testing well in the athleticism workouts, Tyler Hansbrough has been on the rise lately and could go as high as 11 to New Jersey. In fact, New Jersey looks like the likely destination for Hansbrough at this point. NBADraft.net

Joe Dumars has his eye on Toney Douglas and would like to pick up a late first to grab him. San Antonio is likely after Victor Claver who suspiciously remained in the draft, despite a lackluster and injury plagued season. No word on who Houston is after, but Rockets GM Daryl Moray was on hand in Treviso as Swedish SF Jonas Jerebko put on an excellent performance. NBADraft.net

With eight players signed for next season and five others whom they intend to bring back, the Lakers aren't especially interested in using their three draft picks on players who would use up a roster spot and valuable salary cap space. As a result, Kupchak acknowledged he'll likely either trade those picks or use them on foreign players who can remain overseas for at least a year. The player the Lakers draft at No. 29 in the first round would receive a guaranteed contract, while their two potential second-round picks would not be guaranteed. "If we bring back the players we want to bring back on this team, we'll have at least 13 or 14 guys on the roster," Kupchak said. "So it stands to reason if you bring all three draft picks to camp, you're going to have 17 and the NBA only allows 15. We would look to either move a pick, trade a pick, exchange a pick for future picks, or pick players who would play overseas for at least a year." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Friday, June 19

The Memphis Grizzlies are trying to talk tough, saying they’re unafraid to draft Ricky Rubio with the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft, but no one believes them. Nevertheless, Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace finds himself in a tough spot. He has a volatile owner, Michael Heisley, puffing out his chest, and a player agent, Dan Fegan, threatening to embarrass the franchise should it try to take Rubio. Yahoo! Sports

The Sacramento Kings had been the most likely team to cut a deal with Memphis to move into the second spot to take Rubio, but league sources say the Kings’ motivation to do so has waned. The Kings don’t want to give up Jason Thompson and their fourth pick to get to No. 2, especially considering there’s a chance Rubio could drop to Sacramento anyway. Fegan has no issues with Rubio in Oklahoma City or Sacramento, but he’ll be difficult if the point guard ends up in Memphis. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota’s offer of a package that includes Kevin Love and a first-round pick intrigues Wallace too, sources say. Wallace is enamored with University of Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans but thinks he could move down and still draft him. Nothing happens in this draft until the Grizzlies make a decision; then the dominos will start to fall. Yahoo! Sports

The Bulls have talked to several teams ahead of them in next week's draft in an attempt to turn picks Nos. 16 and 26 into one selection, according to league sources. Several media outlets reported that one of the teams is New Jersey, but one league source said there have been talks with other teams. Chicago Tribune

Yahoo Sports first reported the Bulls are trying to shed injured Jerome James' expiring contract in an attempt to free up money for Gordon. Detroit is expected to make a major run at Gordon, an unrestricted free agent, on July 1. Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Bulls are trying to convince the New Jersey Nets to take their 16th and 26th picks to move to No. 11, and one Eastern Conference executive says Chicago’s target is Wake Forest forward James Johnson. Some say Johnson has been slipping and could be available at No. 16, but no one seems sure about anything in this draft. Yahoo! Sports

From what we hear, the Nets, and everyone else, are talking right now. But right now, as of this writing, it seems the Nets will hold on to 11. Of course that could change by Thursday. They're going to get someone on their list at 11: Williams, Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Jennings, Gerald Henderson, Earl Clark and to a lesser extent James Johnson . It's possible they could get some of them a little lower so that is why they're talking to teams with multiple picks. But again, if Williams is the guy you don't want to drop back too far. Bergen Record

Spain's smart money says Ricky Rubio still will be in Europe come preseason 2009-10. His contract mess (being held as collateral for past club debts) is up to a judge to decide. A conciliatory meeting takes place June 23 before the adjudicator grants a court hearing sometime in the future, who knows when. New York Post

Everyone in Sacramento was a little bummed out about the Ricky Rubio visit. Rubio flew into town on Tuesday, had dinner and interviews with the front office and even chatted with the media. However, he came down with a fever and sore throat Tuesday night and wasn't able to work out for the team Wednesday. He was so ill that he didn't even get a chance to sit down with the Maloof family, which owns the Kings. He was going to try to make a go of it Thursday morning, but he woke up still not feeling well and ended up flying back to L.A. ESPN.com

At this point, Rubio's schedule is up in the air. He'll try to get well and then decide which teams to visit. Another visit with Sacramento is still possible. One Kings source reiterated that the organization still has doubts about Rubio, and the visit did little to alleviate them. However, there is a split in the camps in Sacramento, with some pushing for Rubio or, if he's gone, Jrue Holiday. Others are pushing for Jonny Flynn and/or Tyreke Evans. ESPN.com

Sources close to the situation continue to insist that, in the end, the most likely scenario is Rubio going to the Kings at No. 4 if he's still on the board. If he's gone, it sounds like Flynn has moved into second place. ESPN.com

Sources with knowledge of the situation say Rubio's camp still has no more visits scheduled on this trip. That includes Memphis, which has the No. 2 pick and is a team for which Rubio reportedly has no interest in playing, and Oklahoma City, which might opt for firepower with its No. 3 pick instead of a true point guard who could step on the toes of incumbent rising star Russell Westbrook. If Rubio's American draft tour indeed begins and ends in Sacramento, it will say everything about what's to come. Sacramento Bee

Did the Warriors make him a promise that they weren't going to draft a playmaking point guard? Riley was adamant that the topic never even came up. "We did not make him a promise on who we're going to draft," Riley said. "There was none of that. There was no talk about not drafting particular positions or particular players. Our talk was totally about our team and our staff and getting things moving in the right direction. We were trying to get everyone on the same page." ESPN.com

Want to know why Terrence Williams' stock is all over the place? He's an eccentric kid. Not necessarily a bad kid, but definitely different. Everyone loves his talent, but some are just a little uneasy. Someone forwarded this little blurb to me from a Sports Illustrated piece on Louisville in March. I think it sums things up: "The last line of Williams' pregame monologue is a request for all his dead relatives -- his father, Edgar; his grandparents Mary Jackson and Bobby Perkins; and two cousins -- to 'watch over me as I have fun.' Their names are tattooed on his left arm and concealed by a compression sleeve that he says he wears to keep connected to them, spiritually. Williams may well be the only player to wear a sleeve solely for that reason, but he has always been sartorially idiosyncratic. He often wears custom-made photo T-shirts as tributes to teammates and coaches (his Pitino shirt has a shot of his coach playing point guard at UMass in the early '70s), and he sometimes shows up for practice wearing two different- colored shoes. ESPN.com

At Seattle's Rainier Beach High he would wear socks emblazoned with childhood icons (from Barney to Big Bird to SpongeBob) during games and carry his books in a Barbie backpack, just to be different." ESPN.com

Daryl Morey: This is the deepest PG draft in a long time. Quality and quantity are high. Rule changes have indirectly driven the depth we are now seeing. Twitter.com

Thursday, June 18

My radar tells me the Knicks are up to something, and a rival team executive confirms that New York is the rare example of a team that would consider moving up -- in this case, for either Curry or Ricky Rubio. CBSSports.com

Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio flew back to Los Angeles a little while ago after remaining too ill to work out for the Kings Thursday morning. Team officials said Rubio still has a fever and is being treated with antibiotics. The youngster's immediate plans are unclear, though there is a strong sense that he will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder, which holds the No.3 pick - just ahead of the Kings. A return visit to Sacramento before next Thursday's draft day proceedings in New York is also being discussed. Members of the Kings front office met briefly with Rubio at the Embassy Suites hotel earlier in the day, and among other things, thanked him for the visit. Sacramento Bee

Still analyzing point-guard talent, the Knicks are trying to bring in UCLA freshman point guard Jrue Holiday for a second workout, The Post has learned. Holiday worked out on June 9 for the Knicks, who fear Stephen Curry will be off the board when they pick at No. 8 in next Thursday's NBA Draft. It's Pac-10 time for the Knicks. After working out Arizona's Jordan Hill Tuesday, the Knicks will bring in USC freshman shooting guard DeMar DeRozan today for a solo job. New York Post

Somewhat corroborating Ford's report, however, is Draft Express' Jonathan Givony, who was a guest on The Geoff and Gary Show today. Givony said that he'd be shocked if the Grizzlies drafted and kept Rubio, citing unnamed Heisley-connected sources. He then said that if the team stays put at #2 it will be to either take Thabeet or Harden. Memphis Flyer

It's clear that new Timberwolves basketball president David Kahn is looking to move up in the June 25 NBA draft. One rumor that makes sense for the Wolves, who have the No. 6 overall pick and have glaring needs at center and point guard, is trading forward Kevin Love to the Memphis Grizzlies for their No. 2 overall pick. Memphis, however, probably wouldn't make the deal. But if it did, the Wolves could take UConn's 7-2 Hasheem Thabeet. And with their No. 6 pick, they could take 6-3 guard Stephen Curry of Davidson. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Among the other things I have been hearing throughout the day - the Knicks interest in trading for the No.2 pick to swipe Rubio said to be legitimate - are a few red-not nuggets from former Italian league coach and Milan-based television analyst Dan Peterson. The former Delaware head coach, it appears, is not a fan of Brandon Jennings. During our conversation Wednesday afternoon, Peterson ripped into Jennings, who last week suggested to The Bee that Rubio was little more than a You Tube sensation. "Ricky Rubio is not overhyped," said Peterson, who broadcast several of Jennings' games last season for Lottomatica Virtus Roma. "Jennings is overhyped. He has it all backwards. He is all about trying to dominate one-on-one, all concerned with individual talent. I find it hilarious." Sacramento Bee

Kings draft prospect Ricky Rubio, who was supposed to participate in a light workout at the practice facility early Wednesday afternoon, became ill and returned to the downtown hotel where he and his mother, Tona, are staying. Sources say the 18-year-old Spanish star had a 101-degree temperature and was prescribed antibiotics by the Kings team physician. Team officials were holding out hope that Rubio would fee well enough to work out Thursday a.m., because he officially has to end his visit after 48 hours, or about midafternoon. It was unclear whether Rubio planned to visit NBA franchises in Memphis or Oklahoma City, the two clubs that hold NBA Draft picks Nos. 2 and 3. He also could return to Sacramento later in the week. Sacramento Bee

Sources with knowledge of the situation say Rubio's camp still has no more visits scheduled on this trip. That includes Memphis, which has the No. 2 pick and is a team for which Rubio reportedly has no interest in playing, and Oklahoma City, which might opt for firepower with its No. 3 pick instead of a true point guard who could step on the toes of incumbent rising star Russell Westbrook. If Rubio's American draft tour indeed begins and ends in Sacramento, it will say everything about what's to come. Sacramento Bee

Power agent Dan Fegan may influence the draft in ways other than trying to steer Ricky Rubio away from Memphis. Fegan and his distaste for the Warriors -- he didn't like how client Al Harrington was treated there, doesn't like the way Don Nelson handles young players, didn't like the way Chris Mullin was fired as personnel boss, and definitely didn't like the sense that being dumped by Stephen Jackson was a condition of Jackson getting an extension -- has reached to Jrue Holiday refusing a workout. The snub is particularly obvious because mid-lottery (the Warriors pick seventh) is a realistic range for Holiday and he is a logical Golden State candidate as a big point guard to play alongside small shooting guard Monta Ellis. But Phoenix at No. 14 got a predraft visit and, barring a change of plans, the Warriors will not. "My agent isn't setting anything up there," Holiday said. SI.com

The most accurate reports had Rubio in Sacramento over the past two days. Via Twitter.com, Rubio said Wednesday that he "visit the Arco Arena ... facilities are brutal! Medical examination, all OK! Dinner with Paul Westphal, the new coach. Everything's great!" Memphis Commercial Appeal

Additionally, Givony reasserted that the Kevin Love rumors are out there, said he thought Love would be a Top 5 and maybe Top 3 pick in this draft if he'd gone back to UCLA (I agree with this), suggested this might be a good deal for the Grizzlies, and made the point that Love and Mayo have a good relationship. You can listen to the Givony interview via the podcasts at 730FoxSports. Gary Parrish, Harry Long, and I peppered Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace with questions on the station this afternoon. That's not up on the podcast player as I write, but should be soon. Memphis Flyer

We already knew it was a big weekend at the Kings practice facility with Saturday's workout of USC's Demar DeRozan. But the team just announced that Sunday's workout with Florida State guard Toney Douglas and Davidson point guard Stephen Curry will also include returnees Tyreke Evans (Memphis guard) and Nick Calathes (Florida guard). Keith Clark and Courtney Fells will also take part. The fun continues in a big way on Monday, when Pittsburgh forward Sam Young will be the big name in a multi-player workout. Sacramento Bee

Like a metronome he went through the paces all by himself: Shoot, rebound, run; shoot, rebound, run. A monotonous 40 minutes under the watchful eyes of an NBA staff. DeMar DeRozan, one of the most intriguing possibilities for the Raptors with the No. 9 pick in next week's NBA draft, put himself out there for the team at the Air Canada Centre yesterday in a workout devoid of competition. It was a calculated move by the 6-foot-7 swingman under the advice of his agents, giving the Raptors no clue on how he'd react to be guarded or having to guard but giving them an opportunity to dissect parts of his game without any distractions. "I felt coaches get a chance to see everything I'm improved on," the native of Los Angeles said. "They're not paying attention to other players, their whole focus is on me. I think that's a good sign." Toronto Star

The Nets are interested in adding a third point guard to their roster - Devin Harris and Vince Carter have endorsed the idea - but based on what Lawson said today, we're guessing that he's guessing the Nets are no longer interested in him. Why? "I think I played horrible today," Lawson said. "I didn't think I played too well." New York Daily News

One week and a day until the draft, and Austin Daye of Gonzaga and Derrick Brown of Xavier are good bets for sleeper picks, possibly -- and in Brown's case likely -- destined for the second half of the first round but intriguing enough prospects who could have productive careers. Daye may not qualify as truly under the radar because he could touch the end of the 14-pick lottery, so this gets into semantics, but it wouldn't be a surprise for him to go in the late teens, either, and create the possibility of a big return on the investment for some team. "He's extremely talented," one general manager said of the son of Darren Daye, who spent five seasons in the NBA. "A gifted athlete. I think if he matures correctly, he's going to be a good player. I saw him one game when he was terrific. But I saw him [in] another game where you could barely tell he played." SI.com

Ah, yeah. If one thing personifies Tyler Hansbrough, it's toughness. And since the Trail Blazers have stated that attaining toughness is one of their biggest offseason goals, perhaps no NBA draft prospect would be a more ideal fit than the former North Carolina forward. "There's not a split second that he's not going as hard as he can," Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "If you were to mark down how many times he hit the floor today, I'm sure the over/under was five, and you just expect that. He's kind of a lunch pail, hard hat kind of guy. "The thing about Tyler is ... he's going to bring every single ounce of energy and he's going to knock you in your mouth. He's going to get hit, too. It looks like he kind of enjoys pain a little bit." Oregonian

One NBA executive: "I'll just tell you this is the worst draft in decades. People are going to get excited about guys. But this is a terrible draft. Guys are going to screw up big time." He meant his peers. "A number of my colleagues are warming up to it," Mr. Sunshine continued. "I think they're making a big mistake." SI.com

Wednesday, June 17

If they don't get No. 2, sources say that the Wolves are narrowing down to Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans with No. 6. Evans seems like the best fit at first glance, but there seems to be a higher comfort level with Curry. We've had both players going to Minnesota in recent mock drafts ... hopefully by the last one we get it right. ESPN.com

A couple of league sources told me on Thursday that they believe Rubio will emerge as the pick if he's still available, otherwise it's a real toss up between Holiday and Flynn. Rubio, however, may not be there at No. 4. While it seems clearer that neither the Grizzlies nor the Thunder will select Rubio for themselves, the Minnesota Timberwolves are making a strong play to move up in the draft to get Rubio, according to sources. The Wolves have tried to do it by packaging their three first-round picks (Nos. 6, 18 and 28). ESPN.com

Arizona State's James Harden also seems to be in a pretty strong position. In addition to getting a lot of attention from the Thunder and Wizards, two league sources told ESPN.com that Harden is in the mix with the Grizzlies. Apparently, owner Michael Heisley thinks that a three-man rotation of Harden, O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley is attractive for the Grizzlies. ESPN.com

Jodie Meeks is taking his long-range game to the NBA. Luke Harangody decided to return to college for his senior year and a chance to become the leading scorer in Notre Dame history. The deadline for underclassmen who had declared for the NBA draft but did not hire agents to withdraw was Monday. AP

It came as little surprise to Trojans’ faithful and those close to the Southern California men's basketball program that Taj Gibson has elected to stay in the 2009 NBA draft. While Gibson has not formally hired an agent, he has made his intentions known within basketball circles as well as to those involved with the program at USC. Examiner.com

