A late night but maybe little movement

RICK MADONIK/TORONTO STAR

Not everyone will be back after the free agents fall.

Big day?

I’m not sure, actually. I know it’ll be a late one in case we find out some things right after midnight tonight but the people I talked to around league and Raptorland yesterday made it sound like nothing was going to happen with these guys at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.

That said, things have a tendency to come together quickly in free agency, one signing happens (or one agreement is reached might be a better way to put it) and other stuff can fall into place rapidly.

As one guy put it to me yesterday afternoon, concerning the Raptors and the league:

“There are so many different balls up in the air right now, it’s hard to guess what’s going to happen.”

He probably should have added, “or when it might happen.”

Anyway, looks like we’re in for a bit of a long day.

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Marion, of course, is the first.

Here’s what I know, or at least what I’ve heard from people who are paid to know these things.

As they’ve been saying all along, they’d like to get him back at a reasonable number over a few years or, as I suggested yesterday, they might try (futilely, I imagine) to get him on a big-bucks one year deal.

About “four or five” teams have expressed some interest in exploring sign and trades if there’s no deal to be done here.

The only names being speculated on – and it’s true speculation right now – are Dallas and New Orleans but they are very cursory talks and nothing is, or was, too serious. And, sadly, no names at the moment. And, as I mentioned the other day, I’m virtually certain Bryan will – and should – call Orlando to see if there’s a Turkoglu deal to be done.

I would think he should call Houston, he should call Utah and probably Sacramento to see if there’s a deal to be done. Chicago’s loaded and while there may not be a fit there, it’s at least worth a cold call to see what the Bulls might be thinking.

I do know from various people that if you’re looking at Portland, there is no interest there in dealing away the one guy who might fit, Travis Outlaw. So let’s put that one out of mind at the moment.

But, as you should realize by now, some people keep things very close to the vest until they’re actually done or imminent so ferreting out information long before something happens is uber-difficult.

We’ll try, though.

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Now, before anyone rushes out and buys replica No. 44 The Legend jerseys, please consider this:

The offer sheet to Pops Mensah-Bonsu yesterday meant nothing. The offer is entirely non-guaranteed, it doesn’t mean they are dead set in bringing him back but he’s like an insurance policy in case something else goes down.

Because it’s not at all guaranteed (worth a little bit more than $1 million), no one in the organization thinks he’ll sign it because if he does and something else comes up, all they’ll do is waive him and have faced no risk.

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On the other hand, we have our friend Mr. Graham.

If they had extended a qualifying offer to him, it would have had to have been worth about $3.5 million, it would have been fully guaranteed (under rules pertaining to qualifying offers) and, as one guy with a brain said last night:

“If he gets an offer for $3.5 million guaranteed, he’d sign it in about 10 seconds.”

Now, Joey may get some offers out there in the league (although I bet he’s a late-July, early-August signing after all the big moves are made) but I also can’t fathom it being for that much money.

And, this way, the Raptors don’t have that money tied up in a guy they can get -- if not him, a cheaper facsimile – any time this summer.

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Got your BayHawks jersey yet?

Yes, the new D League affiliations are out and the Raptors are now hooked up with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Erie BayHawks.

It doesn’t mean much except that travel costs are down significantly from last year when they were hooked up with the Idaho Stampedes.

And I will say this, I may never have been in Boise but I have been in Erie and the Raptor sure didn’t upgrade the scenic nature of their affiliation.

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The Raptors haven’t finalized their summer league roster yet – I know they expect DeRozan, Jawai, Ukic, Douby and O’Bryant there from list of returning players – but I will tell you this:

They want Marcus Banks to play and the last time I spoke to anyone with power in the organization, the request was being greeted with resistance.

I imagine Banks, with six years in the league, might think he’s above playing in the summer league, which is absolutely the wrong thing to think.

Here’s a kid who’s played about 1,200 regular season minutes over the last three years (my abacus says that’s the equivalent of about 25 48-minute games) and a kid who needs to show a little bit of what he can do, even under messy summer league conditions.

Not only that, if Banks wants to have a chance to earn some time with the Raptors – or even show 29 other GMs that he’s got some game – it’s imperative he plays.

Stay tuned on this one, because if he ultimately bails, I can’t imagine it’s going to make his bosses happy.

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From Digression World, we offer this:

Remember the Marathon of Golf thingy way back when, the 100 holes in a day charity fund-raiser for the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association?

Well, got a note that says the final tally was about $43,000 raised and I know that some of you had something to do with that.

