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?

End Of The Week Free Agency Updates: Brandon Bass, Jameer Nelson, Gerald Wallace, & Jamal Crawford

-- In a somewhat surprising move, Brandon Bass has decided to opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Boston Celtics and test free agency this summer.

Bass would have made $4.25 million next season with the Celtics under his current deal, but considering he is coming off a season in which he posted career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, it's fair to say he is due for a raise.

However, according to the report from Comcast Sportsnet, it's likely Bass will return to Boston and sign a multi-year contract with the team.

"I would love to be back here," he told reporters after Boston's season-ending loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "The fans here are unbelievable. For any player, this organization is the organization that you want to play for."

Regardless of whether or not the Celtics bring back Kevin Garnett next season, Boston still needs some quality front court players for the post "Big Four" era and Bass is exactly the kind of player they need as they move forward and build for the future.

Bass took less money to stay with the Orlando Magic once upon a time, so it's not totally out of the realm of possibility he will give the Celtics a fair discount as well if they commit to him for the long-term.

-- The Orlando Magic and point guard Jameer Nelson have agreed to an extension on his contract opt-out date until June 29 amidst all of the coaching and front office uncertainty within the franchise.

Nelson was originally supposed to have made a decision by today, however, he asked the team for an extension until he finds out who will be the next head coach and general manager of the team.

"The extension gives Jameer the opportunity to evaluate the decisions that Orlando's about to make, which helps in clarifying what Jameer's role would be and whether or not the new management team has a role for him," Nelson's agent Steve Mountain told the Orlando Sentinel.

If Nelson chooses to return  to Orlando next season and exercises his player option, he will earn about $7.9 million, but he could also find himself being dangled in trades because he will have a contract that expires after the 2012-13 season.

However, if he chooses to opt-out, he will hit the free agent market on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent and will be free to sign with any team without Orlando having the right to match an offer.

Nelson has spent his entire NBA career with the Magic and says he would like to return to Orlando if the situation feels right.

--  Gerald Wallace has decided to take a gamble on his value on the free agent market, as he will opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets that was due to pay him $9.5 million.

Wallace, who was acquired by the Nets in a midseason trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, will likely draw interest from several contending teams, although he almost certainly won't be offered a contract paying him what he would have made by picking up his player option with Brooklyn.

The Nets gave up a mini-truckload for Wallace, sending Mehmet Okur to the Blazers as well as a first round draft pick, which ended up being the sixth overall selection in this month's NBA Draft.

With that being said, expect Brooklyn to make a major run at re-signing Wallace to a multi-year contract, even it means paying him more than his original deal would've given him for the first season or two of the new contract.

Although Wallace is an 11-year veteran in the league, he is only 30 years-old and still has quite a few solid years left in the tank, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

-- Portland Trail Blazer's guard Jamal Crawford will test free agency this summer and opt-out of the final season of the two-year deal he signed just last summer with the franchise.

Crawford would have earned $5.225 next season with the Blazers if he had decided to pick up his player option on the deal, however, he apparently didn't enjoy his time with Portland according to multiple reports throughout the season.

Part of the reason for Crawford's unhappiness can be traced to the number of minutes he played with the Blazers this year, averaging only 26.9 minutes per game in the 60 he played in, which was his lowest minutes per game average since 2003.

Sam Amico of FoxSports reports that Crawford is interested in signing with one of the following teams in free agency: the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was drafted 8th overall in the 2000 draft by the Cavaliers, although he never played for them as he was traded almost immediately after being drafted to the Chicago Bulls for Chris Mihm.

Crawford has played for the Knicks in the past, and although they weren't very good during his first tenure there, they are much better these days and would greatly benefit from the addition of a player of Crawford's level.

If the 32 year-old guard is interested in chasing a championship, Miami and New York would probably be his best options, although the heat would likely have to trade or amnesty Mike Miller to make something happen.

Where do you think these players will end up in free agency? Who will re-sign with the current teams and who will find themselves wearing new uniforms next season? Share your opinions below in the comments section.

John Calipari Boots Charlie Villanueva From Dominican Republic National Team

Charlie Villanueva has been informed that he won't be playing for the Dominican Republic national team this summer, as he was cut by national team head coach John Calipari for being overweight according to multiple reports.

