Chad Ford: More talk of Hawks trading Horford to Cleveland and other trades

[Admin]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft2014/story/_/id/11026913/nba-draft-three-weeks-2014-nba-draft-look-latest-notes-top-prospects?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_forddraftrumors

With the NBA draft about three weeks away, here are the draft rumblings I'm hearing from around the league.

Once again, the Cleveland Cavaliers are on the clock with the No. 1 pick. And once again, no one really has a clue what the Cavs are going to do with it.

Last year, everyone -- journalists, NBA teams, even Anthony Bennett's agent -- had no idea who the Cavs were going to select No. 1 until Bennett's name was announced. There were some rumblings the day of the draft that Bennett might be the guy -- but nothing definitive.

That obviously creates a lot of uneasiness and unpredictability throughout the draft.

The Cavs are giving long looks to Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker.

Embiid is getting the first workout of the three. They'll be the only team to get a good look at his back and see him on the court. If the Cavs commit, his agent, Arn Tellem will shut him down and that will be the only workout he does.

But don't expect that to happen. A team source in Cleveland said it's unlikely the Cavs will commit to any player leading up to the draft.

"We have to keep our options open," the source said. "Once you commit, your hands are tied. The good thing about the No. 1 pick is that you have lots of options. Embiid is a great prospect and he might very well be the choice at No. 1. But until you see all three and, more importantly, until we understand the trade market, it just makes no sense to make any promises."

While Embiid fits a need and may have the best upside of anyone in the draft, there are several reasons the Cavs may not go that direction. Remember, last year they felt the same way about Nerlens Noel all year and eventually balked at taking him No. 1.

First, team doctors are going to have to get comfortable with his back. If there is any hint that it may require more treatment or need long-term correction, the chances of Embiid going No. 1 dwindle. The Cavs need a player who can play now, and the feeling is that Embiid, who already is the least experienced of the top prospects, can't afford to miss summer league and training camp. You saw what happened to Bennett last season -- they don't want to repeat that again this season.

Second, owner Dan Gilbert is pushing new Cavs GM David Griffin to make the playoffs this season. The Cavs' ability to do that will, in part, be connected to how much help they get from their pick this season. Embiid is going to have to make the case that he can help them now. I don't think that's out of the question, by the way. Most experts thought Embiid would take more than a year to be an impact player in Kansas. Instead, by February, he was oftentimes the best player on the floor for the Jayhawks.

We've already gone over the cases for Parker and Wiggins and won't do so here. Parker is the obvious choice if the team wants immediate impact and would definitely fit a need if the team is convinced Luol Deng won't be returning. Wiggins is a compromise. He's talented enough, especially on the defensive end, to make an immediate impact. But he still has as much upside as anyone in the draft.

But I think the Cavs' preferred route would to be a trade that thins out their roster and adds a young veteran who could immediately lift the Cavs' long-term chances. The Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love has been the most often mentioned pickup. But the Cavs also have their eye on several other bigs, including the Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah, the Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge and the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford.

The Cavs aren't the only team open to trading their lottery pick.

Multiple league sources say that there are a surprising number of top picks for "sale" this year.

"I thought getting a lottery pick via trade would be virtually impossible this year," one NBA GM told Insider. "It's not. There are a lot of teams in the lottery right now that would prefer a proven player. A lot of owners have lost their patience with the rebuilding process."

While picks No. 5-14 don't hold the same value as a top-4 pick in this draft (which explains why so many anonymous GMs are now suddenly praising the middle of the lottery and questioning whether there really is a top tier of four players) there still is a lot of talent at this point in the draft and a number of bad teams would love to get their hands on a second pick.Among the teams that would be open to trading their lottery pick? It's highly likely that the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz are all holding onto their picks. However, after pick No. 5 things are much more fluid. Sources say that the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns are all open to offers.

While the Celtics, Lakers, Kings, Hornets, Wolves and Suns aren't likely to get an All-Star for their picks, they should be able to score players or multiple assets that help their teams right now. Look for the Bucks, Hawks, Mavs, Blazers and Raptors to be especially busy trying to move up or acquire a second pick.

NBA team workouts have begun in earnest.

Getting good information about how players are performing in those workouts is especially challenging. Agents obviously have incentive to call and tell reporters that their client "won" the workout or outperformed a player vying for the same roster spot. GMs rarely want to tip their hands and often offer misleading reports about who played well.

But there are other ways of getting information here and a week into the process there are a few tidbits I'm comfortable passing on.

Notes

• Indiana's Noah Vonleh continues to make the case that he's the best power forward prospect in the class. He held a workout for NBA execs in Long Island last weekend that was a wow for many of the people there.

"Vonleh was good," one NBA exec texted me. "Didn't shoot it well but everything else was very good to ridiculously good."

Another exec was even more complimentary: "Vonleh's got elite physical tools and is very skilled. He should be in the same group with Wiggins, Embiid, Parker and [Dante] Exum."

