Kori Ellis
06-27-2006, 01:21 PM
What top 10 teams are thinking
posted: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Here's what we're hearing about the top 10 teams in Wednesday's draft, starting in Boston.
Boston Celtics: Slated to draft No. 7, the Celtics might be more active right now than any other team.
They had their big workout on Monday with Randy Foye, Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo and Cedric Simmons. After talking to both the Celtics and several other sources in the gym (we'll exclude agents from this conversation since they always think their guy destroyed everyone else in the gym), it sounds like Foye was the most impressive, followed by Rondo and Simmons. Williams was OK, too, but I got the feeling he's not going to be a Celtic -- at least not with the No. 7 pick.
If the Celtics keep the pick, I believe Foye is definitely in the conversation. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves are high on him and could steal him a pick before the Celtics select. Shelden Williams also looks like a possibility if the Hawks don't select him at No. 5.
After the workout, the Celtics got on the phone and started talking trade. My colleague Andy Katz mentioned in his article on the workout that the Celtics were having trade discussions with several teams, including the Blazers.
Multiple sources told me last night that those talks are real. The Blazers and Celtics have discussed a trade that would send Sebastian Telfair to Boston for Dan Dickau and the No. 7 pick.
The Blazers asked for Dickau's medical records to see how he's healing from his Achilles tendon injury. The thinking as of late Monday night was that if Dickau checks out medically, the Blazers seriously would consider pulling the trigger on the deal. If he doesn't, they might come back and ask for more compensation.
If the Telfair-to-the-Celtics deal happens, the Blazers would look at Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay and Foye as possibilities for pick No. 7. One of those players is likely to still be there.
I'm sure the Celtics are involved in other trade talks as well. Boston GM Danny Ainge told me Monday afternoon that there were multiple conversations going on. While Ainge did not get into specifics, it's clear that the Orlando Magic, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, the Phoenix Suns and the New Jersey Nets are all trying to move up.
One rumor that won't die is a potential trade between Philadelphia and Boston, with Allen Iverson going to the Celtics.
I was told by two high-profile agents that they believed the talks had been rekindled today. For the second time in two days, Danny Ainge and a high-level 76ers source told Insider that the rumor isn't true. According to Ainge, a deal for Iverson is "not going to happen."
As for the rumor that has the Chicago Bulls sending Chris Duhon to Boston for the No. 7 pick, Ainge flatly denied it, saying he had no interest in doing that deal.
Golden State Warriors: There is a lot of talk about the Warriors' trading down or out of the draft instead of exercising their No. 9 pick. Monday night, the hot rumor (and I emphasize the word rumor here) had the Bulls sending Tyson Chandler and the No. 16 pick to Golden State for Troy Murphy, Mickael Pietrus and the No. 9 pick.
I talked to a source in Golden State late Monday, who told me that while there were trade discussions going on, he believed this deal didn't "have any legs." That's not the strongest denial I've ever heard. But he sure didn't make it sound like it was happening, either.
What does seem clear is that the Warriors aren't enamored with anyone at No. 9 and may try to use the pick as a chip to get out from under Murphy's onerous contract.
Toronto Raptors: As of late Monday night, the majority of NBA GMs I spoke with still believe Andrea Bargnani is going No. 1. LaMarcus Aldridge is a possibility and some are mentioning Adam Morrison and Rudy Gay as possibilities as well.
I still think, at the end of the day, the Raptors will figure out a way to trade down to No. 3 or No. 4, pick up an asset and select Bargnani.
Charlotte might be offering Brevin Knight to move up to No. 1, and the Blazers might give up Travis Outlaw.
But what if the Raptors don't draft Bargnani? Things could get very interesting for the pride of Italy.
Selecting No. 4, the Blazers, who like Bargnani, might take him, if Morrison, Thomas and Aldridge are off the board.
Hawks GM Billy Knight has also been a big Bargnani fan, but if he's made a promise to Shelden Williams his hands might be tied.
Minnesota's a possibility at No. 6, but the Wolves are feeling pressure to draft someone who's a little more NBA-ready.
