Update: More on Roy and Thomasposted: Saturday, June 24, 2006
Tyrus Thomas met with Rockets officials in Houston on Friday. On Saturday, Brandon Roy is flying into town for a workout.
That's interesting news for a team slated to draft No. 8 -- well below where both players are projected to go.
It's especially interesting for Roy, considering his agent, Arn Tellem, told us on Thursday that Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge were shutting down the rest of their workouts because, Tellem said, he was "very comfortable where they're going in the draft."
Asked if that meant that a specific team had committed to taking them, Tellem said, "I know where they're going, yes."
Why the reversal? Or is it a reversal at all?
Insider first reported on Thursday that there has been talk of Houston's moving up a few spots in the draft to No. 5 or No. 6 in exchange for Luther Head and the No. 8 pick.
Roy was caught by a reporter from the Seattle Times in the airport late Thursday and basically confirmed the story.
"It's kind of a last-minute decision,'' Roy said. "[Houston] is trying to work a trade to get into the top five or six and they want to see me one last time.''
It's easy to see why Tellem would want Roy in Houston -- even if it means slipping a few spots in the draft.
The Rockets have a need, and the team should be a winner if Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming stay healthy. The fact that McGrady is also a client of Tellem, who would like to help T-Mac win a title, is also a factor.
Friday evening, I talked to a Rockets source, who confirmed they have been trying to move up in the draft.
"We've talked to teams about moving up, down and out of the draft completely," the source told me. "Would we like to move up to grab a guy like Thomas or Roy? Sure. I'm just not sure if it's going to be possible."
So were the Rockets the team that made a promise to Roy?
"We don't do promises," the source said. "We just don't believe in them."
Even if true, that doesn't mean that Tellem and the Rockets aren't trying to make something happen.
But if it does, we probably won't know about it until the draft begins and we find out if Roy is available at No. 5 or No. 6.
To confuse matters even more, the Rockets may not be the only team that Roy works out for before the draft. Roy also said there was a chance he may still make a trip to Toronto because, "My agent seems to think they want me more at three or four and trading their No. 1 pick."
How does Thomas fit into the picture? Doesn't the team already have a similar LSU product, Stromile Swift?
He might have come to Houston to cover his bases should the Chicago Bulls decide not to take him at No. 2. With his minimal workout schedule, Thomas has been seen by only three teams -- the Bulls, the Blazers and the Raptors. And the Bulls are the only team that has actually worked him out. The Blazers and Raptors did see Thomas work out in Orlando, but it was a workout run by his agent.
• Word is that the 76ers are in love with Memphis small forward Shawne Williams and are considering drafting him at No. 13. However, it's likely that Williams will be available later in the draft, leading to a lot of discussion the last few days about the Sixers moving down in the draft.
Two teams they might want to deal with are Phoenix and New Jersey.
The Suns and the Nets have multiple picks and are trying hard to move up in the draft. Both teams are looking for a big man in the draft and aren't sure the player they want will be there when they draft at No. 21 and No. 22, respectively.
It will be interesting to see if a bidding war erupts between the two teams. The Suns have No. 21 and No. 27. The Nets have No. 22 and No. 23.
If the Sixers make a deal with the Nets, the Suns could, theoretically, take Williams. He'd be a great fit in Phoenix. But then again, just about every athletic player in the draft looks like he could play for the Suns.
• The Celtics may be the most difficult team in the draft to read. They've worked out just about everyone and have given lots of confusing signals about what they're doing.
Point guard being an obvious need, the Celtics have a big workout scheduled on Monday with Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo, Randy Foye and Jordan Farmar.
However, they may go a completely different direction. The latest two names we hear attached to the Celtics are Ronnie Brewer (who is working out very well at every stop) and Cedric Simmons.
• We've heard a lot of feedback around the league about our last mock draft and we'll be making some pretty major changes soon. Look for version 4.0, this time with the second round included, on Monday.