There have been some rumblings around the league that they were talking to Memphis for what would be Kevin Love for the No. 2 pick. But from what I can gather, that's pretty bogus. The Wolves do like Rubio ... but there are all sorts of problems with them trading away Love ... the most obvious is that Love can't be traded back to the team that traded him in the first place for one year. So anything like that would have to happen after the draft. And, I'm not sure that Love is a perfect fit with Marc Gasol. They need more of a long, athletic shot blocker like ... Hasheem Thabeet! ESPN.com

Personally, I think it would be for Rubio to fall there. However, not everyone in Sacramento is sold on Rubio. I think that's crazy ... but if they don't love him, they don't love him. I'd say second best play for them is Jrue Holiday. ESPN.com

Ricky Rubio on why it was a priority to visit with the Kings... "I came yesterday from Barcelona to LA, then today I take a flight to Sacramento to visit the team, the city, and all the GMs. We're going to see what they want about me, they're going to explain what they want. On how he sees the Kings as a fit for him... "It's a good team, they are very good players and young too. That's important, because I'm a young player and when I come to any team (in) NBA, I want to get friends, young friends to try to get with them and we will see." Sacramento Bee

On whether his buyout will keep him playing this season in the NBA... "That's hard, but my agents are working on that. It's a big buyout, but my agents are working on that. I have all confidence to resolve this problem. And then, if I come here, I want to play, so I know that I can play here because in the Olympic games, I feel like I'm ready to play." Sacramento Bee

Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, who would have to commit to a potentially complicated legal process and/or potential trade scenario if Geoff Petrie identifies Rubio as his NBA Draft Day target (at No.4), are flying in from Las Vegas early Wednesday to watch the 18-year-old run through some drills during an early afternoon workout. Details of the session are unclear, though apparently it won't be too extensive. Rubio recently finished his EuroLeague season and has been taking a break physically. Nonetheless, I am sure Petrie and new Kings coach Paul Westphal are curious for a closer peek. Sacramento Bee

The charisma thing. He definitely has it. The Barcelona native walks into a hotel lobby, and people immediately notice. He also is quite personable, not pre-programmed and packaged like so many boring professional athletes. Sacramento Bee

Hill, however, is being targeted by the Wizards at No. 5 and would also be a preference of the Dallas Mavericks, who have engaged in discussions with Washington for the pick. Don Nelson reportedly told Hill last week that if he were still on the board, the Warriors would take him at No. 7. Newsday

One more indication Stephen Curry likely won't last to the New York Knicks' No. 8 pick next week: Following a workout with the Washington Wizards (picking fifth) Tuesday, Curry told Washington reporters he'll head to Sacramento this weeked to audition for the Kings (picking fourth). Steph's dad, Dell, indicated previously that Steph would likely cut off workouts after the Washington session, in hopes he'd last to the Knicks at No. 8. Charlotte Observer

Of course, as the rumor mill churns into high gear with almost a week to go before next Thursday's draft, the Warriors are also believed to be very interested in Curry and another potential Knicks target, Brandon Jennings. There is this caveat, however: According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Warriors guard Monta Ellis was assured by team brass that they would not select a guard and Hill was the intended target. Newsday

Jeffrey Fried, Lawson's agent, told me in a telephone interview Tuesday that several teams have recently contacted him and expressed a keen interest in his client. "There are three teams that are extremely pro-active in getting a pick in the 7-to-11 range,'' Fried said. "Two of those teams want to move up and one team wants to move down into that range.'' Racine Journal Times

The Raptors' pick could have a major impact the Bucks' pick. I've been told the Raptors want to secure a wing player via the draft and their primary candidates are Southern Cal shooting guard-small forward DeMar DeRozan, shooting guard Gerald Henderson of Duke, small forward James Johnson of Wake Forest and Clark. If the Raptors pass on DeRozan, the Bucks brass could have one interesting decision on their hands. Racine Journal Times

Here’s just a glimpse - according to someone privy to that setting and involved in the selection process - of what Portland’s “war room” looks and feels like on draft day: If you saw us in the war room you wouldn’t think we were grinding it out because it’s a very relaxed atmosphere actually. Guys are always joking and laughing – just a group of guys doing what they enjoy. So I wouldn’t say that it’s that serious of at atmosphere, but we do put a lot of effort into it because we do literally spend all day in the war room. For ten days, we're in that office at 7 o’clock in the morning until 7 or 8 at night. We may have dinner and then reconvene again. You ask, what could you guys be talking about all day but we talk about every possible player and try and cover every possible angle. It’s not about this job being hard or fun, but it is time consuming. Beyond the Beat

Tuesday, June 16

According to three sources with knowledge of the situation, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio will arrive in Sacramento this afternoon. Rubio, who is a candidate for the Kings' No. 4 pick in the June 25 draft, flew from Spain to Los Angeles in recent days and will now spend parts of two days deliberating with the Kings about their interest in him as a player. While he is expected to visit with Kings officials tonight and spend time on the Arco Arena grounds tomorrow, it is unclear how much - if any - basketball-related activity will take place. Rubio - who continues to deal with the sticky buyout situation from his current professional contract with DKV Joventut - mentioned his visit on his Twitter page as well. Sacramento Bee

The Post has learned Knicks president Donnie Walsh has secretly coveted Hill, the 6-foot-10 big man whom they would take in a heartbeat over Curry. Walsh told confidants that after the draft order was established he thought a better chance existed of Hill slipping to them. That's because some teams picking before the Knicks weren't in the market for bigs. New York Post

Sources indicated Walsh flew across the country for the Pac-10 Tournament to view Hill at Staples Center. Hill didn't disappoint, scoring 20 points with 13 rebounds in Arizona's loss to Arizona State. "If draft day comes and goes and he's on their roster, it's a very good day for the Knicks," said one NBA GM who has spoken recently to Walsh. "He rebounds, defends, scores, and the key is he can run. Bigs that can run is a requisite in Mike's [D'Antoni's] way of playing." New York Post

No GM in the NBA is apparently more active right now than Minnesota’s David Kahn, as he’s apparently set on “making a big splash in his first draft” according to one NBA executive, and is “talking to everyone” at the moment. One rumor that is making the rounds has Memphis sending Minnesota Kevin Love in exchange for the #2 pick (and filler). Minnesota would then draft Ricky Rubio, which could help them significantly with their ticket sales, and still have the #6 pick at their disposal, which they could use to take someone like Jordan Hill. DraftExpress.com

Mike Felger is reporting that Ainge offered Perkins and Bill Walker to the Grizzlies for the number 2 pick. Celtics Stuff Live (Comcast) has the actual quote: "We heard a rumble today, just a little rumble. Danny’s throwing a bunch of stuff against the wall as he likes to do. Memphis sitting there at number two. Perk and was it JR Giddens?" (Tanguay clarifies it’s Bill Walker). CelticsBlog.com

For most of the year Rubio was the consensus No. 2 pick in the draft. But after the lottery was settled last month, things became much more interesting. The chances of Rubio slipping in the draft seem to grow by the day. While NBA executives are in love with Rubio's skill set, they are worried about his lack of strength, inconsistent shooting and a looming war with his Spanish team, DKV Joventut, over Rubio's whopping $6 million-plus buyout. Rubio has filed a grievance with the Spanish league looking to reduce the buyout. A complicated situation with the Spanish IRS and the team have only muddied the waters. ESPN.com

Rubio's been pretty adamant that he doesn't want to be in Memphis, which holds the No. 2 pick in the draft. While he doesn't have the same objection to Oklahoma City, which holds the third pick, sources say the Thunder are leaning toward drafting either James Harden or Stephen Curry. ESPN.com

Rubio appeared to be a lock to go to the Kings at No. 4. The team needs a point guard and general manager Geoff Petrie has been a fan of international players in the past. But sources in Sacramento say that the Kings have reservations about Rubio and it's far from a done deal that they'd take him if he was on the board at No. 4. ESPN.com

First, Rubio has been avoiding the Wizards. Apparently, his people don't think he's a good fit in the backcourt with Gilbert Arenas. If the Wizards pass on him because of that, I'm not sure where he'll land. Minnesota needs a point guard, but the Wolves seem to be leaning toward Curry and Tyreke Evans. The Warriors need Rubio badly, but they have a pretty rocky relationship with his agent, Dan Fegan. ESPN.com

In the unlikely case that Rubio slips past Sacramento, it appears that Washington will not hesitate to pick him if they feel like he’s indeed the best player on their draft board. The prevailing sentiment at the moment is that Rubio is not in a position to return to Joventut, and that he may have lost some of the leverage he once had by keeping his name in the draft and suing his former team. Many feel like Rubio would be a good fit in Washington playing alongside Gilbert Arenas, but Rubio’s camp apparently does not agree with that notion at all. DraftExpress.com

The Sacramento Kings are doing their best to convince people that they have Tyreke Evans at the top of their board, even going as far as to tell Evans as much in their workout last week. Most NBA people we speak to believe that this is nothing more than them “blowing smoke” in order to give themselves a backup plan in case Rubio is gone at #2 or #3, and also to “stir the pot” amongst Rubio’s camp. The Kings would very likely want Rubio to work out for them rather than just conduct a meet and greet, but as of right now there are no plans for that. DraftExpress.com

According to league sources, the Wizards are trying to shop the pick and if, for instance, they trade it to a team that wants a specific player not thought to be in the top 10, it could knock down a player Toronto finds desirable. Toronto Star

Brandon Jennings, who last week dissed the consensus top guard, Ricky Rubio, by saying the Spaniard was "just all hype," says he hopes to be No. 1. "Of course, I think I'm the best point guard in the draft," Jennings said Monday after his pre-draft workout for the Knicks at the MSG Training Center. "I would hope [Rubio] would say the same thing. Since I can't be the No. 1 pick in the draft, I at least want to be the No. 1 point guard in the draft." Newsday

“I really want to come here, I’m not going to lie," Jennings said. "[Mike] D’Antoni’s system is great for all point guards. You see what he did for Steve Nash, the two years MVP back –to-back and the Phoenix Suns were one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA for those two years. So his system is great for me.” Newsday

Toronto already has worked out a handful of players they might consider at No.9 and, according to team sources, no one has established himself as a "must-have" selection. DeMar DeRozan, a 6-foot-7 freshman swingman from USC, is expected in today to at least meet with team officials, and he's a player sure to be on Toronto's short list. Toronto Star

A number of agents seem to have heard similar things or just don’t want to get anywhere near this situation, and both Jrue Holiday and Stephen Curry are currently refusing to work out for Golden State. The same goes for Ricky Rubio and Tyreke Evans. Golden State is in a different situation that most teams picking in the top-10, as they are under an unusual amount of pressure to win immediately at all costs—or else. It’s widely accepted at this point that incoming General Manager Larry Riley has one year at best to work enough magic in his team’s front office and roster to convince ownership to keep him around. Head coach Don Nelson needs 24 wins to surpass Lenny Wilkens and become the winningest coach of all time. DraftExpress.com

Wake Forest's Jeff Teague was scheduled to work out for the Bobcats Tuesday. He won't be there, and I suspect that's about his sore knee, not the Bobcats. Charlotte Observer

The word out of the workouts in New Jersey was that Ohio State's B.J. Mullens skipped the workout because he had been promised to be picked in the top 16. The top 16 probably means No. 16, which is the Chicago Bulls. Mullens would be a really good fit for Chicago, as he has huge upside and plays a position of need. He's a long ways away, but the Bulls probably could afford to gamble at this point in the draft. ESPN.com

One team that might be interested in moving down in this draft is New Jersey, as they are reportedly very high on Israeli Omri Casspi, but may not want to invest such a high pick on him. DraftExpress.com

I saw a guy Monday at the Bulls predraft workouts who has some real possibilities. I read on one draft analysis that he could be like Ryan Gomes. I see more of a poor man’s Charles Barkley. It was James Johnson, the nearly 6-8 and 250-pound forward from Wake Forest. “I don’t care if I go 21, 22, the end of the first round,” said Johnson. “I’ll be happy to get drafted and I’ll give all the teams that skipped me hell when I play them. That will keep me motivated. I love playing basketball. The way I look at it the money doesn’t matter. If I make $100,000, that’s $100,000 more than I had.” Bulls.com

Although several mock drafts have the Hornets selecting Virginia Commonwealth point guard Eric Maynor in next week's draft, the team has not ruled out the possibility it could be enticed to trade its first-round pick. Hornets Coach Byron Scott said General Manager Jeff Bower is exploring all options. The Hornets have the 21st pick in the first round and if they don't trade the pick, they are looking to take the best available player regardless of position. "I think if somebody comes with an unbelievable offer or tries to buy the pick from us, then obviously we have to take a look at that, " Scott said. New Orleans Times-Picayune

Luke Harangody, Notre Dame's All-American forward, will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to school for his senior season. The source of the news: a Twitter post from Irish coach Mike Brey, posted just after 2:30 p.m. Central on Monday. "Gody to return to the Irish!!" Brey posted. Chicago Tribune

Based on the numerous discussions he'd had with Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez over the past month, teammate Cliff Tucker figured he soon would be searching for a new roommate. Vasquez frequently returned home from NBA workouts and shared with Tucker the feedback he had received. Most of it was positive. So when Tucker headed to a workout at Comcast Center yesterday -- the day on which underclassmen had to decide whether to remain in the NBA draft -- he assumed grim news was awaiting his return. "I kind of had a feeling he was going to go," Tucker said. "He had a lot of great workouts and I knew he was doing good against some of the top guys in the draft, so I actually kind of thought he was going to leave." Washington Post

Following up our blurb from Treviso last week, we’re told that Jeremy Tyler has officially signed with Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli league. This is a move that is sure to bring owner Jeff Rozen and his team a great deal of attention over the next two years. Tyler’s camp balked at adding a third year onto the contract, preferring to have the flexibility of no NBA buyout whatsoever when he becomes draft-eligible in 2011. Tyler will reportedly make somewhere in the area of $200,000 next season. DraftExpress.com

Monday, June 15

Ricky Rubio will keep his name in the draft, his agent Dan Fegan told DraftExpress. Clearly the rift between Rubio and his Spanish team DKV Joventut is too deep to mend at this point, and with the team strapped for cash and not playing in next year’s Euroleague, that does not appear to be a situation that Rubio is interested in returning to. Rubio lands in Los Angles today and will begin to evaluate his options regarding who he may work out with. At this point, the Sacramento Kings are the only team that are certain to get a visit. Memphis and Oklahoma City are not on the agenda as of now, and it’s not yet clear whether they will be added. Other teams who are looking to move up in the draft may get a chance to visit with Rubio, depending on their interest level and the likelihood of them brokering a deal with a team like the Grizzlies or Thunder. DraftExpress.com

Nick Calathes has elected to stay in the draft, as anticipated. Milan Macvan and Aboubakar Zaki have withdrawn their name from the draft, according to their agent David Bauman. Christian Eyenga has elected to stay in the draft, as we anticipated in our article below, according to his agent Andy Miller. Ukrainian Sergey Gladyr has surprisingly elected to stay in the draft, his agent Bouna Ndiaye told us. Ndiaye was looking for a commitment from a team drafting in the second round, and it looks like he received it. While Gladyr is still very young, he's already a big time athlete and shooter/scorer, and from what we saw at the Eurocamp in Treviso, he could end up being a great value pick in the second round for some team. Paulao Prestes has withdraw from the draft, his agent told us. Chinemelu Elonu has elected to stay in the draft. Austin Daye has elected to stay in the draft. Patrick Mills is staying in the draft, according to a source close to the situation. DraftExpress.com

Luke Harangody is returning to school, a source close to the situation told DraftExpress. Greivis Vasquez is returning to Maryland, a source close to the situation told DraftExpress. Jodie Meeks is staying in the draft according to numerous media outlets. DraftExpress.com

Taj Gibson has elected to stay in the draft, a source close to the situation tells us. Gibson is working out in Utah today with Tyler Hansbrough, and based on the feedback he’s received from NBA teams thus far, feels comfortable with his standing as a late first round pick. DraftExpress.com

Christian Eyenga is “still debating” whether to keep his name in the draft or not, according to a source close to the situation, but the “gut feeling” is that he’ll end up staying in. Eyenga is a great case of the new approach many agents are taking towards European players, as he is clearly trying to avoid the restrictions of the NBA’s rookie scale for first round draft picks by entering the draft at a very young age (19). Our understanding is that he “wouldn’t be too distraught” by going undrafted, but that there are still a number of teams with high-level scouting in Europe who are familiar enough with him to potentially take a gamble on him in the mid to late portion of the second round. As you can read in Eyenga’s scouting report from November, we’re talking about a very physically gifted wing player with tremendous athleticism and upside. Once you get past the first 30-35 picks or so, there aren’t many players in this draft who share his upside, even if he’s still a very raw player from a skills standpo int. A team looking to conserve cap space, lacking in roster spots and/or possessing multiple draft picks could find him very intriguing in the second round. DraftExpress.com

Luke Harangody chose the sure thing of being a potential legend at Notre Dame over the unknown of being a first-round draft pick when he decided to return for his senior season with the Irish. As of midday Monday, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey still didn't know which way Harangody was leaning. But an hour before the 5 p.m. ET deadline, Harangody told Brey he was returning to school. Brey said in a text simply: "Gody to return!" ESPN.com