So could Bargnani slide to the Celtics at No. 7 or the Rockets at No. 8? It's not out of the question.
Chicago Bulls Two sources told me that the Bulls still were leaning heavily toward taking Tyrus Thomas with the No. 2 pick. Some believe that Aldridge will be the pick here and a developing school of thought has the Bulls taking Bargnani.
While Bargnani would give the Bulls a pretty solid offensive weapon at power forward, I wonder if this isn't a smokescreen to deter Toronto from trading the No. 1 pick. If the Bulls really want Thomas, they might fear that Toronto would trade the top pick to a team that would draft Thomas.
Like Bargnani, Thomas could be in for a slide if he's not taken where expected.
From what I've heard, he hasn't really been in the mix in Charlotte -- power forward is the one position at which the Bobcats are set.
The Blazers like him a lot, so Portland is a possibility. Minnesota's another possibility at No. 6. He'd be hard to pass up there. The Celtics at No. 7 and the Rockets at No. 8 could also be in the picture.
Charlotte Bobcats: Drafting No. 3, the Bobcats, according to what I'm hearing, are having an internal debate over Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy. I'm still hearing Morrison, but I think Roy remains a strong possibility.
There are also scenarios in which the Bobcats move this pick. Philadelphia has been trying to move up to the top five, as have the Memphis Grizzlies and Seattle SuperSonics.
Michael Jordan said that he's going to urge owner Bob Johnson to spend, and the team has tons of salary cap room, so in theory the Bobcats would be willing to take on a big contract.
Atlanta Hawks: We've been writing since Thursday that the Hawks and Houston Rockets have been discussing a trade that would have the Hawks draft Roy at No. 5 (if he were available) and the Rockets draft Shelden Williams at No. 8 (if he were available). The two teams would then swap the picks, with Luther Head also going from Houston to Atlanta in the deal.
Here's the problem. It's not clear that Williams still will be there when the Rockets pick at No. 8. Sources in Minnesota and Boston told me on Monday that Williams was very high on their respective boards and might be their choice.
I see two possibilities here.
One is that the Wolves and Celtics don't want the Hawks-Rockets trade to happen and are bluffing. They want the Hawks to just draft Williams themselves, because what they really want is to see Roy slip to them.
The other possibility is the Wolves' and Celtics' interest in Williams is genuine. The Wolves could use an experienced defensive presence such as Williams to play alongside Kevin Garnett. Williams is not a great fit for the Celtics (though we heard from two different sources on Monday that they really like him), because they have Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins in the middle, and both Jefferson and Williams are undersized to play center. But the Celtics are interested in winning now, too, and might believe Williams is their best option.
Minnesota Timberwolves: At No. 6, the Wolves appear to be leaning heavily to Foye. With Rashad McCants out for possibly the entire season, Foye becomes a much greater need. The Wolves also think he can play the point, boosting his stock even higher.
If Thomas or Aldridge were to slip, they'd probably have to take him. But if not, it sounds like Foye's the guy.
That said, the Wolves have been involved in a lot of trade talk as well.
Houston Rockets: At No. 8, the Rockets have a dilemma if their hearts are set on Brandon Roy.
Do they move up to No. 5? That depends on what the teams above them are doing.
Do they wait it out at No. 8 to see if Roy slips?
Adding to the confusion, two teams told me on Monday that Roy's physical didn't come back totally clean. He's has had a knee operation or two, and, according to one source, he has an arthritic ankle as well.
Could that really cause him to slip? It seems unlikely, but remember, Danny Granger took a major slide last year when teams became concerned about his knee.
Seattle SuperSonics: At No. 10, the Sonics continue talking about trading down in the draft.
The rumor about a trade of Rashard Lewis for Shawn Marion continues to make the rounds, but as we reported Monday, both sides deny that there's anything going on with Marion and Lewis.
More likely, the Suns would send the No. 20 and No. 27 picks for the No. 10 pick and take the best big man available among Cedric Simmons, Hilton Armstrong and Mouhamed Saer Sene. Athletic swingmen Ronnie Brewer and Rodney Carney also would be options.
posted: Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
Here's what we're hearing about the top 10 teams in Wednesday's draft, starting in Boston.
