Both Charles Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel and Ric Bucher of ESPN are reporting that the Bucks could be closing in on a three-team deal that would send Mo Williams to Cleveland and Luke Ridnour from Oklahoma City to Milwaukee.  Bucher further names Joe Smith as the primary piece headed to Oklahoma City, but cautions that Cleveland is now "balking" at Williams' contract (five years, $43 million) and that the deal has stalled.  Earlier, Gardner reported that both Smith and restricted free agent guard Delonte West could be involved on the Cleveland end. 

The Cavaliers have been unable to come to a contract agreement with point guard Delonte West, who is a restricted free agent this summer, and he could be part of the deal in a sign-and-trade, according to reports. Or Oklahoma City could receive former Bucks forward Joe Smith, who has an expiring contract and will be paid $4.8 million next season.

The Bucks are interested in Ridnour, according to league sources. The 6-foot-2 guard from Oregon has played five seasons for the SuperSonics since being selected 14th overall in the 2003 draft.

Three-way deals generally aren't simple to begin with, but the differing cap/luxury tax situations of the three teams only further complicates things.  Let's take a look at the different angles.

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• Charles Gardner reports that Richard Jefferson will finally be in town tomorrow for his first official press conference as a Buck.
  
• Alex takes a look at the Bucks' highly offensive starting unit.
• Tom Ziller of FanHouse and SacTown Royalty fame knows that "combo guard" isn't a four-letter word.

  Some of our best point guards (Parker, Billups) are not pure in any sense, but we shun the combo guard. On a league level, assists having nothing to do with offensive production, but we dismiss those who can't drop eight dimes a game. This is all very absurd, as four conference finalists are showing us right now. It must stop.

  So of course Tom took note of John Hammond's open-minded approach towards point guards.

  Jefferson and Redd have been very efficient scorers in the recent past. If Williams and the frontcourt can also score efficiently, there will be little problem overall with Milwaukee's offense. And there shouldn't be -- this is a talented offensive team. The real consternation regarding the Buck backcourt should come on the other end, where neither Williams nor Redd have shown they can be consistently stout defenders.

  That last part is really the key to me. 
• Patrick McManamon of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that the Cavs are still thinking about Mike Redd, though the RJ trade would seem to make Redd less likely to be dealt. That said...

  Varejao's agent is Daniel Fegan, who also represents Yi Jianlian, who was traded to the Nets for Jefferson. This might indicate the Bucks need another ''big,'' and if that's Varejao in a deal for Redd, it makes sense that Fegan was eager and pleased to get his Yi out of Milwaukee to make playing time and salary cap room for Varejao.
  
  Pure guess, by the way. Take that as nothing more than conjecture

  No one expects Varejao back in Cleveland in 2009 given the nasty holdout he had last year, and he would fit the bill in Milwaukee as an above-average rebounder who can defend both big spots (which immediately makes him better than Dan Gadzuric).  And of course he would also combine with Bogut to form the NBA's most dynamic flopping charge-drawing duo. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's an obvious deal here. For better or worse the Cavs seem fairly content with Delonte West/Daniel Gibson at the point, though Mo Williams' scoring punch would seem to be a clear upgrade and both West and Gibson are RFAs.
  
• I don't speak Spanish, but the translations over at HoopsHype and RealGM suggest that Ersan Ilyasova will need to decide by July 15 if he's coming back to the NBA.  
• Julian Garcia of the NY Daily News reports on Nets coach Lawrence Frank's reaction to the Jefferson trade. Here's the bad part from a Bucks' perspective:

  Members of the organization have said privately that trading Jefferson was necessary partly because of his selfish behavior behind the scenes.

