Apr 8, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals center Gorgui Dieng (10) dunks against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half of the championship game in the 2013 NCAA mens Final Four at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

When you go through the NBA mock drafts across the internet, the Oklahoma City Thunder are usually taking a big man with the Toronto Raptors’ first round pick that they received from the Houston Rockets.

If the NBA Draft Lottery goes chalk, the Thunder will have the No. 12 pick in the draft along with the No. 29 and 31 picks.

In Chad Ford’s latest mock, he has the Thunder picking Louisville big man Gorgui Dieng.

Dieng saw his stock rise thanks to Louisville’s national championship run and a few really big games in the tournament.

Dieng proved himself as a very good passer for a big man. He’s also a great defender who can block a lot of shots.

Previous mock drafts had the Thunder taking Alex Len of Maryland or Cody Zeller of Indiana with this pick. But in this mock, Ford now has Len and Zeller getting picked before the Thunder’s pick.

I don’t see why the Thunder would settle for Dieng at this spot. With all of the picks at their disposal, the Thunder will be able to move up in this draft a few spots maybe near the top five to get a guy they like.

They could also trade back if they don’t like anyone. This draft of course has the reputation of being a very weak one.

The main reason the Thunder would be in the market for another big man is the looming inevitable amnestying of Kendrick Perkins that just feels like it must happen by next season.

The Thunder will need to replace Perkins in the starting lineup and increase their big man depth. It’s actually hard to imagine Dieng, Len or Zeller getting run to start the season over Hasheem Thabeet.

Whoever the Thunder pick, has a better chance than anything to be playing the entire 2013-14 season with the Tulsa 66ers.

The Thunder may not be considering replacing Perkins with another big center either. OKC could commit more to small lineups and feel like Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison and Thabeet is enough depth. Perry Jones, III could slide into the bigs rotation as a stretch four too.

The draft will be exciting for the Thunder this year. They have a ton of possibilities at their disposal with all of the picks they possess.

Perry Jones III wasn’t happy as he was not being picked during the 2012 NBA Draft. He fell all the way to No. 28 in the first round where the Oklahoma City Thunder took him.

Jones III was projected to be a lottery pick for most of the last two seasons, had he come out after his freshman season or this season.

“Everybody knows I wasn’t supposed to slide as far as I did but it turns out I’m happy I did because this is a great organization,” Jones III said. “This is a perfect spot for me and I believe everything happens for a reason and these guys treat me like family.”

One of the reasons Jones III did fall so far is because of concerns regarding a knee condition he had prior to even playing at Baylor.

“It’s a previous injury he had prior to coming to Baylor he’s played two years (since) and has been incredibly consistent with it and it’s just something we have to watch as we go forward,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said. “If there’s anything that comes up from it we’ll be proactive but going into the situation we’re thrilled and we’re looking forward to having him compete this summer.”

Presti said that Jones III is a team first kind of player and that’s exactly what the Thunder were looking for. Add in the fact that he is an elite athlete and it is a perfect fit.

Jones III wore No. 1 and 5 in his time at Baylor but can’t wear either for the Thunder. Kendrick Perkins wears No. 5 and No. 1 is retired in honor of Gus Williams who played for the Sonics.

Jones III will wear No. 3 then, the number he wore in high school.

Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Perry Jones III may very well have been the steal of the draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder, drafting him 28th overall.

The Thunder did not expect to see Jones III on the board at this point but were more than happy to select him.

“We felt very comfortable making this selection at 28,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said. “We looked at all the information that we had available, and we wouldn’t have selected him unless we felt comfortable with all the information.”

Presti went on to say how he saw Jones III in his first ever college practice at Baylor and spoke to his coach there who described Jones III as someone who really cares about what he’s doing on the basketball court and of course, quite the amazing athlete.

The more you think about Jones III on this Thunder team, the more it seems like a perfect fit. His personality should blend right in with the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

“We really see him as a blend player,” Presti said. “We see great value in the fact that he’s incredibly talented, but he’s able to play within a team and understand how he can impact a game. He doesn’t need to be forcing the issue at all times. And with our particular team, we feel like that’s a huge quality that we looked at as a positive for us.”

But how much can we expect from Jones III during his rookie season? There are concerns regarding the health of his knee. Will he make the rotation?

The general consensus right now around the local media that cover the Thunder is that there aren’t a lot of immediate expectations for Jones III and that he may not be in the rotation to start.

“We won’t pigeonhole him,” assistant GM Troy Weaver said of Jones’ future position. “We think he can play anywhere on the front line. He’s a versatile player. The coaches will handle that. But we see his versatility as a strength.”

The Thunder will look to have a 10-man rotation once the season starts and Jones III actually has a very good chance of cutting into it. They will have the same starters as last season with Harden and Nick Collison as the first two off the bench.

Eric Maynor will be back from injury and will take over Derek Fisher’s backup point duties, assuming the Thunder don’t re-sign Fisher. Daequan Cook will continue his role as 3-point specialist leaving one more spot for Jones III to compete for.

Cole Aldrich has been in line waiting to step into the rotation and now with Nazr Mohammed likely gone he may. But Jones III could compete and beat Aldrich for that spot. The best case scenario for the Thunder would be if Jones III does crack the rotation.

You see, Jones III is exactly the type of player OKC was missing in the playoffs. They needed another versatile athlete to throw on LeBron or be able to grab rebounds while also defending quicker players.

In the playoffs, the Kendrick Perkins trade where OKC sent away Jeff Green started to look like a bad idea, if only Green was healthy. The Thunder were really missing that stretch 3-4 guy who can make some plays, defend a lot of positions and rebound.

Jones III can be exactly that for the Thunder. He won’t be the ball handler that Green was but he is bigger and just as athletic if not more. He’s not going to protect the rim like Serge Ibaka but he’ll be better to have out there than Fisher trying to take charges all the time.

We all keep reminding ourselves that Jones III could have been a lottery pick, this year or the last. That means he really should be getting a solid chunk of minutes for the Thunder next season.

“Everybody looks at his talent and says this guy should be dominant,” Weaver said. “But he plays within a teamwork and tries to blend with players and help his team win ballgames.”

One thing is for certain that the Thunder players will embrace him. Any down feelings Jones III had for slipping so late in the first round will be immediately erased when he steps on the floor with the most exciting team in the NBA.

This may be the typical overreaction immediately following the draft but there’s a few things we know about this Thunder team. One is that they will win a championship whether it’s this next season or soon after. Jones III will be integral in helping them do so.

The Thunder did not expect to see Jones III that late in the draft but could not pass up the opportunity to draft a player as talented as Jones III.

Jones III played two seasons at Baylor. He was projected to be a lottery pick after his first season and could have been this year too if this draft wasn’t as deep and if concerns regarding his knee didn’t come up.

Jones III averaged 13.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and shot .549 percent from the floor as a freshman at Baylor. Last season as a sophomore he averaged 13.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and shot .500 percent from the field.

Jones III averaged around 14 points per game in high school as well. His productions has never quite lived up to the talent he possesses. Jones III has been compared to a mix of Rudy Gay and Josh Smith. He is a power forward who is skilled enough to make plays on the perimeter some as well.

Below are a few highlight vides of Jones III. The first is DraftExpress’ official draft video for him, then some highlights while he was at Baylor and the third is from Hoop Mixtape.

Bradley Beal was the player on Oklahoma City’s radar. Thunder GM Sam Presti had expressed interest in trying to move up to take the guard from Florida.