While there is still a strong case to be made for Kentucky's Julius Randle and Arizona's Aaron Gordon as the top power forward in this draft, the momentum seems to be still going Vonleh's way. He had his first team workout in Sacramento on Monday and works out for the Lakers on Wednesday, the Magic next Monday and the Celtics on June 12.

• Marcus Smart, Tyler Ennis and Elfrid Payton appear to be getting early head-to-head matchups in workouts. The three worked out against each other in Sacramento on Monday and are scheduled to work out again on Wednesday for the Lakers.

Smart has also had a workout in Orlando already. Payton has worked out for the Bulls and Ennis has had a workout with the Raptors. A month ago, there was a pretty clear pecking order with Smart at the head of that group, followed by Ennis and then followed by Payton.

All three players helped themselves at the NBA combine, despite not playing in the drills. Their measurements and athletic testing were terrific. And all three were impressive in their individual workout sessions that Insider saw in New York and L.A.

I think Smart still has the lead over those other two and is most likely the second point guard taken after Dante Exum. Depending on where Exum goes, Smart could go as high as No. 4 to the Magic.

Payton appears to be closing the gap considerably -- something reflected in Payton's move to No. 13 on our Big Board. Several team sources say he's in the mix at No. 8 in Sacramento after a terrific workout there. The Hornets at No. 9 and the Magic at No. 12 are possibilities, as well. I doubt he gets past the Bulls or Raptors in the mid-first round.

Ennis is also more than holding his own and looks to be sitting in that same range between No. 8 and No. 20.

• Missouri's Jordan Clarkson was once projected as a first-rounder on our Big Board before a slide in the second half of the season caused his stock to dip. He looked much better at the draft combine in mid-May and that performance has carried on to other workouts, as well.

Clarkson has worked out for the Bulls and Heat already has a workout scheduled Tuesday with the Raptors. A handful of GMs raved about him in a group workout he did in Long Island last weekend for NBA GMs. He seems to have moved confidently into the mix in the late first round.

• Louisville's Russ Smith is riding on a high since being one of the lone standouts in a two-day league-wide workout the NBA scheduled in L.A. right after the draft lottery.

He's since gone on to work out with the Celtics, Suns, Thunder and Heat and seems to be moving into the discussion as a possible late first-round pick.

"Everyone knows Russ is one of the quickest players in this draft and he can obviously put the ball in the basket," one GM said. "But I think he's been showing off that when he wants to be, he can be a guy who can really play point guard. He seems like a perfect change-of-pace guard who can score and speed up the game coming off the bench."

[GameTime]

TheMinnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love has been the most often mentioned pickup. But the Cavs also have their eye on several other bigs, including the Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah, the Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge and the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford.

While the Celtics, Lakers, Kings, Hornets, Wolves and Suns aren't likely to get an All-Star for their picks, they should be able to score players or multiple assets that help their teams right now. Look for the Bucks, Hawks, Mavs, Blazers and Raptors to be especially busy trying to move up or acquire a second pick.

Embiid/Parker and Smart/Randle/Vonleh is a heck of a foundation to build off of.

[Guest]

Grantland has everyone on board. It must be true!

[hawkman]

The Hawks have to get into the mix ASAP. If any of this is even remotely true, this is an opportunity I didn't think was possible after the Hawks made the Playoffs. This is also an opportunity that cannot be passed up.

[Guest]

But seriously, why trade Al when we can amnesty him? {/sarcasm}

[hazer]

If Ferry is able to nearly knock of the #1 seed in 6 games in Bud's first year, AND get a lottery pick all the same, he truly is a wizard.

[Guest]

I really want that Jazz 5th pick to get Vonleh or Smart. Like really badly...COMON FERRY!!!

[ATLHawks3]

What's the obsession for Vonleh? We already have Millsap and Al for the PF spot.

[Guest]

What's the obsession for Vonleh? We already have Millsap and Al for the PF spot.

There is something about this kid. He's got it all. He's gonna be a star. Plus he's got them Kawhi Leonard oven mitts. I love Smart too, he reminds me of Wade a lot.

[GameTime]

What's the obsession for Vonleh? We already have Millsap and Al for the PF spot.

Vonleh is an absolute stud. Ceiling is a more athletic/defensive Toronto Chris Bosh with Duncan and KG tendencies.

[NBASupes]

Honestly, a draft with Embiid and Anderson tops last year draft which I felt was one of the best Hawks drafts in the last ten years.

I am still very high on Dennis, Bebe, and I like Mike's potential.

This draft potential could also be sky high.

Embiid to me has elite potential but his floor is average. He will probably be average at best next year but in Atlanta and our system, he might be better than expected. I mean, I thought Antić would be a scrub and he was at first but he got into the system and was average for us last year till the playoffs where he was bad again.

Anderson while skilled has a lot of flaws he needs to work on. He will be a rotational player who goes from 2 to 18 mins depending on the matchup and what not.

