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Miller, Odom or McDyess for Jay Williams?
by Chad Ford
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Also Below: Draft rumors: Jared Jeffries pumps up | More draft rumors: Rockets make progress in China | Writers Bloc: Boston can't handle the Truth | Draft Workout Watch

Inside the NBA Draft: Mock Draft Mania

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It's been awhile, 1993 to be exact, since a team had the guts to trade the No. 1 pick in the draft. That year, the Magic made a relatively minor move, swapping the No. 1 pick (Chris Webber) with the Warriors in return for the No. 3 pick (Penny Hardaway). Will the Rockets be the first team in nine years to swap the pick?

The trade buzz around the NBA surrounding the No. 1 pick is stronger than any draft in recent memory. The Rockets, despite their insistence that they're not interested in trading the pick at the moment, have been flooded with calls.

Why? Several NBA teams I talked to feel that the Rockets aren't really in rebuilding mode. With the exception of Duke point guard Jay Williams (whom they don't need), there aren't any real impact players in this year's draft. Players like Yao Ming, Mike Dunleavy and Caron Butler are full of potential, but don't have the ability to add a lot of wins to this team. However, a young, All-Star-caliber player would have a much more significant impact now.

Second, despite the inroads made in China this week by a delegation of Houston's mayor and Asian-American business leaders, there is still a morass of political red tape that the Rockets need to cut through. The feeling in league circles is that either the Bulls or Knicks has a better shot at working out an agreement with the myriad of Chinese agencies that must approve Yao's contract.

Finally, this is a two-horse draft. There are several teams in desperate need of a top-flight point guard. In other words, Williams, or in the Knicks' case, Yao, might be worth some serious change. How much?

If last year is any indication, it will cost a team a bare minimum of a young, All-Star hopeful.

Last year the Clippers traded their No. 2 pick (Tyson Chandler) and got a former No. 1 pick (and future All-Star), Elton Brand, in return. The Hawks shipped out their No. 3 pick (Pau Gasol) for a former No. 2 pick (and future All-Star), Shareef Abdur-Rahim. That's a lot of bones for two players who had big upside but were considered major projects.

The Rockets aren't the only ones getting calls. The Bulls wouldn't mind trading out their No. 2 pick if they could add a young veteran to their squad. The Warriors, if they can't find a way to move up and grab Williams, would be willing to part with the No. 3 pick if they could get a quality point guard in return. The Grizzlies (No. 4) and Clippers (No. 8 & 12) wouldn't mind swapping a little potential for serious help right now.

So who will be this year's Brand or Abdur-Rahim? Insider made a few phone calls and here are the eight odds on favorites to get traded as part of a draft day deal.

1. Andre Miller, PG, Cavs
The Cavs insist they aren't shopping Miller, but several teams told Insider that why that may be technically correct, Miller is available, and the Cavs are collecting offers. The Cavs have told Miller that they won't give him an extension this summer. Instead, they want to wait another year, to give them more cap flexibility in the summer of 2003. But there's more to it than that. Cavs coach John Lucas likes Miller, but doesn't think he's a max player. Plenty of other teams do. Expect the Bulls, Warriors, Clippers, Blazers and T-Wolves all to make a pitch. If the Cavs can get their hands on Jay Williams, Andre's gone. ODDS on trade: 3 to 1.

2. Lamar Odom, F, Clippers
While the Clippers continue to insist that they want to give the relationship another year to see if it works, more teams continue to insist that the Clippers will move Odom now if the price is right. The Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith posited an Odom-to-the-Rockets trade Sunday. The Bulls would also be in the mix for Odom if he's available. His ball-handling skills would be a perfect fit in the triangle offense. His trade value may be a little low right now after he struggled with injuries and off-the-court problems last season, but the GM's I talked to all still feel he has the talent to be a superstar in the league. ODDS on trade: 4 to 1.

3. Antonio McDyess, F, Nuggets
GM Kiki Vandeweghe said the team isn't shopping him, but it's clear that the Nuggets are getting very nervous about re-signing their only All-Star next summer. McDyess bailed on a Nuggets' goodwill tour of Europe last week, infuriating management and several of his teammates. Despite publicly questioning whether Williams is that good, the team would part with McDyess if it could get its hands on the Duke prodigy. ODDS on trade: 5 to 1.