• For audio/video from the draft, check out Bucks.com.
• Let's start with the obvious: the Bucks started the day with a decided weakness at the small forward spot but ended it with an embarrassment of riches at the position. Naturally, there's plenty of second-guessing among fans about why the Bucks would draft two small forwards after acquiring an all-star at the position only hours earlier. The biggest question to me is whether Alexander can legitimately play as a PF, which the Bucks are saying he can. However, that also suggests he might be more of a tweener than originally thought.  Alexander might be on the short end of the PF spectrum, but he's strong, athletic and played the position in college. More importantly, even if he ends up being more of a small forward, it probably would have been unfair to expect Alexander to be a productive starter as a rookie. While he was the best player on a very good West Virginia team last year, Alexander is in many ways still learning the finer points of the game.  
• Changing the culture of the Bucks has been a theme since John Hammond was hired, and the moves today certainly underscore that Scott Skiles' team will bring a different mentality than Larry Krystkowiak's sorry 07/08 squad.  While he may not be the top shelf defender he once was, Jefferson provides a major upgrade at the offensive end while also bringing a two-way mentality that Skiles should appreciate.  Alexander meanwhile could be Skiles' long-lost son, exuding an intensity and dedication that makes him a fairly safe pick. Lastly, Mbah a Moute doesn't have the sex appeal of a CDR, but he has a clear role and his success isn't dependent on being a scorer like CDR. Last year the Bucks tried to infuse some defensive intensity into the team by adding lunchpail role players such as Mike Ruffin and Royal Ivey, but they found out the hard way that your 13th guy doesn't get your team to play defense. Alexander and Mbah a Moute won't be leaders next year, but Jefferson will help set a more responsible defensive tone that the young guys will no doubt pick up on.
• Assuming Alexander is here to stay, then it would seem obvious that Desmond Mason would be on the move this summer. On a personal side, I hate to see Mason shipped out again given the sort of guy he is, but with an expiring $5.4 million deal he'll be a key bargaining chip who can be easily combined with someone like Mo Williams or Charlie Villanueva in a bigger deal.
• So where do the Bucks go from here?  Hammond said he spoke to Michael Redd last week about acquiring players to complement Redd, so for now it sounds like trading Redd isn't a priority.  If that's the case then the Bucks will have two 20+ ppg guys on the wings and will probably look to shop Mo Williams.  Both the Cavs (Anderson Varejao) and Heat (Udonis Haslem) could be good trade partners, as each could use a scoring point and can offer defensive power forwards to help fill the gap now faced by the Bucks at the 4. Especially with O.J. Mayo joining the backcourt mix in Memphis, Hammond could then try to use Charlie Villanueva to acquire Memphis' Kyle Lowry, a more defensive, game-managing point who would seem to complement Sessions.  Either way, the Bucks have plenty of time to shuffle their roster before camp breaks in October.

• As we discussed on Friday, the Bucks are having trouble scheduling workouts for a number of the top prospects expected to be available when the Bucks pick eighth on Thursday night. Tom Enlund writes that there's not much they can do about it now:

  "It's part of the draft process today that agents, players and family members of the players are making decisions together as to exactly what teams they will visit," said Hammond. "And within that comes the maneuvering by the agents of trying to protect their player's value.
  
  "So if they have a guy slotted 1 through 5, they're going to hold their stance on saying that's where they're at. If they start visiting teams at 8, 9 or 10, the word is going to be out that the player is slipping or something's wrong, or he had a bad workout, and now he's had to work out for teams out of his range. So it's just a big political maneuvering."

  Enlund reports that the Bucks will likely only see some later-first round and second-round candidates today and tomorrow, meaning that the Bucks will go into the draft without having seen Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, or Danilo Gallinari. Of course, it won't really matter if they trade out of the first round entirely.
  
• Michael Hunt talks about the difficulty John Hammond may face in overhauling the Bucks' roster.

  It would seem, then, that the Bucks’ priority for the draft Thursday night should be sorting out their roster mess over making a first-round pick. It’s unlikely they’ll get anyone who will offer immediate help at No. 8, so it might be more sensible to package the pick as an incentive to move at least one of their bad contracts.
  
  Easier said than done, but that’s why they hired Hammond away from Detroit to sort out the disorder.
  
  "Everything’s in play," Hammond said recently. "Was, still is and probably will remain that way probably right up until draft day. We’re going to explore every option that we can to improve our team, and, as we said, potentially maybe even move the pick."

• The JS chimes in on Ersan Ilyasova being back in Brewtown.

