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The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media. 

By Sam Smith | 06.26.2014 | 9:30 a.m. CT | asksam@bulls.com | @SamSmithHoops

If only the Cleveland Cavaliers were more organized, we’d have a better idea about the No. 1 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. That would be too much to expect. But it should make the evening more fun. Even Anthony Bennett is interested. As of late Wednesday night, the rumors were the Cavs might take Jabari Parker or Andrew Wiggins, but were also having second thoughts on passing on Joel Embiid. So they were studying medical records once again. 

Meanwhile, it figures to be an interesting day as the Houston Rockets got it started Wednesday night with reports of a trade to still be finalized of former Bull Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans for a future No. 1 draft pick. The trade would give the Pelicans a formidable lineup with Asik and Anthony Davis backed up by Ryan Anderson. They’re sure trading away a lot of No. 1 picks, so they better get Asik resigned. But the Pelicans were basically being told Davis would not resign if they continued to make him play center. 

Though the big speculation was whether it was the start of salary cap space clearing by the Rockets to try to lure Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James. Or both. The theory is to create the salary cap room to sign James to join Anthony, the latter who supposedly would come via sign-and-trade for James Harden. That’s still a long way to go before persuading James to leave Miami for Houston and to play with wacky Dwight Howard. But strange things happen in the NBA. And even though it seems Anthony is headed to either Houston or to return to New York, some close to Anthony continue to insist Chicago remains a realistic alternative for him. No, really, they’re saying. Really. But that won’t be known until the first week of July after free agency begins July 1. 

The Knicks were involved in an earlier trade sending Tyson Chandler back to Dallas along with Ray Felton for Jose Calderon, Sam Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, Shane Larkin and second round picks. 

Cleveland also, as always, remains hopeful about LeBron James’ eventual return and continues to mull numerous trade offers, including from the Utah Jazz, of multiple players or draft picks for the No. 1 pick, presumably to select Parker. The Jazz desperately want Parker to pair with Gordon Hayward. So the Cavs are trying to figure out if any trade gets them closer to acquiring James. Yes, there are an awful lot of hopes and fantasies this time of year. 

There’s also been talk the Boston Celtics are prepared to trade Rajon Rondo, perhaps to the Sacramento Kings, who are looking for a point guard to replace Isaiah Thomas. The Celtics would get the Kings’ No. 8 draft pick and likely select Marcus Smart with one of their picks and perhaps Embiid if he drops because of his medical issues that could keep him out next season. 

Such a deal could be a blow to the Bulls, who have been rumored talking about trading up in the draft, presumably to select one of the top two shooters in this draft, Michigan’s Nik Stauskas or Creighton’s Doug McDermott. If the Bulls cannot do that, there’s some belief among league executives they’ll then make their picks for another team to either create salary cap space or use them for a potential sign-and-trade with the Knicks involving Anthony. The Knicks have been rumored to be getting into the middle of the first round, which could suggest the Bulls’ picks are in play for them. 

It seems almost every team in the top 10 has been trying to move up or make moves, including the Lakers at No. 7 (they’d take Kevin Love but everyone seems to believe Love is staying for now), the 76ers desperately trying to get Wiggins, the Magic also in search of No. 1 and Parker. Denver at No. 11 is expected to deal one of its guards and perhaps its pick as well. So it’s shaping up as a day and evening of the wild and the wacky. 

Here’s a mock draft for Thursday that should have at least the majority of the players being selected in the first round. 

By the time of the draft Thursday night, the Bulls may not have the Nos. 16 and 19 selections. From those selections in the last 25 years, there was one multiple All-Star in Zach Randolph and two who made All-Star teams, Jamaal Magloire and Chris Gatling. If the Bulls do have those picks, here’s how the players have fared: 

2013: Lucas Nogueira and Sergey Karasev. Let’s just say it was a bad draft. 

2012: Royce White and Andrew Nicholson. White was the infamous Iowa State player afraid to fly with mental issues and dropped eventually. Nicholson is a nice potential scorer who hasn’t worked in yet with the Magic overloaded with young players. 

2011: Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris. Another reason why the Magic do not need more kids and draft picks. They have both with Vucevic already a top rebounder in the NBA and a heck of a draft pick. 