Again, thanks. Very much.

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You know who I’m not sure I want to be?

Kris Humprhies.

Now, I like Hump and think he’s got some promise but I can be pretty certain in saying that if Bryan’s out there trying to make multi-player trades, one of the guys he’ll offer in a package and one of the guys other teams might look at is Hump.

He’s 24, shows some promise some time, has a very manageable contract ($2.9 million this year, $3.2 million in 2010-11) and if there’s a chance to make some that might include a big man coming back along with something else, Hump’s got some value.

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Now we find out whether BC's had a good summer

Ready for a big week?

The free agency feeding frenzy begins tomorrow night and while it’s not a bumper crop, it’s not bad.

And around these parts, it’s actually rather significant.

We all know that Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Joey Graham are unrestricted free agents, Carlos Delfino is restricted and if the Raptors don’t waive Patrick O’Bryant by Wednesday, he’ll have a guaranteed contract worth $855,189; if they do waive him, they need to write him a cheque for $500,000 to go away.

Marion, of course, is the biggest fish and presents the most significant challenge for Bryan Colangelo.

The GM’s done a good job so far addressing two crying needs in toughness (Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono) and athleticism on the wing (DeMar DeRozan) but he cannot be judged on his off-season activity until we find out what he does with his free agents.

I’m led to believe nothing is going to happen immediately tomorrow night with Marion, one league source said it might take a couple of days for that to shake out, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Toronto didn’t get Delfino done quickly.

Parker and Graham? Again, I get no sense that there’ll be any urgency there. They might get offers, but I imagine teams will want to see how other things shake out before dealing with what have to been as second-tier free agents.

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After thinking about it for a little while, you know what else I might do with Shawn, even though I’m virtually sure it’d be rebuffed?

Tell him I’ve got a one-year deal at something around $10 million for him to sign.

It may not make entire sense but if he wants a long-term contract at a rich number, he’s far more likely to get it next year when there could be more than a dozen teams with huge cap space.

It puts a lot of pressure on him – he’d have to perform very well this coming season to earn something the year after but if he’s confident in his abilities, maybe he takes a shot at it.

The big concern, of course, is that a player on a huge one-year deal becomes a tad selfish to boost his numbers and get his name out there but that’d be up to Jay to deal with.

The Raptors? Well, I guess they do it to keep a piece that fits pretty well and they still have all kinds of flexibility next summer to make moves.

Again, I doubt it happens, but if I’m Bryan, I at least broach the subject.

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Hey, summer league’s approaching – Toronto’s first game is like July 10 or something – but here’s a little note that I’m sure will miff more than a few of you.

There are no plans at the moment to have television broadcasts of any of the games. Nothing from NBA-TV, nothing from RaptorsTV, nothing from There Are Too Many Channels In The Universe TV.

That means no breathless discussion of how DeMar DeRozan looked playing against true scrubs, no waiting for the broadcast of some game to see if Roko’s lost that ability to dribble out the shot clock like few other guards in the game.

And I don’t believe there will be an ink-stained wretch from Toronto in attendance – money being the big issue, the time of the games being another – so how in the world are we going to discuss something as mundane as summer league basketball? Maybe we won’t be able to, and that’s not a big shame.

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Of course, you know who controls the flow of information this week, right? Agents.

General managers are forbidden from discussing their discussions, or their signings, in the moratorium period that ends July 7 this year (it was July 8 last year, I guess the accountants are working faster this time around) so it’s up to agents to leak news out.

Just wanted you to know where it’ll be coming from.

Oh, and for those who aren’t sure about this whole moratorium thing.

In this week, accountants from the league are scouring the books of each team to find all the Basketball-Related Income that’s used to set the cap level for the coming season and the official tax threshold for the season just completed.

We’ll know those numbers late on the night of July 6, I imagine.

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I think we’re going to find out a little bit about Anthony Parker this week.

I know there are NBA teams out that covet him – San Antonio, Cleveland and Boston will call again because they’ve been making back-channel inquiries already and all present a more legitimate chance at a title than Toronto does – but I don’t know if chasing a championship is what drives him.

He’s always lauded the Raptors organization and the city, he has a valued place in the locker room as one of the grown up leaders and I’ll be quite interested to see what he eventually does.

I would think a two-year deal at somewhere around $9 or $10 million – the same salary he made last year – with perhaps a third year option would be logical jumping off point.

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Here’s one from the mail, I think we’ll parcel one or two out each day to avoid a backlog:

Q: Hey Doug. Every year foreign players are drafted in the NBA, and are left overseas to develop.

