The off-season rumour mill continues to heat up as we inch closer to Thursday’s NBA Draft.
The news picked as Wednesday as the Indiana Pacers pulled off a three-team deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz involving point guards Jeff Teague and George Hill and the No. 12 overall pick on Thursday while LeBron James reportedly plans to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here’s the latest in all the happenings around the NBA.
Lakers to select Ingram at No. 2: Just one day after the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly told the camp of LSU prospect Ben Simmons that they plan to take him first overall, the Los Angeles Lakers have settled on Duke forward Brandon Ingram as their No. 2 pick, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Ingram, 18, has all-star potential due to his athleticism, shooting, and ability to defend multiple positions. He has widely been considered as the No. 2 prospect in the draft class.
Celtics’ attempt to move pick are faltering: With Simmons and Ingram likely off the board, the Boston Celtics have a tough decision to make at No. 3. The decision has gotten tougher as the club’s multiple attempts to deal the pick for an established veteran fell through, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com
The Celtics reportedly looked into a handful of players including Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, Utah’s Gordon Heyward, Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks but they were unable to pull of a deal.
If Boston makes the pick at No. 3, the most popular name in mock drafts continues to be Dragan Bender of Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Pelicans targeting guard at No. 6: Similar to the Boston Celtics, the New Orleans Pelicans have looked into the option of moving the No. 6 overall pick. However, NOLA.com reported Wednesday that if the team cannot come up with a deal, the Pelicans are looking into selecting either Providence guard Kris Dunn or Kentucky guard (and Canadian) Jamal Murray.
Both Dunn and Murray are considered to be top-six prospects and Murray was taken No. 6 overall in Sportsnet’s Dave Zarum’s latest mock draft.
The Murray to Minnesota rumour gained even more steam as Kentucky coach John Calipari told reporters on a conference call that the Canadian hopes that he is drafted in Minnesota.
He would join fellow Canadian star Andrew Wiggins and ascending superstar Karl Anthony-Towns.
“I’m saying this to you and no one else. He loves Minnesota,” Calipari said on a conference call. “As a matter of fact, that’s where he’d like to go.”
Wizards to make run at Noah? All of the talk surrounding the Washington Wizards plans in free agency have revolved around Kevin Durant.
However, according to a report from Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, the Wizards are among a handful of teams that have interest in Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah when he becomes a free agent on July 1.
Noah, 31, is a defensive whiz that has had durability issues, only playing in 70 or more games in a season twice in his nine-year career.
Who’s after Horford? Part of Atlanta’s deal to clear salary had to be connected with their pursuit of soon-to-be free agent Al Horford.
The big man is expected to draw a ton of interest when he hits the open market and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that some of the teams that will pursue him include the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and the Lakers.
Horford will be one of the biggest names available if he hits free agency, other than Durant who has already been linked to the Golden State Warriors in some early rumblings.