"Charlie was not in good form when we saw him," Calipari told Deportes en la Z. "He was overweight, and unfortunately, we could not slow down the entire team and it was a decision taken collectively. Last year, Charlie behaved really well with us and his only problem was his weight."

Villanueva was listed as having a playing weight of 232 pounds last season for the Detroit Pistons, and according to a picture of him standing on a digital scale posted on his Twitter account, he is currently at 243.5 pounds.

For some reason that is beyond me, Villanueva tweeted "Lol case closed" with the picture, although he is 11.5 pounds overweight and only proving Calipari's point that the forward is out of shape.

It has been a rough start to 2012 for the Pistons forward, as he was limited to only 13 games for Detroit this season due to injuries and averaged career lows in almost every major category, including a career-worst 7.0 points per game.

The loss of Villanueva leaves the Dominican team with only two current NBA players, Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks and Francisco Garcia of the Sacramento Kings.

Horford's younger brother Jon, who plays at the University of Michigan, is also a member of the team. Villanueva never worked out with the team this summer, despite reports saying he met with team officials in New York City, the team (and Coach Cal) were reportedly disappointed with the shape that he was in last summer, which led to the decision to drop him.

"An NBA player like him deserves respect and for respect, we have taken this decision," Calipari said. "I enjoyed coaching him a lot. He is a great player."

While he may no longer be with the team due to his weight, Villanueva used to be a major contributor for the Dominican national team.

Villanueva was drafted seventh overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors before being traded after his rookie campaign to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for T.J. Ford.

His best season in the NBA came in 2008-09 while he was still a member of the Bucks when he averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both career highs.

Detroit signed him during the following offseason to one of the worst contracts in recent NBA history that looks worse with each passing season.

The Pistons owe Villanueva $16.6 million over the next two seasons and although reports say team officials aren't considering using their Amnesty Clause to rid themselves of his contract, they may change their minds if he doesn't show up at camp in top shape.

It's hard to justify paying a player that amount of money when his numbers have dropped off in each of his three seasons since arriving in Detroit in the summer of 2009, and there's currently no reason to believe he will significantly improve anytime soon.

Do you think Coach Cal made the right choice in dropping Villanueva or do you think they will miss him once they start playing? Should the Pistons give up on the forward and amnesty him over the summer? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Yesteday's Late News & Notes Round-Up From Around The League

This post is a round-up of random news and notes from Monday that I found interesting enough to write about, however, most of them didn't warrant their own posts so I've decided to put them all in one convenient place:

-- Cleveland Cavaliers offer their #4, #24, #33, and #34 picks to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for the #1 pick:

According to Chad Ford of ESPN, the Cavaliers made a decent offer to the Hornets in an attempt to land likely number one overall pick Anthony Davis.

However, New Orleans rejected the offer making it seem even more certain that they will select Davis despite refusing to publicly commit to the big man who won a NCAA National Championship in April at the Superdome in New Orleans.

"It's not set in stone," the former Kentucky star has said when referring to being the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28th.

While the Hornets and Davis may be saying that to the media, I'm not sure they're going to convince anyone that it's the truth.

-- Toronto Raptors reportedly have interest in trading for Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, or Tyreke Evans:

The Raptors have been attached to almost every player that is reportedly on the trading block that can play the small forward position since the regular season came to and end.

They have been rumored to be offering packages including Ed Davis, Andrea Bargnani and/or Jose Calderon, and their lottery pick in exchange for one of those players.

The problem for Toronto is that the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings already have talented centers on their rosters meaning they likely wouldn't be interested in taking back Bargnani, although they may have some interest in Davis due to his young age and high ceiling on his potential.

Prying Iguodala away from Philly might be there best bet, however, I think the Sixers could probably receive a better offer by moving him elsewhere if they decide to trade him (maybe Los Angeles to the Lakers in a package for Pau Gasol for instance).

-- Rudy Gay reportedly unhappy with Memphis Grizzlies and would welcome trade to another team:

According to the same report from HoopsWorld as the Raptors note, Rudy Gay is reportedly unhappy with the Grizzlies since they have been offering him on the trade market since last season's successful postseason run while he was out with a shoulder injury.

Apparently Rudy is so unhappy with the franchise that he would now welcome a move to a new team and a chance to receive a fresh start in a new city.

However, with yesterday's announcement that team owner Michael Heisley will be selling the team to billionaire Robert Pera, it's now completely unknown what Gay's status with the franchise will be under the new ownership.