1) I imagine that most of these players hope to go in the second round or undrafted, to ensure they receive appropriate compensation if they choose to enter the NBA. But what about players that are drafted in the first round like Christian Eyenga. Do they have the choice to come to the NBA at any point they want and does this guarantee ever expire?

2) Some teams send their players to the D-league to gain experience? Wouldn't it make more sense to loan players (such as Jawai) to the Euro leagues to face better competition (which can be seen in soccer)?

Mike B, Halifax

A: The rights to players drafted in either round remain with the teams that chose them forever. The rights can be traded, of course, but any drafted player has no real say in where he goes, which is why some agents would prefer their kids not get picked in the second round, which allows them to sign a summer-league contract with any team that wants them..

And the league wants to build the talent level and public profile of the D League, which is why they don’t have any kind of working arrangement for signed players with any European league;

Unsigned players can go over there with a team’s blessing, if they’re under contract, it’s the D League or the NBA, no other options exist.

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Mail's in to get you through a rain delay

Yeah, I know. Long time, no speak.

Nice day with my boys out at Argoland yesterday for work and then another glorious Yankee victory in a delightful late-afternoon affair.

But because I’m a helluva guy and you need something to do on what looks like a potentially gloomy Sunday, thought I’d put this up there before racing down to Royal Niagara to commit some golf.

Have a good one, see you later, although there's a very good chance I could be tardy tomorrow morning, too. Golf has a way of making that kind of thing happen. 

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Q: Question about the actual mechanics of the draft: How are the picks submitted to the NBA? By phone? Computer? Jet propulsion carrier pigeon? Or did the Raps have a representative behind that stage that communicated the pick to the commish?

Sean D, Toronto

A: Mental telepathy, actually. Or the league just takes all those silly mock drafts and gives teams guys, the thought of an actual draft is just bogus, it’s all fixed by the league office.

No, really, it’s by phone.

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Q: Hey Doug, a few weeks ago, I saw that the 2011 All-Star Game would take place in Los Angeles though they already organized it in 2004. Is there any chance to see the event in Toronto any time soon? Julien B, Caen, France

A: Not soon, no. Various reasons – construction of condos at the arena, the Olympics, L.A.’s re-development around the Staples Centre area – there no availability for the game and it’s very much on the backburner at the moment. I’d guess 2014, maybe 2013, would be when they might consider making a bid but no one’s really talking about it.

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Q: I need some clarity on the salary cap in the NBA. Your comments about signing Turq to a contract is really confusing. How is it that many teams can have multiple super stars on the team while Toronto only seems to be able to afford 1. I don't have a full grasp of how the cap works but it seems like there’s inconsistencies across the league. A team like the Lakers seems to have all the room in the world to sign big names, same as SA, Boston & Detroit, even the Cavs and Orlando. In Toronto it seems like we can only afford one superstar at a time. Is there something I'm missing? Your help clarifying is appreciated

Ian A, Vancouver

A: They don’t have all the room the world, actually. The can re-sign their own players but they can’t add players (with the exception of Detroit, which has been able to shed salary to get under the cap) without making transactions that send out as much money as they bring in.

The Lakers can do nothing except the mid-level exception other than re-sign Odom or Ariza, Cleveland couldn’t have added Shaq without dealing Wallace and Pavlovic and it was the same in Orlando. If you can find a trading partner and have the pieces to satisfy them, you can add so-called “sueprstars.”

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Q: Thanks for the online chat and live coverage of the draft. Wasn't on for the chat, but enjoyed reading it after the fact. My question is regarding Joey G. Was he not one of the few Raptors who played beyond expectations last year? With a bit more consistency he would be a solid rotation guy, why does there seem to be no interest in bringing him back? What do you think he might get as a FA?

P K, Guelph

A: I have no idea what he’d get on the market and I think the relative disinterest here comes from the fact he had four seasons and ample opportunity to really seize a spot and didn’t. Time to move on.

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Some post-draft Raptors chat

DD and VC and all kinds of wonderful stuff

That was some day. A couple of huge trades and some draft drama and if anyone told you they saw all that coming, they are lying.

Made it a bit hectic around here but we got through it.

But now we have one more thing to get through: A little live chat.

With DeMar doing his media schtick around 12:30 and me having to go cover track and field tonight after writing the DeMar story, we better start early, like 11:30 and we’ll go until DeRozan starts talking.

That sound okay?