2010: Luke Babbitt and Avery Bradley. Babbitt has knocked around as a little used reserve while Bradley is a nice defensive guard, though more of a backup combo guard. 

2009. James Johnson and Jeff Teague. Johnson was one of the Bulls’ misses, though with some extra moves they were able to turn the pick they got for Johnson into the pick for Nikola Mirotic. Teague has become a top 15 starting point guard for the Hawks and potential All-Star. 

2008: Marreese Speights and J.J. Hickson. Both have become reasonably valuable power forwards, probably more inclined to be sixth man reserves though Hickson has been a starter. 

2007: Nick Young and Javaris Crittenton. Young, now the famous Swaggy P in L.A., is an offensive first sixth man. Crittenton was involved in the gun incident with Gilbert Arenas and out of the NBA facing criminal issues. 

2006: Rodney Carney and Quincy Douby. The Bulls officially selected Carney in the draft they traded up for Thabo Sefolosha. Neither had much NBA impact. 

2005: Joey Graham and Hakim Warrick. The Bulls had Warrick for a time in his travels. Neither made much impact in various stops. 

2004: Kirk Snyder and Dorell Wright. Wright should have gone to DePaul for awhile like he was supposed to. He’s stuck around as  a reserve shooter while Snyder didn’t last long and mostly played overseas. 

2003: Troy Bell and Sasha Pavlovic. It was one of the great drafts, but shows you have to be careful after the obvious choices. Pavlovic had a few decent seasons with LeBron in Cleveland as part of the posse and left for Europe. Bell also went overseas. 

2002: Jiri Welsch and Ryan Humphrey. Both did most of their playing overseas. 

2001: Kirk Haston and Zach Randolph. Haston never did much, but Randolph was the only No. 16 or 19 pick the last 13 years to become an All-Star. He’s still an All-Star level player for Memphis after serious behavioral issues marred his stay with Portland. 

2000: Hedo Turkoglu and Jamaal Magloire. Magloire had a season as an All-Star in New Orleans and Turkoglu was a productive player and with a good Orlando Finals team and a solid overall NBA career, though never an All-Star. 

1999: Ron Artest and Quincy Lewis. Artest was the Bulls pick the season they selected Elton Brand. But the team was awful and he was traded to Indiana, where he got into the notorious brawl in Detroit but resurrected his career and played for a title Lakers team. Lewis suffered the fate of many NBA Quincys and played overseas. 

1998: Bryce Drew and Pat Garrity. Both hung around a bit as shooter, but never hit the mark often enough. 

1997: Brevin Knight and Scott Pollard. Both had decent careers as NBA backups, though Knight did start some with seven teams as an undersized point guard. 

1996: Tony Delk and Walter McCarty. Delk become one of those trivia questions of unlikely NBA players to have a 50-point game. He was mostly a bench player in about 10 seasons and went overseas. McCarty was a reserve forward also for about a decade. 

1995: Alan Henderson and Randolph Childress. Henderson had a good run for a few years and won a Most Improved award, though was a role player. Childress played mostly overseas. 

1994: Cliff Rozier and Tony Dumas. Both played just a  few seasons as backups. 

1993: Rex Walters and Acie Earl. Earl played mostly overseas, but not before an amazing 40 and 12 game against the Celtics, who had drafted him. Walters played briefly at Northwestern and was a backup for seven seasons with three teams. 

1992: Randy Woods and Don MacLean. Woods played briefly for a few season while MacLean stuck around mostly off benches for a decade as a reserve. 

1991: Chris Gatling and LaBradford Smith. Gatling played about 12 seasons and made an All-Star team as a scoring reserve. Smith was the infamous Washington player who burned Michael Jordan one game, prompting Jordan to target him for a big game. 

1990: Terry Mills and Dee Brown. Mills was a productive reserve stretch four for the Pistons before the concept was popular. Brown was an undersized reserve guard who won a slam dunk contest. 

