Will Houston Rockets Pull Off A Blockbuster Deal On Draft Day?

The Houston Rockets have probably been the most active team in the NBA heading into tonight's 2012 NBA Draft, as they have been linked to countless trade rumors and free agent interests ranging from Tyreke Evans to Dwight Howard over the past few weeks.

There's no question Houston has the ammunition to pull off a blockbuster trade tonight with any number of teams as they currently own three first round draft picks after sending Chase Budinger to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the #18 pick on Tuesday (they already owned the #14 and #16 picks).

The most prominent rumor circulating around the internet involves Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who the Rockets have been fascinated with for quite some time now, even attempting to acquire him at this past season's trade deadline before he ultimately signed a one-year extension with Orlando.

While it's unknown if the Rockets have officially made any offers for him yet, it's almost certain they will make an attempt to land Howard from the Magic with their haul of draft picks before moving on to other players of interest.

The craziest part about Houston's infatuation with the perennial All-Star center is the fact that it's almost certain that he would not re-sign with the Rockets next summer when he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

However, anything is possible if they somehow manage to pull off a deal with Orlando, as he could fall in love with the city of Houston and/or the fan base and decide to stay with a long-term deal in free agency.

He might decide to stay with the Rockets even if he isn't crazy about the franchise, as they would be able to offer an extra year and more money than any other team could in free agency if he is on their roster when he hits the market.

Almost everyone on the Rocket's current roster has been linked to trade rumors and could likely be had by Orlando, along with the draft picks, should they decide to send Howard to Houston.

Kyle Lowry is almost certain to be moved prior to or during the draft tonight, as he is publicly stated he wanted to be traded amidst an apparent irreparable relationship between him and head coach Kevin McHale.

The Rockets have reportedly offered him to the Sacramento Kings, along with the #14 and #16 picks, in exchange for Tyreke Evans and the #5 pick according to DraftExpress.com.

Houston also has been linked to trades involving the Toronto Raptors and their #8 pick, as the Rockets reportedly would like to draft center Andre Drummond out of Connecticut if they fail to land Howard from the Magic.

With the team clearly interested in upgrading the center position one way or another, the Rockets have also reportedly made Samuel Dalembert available, according to HoopsWorld, trying to attach with him with one or more of their picks in attempt to move up in the draft or land a proven veteran.

Earlier this month, HoopsWorld also reported the Rockets had expressed interest in Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers and Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers.

Either of those players could likely be had be had with a package of Kevin Martin (expiring contract) or Luis Scola and a pair of their three draft picks if the Rockets decided to go in one of those directions.

Another option that could be possible, although I have not seen or heard any rumors about this one, could involve the Rockets making an attempt to land Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they almost acquired last December in the failed Chris Paul to the Lakers trade.

The Lakers have reportedly been interested in trading him should the right offer come along, and quite frankly, they likely won't receive a better offer for him than Houston could offer with their plethora of draft picks and talented players.

With so many options open to them, and with so many assets stock-piled together, the Rockets have a real chance of pulling off at least a semi-blockbuster move (or two) during tonight's draft as it's highly unlikely they will stand pat and hold onto all three of their draft picks and not either move up or deal for an All-Star.

The real question for Houston is which superstar(s) will the Rockets ultimately land or how far up the draft board will they climb with their U-Haul full of assets?

Boston Celtics Free Agency & NBA Draft News

According to an unnamed Western Conference GM that spoke with Sam Amico of FoxSports, the Boston Celtics are considering making one more run with the core group of players that helped the franchise come within one victory of playing in their third NBA Finals in five years.

While the anonymous GM said he believes Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers will try to keep most of the core group together, it seems as though one member of Boston's "Big Four" might be finding a new home during the offseason.

“I think they’ll re-sign Garnett, but let Allen walk,” said one Western Conference executive. “Then they’ll spend some money in free agency. They’re a respected franchise. They’ll draw some interest from the available bigger names, but the key will be to keep Garnett first.”

If the Celtics do indeed decide to allow Ray Allen to walk in free agency, they would be free to target one of the marquee names on this summer's free agent market such as Deron Williams, Steve Nash, or Eric Gordon.

Since the Celtics only have Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and JaJuan Johnson locked in under contract for next season (Brandon Bass has a player option for $4 million that he will likely exercise), they only have $34.5 million on their books in salary.

