Chad Ford Mock Draft V5

[Agent Kev]

Movement from previous mock in parentheses. Other possibilities in brackets.

1. POR - Greg Oden - C - Ohio State (-) [Durant]
2. SEA - Kevin Durant - SF - Texas (-) [Oden]
3. ATL - Al Horford - PF - Florida (-) [Trade?]
4. MEM - Mike Conley Jr. - PG - Ohio State (-) [Horford, Noah, Trade?]
5. BOS - Yi Jianlian - PF - China (+4) [Green, Trade?]
6. MIL - Jeff Green - SF - Georgetown (+1) [Horford, Conley, Yi]
7. MIN - Joakim Noah - PF - Florida (+1) [Hawes, Thornton, Yi, Green]
8. CHA - Corey Brewer - SG - Florida (-3) [Trade?, Young]
9. CHI - Spencer Hawes - C - Washington (+1) [Noah, Yi, B. Wright, J. Wright]
10. SAC - Brandan Wright - PF - North Carolina (-4) [J. Wright, Hawes]
11. ATL - Acie Law - PG - Texas A&M (+8) [Crittenton, Stuckey]
12. PHI - Al Thornton - SF - Florida State (-) [Young, Smith, Trade?]
13. NO - Nick Young - SG - USC (-) [Thornton, Stuckey, J. Wright]
14. LAC - Julian Wright - SF - Kansas (-) [Law, Crittenton]
15. DET - Rodney Stuckey - SG - Eastern Washington (-) [Thornton, Young]
16. WAS - Thaddeus Young - SG - Georgia Tech (+2)
17. NJ - Jason Smith - C - Colorado State (-1) [Williams, McRoberts, Davis]
18. GS - Gabe Pruitt - PG - USC (+2) [Trade?]
19. LAL - Rudy Fernandez - SG - Spain (+5)
20. MIA - Javaris Crittenton - PG - Georgia Tech (-9) [Trade?]
21. PHI - Josh McRoberts - PF - Duke (+9)
22. CHA - Sean Williams - C - ex-Boston College (-5)
23. NYK - Wilson Chandler - SF - DePaul (-) [Williams, Cook, Jordan]
24. PHO - Tiago Splitter - PF - Brazil (-3) [Trade?]
25. UTA - Derrick Byars - SF - Vanderbilt (-) [Belinelli, Afflalo, Almond]
26. HOU - Nick Fazekas - PF - Nevada (UNR)
27. DET - Morris Almond - SG - Rice (-5) [Belinelli]
28. SA - Jared Dudley - SF - Boston College (UNR)
29. PHO - Petteri Koponen - SG - Finland (-1) [Trade?]
30. PHI - Marco Belinelli - SG - Italy (-3)

[Agent Kev]

Some possibilities for the Hawks:

Amare?!

Amare To The Hawks?
June 27, 2007 - 5:05 am
ESPN -
With the Los Angeles Lakers ' attempts to construct a multi-team deal or a direct trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves collapsing, ESPN's Jim Gray reports that talk of a potential three-team trade that would involve Minnesota, Boston and Phoenix has been rekindled, in which the primary cost to the Suns would be All-Star forward Shawn Marion moving to the Celtics.

Yet an even bigger trade concept, ESPN.com has learned, was hatched Tuesday by the Wolves, in which Phoenix would likely be asked to trade away the player it has been trying not to trade, All-NBA center Amare Stoudemire, who would go to the Atlanta Hawks .

Minnesota, sources say, has been adamant that any trade with Boston would include Al Jefferson. The Celtics, in turn, are willing to part with Jefferson only if they're the team that gets Garnett. It remains to be seen if either side softens its stance in the final hours before the draft.

In the newer trade scenario, sources say, Minnesota is looking to acquire Atlanta's No. 3 and No. 11 picks in the draft along with several cap-friendly contracts from the Hawks and Suns. To participate, Atlanta wants Stoudemire from Phoenix.

