WSSP: Hammond discusses offseason plans
Less than a week after the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported the Bucks were"open to listening to offers" for Brandon Jennings, John Hammond made an appearance on WSSP's Doug & Mike Show on Thursday sounding less than pleased with the amount of attention it's received, noting that "there have been no discussions" with other teams. As expected, Hammond said all the expected things about the Bucks wanting to build around Brandon, though it's not as though he has any incentive to say otherwise. Last time I checked you don't get better offers for a guy by saying you want to move him, and it's not as though there's any pressing need to deal Jennings. Still, it'd be silly for the Bucks not to listen to offers for any of their players, and if the Bucks have any hope of moving up in the draft or adding another big piece via trade they will most certainly have to consider parting with assets like Jennings.
Many might also be disappointed to hear Hammond say that the Bucks were trying to be "a little less active" on the trade front, in that they won't be making deals just to make them, though this is once again a situation where context is important. I do think Hammond is a bigger believer in the current roster than many looking in from the outside--it's his roster after all, and it's fair to hold him responsible for it. But it's also a matter of managing expectations. You don't run around telling everyone you're going to blow up the team, and in truth the Bucks aren't well positioned to do that anyway. Most of their disappointing players are at a low point in terms of value, so the Bucks are hardly dealing from a position of strength--not to mention the fact that labor uncertainty will leave few teams with an appetite for long-term salary commitments.
SBN Minnesota: Timberwolves, Cavaliers, and Pistons talking lottery blockbuster?
ESPN's Chris Broussard reports the three teams have discussed a deal that would allow Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving to end up in Cleveland, leave the Wolves to end up with the fourth and eighth picks, and let Detroit dump Rip Hamilton's contract. I can understand Detroit wanting to get rid of Hamilton, but if I'm a Pistons fan I don't like the idea of the eighth overall pick as the price for doing it.
Woelfel: UW's Leuer, MU's Butler will audition for team
Gery Woelfel writes that Wisconsin's Jon Leuer and Marquette's Jimmy Butler--a pair of guys generating some very good draft buzz of late--will be among the players working out for the Bucks in the coming weeks. Georgia PF and potential second round pick Trey Thompkins will also be working out for the Bucks, though there's still no word on when some of the Bucks' potential lottery picks will be visiting the Cousins Center.
DraftExpress: Analyzing the NBA Combine Athletic Testing Results
Matt Kamalsky reviews the athletic testing results from the NBA draft combine. Meanwhile, Chad Ford has a good read on why we shouldn't read too much into Leuer's excellent numbers or the disappointing figures from Kawhi Leonard.
FanPosts: Vote for the Bucks' pick
KGMN is doing a mock draft across all the SBN sites--check it out and vote now.
SBNation.com: NBA Mock Draft
Alec Burks it is.
The Dagger: How Derrick Williams went from unheralded to All-American
Easy to forget how far Derrick Williams has come in the last year alone.