As long as they can convince Garnett to return at a moderate discount to chase one more ring and retire a Celtic, the team should have enough money to pursue someone that will be commanding something close to a maximum deal or several mid-level talents to restock around the core group.

Amico quoted the anonymous GM as saying he thought the Celtics might have interest in the following unrestricted free agents: Jason Terry (Dallas Mavericks), Andre Miller (Denver Nuggets), Carlos Delfino (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Phoenix Suns) and Nick Young (Los Angeles Clippers).

The GM also mentioned restricted free agents O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) and Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets) as potential targets for Boston.

Brook Lopez is another player to keep an eye on, in my opinion, as I can't imagine him resigning with the Brooklyn Nets after they have spent two solid seasons trying to move him in exchange for Dwight Howard.

Lopez would give Boston a solid scoring threat in their front court to go along with Bass and Garnett (assuming both players return to the Celtics) and is now the best center on the market after Howard signed his one-year extension with the Orlando Magic.

Also, according to Amico, the Celtics are considering packaging the #21 and #22 picks they own in an attempt to move up "five or six spots" in this month's NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers (#15) and Houston Rockets (#16) are reportedly interested in trading their selections in return for a proven veteran, however, they might be enticed to make a deal with Boston if they feel they have a better chance of acquiring someone with two picks as opposed to one.

Definitely keep an eye out for a Boston-Houston trade, as the Rockets own the 14th pick as well as the 16th and I'd be very surprised if Houston doesn't trade at least one of the selections.

Although it's highly unlikely, if Boston does manage to trade up in the draft, they may find themselves in the awkward position of having Austin Rivers, son of head coach Doc Rivers, still available on the board when they pick.

Since both Austin and Doc have said in interviews that they would rather not end up with the same franchise, it's extremely unlikely to happen even if he is on the board when their pick comes up, however, there's always a chance things could change if the Celtics find themselves with a realistic chance of landing the young guard who played last season with Duke.

The only thing that is certain for the Boston Celtics this summer is that Danny Ainge will have his hands full as he tries to decide what direction the franchise wants to move into as they depart from the "Big Three" era and into a new, much more uncertain one.

Which free agents do you think would be the best fit for the Celtics? Should they try to trade up in the draft or grab two players in what many to consider to be a deep draft? Share what you think Ainge should do this summer below in the comments section.

NBA Players React to Manny Pacquiao's Controversial Loss

By: Stephen Patterson

It seems like everyone has an opinion on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight from Saturday night that ended with one of the most controversial split-decisions in recent boxing history.

Pacquiao, who is a huge fan of the Boston Celtics, landed nearly 100 more punches, with ringside punching statistics showing Pacquiao land 253 punches compared to only 159 by Bradley.

And while the three ringside judges had two scorecards with Bradley winning 115-113 and a third with him winning by the same margin, the Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111, a pretty huge difference than what the judges scored it.

Bradley even fractured his left foot in the second round, apparently bad enough for him to hear it snap, and sprained his right ankle in the fifth.

Yet, somehow, through all of that, Bradley is the new owner of the WBO welterweight title and Pacquiao is still trying to figure out how his seven-year winning streak is now a thing of the past.

Plenty of NBA players weighed in with their opinions through their Twitter accounts, many of them angry that Pacquiao, who waited to start the fight until after the conclusion of Game 7 of the Heat/Celtics series, was blatantly "robbed".

Here is what they had to say:

• Earl Barron: Chris Paul somewhere watching the fight like I guess the NBA blocking my trade ain't so bad. #SMH

• Tyson Chandler: My Boy PAC-MaN just got robbed without a GUN!!!

• Richard Hamilton: I'm done watching boxing. WWF

• David West: This is why MMA has taken over...

• Jared Dudley: This is crazy.. Those judges n vegas need to be fired ASAP!!!! I never felt so cheated of my money in my Life!!!!

• Kyle Lowry: I'm not watching boxing ever!! Wow!! Please overturn this judgement

• Mark Jackson: I think I’m DONE with boxing!!! Manny just got ROBBED! What a JOKE!

• LaMarcus Aldridge: Pac man got robbed !