Trading up to pick Beal would have meant trading James Harden to Charlotte.

This took Thunder fans aback leading up to the NBA Draft. Harden was such an important piece to this team, one beloved by the fans.

As the Draft grew nearer, the Thunder dispelled any rumors involved trading Harden.

Leftover draft chatter: OKC officials took steps in recent days to assure James Harden he wouldn’t be dealt for top-3 pick & then proved it

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) June 29, 2012

The potential trade seemed unlikely in the first place despite it possibly making some sense for both sides. From the Thunder front, it’s good to hear that Harden didn’t have to sit through the Draft wondering if he might suddenly get traded.

Thunder GM Sam Presti on the James Harden rumor: “James Harden is a coveted player. But I don’t think anyone covets him as much as we do.”

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) June 29, 2012

The Thunder may not have traded up into the lottery in the draft but they did still end up drafting a lottery-level talent in Perry Jones III of Baylor.

Jones III fell to OKC at pick No. 28 as the former projected lottery pick slid further than almost anyone expected in the first round.

Things could not have gone better for the Thunder in the Draft. They didn’t expect to make any substantial picks and ended up having a potential gem fall right into their laps.

These are the kind of things that tend to happen to teams right before they start winning championships.

Here are draft grades for every team:

New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall – Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
No. 10 overall – Austin Rivers, G, Duke
No. 46 overall – Darius Miller, G/F, Kentucky

The Hornets really couldn’t go wrong possessing the first overall pick in the draft and chance to take Anthony Davis. Davis has a chance to be a franchise changer and playing alongside Eric Gordon in New Orleans is a good start. The Hornets took Rivers 10th overall which is what they wanted to do. The Hornets believe Rivers can play some point for them although he is a scoring guard at heart. Gordon is a good playmaker himself though so the two may be able to share ball handling duties a la Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Darius Miller pick is nice too. He is an athlete that could make it in the NBA and was a teammate of Davis’ at Kentucky.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 28 overall – Perry Jones, III, F, Baylor

To win a championship, sometimes it takes a little luck. The Thunder got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft with the No. 28 pick. Perry Jones III we knew was going to fall because of concerns mainly surrounding his knee but sliding this far to a franchise that is perfect for him just seems unfair to the rest of the league. It was a Spurs-like snag for OKC and they know it already. Jones III has lottery talent and top-5 pick potential. One knock on him is that he never really stepped up and dominated and was more of a supporting role type of mindset and player. Well, come on down to OKC that sounds just fine!

Grade: A+

Charlotte Bobcats
No. 2 overall – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
No. 31 overall – Jeffrey Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt

The Bobcats were supposed to either trade the No. 2 pick or take Thomas Robinson if they couldn’t. Instead, they shocked everyone selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall. MKG is a player that will shine no matter where he plays, even in Charlotte. He has the potential to be the second best player in this draft class and it was a wise choice to make here by Michael Jordan. Jeffrey Taylor is a good pick too in the second round. Taylor was projected to go a little earlier in the draft and is a nice value find at 31.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards
No. 3 overall – Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
No. 32 overall – Tomas Satoransky, G, Czech Republic

The Wizards got the man they wanted at No. 3 but had to hold their breath and pray before doing so. As the Bobcats were shopping the No. 2 pick, any team that may have gotten it was probably going to take Bradley Beal second overall. The Wizards desperately wanted an elite shooter and wing to place alongside John Wall and they believe Beal is that guy. Beal measured just under 6-foot-5 so he’s not huge but he is physical and can do a lot of things on a basketball court. Tomas Satoranksy in the second round apparently is friends with Jan Vesely which makes that pick awesome too.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings
No. 5 overall – Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

It was impossible not to fall in love with Thomas Robinson watching him break down after being selected fifth overall by the Kings. He won over a lot of fans with that reaction. Robinson is touted as one of the surest things at the top of this draft. The Kings wanted him bad too at No. 5, more than anybody else. Sacramento was going to pull off a trade with this pick with Houston if Robinson was off the board but obviously that didn’t happen. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be able to get a lot of rebounds playing together.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons
No. 9 overall – Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
No. 39 overall – Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M

The Pistons are extremely happy that Andre Drummond fell to them. Before the draft, they were hoping for this but planning to settle on John Henson. Drummond has as much upside as anyone in this draft. There are questions surrounding him but he is very young. It was the right pick here for Detroit without question. Khris Middleton isn’t someone that jumps out as a great pick here but at No. 39, there’s not a lot to expect.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks
No. 14 overall – John Henson, PF, North Carolina
No. 42 overall – Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

The Bucks were pretty happy to see John Henson at No. 14 especially after trading down from 12 with Houston. Henson is the kind of guy Milwaukee wanted and someone who will block a lot of shots and grab some rebounds but really needs to put on some weight first. Doron Lamb is another player they were happy to see at No. 42. He could have gone in the first round and is an irrational confidence guy who can shoot and play some D too.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 4 overall – Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
No. 17 overall – Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

It wasn’t a huge shocker that Cleveland took Dion Waiters No. 4. They were planning on possibly doing so and after being unable to trade up to No. 2 and take Beal, Waiters was the next guy on their list, probably just ahead of Harrison Barnes. It wasn’t an overly popular pick but Waiters has an NBA-ready body and next to Kyrie Irving should do well. With Tyler Zeller sliding in the draft, the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a trade with Dallas to get to No. 17 and take the North Carolina center. They gave up three picks for Zeller so they must really like him. Now with a core of Irving, Waiters, Thompson and Zeller, Cleveland’s future looks kind of alright.

Grade: B

Portland Trailblazers
No. 6 overall – Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
No. 11 overall – Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No. 40 overall – Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Before the Draft, Portland was intent on keeping their 6th and 11th picks and they also loved Damian Lillard. Six may sound high for Lillard but Portland did something smart: picking their favorite guy and not caring where they did it. They then filled a need at 11 with Meyers Leonard, the center from Illinois. Portland was projected in some mocks to take Andre Drummond and either Austin Rivers or Jeremy Lamb. That sounds a little better than what they ended up with. They get Will Barton at No. 40 which is another solid value pick as he was projected late-first by many.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors
No. 7 overall – Harrison Barnes, G/F, North Carolina
No. 30 overall – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
No. 35 overall – Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
No. 52 overall – Ognjen Kuzmic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite his overall disappointing feeling, many still feel Harrison Barnes can be an All-Star in the NBA. Getting him at No. 7 was a pretty solid pick for the Warriors, who are starting new next year post-Monta Ellis and with Andrew Bogut. Festus Ezeli with the last pick of the first round is understandable too and he is a high-character guy who will work hard for them. Draymond Green is another good pick to get in the second round. The Warriors didn’t have a flashy draft but they made some value picks and that’s always a good strategy.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall – Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
No. 16 overall – Royce White, F, Iowa State
No. 18 overall – Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

The Rockets were stockpiling draft picks with one thing on their mind: Dwight Howard. That hasn’t happened yet and now feels like it won’t. They were hoping to move up to No. 5 to take Andre Drummond but since Thomas Robinson fell to the Kings there, they weren’t trading that pick. The Rockets will settle for three pretty solid players starting with Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 who has a lot of pro potential as a scorer. When they took Royce White at No. 16, you knew they weren’t trading their picks anymore. White has gotten a lot of buzz this draft as a more athletic Boris Diaw who plays a little like Charles Barkley too. Terrence Jones two picks later is another talented forward that can do a variety of things. You always feel players Daryl Morey drafts are guys who can find a spot in the NBA. The Rockets just had bigger sights for this draft than this.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns
No. 13 overall – Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

