We’ll track down all of the major 2012 NBA Draft rumors and more in this StoryStream. The draft will begin at 7 p.m. ET.
NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets, Cavaliers Involved With Potential Bobcats No. 2 Pick Swap
Additionally, CBSSports.com’s Jeff Goodman reports that the Cavaliers are pushing for No. 2.
Follow our 2012 NBA draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For more on the Bobcats, please visit Rufus On Fire.
Read Article >Rockets-Kings Trade Currently Off The Table, According To Report
The Kings are currently projected to pick Damian Lillard with the No. 5 pick in SB Nation’s Mock Draft.
Follow our 2012 NBA draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For more on the Kings, visit Sactown Royalty or SB Nation Bay Area. For more on the Rockets, please visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.
Read Article >NBA Draft Rumors: Royce White Drawing Interesting From Rockets In Middle Of First Round
Follow our 2012 NBA draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For more on the Rockets, please visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.
Read Article >Bobcats ‘Closer’ To Trading No. 2 Pick In 2012 NBA Draft, According To Report
Follow our 2012 NBA draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For more on the Bobcats, please visit Rufus On Fire.
Read Article >Celtics To Pick Up Coach’s Son Austin Rivers In NBA Draft?
Rivers is considered one of the best shooting guards in this year’s class, just a tier below Bradley Beal. He’s expected to go just outside the top 10 in the second half of the lottery.
Follow our 2012 NBA draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For more on the Celtics, visit CelticsBlog.
Read Article >NBA Trade Rumors: Kings, Rockets In Talks For No. 5 Pick
Follow our 2012 NBA draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For more on the Kings, visit Sactown Royalty or SB Nation Bay Area. For more on the Rockets, please visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.
Read Article >Final Chad Ford Mock Draft Has Bobcats Taking Thomas Robinson At No. 2
Ford also has Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger slipping all the way down to No. 22, and Baylor’s Perry Jones III unbelievably dropping to No. 24. Jones may have been a top-five pick had he entered the 2011 NBA draft, and has been projected to land in the lottery for the past year. Falling all the way to No. 24 would be a disastrous drop for Jones, though he would end up in a decent situation.
Read Article >Josh Smith Trade Rumors: Hawks Resisting Offers On Star Forward For Now
Smith has one year and $13.2 million left on his contract. He had another strong year in 2011-12, averaging a career-high 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last year. However, he has made it be known several times that he would prefer to be playing elsewhere.
For more on the Hawks, visit Peachtree Hoops and SB Nation Atlanta.
Read Article >NBA Draft Rumors: Timberwolves Offered Derrick Williams For No. 2 Pick, Trade Rejected
For more on the T’Wolves, head over to Canis Hoopus and SB Nation Minnesota. For more on the Bobcats, check out Rufus on Fire. For more on the draft in general, check out SB Nation’s NBA Draft Hub.
Read Article >NBA Draft Rumors: Spurs Looking To Trade DeJuan Blair, According To Report
Blair averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game during the regular season, but averaged just 7.6 minutes per game in the playoffs and did not even make it into two games. The former 2nd-round pick would welcome a trade out of San Antonio, according to Wojnarowski.
It remains unclear how the Spurs will deal Blair without taking on another player to add to their roster. They could send him somewhere in a salary dump or for a future draft pick if need be, but that’s about the only avenue to make a deal happen under these conditions.
Read Article >NBA Mock Draft: Meet Your Fate, Kids