Maryland junior point guard Greivis Vasquez is returning for his senior season. Coach Gary Williams weathered a storm of discontent early last season after the Terrapins were blown out by rivals Georgetown and Duke by beating top-ranked North Carolina in overtime at home, reaching the NCAA tournament and then winning a first-round game behind Vasquez. ESPN.com

I have done substantial research on this and can assure everyone this is not true in any way: That the Bulls have made a guarantee to Mullens. This is not to say the Bulls will not select Mullens. They have interest in him. He's more than 7-1 in shoes and has NBA level center skills with good hands as an athlete who can catch and finish. Bulls.com

Wake Forest’s Jeff Teague will announce shortly that he’s staying in the draft and hiring agent Mike Conley of BDA Sports, a source told DraftExpress. DraftExpress.com

Following a series of strong workouts in front of virtually every team in the NBA, Omri Casspi has decided to keep his name in the draft, a representative of his agency CAA told DraftExpress. DraftExpress.com

Last word is that Patrick Mills is leaning towards staying in the draft. He works out for the Oklahoma City Thunder today. DraftExpress.com

Luke Harangody has not received a guarantee from any NBA team as of yet, but may still stay in the draft regardless, a source close to the situation told DraftExpress. Harangody would like to stay in the draft, particularly if he feels good about his chances of being drafted in the late first or early second round. A final decision will be made Monday. DraftExpress.com

Boban Marjanovic and Vladimir Dasic have both withdrawn their name from the draft, according to their European agency Beobasket. DraftExpress.com

Nemanja Bjelica will withdraw, his agent Herb Rudoy told us this weekend. DraftExpress.com

With just 10 days remaining until the June 25 NBA Draft, one league source said there has been an unusual silence around the league regarding substantial trade talks. The source said the economy is likely the culprit, with the majority of teams primarily interested in shedding high-dollar contracts. "Dumping contracts is going to be the principal thing in this draft as far as trades go,” the source said. "You’re not going to see pick-for-pick (trades). You’re going to see pick and bad contract for pick.” Oklahoman

Players such as Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Aaron Brooks, Mike Bibby, Rafer Alston, Mo Williams and Andre Miller all enjoyed incredible success throughout much of their postseason stints. The list of centers who had significant impacts on their teams? Well, that cluster is considerably more concise. "The game has changed to where it’s not being played with true centers anymore,” said one NBA scout. "But you could give yourself a considerable advantage if you’re one of the few teams that have one.” Oklahoman

Nine of the 10 teams that finished the season ranked in the top 10 in opponent scoring made the playoffs. The common denominator: all had an interior defender or shot-blocker at the center position. (Nine of the 10 teams that finished at the bottom 10 in opponent scoring missed the playoffs. All but two — Chicago and Phoenix — lacked a difference-maker defensively at center.) But on the flip side, with its roster under construction, the Thunder isn’t in a position to draft for need. Many observers around the league think the Thunder should select the best player available, regardless of position and in spite of Oklahoma City’s gaping hole in the middle. "A lot of teams feel it’s way more important to have a Brandon Roy than a center,” said the scout. "A guy who can run the high pick-and-roll, get to the free throw line, make plays for others. It’s not even close. You’re dead in the water if you don’t have that guy.” Oklahoman

Brandon Jennings: One more thing, I went overboard about the Rubio thing, I was wrong for saying he's all hype that's not fair. I was wrong, I guess I just wanna compete against the best. But off the court the kid is a great guy. I will never disrespect him, I just like too go against the best. Twitter.com

Now with just over a week until the NBA Draft, Jennings' infamous, "I think the dude is just all hype" quote about Rubio is starting to hold less weight every time the sound bite runs or is read in interview form. If anything, the fast and flashy Jennings' uneventful overseas stint might as well have earned him the label of overhyped as well – perhaps even more so. "He may have gained experience but his play does not justify the lottery spot he's been given," one NBA scout who saw Jennings play for Rome told HOOPSWORLD. "I'm looking at a player that was very lukewarm to say the least. I saw him a lot but didn't get to see him play much and not particularly well for that matter. Some scouts have a higher opinion on Jennings. But myself and other colleagues who are living in Europe who have seen him in the same context were like, 'That's it? A lottery pick? Oh, okay'." HoopsWorld

It's difficult to gauge Jennings' abilities due to the sparse playing time he received. Limited minutes translate to poor rhythm. He rarely played more than 10 minutes per game and the most court time Jennings saw in one game was 30 minutes. "You can definitely give the kid the benefit of the doubt, but he certainly didn't help himself draft wise." It also didn't help that Jennings arrived in Europe with an absurd amount of hoopla. "That didn't help. If anything it created false expectations," the scout added. HoopsWorld

Andy Miller is already in the unique position of also representing the Sixers' Marreese Speights and unrestricted free agent Donyell Marshall, and said if Maynor and Andre Miller were to somehow land here he would view it as, "Eric being tutored by Andre would be a great opportunity that would add to Andre's legacy." "I would welcome having a young guy with a mentor I trust," Andy Miller said. Philadelphia Daily News

Comments from observers in the gym: “Austin Daye vs. Omri Casspi turned into a real wrestling match. Casspi just manhandled Daye, really threw him around. It was a bit disappointing to see how little Daye was able to compete from a strength perspective—Casspi is a kind of a skinny guy himself. At one point Casspi cut Daye’s lip open--he had to go to hospital for stitches. The Nets should have done a better job of getting someone to call fouls. Casspi was fouling the hell out of Daye. Some of the guys were looking at each other like ‘what are we watching here?’ DraftExpress.com

Casspi was impressive, just like he’s been everywhere he’s gone. He plays hard, competes. He hit tough shots. Step-backs, runners. Then he missed some wide open J’s—go figure. He hits the toughest shots, but can’t always make the easiest ones. He looked like he could be a great complementary player in a 5 on 5. Definitely an atypical player for a European. “ Gani Lawal was disappointing. I’m not impressed. He should go back to school. Derrick Brown -- some really liked him, others didn’t. Darren Collison looked quick, shot well. He’s solid. “ DraftExpress.com

“Paul Harris may have helped himself the most I thought here. He plays so hard. He got in everyone’s face. No one wanted to go against him. On offense and defense. On top of that, his measurements were ridiculous. He came up a bit shorter than expected—only 6-3 in shoes, but his wingspan is outrageous—6-11 ½. He’s also absolutely jacked at 237 pounds, all 100% muscle. On top of that, he measured a no step vertical of 36 inches, which is off the charts. He’s like Ron Artest. “Chase Budinger was awful in my opinion. He just doesn’t play. All he wants to do is shoot jumpers. That’s not basketball. He didn’t want to be there. Didn’t want to compete. He couldn’t put it on the floor. You should have seen his face when he was switched onto Paul Harris. He definitely didn’t want anything to do with him. “ DraftExpress.com

“Dajuan Summers had probably the best workout here. Then again, he was going up against Connor Atchley, so that’s somewhat to be expected. He absolutely killed him off the dribble. He was blowing by him, dunking on him. He had a bunch of really nice dunks. He looked good in the full-court stuff too. He was very good shooting off dribble, but not so good on the catch and shoot. He probably helped himself, but it might have impressed more people had he done it against Damion James like originally scheduled rather than Connor Atchley. You can see that he really thrives in these up-tempo settings, which is something we weren’t able to see too much of at Georgetown. Nick Calathes was average. He did not shoot or finish well around the basket. Defensively he had problems—he has very little strength or length. He is obviously more of a 5 on 5 guy, even though in the 3 on 3 his court vision was very obvious. There wasn’t a whole lot to get excited about here. His conditioning probably isn’t where it needs to be with all the hoopla he’s been through lately. DraftExpress.com

This was a good workout. Greivis Vasquez did a very nice job. He’s had strong workouts in most of the places he’s been I hear. He struggled defensively a bit, especially guarding real physical guys like Jermaine Taylor, or quick guys like Teague. He competed, though, was very vocal. He raised the level of intensity. He grabbed rebounds. He shot the ball OK. Jeff Teague didn’t say a word the entire workout. He was happy to just stand around. He didn’t talk to his big men, instructing them, telling them where to go. He looked a bit disinterested. If that’s the leadership your point guard is showing, then I don’t know. On the other hand he’s obviously a phenomenal athlete. He blew by Vasquez at will. He didn’t shoot that well, though. DraftExpress.com

“DeMarre Carroll was much better than I thought. He can shoot, he can move, he can really play. He was very active. He helped himself. Josh Shipp did very well too. He was labeled as a soft guy at UCLA, but that really wasn’t the case here. He battled with Pargo and Delaney, and he shot well too. Dionte Christmas just knows how to play. He was shooting great, guarding guys, moving well. Paul Delaney was the biggest disappointment to me. He couldn’t make a shot. Taylor Griffin probably isn’t an NBA guy, but he’s a solid all-around player. “ DraftExpress.com

Sunday, June 14

Teague was in Philly this morning to work out for the Sixers, and he's only 10 days removed from a grade-one MCL sprain. But he came back a little early to participate in a group workout in New Jersey on Saturday, and said he's headed home to Indianapolis for a session with the Pacers tomorrow --- which is also the deadline to stay in the draft or return to school. "My coach is going to come back and talk to us, and I'll make my decision then," the sophomore said. "For right now, I'm 100 percent in the draft. This is something I want to do. I want to make it my life. I've been working hard and I don't see why I shouldn't make it my life." Washington Times

Gani Lawal is coming back to Georgia Tech for his junior year. After working out for several NBA teams, the 6-9 forward has decided to pull his name out of the June 25 draft. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Lawal told ESPN.com the workouts convinced him he needs to hone his skills and develop a better overall understanding of the game. “You don’t get that in two or three years,” he said. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Are the Clippers genuinely sold on Griffin, or is the rhetoric simply a ruse to raise the price for the consensus No. 1 pick? Either way, it begs the question just how much is too much to get Griffin the Great? "He’s worth considering some stuff. I wouldn’t throw away what they’ve got going,” said one Western Conference scout who spoke about the Thunder on the condition of anonymity. "He’d be a great addition. But I wouldn’t consider (including Russell) Westbrook. Jeff Green, I wouldn’t want to do it but you’d have to think about it. I would say (Kevin) Durant’s untouchable. But definitely not Westbrook. (Griffin is) not worth that to me. I like Westbrook a lot. The No. 3 and Green, then I’d have to think about it. I’m not saying I’d do it. But I’d have to think about it.” Oklahoman

With a dozen first-round caliber point guards, would Presti be willing to add a player that could back up Westbrook and at times be on the court together with Westbrook, who can slide over to shooting guard? "I don’t know what they’re thinking,” said one scout. "I know they like Westbrook a lot. But this is a draft with so many quality point guards it will be interesting to see what a lot of teams do.” Oklahoman

Jason Levien is the reason why Dan Fegan wants Ricky Rubio to end up in Sacramento. Plus.es

Levien's former clients are now with Fegan. Plus.es

Even if the Thunder were to bypass Ricky Rubio with the No. 3 pick, would Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti consider selecting a point guard with his No. 25 pick? "They don’t really need a point guard, but this is an exceptionally deep draft at the point position,” said an Eastern Conference scout. "It’s the deepest I can remember at that position in a long time. There are 12 or 13 point guards that are getting first- round discussion.” Oklahoman

But from what I'm hearing this weekend, it's unlikely Curry will last to New York's No. 8 pick in the June 25 draft. A league source -- someone I trust to know these things -- said there's enough interest in Curry that he's more than likely to go third through seventh. The only players clearly ahead of Curry at this point are Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin and Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet. Charlotte Observer

That same source believes four point guards -- Curry, Spain's Ricky Rubio, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and (if you consider him a point) Memphis' Tyreke Evans -- could all go in the top eight. Charlotte Observer

Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn, who earlier said he would be adamant that any player the team is considering for the sixth overall selection come in for a workout, said Saturday that isn't etched in stone. "I am (adamant)," Kahn said. "But I don't want it to be so adamant that it's some sort of ironclad, pound-the-fist (rule). I think that would be inaccurate. I think it's important that everybody we look at does come in, so I don't want to back off of that. But I don't think it's something that is such an ironclad rule that it can't be violated." St. Paul Pioneer Press

Kahn said he still hopes to get Curry in for Friday morning's workout, noting: "Today's Saturday. Things could change by tomorrow on a lot of things." If not, though, the Wolves believe they already have enough data on Curry to make an accurate evaluation. "I think that, in his case, he has such a long body of work because he's been in college for a few years and we saw him (at the draft combine) in Chicago," Kahn said. "We interviewed him in Chicago, so it's not as if we're missing an interview on him. So, I would feel in his case that we at least have a lot of information already. It would be more problematic if it were somebody that we didn't know as well." St. Paul Pioneer Press

"I would love to add a (center) with some length and some rim-protecting capability," Kahn said. "But that's easier said than done." Despite the depth of point guard talent in this draft, he also said it is unlikely that a rookie immediately could step into a team-leading role, noting that even John Stockton and Steve Nash needed time to grow into the job. Generally speaking, there's no question about the new boss' top priority. "We need shooters," Kahn said. "We were the worst-shooting team in the Western Conference last year." St. Paul Pioneer Press

We ask the above question because we all know who won the battle off the floor, even if Ricky Rubio wasn't around to defend himself against Brandon Jennings. Chances are, Rubio wouldn't have been able to stop Jennings no matter where he was. The 19-year-old is simply too quick. That was the prevailing impression among those who watched Jennings play. The viewing audience was just like the majority of hoops fans out there, largely unfamiliar with Jennings game because he left to play in Italy after playing his high school ball at Dominguez Hills in Compton and the esteemed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. But as he faced off mostly against Syracuse's power-packed point guard Jonny Flynn, Jennings impressed in a big way during the full-court scrimmage. Sacramento Bee

As a final note regarding Jennings postgame rant about Rubio, Jason Jones points out in today's piece that there were some discrepancies and omitted information regarding his one game played against Rubio. What's more, Jennings makes it clear on his Twitter page that he was playing the hype game himself. And if you want some comical context, give this Jennings blog a read. It was written just after the game against Rubio and comes with a much softer tone, including a line about how he looks "forward to being his friend for many years to come." Sacramento Bee

UCLA guard Jrue Holiday has decided to remain in the NBA draft and will hire an agent, which makes him ineligible to return to the Bruins. Coach Ben Howland on Saturday confirmed Holiday's decision. "I'm sure Jrue will be a great NBA player and have a long career," Howland said. "We are very happy for him and wish him well. He will always be a part of the Bruin family." ESPN.com

Former Arthur Hill star Dar Tucker has hired agent Chris Grier Luchey, which means he cannot return to DePaul and must remain in the NBA Draft. His DePaul teammate, Mac Koshwal, decided to return to DePaul. The deadline to withdraw names for the NBA is Monday. Chicagotribune.com: DePaul received some positive news when Mac Koshwal informed the program Friday that he will return for his junior season. Booth Newspapers

Victor Claver will stay in the draft. SuperDeporte

Former Chester standout Devan Downey had three options before him, and only one of them was good for the South Carolina men's basketball team. But it ended up being the one Downey chose, and now the Gamecocks are back in position to continue their momentum from last season. The star point guard announced Saturday he was withdrawing from the NBA draft and would return for his senior season. In so doing, he passed on not only the NBA, but also a chance to make at least six figures in Europe, according to sources close to the player. The Columbia State

The Heat wants a private workout with UM guard Jack McClinton the week of the June 25 NBA Draft, his agent said, and McClinton said Tim Hardaway and Greg Anthony have been helping with his game. Draft analyst Chris Monter said it's 50-50 if McClinton will be selected. ''He doesn't have the handle of a point guard, so at 6-1, you're hoping he's an Eddie House,'' one executive said. Said an NBA scout: ``My concern is he needs to control the ball so much to get his shot off. Coaches like quick movement.'' Miami Herald

In hopes of getting stronger quickly, Austin has been working out with renowned basketball trainer Joe Abunassar, primarily on weightlifting in Las Vegas between NBA workouts. He believes he can be successful despite his lack of size, just like slender NBA players such as Rashard Lewis and Tayshaun Prince. Austin also said that Bird, now president of the Pacers, made him feel better about his weight during a predraft interview. "He said he came into the league at 210 and then gradually gained weight," Austin said. "He was a fifth-year senior at that point. If he came into the league the same [year] as I am, he'd probably be the same weight as me or maybe a little bit more. "The weight thing is obviously there, but it has to do with your mind-set as well. You have to go out and dedicate yourself to lifting and be tough enough to get through screens. I've had to box out some big guys in college. "The NBA will be more of a task, but I can do it." Boston Globe

Saturday, June 13

Last time we talked before the Bobcats workout, you'd mentioned some other teams. Has your workout schedule started to take shape between now, after the Knicks, and the draft? Who else are you getting ready to workout for? Stephen Curry: The Washington one is set, and after that it's still open. We're in talks with a lot of teams trying to get the right schedule going for the last week and a half. Beyond Tuesday in Washington, I don't have anything set yet. Sporting News

