NBA Draft Update - Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, O.J. Mayo, & More

Here's the latest scoop on the upcoming NBA Draft. I can't wait for the draft and after following it so closely this year, I'm even looking forward to see how the second round shakes out.

Chicago Bulls: Right now at this point, I don't even think we can say who the # 1 pick is, although I'm fairly confident it will be Derrick Rose. As you can see from the poll on the right hand side, the readers of this blog think it will be Rose as well. Beasley was actually leading the poll since I put it up about 4 to 6 weeks ago and Rose just recently took over the lead within the past week.

Update: Interesting comments below on the Rose vs Beasley debate, maybe the Bulls should think about taking Beasley?

Rose and Beasley finally got their close-ups in Chicago last week, and sources say both players worked out well. And as you can tell from their news conferences, neither pretended to be something he's not. Rose was humble and talked about leadership. Beasley was brash and funny and talked about scoring. The Bulls continue to maintain that they haven't made up their minds about who they're drafting. But I'd be shocked, at this point, if it isn't Rose. The team needs leadership, defense and a player who's willing to put his team before himself -- that guy is Rose. Beasley may score more and win more individual awards. But ultimately, I think the Bulls will be more comfortable with the belief that Rose can take the franchise where they want it to go. (ESPN)

Think you've got the Rose-Beasley debate figured out? One respected NBA general manager who's drafting in the second half of the first round said the Bulls and virtually everyone else is getting it wrong. "Michael Beasley is far and away the best player in this draft," the GM said. "He's going to dominate in this league. How could you pass on him? I know everyone is talking about character this and character that, but come on, he's not a bad kid." As for Rose, the GM says he thinks he's overrated: "Derrick Rose is a good player, I get that. But he's not a franchise player. I don't think people are getting with Rose what they think they're getting. He's athletic and plays really hard. But he has just decent court vision and can't take over a game offensively."When asked about the Heat possibly passing on Beasley at No. 2, the GM said, "It's a joke. He's so much better than anything the Heat are going to get offered. I don't understand it." (ESPN)

Miami Heat: I'm still not sure what the hell the Miami Heat are going to do. If anyone knows, then please tell me because I've heard about a million different things at this point. I still find it hard to believe they will pass up Beasley or Mayo but the possible trade below with Seattle sounds interesting. I think there is drop off though with talent if both Beasley and Mayo were off the board when they select at # 4, at least for the upcoming season.

Update: The latest rumor is that the Miami Heat might swing a deal with the Clippers that would send Elton Brand to Miami. I'm all for that deal. All indications show that Miami will trade their pick, unless Derrick Rose is available at # 2.

We continue to hear that the Heat will probably trade the No. 2 pick if Rose is off the board. The latest talk has the Sonics and Heat discussing a swap that would send the No. 2 pick and Mark Blount to Seattle for Chris Wilcox and the No. 4 pick. The move would give the Heat a huge amount of cap space in the summer of 2009. (Wilcox is in the last year of his contract, while Blount has two years and $16 million remaining.) At No. 4, if Mayo were off the board, the Heat would have their choice of Jerryd Bayless, Russell Westbrook or Brook Lopez. All three would fit a need for them. (ESPN)

The Heat are also talking to the Timberwolves, Sonics and Clippers. The problem is the Wolves don't have much to offer. The Sonics can offer Chris Wilcox and the No. 4 for a deal that brings them the No. 2 and Mark Blount. That could save the Heat cap space. But it may not be enough. The Clippers have a player that Riley covets deeply in Elton Brand. A deal that swaps Brand and the No. 7 pick for Marion and the No. 2 pick could be another alternative for Riley if he isn't comfortable with Beasley. (ESPN)

O.J. Mayo: Here's another guy who's got to be wondering where he is going to be drafted but at this point I doubt that he slides down any further than 4th.

O.J. Mayo conducted a one on zero workout in front of five of the first six teams in the draft at Tim Grover’s A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics Training Center in Chicago on Saturday. Besides Chicago (who sent only lower level scouts) and the New York Knicks (represented by Brendan Sur), the workout was attended by the lead decision makers of teams drafting 3, 4, and 5, including the General Managers (Kevin McHale, Sam Presti and Chris Wallace) and head coaches (Randy Wittman, Marc Iavaroni and P.J. Carlesimo), as well as numerous other executives. Although it’s always difficult to get much of a read in a workout of this nature, Mayo reportedly “shot the ball well,” according to Mike Procopio, who ran the workout, “finished strong around the basket”, and generally showed his extremely high skill-level, which was never in doubt. As of right now, if Minnesota keeps the pick, it appears likely that Mayo will be selected at #3, although things could still change between now and draft day. One rumor making the rounds says that the LA Clippers may offer to package their own pick (#7) along with their 2009 first round pick (protected) and the future pick they are owed by Minnesota(top 10 protected), in order to move up and select Mayo. (DraftExpress)

Minnesota Timberwolves: Minnesota is another team that can't seem to make up their mind. I think they should take Mayo if he's there and I can't see them passing up Beasley if Miami let's him slip by.

The Wolves remain the most difficult team to peg right now. As of Sunday, the word out of Minnesota was that the team will draft Mayo if Beasley is off the board. Though Mayo doesn't fit a need, he would be considered the best player available, and that appears to be swaying Minnesota in his direction.At the same time, a lot of trade talk surrounds this pick. The Knicks, Clippers, Bucks and Trail Blazers all have tried to maneuver to get this pick. The Bucks may have the best chance of succeeding if they offer Yi Jianlian or Charlie Villanueva as part of a package. If the Wolves trade down, their target seems to be Lopez or UCLA's Kevin Love. (ESPN)

Portland Trailblazers: Looks like the Trailblazers will be looking to make a move on draft night to trade up and try and grab Joe Alexander.

