Draft Rumors: Moving on up ...
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Updated: June 26
10:37 AM ET
Chat with Chad Ford, 1 p.m. ET
Sleepless. Cranky. And doped up on caffeine.
The rest of the NBA waited restlessly Wednesday night as the Raptors, Bulls and Heat threatened to dramatically rock the draft.
It's the day of reckoning for many young international players who are being criticized -- sight unseen -- for daring to put their names into the draft.
It's the last stand for GMs like Glen Grunwald in Toronto, Scott Layden in New York, Pat Riley in Miami and Ernie Grunfeld in Milwaukee. They can't afford to get this one wrong.
It's the first stand for rookie GMs like Danny Ainge in Boston and John Paxson in Chicago, who will have every opportunity to get it right.
Take a deep breath. LeBron will be a Cav. The Pistons will grab Darko. And, barring a huge, last-minute trade offer, Carmelo will land in Denver.
After that, assuming everyone keeps their picks, there are few locks in the first round.
At No. 7 it appears the Bulls have settled in on Marquette's Dwyane Wade, if he's still on the board. If he's gone, Mickael Pietrus will be the guy.
The Sonics still have Nick Collison rated ahead of Brian Cook and Mike Sweetney on their board.
At Nos. 16 and 20, the Celtics appear locked in on UNLV's Marcus Banks and Texas high school center Kendrick Perkins, if they keep the 20th pick.
The Suns will grab Zarko Cabarkapa at No. 17, if he's still on the board. If he's gone, they'll likely take a long look at Illinois' Cook or Oregon's Luke Ridnour.
The Nets are locked in on Zoran Planinic at No. 22.
At No. 23, the Blazers are locked in on high school player Travis Outlaw. Or are they? GM Bob Whitsitt made the promise to Outlaw, but new president Steve Patterson isn't happy about it. Will he override Whitsitt as his first big move with the Blazers? If he does, Portland gets an automatic A on draft night.
Trade Talk
It all starts with the Raptors at No. 4. After engaging in furious trade talks the past two days, the phones suddenly went quiet Wednesday night.
"No one has knocked my socks off; it looks like the Raptors draft No. 4," GM Glen Grunwald told the Toronto Star. "But, I guess that could change."
Sure it can. Twenty-four hours ago he was pretty sure the Raptors would be selecting somewhere else. They probably still will be. Expect the trade calls to come in hot and heavy this morning, as teams like the Sonics, Cavs and Blazers try to inch up to the fourth spot.
Jerome Williams
Forward
Toronto Raptors
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
71 9.7 9.2 1.3 .499 .555
The problem is, no one wants to take one of the Raptors' bad contracts off their hands. Toronto is insisting that Jerome Williams or Antonio Davis come off the books along with the No. 4. In the world of luxury taxes, that's been a deal-breaker so far.
One deal that is rumored everywhere has the Grizzlies sending Stromile Swift and the No. 13 pick to Toronto for the No. 4 and Williams. However, the Grizzlies, who are loathe to take on bad cap money right now, will struggle to add Williams' long-term deal to the roster.
Stromile Swift
Forward-Center
Memphis Grizzlies
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
67 9.7 5.7 0.7 .481 .722
If the Raptors are still on the board? Sources in Toronto say in all likelihood the pick will be Georgia Tech's Chris Bosh.
The only guy the Heat are really sure of is Bosh. If he's off the board (and it looks like he will be) their decision will come down to Maciej Lampe of Poland, Kirk Hinrich of Kansas and Wade.
The problem is, the Heat feel they can get their hands on all of these guys later in the draft. The team has been working the phones trying to move down, but not too far down. That basically makes them trade partners with the Bucks, Knicks, Sonics or Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies could offer the No. 13 and No. 27 pick for the right to draft fifth. Several sources around the league claim the Grizzlies are trying hard to get that pick to guarantee they get their guy -- Mickael Pietrus -- before he slips off the board.