It seems Stephen Curry won’t be working out with the Warriors because he wants to play for the Knicks. But I know for sure people whose opinion matter inside the Warriors organization think highly of Curry. I’ve been told his basketball IQ is off the charts, he has better court vision than most expect of a shooter, and his athleticism is less of an issue than people think. And the Warriors certainly could use his stroke. Contra Costa Times

By the way, if you were to poll everyone around the Nets and asked them who their dream drop would be, it's almost unanimous: Jordan Hill. But he's not getting to 11. The guys rising fastest in their eyes? Tyler Hansbrough and Terrence Williams. Newark Star-Ledger

We were interested in meeting Casspi, if only because we wanted to ask the 6-9 forward from Maccabi Tel Aviv what is taking Israel so long to produce an NBA player. "Everyone is waiting for the first one. We had some guys who were close, but nobody ever made it," said the 20-year-old, who had Carlos Arroyo and Dee Brown on his team last year. "It means a lot to me (to be the first). It's a big responsibilty that comes with it - I want to do a good job and try to make a good name for Israelis in the NBA, and hopefully open up the (pipe)line for good players to come." Newark Star-Ledger

Damion James will return to the Longhorn basketball team for his senior season, multiple sources close to the program said Saturday. James made his decision late Friday night, according to sources. James had been working out for NBA teams, deciding whether to remain in the draft. Austin American-Statesman

On other Wizards fronts, according to insiders, they have yet to make any trade offers to opposing teams, and are simply in the exploratory stages of checking their options as far as that No. 5 pick goes both as trade bait, or as a selection for themselves. I -- and everybody else monitoring the team -- think the Wizards still are likely to trade the pick. It's just a matter of when and for what. Washington Times

Stephen Curry took yet another determined step toward becoming a Knick on Friday when he decided not to schedule any more predraft workouts. The Davidson star, who was in New York to work out for the Knicks on Wednesday, will work out for the Washington Wizards next week, a previous commitment. Curry's father, former NBA guard Dell Curry, told reporters in Charlotte that his son then plans to shut it down until the June 25 draft. To date, Curry has worked out only for the Bobcats (12th pick) and Knicks (eighth). Newsday

According to a source, the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday, were unaware that Curry had made the decision to decline any further workout requests. The team has worked out 18 players this week, including Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday and Ty Lawson, and will continue to hold workouts next week. It is believed that Donnie Walsh intends to pick up a second-round pick. Portland owns the Knicks' second-round pick at No. 38. Newsday

Brandon Jennings: With my comment about Rubio, im just tryin hype the draft up a lil, make the summer league something everybody wanna see. Twitter.com

Chances are, Rubio wouldn't have been able to stop Jennings no matter where he was. The 19-year-old is simply too quick. That was the prevailing impression among those who watched Jennings play. The viewing audience was just like the majority of hoops fans out there, largely unfamiliar with Jennings game because he left to play in Italy after playing his high school ball at Dominguez Hills in Compton and the esteemed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. But as he faced off mostly against Syracuse's power-packed point guard Jonny Flynn, Jennings impressed in a big way during the full-court scrimmage. Sacramento Bee

Jrue Holiday spent the morning of his 19th birthday working out for the Sacramento Kings, then chillin' in the evening as he continued his path toward the NBA. The 6-foot-3 guard also used the momentous day to make his departure from UCLA official, saying Friday he will sign with an agent and forgo his final three years of college eligibility to remain in the NBA draft. "It wasn't really (a tough decision)," Holiday said. "I'm in the position I want to be in. I'm hearing lottery, and that's where I want to be." Daily Breeze

We'll find out soon which fence sitters will remain in the draft, but Griz sources I talk to tend to think Damien James will stay in. Jodie Meeks of Kentucy is a toss up, but one suggestion I've heard (not from a team official) is that the Grizzlies could win some fans by promising Meeks at #27 just to screw John Calipari. Sign me up! I think James or Meeks would be excellent picks at #36. Memphis Flyer

Jeremy Tyler's jump from high school to an overseas professional basketball league is progressing to the point that Tyler's agent is negotiating with a team in Haifa, Israel. The 6-foot-11, 260-pound Tyler announced in late April that he was skipping his senior season at San Diego High to play overseas. He had hoped to be able to make a decision by yesterday, his 18th birthday. “We're pretty close,” said Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe company executive who is advising Tyler and his family. “There's no hurry. They don't start playing until next December. He's in good shape. We know we have something.” Daily Digest

Friday, June 12

Tyreke Evans: Mr. Petrie, I love Sacramento!!!!! Twitter.com

Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown has never believed in drafting exclusively for need. That doesn't mean he would object to trading the 12th pick for a veteran who would fill one of those needs. Asked Thursday about swapping a lottery pick for a veteran this draft, Brown replied, “Whatever makes our team better.” Then Brown listed all the needs that should be filled, internally or externally, to make this into a playoff team. Charlotte Observer

Sounds like the Wolves are trying to pull together a super-duper point guard workout for next Friday, planning to get Steph Curry, Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday in one session together. That’s what they have scheduled now, but you never know who’s going to drop out or have their agent change plans at the last minute. If that pulls off, it’d sure be one interesting session to catch the last 4 1/2 minutes of! Tyreke Evans and DeMar DeRozan also are due in next weekend — when the Wolves have workouts scheduled for Friday and Saturday — but each is expected to only do a solo workout for the Wolves staff. Haven’t heard that they’re going to get James Harden in, and they might have to go to a guy like him, like they did last year with O.J. Mayo, if they think they have a shot to get him. Probably the same for a guy like Thabeet, I’d think. David Kahn was due back in town tonight after heading home to Portland for a couple days for his daughter’s graduation. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Meanwhile Lawson played and spoke with the expected swagger and confidence of player who just led his team to the national title. It helped that he went through this process last year, but his improved touch from the perimeter was also making a statement. "I am shooting the ball a lot better and I am in a better position this year," said Lawson, who grew up in the Maryland suburbs not far from the Wizards home court. "Basically I worked on my shot and am a lot more healthier this year and playing a lot better. FFToolbox.com

Tennessee forward Tyler Smith says he will withdraw his name from consideration for the NBA draft and return for his senior season with the Volunteers. Smith said at a news conference in Knoxville on Thursday that he reached the decision after talking with his family, coaches and teammates. He says he thinks the Vols have "a great chance to have something special" next year. AP

South Carolina forward Dominique Archie says he is removing his name from the NBA draft and returning to school for his senior season. Archie said Thursday he received valuable feedback about his game from his workouts for NBA teams, but felt it was in his best interest to stay in school. SI.com

It was Stern who pushed the Players Association into accepting the rule that prohibited anyone coming into the NBA directly from high school, forcing them into at least one year in college or one year playing overseas or in the NBA Development League. "I don't like the one-and-done. I really don't understand how we get away with that as a league, that we tell a guy out of high school he can't come and play in our league,'' Van Gundy said. "And what I really don't like is the way our system is set up. Kids should be going to college if at least part of what they want to do is get an education.'' AOL

Never one to shy away from a question, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy didn't back down at all during his news conference before Game 4 of the NBA finals on Thursday. Van Gundy called the NBA's age-limit rule a "shame." He said the NCAA is "the worst organization going," and he told reporters he could predict what the story would be depending on the outcome against the Los Angeles Lakers. AP

The Magic coach has always said he doesn't like the NBA's much-maligned rule that a player must be one-year removed from high school before he enters the league. That rule has only been magnified during the finals, with five of the 10 starters skipping college, including Orlando's Dwight Howard and Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant. But Van Gundy added a new twist about an hour before the start of Game 4. "To me, it's a sham," he said of the rule. "But I don't want to get going in this press conference on the NCAA because I think that's about the worst organization going." AP

Thursday, June 11

What did you learn, do you think? Brandon Jennings: A whole lot. On and off the court. I learned responsibility. I learned that I have to be professional, show up on time, watch what I eat, get to bed early. And, on the court, I learned a lot about the pick-and-roll game, how to fight through screens, how to defend the pick-and-roll as well as how to run it. Sporting News

Tennessee junior Tyler Smith is expected to withdraw from NBA Draft. According to sources close to the situation, the 6-foot-7 forward will make an announcement Thursday at a 3 p.m. ET news conference at the school. FOXSports.com

Zach Berman reports from Verizon Center that the Wizards are giving 6-7 SG-SF DeMar DeRozan of USC an individual workout this afternoon, in addition to a workout this morning that included Ty Lawson and five other players. DeRozan is currently projected to go 9th in the NBA draft by DraftExpress, and he provided some entertaining quotes during the predraft camp in Chicago last month. Stay tuned. Washington Post

You probably can scratch Jordan Hill off the list of possible players that Thunder general manager Sam Presti might select with the No. 3 overall selection. Latest draft rumors have Hill slipping in the draft, possibly to as low as No. 8, 9 or 10 if Golden State doesn’t select the Arizona forward at No. 7. Oklahoman

He said he was just excited with the prospect of being drafted by an NBA team and it didn’t matter to him if he was a first or second rounder. He felt he was a unique player because of his size, and he is. He’s the robo rebounder type, the kind of guy who somehow gets the ball and makes a play. Teams need those guys. That translates well from college to the pros. Though I asked Blair if he was working so hard now and got his weight down, why didn’t he do that in college. He seemed honest about it, at least. “I did not have the drive I have right now during the season off the court like I did on the court,” he said. “I’m working harder. I’m more disciplined, eating right, doing everything I can.” Bulls.com

Wednesday, June 10

The Clippers brought in Blake Griffin for a public workout and continue to be on the path to select him with the No. 1 pick. Sources around the league say that trade talks with the Clippers are virtually nonexistent when it comes to Griffin. In other words, Griffin will be a Clipper. ESPN.com

The Grizzlies continue to be a bit of an enigma right now. They are talking to a number of teams about a potential trade, and teams including the Kings, Wizards, Knicks, Rockets and Celtics have shown interest. The Grizzlies continue to publicly pursue Ricky Rubio as well, though a well-placed source in Rubio's camp said it's likely (though not definite) that it will skip Memphis when Rubio goes on a three-city U.S. tour next week. ESPN.com

There also have been rumblings that Tyreke Evans is in the mix in Memphis. But when the dust clears, it looks as though the most likely scenario has Thabeet in Memphis on draft night if the Grizzlies keep the pick. ESPN.com

Thabeet’s offensive game is limited. His basketball IQ has come into question. But two scouts said what he brings to the defensive end with his shot blocking and rebounding more than warrant selecting him No. 3 if the Grizzlies don’t select Thabeet. “He changes games,” said one Eastern Conference scout. “If he doesn’t give you anything on the offensive end he can change the game defensively. There’s not a lot of guys in this draft that can come in with their presence alone who can alter the game. “I’m not saying he’s as good as Blake Griffin but I think he can alter a game defensively more than Blake Griffin. That’s why (Thabeet) is unique, especially in this draft that has so many point guards.” Oklahoman

But Washington is also shopping it's No. 5 pick and for the right price (i.e. a sign-and-trade involving David Lee or Nate Robinson, or perhaps Cuttino Mobley's expiring and mostly paid-by-insurance contract) others picking above the Knicks might be willing to deal. Bergen Record

And while were at it, I'm hearing significant buzz that Louisville's Terrence Williams is also high on the board at Golden State. Seven seems too high, but don't be surprised if the Warriors are willing to do a swap to get him. ESPN.com

Here's one good reason why the Knicks might draft Stephen Curry: He and LeBron James are text-message buddies. "I've got him on a text-message contract," the much-hyped Davidson product said after Wednesday's workout at the Knicks' practice facility. "I'll be dropping him lines if I'm here, trying to get him to come [in 2010]." Bergen Record

The Raptors have some needs on the wing since Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion are hitting free agency. On talent alone, DeMar DeRozan is one of the most gifted players in the draft. His strong play at the end of the season combined with a confident performance at the combine could push him higher. But if he's here, sources say the Raptors won't pass. If DeRozan is gone, they'll decide between Duke's Gerald Henderson and Holiday. ESPN.com

There's been talk that the Bulls may take a look at Hansbrough. He definitely is a John Paxson-type of player. However, we now have him off the board. The Bulls will have a tough choice here between Blair, James Johnson and B.J. Mullens. Johnson is a talent who could give the Bulls an offensive lift at the 4. Mullens has the most long-term upside at a position where the Bulls need help. But Blair, even with his long-term knee issues, looks like the right fit in Chicago. He's physical, a beast on the boards and gives the Bulls some much-needed toughness on the frontline. ESPN.com

Temple's Dionte Christmas and North Carolina's Wayne Ellington, from Episcopal Academy, are among the next group of guard prospects that the 76ers will bring in for a pre-draft workout. UCLA's Darren Collison (6-2 point guard), Miami's Jack McClinton (6-1 shooting guard) and LSU's Marcus Thornton (6-4 shooting guard) will also take part in the session tomorrow at the Sixers' practice site at PCOM. Philadelphia Daily News

Former Missouri forward DeMarre Carroll earned the nickname "Junkyard Dog" for his blue-collar approach and relentless work ethic. Now he must convince NBA teams that a previously undisclosed liver disease won't keep him from being a pro. Agent Mark Bartelstein confirmed Wednesday that Carroll, a first-team All-Big 12 pick and potential first-round draft selection, was diagnosed with a liver ailment "a couple of years ago." He downplayed the possibility that Carroll might eventually require a liver transplant. "It's jumping the gun," said Bartelstein, a Chicago agent whose NBA clients include former Kansas star Brandon Rush and Eddie House of the Boston Celtics. "There's a possibility (of a transplant) way in the future, maybe 20 or 25 years down the road." SI.com

A little more inquiring about the Knicks tire-kicking at Memphis' No. 2 pick reveals it may not be just Ricky Rubio the Knicks would target there, but 7-3 center Hasheem Thabeet. Of course the move-up is an absolute longshot, as we discussed in the original blog, so all of this could be moot. But it is worth noting both blue chippers would be on the radar if they managed to pull off such a deal. Newsday

Ricky Rubio now must deal with the Spanish government if he wants to play in the NBA. The guard has been trying to get out of his contract with Spanish league team DKV Joventut but has met resistance. On Tuesday, according to the Spanish news agency EFE, Rubio sued the team after learning that it had transferred the rights to his buyout to Hacienda, the Spanish version of the Internal Revenue Service. The rights were sold to satisfy a debt Joventut had with Hacienda. ESPN.com

Ricky Rubio: Tough days. Difficult decisions to make. I hope we reach an agreement that benefits both sides. Twitter.com

A person with knowledge of the situation said the Knicks understand they likely would be a third or fourth option for the Grizzlies, who, according to the report, are also receiving interest from the Celtics and Rockets. Newsday

The Mavericks are said to be interested in the fifth pick and the prospect of drafting Jordan Hill. The teams have made nice in the past, most recently in the swap that secured Jamison in 2004. The Mavericks also were kind enough to relieve the Wizards of Juwan Howard in 2001. Washington Times

The Mavericks apparently are willing to part with either Jason Terry or Josh Howard to sweeten a potential deal. The Mavericks would be obligated to accept an expiring contract of the Wizards, the one belonging to either the Poet or Mike James. The chatter involving the Wizards is refreshing, seeing as how it conveys a modicum of hope. Washington Times

Curry and UCLA freshman guard Jrue Holiday will both work out for the Knicks on Wednesday. It is likely that the Knicks will select someone from the group of Lawson, Curry, Holiday and Flynn. The coaching staff seems enamored with the 6-foot-4 Holiday while Knicks GM Donnie Walsh, a Carolina grad, seems to favor Lawson. New York Daily News

Flynn appears to be in the crosshairs of the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10, and Lawson is buried on many mock drafts. This clearly is an issue for a player who led the Tar Heels to consecutive Final Four appearances and won the national championship this year. "People say I'm injury prone and too short," he said. "I mean, we're just going to see what happens on draft day. And after the draft. I'll prove everybody wrong." Newsday

Don't be surprised if Calathes is playing in the NBA in 2010. He must play at least one year in Greece, but an NBA team can draft him now and pay the $500,000 buyout in time for the 2010-11 season. Calathes' buyout is chump change compared to the $6.6-million right to have Ricky Rubio. In this economy, Calathes' asking price might be more digestible for a player who does a lot of the same things Rubio does. Calathes' combination of court vision (best in the draft), size as a point guard (6-foot-6), shooting (39 percent from 3) and mastery of the pick-and-roll offense merits a first-round pick. Dallas, which has the No. 22 pick, told Nick before his Greece deal that they intend to select him, according to a source. Orlando Sentinel

Terrence Williams: Workout for the Wizards, just me an one other dude. (I don't no who it is) but I'm going at his neck pause. Twitter.com

Despite speculation on Draftexpress.com, former Tigers hoops star DeMarre Carroll doesn’t need a liver transplant. Anderson — Carroll’s uncle as well as the MU basketball coach — said Tuesday that speculation was based on “misinformation.” Kansas City Star