1989: Dana Barros and Kenny Payne. Kyle Korver just broke Barros’ record of most consecutive games with a three while Payne played mostly overseas.

sam-smiths-2014-mock-draft

Sam Smith's 2014 mock draft

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

By Sam Smith | 06.24.2014 | 9:20 a.m. CT | asksam@bulls.com | @SamSmithHoops

With the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers… 

The Cavs may not get it right because they often don’t. But it’s Simeon High School’s Jabari Parker who figures to be the second Simeon product in six years to go No. 1 overall in the NBA draft. Andrew Wiggins will go second to the Milwaukee Bucks and then the guessing begins with the Philadelphia 76ers, who were desperately hoping for either Wiggins or Parker when they threw their season for a top draft pick. They’ll get one. But now with the uncertainty regarding the health of Joel Embiid, it’s really a two-player draft at the top. 

That’s not to say any of the next several players chosen will not have good NBA careers. It’s just not as likely as with Parker and Wiggins. And I’m still not sure about Wiggins. So it should be an entertaining evening Thursday. Not only considering the guessing and manipulating at the top of the draft, but with so many teams with multiple first round picks and looking to make trades. 

The draft also could provide some clues toward free agency and whether some of the teams looking to make deals in free agency have included draft picks. Teams can make selections for another team because some deals cannot be consummated until July 1. The fate of Kevin Love will be a big story on draft night, though the thinking of late is the Timberwolves have not gotten knocked over with any offers and are not chasing draft picks; thus they see no rush to make a trade now as Love has one year remaining on his contract. 

Here’s a look at the best players by position in a draft that is weakest at center, especially now given the uncertainty regarding Embiid. Given the 76ers are said ready to dump another season, there’s some thought now they’ll take Embiid, who likely will not play next season, at No. 3 to further erode their chances of having a better record next season. They’d probably like to forfeit all their games, but then they’d have to return ticket deposits. 

2014-nba-draft-position-by-position-breakdown

2014 NBA Draft: Position by position breakdown

By Sam Smith | 05.19.2014 | 9:22 a.m. CT | asksam@bulls.com | @SamSmithHoops

The NBA draft lottery is Tuesday, and the suspense is becoming as much who’ll get a chance to select Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins or Joel Embiid as who’ll be in position to make the best offer for Kevin Love.

It’s started already, of course, the summer free agency speculation with Carmelo Anthony’s fate given the Phil Jackson arrival in New York. Anthony can opt out of his contract and become a free agent and he has said he’ll test the market to determine his best chance to win. The consensus has been he’ll stay with the Knicks given their ability to pay much more money and a fifth year, though the departure of Steve Kerr to Golden State and Jackson suggesting Anthony take less money has raised questions.

Now come reports that the Timberwolves finally are feeling they may have to trade Love before he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2015. The speculation has unleashed an avalanche of reports that Love, who is prizing success after never having been in a playoff game, is intrigued by the Bulls and Houston to go along with previous suppositions that he is interested in New York, the Lakers and Boston.

Some reports have suggested the Timberwolves would want a high lottery pick and a veteran player.

It’s how the Celtics built their 2008 title team by dealing high draft picks and players for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

And now the Celtics have the fifth best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in Tuesday’s lottery drawing.

The attention will be on the Celtics with the fifth best odds and the Lakers with the sixth.

If either should move up to the top three, which is generally regarded as the first cutoff for the top talent in this draft, it’s said either would be interested in dealing the pick for Love. Love, of course, would have to agree to sign a long term contract before such a deal. So he has that leverage.

The Lakers and Celtics, both historic franchises with winning histories, can make a case for success, but the Celtics might be in better, if not great, position. Though the Lakers would sell the return home as Love attended UCLA.

Boston still has Rajon Rondo. They’d have to match salaries and Love makes about $15.7 million next season.

They could trade the top three pick, assuming they get it, plus Jeff Green and maybe Brandon Bass. That would leave the Celtics with Love, Rondo, young players like Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk and veteran Gerald Wallace. Playoff team? That might seem a risk for Love.

The Lakers could absorb the salary as they are well below the salary cap. They could send the potential top three draft pick and maybe add a sign and trade with one of their free agent veterans like Jordan Hill.  Say Pau Gasol resigns to go with Kobe Bryant and Love. Does that get you in the playoffs in the Western Conference? Probably not. But Kobe is pushing for a big move.