It’s just about official now that Steve Nash is on his way out in Phoenix. Kendall Marshall is their point guard of the future. Marshall was one of the best assists men in college the past two seasons and has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson and Andre Miller so yeah, he’s not quick. He’s fun to play with and will make the players around him better. They like that in Phoenix.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls
No. 29 overall – Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The Bulls were either going backup point here or combo-guard shooter. Marquis Teague is a talented player with this pick and someone who may be able to play alongside Derrick Rose some. It’s nothing special for the Bulls but a good pick nonetheless. Bulls fans were dying for Perry Jones III to slip one more pick into their laps.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors
No. 8 overall – Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
No. 37 overall – Quincy Acy, PF, Baylor
No. 56 overall – Tomislav Zubcic, PF, Croatia

The Raptors would have loved to see Harrison Barnes fall one more pick into their laps. They would have loved even more to move up and snag Dion Waiters. They settle for Terrence Ross who can do things that will make him have a solid NBA career: shoot threes and defend. Quincy Acy in Round 2 could be a Reggie Evans type which is something this franchise has experience with. Tomislav Zubcic will not come over right away. If Toronto gets Steve Nash, a lot of their problems will appear solved.

Grade: C+

Orlando Magic
No. 19 overall – Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
No. 49 overall – Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State

The Magic are in a weird situation and have been ever since Dwight Howard started pouting. Howard ran their head coach and GM out of town and still wants out himself. He hasn’t gotten it yet but it’s really only a matter of time. Orlando’s picks of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn may have been logical, but they won’t make their fans feel better yet

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics
No. 21 overall – Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
No. 22 overall – Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
No. 51 overall – Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

We knew Jared Sullinger would drop, we just didn’t know how far. The Celtics are in a rebuilding stage now and looking to bulk up their front court with Sullinger and Fab Melo. The Celtics were hoping for Royce White here or to trade up and take Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers in the lottery. The best case scenario for Kris Joseph (taken No. 51 overall) is Gary Forbes, according to DraftExpress.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia 76ers
No. 15 overall – Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s
No. 27 overall – Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State

Philadelphia fans are not happy with the decision to take Maurice “don’t call me Moe” Harkless 15th overall. When you draft a guy who plays the same position as your best player at No. 15, it never feels like it makes sense. Harkless came out after just one year at St. John’s and is said to have some pro potential but he’s nothing special. The 76ers traded up with Miami to get Arnett Moultrie at No. 27. It’s just another lateral move here for Philly. Their fans want more than that.

Grade: C

Denver Nuggets
No. 20 overall – Evan Fournier, SG, France
No. 38 overall – Quincy Miller, G/F, Baylor
No. 50 overall – Izzet Turkyilmaz, PF, Turkey

The Nuggets surprisingly went with Evan Fournier at No. 20 despite some talent sitting on the board. Fournier will not come over to the NBA next season but was the highest rated international prospect of the draft. The Nuggets clearly weren’t looking to try and strike gold with late first round picks this year. They’ve already accomplished that with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Their pick at No. 38 felt a little better. Some fans wanted Quincy Miller with the 20th pick so getting him this late is a win in that sense. Miller is young with a ton of potential but has the usual question marks. Denver went with another international product late in the second round that we won’t see in the NBA right away.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks
No. 23 overall – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
No. 43 overall – Mike Scott, F, Virginia

Nothing special here for Atlanta. John Jenkins could be decent but he won’t turn any heads. He can really shoot it though and might get some run for the Hawks where Josh Smith is on the way out. It would have been great if Atlanta had decided to draft Marquis Teague here and run an all-Teague backcourt with his brother Jeff. Love the Mike Scott pick.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks
No. 24 overall – Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
No. 33 overall – Bernard James, C, Florida State
No. 34 overall – Jae Crowder, F, Marquette

It doesn’t seem like Dallas was trying to do a ton in this draft. They dealt their 17th overall pick to Cleveland probably because there was no one they were in love with. They got three picks back for it and didn’t do anything crazy with them. One of the cooler moments in the draft though was Bernard James having his name called and walking to the podium. The crowd started chanting “U-S-A” because James served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dallas’ main priority this offseason is wooing Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
No. 25 overall – Tony Wroten, Jr., PG, Washington

The Grizzlies wanted a point guard and a lot of mocks had them going with Marquis Teague but they choose Tony Wroten, Jr. instead. Jay Bilas calls Wroten, Jr. a taller Rajon Rondo. That means he’s a good passer and can’t shoot a lick. Maybe it’s what Memphis needs and there is some upside there.

Grade: C

Utah Jazz
No. 47 overall – Kevin Murphy, SG, Tennessee Tech

Utah has enough young players from the last few drafts that they didn’t care too much about this year. Kevin Murphy is the only player from this draft to score 50 or more points in game last year in college. Why not?

Grade: C

Miami Heat
No. 45 overall – Justin Hamilton, C, LSU

Miami could have had Perry Jones III at No. 27 and it would have been just as scary as OKC getting him if not more so. They just didn’t want to have to pay a first rounder this year. Their cap space will be tight the next few seasons. They trade down here and get a 7-footer which they need. Something tells me we won’t see a ton of Justin Hamilton playing for the defending champs.

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs
No. 59 overall – Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

The Spurs drafted him so he’ll be an All-Star in four years. Marcus Denmon feels a little Patty Mills/James Anderson. The Spurs probably aren’t expecting too much from Denmon though.

Grade: C

New York Knicks
No. 48 overall – Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Greece

Not doing anything here. The home crowd really loved this pick at least.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers
No. 53 overall – Furkan Aldemir, PF, Turkey

Love this pick. He may never play in the NBA but he is a great rebounder and can only score on putbacks, according to Fran Fraschilla. What’s not to love?

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers
No. 55 overall – Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette
No. 60 overall – Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Darius Johnson-Odom plays the wrong sport. He’d be an awesome football player and used that to his advantage in college for Marquette. He will look a lot smaller in the NBA. If Robert Sacre is playing for the Lakers next season, it won’t be a good thing.

Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets
No. 41 overall – Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
No. 54 overall – Tornike Shengelia, PF, Georgia
No. 57 overall – Ilkan Karaman, PF, Turkey

Brooklyn not trying to go crazy here. They are just praying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to hookup in their new city. Tyshawn Taylor might make it as a backup point in this league but nothing more. Tornike Shengelia goes by “Toko” and is a 6-foot-9 scorer who is good at attacking and can score around the rim well but has no jumper. Ilkan Karamen has a ton of tattoos and may “never play in the NBA” according to Fran Fraschilla.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 58 overall – Robbie Hummel, SF, Purdue

Kevin Love, Chase Budinger and now Robbie Hummel. Good luck rest of league.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers
No. 26 overall – Miles Plumlee, PF, Duke
No. 36 overall – Orlando Johnson, SG, UCSB

This may have been the worst draft pick ever, worse than Sam Bowie. With names like Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli on the board, Indiana elects to take the worst Plumlee brother, Miles. If they weren’t Indiana and known for their white hoopsters, this would be an even worse pick. It’s still so horrible though words can’t describe it. There’s nothing that could make this pick ever make sense. They get Orlando Johnson from UCSB in the second round who was a 20-point scorer last year and might do something for them.

Grade: F

Jones attended Baylor for two seasons and averaged around 14 points and 7 rebounds per game. Jones is one of the best athletes in this draft but there is some concern with his knees.