Carroll has been under a doctor’s care for a liver-related condition for at least two years, but the condition is apparently well under control. Carroll’s agent told The Columbia Daily Tribune that the physician who has overseen Carroll’s treatment is willing to provide NBA officials with a letter of assurance on Carroll’s ability to play in the NBA. Kansas City Star

Tuesday, June 9

Notice anybody else? Yeah, Washington. A league source informed me that Rubio's agent, Dan Fegan, has no interest in his client playing for the Wizards, even if they were able to move up in the draft. The source told me that Fegan cannot see Rubio and Arenas sharing the same backcourt, since both players need the basketball to be effective. If anybody would know, it'd be Fegan, who represented Arenas from 2002-2006. Washington Post

As we wait to talk to Jonny Flynn, Ty Lawson and the other initial group of draft candidates the Knicks are working out Tuesday, the team confirmed that Stephen Curry will be among the group of five working out Wednesday. Also in that group is another point guard possibility at No. 8, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, plus centers B.J. Mullens of Ohio State and Rashaad Singleton of Georgia, and guard Dionte Christmas of Temple. Bergen Record

Villanova junior Scottie Reynolds is returning to school for his final season. A one-time Big East Rookie of the Year, Reynolds sealed the Wildcats' spot in the Final Four with his falling-down floater against Pittsburgh. He averaged 15.2 points per game this season. "The best decision for me is to return to Villanova for my senior year," Reynolds said in a statement released by the school. "I'd like to thank everyone who put their time into helping me get better during these NBA workouts. I especially want to thank my teammates and coaches here for all of their support. I felt like I learned a great deal from this process. "I'm blessed to be in the situation I am in. I'm happy to be back at Villanova." ESPN.com

As the rumor mill churns, the Griz have been approached by several teams about acquiring the second overall pick. Boston, Houston and New York are said to be among the most recent suitors. Boston and Houston would likely have to offer an established NBA player or two, given that neither team owns a first-round pick. New York owns the eighth pick and likely would want to move up for the opportunity to take Rubio. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio, projected as a top-five pick in the NBA draft, took the first step in clearing his way toward the NBA on Monday when he notified his team, DKV Joventut, that he wants to terminate his contract. Rubio is asking out of his deal, and also is challenging a 4.75 million Euro (approximately $6.6 million) buyout, which climbs to 5.75 million Euros after June 30. Rubio made 70,000 Euros last season (about $97,000) and is scheduled to make 125,000 Euros next season (about $175,000). ESPN.com

"The [buyout] clauses are disproportionate to his salary -- abusive clauses," Rubio's father, Esteban, told ESPN's Chad Nielsen. "We want to know, if he really left, whether or not he'd have to pay these amounts. It's fair for DKV Joventut to get paid a certain amount of money, but what they want to collect is out of proportion with what Ricky earns." ESPN.com

Rubio hasn't filed a lawsuit. Instead, he has asked for arbitration to settle the dispute. A source said that Rubio has retained a highly regarded labor law firm in Barcelona to represent him. If the dispute cannot be settled, a civil legal action would be next for Rubio. "We tried to renegotiate but couldn't reach an agreement," Esteban Rubio told Nielsen. "The contract wasn't changed at all." ESPN.com

Jordi Villacampa, president of Joventut Badalona: "A negotiation is giving something in exchange of something and if Ricky goes, he gives us nothing. We have to fight for the interests of the club." Sport.es

Villacampa: "Now it's all like we put a gun to his head to make him sign. He was young, but he didn't come alone." Sport.es

Villacampa: "It's his right to sue us, but ethically it's not a good thing." Sport.es

Rubio has already informed teams that he won't do workouts, but he might visit them to meet the front office and owners. The source said if visits happen, they will be to Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Sacramento -- owners of the first, third and fourth picks in the draft. ESPN.com

The source said it's likely that Rubio and his camp will skip visits to Memphis. The Grizzlies hold the No. 2 pick, but the source said Rubio is leery about playing in Memphis after two other Spanish players -- Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro -- had bad experiences there. ESPN.com

If Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio indeed comes to the America and visits NBA teams before the draft, the Grizzlies expect to be part of the tour. The 18-year-old's plans are still foreign to Griz general manager Chris Wallace, but several media outlets say Rubio and his family are scheduled to board a flight June 13 bound for the United States. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Wallace, though, said Monday afternoon that no one from Rubio's camp has indicated the Spaniard would bypass Memphis -- owners of the No. 2 overall selection. "I don't have anything set up. But it's open-ended. If he's in the country, we definitely want him here," said Wallace, who is seriously considering selecting Rubio with the Grizzlies' lottery pick in the June 25 draft. Wallace isn't putting stock in speculation about a Rubio visit to the U.S. -- he'll await definitive word from the player's representatives. "All of that remains to be seen," Wallace said. "Nothing is set right now." Memphis Commercial Appeal

There is speculation that the Wizards will look to move their 5th pick and trade down looking to dump a salary in the process. Washington has a ton of money locked up in Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler and would like to improve their cap situation in any way possible. They don't see this as being a strong draft or a player worthy of the 5th selection being available. NBADraft.net

And now it seems even Stephen Curry might not be there, either. The Davidson star, who has been quite open about his interest in becoming a Knick, has seen his stock rise to the point that he could wind up being taken by a team that jumps ahead of the Knicks in a trade-up scenario. The Trail Blazers and Bobcats are said to be enamored of what Curry can bring at the NBA level. Newsday

We've learned from sources that Milwaukee is extremely high on Jeff Teague and he will likely be one of a small group of players they will decide from at their 10th pick. While in Treviso I was able to speak with a number of scouts and bounce a number of players off of them. Teague was one player that everyone was very high on. Though he has yet to sign with an agent and commit to the draft, he's considered to have a good chance to be a lottery pick. NBADraft.net

Tyreke Evans ended weeks of speculation by signing with uber-agent Arn Tellem this weekend in Los Angeles. Tellem, who represents Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and is originally from Lower Merion, has also corralled Episcopal Academy's Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington. Philadelphia Daily News

So I asked Henderson why he’d come to Chicago when he’s most likely a top 10 pick. The rumors are there’s almost no chance he falls beyond Charlotte at No. 12 and Toronto at No. 8 has a lot of interest. So Henderson didn’t have to break from a busy schedule of workouts. And he didn’t have to say nice things about Chicago because he doesn’t have to impress the team with the No. 16 pick. But he really would like to play for the Bulls. “I feel I could make a big impact,” said Henderson. “Chicago is a great basketball city, a place with a lot of history, a great market. This is a place I’d want to be regardless of where I may end up. I don’t want to look back and say I did not work out for them. You never know what can happen even down the road. I like being here and going through the process. And coming from a place like Duke I’ve had solid defensive principles I feel I could bring to the team.” Bulls.com

Casspi is somewhat anxious as he’d vying to become the first native Israeli to play in the NBA. “It’s a big responsibility, but I like it,” he said. He said he’s about done with his required military commitment and wasn’t in a war zone. He also was enjoying walking around the Berto Center examining the photos and trophies of the past Bulls champions as he said he used to wake up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. to watch the Bulls when he was a child. Bulls.com

Austin Daye might have a promise in the top 20, in which case he should obviously remain in the draft. Those close to Daye claim he is saying he has a promise in the top 20. However if that's the case it's curious that he would choose to continue to work out for teams, since the usual protocol is to shut down workouts to avoid an injury and keep quiet. One thing we have confirmed is that if he indeed does have a promise, it's not at 15 with Detroit, as some have projected. NBADraft.net

The Pistons have supposedly narrowed their list of players they are considering to four and will pick from those at 15. Jrue Holiday has impressed Detroit and could be among the four players they have in their list. NBADraft.net

Nearly every scout I spoke with in Treviso said that if Mills remains in the draft this year he will be a second rounder. His performance in Treviso did nothing to change the nosedive that his stock has taken since workouts began. One scout mentioned the fact that guards were blocking his shots during the Oakland workout and that his size was becoming an apparent issue. NBADraft.net

Word is that Mills has yet to sign with an agent and could go back to school, despite the fact that he announced he would stay in the draft. Regardless, many scouts see Mills as an eventual back up in the league. NBADraft.net

Villanova junior Scottie Reynolds is "leaning toward'' returning to school for his final season, a source told ESPN.com. A one-time Big East Rookie of the Year, Reynolds sealed the Wildcats' spot in the Final Four with his falling-down floater against Pittsburgh. He averaged 15.2 points per game this season. Reynolds, who worked out for seven different teams, told The Philadelphia Inquirer last week that he was happy with the feedback he was receiving and was confident that he could play in the NBA. "It's going to be a decision of, 'Do you want to do it this year or do you want to do it next year?'' Reynolds told the newspaper. ESPN.com

LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to the Tigers as a fifth-year senior next season. His coach, Trent Johnson, said he met with the player yesterday morning and they faxed the appropriate paperwork to the NBA. Mitchell, coming off a year in which he averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds, believes finishing his degree is in his best interest. Boston Globe

Monday, June 8

There's talk of a lawsuit involving Ricky Rubio's $6 million buyout and perhaps that could work to the Knicks' advantage in a backwards way. Perhaps it could scare teams picking above the Knicks from choosing him, leaving Donnie Walsh with a decision on whether to roll the dice on the mop-topped 18-year-old point guard or pass out of the same fear other teams might have _ that the pick could be wasted. Bergen Record

The Hornets put their second wave of potential draft prospects through a series of drills and workouts Monday morning at their Alario Center practice facility in Westwego. The emphasis on the workout was on guard play, where the Hornets are seeking to add depth behind All-Star point guard Chris Paul and shooting guard Rasual Butler. New Orleans Times-Picayune

But it was obvious that the two players who caught the eye of Hornets coach Byron Scott was Thornton and Collison. In the portion of the workout open to the media, Thornton appeared to be explosive offensively, making perimeter jump shots and creating his own scoring opportunities by penetration into the lane for layups. Meanwhile, Collison's speed and explosion were evident as his race by others during drills. "I thought Marcus played real well and I thought Darren Collison played real well," Scott said. "Those two guys probably stood out the most." New Orleans Times-Picayune

The Warriors are bringing in Arizona's Jordan Hill on Friday for an individual workout and will get a first-hand look at a prospect who could fall into their laps with the No. 7 pick. The 6-10 power forward is widely-considered a top-five talent, but reports have him dropping. In fact, Draft Express President Jonathan Givony, reporting from the Reebok Eurocamp, writes that Hill could "potentially slip into the bottom of the top-10 or even possibly slightly beyond." San Francisco Chronicle

Now, I have to even correct myself here as I've been hearing that Jennings could slip through and Hill has been falling. Many are saying Duke's Henderson will get into the top 10 and others now are insisting UCLA's Jrue Holiday also will crack the top 10. OK, say we add those two. That's likely 12 sure picks. Bulls.com

Plenty of chatter about the Ricky Rubio situation, with the most interesting commentary coming from the many members of the Spanish basketball industry, which are out here in full force. The news this morning about a lawsuit being planned by Rubio’s camp is apparently very true, and there was plenty of spirited discussion regarding whether his exorbitant buyout relative to his proportional contract will hold up in a Spanish court. Some cited the fact that similar cases in soccer (for example in England) had sided in favor of the players in the past, while others mentioned that Rubio’s willing acceptance of a large pay raise a few months back had nullified his ability to dispute the validity of the deal. DraftExpress.com

Jordan Hill potentially slipping into the bottom of the top-10 or even possibly slightly beyond. The talk is that the Washington Wizards’ 5th pick could very well end up being claimed by Stephen Curry (whether for them or another team trading up), and that since Minnesota, Golden State, New York and maybe even Toronto appear to be looking at other positional needs, Hill could be on the short end of the stick come draft night. DraftExpress.com

The medicals of various NBA draft prospects, including Missouri’s DeMarre Carroll, who may need a liver transplant in the near or long-term future, DeJuan Blair, whose knees and arthritic condition are a major concern to certain teams, and A.J. Price, who reportedly still has an aneurysm in an artery of his brain that could become a serious issue later in his career. DraftExpress.com

Mike D’Antoni’s New York Knicks apparently taking a strong liking to senior Jack McClinton, to the point that they could try to buy a pick in the late first round to ensure they land his services. DraftExpress.com

Australian Patrick Mills was absolutely the star of the evening’s all-star game, posting an impressive 30 point performance on 8/18 shooting from the field and 12/13 from the line. Mills handled the ball on a string all game long, showing terrific quickness keeping his man off balance, and making an absolute living in the mid-range area with his deadly pull-up jumper. His ability to utilize strong hesitation moves makes him extremely difficult to stay in front of, and he did a good job not settling for tough shots from beyond the arc today, getting to the line repeatedly. He clearly thrives in up-tempo settings such as the one seen in today’s all-star game, which came in stark contrast to his morning performance, where he seemed to over-dribble somewhat while trying to create in the half-court. DraftExpress.com

For the last few weeks, the University of Memphis basketball team has been preparing as though forward Shawn Taggart would not return for the 2009-10 season. Taggart made it official Sunday, hiring Merle Scott to represent him in the NBA Draft. Initial attempts to reach Taggart for further comment Sunday were unsuccessful, but he told Jeff Goodman of Foxsports.com on Saturday that he was ready to move on. “I think it’s my time to go,” Taggart said. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Forward Tasmin Mitchell has decided to return to LSU for his senior season, a source close to Mitchell and the Tigers said Sunday. Mitchell, 6 feet 7, 235 pounds, will pull his name from the list of early entries into the NBA draft on June 25 because he was informed he would not be drafted, the source said. Players have until June 15 to pull out and retain college eligibility as long as they don't hire an agent. Mitchell worked out for several NBA teams while considering the move. He averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds to earn All-SEC honors last season as LSU won the conference title. New Orleans Times-Picayune

Next week’s early-entry deadline, which will likely see players such as Jodie Meeks and Tyler Smith return to school, while others remain on the fence. One NBA team mentioned being told quite confidently by Damion James that he is most certainly staying in the draft, and most assume that Gonzaga’s Austin Daye is a lock to stay in. Another executive discussed Jeff Teague telling them that he will not pull his name out if he receives any type of guarantee that he will be drafted in the first round, which is probably not what Wake Forest fans want to hear. DraftExpress.com

Still, Harris believes drafting a point guard would make sense because he and Dooling are often on the court at the same time. In fact, Harris said, going with a lineup like that more next season, with Carter playing small forward, has been "talked about" by players and coach Lawrence Frank and team president Rod Thorn. Frank went with Harris and Dooling in the backcourt and Carter at small forward toward the end of the season and the Nets thrived. The Nets also used Carter at point guard frequently, but they would rather stay away from that as much as possible since he's such a scoring threat. "We don't want Vince playing (point guard, shooting guard and small forward), so a guy who can take some of that pressure off of Vince bringing the ball up so he can do what he does would make sense for us," said Harris. New York Daily News

High school junior Jeremy Tyler—who reportedly has offers from two teams in Greece (Marrousi and Panellinios) and Italy’s Armani Jeans Milano, but may opt to sign with a relatively unknown franchise in Israel—Maccabi Heat Haifa—backed by quite an ambitious American owner by the name of Jeff Rosen. Tyler is now being represented by well-known basketball agency Wasserman Media Group, who had a very positive experience sending then-USC freshman Davon Jefferson to Haifa, where he had a breakthrough season. The offer is reportedly somewhere in the 200k range. DraftExpress.com

Sunday, June 7

What Griffin alone won't fix is the combustible chemistry that exists on the team he will join in less than a month. He met Baron Davis during his visit -- "Let's get this thing rolling," Baron told him -- but seemed somewhat oblivious to the potential drama that awaits him. "That is in the past," Griffin said. "I'm not going to worry about what happened 10 year ago, five years ago. As long as we're moving forward, if I'm here, that's all I care about. I think we will." CBSSports.com

I heard from a pretty plugged in source that if Griffin comes to Los Angeles, he won't bother asking Marcus Camby for his No. 23 because Griffin has already decided to wear No. 32. That is, unless Camby gets traded. Adding Griffin gives the Clippers too many quality bigs -- including Zach Randolph and Chris Kaman -- and not enough minutes to go around. "The math isn't great, no," Dunleavy said, adding that Griffin is capable of playing three positions. "Then obviously, we're exploring other opportunities." Washington Post

Tasmin Mitchell has decided to return to the LSU basketball team for his senior season, according to a report by an internet website. An anonymous source told Rivals.com that Mitchell, a 6-feet-7, 235-pound forward, will pull his name from the list of early entries into the June 25 NBA draft. Players have until June 15 to pull out and retain college eligibility as long as they don't hire an agent. New Orleans Times-Picayune

After taking Griffin to dinner at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills the previous night and observing his workout, Clippers head coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy came away pleased. "Spending time with him last night and today, the maturity, mind-set ... he leaves nothing more to be desired," Dunleavy said. "He was just terrific. He's the type of kid that, I can tell you right away, will fit into any system or program, chemistry-wise and with ability as well." Daily Breeze