  Ilyasova still owns a home in Mequon so he is back in town and, since the Bucks still own his rights, he has been working out at the team's training facility. But since he has the opportunity to make more money in Spain, he will probably be headed back there next season. "He's here and his family is here and he's working out," said general manager John Hammond. "At some point he'll be making a decision to either go back to Spain and play or maybe to remain in the NBA."

• Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News speaks vaguely about the Bucks' supposed interest in Anthony Randolph:

  The Bucks are sending out strong signals that they like LSU's Anthony Randolph at No. 8. A legitimate 6-10, Randolph has been called a cross between Tayshaun Prince and Odom. But West Virginia small forward Joe Alexander, a hard-nosed worker, is seen as a better fit with new coach Scott Skiles.

• That seems to contradict the general sentiment about Randolph, who seems to be dropping as more and more research is done on him. For one, John Hollinger adds to the increasing mountain of statistical evidence that paints a gloomy-at-best picture of Randolph's future.

  He can block shots, and the fact his team was such a mess probably didn't help his numbers any, but gambling on Randolph with a high first-round pick looks like the basketball equivalent of hitting on 19 in blackjack. Hey, maybe the dealer throws out a 2 and everyone thinks you're a genius, but chances are you're going to bust.
  
  It appears he's going to be drafted in the middle of the first round at worst, but even that appears to be a terrible mistake -- there is no track record whatsoever of a player rated this poorly achieving pro success.

  Yikes! Then there's word from Chad Ford that Randolph's head could also be a question mark.

  LSU forward Anthony Randolph's lack of strength has hurt him in workouts. While teams say he's got unbelievable upside, they also think they're going to have to wait for him to develop. He also hasn't tested great on some of the non-basketball related tests they give -- everything from personality to psych testing for leadership ability.

  Good times! So yeah, mark me down as fully aboard the Joe Alexander bandwagon (assuming Kevin Love is off the board).
• In other draft news, Jonathan Givony writes that the Sonics could surprise by picking Brook Lopez fourth.

  Is Jerryd Bayless as much of a lock at 4 as everyone thinks? A number of NBA teams we’ve spoken with don’t think that’s the case. Almost everyone at this point in fact has Brook Lopez slated be picked by Seattle, with Bayless dropping slightly to the Knicks at #6. If Lopez doesn’t go 3rd, 4th of 5th, he will be taken by a team that did not work him out, as he only agreed to be seen by those three teams.

  This pick would stink of need from a Seattle perspective, but given it'd have a nice trickle down effect for the Bucks, let's hope it happens. Lopez infiltrating the top seven means that at least one among Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook or Eric Gordon would be available at eight.
  
• Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer somewhat inadvertently provides a big reason why a Redd-to-Cleveland deal might never happen.

  Because NBA rules say Varejao can't be traded until Dec. 5 without his approval, that means the new team will probably have to sign Varejao to an extension in order for his agent to OK the trade. So the Cavs must: 1) Find a team that needs Varejao; 2) Get the team to give value in return; and 3) get Varejao to agree to the trade, and possibly sign him to a new deal. It's not impossible, but it is complicated.

  Would the Bucks be willing to sign Andy to a big deal (doubtful IMO), and would he accept a trade to the Bucks if they don't (also doubtful IMO)? I also wouldn't expect Dan Fegan to be thrilled about his client being traded to a team where he'd be competing for minutes with Yi Jianlian--another client of Fegan's. For what it's worth, Pluto still thinks the Cavs should try to package Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak for Redd. I'm seeing it as increasingly unlikely.
• China beat Lithuania's B team 87-70. Yi Jianlian started 0/7 in the first half but rebounded to make 6/9 fg in the second and finished with 15 points and seven boards in 21 minutes.
  
• The Bucks are holding their annual draft party at Summerfest.

• Tom Enlund reports there's no real news on the assistant coach front.  Still looks like former Bulls assistant/interim coach Jim Boylan , former Indiana coach/telemarketer Kelvin Sampson , former Grizzlies' assistant Lionel Hollins , and D-League coach/Dairy Queen owner Joe Wolf will join development coach/holdover Bill Peterson.
  