This is without question the best possible scenario for the Thunder. Jones is certainly a risk because of injury but is also a huge reward if he pans out at all.

Jones is a perfect fit for the Thunder too as a stretch four who can rebound and defend. He’s basically a guy the Thunder could have really used in the NBA Finals against Miami.

It was amazing that Jones was on the board this late in the draft and when Miami was on the clock, it looked like they might take him. The defending champs decided to trade their pick to Philadelphia (who was projected to take Jones 15th overall in some mocks) who drafted Arnett Moultrie.

The Thunder have made great draft picks in the past but most of those came in the lottery. Making great picks later in the draft is what makes you become a dynasty.

Drafting Jones may be that first late great pick for the Thunder that propels them to another level on their way to becoming a dynasty.

• The Boston Celtics have expressed interest in moving up into the lottery. The Celtics have the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round. Their number one target is reportedly Duke guard Austin Rivers, son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.
• The New Orleans Hornets also have Rivers atop their list for the No. 10 pick. This means that Boston would have to try and move into the top nine to take Rivers. The only teams who could conceivably move out of the top 10 are the Sacramento Kings or the Golden State Warriors although neither seems likely.
• Kings and Rockets trade talks for the No. 5 pick have intensified. The Rockets are looking to get the fifth pick to take Andre Drummond. Sacramento doesn’t seem to be sold on any player to draft except for Thomas Robinson. Once Robinson is drafted, if it is before No. 5, the Kings will likely pull the trigger on trading the fifth pick to Houston for a few of their first round picks and Kyle Lowry.
• The Charlotte Bobcats who have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick for awhile now have reportedly narrowed down the candidates to the Cavaliers and Rockets. The Rockets number one mission is to get pieces to send Orlando’s way for Dwight Howard. The Cavs have the 4th and 24th pick in the first round and any deal for the No. 2 pick with Charlotte would include both of those.
• This means the Thunder are 99% not trading James Harden. It never felt like it was really going to happen anyway.
• The player most teams seem to want to get at No. 2 is Bradley Beal, unless the pick stays with Charlotte in which case they’d likely pick Thomas Robinson. Beal will not drop past Washington at No. 3.
• If Beal is off the board at No. 3, the Wizards would still likely look for a shooter as opposed to picking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They went into the draft many believed having Harrison Barnes high on their board and would also possibly take Dion Waiters instead of MKG.
• The Portland Trailblazers really want Damian Lillard. They have the 6th and 11th overall picks. They have heard that Lillard will not be available at 11 so they may have to take him at 6.
• The Detroit Pistons will reportedly select John Henson at No. 9 if he is there. Drummond may drop to No. 9 but if he doesn’t, Detroit is probably going with Henson.
• The Thunder aren’t necessarily looking to pick a player at No. 28 that will play next year. That means they could be leaning toward Evan Fournier from France and also now Kostas Papanikolaou of Greece.

Fashion has become a trending topic in the NBA this season maybe moreso than ever. Russell Westbrook basically took over the playoffs this year with his postgame shirts.

Kevin Durant got in on the act too sometimes with his backpack and sometimes not.

James Harden has made his impact on the NBA fashion world as well with his old man beard that he’s been growing for over a year now.

But what did these guys wear to the draft back in the day?

Here’s a look:

Not too bad. Durant is of course repping his college which is expected. Westbrook is pretty normal too. Harden is a little different of course going with the bow tie.

Here is our most recent 2012 NBA Mock Draft.

#	Team	Player	Pos	School
1	New Orleans	Anthony Davis	C	Kentucky
2	Charlotte	Thomas Robinson	PF	Kansas
3	Washington	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	SF	Kentucky
4	Cleveland	Bradley Beal	SG	Florida
5	Sacramento	Andre Drummond	C	Connecticut
6	Portland	Damian Lillard	PG	Weber State
7	Golden State	Harrison Barnes	SF	North Carolina
8	Toronto	Dion Waiters	SG	Syracuse
9	Detroit	John Henson	PF	North Carolina
10	New Orleans	Austin Rivers	SG	Duke
11	Portland	Tyler Zeller	C	North Carolina
12	Houston	Jeremy Lamb	SG	Connecticut
13	Phoenix	Kendall Marshall	PG	North Carolina
14	Milwaukee	Meyers Leonard	C	Illinois
15	Philadelphia	Perry Jones III	PF	Baylor
16	Houston	Terrence Ross	SG	Washington
17	Dallas	Terrence Jones	PF	Kentucky
18	Houston	Arnett Moultrie	C	Miss. St.
19	Orlando	Moe Harkless	SF	St. John’s
20	Denver	Jared Sullinger	PF	Ohio State
21	Boston	Royce White	PF	Iowa State
22	Boston	Tony Wroten, Jr.	PG	Washington
23	Atlanta	Fab Melo	C	Syracuse
24	Cleveland	Andrew Nicholson	PF	St. Bonaventure
25	Memphis	Marquis Teague	PG	Kentucky
26	Indiana	Draymond Green	PF	Michigan State
27	Miami	Festus Ezeli	C	Vanderbilt
28	Oklahoma City	Evan Fournier	SG	France
29	Chicago	Doron Lamb	SG	Kentucky
30	Golden State	Quincy Miller	SF	Baylor

The only certainty about tonight so far is that Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall draft choice. After that just about every team is open to trades involving their picks.

• The Houston Rockets have been making the most moves so far. They have acquired the 12th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round. Their ultimate goal is to somehow trade with Orlando for Dwight Howard. The first step towards getting Howard to Houston is trading with the Kings first. The Rockets first offered Sacramento Kyle Lowry and two of their first rounders for Tyreke Evans and the 5th overall pick. The Kings turned down that offer.
• The Kings aren’t sold on any prospect yet at No. 5. They are hoping that Thomas Robinson could fall to that spot although that is pretty unlikely. Robinson is currently projected No. 2 overall to the Bobcats but the Bobcats reportedly have five offers on the table for that pick. The Kings were earlier rumored to have been eyeing Harrison Barnes with the fifth pick but now are possibly thinking Andre Drummond instead.
• The Bobcats have been shopping their No. 2 overall pick for awhile now. We first heard of them targeting James Harden for the pick. The Thunder have expressed interest in Bradley Beal but would have to part ways with Harden to move high up enough to draft him making that very unlikely.
• The Timberwolves have reportedly offered Charlotte Derrick Williams – last year’s No. 2 overall pick – for this year’s No. 2 overall pick. Williams wasn’t terrible this season but the idea of possibly pairing Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio alongside Beal or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is enticing.
• The most likely deal to be made with Charlotte for the No. 2 pick would involve Cleveland and their No. 4 and No. 24 picks in the first round. The Cavs would most likely want to move up to jump Washington so they can pick Beal but it has been reported that Cleveland is considering Dion Waiters with the No. 4 pick as well.
• Waiters has been shooting up draft boards a ton these past few weeks. Now the Toronto Raptors are also interested in moving up to pick Waiters. Toronto has the No. 8 pick and has been projected to select a shooting guard with that pick from day one. If Waiters is not there for them, they could choose between Austin Rivers and Jeremy Lamb with the pick.
• Kidd-Gilchrist is considered by a lot of experts to have the second most potential of any player in this draft behind Davis. The Bobcats have showed little interest in him and he has been rumored to potentially slide as far down as No. 5 for Sacramento.
• The Los Angeles Lakers have put Pau Gasol on the market the past few days and have expressed some interest in MKG as well.
• The Atlanta Hawks are interested in dealing Josh Smith for Gasol but the Lakers haven’t shown much interest in that yet.
• Drummond is another prospect with tons of potential but also considered a risk. He could go in the top five or drop as low as nine. The Rockets would like to use some of their picks to move up to No. 7 if Drummond is there and trade with the Warriors.
• The Warriors are looking for a player to be an immediate impact. It would be hard to consider anyone other than Davis as an immediate impact player in this draft but if Barnes slips, the Warriors could try and move up to draft him.
• The Portland Trailblazers have two lottery picks at No. 6 and No. 11 and they intend to use both as opposed to packaging the two to move into the top five.
• The Boston Celtics would like to move into the lottery. They currently have the No. 21 and No. 22 picks in the first round. They were rumored also to have promised Royce White that they would draft him at that time if he is still available.