Griffin impressed the crowd of season-ticket holders and media members with numerous high-flying dunks, shifty spin moves, and a spider dribble, but his jumper was shaky at best. "It's been better," Griffin said. "Today, it wasn't great. But one thing about me is that I feel like I don't have to rely on (my jumper)." Daily Breeze

"There are certain things on his shot that he'll need to work on to get better at, which he will do," Dunleavy said. "Clearly, he shoots the ball well enough from the mid-range that he has be guarded." Los Angeles Times

There have been continued questions about trading the pick. Dunleavy was asked whether the Clippers had told teams to quit calling. "You can never say never about anything," he said. "I don't know who the players are in this league who may fit that category. Obviously, if the word 'LeBron' was spoken by anybody, the door would open, clearly. "Most of the time a pick like this, 99.9% of the time you would keep it." Los Angeles Times

On the bus back to the hotel, as I re-ran Griff’s workout in my dome, the more I reconsidered Ricky Rubio as a possible first overall pick. Rubio might not be a great shooter, but he’s no worse than Griffin (who, incidentally, I was surprised to learn was a career 59 percent free throw shooter at Oklahoma), and he has a much wider skill-set than Griffin. The Clippers seem enamored with Griffin, or else they wouldn’t have put together such a big event for him. But to me, the talent gap between Griffin and Rubio is not as wide as I’ve been led to believe. SLAM

Ricky Rubio is suing DKV Joventut in order to force the team to lower his buyout of around $6 million. La Vanguardia

Rubio, a six-foot-two point guard, turns 19 in October, meeting the NBA's minimum age requirement. He and Gasol helped win a silver medal for Spain at the Beijing Olympics. "I wish that he picks the right option and the right team picks him," Gasol said. "If he decides to come over, I wish him luck, and then of course I'll try to advise him and help him out in any way I can. "He's extremely mature for an 18-year-old, but he's still 18 years old." Canadian Press

The executive also said the Trail Blazers are trying to move up in the draft, and that former Arizona State star James Harden rubbed some people the wrong way after he blew off interviews with teams at the recent predraft camp in Chicago. Boston Globe

However, the Knicks, who have the eighth pick, are high on Davidson guard Stephen Curry, who has been canceling some workouts from teams drafting lower than 10th. An NBA source said to expect a "shuffling of picks" throughout the draft since there are so many teams with multiple selections. Boston Globe

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Omri Casspi is expected to play for a European team next year even if he is picked in the first round of the NBA draft, according to sources close to the player. Haaretz

The 2.05-meter small forward is currently in talks with various teams including the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trailblazers, but none have promised him a place on their roster next season, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported yesterday. Haaretz

Brown reminded me he doesn't have final say over who the Bobcats draft. Then he re-emphasized his original point. "I feel strongly that you should take the best player,'' regardless of position, Brown said. "The coach's job is to figure out how to use them. Or you get a great (trade) asset, and figure out how to use that. Just based on the experiences I've had, every time we've gone for positions, instead of talent, it's been a negative in my mind.'' Charlotte Observer

Four-time All-American and one-time college player of the year Tyler Hansbrough of the University of North Carolina was among the first eligible draft prospects to work for the New Orleans Hornets on Friday at the Alario Center and left Coach Byron Scott impressed. "First of all, he is a power forward, he's a rugged, very intense, fierce competitor," Scott said. "He's a much better athlete than I think a lot of people give him credit for. He shoots the ball much better than people give him credit for. So I don't think it'll be a big-time transition period for him as far as adjustment to the NBA style. College is probably more physical than the NBA until you get to the playoffs. I don't think the adjustment is going to take that long." New Orleans Times-Picayune

All Pac-10 point guard Nic Wise decided to return to Arizona for his senior year and forgo the NBA draft. Wise made himself available for the draft in April but didn't hire an agent, leaving the door open for him to return to the program. Wise, who averaged 15.7 points last season, called new head coach Sean Miller with the news on Saturday. ESPN.com

Saturday, June 6

Ricky Rubio will head to the United States with his mother Tona on June 13 to visit Memphis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento and New York and interview with the teams of those four cities. Marca.com

Rubio will not work out for any team. Marca.com

But we've heard this proviso from a few GMs in the last week: If Rubio gets a guarantee that he'll land in New York, he'll grab it with both hands even if the Knicks (picking 8th) don't have to move into the top 5 to get him. Newark Star-Ledger

Been a while since I posted in this neck of the woods. I've been off with the Lakers for the last couple months. But I wanted to weigh in on Saturday's open workout for Blake Griffin. If you've been around the NBA a while, the fact that Griffin's workout is open is pretty unbelievable. Last year, for example, the Clippers had a clandestine workout with O.J. Mayo, and some closed workouts for other potential picks with their No. 7 overall choice (Eric Gordon). Los Angeles Daily News

The Wizards will begin holding individual and group workouts for the NBA draft Wednesday through Friday next week. Some of the big name prospects, such as Arizona State's James Harden, will be in Washington to audition for the fifth overall pick. When I get an update on all of the players who will be attendance, I'll let you know. Washington Post

Terrence Williams: So here's my NBA dream I was drafted #7 by golden state an traded to the pistons on draft night my first points was game winner to beat cavs. Twitter.com

Ty Lawson's resume would impress any NBA team: great speed, the quickness to penetrate, the strength to finish against taller opponents, excellent passer, improving shooter, a cool customer in big games, arguably the best player on North Carolina's national championship team. The 76ers certainly are impressed. But with the NBA draft looming on June 25, they don't know if they'll need to use their first-round pick on a point guard, given the uncertain status of free agent Andre Miller, with whom they cannot negotiate until July 1. Philadelphia Inquirer

Even though the Blazers have four open roster spots heading into next season, and five draft picks in this month's NBA draft, prospects -- and their agents -- are avoiding Portland like it's been striken with swine flu. "We're fighting to get some of these kids in for workouts," said Chad Buchanan, the Blazers' director of college scouting. Oregonian

"The agents are saying, 'Where is my guy going to play for you guys? I understand you like him and you may move up (in the draft) to get him, but I don't know if I want him playing for you,'" Buchanan said. "Even though we have a history of being able to move up in the draft to get the (prospect) we like, we're having trouble bringing guys in for workouts." Oregonian

Also, before I hit the weekend I wanted to share another small draft-related nugget: the Knicks will almost certainly acquire a second-round pick for this draft, whether by trade or simply purchasing one. Among potential targets of interest could be Danny Green (Long Island product and an NBA-ready body...he fits into a team concept because that's what he played in Carolina and he is very versatile..worth a look) and Luke Harangody (if the Notre Dame stays in the draft...he is said to have looked very trim at the Combine and drilling NBA treys...yes, his form is weird, but he gets it off and is automatic...could be a good catch-and-shoot guy). Newsday

There is some discussion that the Chicago Bulls, for whom Hansbrough has already worked, could pick him at No. 16. New Orleans Times-Picayune

"European prospects that are in this draft are not as good as they have been in the previous years," one International NBA scout told HOOPSWORLD. "This is definitely not a deep draft as far as talent wise even for European players." HoopsWorld

Only Batum received significant playing time and effectively contributed to the Blazers. This June however – outside of projected lottery picks Ricky Rubio of DVK Joventut and Rome's Brandon Jennings – you'd be hard pressed to find an international influence in the first round. "Unfortunately I think it is just a bad draft year in general. Even in Europe there are a lot of good players but not all of them put their name in the draft," the scout continued, saying the opinion was a common believe among many international scouts. "There may be one or two only European first rounders and I don't think there is clear can't miss prospect out there from Europe in this draft." HoopsWorld

Al-Farouq Aminu knew he wasn't going to be one-and-done with college before he ever stepped on the campus of Wake Forest. "I told myself before the season started I was coming back," Aminu said at a basketball camp he and his brother Alade were hosting on Friday. "I tried to stick to it. It was hard to stick to it because I always wanted to play in the NBA. I told myself before the season started, no matter how good I did or anything like that I was coming back." Gwinnett Daily Post

Dwayne Collins has withdrawn his name from the upcoming NBA Draft and says he will return to the University of Miami for his senior year. Collins had workouts with the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat, but had not hired an agent to retain the option of returning to the Hurricanes. He made the announcement Friday. WCTV

Daryl Morey: Reebok Eurocamp: where 5 on 5 happens. Congratulations to RBK organizers for their radical idea to have the prospects play basketball. Twitter.com

Daryl Morey: Top prospects will pull out. I say play ball anyway as we learn about those who decide to play and there is also info in who pulls out. Twitter.com

What happened to the international invasion? "It's still there," Pistons international scout Tony Ronzone said. "But I don't think there's any question that we strip-mined Europe for a few years. We took guys who were too young and put them in positions where it was difficult to succeed. I think that's made NBA teams wary of young international players and I think they're wary of us." ESPN.com

"The production of the international player in the NBA speaks for itself," Philo said. "Not scouting international talent or taking shortcuts, essentially leads to mistakes and poor evaluations. No matter what the perception is, it is imperative to scout the world extensively. Finding that one diamond in the rough can completely change the fortunes of a franchise." ESPN.com

Friday, June 5

Omri Casspi, one of the few international prospects with a chance to go in the first round, went from putting his chances at staying in the draft at 50-50 to saying without hesitation about a week later that he is planning to stick. His outlook improved that much after attending the Chicago gathering and group workouts in Minneapolis and Oakland, Calif. "I know there's a lot of big interest in me now," the 20-year-old from Israel said. Casspi is a 6-9 small forward who needs to get a lot stronger, but he is willing to play overseas for another season in a move that would allow NBA teams to take him and develop a young talent without a salary-cap hit. SI.com

The Clippers continue to insist that they are keeping their pick and taking Griffin. I think it's the right move. They have some nice young building blocks, and Griffin would be the foundation of that for the future. They can figure out how to get rid of Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman later in the summer. ESPN.com

Former Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin will work out Saturday for what many expect to be his future NBA team, the Los Angeles Clippers. The NBA Draft doesn't start until June 25, but the Clippers have the No. 1 pick and they haven't exactly treated their draft strategy as an intelligence briefing. Los Angeles Times

I spoke with Memphis GM Chris Wallace at the combine, and he insisted that the Grizzlies haven't decided whom they're taking. They've made a trip to Spain to woo Ricky Rubio and his family, but I still believe that, short of a trade, drafting Thabeet is the most likely outcome. Even if the front office decides that Rubio is the guy, they have to persuade him to pay a huge buyout to come to Memphis. From what I can gather, that's not going to happen. The best option for the Grizzlies is to find a team hot for Rubio and get a couple of great assets for the pick. The problem with that plan is that teams don't seem willing to give up the farm for Rubio. Lots of teams like him, but not enough to make a blockbuster deal. ESPN.com

The Wizards continue to consider moving this pick. However, it's a tough market right now. Teams aren't enamored with the talent here and appear reluctant to give up great assets, including a future first-round pick. If the Wizards keep the pick, they'll have a tough choice between Harden and Hill. ESPN.com

Word is that New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni and GM Donnie Walsh love Curry and plan to take him with the eighth overall pick. For his part, Curry has done little to pour any water on the NYC fire. "The system and the fact that they need a point guard that can shoot, I think that lines up just for me," Curry admitted. "D'Antoni likes to get up and down and that's how I played all my life. I can make an open shot, so right now that looks fun for me." HoopsWorld

Curry later added: "I'm just trying to get as much information as possible right. There's a lot of talk about New York and that situation being the most ideal, but you've got to keep your options open if things don't work out that way." When asked about other potential destinations, Curry was very non-committal saying: "I can't really narrow it down. I don't know too much about each roster and what they have to offer. Any team with a core group of guys where I can come in and be a point guard that can spread the defense with my scoring ability would be the most effective for me. You fill in the blank there." HoopsWorld

Two days after Louisville wing Terrence Williams said the Warriors are interested in selecting him in the June 25 draft, they worked out another wing, USC freshman DeMar DeRozan on Thursday. The Warriors will also evaluate Louisville wing Earl Clark and Wake Forest's James Johnson as part of a six-player workout Saturday. Arizona power forward Jordan Hill will work out individually next Friday. San Francisco Chronicle

Former Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair will be among six prospects who will participate in the Oklahoma City Thunder's next NBA draft workout. Blair was named the co-Big East player of the year with Connecticut's Hasheem Thabeet, another prospect in this year's draft. Other players participating in Friday's workout will be guard Ben Woodside from North Dakota State, forward Jeff Adrien from Connecticut, center B.J. Mullens from Ohio State and guard Curtis Jerrells and forward Kevin Rogers, who are both from Baylor. USA Today

Stern downplayed a congressman's remarks about the league's age limitation rule, noting that there's also an age limit to be elected to Congress. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., sent identical letters to Stern and union leader Billy Hunter, asking that they scrap the requirement that players be 19 years old and a year out of high school in the next collective bargaining agreement. "What the congressman didn't understand, and we'll be happy to share our view with him, this is not about the NCAA, this is not an enforcement of some social program, this is a business decision by the NBA, which is we like to see our players in competition after high school," Stern said. ESPN.com

Thursday, June 4

Bobcats coach Larry Brown says he anticipates Davidson's Stephen Curry and Duke's Gerald Henderson both will be gone before the Bobcats' No. 12 overall pick. Curry and Henderson worked out for the Bobcats Thursday. It's probably a given Curry is gone before No. 12, but I'm not so sure about Henderson. He'd help the Bobcats at shooting guard (although it was apparent from the workout that Henderson's jump shot still needs work). Charlotte Observer

One of the more interesting tidbits of information coming out of the pre-draft workouts the last two days in Oakland is word that the agent for Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio is suddenly amenable to participating in interviews and individuals workouts with a select number of teams - the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder and Kings. Sources told me that, at this point, Rubio's agent, Dan Fegan, is limiting the visits to the teams with draft picks 2-4. Given the fact that Jrue Holiday and Jonny Flynn are moving up on most mock draft boards, this makes sense. Sacramento Bee

Plus, Rubio didn't play particularly well in his season finale. Holiday is expected to return to Sacramento for a second workout, Tyreke Evans is scheduled to work out here next week, and Flynn shortly thereafter. Since the Kings have been unusually accommodating to the media this year - in the past, the team refused to reveal which prospects were working out, and allowed no media access to the workouts - this should be a very interesting few weeks. Sacramento Bee

One rumor that's been making the rounds is that the Oklahoma City Thunder could make DeRozan the third pick in the draft, putting him alongside Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook in one of the most promising young lineups in the league. DeRozan likes the sound of that, even if it is premature to actually predict such a move. "That would be great. It would feel good to be in a lineup like that. Kevin Durant's one of the best players in the league, and that would be an opportunity to help build a program from the ground up. I think we could put Oklahoma City on the map as a top team in the next few years. Playing with a star player would also really help my career. Playing with someone like Kevin Durant, who's been there and remembers what it takes as a rookie to get where you want to go, that would be great because he just did it. I'd love to play with Kevin and help him build his team up." HoopsWorld

A lawmaker urged the National Basketball Association Wednesday to repeal its requirement that players be at least 19 years old and a year out of high school before entering the league, calling the restriction unfair. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., sent identical letters to NBA commissioner David Stern and union leader Billy Hunter, asking that they scrap the requirement in the next collective bargaining agreement. Cohen, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, called the requirement "an unfair restriction on the rights of these young men to pursue their intended career." ESPN.com

“It’s a vestige of slavery,” Cohen said Wednesday in a phone interview, noting that most of the players affected by the rule are African-American. “Not like the slavery of 150 years ago, but it’s a restraint on a person’s freedoms and liberties.” New York Times

He added that the former Georgia Tech star Thaddeus Young, who is from his district, was also affected by the rule. “He could have gone straight to the pros,” Cohen said. “I don’t think he’s going to be an engineer. It’s just kind of a mockery.” New York Times

Although he has not been officially announced by Panathinaikos, Nick Calathes(1.98-PG/SG/SF) signed his 3 seasons contract this morning. Calathes arrived at the offices of the Panathinaikos administration this morning and after he went through the medical examinations he signed his contract. The official site of Panathinaikos on the other hand hosted a mini interview of Calathes which can be found here. The Hoop

"I think nowadays, with so many internet outlets covering the draft, you know who the top draft picks are going to be just by looking at the media," says Blake. "You know Blake Griffin's going to be one of your top guys coming into this year because you've seen him play last year. For us to get a feel for who we want to go see - the guys we call 'must-tracks,' meaning we have to track them, get a look at them, monitor them because they're going to come out - last year that was Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, you know those guys are going to be up there. Then it's fueled by a lot of other scouts who actually go to a lot of games, and they're going to spit that out to the media, as well. In terms of people like Chad Ford, Chad has only a few people who will talk to him and that's where he gets his information because he doesn't go see a lot of games. Then you have Draft Express, with guys who are actively going out there, and they do a really super job with what they do. How accurate they are, you never really know. HoopsWorld

