InClement Weather: NBA Draft Rumblings & Grumblings

Tweet tweet, of course. Remember, live blogging HERE at PHSports and here at Twitter all Thursday night (aka NBA Draft night) long.

Update: Major draft implications with the recent Washington/Minnesota deal. Key players include Randy Foye, Mike Miller, and the 5th pick in this year's draft. READ HERE.

Here's Pay's most recent 2-round mock.

As well as a few of his thoughts...
* Pick 2 is most intriguing. Why would Thabeet sit out during a workout with Memphis? Would you take a player if he sat out? I'd take Rubio and trade him to whoever wants him.
My Comment: I couldn't agree more. Thabeet worries me a TON. More on that later...
* Totally feel like the Kings are going with Tyreke Evans.
My Comment: Evans is my man crush, sans the obvious (Maynor & Flynn), this year.
* Spurs scalped the Bucks and got RJ for declining talent. Even if they get 60 games out of him, that's still a huge coup. Each of the Spurs' big four will miss at least 10 games at one point next year.
My Comment: The injury comment could not be more dead on, including Jefferson. LA's Bill Plaschke (of Around the Horn "fame"), thinks this is as close to a Pau Gasol-deal as the Spurs could've made. They may be #2 in the West "Power Rankings". More on that later...
* T-Will is going in the teens
My Comment: I am seriously doubting if Earl Clark or Terrence Williams will be NBA contributors. Jay Bilas disagrees strongly. Good.
* NBADraft.net really hates Jrue Holiday
My Comment: VCU hates the guy too. He saved his best game for the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
* Maynor won't be a lottery pick unfortunately.
My Comment: A few weeks back, the trend had Maynor slipping to the late teens or even early 20s. The interesting threesome I see is Maynor, Lawson, and Teague. I think we know why Flynn came out, dude could go as high as 4 to Sac Town. Although I've seen him as low as 14 (NBADraft.net). I'm still ecstatic for Maynor and VCU and HOPE that 17 is where he lands, so I can see him play once in a while. I think he'd be a PERFECT fit for a pick-and-roll offense. Jay Bilas agrees. Uh oh.

As for today's weather report...

Rondo, seen here with his buddy Ice Cube, didn't react well to the trade rumors.
Credit: ClubTaurus.com

1) Danny Ainge knows the Celtics are getting old and standing pat for a championship run in 2010 may be too costly for the C's future, specifically with the summer of 2010 ("Free Agency Summer") approaching. Curiously though, perhaps the top young talent on the team (point guard Rajon "Triple Double" Rondo), was linked by Yahoo! Sports with a blockbuster deal with the Detroit Pistons.

In the "supposed" proposed deal, Detroit would've sent Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rodney "50 Cent" Stuckey to Boston for Ray "He Got Game" Allen and Rajon Rondo. I might need to check out a few contracts; however, I'm shocked Rondo was paired in any deal, especially since Allen's expiring-next-season $20-million contract is easy to sell on its own. I knew immediately Stuckey would be involved, who's an intriguing point guard talent himself, although no Rondo (yet). Even more surprising, in the end, was Detroit potentially passing on the move, with Joe Dumars making mistake after mistake in recent trades and free agent signings (aka Kwame and AI).

Once talk of those Perfect Strangers reunion show die down, maybe Manu can focus on staying healthy on the court. Dance of JOY!!!

Credit: NBASportsMedia.com

2) San Antonio pulls the trigger, sending a trio of "role players" (Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto, and Bruce "Trips" Bowen) for swingman Richard Jefferson. I hate to quote other articles, but this clearly sums up the thoughts of Milwaukee Bucks basketball as of late:

This is what happens, general managers and fans alike, when you shoot for 45 wins, and nothing higher. This is what happens when you overvalue talent. Like, perhaps, Luke Ridnour's talent. This is what happens when you pin your hopes on Richard Jefferson as a second go-to guy, even when he should be a third or fourth, while being paid as a first option. It's a lopsided deal, talent-wise, even taking into consideration the way people tend to overrate Jefferson. But it's a necessary deal, in Milwaukee's eyes, as Jefferson is due over $29 million over the next two seasons, on a team with little upside and no real reason to pay a luxury like Jefferson to stick around.