The Knicks and Bucks have valuable second-round picks. Given the depth of the draft, the Knicks' pick at No. 30, and the Bucks' two picks at No. 35 and 42 are coveted real estate. The Bucks appear to be after Hinrich or Lampe. The Knicks have shown interest in Lampe and Texas' T.J. Ford.
And the Sonics also appear willing to package their two picks at No. 12 and No. 14 to get into the top five. The Sonics too are high on Hinrich and Lampe.
Michael Finley
Guard-Forward
Dallas Mavericks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 19.3 5.8 3.0 .425 .861
The Bulls-Mavericks talk about swapping Michael Finley for Donyell Marshall, Marcus Fizer and the No. 7 appears to be a lot of bull.
Both teams denied on Wednesday that they started the trade talk, and by late Wednesday evening it appears that the phone lines were silent.
The pressure is on GM John Paxson to turn some of that raw young talent into a veteran or two, but chances are, that won't happen tonight.
So? Will there be any trades? Sure. Start with Warriors and Hawks swapping No. 11 for No. 21 and a future first. The Hawks are after Louisville's Reece Gaines. The Warriors want high school star Ndudi Ebi. It makes a lot of sense, and I'm told it has been in the works for weeks.
Several other teams are trying to move down. The Sonics are dangling pick No. 14; the Celtics are willing to move pick No. 20. The question is, can they find a taker? Four teams to watch are the Nuggets, Suns, Pistons and Mavericks. The Nuggets and Suns are both looking for a second first-round pick. The Pistons are trying to get a little bit higher, and the Mavs fear the guy they want won't be on the board at No. 29.
Marcus Camby
Forward-Center
Denver Nuggets
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
29 7.6 7.2 1.6 .410 .660
The hottest rumor Wednesday night had the Nuggets sending Marcus Camby to the Blazers for Arvydas Sabonis and the No. 23 pick. Sabonis has no salary protection on his contract if he's waived before Aug. 16. If the Nuggets do the deal, they'll be around $25 million under the cap going into the summer. The Nuggets likely would add France's Boris Diaw or Senegal's Malick Badiane with the 23rd pick.
The Magic also could be facing a dilemma at No. 15. They want a point guard in the worst way. But there are now plenty of scenarios where Ford, Wade, Hinrich, Ridnour and Gaines are all off the board when they pick. That leaves them with Banks and Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa at the point. They aren't high on either one. They could just decide to grab Georgetown's Michael Sweetney or Illinois' Cook if they're on the board, or they may end up trading the pick for a veteran.
Stock Watch
Maciej Lampe slipping? That was the nasty rumor floating around late Wednesday night. Don't believe it. He's still in the mix with the Heat at No. 5; the Bucks are serious suitors at No. 8; the Knicks walked away impressed at his workout in New York City Wednesday; and there's little chance he slips past the Sonics at No. 12.
Jarvis Hayes continues to move up draft boards because of his size and shooting ability. But will he be able to make the transition to shooting guard in the pros? A few teams say his questionable handle could be a big problem. But right now it looks like Washington is seriously flirting with him at No. 10, and Chicago could even take a flyer at No. 7.
Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa has a hip flexor injury that has been hurting his stock. While no one believes he'll have a long-term issue, it has limited his exposure. The Suns snuck Barbosa in for a last-minute workout on Wednesday and walked away impressed. He could be in the mix at No. 17 if Cabarkapa is gone.
High school star Kendrick Perkins seems to be on the rise. The most prominent rumor has the Celtics grabbing him at No. 20. Most everyone feels he won't slip past the Spurs at No. 28.
Mississippi State's Mario Austin is making a late rally to move back into the first round. Several NBA teams feel the Lakers have locked into him with the No. 24 pick and are using Xavier's David West and Georgia's Zaur Pachulia as decoys.
Maryland's Steve Blake is also on the rise after a series of solid workouts. Some teams believe he could be the Cavs pick at No. 31.