This is just the tip of the ice berg so far today in terms of NBA Draft rumors. We are just over five hours until the draft will begin and there will surely be plenty more stories developing until that time.

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

Anthony Davis will be selected first overall tonight in the 2012 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets. Then we will hear names like Thomas Robinson, Bradley Beal, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes.

Austin Rivers will sit and watch these players walk to the stage, shake hands with the commissioner and put on that hat as their dreams come true a few minutes before his does.

Rivers won’t like it, seeing other players drafted before him. In his eyes, he’s the best player that will be drafted tonight.

Rivers was known within the recruiting circles since before he started playing high school basketball. As the son of Boston Celtics head coach, Doc Rivers, it wasn’t hard for Rivers to get on the map.

Once the rankings started coming out for Rivers’ high school class, his name could be found right there at the top of the list. It stayed that way through Rivers’ high school career and by the time he was a senior, his name was right in the mix with Anthony Davis’ and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s.

Rivers went to Duke to play college ball under Mike Krzyzewski. It was the right choice. There he would learn to defend better, become part of a team and learn to flop.

It was a tough season for Rivers at Duke though. The team was successful but still underachieved by the school’s standards. Rivers led the Blue Devils averaging 15.4 points per game, shot .433 from the field and .365 from three.

Rivers wasn’t playing with a real point guard. He was the only player on the team that could create his own shot and defenses defended Duke accordingly. Rivers looked frustrated all season.

In high school, everything ran through him all the time. That’s what made watching him in high school so special. He didn’t play for a prep school that had five or six Division-1 players on the roster. He was far and away the best player and his coach used him that way. He used him like an NBA coach would.

Rivers was always made for the NBA. College basketball was just something he was forced to do. He was born to play in the NBA and he’s been preparing for this opportunity his whole life.

But Rivers has become one of the most polarizing players in this year’s draft. Some people hate how he plays, mostly those that grade basketball players by: “Is he fun to play with?” Those are just outsiders that don’t understand what Rivers is about.

Those who have seen him up close and followed him for years know he wasn’t given this opportunity because his dad played in the league. It’s nothing but hard work for him. He has the best opportunities at his disposal and he has used them to the fullest.

That’s how you know that Rivers having the same alpha dog attitude Kobe Bryant has is a good thing. If he didn’t have the foundation around him and was a bad kid, it could backfire.

But it won’t and that’s why in a few years teams are going to regret passing on Rivers. You can’t kill them for it tonight and Rivers is probably going to go a little higher than most mocks are projecting him.

“He is an alpha dog. I think he will succeed in the NBA because of that,” Krzyzewski said. “He believes he’s going to be great. I’d rather have a guy like that than a guy who doesn’t believe in himself.”

As each player walks to the podium before him tonight, Rivers will be taking notes, writing down the names of those teams just like Kobe did.

Christopher Hanewickel-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t supposed to make a lot of noise at the NBA Draft this year. The franchise that has made some of the best draft decisions in recent history would have just one pick in the draft at No. 28.

The rumors started picking up yesterday with seemingly every team in the lottery shopping their picks around. The Thunder’s name came up.

Oklahoma City and their GM Sam Presti are reportedly very interested in Florida guard Bradley Beal who is projected to be a top three pick right now. The Thunder appeared so interested in the reports that they would even consider trading up for Beal.

Getting into position to select Beal would mean one thing for sure: trading James Harden to the Charlotte Bobcats for the No. 2 overall pick.

It sounds crazy to think that OKC would trade away their third best player after making it to the NBA Finals this past season but there is some logic behind the possible move.

The Thunder have a decision to make with Harden this offseason. He will be eligible for an extension beginning July 1 and the Thunder are going to have to pay him quite a bit to keep him.

Harden would likely be able to get close to a max-deal with another team if he doesn’t extend with OKC. If he stays with the Thunder he’d be taking a few million less each season.

Harden has talked about sacrifice with this team and his role with this team but it would still be a lot of money for him to leave on the table.

The other factor is that the Thunder would also like to try and keep Serge Ibaka who is also up for an extension this summer. Ibaka isn’t worth as much as Harden but if the Thunder do extend both, that would leave them very little salary room to build around a core of Durant, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka.

The Thunder would also most likely enter the luxury tax in the next few seasons which is now a much harsher penalty with the new CBA. Oklahoma City is a small market without a TV deal right now so avoiding the luxury tax is a priority for this franchise.

If the Thunder dealt Harden for Beal, it would make life a little easier on those constructing the roster. Beal would have a rookie deal barely affecting the cap at all, Ibaka would be extended probably along with Eric Maynor this summer and the Thunder would have some more cap room to bring in talent to surround Durant and Westbrook.

Harden is a great player who will only improve over the next few seasons and Beal would be more of a risk, obviously since he hasn’t played in the NBA yet.

Presti and the Thunder organization are all about building a team with not only talented players but players who fit the Thunder model. Harden certainly embodies that but if Beal also does, Presti might be closer to pulling the trigger on a deal.

Beal has been compared to Ray Allen (unfairly) but plays closer to an Eric Gordon or less athletic Andre Iguodala. He competes on both ends of the floor and is a good pick-and-roll ball handler, although Harden is one of the best in the league at this.

OKC would be taking a baby step back if they went through with this trade. They wouldn’t have the same fire power coming off the bench and even more responsibility would lie with Durant and Westbrook.

Durant and Westbrook could probably handle the increased responsibility but maybe not by next season. Harden was so integral in OKC’s playoff run this past season and took over games at times even with Durant and Westbrook on the floor with him.

Trading Harden seems crazy but maybe it’s not so crazy. The Thunder more than likely will not make this move. They know they came so close to winning it all this year and they want this core to play out to whatever potential they may have.

Bradley Beal of Florida – who is considered the No. 2 prospect in the draft by 70 percent of GMs – is on Oklahoma City’s radar.

Beal told ESPN/ESPN.com Wednesday that Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti told him during an interview in Chicago that he was interested in trying to move up to draft him. The Thunder’s first-round pick currently isn’t until No. 28.

“He told me he was going to decide what they’re going to do and considered getting up there,” said Beal.

via ESPN’s Andy Katz

The Charlotte Bobcats have been looking to move the No. 2 pick in the draft and that is how far OKC would have to move up to select Beal. Beal is definitely not falling past the Washington Wizards at No. 3.

“I’ve heard it a lot,” Beal said of the Thunder scenario. “It’s really interesting. I would love to play with Kevin Durant. (Russell) Westbrook, great point guard. Just the whole team. It’s young, I would love to play with a young team. They play fast. I’d love to get up and down, shoot the ball. Overall, whatever situation I Iand in I’ll be happy.”

