Coming into the 2012 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers were one of a few teams that had multiple first round draft picks. After selecting Syracuse’s Dion Waiters with the fourth overall selection, the Cavaliers agreed to send their other three picks—24, 33, and 34—to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the rights to UNC’s Tyler Zeller and reserve guard Kelenna Azubuike. The Mavericks selected Zeller with the 17th pick of the draft while the Cavaliers selected Oregon State’s Jared Cunningham
31. Charlotte Bobcats – Darius Miller, SF, Kentucky The Bobcats still need help at forward, and Miller is an experienced starter and solid all-around player. He is very good at knocking down open looks. 32. Washington Wizards – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt Both Nene and Emeka Okafor are getting older, and selecting Ezeli to develop behind them would be a good move for the Wizards. Ezeli is a quality defender and rebounder but can’t give you much offense. 33. Cleveland Cavaliers – John Jenkins, SG,
16. Houston Rockets – Moe Harkless, SF, St. John’s With three picks, Houston will be one of the more aggressive teams on draft night as GM Daryl Morey must propel the Rockets into the playoffs. Don’t be surprised to see Houston package a combination of these picks to move up for a player like Andre Drummond. If the Rockets stand pat, Harkless was the Big East Conference Rookie of the Year and is a great rebounder and defender. He also has the
Draft day has arrived and with it comes a flurry of trades and rumors. Four trades have been made so far and executives around the league believe that many more will follow. Houston is aggressively acquiring assets and appears to be all in for Dwight Howard. Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and Tyreke Evans all have been mentioned in possible deals as well. There is a growing sense around the NBA that Charlotte, Sacramento, Golden State and Houston all are willing to
The NBA draft can make or break the future of a franchise. Using the third overall pick to select Adam Morrison ahead of Rudy Gay can set your franchise back for over a half a decade. Landing a gem such as Tony Parker with the 28th overall pick can put a team in position to be a title contender for years. With the increased luxury tax penalties of the new CBA set to be implemented in the 2013-2014 season, it has become
// Just one day until the NBA draft, and things have started to heat up. Houston appears to be one of the most aggressive teams trying to trade up. The Rockets just completed a deal with Minnesota for the 18th pick for Chase Budinger and Lior Eliyahu. There are reports that Houston might parlay all their picks and Kyle Lowry into something bigger – like Dwight Howard. Sacramento, for its part, has not only made the fifth pick available, but sources have said that Tyreke
16. Houston Rockets – Moe Harkless, SF, St. John’s With two high picks, Houston will be one of the more aggressive teams on draft night, as GM Daryl Morey must propel the Rockets into the playoffs and is rumored to be willing to package whatever it takes to get Dwight Howard. As a fallback, don’t be surprised to see Houston package both of these picks to move up for a player like Andre Drummond. If the Rockets stand pat, Harkless was the
31. Charlotte Bobcats – Doron Lamb, SG Kentucky Lamb is one of the best shooters in the draft, can play either guard spot in spurts or come off the bench as a shooter. We had the ‘Cats taking Miles Plumlee here in Mock 4.0, but we are now thinking MJ goes for a scorer over a big. Of course, if the Bobcats wheel and deal as many expect, pick No. 30 could be someone else’s. 32. Washington Wizards – Festus Ezeli, C,