YOUR Chicago Bulls are on the clock. Leading up to Thursday night’s NBA selection soiree, there are predictably as many mock drafts as mock franchises. Still, pending approval of Doug Collins’ children, GM John Paxson has targeted Derrick Rose.
Now that the pick of the litter is settled, the next big question is how many car dealerships Michael Beasley plans to adopt during three days of recreational shopping in New York. Owning five cars may have been suitable for an unpaid college stud, but the number is well below the chrome cap for a top-three choice.
From what I’ve gathered from reading newspaper and on-line accounts, the Knicks have been hypothetically hooked to the following draftees:
Italy’s Danilo Gallinari (son of Nikoloz Tskitishvili?); Arizona State’s Jerryd Bayless, cut from the same point-guard cloth as Mo Williams – in other words, he’s automatically ineligible for “assisted living;” UCLA’s Russell Westbrook (confused, no doubt, with Kevin Love, who thoroughly outdid five creditable opponents in an hour-long workout; and now Indiana University’s Eric Gordon.
BTW: Just as the continuing Mark Warkentien-Knicks GM candidate story has been utter nonsense from jump street, the trade reports involving Leandro Barbosa are downright erroneous. Not a single chat room has been opened on the subject – as if the Knicks have anyone the Suns would want anyway.
Keeping it local a bit longer, the Nets are positioned at No. 10. After all else failed (a trade for Scottie Pippen, the drafting Dirk Nowitzki), Rick Pitino had Paul Pierce free fall from the projected No. 2 spot into his grubby little grasp. Rod Thorn is hoping P-Squared re-declares a decade after the fact.
Again, I’ve read repeatedly how interested the Nets supposedly are in the long-distance dialing Gallinari; his selection is all but a living lock, so “they” say.
I’m more than a little dubious. True, un-athletic 7-footers with small hands who don’t go to the rim have been known to make the Hall of Fame (Patrick Ewing), but the team needs a defensive paint presence.
Look for the Nets to go out of their way to acquire Marcus Camby; they have one team to beat. As part of that deal or independent of it, I expect them to trade back to No. 13 (the Blazers are primed to deal the slot, that’s for sure) perhaps to snare West Virginia’s Joe Alexander – the league’s looming lone American capable of trash talking Yao Ming in Mandarin.
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Sources say:
* Knicks (Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph), Pacers (Jermaine O’Neal) and Suns (Boris Diaw) have had some casual conversation with the Raptors concerning T.J. Ford.
* Warriors and Cavaliers are discussing an Anderson Varejao–Al Harrington swap.
* Rasheed Wallace is principally untouchable; his gifted versatility is too tough to replace. Nuggets called the Pistons about Chauncey Billups but were unwilling to discuss Carmelo Anthony.
* Pat Riley’s first offer late last week to Shawn Marion was beyond being an insult. Meaning he’s highly unlikely to opt out of next season’s $17.8 million guarantee. Meaning the Heat won’t be able to re-sign him for six years and instead may only extend him four years. Meaning the odds of Marion being traded will greatly increase.
* Ron Artest will exercise his Kings option to become a free agent; Lakers, Spurs and Mavs figure to be most fervent suitors.
* Tommy Heinsohn is having an abdominal aneurism removed tomorrow. I love Tommy and Helen Heinsohn!
*Del Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff, who would have been Mark Jackson’s mentors had the Knicks hired him, are in line to flank Vinny Del Negro on the Bulls bench.
*Rod Strickland, Sam Perkins, Kenny Anderson, Eddie Younger (Harlem Rens), Lewis “Lu-Lu” Bender (98 years young), Pete Gillen, Bob McCullough and Joey Goldstein were voted into the New York City Hall of Fame. Official induction: Sept. 17 at the NYAC.
* One of the elite draftees smokes more herb than both Cheech and Chong.
* Twenty percent of those invited to Orlando’s pre-draft camp have children. No, not by the same woman!