The Thunder would have to give up James Harden to move up to the No. 2 pick. There were reports a few weeks ago that the Bobcats had offered the No. 2 pick to OKC for Harden.

Harden was obviously a huge part of the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals this past season. Harden did struggle quite a bit in the Finals against the Heat and the Thunder are going to have a tough time keeping both Harden and Serge Ibaka down the road without dipping into the luxury tax.

Harden is up for an extension starting July 1 and while a deal isn’t done yet, Harden felt that he and the Thunder would come to an agreement.

Still, Presti has seriously considered finding a way to get to Beal. A number of sources said that Presti spent three days in Gainesville during the lockout watching the Gators practice, a fact that Beal confirmed Wednesday.

A source also said that Florida coach Billy Donovan met with Presti in Dallas when he took his two nephews to the Oklahoma City-Dallas first-round playoff series in May. Presti and Donovan have had multiple conversations on the phone about Beal, as well.

A source with direct knowledge of the situation said, “Oklahoma City exhausted every opportunity on campus to find out everything they could find out about Beal. They’ve done everything they can.”

via ESPN’s Andy Katz

The Thunder model is all about making great draft choices, developing that talent and creating a culture of winning in Oklahoma City.

Harden was as much a part of that culture as anyone in OKC but continuing that model might mean dealing Harden instead of paying him for a player that could blossom into a similar player.

The Thunder are already locked in to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Trying to keep a third All-Star who needs the ball to be productive might not be the best idea.

Everyone in Thunder camp loves Harden and they should. But the NBA is a business and the right business decision here might be Beal.

Anthony Davis will go first overall to the New Orleans Hornets then it gets a little shady. Many believe Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is the second best player in the draft but Charlotte may be leaning toward another player at No. 2.

Thomas Robinson of Kansas has been getting the biggest buzz at No. 2 for the Bobcats. However, the Bobcats have been open to shopping their No. 2 pick but haven’t found any suitors just yet.

The same goes for Washington at No. 3 who is also listening to any offers made for that pick but if they keep it, it’s pretty certain they will look to pair Bradley Beal with John Wall in their backcourt.

Next will come the decision between MKG and Harrison Barnes. During the NCAA tournament and immediately following, MKG seemed like the obvious pick between the two. But Barnes’ stock has risen some in the past few weeks and Cleveland could take him at No. 4.

It appears very few players are interested in going to Sacramento as many refused to work out for the Kings. Houston has already made an offer for the No. 5 pick in an attempt to stockpile draft picks and talent to throw Orlando’s way for Dwight Howard.

After the first five picks the draft will turn into: Where will Andre Drummond go? Drummond has as much talent and potential as anyone in the draft according to most scouts but he is very young and a big risk in the top five.

Drummond could slip down as far as No. 9 but still could be picked second overall as well.

Austin Rivers, who may be the most polarizing player in this draft, will have a chance to be selected soon after. A few weeks ago Rivers was projected as low as the early-20s by some which would have put the Boston Celtics and Rivers’ father Doc in play to draft the Duke shooting guard.

Rivers has been slowly climbing the boards of late though as high as No. 8 to Toronto but still could fall out of the lottery potentially too.

Towards the end of the first round at pick No. 28, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have a chance to decide what they want to do with their pick. There are a few players on their radar that could fall to that pick most notably Jared Sullinger and Royce White, but it feels more likely that OKC will try and move the pick or draft Evan Fournier of France and store him overseas for a few years.

So here is the latest NBA Mock Draft 2.0 from Thunderous Intentions:

Be sure to stay up to date with our current Mock Drafts here.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 NBA Draft is upon is and that means plenty of rumors, trade talks and speculation over the next 48 hours. One thing that won’t be speculated is who the New Orleans Hornets will be drafting first overall.

Anthony Davis will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. We’ve known this for awhile now. Basically since he began playing college basketball it was clear he was the best player in the country.

Davis at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game in his one season at Kentucky. He led them to a national championship season in which the Wildcats lost just two games.

Davis’ spot in the 2012 Draft will not be questioned but the kind of pro that he will become is certainly of some debate.

Davis will be most comfortable playing power forward in the NBA although he will be able to play some center too depending the on the team and situation. He is 6-foot-10 but only 222 pounds right now so he’s not going to overpower you.

The way that Davis will overpower you is with his skills and basketball savvy. Before his senior year of high school, Davis was a 6-foot-3 point guard not drawing much attention at all from colleges.

When you hear that now, it isn’t surprising at all. He can handle the ball like a guard, moves like a guard and has instincts most big men take a long time to develop. The best part about Davis is that he blossomed so late and for a number of reasons, most importantly being that he was not tainted by the AAU circuits.

Davis was never a prima donna who expected anything to come his way. He grew up in a poor family in Chicago and his rise to the national stage happened so fast there was never any time for an ego to grow.

Davis has been compared to a number of NBA players. Marcus Camby comes to mind immediately although it feels like Davis’ ceiling would be higher than that. There have also been comparisons to Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire.

Bill Russell is also a name that has come up. The 11-time NBA champion is rarely compared to NBA players nowadays. It makes sense. It was a different game in the 1960s so it’s hard to compare that era to today. Russell was only about 6-foot-9 and a modern day version of him in the NBA would look something like Thaddeus Young so it’s hard to imagine him impacting today’s game anywhere near to how he did in the ‘60s.

But what would Russell look like today? Not simply if you placed Russell in today’s game but what would the Russell equivalent be in 2012?

Anthony Davis might be it.

Russell embodied everything about team basketball. He didn’t score the most points but he got the most rebounds, blocked the most shots, ignited the most fast breaks and won the most championships.

Davis will never lead the NBA in scoring but he might become the best at everything else. If Davis peaks at 19-14-4-5 (points-rebounds-assists-blocks), isn’t that something that the modern day Russell would average.

What if Davis averages that and is simultaneously the best teammate in the NBA. He’s the perfect defensive anchor to block shots, rebound, start fast breaks and run the floor, everything that Russell was so perfect at.

Davis isn’t going to win 11 championships in today’s NBA but Russell wouldn’t have either. The equivalent of 11 would be something like 6 or 7 for Davis. It seems pretty impossible but you never know.

Alright, so comparing Davis to Russell already isn’t totally fair. But it’s a decent comparison and “best possible scenario for the 2012 No. 1 overall pick.”

The ultimate point is: if you had to think up a modern day Bill Russell, Anthony Davis sounds about right.

Christopher Heniwinckel-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have just one pick in the 2012 NBA Draft Thursday night, the 28th pick in the first round.

The Thunder have a history of making great draft picks although most of those came in the lottery in the top five. The picks of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are the biggest reasons why the Thunder have become so good, so quickly.

Making good picks later in the draft is what can keep the Thunder at the top for years to come. The Thunder have done this once already drafting Serge Ibaka in 2008 at the end of the first round but aside from that pick, haven’t really hit on any non-lottery picks in the draft.

The 2012 Draft is a deep one and the Thunder will have options in front of them with the No. 28 pick. OKC may not be looking to keep the pick however as they are first and foremost trying to ensure enough cap room to keep Harden and Ibaka down the road.

Thunder GM Sam Presti said though that if the right player is available then the Thunder will take him.