Wednesday, June 3

Louisville senior Terrence Williams — an athletic and physical 6-foot-6, 220-pound shooting guard — might make the Warriors consider adding to their excess. He's been linked to them in the draft rumor mill. Plus, a team source said coach Don Nelson loves Williams. "Right after they call my name, I'd be on the next plane and come here," he said of his reaction should the Warriors draft him. "And won't leave here. Ever." Contra Costa Times

If Austin Daye is available for the Kings to select with the 23rd pick, someone might have lied to him. He'd like a guarantee from a team that it would select him. Daye said he's heard he'll fall between 9-17. The lanky small forward from Gonzaga hasn't hired an agent. Daye said he's "pretty dedicated to staying in" the draft with this caveat. "I really don't want to fall into the 20s," Daye said after his workout Tuesday at the Golden State Warriors practice facility. "If that happens I'm probably going to go back to school, if that's what they're saying." Sacramento Bee

Unlike Daye, Williams isn't worried about where he'll be selected. And after four years of college, he doesn't have the option of going back to school either. Williams isn't finding the draft process stressful. "Not studying for a test and trying to take a test, that's nerve-wracking," Williams said. "Playing basketball and getting drafted? This is supposed to be fun. I see one website where I can go 13. I see another where I can go 25. It doesn't matter to me. Playing in the NBA is a dream. If I get drafted 30, I'm playing in the NBA. It's not going to really matter. This is basketball." Sacramento Bee

Vasquez hasn't made up his mind yet. "He's not leaning one way or another," said Stu Vetter, his former high school coach at Montrose Christian. "It's definitely going to come down to the last day or two." The deadline to decide is two weeks away. One advantage to waiting until the very end is that it gives Vasquez some leverage. Baltimore Sun

USC forward Marcus Johnson has decided to turn pro, Trojans basketball Coach Tim Floyd said Monday. Johnson, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Connecticut, averaged 3.6 points in 16 games last season. Los Angeles Times

In three years, it's likely that Childress, Jennings, Calathes and Tyler will all be on NBA rosters, as evidence that various European routes can be taken without derailing an NBA career. Childress hasn't excelled for Olympiakos, but he still has a spot in the NBA should he want to return stateside. It's unclear whether Europe enhanced Jennings' development -- he played limited minutes in Rome, some not even at point guard -- but the fact that he's probably going to be a top-10 pick later this month is a decent endorsement of the decision. If Calathes, who, as a source in his camp explained, "had plenty of options, unlike Jennings did," completes the NCAA-Greece-NBA path, it'll only give further credence to studying abroad. SI.com

Tennessee forward Tyler Smith says he may consider playing professional basketball overseas next season if the price is right. Smith, who has one year of eligibility left, has said he plans to participate in the June 25 NBA draft, but has until June 15 to withdraw his name and maintain his collegiate eligibility. Some analysts have projected Smith to go in the second round should he remain in the draft, which wouldn't guarantee him a salary. SI.com

Just this week, a message-board rumor surfaced that Kentucky's biggest recruit, point guard John Wall, might ship off to Greece instead of Lexington due to eligibility issues. This was false; sources tell SI.com that Wall is expected to qualify academically and play for the Wildcats. The Kentucky fans who momentarily worried about it can be forgiven, though. The rumor may have been bogus, but the Euro option has become legit. SI.com

Tuesday, June 2

Can you tell me a scenario that lands Blake Griffin in a Homeklahoma city thunder uniform? Chad Ford: Sorry ... the more I talked to the Clippers last week the more convinced I was that they're keeping him. I think the NBA should ban the Clippers from the the top three picks. It's like buying a new Bentley and then parking it at a Motel 6. ESPN.com

Don't be surprised if the Portland Trail Blazers trade into the lottery, looking to acquire Davidson's Stephen Curry. The way I hear it, the Blazers (currently picking 24th) are nosing around to trade up and have Curry in their sights. Charlotte Observer

According to a source familiar with the situation, North Carolina guard Ty Lawson is one of five players the 76ers are scheduled to bring in Friday for workouts. Philadelphia Inquirer

From what I've been told, Blazers will trade the pick to the highest bidder. They have plenty of young players and would like a little more cap flexibility. ESPN.com

Teague is still on the fence on whether to return to Wake Forest. This apparently wasn't his best workout. He's still all over the map in the late first round. Teague's workouts apparently are mirroring his season where he showed flashes of being an elite player but then can look rather pedestrian at times, relative to the elite guards in the first round. ESPN.com

Gibson is not going back to USC, at least that's what has been conveyed to the NBA personnel, according to sources. Gibson is 24 and the unknowns at USC with player defections, a pending NCAA investigation, and rumors of job security for the staff would make it hard for Gibson to commit to returning to a roster devoid of star talent. Gibson continues to perform well at the workouts and is moving toward a first-round selection. ESPN.com

The Timberwolves own three first-round picks in the NBA draft, but there's a good chance that could change between now and June 25. President of basketball operations David Kahn said after this morning's pre-draft workouts that he's willing to listen to trade offers for any of the choices, including the sixth overall selection. "You never say never to anything," Kahn said. "We would listen to anything, of course. But by the same token, I'm not out there on the phone shopping them. It's a little early for that still." St. Paul Pioneer Press

A couple of things. One, (Lawson) measured as the shortest player in the draft. Second, teams are worried that while he's terrific going North and South, he doesn't have the lateral quickness to excel in the half court game. Third, there are some concerns about injuries and some talk about his practice habits not being great. He didn't seem to be in the best shape at the combine. ESPN.com

With the Detroit Pistons looking to get as far under the salary cap as they can this summer, and the Oklahoma City Thunder being one of the few teams who are able to help them shed salary, the two teams have emerged as natural trade partners, multiple NBA sources told DraftExpress this past weekend. With very few teams projected to have cap space this summer (Oklahoma City, Memphis, Portland, Sacramento and Atlanta being the main ones), it appears that Detroit could be in great position to take advantage of the strength of this free agent class and nab a couple of pieces that would put them right back in the mix to compete for the Eastern conference finals. Detroit is currently slated to be around 20 million dollars underneath the cap, but could shed another five million or so by unloading the contracts of Amir Johnson and their first round pick (#15). DraftExpress.com

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins hasn’t necessarily given up on the idea of drafting a point guard, though, and he’s telling NBA-types that he may be interested in picking one with legit size that he can play alongside either Mike Conley or O.J. Mayo depending on the situation on the floor. Tyreke Evans is one that has come up—he comes with the added benefit of having played in Memphis, which might help the team somewhat in the ticket sales department. Jrue Holiday is another name that is beginning to get some mention here. DraftExpress.com

The assumption is that Memphis will trade down a few spots, possibly to 4th, where Sacramento can offer either Jason Thompson or Spencer Hawes as added compensation. That would surely please Rubio’s camp, as the difference between the 2nd and 4th picks is somewhere around four million dollars over the course of his rookie deal, which would make things infinitely easier as far as his buyout is concerned, and also satisfy his and his family’s initial expectations of being a top-3 pick. DraftExpress.com

Enter the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are reportedly high on B.J. Mullens (as is Milwaukee), and likely would be able to nab him with the 15th pick. Considering how far under the cap they’ll be this summer, they would have no problem taking on Amir Johnson’s expiring 3.66 million dollar contract. They should be able to find a suitor for their late first round pick if they choose to do so, as teams like San Antonio, Houston, Toronto and Orlando are all in the market for a draft choice in that range. DraftExpress.com

Q: You’re on the verge of being one of the top picks in the draft. Could you have imagined that when you got over here? Hasheem Thabeet: When I came in, my goal was just to get an education and then go home and get a good job. But I started playing basketball seriously, and I started learning the game and I found out I love doing it. Sporting News

Q: You met with some representatives from Memphis out in L.A. last week. How did that go? A: It went pretty well. I met with them, they got to know me a little bit, they asked me about myself, about where I thought I would get picked. Sporting News

Q: You come in thinking defense all the way. A: I think that, maybe my offense needs to improve, but I think that if I am not going to go to your end and score, then you are not going to come to my end and score. That helps me a lot more playing defense, to be motivated. Q: How far along is your offense at this point? A: It is getting better. The thing people don’t understand, I had to make a transition from soccer to basketball, from just kicking it and you’re not allowed to touch it, to now, you’re allowed to touch it but you’re not allowed to kick it. That takes time to get used to. I am just trying to get as many repetitions as I can to get better. Q: As long as you don’t get confused and start kicking the ball in a basketball game. A: Sometimes during practice, I will kick the ball and coach will stop the practice and say, "No, this is basketball, Hasheem. This is not soccer." Sporting News

Another interesting tidbit of information coming out of the NBA Combine in Chicago revolves around the Dallas Mavericks and potential interest they may have in Arizona power forward Jordan Hill. The rumor mill indicates that Dallas is seriously considering making a move to acquire the ultra athletic junior, and views him as exactly the type of tough, active rebounder they are missing in their frontcourt rotation at the moment. Brandon Bass currently fills that role for them, but they may not be able to keep him and still maintain ample cap space for 2010. DraftExpress.com

One team that could reportedly help Dallas move up high enough to pick Hill is the Washington Wizards at #5, a team they already have a history with making draft-day deals. The two teams swapped Antawn Jamison for Jerry Stackhouse and the #4 pick (Devin Harris) back in 2004, a move that worked out well for both parties. DraftExpress.com

While other prospects in his draft range are declining competitive workouts, Tyreke Evans appears to be welcoming the challenge of earning his draft spot. “Tyreke will work out against anyone,” says a source at Wasserman Media Group, Evans’ agency. “The only problem so far has been that no one is willing to work out against him, especially not DeRozan or Harden.” While some NBA teams insist that Ricky Rubio and James Harden are the top players on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ draft board at the moment, others suggest that they are beginning to warm up to the prospect of picking Evans at #6. DraftExpress.com

“He’s definitely a good fit there,” one high ranking NBA executive with a pick just a few spots below Minnesota’s suggests. “He can play with Randy Foye or without him, you can mix and match him with all kinds of guards, as long as you’re willing to put the ball in his hands. With that wingspan, he can even guard some small forwards. He gives you tremendous versatility in that regard.” DraftExpress.com

Kahn is reportedly telling NBA teams that he’s not married to the idea of using the #6 pick, and that he would be willing to listen to trade offers for it. DraftExpress.com

CL: I read about some bizarre questions that players were asked, like Chase Budinger being asked if he had any friends with benefits. They seem to want to know everything. Were there any strange questions you were asked by teams? Stephen Curry: Some teams wanted to know my GPA in middle school and high school. I got the girlfriend question a lot. CL: Did anyone ask you the "friends with benefits" question like Budinger? SC: I didn't get that far because I've got a girlfriend, so I wanted to nip that in the bud. One team -- I won't tell what team it was -- but one team asked who my dad was and what his name was, which was kind of funny. I figured that was a given, but that was good. Sporting News

CL: The individual workouts start soon. Where are you now, and where are you headed next? SC: I'm back in D.C. working out with Idan (Ravin), fine-tuning my game before the workouts actually start. I have a workout Thursday starting at home in Charlotte. Then going from there back to D.C. to keep working out here. Then I'll be in New York next week, the second week of June. I'll be there June 9-10. CL: Is that all that's scheduled out? Do you have other teams lined up? SC: We have other teams, but no dates. We have Oklahoma City, Washington and Milwaukee. I'm hoping to perform well early, get some buzz created and see what happens from there. Hopefully I won't have to do too many workouts. Sporting News

Several publications have hinted that the freshman -- who has made himself eligible for the NBA draft -- is leaning heavily toward hiring an agent and turning pro. But his mother, Toya, offers another perspective. "I can tell you he won't sign with an agent anytime soon," she said on Monday. "Our goal is to decide by June 12." Holiday has until June 15 to withdraw his name from the draft and return to UCLA as a sophomore. His father, Shawn, and Toya, both former college players, have been closely involved in the decision-making process. Los Angeles Times

There is a growing sense in NBA circles that Brandon Jennings may be making a mistake by passing up the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso next week in favor of participating in private NBA workouts. Numerous teams in the lottery have pointed out to us that they do not feel comfortable with the amount of competitive five on five action they’ve seen Jennings partake in, and that they would have a difficult time selecting him based on the body of work he’s put together up until this point. DraftExpress.com

Patty Mills is prepared to test his talent in the NBA. The Australian Olympic star and point guard from Saint Mary's College said Monday he will forgo his final two years of college eligibility and keep his name in the NBA draft. "In my head, I'm 100 percent in," Mills said. "There's a great opportunity for me to play in the NBA this year and I'm trying to make the most of the opportunity." ESPN.com

The early buzz from the first day was that Omri Casspi may have helped himself more than any other prospect, as he showed a great combination of athleticism, competitiveness, and skill-level. Austin Daye had a sub-par day apparently, being able to create his own shot almost whenever he pleased, but being incapable of finishing plays due to his poor physical strength. DraftExpress.com

After speaking for 20 minutes at the Maryland Economic Development Association’s awards banquet Monday night at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Cambridge, Md., Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams asked the dinner party of 200 if there were any questions. One hand immediately shot up from a table near the stage. “Is Vasquez coming back?” the man asked. “Is Vasquez coming back?” Williams repeated. “What a surprise to have that question.” Williams said he’d seen Greivis Vasquez – the guard who just finished his junior season at Maryland and has entered his name into the NBA draft pool – earlier in the day and that Vasquez will participate in upcoming workouts in Minnesota, Portland, Sacramento and Philadelphia. Washington Post

Monday, June 1

But there's talk of Oklahoma City trading down, too, particularly if Rubio's still on the board (whom they don't need and may not want to play in a cowtown). Bergen Record

Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague is taking his time to decide whether he will hire an agent and stay in the NBA draft. "It's a decision you can't make in a short time period," the 6-2 sophomore said last week during a break from the draft combine in Chicago. "It's a life-changing decision." USA Today

At this point, Teague said, he will hire an agent if he gets feedback indicating he will be a first-round pick. Analysts for NBAdraft.net and Draftexpress.com think he will be one, but Teague is eager to hear the opinions of general managers after he goes through the combine and completes individual workouts. Players typically begin workouts in early to mid-May. By moving up the deadline next year, "That means they don't get time for workouts," Lawson said. "You can't get that much accomplished." Workouts could be held sooner, but players will have to be cautious when scheduling them. Under its tryout rules, the NCAA doesn't allow players to miss class to attend them. Most colleges wrap up their final semesters in May. USA Today

Tyler Hansbrough is clearly a man on a mission. Every time he touches the ball, the entire gym knows, as he takes out all of his frustrations on the rim. He's in great shape, jumping better than many of his counterparts, and also measuring out taller than most people expect him to, coming up with almost identical figures to that of Blake Griffin. You can sense that executives in the gym are starting to warm up to him more and more. NBA.com

DeJuan Blair has about as much buzz as any player in the draft right now, and he obviously is enjoying showing off his new chiseled physique. "I lost 38 pounds," he tells us afterwards with a huge grin on his face. He's relishing the chance to make his presence felt in this setting, no longer asked to lead fast breaks or shoot NBA 3-pointers like he was in the first day. "I felt much more comfortable out there today," he explains. "I wanted to dunk the ball hard! Give them something to remember me by." Blair particularly shines in the interviews with teams and the media day sessions, showing off his gregarious personality that some go as far as to compare to Shaquille O'Neal. "That's just me," Blair tells us with a smile. "I love being around people." NBA.com

Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Omri Casspi believes he is ready to play in the NBA, even though according to some reports he had a less than successful time at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago over the weekend. Speaking to the media during the combine, Casspi was confident he is more than capable of playing in the best league in the world. "I think I'm ready to play in the NBA," Casspi said. "I've played on one of the best teams in Europe for the last few years and I've improved every year." Jerusalem Post

Former University of Florida star Nick Calathes was scheduled to leave today for Greece and hopes to be on hand to watch his future Panathinaikos teammates celebrate a national championship as well as be introduced to what figures to be an adoring new fanbase. Calathes, 20, last week officially ended his career with the Gators by signing a three-year contract — worth about $1.1 million annually, including a home, car and tax credits — to play for the reigning Euroleague champions from Athens. Orlando Sentinel

Calathes, who averaged 17.2 points plus 5.3 rebounds and led the SEC with 6.2 assists per game, has yet to comment publicly on his decision to go the international route over the NBA. Sources close to the former UF star and two-time "Mr. Basketball" from Lake Howell say Calathes has remained mum on the deal in deference to his new team and its quest to wrap up a championship. Calathes will be in Greece only for only a few days. He is scheduled to return to Orlando later this week to resume his offseason training. Orlando Sentinel

Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn tells critics to wait and see before declaring this year's draft as weak. "When people say it's a weak draft, I don't see how you can tell it's a weak draft until you see guys play in the NBA," he said. "Everything is off of potential right now, but until you get into game situations in the NBA, that's when you can find out how good a draft class it was." Philadelphia Daily News