And here’s a little something to get you through the morning:

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You know how NBA types are always scolding us for talking about what a player isn’t rather than what it is? Like when we say, ‘well, Joe Blow couldn’t dribble with his left hand if you cut off his right told him his life depended on bouncing the ball three times without looking” instead of “well, Joe Blow sure looks good sitting on the bench wondering why his coach doesn’t play him.”

Well, I’m in for a scolding, perhaps.

Here’s what DeMar DeRozan (and we were told last night the ‘M’ in his first name is indeed capitalized after weeks of typing it down) isn’t:

HE IS NOT VINCE CARTER

Not, that is, until he makes eight all-star teams, wins a dunk contest, earns rookie of the year honours and jumps over some stiff for France in the Olympics.

HWSNBN (and regulars know that) still casts a rather large shadow over this franchise and to put a target on the back of a kid who hasn’t even practiced against legitimate NBA competition yet is a bit of a stretch.

There is a lot to like about this pick. DeRozan brings the athleticism they sorely lack, he plays a position of dire need and he could, as Bryan said last night, be very special.

Or he could be the No. 9 pick in a draft that may ultimately rival Kenyon Martin 2000 as one of the worst ever.

I don’t know, you don’t know, they don’t know for sure.

But as picks go, he was the best guy there they felt (and if I’d stuck with my original mock draft I would have looked spectacular with DeRozan here and Tyler Hansbrough in Indy, wouldn’t I?) and they seem entirely pleased with what they’ve done.

Jay said he’ll get a chance to start or at least compete for a starting job (which is good) and then Bryan dropped the VC comparison on him (which may not be so good).

This kid comes in with some huge expectations; they better hope he’s mentally tough enough to live up to them.

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Remember these:

Action: Suns draft Taylor Griffin No. 48.

Reaction: They now lead all pro sport in having the other twin. brother.

He and Robin Lopez can talk about their better brothers on the bench.

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I’m trying to figure out why they’re collecting point guards in Minnesota like so many trophy fish.

Kubla, er, I mean David, Kahn, the man in charge of hiring Sam Mitchell as the next Timberwolves head coach, swears his team can play Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn at the same time, citing Vinny Johnson and Isiah Thomas.

As we thought suggesting DeRozan is Vince was reaching a silly level of unrealistic expectations.

I will tell you this, though, when the Timberwolves were on the clock with that No. 6 pick, there were all kinds of nervous people in the Raptors war room. What better fit to a team with a young point guard, a young big man and nothing really on the wings other than DeRozan.

The sighs of relief when Kahn went all point guard crazy were almost audible.

(Or so I’m told).

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So, who wins all the trades?

I think it’s quite easy, actually.

The team that made out the best, by far in my opinion, was Orlando. Vince is going to star down there, I’m warning you, and if he’s insurance against a Turkoglu departure, I can’t think of much better.

And if Otis Smith doesn’t start getting some consideration in those Executive of the Year races, they ought to quit giving them up.

Not sure if there’s a biggest loser, probably Milwaukee, which got a bag of junk for Richard Jefferson.

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Aaron Williams. Eric Williams. Alonzo Mourning. Rafer Alston. Courtney Lee. Tony Battie.

Has there ever been a better player traded for a worse collection of questionable or non-existent talent than Carter? I wonder.

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All kinds of Hedo Turkoglu questions in light of that Magic trade for You Know Who.

Here’s what I was able to discern last night:

He remains far and away the most coveted free-agent-to-be in the eyes of a lot of people who make big decisions around the Air Canada Centre and the arrival of that Vince fellow means he’ll be out there and available for sure.

(Yes, Turkoglu has an option and could play the last year of his contract in Orlando where he’d be second fiddle at the end of the game to Carter, second fiddle at the start of the game to Dwight, second fiddle in the middle of the game to Rashard and we don’t’ have any fiddles left to tell you where he’d fit with Jameer. Oh, and there’s a new CBA coming and Lord knows what the players will give back in this one so he better lock up a long-term deal this summer).

Anyway, digression aside, the cost is still too much. They could renounce everyone – Marion, Parker, Graham, O’Bryant, Douby and back the qualifying offer to Delfino – to maybe get Turkoglu and fill out the roster with a bunch of minimum salary dudes.

But haven’t we been down that road before? See, O’Neal, Jermaine; and Solomon, Will.

The best thing, and it’s been the best thing since the JO trade in February is to try and sign-and-trade Shawn for a younger version of himself, have the mid-level exception to try and capitalize on one of the many bargains that will be out there and build the bench that way.