Here is a look at a few potential draft picks the Thunder might make Thursday night:

Most likely picks

Draymond Green – Michigan State, PF

Green is projected to go late first round with a lot of mocks having him go before No. 28. The feeling is that if Green is on the board when the Thunder are picking, it would be really tough for them to pass on him.

It’s usually tough to find a player at No. 28 who can play right away but Green played all four years at Michigan State and is already 22-years old. He played the four a lot in college but has the skills to be a 3-4 in the NBA, the type of player OKC was really missing in the last two rounds of the playoffs this season.

Jeff Taylor – Vanderbilt, SF

Taylor is also a player who played all four years in college. These are the types the Thunder would definitely consider taking. Taylor shot 42.3 percent from three last year and a shooter is something the Thunder would definitely consider adding in this draft.

At 6-foot-7, Taylor would also bring size and athleticism to the floor and again, thinking about the Thunder last year they didn’t really have a player like this. Taylor possibly assuming the Daequan Cook role and as Durant’s backup makes some sense.

Doron Lamb – Kentucky, SG

Lamb is a player that will most likely be on the board when the Thunder are picking. Lamb is another shooter who has drawn some comparisons to Jason Terry. Lamb shot 46.6 percent from three last year with Kentucky.

Lamb is very confident like Cook but again, has a little bit more size and athleticism. Every championship team needs an irrational confidence guy and Lamb could very well suit that role for OKC down the road.

Festus Ezeli – Vanderbilt, C

The Thunder are drawing a lot of Vanderbilt players in their mocks. Ezeli is a 7-footer who is athletic and could be a potential replacement for Nazr Mohammed with the Thunder next season. Cole Aldrich’s future is uncertain as he hasn’t played much at all for OKC this past few seasons so the team may be looking for someone else to fill that role.

The Thunder won’t be looking for much in terms of centers going forward. It feels like their future will consist of smaller lineups closing games with Durant at the four. But it never hurts to have some 7-footers on the roster.

If they fall to OKC, they’re probably not passing on them

Royce White – Iowa State, F

White is a player that has gotten a lot of attention leading up to the draft mainly for his fear of flying. He was originally expected to be a late-first rounder until the Celtics reportedly made a promise to him that they would take him at No. 21.

You never know though and White would be a perfect fit for OKC if he’s sitting there at No. 28. He’s described as a more athletic Boris Diaw which is a scary thing to think about.

Jared Sullinger – Ohio State, PF

Sullinger would have been a sure lottery pick had he left Ohio State last year after his freshman season. He stayed another year and now there are talks of him possibly falling out of the first round due to back problems.

The Thunder would be crazy to pass on Sullinger if he is there. They could definitely use someone like him with great hands, who can score down low and rebound. OKC passed on DeJuan Blain a few years ago and they won’t be making that mistake again if Sullinger is available.

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure, PF

Most mocks have Nicholson going right before the Thunder will pick. If he’s there then the Thunder will definitely think about snagging him. Nicholson can be a stretch four compared to Ryan Anderson and has the size to even play some center in the NBA.

Nicholson scored 18.5 points per game last year in college so he knows how to fill it up. It’s a position the Thunder would love to upgrade on their roster.

Storing a player overseas

Evan Fournier – France, SG

The Thunder aren’t totally committed to drafting someone this year and if there is no one on the board and they can’t trade their pick, they might elect to take Fournier who probably won’t be coming over to play for a year or two.

The Thunder did this with Ibaka a few years ago and also more recently Tibor Pleiss. Fournier wouldn’t be an exciting pick for OKC fans but one that they might expect maybe more than any other. Fournier has been compared to John Salmons and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics took part in one of the most surprising trades of the season last year swapping Kendrick Perkins and Jeff Green.

The Thunder made it to the Finals this year with Perkins as their starting center while Green did not play in a single game for the Celtics this year due to a heart condition. Green failed a physical at the beginning of the season and then had surgery.

The Celtics have now been awarded a 2013 second round draft choice as compensation for the dispute over Green’s medical condition. The Celtics probably feel that Oklahoma City withheld information about Green’s condition at the time of the trade.

The second round pick is the one Oklahoma City had obtained from the Charlotte Bobcats.

This isn’t a big blow to the Thunder as it is unlikely they will be adding much to their roster via second round picks.

When the Thunder made this trade a year ago, they wanted Perkins to help them get past the Lakers who have Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. The Celtics did it to have another athletic wing to put on LeBron James.

It’s ironic that the one player OKC really could have used this postseason was a healthy Jeff Green who would have been perfect for the last two series against the Spurs and Heat, who were playing a lot of small lineups thus nullifying any affect Perkins could have had.

Green will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is expected to be healthy enough to play next season.

Update

Here is the official statement by the league regarding the decision, via Daily Thunder.

As part of a ruling in a trade disclosure dispute between the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Commissioner David Stern today awarded the Celtics a 2013 second-round draft pick held by the Thunder. Stern found that there was no evidence of bad faith or any intent to withhold information on the part of Thunder management or its physicians, but that Oklahoma City’s cardiologists were in possession of information about Jeff Green that was not shared with Thunder management and that should have been disclosed to the Celtics in connection with the trade of Green in February 2011.

Under NBA rules, teams are required to disclose to each other in connection with trades any information in their possession or control about a player’s prior injuries, illnesses, or other health conditions that could affect the player’s ability to play NBA basketball at any point in the future. Green had surgery on his heart in January 2012 and did not play during the 2011-12 season.

Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE

The first major trade before the 2012 NBA Draft has occurred involving the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Rockets traded Chase Budinger to Minnesota in exchange for the 18th pick in the first round as first reporter by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Rockets now have the 14th, 16th and 18th picks in the first round and it is clear that they are trying to pull off a package that could land them Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Timberwolves are past stockpiling first round draft choices as just about every player on their roster feels like they were selected in the lottery within the past five seasons. Budinger is a nice piece for them to build around Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio.

Shortly after this trade was completed, Houston offered the Sacramento Kings Kyle Lowry, the 14th pick and the 16th pick for Tyreke Evans and the 5th pick in the draft.

The plan here is for Houston to have a package consisting of Evans, Kevin Martin, the 5th pick and the 18th pick to send to Orlando for Howard.

Houston is doing everything possible to get Howard even though it has been reported that Howard is not interested in resigning with Houston after the 2012-13 season.

The Rockets and their savvy GM Daryl Morey are confident in themselves and what they have in Houston that they will be able to convince Howard to stay after a season with the team.

“As we’ve said before, Scotty is an integral part of our organization and critical to our success,” Presti said. “And we value him greatly. We’re looking forward to having those conversations, as he said, in the coming days. But he’s been integral to our success. We wouldn’t be in the situation that we’re in without him and his commitment to the organization and to our players.”

Presit was asked about the rumors from earlier this week that the Thunder would pursue Phil Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy if they couldn’t work it out with Brooks.

“To me, it’s rubbish,” Presti said.

Brooks will more than likely get an extension in the next few days. Sources said that Brooks wanted a deal with four years guaranteed and the Thunder would rather give him just two or three.

Presti and the Thunder organization are committed to what they have right now from the players to the coaching staff. They came close this year to winning the title and they feel no need to shake things up too much to improve their chances of getting back to the Finals.

The NBA Draft is this Thursday and the Thunder hold the 28th pick. It has been thought that they would rather move the pick then draft a player they’d have to pay for the next few seasons, especially when priority No. 1 is to do everything possible to keep James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

“We have the 28th pick, and we’re going to look to see what’s there that we might be able to add to our team, whether it’s now or in the future,” Presti said. “I wouldn’t say that we’re looking to move our draft pick. I’ve read that some places. If there’s a player on the board that we feel like fits our organization, fits our identity, we’ll draft him. If we feel like there’s a better way to use the draft pick, then we’ll look at that.”