There are rumors that the Portland Trailblazers may keep their pick after all, particularly if one of the top two players on their board can be had somehow on Thursday evening. We’ve heard numerous reports of trade talk between the Blazers and many other teams drafting below them, but now it seems likely that they stand pat if they can somehow managed to get a hold of Joe Alexander, who worked out in Portland on Tuesday (with Donte Greene and Nicolas Batum) in front of the watchful eyes of their owner Paul Allen, and apparently left quite an impression. Russell Westbrook is supposedly ranked at the very top of their draft board, but they would have to move up to at least 8 and possibly higher to get him. (DraftExpress)

Another player that Portland could very well take a long look at (since Alexander and Westbrook are apparently out of reach) is Alexis Ajinca, who they are reportedly extremely intrigued by. Other teams that have worked him out recently have come away raving not just about Ajinca’s exciting combination of skills and physical tools, but also about his strong intangibles. He is reportedly impressing teams with his terrific personality and motivation to succeed, and is believed to have excellent leadership skills. There is an outside chance he could be drafted as high as 9th by Charlotte. Teams who did not do their research on Ajinca during the season (and there is no shortage of them unfortunately) beyond what he showed at the Hoop Summit are frantically trying to get him in for a workout, but to no avail. Ajinca last visited the Utah Jazz and will likely turn down a workout with the Phoenix Suns in favor of the 76ers on Tuesday. It’s possible that Portland goes full circle with the French connection and selects him and Nicolas Batum, should he slip to the early 2nd round. (DraftExpress)

Seattle Sonics: I was never 100% sold that the Sonics would definitely take Jerryd Bayless and the latest rumor is that they will be looking at Russell Westbrook and Brook Lopez at # 4 or possibly swinging a trade with Miami so they could draft Michael Beasley. Yup, that's right, Durant and Beasley on the same team and I hope it happens, that would be tight.

Is Jerryd Bayless as much of a lock at 4 as everyone thinks? A number of NBA teams we’ve spoken with don’t think that’s the case. Almost everyone at this point in fact has Brook Lopez slated be picked by Seattle, with Bayless dropping slightly to the Knicks at #6. If Lopez doesn’t go 3rd, 4th of 5th, he will be taken by a team that did not work him out, as he only agreed to be seen by those three teams. (DraftExpress)

We've had Bayless at No. 4 since our first mock draft, but we've gathered enough information over the weekend to suggest that the Sonics may be leaning in another direction. GM Sam Presti is notoriously tough to read, but sources say it appears that Westbrook, Lopez and Indiana's Eric Gordon are strongly in the mix at No. 4. The Sonics have been talking to other teams about moving down a few spots with an eye toward drafting Westbrook, Gordon or Lopez. But with the Knicks' strong interest in Westbrook and Gordon at No. 6 and the Clippers looking at Westbrook, Gordon and Lopez at No. 7, the guy they want may not be there. So why Westbrook? Two reasons: upside and defense. The Sonics have time to let players develop and Westbrook could turn into a better shooting version of Rajon Rondo down the road. The Sonics also want Beasley and are trying to work out a deal with the Heat to get up to No. 2, as noted above. Beasley and Kevin Durant are best friends and the Sonics think a pairing of the two scorers would be devastating. (ESPN)

Russell Westbrook: "Russell Westbrook is a role player who probably is a sixth man on a good team," one GM said. "How has he risen to a top-10 pick? I'd take Leandro Barbosa over him any day of the week. Westbrook is athletic, fast and plays defense, but a top-10 pick? I don't see it." (ESPN)

Robin Lopez: This guy should be taking Anderson Verajao out for dinner every night for the rest of his life if he really does get drafted as high as # 15. I can't believe he is going to go that high when he basically is a high energy guy, who will be a role player at best in the NBA.

In a telling sign of just how much his stock has risen over the past few weeks, Robin Lopez has been invited to sit in the Green Room on draft night. This is a pretty good sign that NBA executives consider him likely to go somewhere around the mid-first round or earlier, as the league does not like situations where players are sitting in the Green Room long after everyone else has been picked, even if that makes for great television. Lopez has an excellent chance to be picked at #15 by the Suns, and if not will almost certainly be taken 17th by Toronto. Every NBA person we’ve spoken with has him slotted at either of those two picks. (DraftExpress)

Update: Thank God for this quote from an anonymous GM: Here's another GM on Robin Lopez: "Can you name the last time a guy who averaged five rebounds per game in college was suddenly labeled a rebounder in the draft? Robin Lopez is a backup, not a lottery or mid-first-round pick." (ESPN)

Darell Arthur: Kansas forward Darrell Arthur has taken a beating for poor combine results, smallish measurements and string of a week where he didn't do workouts because of a strained back. He went back on the workout circuit on Thursday, playing in Indiana versus Randolph. I think he's moved out of any top 10 conversation. His projected range is probably from Nos. 12-18. (ESPN)

Anthony Randolph: A few players seem to be losing their place in line. LSU forward Anthony Randolph's lack of strength has hurt him in workouts. While teams say he's got unbelievable upside, they also think they're going to have to wait for him to develop. He also hasn't tested great on some of the non-basketball related tests they give -- everything from personality to psych testing for leadership ability. (ESPN)

Phoenix Suns/LA Clippers Trade: One potential deal that could have an interesting impact on both teams? Sounds like the Suns and Clippers are talking about a deal that would send the No. 7 pick and Corey Maggette to Phoenix for Barbosa and the No. 15 pick. That deal only works if Maggette decides not to opt out of his contract this week. If he opts out, Maggette couldn't be signed-and-traded until mid-July. (ESPN)

Here are the latest mock drafts: DraftExpress & NBADraft.net

More: NBA Draft