Boston Celtics: Slated to draft No. 7, the Celtics might be more active right now than any other team.
They had their big workout on Monday with Randy Foye, Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo and Cedric Simmons. After talking to both the Celtics and several other sources in the gym (we'll exclude agents from this conversation since they always think their guy destroyed everyone else in the gym), it sounds like Foye was the most impressive, followed by Rondo and Simmons. Williams was OK, too, but I got the feeling he's not going to be a Celtic -- at least not with the No. 7 pick.
If the Celtics keep the pick, I believe Foye is definitely in the conversation. However, the Minnesota Timberwolves are high on him and could steal him a pick before the Celtics select. Shelden Williams also looks like a possibility if the Hawks don't select him at No. 5.
After the workout, the Celtics got on the phone and started talking trade. My colleague Andy Katz mentioned in his article on the workout that the Celtics were having trade discussions with several teams, including the Blazers.
Multiple sources told me last night that those talks are real. The Blazers and Celtics have discussed a trade that would send Sebastian Telfair to Boston for Dan Dickau and the No. 7 pick.
The Blazers asked for Dickau's medical records to see how he's healing from his Achilles tendon injury. The thinking as of late Monday night was that if Dickau checks out medically, the Blazers seriously would consider pulling the trigger on the deal. If he doesn't, they might come back and ask for more compensation.
If the Telfair-to-the-Celtics deal happens, the Blazers would look at Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay and Foye as possibilities for pick No. 7. One of those players is likely to still be there.
I'm sure the Celtics are involved in other trade talks as well. Boston GM Danny Ainge told me Monday afternoon that there were multiple conversations going on. While Ainge did not get into specifics, it's clear that the Orlando Magic, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, the Phoenix Suns and the New Jersey Nets are all trying to move up.
One rumor that won't die is a potential trade between Philadelphia and Boston, with Allen Iverson going to the Celtics.
I was told by two high-profile agents that they believed the talks had been rekindled today. For the second time in two days, Danny Ainge and a high-level 76ers source told Insider that the rumor isn't true. According to Ainge, a deal for Iverson is "not going to happen."
As for the rumor that has the Chicago Bulls sending Chris Duhon to Boston for the No. 7 pick, Ainge flatly denied it, saying he had no interest in doing that deal.
Golden State Warriors: There is a lot of talk about the Warriors' trading down or out of the draft instead of exercising their No. 9 pick. Monday night, the hot rumor (and I emphasize the word rumor here) had the Bulls sending Tyson Chandler and the No. 16 pick to Golden State for Troy Murphy, Mickael Pietrus and the No. 9 pick.
I talked to a source in Golden State late Monday, who told me that while there were trade discussions going on, he believed this deal didn't "have any legs." That's not the strongest denial I've ever heard. But he sure didn't make it sound like it was happening, either.
What does seem clear is that the Warriors aren't enamored with anyone at No. 9 and may try to use the pick as a chip to get out from under Murphy's onerous contract.
Toronto Raptors: As of late Monday night, the majority of NBA GMs I spoke with still believe Andrea Bargnani is going No. 1. LaMarcus Aldridge is a possibility and some are mentioning Adam Morrison and Rudy Gay as possibilities as well.
I still think, at the end of the day, the Raptors will figure out a way to trade down to No. 3 or No. 4, pick up an asset and select Bargnani.
Charlotte might be offering Brevin Knight to move up to No. 1, and the Blazers might give up Travis Outlaw.
But what if the Raptors don't draft Bargnani? Things could get very interesting for the pride of Italy.
Selecting No. 4, the Blazers, who like Bargnani, might take him, if Morrison, Thomas and Aldridge are off the board.
Hawks GM Billy Knight has also been a big Bargnani fan, but if he's made a promise to Shelden Williams his hands might be tied.
Minnesota's a possibility at No. 6, but the Wolves are feeling pressure to draft someone who's a little more NBA-ready.
