Ford's Latest Insights on the Draft

We're two days away from the NBA draft and teams are acting like college freshmen cramming for final exams.

A flurry of last-minute workouts are going on all over the country. In most cases, players are coming in for their second audition -- a sign that teams are thinking seriously about taking them in the draft.

Our latest mock draft reflects some of this new info.

Here's what we're hearing:

• The Raptors continue to keep everyone off balance at the top.

The NBA GMs we've spoken with, including several who are close to Toronto president/GM Bryan Colangelo, believe that the Raptors would prefer to move down two or three spots, pick up an asset and grab Andrea Bargnani.

If the Raptors keep the pick, other GMs are split as to whether they're taking Bargnani or LaMarcus Aldridge.

Complicating matters, the Raptors brought in Villanova combo guard Randy Foye and Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams for workouts last week. It was the second Raptors workout for Williams. Williams was a little on the heavy side in the first workout and the Raptors wanted to see the slimmed-down version. According to his agent, Bill Duffy, he weighed in at a very respectable 211 pounds.

The Raptors seemed especially high on Foye after his workout, leading us to ask the obvious question, are the Raptors thinking of moving down even further in the draft than we originally thought? No one thinks the Raptors are taking Foye or Williams No. 1, so what's going on?

Toronto doesn't seem enthused with the trade offers they've gotten from the Charlotte Bobcats and Portland Trail Blazers. That makes you wonder if two teams hot on the trail for Brandon Roy, the Houston Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics, are now in the picture.

• We reported already that the Celtics have a big workout going on today in Boston, with Marcus Williams, Rajon Rondo, Randy Foye and Jordan Farmar. Here's another little twist. North Carolina State big man Cedric Simmons is also coming to the workout for his second audition with the Celtics. No one's sure which way Boston GM Danny Ainge is leaning.

Ainge and a 76ers source told me there was no substance to the rumor that the Celtics were in major trade talks with the 76ers and Jazz in a deal that would send Carlos Boozer to Philly, Wally Szczerbiak to the Jazz and either Allen Iverson or, more likely, Samuel Dalembert to Boston. The 76ers source said that the deal had never even been discussed.

Chances are a top player -- someone like Rudy Gay -- is going to slip to No. 7. But the Celtics want to make the playoffs this year and a rookie is the last thing that they need. They might be better off packaging the pick and moving down or out of the draft altogether.

Or maybe they stand pat. We've been saying for weeks that a point guard is the likely target, but I'm not sure anymore.

Simmons would give the Celtics a long, athletic rebounder and shot-blocker, something they currently don't have. I think if they keep the pick, it could be Simmons.

• This time of year, bigs always see their stock rise. A month ago we had Simmons at No. 17 to the Pacers. Now he is expected to go as high as No. 7 to the Celtics, No. 10 to the Sonics or no later than No. 12 to the Hornets.

Another big man whose stock has rocketed is Mouhamed Saer Sene. A month ago we had him at No. 21 to the Suns. This weekend, Sene finished his second workout in Utah against Patrick O'Bryant. After the workout, Sene canceled a workout with the Hornets. He claimed he was tired, but more likely, he thinks he's going to the Jazz.

The Jazz have been high on him for more than a month and he has the endorsement of Karl Malone. With it looking less and less likely that a top two guard will be on the board when Utah picks, Sene isn't a bad choice.

However, will he be there? In the past week, the Sonics have started showing interest in Sene. They'd prefer Shelden Williams or Simmons. But if they're off the board, either Sene or UConn's Hilton Armstrong could be the man.

• One big man getting less buzz the past few weeks is O'Bryant. He looked great in workouts a few weeks ago, leading me to question why he wasn't in the mix for the No. 1 pick. However, poor athletic testing and a few underwhelming workouts have brought his stock back down to Earth a little.

We had him going to the Golden State Warriors in our mock draft the past few editions, but we found out on Sunday that he's never actually worked out for them. The Hornets are a possibility at No. 12 or even No. 15. It's doubtful he gets much lower than that.

• Speaking of the Warriors, they have Ronnie Brewer and Thabo Sefolosha coming in for a final workout today. It's yet another sign that they are looking to trade and replace Mike Dunleavy Jr.

• The Knicks brought in Guillermo Diaz over the weekend for a one-on-one workout with Isiah. Why would Isiah Thomas bring in Diaz when he already has four other combo guards on the roster? Let's just say he's covering his bases.

The Miami Heat, as we've reported last week, have been trying to move into the first round and their target has been Diaz. The Knicks are open to trading the No. 29 pick, especially if the Heat are willing to throw Dorell Wright into the deal. However, given that the NBA champs have been pretty good at scouting talent the last few years, Thomas wanted to make sure that he wasn't missing something with Diaz.

For Diaz's sake, let's hope that Isiah wasn't impressed. The last thing Diaz needs is to be stuck behind Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson on a depth chart.

Diaz's agent Jason Levian refused to comment on the rumors other than to say that Diaz is still working out and doesn't have a promise anywhere.

The Mavs had Diaz in on Saturday and the Nets have him in today for a workout.

• Finally, it's time to put to bed one rumor: The deal had the Sonics sending the No. 10 pick, Rashard Lewis and Danny Fortson to the Suns for Shawn Marion and the No. 27 pick.

Sources in both Seattle and Phoenix told me the rumor was totally bogus. While there has been some discussion about the Suns moving up to get No. 10, I'm told by both sides that Lewis and Marion never entered the conversation.

But here's what makes this deal fall apart. Fortson sued Suns chairman Jerry Colangelo for calling him a "thug" after Fortson hammered Zarko Cabarkapa on a layup.

Fortson lost the case, but I can pretty much guarantee you that Fortson will never wear a Suns uniform or have his contract bought out by Phoenix.

 

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