This is shaping up to be good if we can get Embiid.

[NBASupes]

Vonleh is an absolute stud. Ceiling is a more athletic/defensive Toronto Chris Bosh with Duncan and KG tendencies.

I watched him in college. I wouldn't trade up for him unless it was for Sap or Teague. Most definetly not for Horford. Al is better now, tomorrow and ever. I'll pass.

The player who I am high on that ppl are down on is Wiggins. To me, he will be an above average player next year and he could be one of the top 3-5 players in the NBA in four years. Ppl are sleeping on Wiggins.

Parker is going to be better than people think in the right place. I know he is hoping he ends up in Philly instead of Milwaukee. Much better fit in Philly but Utah would be ideal for Parker.

[skimaskway23]

If we got #1 and #15....I'd like to come away with wiggins and nurkic.

end up with

teague

korver

wiggins

millsap

nurkic

[TheFuzz]

I highly, highly doubt Horford could be swung for the #1 pick. I just don't see the #1 overall getting traded. Utah will look to trade down, possibly, but probably not for Horford. Love is headed to Boston IMO, so the #6 is going the Timberwolve's way.

Dealing Teague for Nash/#7 could probably work. We could move the #7 and #15 to land the #5/#23 pick combo perhaps. Or we could see if Exum or Smart slips to the #7 and nab him there to be our Ginobili. Exum, Smart and Vonleh (Millsap would be the one to move for Vonleh) are the only ones really worth moving up for.

Nash serves as a mentor for Schröder and then Nash can transition to part of the coaching staff, we use some or all of the $10M cap to pursue Lowry, I. Thomas or B. McCalebb as a 3 year stop-gap.

Teague could also land the #8/McClemore/Outlaw for similar moving up purposes.

[NBASupes]

I highly, highly doubt Horford could be swung for the #1 pick. I just don't see the #1 overall getting traded. Utah will look to trade down, possibly, but probably not for Horford. Love is headed to Boston IMO, so the #6 is going the Timberwolve's way.

Dealing Teague for Nash/#7 could probably work. We could move the #7 and #15 to land the #5/#23 pick combo perhaps. Or we could see if Exum or Smart slips to the #7 and nab him there to be our Ginobili. Exum, Smart and Vonleh (Millsap would be the one to move for Vonleh) are the only ones really worth moving up for.

Nash serves as a mentor for Schröder and then Nash can transition to part of the coaching staff, we use some or all of the $10M cap to pursue Lowry, I. Thomas or B. McCalebb as a 3 year stop-gap.

Teague could also land the #8/McClemore/Outlaw for similar moving up purposes.

I really don't think Love will be traded but if he is. It's how can offer the best package between LA and Boston. It's clear those are places he wants to play.

Honestly, Horf for the #1 is a logical one for both teams. But as we know, Al had a freak injury. Two out of the last three years. I can't say well his value to low for that but it's not Kevin Love either. It could happen, I just think Cleveland might want us to take a contract as well like Sideshow Bob. Something like that. They would love to leave FA with Deng, Hawes, Horf, Waiters, and Kyrie with room for more players. This should give them a lot of room to win a lot of games next year.

Losing Horf for Embiid will hurt us next year and the year after but his potential is the prize, not his now.

Edited June 3, 2014 by nbasupes40retired

[Jody23]

I would trade Al Horford for the number one pick. IF that deal is there, you have to take it.

[NBASupes]

I would trade Al Horford for the number one pick. IF that deal is there, you have to take it.

I agree, not because I want to trade Al because I don't but because Embiid potential is just that high even his is floor is just average. I don't think much of his injury issue. The play where he hurt his back could have been much worse.

There is no franchise player in this draft but of all of the players in the draft. Embiid seems to be the one with most potential even if Parker has the highest floor.

[Diesel]

It's funny to hear me say this but if Al wants to play C, I would keep Al. If Al still wants to move to PF, he goes. I want to see what Al/Teague look like... with Sap at PF. Al is defensive. Al is a rebounder. Al is a good PNR Big. Sap has tightened up his midrange/outside shooting.

We have good pieces, we just need one more infusion of talent around the 2/3.

[ATLHawks3]

Vonleh is an absolute stud. Ceiling is a more athletic/defensive Toronto Chris Bosh with Duncan and KG tendencies.

I'm saying that he'd probably not get any minutes for atleast the next 2 years, as PF isn't much of a need for the Hawks. I do think you are spot on with the comparisons though.

[NBASupes]

It's funny to hear me say this but if Al wants to play C, I would keep Al. If Al still wants to move to PF, he goes. I want to see what Al/Teague look like... with Sap at PF. Al is defensive. Al is a rebounder. Al is a good PNR Big. Sap has tightened up his midrange/outside shooting.

We have good pieces, we just need one more infusion of talent around the 2/3.

Al ain't just a good PnR big, he's the best in the NBA and best since Karl Malone. In fact, has more range than Malone. You give him Stockton and see what will happen.