No big home run necessary.

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Action: Knicks get Darko

Reaction: Under the radar good

I have no idea how many saw this in light of all that went on but the Knicks moving Quentin Richardson to Memphis (wonder how all the fried food’s gonna help Q stay so cut) for Darko Milicic was a nice, very nice move.

I happen to think Darko may not stink entirely and if there’s one guy who can get him to play, I have a feeling it’s Mike D’Antoni.

Of course, Darko’s, um, dedication to his craft might take a hit playing in New York but if he’s going to make it anywhere, he’s going to make it there.

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Speaking of the Air Canada Centre, they had one of those season ticket holder events last night down in the locker room for a select few fans (they couldn’t use the main bowl because it’s being torn up for some new seating) and it must have been fun and full of food and drink.

How do I know?

I know because when I was near the entrance talking on the phone and answering e-mails in search of some privacy after the Raptors made their selection, there was one fan, proudly sporting the nifty credential-like thing they had them wear, doubled over, surrounded by a couple of friends and a gaggle of security types suffering, as they say in competitive eating circles, “a reversal.”

Must have been a bad shrimp or something, right?

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And, finally

Action: Mighty Yankees Win!

Reaction: Hmm, maybe it’s not the coaching after all.

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Okay, see you around 11:30

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The Goods On The Draft, 2009

Do you see VC? In Orlando!

Wow.

First reaction to that Vince blockbuster?

How can the Raptors get Hedo out of this?

Seriously, that’s the big news out of that one for me, it has to spell the end of Turkoglu in Orlando

Carter and Ryan Anderson for Rafer, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie is, on the face of it, a trade that changes the landscape on a couple of teams but I’m not sure how much it does to alter the balance of power in the East.

Orlando has to take on almost $50 million in VC salary over the next three years, which is a huge hit but they’ve also got a new arena coming, the need to sell tickets and I think their lack of athleticism showed in the Finals.

Rafer was never going to work out there for more than the one year he’s got left on his deal and Lee, while good, is certainly not as accomplished as Carter.

The Nets? They shed one of the more odorous contracts out there, get Lee, who should be able to play alongside Devin Harris just fine, thank you very much, and, just as important, some financial wiggle room next summer.

Not a bad deal either way, is it?

I will predict this right here, though: Carter, at home, with Dwight Howard to be The Man and Jameer Nelson back and healthy, will have an excellent season next year.

Okay, now I’ve got to get to the press room to get this whole draft thing going.

Talk to you soon

Now what is he: The Big Second Banana?

Okay, so the deal is done, Shaq to Cleveland, and for the life of me, I can't figure out how this works for the Cavs.

Is LeBron going to walk the ball up the court and dump it in the post? Is LeBron going to be iso'd on the wing, break his man down driving and run into the somewhat substantial girth of Mr. O'Neal.

Really. Doesn't this smack of Desperate Times Calling For Desperate Measures?

Sure does to me.

And for all you 2010 conspiracy theorists out there, it has no bearing on anything the Cavs were or weren't going to do. If they hadn't made this deal, they still would have had some money that summer. It doesn't necessarily "set up" anything.

What it does is mean the Cavs are likely to try and re-sign Anderson Varejao -- and that actually increases their spending for 2010-11 but they need to get someone.

Oh, and how do you reconcile Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaq? Pray tell how that shakes out. That's $32 million tied up -- THIS SEASON ALONE -- in immobile centres. Yeah, that's going to work really well.

You know who I don't want to be: Mike Brown. How the heck are you going to coach that collection of slow, old bigs with one of the most explosive players ever sitting on the roster, too.

Best of luck.

Phoenix? Well, they blew it when the traded for Shaq, this kind of corrects that mistake.

And what it does, more importantly than anything, is appease Steve Nash. Not sure how well Captain Canada and Shaq meshed on or off the court; now they'll have some money to give Steve a couple of more years on the extension he wants.

All in all, I've got to think that if this deal isn't a wash, the Suns have the slight edge.

All right, mock to your heart's content

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Of many possibilities for Toronto; Doug makes his pick below.

Here’s the thing: This is hard.

You talk to this assistant coach and you get this order; you talk to that scout and you get that order; you talk to this guy and you get an e-mail equivalent of a blank stare. A scout tells you one thing, another beat guy tells you another.

And then you put it all down on a screen and it looks like the entire draft for the Raptors will depend on what Don Nelson and Larry Riley want in Golden State and if you can figure that out for sure, you’re a far better person than I.