PresswireWelp, break out the bow ties and Scotch, because the 2012 NBA Draft is here.
Follow our 2012 NBA Draft results StoryStream for live pick-by-pick coverage. See our NBA Draft rumors StoryStream for full coverage in the run-up. For team-by-team analysis, visit your favorite SB Nation team blog!
Read Article >NBA Draft Rumors: Kings Won’t Trade No. 5 Pick Until Draft Plays Out, According To Report
For more on the Kings, visit Sactown Royalty and SB Nation Bay Area.
Read Article >NBA Draft Rumors: Celtics Won’t Pass Up Andrew Nicholson
So at the very least, he’ll likely be off the board by No. 22. Nicholson is a 6’9 player with length, scoring abilities in the post, and an accurate shot beyond the three-point arc. He could be a good addition any team in the mid-to-late 1st round. ESPN’s Chad Ford had previously reported that one of the Celtics’ picks would go towards selecting Royce White, so we might already know their two selections.
However, Wojnarowski had one last tidbit about the Celtics’ plans:
Read Article >NBA Draft 2012: Perry Jones III Sliding Due To Medical Concerns, According To Report
Medical red flags are common, but they aren’t universal across the board. Some teams are more cautious with handing them out, while others tend to ignore them. It’s a safe bet that Jones’ medical issues are just a small reason why his stock is hitting a snag.
That said, the prospect of future knee issues isn’t helping Jones either.
Read Article >NBA Draft 2012: Charlotte Bobcats Have ‘Five Legit Offers’ To Trade No. 2 Pick
For more on the 2012 NBA Draft, visit SB Nation’s NBA Draft page. the NBA in general, visit SB Nation’s dedicated NBA hub.
Read Article >NBA Draft: Grizzlies Reportedly Focused On John Jenkins, Royce White With No. 25 Pick
On Wednesday, Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley insisted that the team would not be selling the No. 25 pick to the highest bidder, despite salary concerns and the reality of guaranteed contracts for first-round picks heading into next season. On Thursday, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal reported that with that No. 25 pick, the Grizzlies are receiving an internal push -- one we’ll attribute to Heisley -- for John Jenkins and Royce White.
White, a 6’9 forward from Iowa State, apparently canceled a workout with Memphis. He’s had a rough draft season due to anxiety with regards to flying. (That tends to be a problem when you need to work out for 10-15 teams in three weeks.) Jenkins is a 6’4 two-guard from Vanderbilt, and had excellent scoring and shooting numbers in three college seasons.
Read Article >Who Is Damian Lillard? Meet The NBA Draft’s Rising Star


Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE “This is Damian Lillard, from Oakland, California, Weber State University.”
He motions with his hands, moves in his chair and darts his eyes to the right for just a second, clearly uncomfortable with having to kick things off this way. Another deep breath follows as he leans forward, looking directly to the side this time.
Read Article >2012 NBA Draft Rumors: Could The Cavs Take Dion Waiters?
For more on the Cavs, head over to Fear The Sword and SB Nation Cleveland.
Read Article >NBA Trade Rumors: Grizzlies Offer Zach Randolph To Lakers For Pau Gasol
Dean of the NBA rumor mill Peter Vecsey* reports via Twitter that the Memphis Grizzlies are interested in bringing back Pau Gasol now that he’s done with that “championship phase.” The Viper says that Memphis offered up Zach Randolph to the L.A. Lakers in exchange for Pau.
If trading Pau is a financial decision, Z-Bo would not be an acceptable return. Randolph is due $50 million over the next three seasons, while Pau is due $38 million over the next two seasons.
Read Article >2012 NBA Draft Rumors: Rockets Possibly Looking For Kings’ No. 5 Pick, Tyreke Evans
While three first-rounders is very, very nice, Evans is two years removed from being Rookie of the Year and there’s sure to be a ton of talent available at No. 5. The Kings seem to be well aware that the will have to give up more to work this scenario out.
We’ll probably hear more from the Rockets before the draft is over: Daryl Morey has already shipped two players in return for three others and two draft picks, and definitely has more up his sleeve.
Read Article >NBA Trade Rumors: Rockets No Longer Pursuing Pau Gasol, Looking To Move Up In Draft
Via CBS Sports’ Ken Berger:
Berger suggests the Rockets’ goal is to move into the top 10 of the draft, either to select a star player or deal the pick in a package for Howard.
Read Article >Rockets Trade Again: Swap Draft Picks With The Bucks, Deal Dalembert


April 16, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Samuel Dalembert (21) leads the fast break against the Denver Nuggets during the second quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE And again, Houston’s goal here would seem to be packaging these picks for a trade into the upper half of the top 10, and then packaging that pick in a deal for Orlando’s Dwight Howard. Will it work? Time will tell, but the Rockets are clearly leaving no stone unturned as the draft approaches.
For more on the Rockets, visit The Dream Shake and SB Nation Houston.
Read Article >Pau Gasol Rumors: Lakers Offering Star Big Man In Trade For Lottery Pick, According To Report
For more on Gasol and the Lakers, head over to the SB Nation blog Silver Screen And Roll.
Read Article >NBA Draft 2012: The Scariest Prospects And Boldest Of Opinions

Getty ImagesThe NBA Draft is a day away, and the 2012 Draft gives us as strong a class as we’ve had in years -- but with just enough uncertainty to have us all totally confused. Who’s the second-best prospect in the draft? Can Michael Kidd-Gilchrist learn to shoot? Is Andre Drummond the next Amar’e Stoudemire or the next Hasheem Thabeet? Who trades for Dwight Howard?
Also, who is Damian Lillard?
Read Article >NBA Draft Rumors: Denver Nuggets And Golden State Warriors Could Make A Deal
For more on the Warriors, please visit Golden State Of Mind and SB Nation Bay Area.
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