4. Baron Davis, PG, Hornets
Again, the Hornets aren't technically shopping Davis, but they too don't want to pay him a max contract extension this summer. If the Hornets can get ahold of Williams, Davis could end up with the Bulls, Warriors, Clippers, T-Wolves or the Nuggets. ODDS on trade: 5 to 1.

5. Glenn Robinson/Tim Thomas/Sam Cassell, Bucks
The Bucks will do something to shake things up, the question is what. Robinson is the primary target, but his trade value probably isn't high enough to land the Bucks either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick. Thomas has more trade value, but the Bucks are reluctant to give up on him yet. There's a lot of talk about the Bucks shopping Cassell, but obviously they'll need a point guard to replace him. ODDS on trade: 6 to 1.

6. Wally Szczerbiak, F, T-Wolves
Szczerbiak wore out his welcome this year in Minnesota. The question is whether anyone is willing to take him and give him that big contract extension he's looking for this summer. They'd love to work out a deal with the Rockets or Bulls to get Williams, but Szczerbiak probably isn't enough. Don't be surprised to see the Cavs and T-Wolves figure out something. Cleveland is filled with draft picks gone bad and would love to add Wally's scoring. If someone like Dajuan Wagner was still on the board, expect the Wolves to pull the trigger. ODDS on trade: 7 to 1.

7. Mike Miller, F, Magic
The Magic don't want to trade him, especially until they figure out whether Grant Hill is healthy, but if they want to upgrade their frontcourt or point guard, he's their best young asset. Whether Miller, who the Bulls covet, along with a couple of future first-rounders (the Magic have a number of them) could get them the No. 2 pick and a shot at Williams, is a long shot. The Magic are high on Nene Hilario and probably need to get into the top 10 to get their hands on him. ODDS on trade: 8 to 1.

8. Rasheed Wallace, F, Blazers
The Blazers are looking to shake up the roster again. They'd prefer to move Dale Davis and Bonzi Wells, but they aren't going to get them much value in return. Ditto for Derek Anderson and Damon Stoudemire. The Rockets might be hard pressed to turn down an offer of Rasheed Wallace for Mo Taylor, Glen Rice and the No. 1 pick. ODDS on trade: 15 to 1.

More draft rumors: Rockets make progress in China

Houston Mayor Lee Brown and Texas state Senator Rodney Ellis wrapped up a trade mission to China Monday, and shed some light on what Ellis called a very successful meeting with Chinese basketball and political leaders regarding the Rockets' potential drafting of Yao Ming.

"We met with the head of the China Basketball Association, and they said it was the first time a mayor had gone to their office," Ellis told the Houston Chronicle. "The delegation from Houston included a number of Asian-American business leaders from the city as well as Mayor Brown, who did a good job of pointing out that basketball is extremely important in Houston. ... We made the point that this town would do everything that's humanly possible to make him feel comfortable here."

It sure looks like the Rockets are going through a lot of trouble to secure an agreement for Yao.

"The city has a vested interest in whatever the Rockets decide they want to do with the first pick -- they'll make that decision," Ellis said. "But it is the first pick not just for Houston and Texas, but in terms of the country [of China], it [would] be a major international statement. But first of all, [the Rockets] have to make sure it's a good basketball statement. It has to make sense for basketball first."

Ellis told the Chronicle that Chinese officials had three main concerns about Yao. First, they want Yao to be the No. 1 pick. Second, they want to make sure he would be able to continue to play for teams in China. Finally, officials want to make sure that Yao's "able to keep as much of his culture intact as possible -- not become too Americanized."

 

This sh*t is starting to drive me nuts...

 

Thats what i was just thinking too....I think there will be MORE competition to move up for Williams then there will be for Ming. I think the Rox should start sending out signals that they are taking Jay Williams and see what offers come in.

 

My guess is he is lurking and reading somehow, someway. Hey Nutzlips....kiss my a$$ baby...this has got to be killing you.

 

I can imagine him changing light bulbs at Drexler's BBQ without a ladder if he sucks