NBA Draft Rumors - 5/22/09

To check out the best in the daily NBA rumor mill, check out HoopsHype. That said, here are some synthesized rumors from across the net.

* Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy has a man-crush on Ricky Rubio. As we all know, the Clippers already have a point guard in Baron Davis, who's inked for the next four seasons. While there will be suitors, expect them to attempt to undercut the Clippers, who owe the Baron more than $50M over the next four seasons. This all may be a smokestream, but why? If they take Rubio, the Grizzlies are the proverbial Mikey Award winners (i.e. they're the big winner).

* Meanwhile, if Blake Griffin is off the board, the Grizzlies' front office wants Ricky Rubio, while the owner wants an athletic big (e.g. Hasheem Thabeet). Thabeet may be a better fit, but Rubio is the more seasoned player and will be a more useful player over time. All throughout the college basketball season, Clement and I were outspoken about Thabeet's durability or lack thereof. Not to mention, he does not have much of an offensive game (yet). I don't see great output from Thabeet during an 82-game campaign, unless and until he plays for a veteran team.

* If Ricky Rubio is still available at pick 3, the Wizards may offer JaVale McGee and the 5th pick to move up. Thankfully for the Wizards, the Thunder only saw the ferocious dunks and amazing wingspan of McGee, who averaged about 4-5 missed assignments per contest (leading to bunnies for the opposition) in the half-dozen Wizards games I attended this year. A Rubio/Arenas backcourt would be thrilling to watch, but that does not help the Wizards poor defensive record.

* The Bulls are actively shopping Tyrus Thomas. The Bulls owe Thomas approximately $4.7M this year and a qualifying offer of $6.2M next year. If they clear his contract from the books, then the Bulls may have a real shot at inking Ben Gordon to a long-term deal. Another option, which is more likely, is the Bulls trading Thomas and combo guard Kurt Hinrich (owed $26.5M over 3 years) for an impact big man, such as Chris Bosh or Amar'e Stoudamire.

* With the 8th pick, the New York Knicks select Stephen Curry. Shhhhh.

* Not a rumor ... here are the folks whose Kool Aid I'm not drinking ...
- Jrue Holiday
- Brandon Jennings
- Hasheem Thabeet
- Jordan Hill

* And here are the guys who I wish were getting more love from the real draft gurus ...
- Tyreke Evans
- Sam Young
- Marcus Thornton
- DeJuan Blair