So could Bargnani slide to the Celtics at No. 7 or the Rockets at No. 8? It's not out of the question.
Chicago Bulls Two sources told me that the Bulls still were leaning heavily toward taking Tyrus Thomas with the No. 2 pick. Some believe that Aldridge will be the pick here and a developing school of thought has the Bulls taking Bargnani.
While Bargnani would give the Bulls a pretty solid offensive weapon at power forward, I wonder if this isn't a smokescreen to deter Toronto from trading the No. 1 pick. If the Bulls really want Thomas, they might fear that Toronto would trade the top pick to a team that would draft Thomas.
Like Bargnani, Thomas could be in for a slide if he's not taken where expected.
From what I've heard, he hasn't really been in the mix in Charlotte -- power forward is the one position at which the Bobcats are set.
The Blazers like him a lot, so Portland is a possibility. Minnesota's another possibility at No. 6. He'd be hard to pass up there. The Celtics at No. 7 and the Rockets at No. 8 could also be in the picture.
Charlotte Bobcats: Drafting No. 3, the Bobcats, according to what I'm hearing, are having an internal debate over Adam Morrison, Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy. I'm still hearing Morrison, but I think Roy remains a strong possibility.
There are also scenarios in which the Bobcats move this pick. Philadelphia has been trying to move up to the top five, as have the Memphis Grizzlies and Seattle SuperSonics.
Michael Jordan said that he's going to urge owner Bob Johnson to spend, and the team has tons of salary cap room, so in theory the Bobcats would be willing to take on a big contract.
Atlanta Hawks: We've been writing since Thursday that the Hawks and Houston Rockets have been discussing a trade that would have the Hawks draft Roy at No. 5 (if he were available) and the Rockets draft Shelden Williams at No. 8 (if he were available). The two teams would then swap the picks, with Luther Head also going from Houston to Atlanta in the deal.
Here's the problem. It's not clear that Williams still will be there when the Rockets pick at No. 8. Sources in Minnesota and Boston told me on Monday that Williams was very high on their respective boards and might be their choice.
I see two possibilities here.
One is that the Wolves and Celtics don't want the Hawks-Rockets trade to happen and are bluffing. They want the Hawks to just draft Williams themselves, because what they really want is to see Roy slip to them.
The other possibility is the Wolves' and Celtics' interest in Williams is genuine. The Wolves could use an experienced defensive presence such as Williams to play alongside Kevin Garnett. Williams is not a great fit for the Celtics (though we heard from two different sources on Monday that they really like him), because they have Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins in the middle, and both Jefferson and Williams are undersized to play center. But the Celtics are interested in winning now, too, and might believe Williams is their best option.
Minnesota Timberwolves: At No. 6, the Wolves appear to be leaning heavily to Foye. With Rashad McCants out for possibly the entire season, Foye becomes a much greater need. The Wolves also think he can play the point, boosting his stock even higher.
If Thomas or Aldridge were to slip, they'd probably have to take him. But if not, it sounds like Foye's the guy.
That said, the Wolves have been involved in a lot of trade talk as well.
Houston Rockets: At No. 8, the Rockets have a dilemma if their hearts are set on Brandon Roy.
Do they move up to No. 5? That depends on what the teams above them are doing.
Do they wait it out at No. 8 to see if Roy slips?
Adding to the confusion, two teams told me on Monday that Roy's physical didn't come back totally clean. He's has had a knee operation or two, and, according to one source, he has an arthritic ankle as well.
Could that really cause him to slip? It seems unlikely, but remember, Danny Granger took a major slide last year when teams became concerned about his knee.
Seattle SuperSonics: At No. 10, the Sonics continue talking about trading down in the draft.
The rumor about a trade of Rashard Lewis for Shawn Marion continues to make the rounds, but as we reported Monday, both sides deny that there's anything going on with Marion and Lewis.
More likely, the Suns would send the No. 20 and No. 27 picks for the No. 10 pick and take the best big man available among Cedric Simmons, Hilton Armstrong and Mouhamed Saer Sene. Athletic swingmen Ronnie Brewer and Rodney Carney also would be options.