This should allow the Bucks enough money to sign their lottery pick and potentially hang onto Ramon Sessions (do it!); however, they could go PG, bench Ridnour, and let Sessions bolt (mistake!).

What surprises me, for the better, is the Spurs making the move for Jefferson. A 3rd option, at best, who gets paid WAY TOO MUCH (shocker), Jefferson actually might fit in well with the Spurs...if he starts playing actual defense. The #2-spot in the West isn't exactly locked up, despite Denver's lift-oft post-Chauncey last season, and Tim Duncan will love having Jefferson - if healthy - ready to score; especially if Ginobli can stay healthy come playoff time. Duncan/Parker/Ginobli/Jefferson is a pretty solid four. The only concern is this doesn't allow the Spurs to be freed up next summer, although I didn't see them being able to add an elite superstar (Amare, Bosh, Wade) anyways.

Surprisingly, Caron "Clipse" Butler isn't part of this Washington Wizards' trade discussion.
Credit: HoopDoctors.com

3) ESPN.com's "trade rumors" (shocker, you don't have to pay for them) has the following "never-gonna-happen-in-a-million-years-trade-proposal". The question is: how dynamic might this be for all or some parties concerned? A LOT.

It would look like this: The Suns send Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland and Amare Stoudemire to Washington. The Cavs send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Washington. The Wizards send the No. 5 pick, Etan Thomas, Mike James and JaVale McGee to Phoenix and Antawn Jamison to Cleveland. Call me crazy, but isn't this the ideal deal for all three teams?

This can't be Vinsanity, can it? Can it!?!?
Credit: GotMilk.com

4) David Lee, Vince Carter, and Luol Deng will have their names bounced quite a bit the next 48-72 hours. Guess who's getting moved? NONE OF THEM!!!

Stephen Curry can borrow this suit come draft night. No need for the lawyer, though.
Credit: GossipBoulevard.com

5) A couple quick hits to end things...
-Tyreke Evans is going to be the best player, production-wise, out of this draft. I called it with Paul Pierce in 1998 and Danny Granger in 2005 (okay, CP3 and Deron Williams are better). Both Pierce and Granger slipped way too far, which Evans shouldn't, and ended up developing into dynamic NBA talents (check the numbers on Granger, folks). I'm calling it with Evans, too. Bring him to MSG for good!!!
-I'm nervous about Stephen Curry being a shooter on a team like Golden State (at #7). Very very nervous.
-(My boy) Eric Maynor turned down an invitation to MSG to stay at home with his family in Fayettville. Might waiting until 17 (Philly) be too long for one of the the top senior prospects in the draft?
-I'm always going to wonder how different Kentucky might've been next year with those recruits, Patterson, and Jodie Meeks. Wow.
-DeJuan Blair won't be an impact starter in the NBA or any professional league. That doesn't mean he can't be a valuable reserve...in 3-4 seasons.
-Hasheem Thabeet is a perfect #2 pick. He's as stiff as bigs come and doesn't have a basketball IQ I want anywhere near my starting 5 just yet.

When it comes to poor drafting, I know far too much pain.

The NBA Trade Winds Are A-Blowin'

With the NBA Draft just around the corner, trade talks are heating up as teams seek to shift pieces of their organization in order to address needs for the immediate future. Unlike previous years, there is major starpower included in trade talks, including but not limited to the disgruntled Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Shawn Marion. While there have yet to be any firm or concocted rumors included Bryant and Marion, the Kevin Garnett to the Celtics rumor is building steam in the mainstream press.

Note: The remaining contract amounts are approximations and can be seen at Patricia Bender's NBA page.