Anyway, into the breach we go with Mock 2.0, An Exercise In Futility

(Please, remember, this should be used for the basis of entertainment and discussion only, no gambling allowed):

Ta-da!

L.A. Clippers

Duh!

And that’s about as insightful as we need to get on this one.

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma.

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Memphis

This is actually where the draft starts. And so does the intrigue.

They need pretty much everything and have their choice of just about everything. The sexy pick, and the one that might sell a ticket or two, would be Tyreke Evans, who went to school in Memphis, but the consensus out there is that he’s not a good fit.

So, they do the expected, even if it kind of duplicates Marc Gasol.

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut.

The First Annual LaRue Martin Draft Bust List You want tough? Try coming up with the 10 biggest draft busts in, oh, the last 15 or so years, that being my tenure watching these things unfold from this seat. For real, ranking them is virtually impossible and would lead to much bar stool debate so why don’t we try. Herewith, from 10 on down: Ed O’Bannon No. 9, 1995, New Jersey He makes it only because of the local connection. Remember how loved he was up here? Thankfully for fans, Isiah didn’t love him. And rightfully so. Robert (Tractor) Traylor No. 6, 1998, Dallas (Traded to Milwaukee) Not sure what’s worse, the fact he was drafted sixth or the fact he was traded for Dirk Nowitzki on draft night because the Bucks wanted him? Stromile Swift No. 2, 2000, Vancouver Oh yeah, The Stro Show was a huge hit, wasn’t it? He could dunk. But he could not play. Darko Milicic No. 2, 2003, Detroit The only reason – and it’s a stretch – that he isn’t higher is that he’s still in the league and may be salvageable. Or not. Michael Olowokandi No. 1, 1998, L.A. Clippers At least he spent a little bit of time in the league. Does his ghost haunt Blake Griffin? Marcus Fizer No. 4, 2000, Chicago Yes, he was a fourth overall pick. No, he should not have been. Nikoloz Tskitishvili No. 5, 2000, Denver Oh yeah, Skita was going to revolutionize the game, wasn’t he? He might have been Ivan Chiriev before Ivan Chiriev was Ivan Chiriev. Adam Morrison No. 3, Charlotte, 2006 No, apparently Michael Jordan did not learn his lesson in Washington. Kwame Brown No. 1, Washington, 2001 I don’t know who wins a Bigger Bust Contest between Jordan’s two forays into the selection process. If MJ tries to speak tonight, Larry Brown needs to muzzle him. Rafael Arajuo No. 8, 2004, Toronto Come on, you knew this was coming, right?

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Oklahoma City

Not much has changed here, it’s got to be a two-man race between Evans and Ricky Rubio, doesn’t it? I know Minnesota loves Rubio and there might be a deal here or there might have been one for the Memphis pick, although I don’t see Thabeet sliding past the Thunders if he’s there.

So, it’s got to be …

Ricky Rubio, Spain.

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Sacramento

The wise Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee writes that there might be a bit of a surprise pick here. And since the decision’s really been made for them with what transpired five minutes earlier, why wouldn’t he be right? Of course, if he’s wrong and they go for Dell’s kid, nobody would be surprised.

Tyreke Evans, Memphis

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Minnesota

Oh, there will be angst in the Twin Cities; they covet Rubio like mad. They may be putting Paella alongside fish on all the best menus in town as we speak.

Trouble is, he’s going to be gone if not to the Timberwolves in some trade, at least to one of the four teams above them.

Minnesota shook up the whole draft by getting the extra slot and no matter what, they should get a couple of pretty good players, it just depends on the order in which they take them.

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse.

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Minnesota

These guys again?

Okay, they got one backcourt spot filled with their first choice and while Jerry Zygoda thinks one thing in this story out of the Star-Tribune, I’m not so sure.

Late-night whispers sent me in another direction and despite my misgivings (I think Stephen Curry’s the right fit, too), I’ll stick to what I heard. Besides, Curry might be gone.

James Harden, Arizona State.

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Golden State

Logic says one thing but the Warriors can be so wacky, I’m not sure logic holds here. They seem to be divesting themselves of Jamal Crawford for a couple of iffy guards, which does nothing to solve the Monta Ellis dilemma, he’s still their best point guard and I don’t think they take anyone ahead of him.

Holiday didn’t work out for them, and they really don’t need to go off the board for a swingman, do they? No, which means they might.

Let’s go with the one that makes sense and hope Nellie and Larry Riley concur:

Jordan Hill, Arizona.