Workout News
Raptors, Knicks: The Knicks and Raptors took a look at T.J. Ford, Reece Gaines and Maciej Lampe on Wednesday in New York.
Suns: The team brought in Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa on Tuesday for a last-minute workout.
Heat Lampe worked out with Tennessee's Ron Slay and Siena's Prosper Karangwa on Tuesday. Rick Rickert will work out in Miami today.
Jazz: The Jazz worked out Duke swingman Dahntay Jones, Notre Dame guard Matt Carroll and DePaul forward Sam Hoskin.
T-Wolves: Boston College's Troy Bell, worked out along with Malick Badiane and Minnesota's Jerry Holman on Thursday.
Cavs: Kyle Korver and Luke Walton worked out in Cleveland on Tuesday.
-----------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, June 26
Updated: June 26
9:33 AM ET
Kidd
New Jersey Nets: If Jason Kidd has any idea who he wants to play for next season, Nets president Rod Thorn wishes he'd let him in on the information. "I think he knows what his game plan is," Thorn said in the N.Y. Times. "He knows exactly what he's doing. And where he's going to go with it. We'll just have to see how it's going to play out . . . I don't know if he's decided where exactly he wants to play, but I'll know shortly." As we speak, Thorn is awaiting a phone call from Jeff Schwartz, Kidd's agent, who spent all of Monday and Tuesday with the point guard. "I think we have something to sell and I think he obviously has been happy here and those will be two of the deciding factors," Thorn said. "In a perfect world, you'd like to get done whatever is going to get done very quickly, but it doesn't always work that way."
Philadelphia 76ers: Now that Pat Croce and Larry Brown aren't being paid to like each other by the Sixer franchise, the truth is starting to come out. "I had to call Larry to practice a few times," Croce told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There were a couple of times I personally had to call him at home to come into work because he didn't want to come. There was a time when I had to address the team and let them know he wouldn't be in because he was contemplating whether or not he was going to quit . . . When Larry resigned, that was one thing. But when he took the Pistons job -- a team within the same conference who just finished knocking us out of the playoffs -- that really upset me. I didn't like it one bit. Then add to that him saying he was never in control when he knows full well that he was because it was specifically negotiated into his contract, it's even more insulting. The entire organization knew who the boss was. For him to say he never had control, that he never knew what his title was, upset me."
Boston Celtics: Officially, Chris Wallace and the Portland Blazers have parted company, though they were never really together in the first place. "He felt that the job description had changed,'' said Wallace's agent, Warren LeGarie, in the Boston Globe. "The original job that he went for now has become more of a glorified player personnel director position. That's not something, at this point, that interests us. Chris was also led to believe that he would have been missed with the Celtics. Danny [Ainge] all along had said, `Look, I really don't want to lose this guy.' At this point, it wasn't a good fit in Portland any longer."
Memphis Grizzlies: Michael Dickerson may have five years and $43 million left on his contract, but the Grizzlies may have no choice but to replace him through the draft or free agency very shortly due to lingering hernia problems. "Yeah, I understand it's a business," Dickerson said to the Memphis Commercial. "But they've been great to me. I can't thank them enough for their support. I'm just going to try to get healthy and feel good first. Hopefully, I can play again." The problems began during the 2001 season when he suffered a stress fracture to his right groin, limiting to only six games last year. "I have no idea really," Dickerson said of his return. "I just want to get healthy, and feel normal again. I'm not normal right now."
Chicago Bulls: Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard have known each other for a long time. Rose only hopes they get to know each other a little bit better. "I was at his camp, speaking, and me and the kids gave him a big round of applause and told him how much we want to see him as a Bull,'' Rose said to the Chicago Sun-Times. "He's excited about his free agency, and it's a realistic opportunity, depending on what we do in the summer." Howard is not only a Chicago native but a former teammate of Rose at Michigan during the Fab 5 era.
