Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Charlotte Bobcats have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NBA Draft.

James Harden is reportedly a player that the Bobcats would be interested in getting for that pick.

It makes sense that the Bobcats would like to deal the pick for an established star or even a few pieces. Anthony Davis is the prize of this draft and the only player close to being a sure thing.

Charlotte would have to settle for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal or Thomas Robinson now that the New Orleans Hornets jumped them in the Draft Lottery for the top pick.

Harden would be worth it for the Bobcats to give up that pick. In his third year, Harden has shown all the making of a potential All-Star in this league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder would have to have quite the deal on the table for them to part ways with their beloved Harden though. The Thunder will however be in somewhat of a tough position pretty soon when it comes to paying Harden and also Serge Ibaka.

Many think they will have to choose between the two since it will be very hard to keep both. With Kevin Durant and Russell already locked in for the next 5-6 years for the Thunder and Harden being a somewhat similar player to the two, maybe Ibaka would be the better long-term decision for OKC.

It’s hard to imagine the Thunder trading Harden no matter how much sense it could make. Sam Presti and the Thunder organization are so dedicated to winning with the core they have now.

The Thunder have shown though that they will make the tough trades like they did last year when they dealt Jeff Green to Boston for Kendrick Perkins. That trade eventually has worked out in the Thunder’s favor.

Trading Harden essentially for MKG or Beal would actually be closer to what the “Thunder Model” is. They’re all about finding that right guy in the draft that they can develop and make work with the chemistry of their team and the chemistry of Durant-Westbrook.

If the Thunder think there’s a player that fits that mold at No. 2, why not pull the trigger?

Jim Rome interviewed NBA commissioner David Stern on his radio show today and began the interview by asking Stern if the NBA Draft Lottery was fixed.

Stern answered by saying “No” and then asked Rome “Do you still beat your wife?” Stern didn’t ask this based on any history of Rome beating his wife but to suggest that it is just as ridiculous a question as the one Rome asked.

The question by Rome can be rationalized as fair but you know that Stern isn’t going to say anything other than “No” and he did that and then became aggravated that it was even being asked. The question worked to get a reaction from Stern.

I get what Rome was doing and I understand talking about the New Orleans Hornets winning the NBA Draft Lottery with Stern because that is interesting to hear what he would have to say.

I guess the question accomplished something because now everyone is talking about it.

They went back and forth a little bit after that question but it was awkward the entire time. Stern even took a dig at Rome at the end saying he now had to go because he had someone important to call and that was Stephen A. Smith.

Let the conspiracy theories begin.

As everyone knows, the Hornets have been owned by the NBA the past few seasons. The NBA is about to sell them to Saints owner Tom Benson but it is ironic that the one team owned by the NBA is the only team in this year’s lottery to move up.

Currently in a USA Today poll, 55 percent of people believe that the lottery was fixed last night.

Fixings and riggings have been surrounding the NBA for a long time with the notion usually being that certain things are better for the league like Patrick Ewing being drafted by the New York Knicks instead of the Indiana Pacers.

The entire lottery went chalk until New Orleans, who had the fourth highest chances to land the number one pick, jumped the three teams in front of them to snag it.

It wasn’t long ago that the NBA vetoed a trade sending New Orleans’ best player Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers stirring up more controversy with the league’s conflict of interest.

The team with the best chance to win the lottery, the Charlotte Bobcats, will now end up picking second in a draft where the difference between first and second may be greater than any other spot.

Michael Jordan of course owns the Bobcats and has been someone who has been centered around some conspiracy theories before in the league like when he retired in his prime to go play professional baseball.

If the league truly is fixed then we will see Miami in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder: LeBron vs. Durant.

The Heat are already well on their way while the Thunder may need some Donaghy-esque help. Everyone get ready for Durant shooting 20 free throws per game the rest of the Western Conference Finals.

The Hornets had the fourth highest percentage to get the number one overall pick at 13.7 percent. The Charlotte Bobcats had the highest probability to get the pick at 25.0 percent and will pick second instead.

Anthony Davis will be selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA Draft and will join Eric Gordon to help turn this franchise around.

Here are the lottery results.

The Brooklyn Nets have an opportunity at the number one overall pick tonight and possibly drafting Anthony Davis but a source says that won’t be enough for the Nets to keep Williams.

“It’s Dwight Howard or bust,” said a source who has spoken to Williams.

If the Nets do land the number overall pick and they have a 7.5 percent chance of doing so, it could still mean that they could keep Williams.

The Orlando Magic might be most interested in a deal with the Nets to send Howard in exchange for the top pick Davis.

The Magic have not pulled the trigger on dealing Howard even though he so obviously wants to leave Orlando and a lot of that has to do with the kind of players they would be receiving in return.

There are few players considered more desirable to rebuild a franchise around than Anthony Davis. The Magic wouldn’t turn that down?

The odds are still against the Nets getting the number one pick and this being able to keep Deron Williams.

We will find out tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN during the NBA Draft Lottery just how everything will begin to unfold.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN.

The Charlotte Bobcats have the best chance of landing the number one pick and Davis who compares his game to Kevin Garnett and Serge Ibaka’s.

He said he mirrors his game after Boston’s Kevin Garnett offensively — “he can shoot mid-range and still score in the post” — and defensively after Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka — he “can alter shots and he’s now the best shot blocker in the league.”

Via ESPN’s Andy Katz.

Davis certainly shares similarities to Garnett and Ibaka and if he can become a hybrid of the two then he will surely be worth the first overall pick.

Davis dominated the college game this season leading the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship, head coach John Calipari’s first.

Davis played center for Kentucky and was the best shot blocker the college game had seen in a long time. Davis also possessed guard skills and was initially recruited by colleges as a guard before having a giant growth spurt at the end of his high school career.

Davis could play some center in the NBA but his truer position might be the power forward slot in the stretch-four fashion.

Davis would definitely thrive alongside a dynamic point guard like John Wall in Washington or he may have trouble really proving his value if the Bobcats land him and have little talent to surround him with.

Davis and his family can only wait until tonight to find out where he will end up and they are very anxious to.

“We’ve been on edge,” Davis Sr. said. “All the guessing will be done (Wednesday) and we’ll know where he’ll go. He’s been focusing on the workout and basketball but we’ll find out which way the (ping pong) balls will drop (Wednesday).”

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN before Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.

Anthony Davis will be mentioned a few times tonight.

Davis is the coveted, without question number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and tonight we will all find out where he will be headed.

The Charlotte Bobcats had the worst record in the NBA this season, the worst winning percentage in a season ever and are rewarded with a 25 percent chance of landing the number one pick and Davis.

The next few teams with the best chance of snagging Davis are the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets.

The Bobcats are by no means guaranteed winning the top pick. Since the lottery began in 1985, only four times has the team with the worst record in the league won the first pick with the last time being in 2004 when the Orlando Magic ended up with Dwight Howard.

While most of the attention will be surrounding the first overall pick, there are a few other important storylines to not overlook especially with this draft being considered such a deep one.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Gerald Wallace this year trading away their first round pick which is top-3 protected. That pick has a 7.5 percent chance of being the number one selection but it is more likely Portland will end up with two lottery picks.

The Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors are also both very interested in tonight’s results. The Warriors had the seventh worst record this season and if they fall with a top-7 pick in the lottery, they will keep that pick. If not, Utah gets it and after making the playoffs this year with a promising young core, it could really be a huge pick for them.

If you want to see a simulation of how the lottery might unfold, head on over to ESPN’s Lottery Mock Draft machine.