Reynolds, who has not signed with an agent, has until June 15 to decide to come back for his senior season or remain in the draft and take his chances. The draft is June 25. He will not say which way he is leaning. “I definitely want to do it (make a decision) before the 15th,” Reynolds said. “I want to do it a little in advance of the 15th because if you decide on the 15th, you really don’t know what you’re doing. I kind of want to get it under control next week.” Delco Times

He told a story in which at one workout, the team, which he did not mention, tested the players on their vertical jump. All the other players at the workout touched 11 feet. Reynolds topped out at 10 feet. However, when the players scrimmage, Reynolds felt he was the best player on the court. “The game is about basketball players and being able to play the game of basketball,” Reynolds said. “I may not be able to jump out of the gym and do this and that, but I’m going to give you some pretty good skills and some pretty good basketball plays.” Delco Times

Sunday, May 31

Ricky Rubio: If there's not a good project in the NBA, I'm not going there. If I go there it's because there's a good future. Marca.com

Oklahoma City has a Stephen Curry fixation. The Thunder attended all of Curry's home games at Davidson this past season and is looking at him as a potential shooting guard. But they'll almost certainly move down from the No. 3 pick if they decide to take him. Scouts are not only high on Curry's shooting, but also think he can make players better around him. "When you look at that Davidson team, they barely had any other Division I players," said one scout. New York Daily News

When Knicks team president Donnie Walsh last succeeded in the lottery 21 years ago, the former Pacers president jumped to the second pick and selected 7-foot-4 Marist graduate Rik Smits, who led a Pacers renaissance. "I remember he had to duck through the door every time he walked into my office," Walsh said. "I haven't had a player whose had to duck since." It is why Walsh is so intrigued with Hasheem Thabeet, UConn's 7-3 junior shotblocker. Walsh interviewed Thabeet during the Chicago NBA Draft combine Wednesday and is the only prospect he views worthy enough to give up a decent asset to move up from No. 8 in the draft. The Knicks were last in shotblocking the past two seasons. New York Post

Some scouts feel Thabeet is as likely to become a stiff along the lines of Manute Bol as he is the next Mutombo because of his lack of an offensive game. Thabeet, 22, admits it needs improvement but said he feels ready right now to be a defensive force in the NBA. He averaged 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks on a club that advanced to the Final Four. "If I don't score, you're not coming to the other end and scoring," Thabeet said in his deep baritone. "Defense is my game." New York Post

Holiday, a 6-foot-4 point guard, and DeRozan, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard, have scheduled workouts with the Knicks and will be considered by the team if they are still on the board at No. 8 and the Knicks decide against Stephen Curry. The Knicks' No. 1 priority is grabbing a scoring point guard, and Holiday has opened a lot of eyes at the NBA Draft Combine that finished yesterday. New York Post

"I'm shooting for No. 1 to be honest," Holiday told The Post. "I'm definitely shooting for the sky." The Knicks interviewed Holiday on Wednesday. "New York is the closet thing to L.A.," Holiday said. "And I love L.A." New York Post

Despite several Internet mock drafts that have Evans going 15th, he is being considered by the Kings and isn't expected to fall past the Washington Wizards at No. 5. Evans will most certainly be taken by Toronto if he even makes it to the ninth pick based on intelligence from NBA insiders. "I don't think there's any chance that he drops out of the top 10," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said. "He brings versatility to your team. He's got great size and terrific vision of the court. When he gets in the lane, he can see some things smaller guards can't. He needs to improve his shooting. But he can." Memphis Commercial Appeal

Unless it's for vacation, Boston College guard Tyrese Rice isn't planning on going overseas right now. After several strong workouts with NBA teams, Rice is confident he'll be drafted, despite a long list of available point guards. "I'm focused on the NBA," Rice said. "I'll go overseas if I have to." Rice averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds last season, scoring 25 points against North Carolina and 21 in an upset of sixth-ranked Duke. He played in the Portsmouth Invitational, which features the top college seniors, though he wasn't invited to the NBA predraft camp in Chicago last week. "Of course I was disappointed," Rice said. Boston Globe

Brooklyn's Taj Gibson, a power forward from USC, said teams have told him he'll likely go late first round. New York Post

Saturday, May 30

The Clippers have reportedly made teams aware that they aren't interested in trading the No. 1 overall pick. But there also are indications they might listen -- but that potential suitors must be willing to take troubled-but-productive forward Zach Randolph and the $33million left on his contract over the next two seasons. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Oklahoma City and Sacramento are said to be interested in moving up from the third and fourth slots, respectively. Those teams have interest in Griffin and Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio. Would the Kings be willing to part with power forward Jason Thompson (a 2008 lottery pick) and the No. 4 selection for the chance to take Rubio? Memphis Commercial Appeal

The New York Knicks offered to buy the Grizzlies' 27th pick for $3million, according to a source. The Griz turned down that proposal. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Someone close to the L.A. Clippers' scene said rumors of the team possibly trading the No. 1 pick -- Blake Griffin of Oklahoma -- were absurd. Racine Journal Times

Blake Griffin measured out well from a height perspective, but he doesn’t appear to have great length at all. His standing reach and wingspan are both far below average for a power forward, which likely helps explain why he is such an unimposing defender and shot-blocker. In fact, amongst the 42 power forwards in our database who were selected as top-15 picks, Griffin is just a quarter of an inch from ranking dead last in the wingspan category, and an inch from ranking dead last in standing reach. Yikes. DraftExpress.com

Presumptive No. 1 pick Blake Griffin continued to display a subtle sense of humor, deflecting questions about the Clippers' history of misery. But he turned serious when asked about the Clippers' prospects once they select him with the top pick. "I don't believe in curses or anything like that," Griffin said. "They have great players and a great coach. I expect them to be good next year." Chicago Tribune

Tyreke Evans came out very big in the measurements for a guy who may play some point guard, at over 6-5 in shoes and with a 6-11 ¼ wingspan that is identical to Blake Griffin’s, and is the largest of any point guard ever measured in our database. For comparison’s sake, he measures out slightly larger than Dwayne Wade and Jamal Crawford across the board. DraftExpress.com

There are whispers the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the second overall pick, could take Memphis guard Tyreke Evans. Racine Journal Times

Hasheem Thabeet measured out extremely well, which probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. He’s going to be a monster in size even in the NBA, as his wingspan ranks 9th longest in NBA measurement history amongst players who were drafted, and his standing reach ranks 5th. DraftExpress.com

James Harden had very nice measurements for a two guard, which should help ease many of the concerns scouts had with him. There was some talk that he may measure at 6-4 or less, but instead he came out with good height, weight, wingspan, and reach for a shooting guard. DraftExpress.com

There is growing sentiment among some NBA officials that the Bucks covet Flynn with the 10th overall pick. The Bucks have done an extensive amount of research on him and spent the allotted 30 minutes interviewing him Thursday at the Westin Hotel. Flynn said he immediately connected with Bucks coach Scott Skiles, a former point guard himself. "The meeting went smooth,'' Flynn said. "Scott Skiles told me what they thought of me and how they were high on me and how they needed someone at that position.'' Racine Journal Times

The Milwaukee Bucks would be wise in selecting Jonny Flynn with their first-round pick in next month's NBA draft. At least, that's the opinion of Tyreke Evans. Evans, the gifted combo guard from Memphis who is regarded as one of the prized players in this year's draft, has a lofty opinion of Flynn, the stellar point guard from Syracuse University. When asked Friday at the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago to pick the best rookie prospect he had played against, Evans barely hesitated in responding. "Probably Jonny Flynn,'' Evans said. "He can shoot the 3-pointer, he's got a mid-range game and he can finish on big guys. "And he makes his teammates better. He's got the whole package.'' Racine Journal Times

Asked if he were worried about alienating other teams, Curry said no. And he laughed when asked about the tradition of Knicks fans booing loudly at virtually anyone that serves as the franchise's No. 1 pick. "That would actually be fun if I could be the person that they draft and change that whole reaction," Curry said. "Maybe they'd applaud." Chicago Tribune

With the 16th and 26th picks in the first round, the Bulls could try to package those picks with current players as part of a larger deal to land a veteran power forward. They also could package those picks to try to move up should they badly want a player they believe could be drafted earlier. Chicago Tribune

DeJuan Blair’s height of 6’5.25 in shoes may cause some teams to raise an eyebrow, but they will likely look at his other measurables as well. For comparison’s sake, Blair is a quarter of an inch taller than Jason Maxiell without shoes, and an inch shorter than Paul Millsap. In terms of wingspan (7-2) and standing reach (8-10 ½), Blair is slightly longer than Millsap and comparable with Maxiell. He’s nowhere near Elton Brand’s mammoth proportions, though—Brand has a 7-5 1/2 wingspan and a 9-2 standing reach. DraftExpress.com

Word here is Lawson didn't look too impressive in some of the drills in comparison to the more sizeable Jrue Holiday (6-3¼ of UCLA). "It's my height,'' Lawson said of his mid-first-round draft status. "I don't think it's that big of a deal, my height being 6-foot. Hopefully whoever picks me I'll show I'm a better player than most people think.'' New York Post

Budinger met with Bobcats management at the Chicago combine, and said he was asked the following: If you were sent to a deserted island, and could bring just one thing, what would it be? Budinger went the politically-correct route, and answered a basketball court and a ball. Beyond the fact that's two things, you know he was fibbing. I mean, come on, the kid's 21 and lives in Tucson; he'd bring along a University of Arizona sorority house. Charlotte Observer

B.J. Mullens measured in as a physical freak in size, much like expected. He is also likely going to test in as a phenomenal athlete based off what we’ve seen from him in terms of his running and leaping ability. Unfortunately his wingspan is not very impressive for his height, which may help explain why he was such a poor defender and rebounder in college. Mullens’ wingspan looks similar to that of Kwame Brown and Spencer Hawes, although much like Chris Kaman, he compensates for that with an excellent standing reach. DraftExpress.com

Tyler Hansbrough may get the most out of the measurement process. For a guy often accused of being 6’7, he measured in at nearly identical size across the board to Blake Griffin. Hansbrough is half an inch bigger than the player he likes to compare himself to in David Lee, with a wingspan and standing reach half an inch shorter. He should have no problem as far as his size is concerned at the power forward position in the NBA. DraftExpress.com

There was more than a touch of defiance in Tyler Hansbrough's voice while he spoke Friday at the NBA predraft camp. "Doubt me all you want, but I think I have a lot to prove," the winner of the 2008 Naismith and Wooden awards said. ESPN.com

"I'm not worried about it," he said. "It's just a bunch of people saying whatever they want. I think I'll prove a lot of people wrong. "They kind of doubted me in high school and said I wouldn't be a good college player. I'll bet a lot of people wouldn't have thought I would have wound up being the ACC all-time leading scorer. They can doubt me or whatever, but I got the job done and won a national championship." ESPN.com

Despite skill deficiencies and playing for a Georgia Tech team that finished with two ACC wins, the sophomore forward was expected to be drafted as a middle- to late-first-rounder. But as the NBA draft combine concluded its basketball portion Friday afternoon at the Attack Athletics Training Center in Chicago (all that's left are interviews with teams Friday night and medical testing Saturday), Lawal sounded like a player who might head back to school, since there are no guarantees that he will be a lock for the top 20 in the first round. "There is a good chance," said Lawal, who averaged 15.1 ppg and 9.5 rpg, of going back to for his junior season. "I wanted to go through the process, and when June 15 comes [the deadline to withdraw], if I feel there is any doubt that I could go in the second round, then I'll go back to school." ESPN.com

Lawal said he hasn't had an individual workout with a team yet. His first destination is Minnesota on June 1. "I may go after my junior or senior year," Lawal said. "I'm not in a rush. I know that sounds hypocritical after my sophomore year, but the NBA isn't going anywhere. I want to test the process. I thought I was talented enough, and that's what the process is for." ESPN.com

Although team executives are not allowed to comment on underclassmen such as Wise who still have the option of returning to school, the league has sent out some signals that Wise faces long odds of being chosen in the June 25 draft. Wise has worked out for several teams individually, such as his hometown Houston Rockets and the nearby San Antonio Spurs, but he was not among the 52 players invited to the NBA's pre-draft combine this week. Invitations were given out based on team votes on players they would like to see. Arizona Daily Star

Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge was not a fan of the new format for the combine (drills and agility testing with no games being played). But a number of other executives, including Denver's Mark Warkentin, liked the interview portion of the week. Teams such as Denver and Detroit were able to interview lottery picks in Chicago, something that didn't happen in past years. Those players wouldn't go to their teams for individual workouts because they were picking too low. Some agents who in the past might have been preventing players from going to teams with picks later in the first round or in the second don't realize that these teams can trade up to get players, and they now at least have interviewed them before they make the move. ESPN.com

Friday, May 29

A source said Donnie Walsh loves Hasheem Thabeet, projected to go No. 3, because the Knicks were last in block shots the past two years. The way the top three shook out, a source said the Knicks feel there's potential for the former UConn star to fall if Memphis takes Ricky Rubio at 2. New York Post

The way I hear it from someone who should know, New York's eighth pick might come down to a bake-off between Davidson's Stephen Curry and North Carolina's Ty Lawson. I can't believe Lawson is the eighth pick in this draft, but let's play this out because it's an interesting exercise: Lawson is dramatically superior as an athlete. Curry is dramatically superior as a basketball player. Do you want the triple-jump champ or the kid from the movie "Hoosiers?' Charlotte Observer

Curry put on a shooting show -- no surprise there -- but many GMs commented that he really looked like he belonged when he participated in a number of ballhandling and full-court drills. If Curry can prove to teams that he can play point guard, he'll go somewhere between No. 5 and 13. If he can't, he could slip out of the lottery. The results of the first day of camp had to be encouraging. ESPN.com

Flynn continues to generate buzz with his combination of speed and power -- even if he was the shortest guy on the floor. Every GM I spoke with now sees him as a lottery pick, with many projecting him in the Top 10. ESPN.com

Early talk is that the Pacers could be looking at taking a point guard. That's the word coming from North Carolina's Ty Lawson and VCU's Eric Maynor, who both could be available when the blue and gold pick at No. 13. "They talked to my agent and they said they need a point guard to come in," Lawson said this afternoon. "They've got T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack, but I don't know if they're happy with them. They said they need one to come in." "I've already got a workout set up with Indiana," Maynor said. "They are looking at taking a point guard. I haven't really had much contact with them, but my agent talked to them." Indianapolis Star

Not everyone impressed, however. Lawson continues to take a little bit of a beating. His small stature and so-so performance in the combine didn't help dispel a growing chorus of scouts who seem to feel that his game won't translate to the pros. Not everyone impressed, however. Lawson continues to take a little bit of a beating. His small stature and so-so performance in the combine didn't help dispel a growing chorus of scouts who seem to feel that his game won't translate to the pros. Australia's Patrick Mills also turned some heads with his speed. It will be interesting to see who wins the three-quarter sprint drill on Friday. Mills, Collison and Lawson are the likeliest contenders for the fastest player in the draft -- all three guys are a blur. ESPN.com

There wasn't much else to report in this group. A number of teams noted that Terrence Williams looked smaller than they thought. Several GMs made comparisons between Miami Hurricanes guard Jack McClinton and Boston Celtics guard Eddie House. ESPN.com

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough was there, but he didn't seem to draw a high level of buzz one way or the other. "He looked like the same guy we saw for four years at North Carolina," one NBA GM said. "I wanted to see him try to score over longer, more athletic players. If he showed that, I'd be impressed." ESPN.com

The big mystery was the no-show of Washington's Jon Brockman. The NBA just shrugged its shoulders when asked where Brockman was. His absence fueled a number of (unsubstantiated) rumors. I heard everything from a promise by a European team to a first-round promise from an NBA team to an injury. We're digging to find out the truth. ESPN.com

It is not a coincidence that Dallas has gotten Draft Day dead-on right three times in this decade. See if you sense the trend here: *2004: Draft-Day swap for Devin Harris at No. 5. *2003: Josh Howard selected at 29. *2000: Draft-Day swap for Eddie Najera at 30. Sense the trend? Najera didn’t “fill a need.’’ Hell, he didn’t even have a position. Almost a decade later, he still doesn’t have a position. But he generally plays 20 minutes a game as one of the NBA’s best “glue guys.’’ J-Ho didn’t “fill a need.’’ In fact, if you’ll recall, in his first training camp the newspaper kept running stories about how the Mavs “had too many players at his position’’ and how “there might not be room for Howard to contribute.’’ The newspaper was wrong. Devin didn’t “fill a need.’’ Not at the time. He was the fifth player taken in that draft, and Dallas acquired him while still assuming Steve Nash would be here. Foster, Fazekas and Ager are all products of a “fill-a-need’’ philosophy. Najera, Howard and Devin are all products of “B.A.A. (Best Available Athlete).’’ DallasBasketball.com

Most teams we’ve spoken to in Chicago are indicating that they believe Oklahoma City is indeed leaning towards picking Harden. DraftExpress.com

A source close to him tells us he feels very good about the possibility of being selected by Oklahoma City or Washington,