--------------------------------
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Updated: June 26
10:37 AM ET
Chat with Chad Ford, 1 p.m. ET
Sleepless. Cranky. And doped up on caffeine.
The rest of the NBA waited restlessly Wednesday night as the Raptors, Bulls and Heat threatened to dramatically rock the draft.
It's the day of reckoning for many young international players who are being criticized -- sight unseen -- for daring to put their names into the draft.
It's the last stand for GMs like Glen Grunwald in Toronto, Scott Layden in New York, Pat Riley in Miami and Ernie Grunfeld in Milwaukee. They can't afford to get this one wrong.
It's the first stand for rookie GMs like Danny Ainge in Boston and John Paxson in Chicago, who will have every opportunity to get it right.
Take a deep breath. LeBron will be a Cav. The Pistons will grab Darko. And, barring a huge, last-minute trade offer, Carmelo will land in Denver.
After that, assuming everyone keeps their picks, there are few locks in the first round.
At No. 7 it appears the Bulls have settled in on Marquette's Dwyane Wade, if he's still on the board. If he's gone, Mickael Pietrus will be the guy.
The Sonics still have Nick Collison rated ahead of Brian Cook and Mike Sweetney on their board.
At Nos. 16 and 20, the Celtics appear locked in on UNLV's Marcus Banks and Texas high school center Kendrick Perkins, if they keep the 20th pick.
The Suns will grab Zarko Cabarkapa at No. 17, if he's still on the board. If he's gone, they'll likely take a long look at Illinois' Cook or Oregon's Luke Ridnour.
The Nets are locked in on Zoran Planinic at No. 22.
At No. 23, the Blazers are locked in on high school player Travis Outlaw. Or are they? GM Bob Whitsitt made the promise to Outlaw, but new president Steve Patterson isn't happy about it. Will he override Whitsitt as his first big move with the Blazers? If he does, Portland gets an automatic A on draft night.
Trade Talk
It all starts with the Raptors at No. 4. After engaging in furious trade talks the past two days, the phones suddenly went quiet Wednesday night.
"No one has knocked my socks off; it looks like the Raptors draft No. 4," GM Glen Grunwald told the Toronto Star. "But, I guess that could change."
Sure it can. Twenty-four hours ago he was pretty sure the Raptors would be selecting somewhere else. They probably still will be. Expect the trade calls to come in hot and heavy this morning, as teams like the Sonics, Cavs and Blazers try to inch up to the fourth spot.
Jerome Williams
Forward
Toronto Raptors
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
71 9.7 9.2 1.3 .499 .555
The problem is, no one wants to take one of the Raptors' bad contracts off their hands. Toronto is insisting that Jerome Williams or Antonio Davis come off the books along with the No. 4. In the world of luxury taxes, that's been a deal-breaker so far.
One deal that is rumored everywhere has the Grizzlies sending Stromile Swift and the No. 13 pick to Toronto for the No. 4 and Williams. However, the Grizzlies, who are loathe to take on bad cap money right now, will struggle to add Williams' long-term deal to the roster.
Stromile Swift
Forward-Center
Memphis Grizzlies
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
67 9.7 5.7 0.7 .481 .722
If the Raptors are still on the board? Sources in Toronto say in all likelihood the pick will be Georgia Tech's Chris Bosh.
The only guy the Heat are really sure of is Bosh. If he's off the board (and it looks like he will be) their decision will come down to Maciej Lampe of Poland, Kirk Hinrich of Kansas and Wade.
The problem is, the Heat feel they can get their hands on all of these guys later in the draft. The team has been working the phones trying to move down, but not too far down. That basically makes them trade partners with the Bucks, Knicks, Sonics or Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies could offer the No. 13 and No. 27 pick for the right to draft fifth. Several sources around the league claim the Grizzlies are trying hard to get that pick to guarantee they get their guy -- Mickael Pietrus -- before he slips off the board.