The Thunder are unlikely to draft a player that late in the first round that is able to contribute significantly by next season.

There is some potential with a few players that will be available around those rounds, mostly players who stayed in college for three or four seasons.

The Thunder organization has been compared to San Antonio who became a dynasty largely due to their savvy draft choices late in the first round and in the second round. That is one of the next steps for this Thunder franchise to become a dynasty.

Presti isn’t calling the Thunder a dynasty yet, they surely need to win one title before they can be crowned that, but Harden used the word a few times during his exit interview.

“I didn’t realize James was such an aficionado of 80s television,” Presti said of Harden.

The Thunder have a young core of players that they put a lot of work in to build and it looks like they may not be interested in keeping their pick.

The Thunder hold pick No. 28, but it’s unlikely that they’ll keep it. Sources close to the situation say that Oklahoma City is satisfied with their young core and they aren’t interested in paying a prospect guaranteed money when he likely won’t be part of the rotation. The Thunder will likely trade or sell the pick. If they aren’t able to move the selection, expect them to draft a foreign player who they can keep overseas for several years.

via Alex Kennedy, HoopsWorld

This isn’t much of a shocker here. The Thunder are most interested in winning a championship right now. The Draft is more about building for the future and the Thunder have already done that before.

Draft Express currently projects the Thunder to draft Michigan State forward Draymond Green. If the Thunder keep their pick, a player like Green would be someone you would expect them to end up drafting.

Green isn’t someone that would make an immediate impact on their current roster so you can see why the Thunder are interested in moving the pick.

If the Thunder were to pick a foreign player, Evan Fournier of France is a player that has been projected to be selected by the Thunder.

Fournier, 19, is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard that has drawn comparisons to John Salmons, Marco Belinelli and Chris Douglas-Roberts. He is a player that the Thunder could draft and let him play another year oversees before coming over to the NBA.

The reality is that the Thunder are in the NBA Finals right now. They are unlikely to make any big moves centered around the NBA Draft to improve their roster.

But they have been a great drafting franchise over these past few years and making savvy decisions late in the Draft might be their next step toward becoming a dynasty a la San Antonio.

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?

Presti and the Thunder will choose 28th overall in the upcoming NBA Draft after the Thunder had the third-best record in the NBA this season.

“The Pre-Draft Camp is another step in the evaluation process as we head into the draft,” Presti said. “We place a lot of value on the opportunity to sit down with a lot of the prospects and learn about them on a personal level as we determine who are potential fits for our organization now and in the future.”

The Thunder have a reputation for making great draft selections. Most of those great picks came early in the lottery though with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Making great selections as you move further down the draft board is one of the next steps for this Thunder franchise to become a dynasty.

Serge Ibaka was selected 24th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft and the Thunder had to wait a year before he came over to the NBA. That was the Thunder’s best non-lottery pick so far.

Among the players the Thunder are projected to possibly select in this year’s draft are Royce White (Iowa State), Evan Fournier (France), Andrew Nicholson (St. Bonaventure), Jeffrey Taylor (Vanderbilt) and Marquis Teague (Kentucky).

Check out Thunderous Intentions’s Mock Draft Lottery here.

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.

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports is reporting that Duke freshman Austin Rivers has declared for the NBA Draft.

I couldn’t be happier.

I was lucky enough to watch basically Rivers’ entire career in high school. He won the Florida state championship his junior and senior seasons at Winter Park High School. I went to his last 10 high school games. What? He’s my favorite player.

At Duke, Rivers was underutilized. This was no surprise playing under Mike Krzyzewski. Rivers was obviously featured as much as possible in high school and scored around 30 points per game his senior season. Every opportunity to score, he took. That wasn’t the case at Duke at all.

It really should have been though to some extent. Duke totally lacked players who could create off the dribble this season other than Rivers. This always held them back trying to rely on Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton to run the offense when neither could get by tough defense. It worked for a lot of the season but it was inevitable that by the end of the season, Duke was going to have to rely on Rivers more, and the fact that he wasn’t prepared for that and handed over the point guard job was a failure on Krzyzewski’s part.

Rivers obviously isn’t a point guard as far as his DNA goes. He’s a cold-blooded scorer. But if Rivers is going to make it in the NBA – measured 6-foot-5 with shoes on – he will probably have to play at least some point.

He really didn’t get that chance at Duke. The reason is he doesn’t initially look like a point guard on the floor. He’s not a great passer and misses open guys on occasion to try and force his own shot. Early in the season this resulted in Rivers getting called for charges or some low-shooting percentage nights. Duke was still always at its best with Rivers creating off the dribble though.

Paul Abell - US PRESSWIRE

This is my problem with college basketball. It’s more about the coaches and the school than the players. I loved Duke this year because of Rivers so it was naturally very frustrating for me to watch. Sure, he played more minutes than any Duke player but the ball should have been in his hands much more. The fact that this was not addressed is amazing. Duke lost in the NCAA tournament in the first round to Lehigh showcasing the same problems they had all season long.

When I first heard the news that Rivers had picked Duke as his college choice I was very pleased. I thought it would help him with his defense and discipline overall. Now, I’m glad he got out of there as quickly as possible. The college game and especially Duke’s is not for him. He was born to play in the NBA, there’s no question there.

Rivers was initially projected a lottery selection but this draft class has grown in depth and now he is more likely to be selected around pick number 20.

I’m happy with this because it means he will likely get picked by a better team and I think for him that will be good. If he were to be selected by a lottery team and labeled their star of the future I would fear he could become a bust.

His greatest skill is his elite first step. It is as good as any player in college and already elite at the NBA level. He has NBA three-point range but he’s not a catch-and-shoot guy so I wouldn’t expect a high percentage from three early in his pro career. He is a good penetrator and finisher but lacks some explosion and elevation that you see in the NBA game so I don’t think this will be a huge strength for him immediately.

He moves like a combination of Derrick Rose and Deron Williams but isn’t the athlete that Rose is, but who is? His handle will always be as good as any player in the league but it has always been used to create for himself. With the extra space in the NBA game Rivers will have more opportunities than in college to learn to be more of a playmaker for others and expand his game.

For the first few years of his career I’d project him to be a similar to pro to what O.J. Mayo has become. Down the road he has the potential to be an All-Star as a two-guard but since he isn’t the athlete that a lot of young players are coming into the league, that’s not something I see happening until he is considered a veteran.

Some sites are saying that Rivers is still a lottery pick but I expect him to be picked around 20th. Here are the teams picking from 10-20 as of their current records this season:

10. Milwaukee
11. Portland
12. New Orleans
13. Utah
14. Phoenix
15. Houston
16. New Jersey
17. Boston
18. Denver
19. Atlanta
20. Philadelphia

Those teams sound much better than Charlotte, Washington, Toronto or Detroit.

The coolest thing that could happen would be if Boston picked him and he played for his dad Doc Rivers. That’s definitely what I’m rooting for but I’ll also be okay with Utah, Houston, Phoenix or Denver.

I’ll finish with this: if there’s one thing I’ll say with confidence about Rivers it’s that he will succeed. I can’t imagine anything otherwise. He has a great foundation around him and work ethic and attitude that’s determined to be the best. I can’t imagine many teams being disappointed with a guy like that.