  "We’ve come to agreements with everybody," said Hammond. "We just haven’t signed contracts yet. We’re in the process of getting contracts back, basically as we speak. So I would say maybe by tomorrow (it will be done) or if not, then maybe by Monday.

• Chatting over at ESPN, Chad Ford wonders if Dan Fegan may once again try to force Yi Jianlian out of Milwaukee.

  Too early to tell. [Yi] was great at the start of the season and fell off the map in the second half. I wonder if his agent Dan Fegan is going to push for a trade now that John Hammond is on board and the team will be emphasizing toughness. I still think Fegan prefers to get Yi into a market with more Asians.

  This rumor isn't altogether new, but this is the first time I can recall someone in the media saying it.  Unlike Larry Harris, Hammond doesn't seem the type to advertise whom he wants to trade, but his glowing assessment of Yi last month certainly suggests he would prefer to give Yi a second season in Milwaukee.

  "I absolutely love his game," Hammond said. "I think his upside is off the charts. I don't think he's afraid to stick his nose in there. I think he will rebound the basketball. If you ask him to go in the post, I think he will do that. When you have a big guy like that who can go out on the floor and stretch the defense, those guys are invaluable."

  Combine Hammond's apparent admiration with the organization's obvious investment in the Yi brand, and the only remaining concern (aside from Yi actually "becoming good") is whether Scott Skiles is similarly optimistic.  Skiles has plenty of experience with young bigs, having coached Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas--albeit with mixed success--in Chicago.  And while Yi clearly has much work to do if he's going to live up to his advanced billing, his willingness to work on both ends should give him every chance to earn Skiles' trust.  With Charlie Villanueva probably on the way out, the interesting part will be watching whether the Bucks bring in any real competition for Yi at the PF spot.
  
• The Bob Boozer Jinx continues to push for a Redd-to-Cleveland trade. 

  I was (and still am) quite serious about the anatomy of the Michael Redd trade to Cleveland. The Cavaliers get Redd; the Bucks get 21-year-old shooting guard Daniel Gibson and the Wally Szczcerbiak contract (one more year at $12 million). Keep it simple, get it done.

  A few posters on realgm came to similar conclusions - Bucks would have to get Gibson or F/C Anderson Varejao or both; Cleveland would require that the Bucks take Wally's contract, no way around it. The Cavs cannot afford to keep both Redd and Wally at shooting guard. The realgm-ers also added to the mix the Cavs #19 pick in the 2008 draft.

  Various flavors of Redd-to-Cleveland have been mentioned for weeks , but here's the latest discussion, which also talks about a Mo Williams deal. All these ideas are complicated by the fact that Gibson isn't even under contract with Cleveland for 08/09 (he'll be a RFA), which means Gibson would have to agree to a new deal as part of a sign/trade when free agency negotiations start in July.  Moreover, Mo and Varejao are BYC until July 1.  So any deal involving Mo, Gibson or Varejao would have to come after the draft.  The Cavs could then still trade the rights to the player they pick, but you almost never see picks traded during the summer after draft night--in large part because a pick is more valuable to a team when they can use it themselves. 
  
• Varejao especially would be an attractive piece since he's an excellent rebounder, solid man defender of both the 4/5 spots, and also one of the better big defenders of the pick/roll.  Given the Bucks' desperate need for team defenders, Varejao would be a solid option as a starting 4 or (if Yi starts) as a top notch backup to both big spots.  Varejao has a player option for 09/10 at $6.2 million, so he's effectively an expiring deal next year for $5.8 million.  Ironically, Dan Fegan also represents Varejao, and I'm sure he'd be thrilled if two of his clients were competing for minutes.  So in a way the least attractive part of acquiring Varejao might be the excuse it provides Fegan to campaign for Yi's departure.  Either way I'd still take Josh Howard/Jerry Stackhouse for Redd every time if possible.
  
• Mo Williams finally had surgery on his thumb this week, an injury he played with for most of the season. In spite of wearing that wrap across his hand, he established career-highs shooting from the field, three point range, and the line (.480/.385/.856).  He's expected to be fine by camp...whether it's in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
• The Bucky Channel continues its Bucks Survivor series.  If you're not voting for Charlie Villanueva this week I don't really know what to tell you.