John Wall will be the No. 1 pick on June 24. We've been writing for weeks that the Washington Wizards taking Wall with the No. 1 was a done deal. Multiple team sources, off the record of course, have been telling us for weeks that Wall is their man.
Now, it looks even more official. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Evan Turner wouldn't even be working out for the Wizards and was conceding the No. 1 spot to Wall.
Here comes the intrigue
Turner is in for his one and only workout with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. However, the Sixers aren't stopping there. Turner will be followed a day later by DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors, and then on Saturday Wesley Johnson will be in the house.
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While Sixers' sources continue to insist that Turner is GM Ed Stefanski's man and will be taken No. 2, there are other sources that insist coach Doug Collins has a say in the pick and he prefers to land a big man -- preferably Favors.
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"We're listening to anybody who calls, but we have not shopped the No. 2 pick whatsoever," Stefanski said. "We don't shut our phones off, but it would take a blockbuster for us to consider moving the pick."
Jersey boys
The New Jersey Nets would take Turner if he is on the board. If he isn't? It's a standoff between Favors and Cousins. The team won't be getting Turner for a workout, but they'll have Favors and Cousins going head-to-head June 21.
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I think from a talent standpoint, Cousins has the edge. [...] If the Nets are confident they will be getting Bosh, Stoudemire or Boozer, it might make sense for them to swap picks with a team like the Pistons.
Movin' on up?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are exploring ways of moving up to No. 2 to get their hands on Turner. If they stay at No. 4 and Turner and Favors are off the board, I think you can expect to hear Johnson's name called here.
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In fact, Cousins won't even come in to work out with the team, his agent, John Greig, told me. Greig, along with a league source, disputes a report that Cousins wasn't invited to Minnesota. Greig said he believes Minnesota is already locked into Johnson at No. 4 and wants to keep Cousins focused on places he could realistically go.
Kings for a day
The Sacramento Kings had a series of big workouts last week. The team had Greg Monroe in June 6. Cole Aldrich, Daniel Orton, Ekpe Udoh, Hassan Whiteside and Ryan Richards were there June 8. And it was topped off Saturday when Favors and Cousins came in to work out.
Monroe worked out by himself, and Favors and Cousins didn't actually become the heavyweight bout we thought it would be. The players didn't actually play one-on-one against each other per a request from Favors' agent.
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After speaking with a source on Saturday evening, the following seems clear:
1. The Kings would like a big.
2. GM Geoff Petrie would prefer a player who, like Tyreke Evans, is capable of making an immediate impact in Sacramento.
3. The Kings don't think Favors will be there at No. 5. If they're correct, it looks like Johnson, Monroe and Cousins are battling it out for the spot.
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Sources say Petrie has been high on Monroe all year and, before the Cousins workout, felt that Monroe was the safer pick. However, Cousins' size and superior talent have put him seriously in the mix at No. 5.
Cousins had a phenomenal workout in Sacramento on Saturday according to multiple sources. He took around 200 shots, all of which the Kings logged, and hit 78 percent of them -- the best clip they've had in the 40 players who've come into town. Cousins is also getting into better shape. He's down to 13 percent body fat from the 16.4 percent number he logged in Chicago.
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for now, Cousins has two legs up on Monroe -- not only did Cousins have a better season, he also had a better workout.
Don't be surprised if the Kings end up trading the pick for a veteran who can help the team improve immediately.
"Into the Great Wide Open"
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If Cousins slides, he would seem like a no-brainer [for Golden State]. The team is also high on Johnson should he fall. I've also heard Al-Farouq Aminu, Xavier Henry, Patrick Patterson and Monroe mentioned here.
The Pistons, meanwhile, are playing a wait-and-see game. They've explored trading up to get their hands on Cousins or Favors, but nothing seems to be happening right now.
The Clippers and Pacers are exploring all sorts of options including moving up, moving back and even moving out of the draft entirely.
The Jazz, at No. 9, are hoping Monroe slides. If he doesn't, they like both Luke Babbitt and Henry.
Late-round buzz
The Nets sponsored workouts last week with a number of first-round bubble players and second-round picks. Representatives from 23 teams showed up, but the quality of talent at the workouts couldn't keep all of them for the entire three days.
While no one dramatically improved his draft stock, a few players seemed to have helped themselves a bit according to NBA execs and scouts that were in the gym. Here's a look at who got some buzz, both good and bad.
