NBA Draft Random Thoughts

Waiting patiently for DeMarcus Cousins to emerge as the star of the 2010 NBA Draft while Chris Washburn holds his breath... One of the more predictable rumors of the morning is that the New Orleans Hornets, in an attempt to save money, are willing to trade the 11th pick if a team will take back a veteran Hornet to provide salary relief (link directs to ESPN Insider, password is needed). With that in mind, the Celtics could trade the contract of Rasheed Wallace (if he agrees to retire) to New Orleans for old friend James Posey and the 11th pick. That would give Danny Ainge two first round picks in the top 20 - 11 and 19 - and a veteran small forward who has been a part of a championship Boston team. Having those two picks would allow Ainge to add much needed youth to the Celtics roster. Kansas center Cole Aldrich would be a nice fit at 11 and taking a young wing player like Oklahoma State's James Anderson or Xavier's Jordan Crawford would have both short and long-term benefits. With an aging nucleus on his hands and Ainge possibly looking to make at least one more run at a title with that group, bringing in two players who could contribute right away would be a huge lift for the Celtics... Another rumor today has the Miami Heat looking to unload the second overall pick from the 2008 Draft, Michael Beasley, as they look to maximize their potential as free agent bidders this summer. My take from the Celtics point of view would be to again use the pending retirement of Rasheed Wallace and his contract to add the talented Beasley. There are red flags about Beasley's maturity but if he is ever going to realize his awesome potential, playing with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and (hopefully) Ray Allen would be the group of veterans to get him to focus his efforts and maximize his talent. Beasley is a forward, so the Celtics would still need to find a young center, especially with the injury to Kendrick Perkins. However, he would add a nice piece to the rebuilding Celtics... If everything stays the same (which it will not), here is my take on how the first round should play out: 1. Washington Wizards: John Wall, PG, Kentucky 2. Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner, SF, Ohio State 3. New Jersey Nets: Derrick Favors, PF, Georgia Tech 4. Minnesota Timberwolves: DeMarcus Cousins, C, Kentucky 5. Sacramento Kings: Greg Monroe, PF, Georgetown 6. Golden State Warriors: Wesley Johnson, SF, Syracuse 7. Detroit Pistons: Ekpe Udoh, PF, Baylor 8. L.A. Clippers: Gordon Hayward, SF, Butler 9. Utah Jazz: Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas 10. Indiana Pacers: Ed Davis, PF, North Carolina 11. New Orleans Hornets: Patrick Patterson, PF, Kentucky 12. Memphis Grizzlies: Al-Farouq Aminu, SF, Wake Forest 13. Toronto Raptors: Eric Bledsoe, PG, Kentucky 14. Houston Rockets: Luke Babbitt, SF, Nevada 15. Milwaukee Bucks: Paul George, SF, Fresno State 16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Daniel Orton, C, Kentucky 17. Chicago Bulls: Xavier Henry, SF, Kansas 18. Oklahoma City Thunder: Solomon Alabi, C, Florida State 19. Boston Celtics: Damion James, SF, Texas 20. San Antonio Spurs: Larry Sanders, PF, Virginia Commonwealth 21. Oklahoma City Thunder: James Anderson, SG, Oklahoma State 22. Portland Trailblazers: Craig Brackins, PF, Iowa State 23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Avery Bradley, SG, Texas 24. Atlanta Hawks: Hassan Whiteside, C, Marshall 25. Memphis Grizzlies: Quincy Poindexter, SF, Washington 26. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jordan Crawford, SG, Xavier 27. New Jersey Nets: Grevis Vasquez, PG, Maryland 28. Memphis Grizzlies: Kevin Seraphin, PF, France 29. Orlando Magic: Dominique Jones, SG, South Florida 30. Washington Wizards: Gani Lawal, PF, Georgia Tech Enjoy the phrase "upside" tonight...