The Knicks and Bucks have valuable second-round picks. Given the depth of the draft, the Knicks' pick at No. 30, and the Bucks' two picks at No. 35 and 42 are coveted real estate. The Bucks appear to be after Hinrich or Lampe. The Knicks have shown interest in Lampe and Texas' T.J. Ford.
And the Sonics also appear willing to package their two picks at No. 12 and No. 14 to get into the top five. The Sonics too are high on Hinrich and Lampe.
Michael Finley
Guard-Forward
Dallas Mavericks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 19.3 5.8 3.0 .425 .861
The Bulls-Mavericks talk about swapping Michael Finley for Donyell Marshall, Marcus Fizer and the No. 7 appears to be a lot of bull.
Both teams denied on Wednesday that they started the trade talk, and by late Wednesday evening it appears that the phone lines were silent.
The pressure is on GM John Paxson to turn some of that raw young talent into a veteran or two, but chances are, that won't happen tonight.
So? Will there be any trades? Sure. Start with Warriors and Hawks swapping No. 11 for No. 21 and a future first. The Hawks are after Louisville's Reece Gaines. The Warriors want high school star Ndudi Ebi. It makes a lot of sense, and I'm told it has been in the works for weeks.
Several other teams are trying to move down. The Sonics are dangling pick No. 14; the Celtics are willing to move pick No. 20. The question is, can they find a taker? Four teams to watch are the Nuggets, Suns, Pistons and Mavericks. The Nuggets and Suns are both looking for a second first-round pick. The Pistons are trying to get a little bit higher, and the Mavs fear the guy they want won't be on the board at No. 29.
Marcus Camby
Forward-Center
Denver Nuggets
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
29 7.6 7.2 1.6 .410 .660
The hottest rumor Wednesday night had the Nuggets sending Marcus Camby to the Blazers for Arvydas Sabonis and the No. 23 pick. Sabonis has no salary protection on his contract if he's waived before Aug. 16. If the Nuggets do the deal, they'll be around $25 million under the cap going into the summer. The Nuggets likely would add France's Boris Diaw or Senegal's Malick Badiane with the 23rd pick.
The Magic also could be facing a dilemma at No. 15. They want a point guard in the worst way. But there are now plenty of scenarios where Ford, Wade, Hinrich, Ridnour and Gaines are all off the board when they pick. That leaves them with Banks and Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa at the point. They aren't high on either one. They could just decide to grab Georgetown's Michael Sweetney or Illinois' Cook if they're on the board, or they may end up trading the pick for a veteran.
Stock Watch
Maciej Lampe slipping? That was the nasty rumor floating around late Wednesday night. Don't believe it. He's still in the mix with the Heat at No. 5; the Bucks are serious suitors at No. 8; the Knicks walked away impressed at his workout in New York City Wednesday; and there's little chance he slips past the Sonics at No. 12.
Jarvis Hayes continues to move up draft boards because of his size and shooting ability. But will he be able to make the transition to shooting guard in the pros? A few teams say his questionable handle could be a big problem. But right now it looks like Washington is seriously flirting with him at No. 10, and Chicago could even take a flyer at No. 7.
Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa has a hip flexor injury that has been hurting his stock. While no one believes he'll have a long-term issue, it has limited his exposure. The Suns snuck Barbosa in for a last-minute workout on Wednesday and walked away impressed. He could be in the mix at No. 17 if Cabarkapa is gone.
High school star Kendrick Perkins seems to be on the rise. The most prominent rumor has the Celtics grabbing him at No. 20. Most everyone feels he won't slip past the Spurs at No. 28.
Mississippi State's Mario Austin is making a late rally to move back into the first round. Several NBA teams feel the Lakers have locked into him with the No. 24 pick and are using Xavier's David West and Georgia's Zaur Pachulia as decoys.
Maryland's Steve Blake is also on the rise after a series of solid workouts. Some teams believe he could be the Cavs pick at No. 31.