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New York

Finally, one that makes sense and one we figured on right from the start. Does that mean it’ll happen? Well, if everything unfolds like I’ve just laid out it sure will. That, though, is unlikely to have happened. And Dell Curry can have a nice birthday party with his kid. But if Minnesota scoops Curry with one of its picks, I think Harden lands here.

Stephen Curry, Davidson.

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Toronto

Okay, here’s where the rubber, as they say, hits the road.

All three guys they like – Holiday, DeRozan and Johnson – could very well be here and then it’s decision time.

And I have no real feel for what they’ll do. I think there are people around the table who love Holiday, those who love DeRozan and those who think Johnson’s the best bet to step in and contribute right away.

The feeling I got from talks yesterday is that the discussion will go on all day into the early evening.

The gut says DeRozan, right? Teenager with boatloads of potential, 6-7, jump out of the gym.

But what about Holiday? We know Bryan loves guys who can play multiple positions and I know they think they can put him on the court with Jose or without him and that’s some backcourt versatility.

But they have no twos or threes, right? That’s a huge hole and I don’t know if they can fill both starting spots in free agency. I guess they could start Jose, Delfino, either Marion or his replacement and Bosh and Bargnani, right?

Seriously, I think you can make the case for all three.

I’m going to go off the board here a bit and suggest this:

Jrue Holiday.

And I’m fully prepared to be mocked unmercifully.

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Milwaukee

Another confusing one, at least a little bit. They need a point guard but I wonder if Jennings is a fit with Scott Skiles and there aren’t a lot of other point guards left who you’d take at No. 10, are there? They dealt Richard Jefferson, which everyone figures is so they can sign Charlie this summer but what if they did it to sign Sessions?

I have a feeling, and it’s little more than that, that they go safe and old.

James Johnson, Wake Forest.

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New Jersey

For real, this is the name I heard yesterday for more than one source and, as you can read here, the uber-smart Dave D concurs. Sort of make sense, too, but I’m not sure anyone figured on DeRozan falling this far. Still, I trust my boys.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

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Charlotte

This can’t be this easy, can it? My Man Rick Bonnell writes here that they want Terrence Williams and, lo and behold, Terrence Williams is still on the board!

So …

Terrence Williams, Louisville.

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Indianapolis

Every indication I’ve got is that they want a guard, which seems a bit odd given all the guards they’ve got. But they also need some help on the wing and could use some assistance in the post. Other than that, they’re ready to do. But, they also need to spark some fan interest so the local kid makes sense. Sort of.

Jeff Teague, Wake Forest.

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Phoenix

No Shaq, apparently, and who knows what they do with Amare over the summer so they have to get bigger, right? Or do they go with DeRozan because he fits their style of play better? Good questions. And I have few answers. I’m certainly not sold on the other Lopez or the Amundson kid as long term fixes so I bet they take Grant Hill’s replacement.

Demar DeRozan, USC

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So there you have it.

I have no idea if this is how it plays out, which is going to make tonight rather interesting, I imagine. Usually, I’d be worried that we’re getting all set up for a terrible letdown and a draft that just goes according to script but the fact is, there is no script.

Which is very good.

Anyway, we’ll be back right around 7 p.m. to start a little chat and live bloggy thingy that’ll take us through the lottery portion of the selections before I’ll have to go and, you know, write stories.

Hope to see some of you then.

And if we get any whispers this afternoon about talks or trades or changes in the wind, we’ll let you know so click back often (it increases our hits and who knows what you’ll find when you do.)

See ya.

Of trades and talks and a glorious baseball victory

Wow, so much for a slow day, eh? Bryan gives us a bit of news, two big deals and, yes, the Yankees win!!!!!!

Red-letter day all around.

And just sets us up for a big one today, too, although I imagine it’ll be quiet on the Raptors front. Every indication yesterday was that they have nothing going for an extra pick, no desire to move up and will remain at No. 9. But, as we all know, things can change in a hurry and as soon as I get back from having the chiropractor try to get this wonky spine in order, it’ll be time to hit the phones and see what’s up.

Til then …

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AP FILE PHOTO

Raps took a second look at DeMar DeRozan.

The news that they had two guys back for second visits – well, Johnson was in yesterday, I hear Holiday may not be in until today – was somewhat eyebrow-raising, no?

It’s not entirely unusual, plenty of teams have guys in for second looks that are more about meetings and chats than actual work on the court, but it does send a little bit of a signal.