Dexter Pittman
Pittman has always been a favorite of GMs. He has a ton of talent, soft hands and good athleticism. The question has always been his conditioning. In New Jersey, he drew repeated praise for how hard he worked. [...]
Jon Scheyer
Scheyer had missed the past few weeks (including the draft combine) battling mono. [...] Scheyer, unsurprisingly, shot the lights out and showed to be a better athlete than he's given credit for. I still doubt he'll crack the first round, but there are enough GMs that like him that I think he'll hear his name called somewhere in the second round.
Darington Hobson
Hobson wasn't loved by everyone there, but a number of NBA GMs seem to think he could be an unusual player in the league. An Internet report over the weekend claiming Hobson had multiple promises in the first round is not true according to his agent, Michael Hodges. But Hobson does have a real shot at the first round if he finds the right team.
Ben Uzoh
The Tulsa combo guard didn't get an invite to the combine, but he has played well in workouts and repeated that performance in the New Jersey workout.
"He's got the athleticism to make it and I think he's got some real toughness to him," one NBA exec at the workouts. "He's very intriguing as a second-round pick."
Sherron Collins
Collins has been battling injuries to his groin and hand since the combine. That's limited what he can do, and as a result, he seems to have fallen badly out of shape. Collins weighed 217 pounds at the combine, which is a lot for a player that doesn't crack 6-feet. In New Jersey he weighed a whopping 229. He gained 12 pounds in less than three weeks. Collins struggled with weight issues his whole college career, and it's going to hurt his draft stock. Every GM in the league thinks he has talent, but all of them are concerned he'll lack the discipline to stay in the shape he needs to excel in the league. [...]
Stanley Robinson
Teams love his physical tools, but it sounds like Robinson has been struggling with his nerves and his jump shot. It may not be fatal to his draft stock, given his explosive athletic ability and the fact that he's a good kid and a hard worker, but he's yet to really help himself.
The injury bug
[Avery] Bradley sprained his left ankle in a workout in Oklahoma City on Sunday, according to his agent, Mitch Butler.
Bradley was doing a 3-on-3 drill when he was going up for an offensive rebound and stepped on a player's foot coming down. X-Rays and an MRI given by the Thunder were negative.
While the sprain is considered mild to a soft medium, the injury was bad enough that it's ending Bradley's workouts.
Butler said he believes the ankle will be healed in time for the NBA's summer league.
The Pacers and Raptors had been looking at Bradley as a potential lottery pick. Several other teams in the first round, including the Heat and Thunder, were also giving him a serious look. [...]
Bradley had already worked out with the Pistons, Raptors, Heat, Celtics, Pacers, Clippers, Jazz, Thunder and Rockets. The injury will force him to miss workouts with the Grizzlies, Bucks, Spurs and Bulls, along with that second workout with Raptors.
International deadline
Motiejunas -- the only international player ranked as a potential lottery pick -- announced several weeks ago that he will withdraw.
Two key international players -- big man Seraphin and point guard Heurtel -- will remain in the draft, their agent, Bouna N'diaye, said.
Seraphin is considered a mid- to late-first-round pick by most GMs. A knee injury limited his ability to work out, but several teams in the 20s, including the Thunder, Blazers, Wolves and Grizzlies, are looking at him. Heurtel is a point guard who recently walked away with MVP honors at the Adidas Eurocamp. He is projected as a potential second-round pick.
Two of N'diaye's other clients, Diot and Raposo, will withdraw from the draft.
English big man Richards is staying in the draft according to his agent, Herb Rudoy. The 19-year-old took the combine by storm with his athletic ability at his size. He's had a series of strong workouts, and Rudoy thinks he has a good shot of sliding into the first round. Rudoy stressed that Richards did not have a first-round guarantee. So why stay in the draft?
"He wants to play in the NBA next year," Rudoy said. "He's not a guy that a team stashes over in Europe. I think for him to take the next step as a player, he needs to come over now."
Teams love Richards' size and athleticism, but they worry about his relative lack of game experience since he hasn't played at a high level in Europe.
Several other key players were still on the fence as of late Sunday night, including Benzig and Pleiss. Pleiss is a German big man who has caught the attention of a few teams. He needs to add strength and isn't ready to come to the NBA now, but he could be a good prospect to stash overseas for a few years. Benzig was leaning toward withdrawing from the draft after the Eurocamp. If he stays in the draft, he has the type of size and shooting ability at the small forward position to intrigue someone in the late first or early second.