Workout News
Raptors, Knicks: The Knicks and Raptors took a look at T.J. Ford, Reece Gaines and Maciej Lampe on Wednesday in New York.
Suns: The team brought in Brazil's Leandrinho Barbosa on Tuesday for a last-minute workout.
Heat Lampe worked out with Tennessee's Ron Slay and Siena's Prosper Karangwa on Tuesday. Rick Rickert will work out in Miami today.
Jazz: The Jazz worked out Duke swingman Dahntay Jones, Notre Dame guard Matt Carroll and DePaul forward Sam Hoskin.
T-Wolves: Boston College's Troy Bell, worked out along with Malick Badiane and Minnesota's Jerry Holman on Thursday.
Cavs: Kyle Korver and Luke Walton worked out in Cleveland on Tuesday.
-----------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, June 26
Updated: June 26
9:33 AM ET
Kidd
New Jersey Nets: If Jason Kidd has any idea who he wants to play for next season, Nets president Rod Thorn wishes he'd let him in on the information. "I think he knows what his game plan is," Thorn said in the N.Y. Times. "He knows exactly what he's doing. And where he's going to go with it. We'll just have to see how it's going to play out . . . I don't know if he's decided where exactly he wants to play, but I'll know shortly." As we speak, Thorn is awaiting a phone call from Jeff Schwartz, Kidd's agent, who spent all of Monday and Tuesday with the point guard. "I think we have something to sell and I think he obviously has been happy here and those will be two of the deciding factors," Thorn said. "In a perfect world, you'd like to get done whatever is going to get done very quickly, but it doesn't always work that way."
Philadelphia 76ers: Now that Pat Croce and Larry Brown aren't being paid to like each other by the Sixer franchise, the truth is starting to come out. "I had to call Larry to practice a few times," Croce told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "There were a couple of times I personally had to call him at home to come into work because he didn't want to come. There was a time when I had to address the team and let them know he wouldn't be in because he was contemplating whether or not he was going to quit . . . When Larry resigned, that was one thing. But when he took the Pistons job -- a team within the same conference who just finished knocking us out of the playoffs -- that really upset me. I didn't like it one bit. Then add to that him saying he was never in control when he knows full well that he was because it was specifically negotiated into his contract, it's even more insulting. The entire organization knew who the boss was. For him to say he never had control, that he never knew what his title was, upset me."
Boston Celtics: Officially, Chris Wallace and the Portland Blazers have parted company, though they were never really together in the first place. "He felt that the job description had changed,'' said Wallace's agent, Warren LeGarie, in the Boston Globe. "The original job that he went for now has become more of a glorified player personnel director position. That's not something, at this point, that interests us. Chris was also led to believe that he would have been missed with the Celtics. Danny [Ainge] all along had said, `Look, I really don't want to lose this guy.' At this point, it wasn't a good fit in Portland any longer."
Memphis Grizzlies: Michael Dickerson may have five years and $43 million left on his contract, but the Grizzlies may have no choice but to replace him through the draft or free agency very shortly due to lingering hernia problems. "Yeah, I understand it's a business," Dickerson said to the Memphis Commercial. "But they've been great to me. I can't thank them enough for their support. I'm just going to try to get healthy and feel good first. Hopefully, I can play again." The problems began during the 2001 season when he suffered a stress fracture to his right groin, limiting to only six games last year. "I have no idea really," Dickerson said of his return. "I just want to get healthy, and feel normal again. I'm not normal right now."
Chicago Bulls: Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard have known each other for a long time. Rose only hopes they get to know each other a little bit better. "I was at his camp, speaking, and me and the kids gave him a big round of applause and told him how much we want to see him as a Bull,'' Rose said to the Chicago Sun-Times. "He's excited about his free agency, and it's a realistic opportunity, depending on what we do in the summer." Howard is not only a Chicago native but a former teammate of Rose at Michigan during the Fab 5 era.
--------------------------------