Houston, like with rumors of a trade involving every top player (and they have gotten a few), is said to be involved. They only have a low first rounder. But they supposedly believe they can make a deal involving Omer Asik and Chandler Parsons to get Minnesota what it wants. Of course, they always say things like that.

Golden State was mentioned in the rumored reports as potentially intriguing to Love. But they have no draft pick. It also would be difficult to imagine Minnesota interested in a highly paid David Lee. Would the Warriors offer Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson, which would be appealing? But it would seem doubtful Thompson with a year left would want to resign in Minnesota.

The Mavs, like the Rockets, try to get in on most major deals. But they have little to offer.

One interesting possibility would be the Suns, who have three first round picks and a roster with young talent. They have Nos. 14, 18 and 27 and future potential lottery picks. They almost made the playoffs as is. They could put together an intriguing package with picks, the Morris twins and 2013 lottery pick Alex Len, who rarely played. They could also absorb a bad contract and Minnesota has a bunch of those. With the Suns’ guards, Love and some of their young players and back out West (where it is sunny and not cold) that could be a winning situation for Love. And the Suns have said they’d want to combine their picks and young players only for an All-Star player.

Cleveland also wants to be in the mix. They have the ninth best odds, but they also have a roster of young players. And if they could put together something with all those picks and young players and keep Kyrie Irving, then with Love and Irving that would look like a nice destination for the return of LeBron James, especially given the vulnerabilities that are becoming apparent with the Heat.

They could get in play on this one, though it would take some complicated maneuvering.

Would you trade Joakim Noah for Love? With no center and Love’s modest defensive reputation, that would seem a huge mistake. There’s no indication the Bulls would even consider something like that. And Minnesota has two centers already.

The problem the Bulls would have is all their “assets,” the draft picks and the rights to Nikola Mirotic, don’t have a monetary value until they are signed. Only Mirotic would sign for enough money to trade with matching salaries that include Taj Gibson. The Bulls would hate to give up Gibson, but you’d certainly have to consider that for someone like Love.

The problem is as the picks contain no monetary value, you’d have to add Mike Dunleavy, Jimmy Butler and Tony Snell to Gibson to make a deal along with the draft picks. You’d essentially gut your entire roster and renounce everyone else. But for a star you’d perhaps have to consider doing that.

The complicated part would be that the Timberwolves with the Bulls’ draft picks not being high would need at the minimum Mirotic signed. But Mirotic has expressed the desire to come to Chicago; not Minnesota. If he were in a deal he could choose to remain in Spain. Or he could decide to do that, anyway. And, after all, he also is a low first round draft pick.

It would seem unlikely Minnesota would even consider a Bulls package not involving a signed Mirotic. No, Derrick Rose is not and cannot be traded given his injury issues in addition to the belief the Bulls likely aren’t interested, anyway.

But the Bulls could make an interesting case.

Say they did gut their roster except for Noah and Rose to get Love.

Then they could use amnesty and make a case to Anthony to join Rose, Noah and Love. That certainly could be a winning combination even though you only add minimum players after that. The larger issue is those three salaries are about $47 million. That would mean Anthony would have to give up about $65 million to leave New York and sign with the Bulls. Really, no one is going to do that. No winning would be worth that, especially as it would be hardly guaranteed with a four-player roster.

But if the Bulls could put together some long shot sort of package for Love, they potentially would be under the salary cap enough to instead of going for Anthony add some mid-level free agents for the bench and retain Mike Dunleavy, which they almost have a moral obligation to do so given he took so much less money to sign with the Bulls last season.

In any case, it would seem the Bulls are long shot destinations for either Love or Anthony and not one of the top contenders given the lack of a high lottery pick and no true veteran starter to trade. But with the chance to sign Mirotic this summer and potentially be a player for all but the top free agents, the Bulls certainly remain in position to markedly improve the team in the off season.

It’s not even time for the draft lottery and the rumors are flying about All-Stars and Olympic gold medal winners. It’s just the beginning of the Summer of Going Rumor Crazy. It continues with Tuesday’s draft lottery.

What, you mean there still also are games going on?

love-suitors-await-lottery-outcome

Love suitors await lottery outcome

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