While Gay was reportedly being shopped to save money, it's likely Pera won't worry about trying to save cash during his first season with the team, especially while they already have a successful core in place coming off two consecutive playoff runs.

If Gay ends up being traded this summer, expect it to be a result of him asking for a change of scenery, as I can't picture a new owner coming in and splitting up a successful group coming off their best season in franchise history for any other reason.

-- Referee Greg Willard diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, will miss the NBA Finals:


Longtime NBA official Greg Willard was diagnosed with with pancreatic cancer after a blood test revealed a potentially serious illness, according to ESPN.com.

Willard has been an NBA referee for 24 seasons and began serving as an NBA referee for the NBA Finals during the 2009-10 season.

Referees working this year's NBA Finals will all wear Willard's #57 jersey in his honor, which is a gesture worth mentioning.

-- Bradley Beal will only work out with the New Orleans Hornets, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and Cleveland Cavaliers:

Bradley Beal, who is widely considered the best shooting guard in this season's deep draft class, will reportedly only work out for the teams with the top four selections in this month's draft according to his agent Mark Bartelstein.

While Beal is an extremely talented player who spent his college career at Florida playing under Billy Donovan, this decision could come back to haunt him.

With so many talented players in this years draft class, there's no guarantee that those four teams will need help at shooting guard, and even if they do, they may feel another player still on the board at their pick is a must-have type of player.

Although Beal is widely considered to be a high lottery pick by many scouts and online mock drafts, others believe he could fall somewhere closer to the middle to late lottery and this decision makes that all the more likely as teams picking beyond fourth won't know much firsthand knowledge about him.

List Of Teams Attempting To Trade Draft Picks Prior To 2012 NBA Draft

By: Stephen Patterson

There are two things that are pretty well known facts regarding the 2012 NBA Draft that is coming up in just under three weeks on June 28th:

First, it's almost a guarantee that the New Orleans Hornets will select former Kentucky forward Anthony Davis with the first overall pick. Second, beyond Davis likely going with the #1 pick, it's a complete toss up as to how the rest of the draft will turn out, beginning with the second pick.

While the Charlotte Bobcats currently own the second overall pick, they are open to moving the selection if it brings an All-Star caliber talent or a package of picks and players back in return.

According to Alex Kennedy on his Twitter account, the Bobcats were still shopping the pick as of Friday, however, most teams thought they were asking for too much in return.

Charlotte is reportedly interested in making a trade for Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, who are supposedly shopping Gay in an effort to cut down on salary, despite owner Michael Heisley saying those reports were false. The Bobcats are rumored to be offering the number two pick in trade talks for him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have supposedly offered the #4 and #24 picks to Charlotte in an attempt to move up to the second spot, as sources have said they are extremely interested in Davis' former Kentucky teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

However, the Grizzlies or Cavs would also likely have to take on the contract of either Tyrus Thomas or DeSagana Diop as Charlotte is attempting to unload their salaries in any move involving the second pick.

Cleveland is also rumored to be interested in making a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers in which they would send the same two picks to the Blazers in exchange for their #6 and #11 picks according to Kennedy, who writes for HoopsWorld.

The Sacramento Kings reportedly have a lot of interest in North Carolina sophomore Harrison Barnes, although he is likely to be off the board by the time they are on the clock with the fifth overall pick.

Don't be surprised if they make a move to improve their pick unless they feel comfortable enough taking another player that they pass on dealing to take Barnes.

The Golden State Warriors own four picks in the draft (#7, #30, #35, #52) and are considering packaging two or more of those picks together in an attempt to move up in the draft.

Their goal is to move up far enough to land Kidd-Gilchrist, however, they would also package picks in exchange for a proven veteran at small forward or future assets according to HoopsWorld.

The Hornets, who own the #10 pick as well as the first, are reportedly interested in moving that pick if the team acquiring it would also be willing to take on a bad contract belonging to either Emeka Okafor or Trevor Ariza according to NBA.com columnist Shaun Powell.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, neither of whom currently own a first round pick, are looking to trade into the latter part of the first round according to a report by Sam Amico of FoxSports.

Which team(s) do you think will make the biggest splash on or before draft day when it comes to making a trade? Do you think there will be any blockbuster deals involving current players as well as draft picks? Share your thoughts below.