Via the Boston Herald and a little bit of my imagination ...
Minnesota trades Kevin Garnett (averaging $20M until 2009), Mark Blount (averaging $6.5M until 2010), CASH ($4M) and the 41st pick to Boston for Al Jefferson ($1.75M until 2008), Gerald Green (averaging $1.6M until t-opt in 2009), Sebastian Telfair ($1.9M until 2008), Theo Ratliff ($12M until 2008), Brian Scalabrine (averaging $3M until 2010) and the 5th pick

WHY? I've always held the belief that if the T-Wolves are to trade KG, they are going to get rid of at least one of their bad contracts (Mark Blount, Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson and Mark Madsen), which is akin to a controversial congressional bill that has pork barrel legislation attached to it. Is it ugly? Yes. Is it necessary? Yes, especially in terms of a rebuilding project for the T-Wolves. Of course, the T-Wolves will have plenty of quick decisions to make on what to do with Jefferson and Green, as well as who they will select with the 5th pick overall next week.

Should Mike Conley slip past both Atlanta and Milwaukee ...
Sacramento trades the 10th pick and rights to Kenny Thomas (averaging $7.1M/yr with a p-opt in 2008) to Portland for Zack Randolph (averaging $14M/yr until 2011), 37th, and 52nd pick

WHY? Despite Randolph having an excellent season last year, Portland have been trying to shop him and they might have found the right opportunity. Sacramento's dying for an inside presence to place alongside Brad Miller, who battled plantar fasciitis last season. While Portland has perfectly competent point guards in Jarrett Jack and Clement's man-crush Sergio Rodriguez, but the Blazers have let it be known that they are interested in Mike Conley Jr. If he slips to the 10th pick, which he might due to rumors and reports linking the Hawks to Al Horford at the 3rd pick and the Bucks to Corey Brewer at the 6th pick, it might be the window to trade Randolph and obtain the young point guard. Kenny Thomas would serve as a make-weight to reduce the burden placed upon the Kings' books.

Via the Chicago Tribune ...
Cleveland trades Drew Gooden (averaging $8M/yr until 2009) to Chicago for Victor Khryapa ($1.3M until 2008) and the 9th pick

WHY? Chicago has the 9th pick but no one available addresses the gaping hole that is their inside scoring crisis. Drew Gooden, who the Cavs are allegedly shopping, fits that need. Khryapa represents another shooter to add to LeBron's never-beginnning arsenal.

Coming on the heels of rumors of Phoenix seeking to move Kurt Thomas and the Nets begging for a power forward ...
Phoenix trades Kurt Thomas (averaging $7.5M/yr until 2009) and the 24th pick to the Nets for Jason Collins (averaging $6.1M/yr untli 2009) and the 17th pick.

WHY? This will likely require a third party, because the Suns really don't want to pick up Collins' contract, since he won't be a member of the D'Antoni's eight-man rotation. Thomas would garner instant minutes from the Nets and provide the inside presence that the Nets have lacked for the better part of their last two playoff appearances.

Spanoulis wants out and the Rockets are looking to swing a second-rounder ...
Houston trades Vassilis Spanoulis to Dallas for the 50th pick.

WHY? Spanoulis has let it be known that he'll be returning to Europe to resume his career, so the rich get richer and Dallas gives up one of its three second-round draft picks. Meanwhile, Dallas has a full roster and can afford to have Spanoulis develop even more abroad.

Other News and Rumors

Atlanta will either trade the 3rd pick or select Florida's Al Horford, who from early indications of the individual workouts has come away as this draft class's top power forward.

Philadelphia 76ers Team President Billy King has gone on record to say that the 76ers won't be keeping all four of their picks (12th, 21st, 30th and 38th), because they simply do not have enough room for four rookies on the roster.

In a rare move, the Chicago Bulls have **promised** (there's that word!) that they will select Oklahoma State's JamesOn Curry with the 49th pick. For all the newbies to this site and to NBA Draft talk, promises are generally given to players who teams would like to select in the 1st round. That's because being selected in the 1st round guarantees a multi-year, seven-figure salary.