Such a trade would hold significantly greater appeal to Minnesota than any Celtics' offer that didn't include Al Jefferson. The Hawks, meanwhile, would be able to reunite Stoudemire with ex-Suns teammate Joe Johnson and immediately field a promising big-and-small core to build around and make Atlanta competitive, given the current state of the Eastern Conference.

The Suns, though, are understandably reluctant to part with Stoudemire after he made the All-NBA first team in what appears to be the most successful comeback from microfracture knee surgery that the NBA has ever witnessed.

Ridnour...

Sonics, Hawks work on Ridnour trade
Atlanta, which covets point guard, would send Seattle its No. 11 pick

By GARY WASHBURN
P-I REPORTER

The Sonics are eager to begin the restructuring of their roster and have offered the Atlanta Hawks point guard Luke Ridnour for the No. 11 pick in Thursday's NBA draft, and the trade could be consummated Wednesday, according to three NBA sources.

The Hawks have coveted Ridnour and he could be the point guard they have sought for years. Atlanta passed on Chris Paul and Deron Williams in the 2005 draft in favor of Bremerton's Marvin Williams.

Before last season, Atlanta signed Craig "Speedy" Claxton to a four-year deal, but knee problems limited him to 42 games and he shot 33 percent from the field. Ridnour, according to those close to him, has expected a trade since the conclusion of last season, a disappointing one for Ridnour.

He averaged 11 points and 5.2 assists in 71 games, but his numbers dropped considerably in the final four months of the season -- 10.1 points, 38 percent shooting, 4.1 assists -- as he lost playing time to Earl Watson. The deal would have to get done by the draft, or the No. 11 pick turns into a salary slot and the two clubs would have to match salaries and players to complete the transaction.

Atlanta had another deal on the table that would have netted Golden State guard Monta Ellis for the pick, but that fell through, according to the Contra Costa Times. That leaves the door open for the Sonics to move a one-time fan favorite, and fits with general manager Sam Presti's plan to replenish the roster with youth.

"I am looking forward to bringing players into the fold that will be very, very closely linked to our philosophy going forward," Presti said Tuesday. "The approach that I am taking to all the decisions we make as a staff and organization is what is going to give us the best opportunity for long-term success.

"For us, we have to try to get better at every position. There are some good point guards in the draft; where they go remains to be seen. We're looking to get better and be aggressive in doing that."

Presti also announced Tuesday that the club will wait until after the draft to announce a new head coach. San Antonio assistant P.J. Carlesimo, former Sonics assistant Dwane Casey and Sacramento assistant Scott Brooks are candidates. Utah assistant Tyrone Corbin told the Salt Lake Tribune that he also interviewed for the job on Saturday.

"I'm real pleased with the candidates; they are very strong and we're going to make a good decision," Presti said. "We've had to take a window of time to concentrate on the draft."

If the Hawks accept Seattle's offer, the Sonics would own two of the first 11 picks and four of the first 35, and potentially could deal the Nos. 31 and 35 picks for perhaps another first-rounder or future picks.

With the 11th pick, the Sonics could nab a point guard prospect such as Texas A&M's Acie Law, who worked out for the club earlier this month, or Georgia Tech's Javaris Crittenton, a freshman who would probably need a few years of seasoning.

Either way, the trade would allow the Sonics to move in another direction at point guard. Ridnour was considered the team's point guard cornerstone when he became Gary Payton's successor in 2004-05, but he had yet to reach his potential and the past two years have been plagued by confidence issues and maddening inconsistency.

Atlanta is seeking a pure point guard who can serve as a distributor. The best-case scenario for the Hawks is that he turns into a Steve Nash type who becomes a master of running their up-tempo offense. Atlanta wants to compete in the East immediately and taking Crittenton or Ohio State freshman Mike Conley Jr. is a pick for the future. Ridnour, 26, could be entering his prime and has proven to be a solid passer with a dependable jumper -- when he is at his best.

The Warriors are trying to move up to take Chinese prospect Yi Jianlian, who would not only give the club another scorer in Don Nelson's frantic offense, but would provide a marketing bonanza in the densely Asian populated Bay Area.