• Al Horford: Are you kidding me?? They gave the fight to this other dude. PAC-Man is the best. Terrible judges... #SMH

• Roger Mason: Where's the instrant replay when you need it? #gotitallwrong

• Deron Williams: Boxing is now the worst sport in the history of the world Im never buying a fight again

• Brandon Jennings: Welp go ahead and retire Mayweather.... No reason to fight him now!!!!

What did you think of the outcome of the fight? Did the judges make the wrong call or did Bradley deserve the win? Share your thoughts below.

Austin Rivers Apparently Has Guarantee From Team Late In NBA Draft Lottery

By: Stephen Patterson

Austin Rivers, who is the son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, reportedly has a guarantee from a team picking late in the lottery of the NBA Draft according to a report by Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Teams picking in that range include the Toronto Raptors (8th),  Detroit Pistons (9), New Orleans Hornets (10), Portland Trail Blazers (11), Milwaukee Bucks (12), Phoenix Suns (13), and Houston Rockets (14).

The Raptors are reportedly interest in moving their selection in a package for an All-Star caliber player, however, they might be inclined to select Rivers instead. According to the Charlotte Observer, the Raptors are "attracted to his assertive, don’t-back-down attitude."

Detroit is in desperate need of a franchise-altering type player, and Rivers could fit that bill. He would also give them a talented point guard capable of scoring and facilitating the offense.

New Orleans is unlikely to pick up Rivers, as they already plan to invest a lot in Eric Gordon, but they could always decide they need a talented young point guard to strengthen their back court depth and to compliment likely top pick Anthony Davis.

While the Blazers already have Jonny Flynn and Nolan Smith on their roster, they are likely to lose Jamal Crawford in free agency so there is a chance they might take Rivers, as he is arguably better than both of the aforementioned players.

Milwaukee is the least likely destination for Rivers of these teams as they already have Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis on their roster and will likely be looking for a big man with their selection.

Phoenix is a very intriguing possibility, as they are more than likely going to lose two-time MVP Steve Nash in free agency and will have a gaping hole at point guard left behind. If Rivers somehow manages to still be on the board for their pick, I can't picture the Suns picking anyone else unless they absolutely fall in love with another player during workouts.

The Rockets are another intriguing possibility. Kyle Lowry is reportedly wanting out of Houston amid clashes with coach Kevin McHale and having Rivers on their roster would make it much easier for Houston to deal their disgruntled point guard to another team.

Rivers will likely work out with the Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets according to the report from Yahoo! Sports.

Regardless of which team selects Rivers, he will likely be one of the better players from this draft class. If he goes to the right team, he has the potential to be an All-Star talent and could be a great floor general for a contending team.

Which team do you think would be the best fit for Rivers? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

2012 NBA Draft Lottery: Conspiracy or Coincidence?

Stephen Patterson:

When the New Orleans Hornets were announced as the winners of the NBA Draft Lottery this past Wednesday night, speculation began instantly about the legitimacy of the lottery process and whether or not the entire thing had been rigged from the start.

The Hornets had just a 13.7 percent chance of winning the draft lottery, yet somehow they managed to land the top pick despite having lower odds than the Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Bobcats.

While missing out on the top pick in the 2012 NBA Draft definitely hurt the Cavaliers and Wizards, both teams have managed to win the draft lottery in recent years.

First, in 2010, Washington landed the rights to select number one overall pick John Wall despite having the fifth-worst record in the league during the prior season and having just a 10.3 percent chance of winning the draft lottery.

Coincidentally, former owner Abe Pollin had just recently passed away and his widow, Irene Pollin, was planning to sell the team to current owner Ted Leonsis. Any guess whether or not having Wall on the roster helped persuade Leonsis to purchase the team? My money says it definitely didn't hurt.

Then there was the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery, where the Cavaliers landed the first and fourth overall picks as they won the draft lottery with a pick they had acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers. The pick that landed them the top selection, which was the one they had received in the trade with the Clippers, had just a 2.8 percent chance of winning the lottery.

Coincidentally, the Cavaliers had lost hometown hero LeBron James in free agency prior to the 2010-11 season in a very messy and public divorce (see Decision, The), which sent owner Dan Gilbert into a fit that you might expect from a young child, including the infamous letter he wrote to Cavaliers fans and the media that absolutely trashed James only hours after his announcement that he would be "taking his talents to South Beach."