So, too, then will this news:

They did have a second session with DeRozan, too, I was told. Not here – they had to travel to see him – but they did get a look outside of the one they had at the Air Canada Centre last week.

What’s it all mean?

Well, reading the tea leaves after a handful of conversations, I think if some held a gun to my head and told me I had to rank the Gang of Five, it would look like this:

Holiday

DeRozan

Johnson

Flynn

Henderson

There’d be a big gap between Johnson and Flynn and I think it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to flop DeRozan and Johnson, either. Let’s say they’re tied.

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We’re all about firsts here in this little corner of the interweb, aren’t we? First with news, first with snark, first with a whole bunch of things.

Well, how about a first link to a Maclean’s piece? This one is very, very good and should be read by all. Of particular interest would be the part where he talks about team play and team success being the true measure of a champion.

Kids who play baseball or soccer or even the pucks need to read that and digest it; their parents and coaches need to read it and take it to heart.

End of sermon.

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Man, Sam’s gonna love coaching those kids in Minnesota, isn’t he?

(That’s if it happens and I hope it does).

But here’s the question in light of this reported transaction:

If the Timberwolves do indeed keep the Nos. 5 and 6 picks, who do they take with each?

Not because of talent, but because of payday. The fifth pick’s salary is about $3 million next year, about $400,000 or so more than the money they’ll have to pay No. 6 under the rookie salary scale.

How do you decide who to reward?

It was suggested to me by a rather smart soul last night that you pay the guy who like the best the least, taking him at No. 6 and taking more of a “project” at No. 5.

Why?

Easy. When it comes time to make qualifying offers in a few years, you could be getting a better player cheaper.

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Oh yeah, another mock draft tomorrow morning, okay?

And here’s the schedule for these parts the rest of the week.

After a meeting of some of the great minds of The Star (that’d be Spencer and I sitting around at my desk for 10 minutes yesterday morning) we’ve come up with this: A live bloggy thingy tomorrow night from about 7 through the lottery portion of the draft (I’m going to go write after that for the web and then the paper) and then one of those live chats on Friday, sometime around noon, to digest the whole shebang. Not sure of that time exactly because it’ll depend on when the draft pick’s going to do a media session but we’re shooting for right around lunch.

Now, you can relax and plan your next couple of days.

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Right, the trade.

The Milwaukee-San Antonio-Detroit trade, that is.

If I had to declare a winner, it’s probably San Antonio although they gutted their front court and unless Matt Bonner all of a sudden becomes a dominant rebounder or they have someone in mind as a free agent or draft pick, they are uber-thin up front.

Jefferson’s insurance if Manu stays hurt and maybe now they even look more seriously at moving Ginobili, although I’d be surprised at that.

Milwaukee’s now got some money in the future to pay Charlie or Ramon Sessions this summer and Detroit gets more savings to make a run at either Ben Gordon or Drew Gooden or both.

Of note to Toronto:

The Spurs are now not likely to be players – because of money – in the Chris Bosh sweepstakes next summer which is sort of big because I always thought the Spurs would have been a good fit if Bosh wants to leave.

And we don’t know that he does so don’t get all crazy on me.

Oh, and why didn’t the Raptors “get” Richard Jefferson? Simple. They didn’t have enough expiring contracts to make up his salary. Was never a chance, was never going to happen, it’s not worth thinking about.

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My man Tom, a frequent contributor here, wonders this yesterday:

Q: What is the upside of showing your cards before the draft. While most media/GMs/fans would have a very good guess at this list, what’s the upside of communicating it publicly?”

A: No question there’s a level of misdirection in some comments. Teams might talk up a guy they sort of like knowing a team right above them is on the fence about him, hoping the other team takes him so the guy the first team really, really likes falls a notch.

But it’s also to send a message to agents and players that, yeah, there is some legitimate interest so they can go to other teams coveting them and say, ‘hey, all things considered, I’d rather go to Toronto so if you don’t want an unhappy camper, leave me alone.”

And some of it’s just common sense.

Everyone and their brother could discern which five guys would be on a Raptors list, for instance. Bryan didn’t break and big news by giving us those names.

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Hey, How ‘Bout Them Yankees! Not, the sorry lot that was shut out again by Atlanta last night, the Mighty Yankees of the Mississauga North peewee house league, who recorded another impressive victory last night.

Think we had like 21 runs in six innings of work.

As my Hitting Consultant M. Nori mentioned the other night, it’s all about squishing bugs and hitting line drives up the middle.

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