And finally, we have this season's draft lottery and the New Orleans Hornets, who now will almost certainly land Anthony Davis, the consensus top pick who dominated college basketball this past season during his only season at Kentucky.

Coincidentally, this isn't the first time since Stern and the league took over control of the Hornets that they have found themselves in the midst of a glaring controversy.

The first time came in December 2011, when Stern vetoed a three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul, who had openly wanted out of New Orleans for quite some time, to the Los Angeles Lakers (full proposed trade: the Lakers would have received Paul, the Houston Rockets would have received Pau Gasol, and the Hornets would have received Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, and a 2012 first-round pick).

Only days later, Stern approved a deal between the Hornets and Clippers. The trade landed the Hornets Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al Farouq-Aminu, and a first-round pick in exchange for Paul and two future second-round picks.

While the trade with the Clippers brought New Orleans some solid talent, it's hard to argue the fact that the original trade might have landed the Hornets a better overall haul of players.

Now let's skip forward to April, when Stern and the league announced that New Orleans Saint's owner Tom Benson would be purchasing the team.

After all of the shady moves Stern has made over the past year and a half and the growing stack of "coincidences" surrounding him, would it be too much of a leap to consider the possibility that Stern may have promised Benson the top pick in negotiations to buy the franchise and take it off the league's hands?

Apparently it's not too much of a leap for some league executives and current players to take.

Two anonymous league executives made some negative comments to Yahoo! Sports soon after the lottery on Wednesday night, with going as far as to say the process was a joke.

"It's such a joke that the league made the new owners be at the lottery for the show. The league still owns the Hornets. Ask their front office if new owners can make a trade right now. They can't. This is a joke."

Then there was the player backlash, with many going to Twitter to voice their opinions.

"I just wanna know why they don't show the lottery balls getting picked anymore ..." tweeted Minnesota Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams.

"The fix is in," was Portland Trail Blazer Jonny Flynn's response to the Hornet's landing the top overall pick.

When the league's own employees are beginning to question the growing pile of "coincidences", maybe it's time to consider the very real possibility that David Stern is starting to abuse some of his powers as commissioner of the NBA.

What are your thoughts on the New Orleans Hornets winning the top selection in this month's 2012 NBA Draft? Is it just another coincidence or is it perhaps a part of something bigger?

Kyle Lowry Basically Tells Houston Rockets to Choose Between Him and Head Coach Kevin McHale

By: Stephen Patterson

Kyle Lowry apparently has no problem with being blunt in his demands with the Houston Rockets if they want to keep the point guard with the franchise.

Here is what Lowry had to say on coach Kevin McHale and his own future with the team:

"I don't think so," Lowry told the newspaper about returning to play for McHale. "I honestly think it would be tough. Things have to be addressed. The situation would have to be addressed.

"If things aren't addressed coaching-wise, I guess I have to be moved."

There's not a whole lot of wiggle room there for the Rockets, as Lowry makes it known loud and clear that he doesn't want to play for McHale and would rather be traded to another team.

He also doesn't think there's much of a chance that he and fellow point guard Goran Dragic will both return to the team, regardless of the situation with McHale.

McHale responded to what Lowry had to say about the situation, telling the paper "that's very surprising. I didn't think we had too much of a problem coexisting this year. Everybody has a little beef every once in a while. I didn't feel like (there were problems). He apparently did.

"There were times that we didn't agree on things. There were times that I got on him. I don't think it was unduly harsh on anybody."

Obviously, McHale isn't going to just come out and tell some random reporter that him and Lowry can't co-exist together and that he would be glad to see the point guard get traded.

If you notice, however, he didn't exactly make a push for Lowry to reconsider his stance or to stick around with the Rockets through his comments either.

Lowry began the season as the Rockets' starting point guard, averaging 14 points and 6.6 assists in 47 games before going down with injury. He had surgery on May 1 for a sports hernia.

Dragic took over the starting role in March and averaged 18 points and 8.4 assists in 28 starts in place of Lowry.

In all likelihood, Houston will probably try to retain Dragic, keep their head coach in McHale, and try to trade Lowry to a team desperate for a starting point guard in their continual, desperate attempt to acquire a serviceable big man.