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NBA Draft 2014 | Mock draft roundup, Jabari Parker visit leads off busy week, Aaron Rodgers update, and...canned baby peaches?

We're only nine days away from this much anticipated draft (finally under double digits!). Keep up to speed with the latest news on the top prospects right here.

By InactiveUser1083187

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Jonathan Daniel

The Bucks are roughly 212 hours away from being on the clock as I type this sentence. The latest news on these prospects and the teams they're projected to go to continues to trickle in, and it's our job here at BrewHoop to gather it and share it with you so you don't spend your precious time trapped in an endless loop of internet scavenging. Let's dive right into today's edition.

It was reported over the weekend that Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and Joel Embiid were all set to make visits to Milwaukee this week, similar in nature to Dante Exum's Milwaukee visit (read: super private). TMJ4's Lance Allan confirmed this by reporting who was up first on Monday night.

So far, no information has come about how the workout went. Don't expect this pattern to change much when Wiggins and Embiid make their stop at the Cousins Center. The Bucks' most likely (and most productive) course of action these next nine days will be to keep everything close to the chest and to keep everyone guessing, even if that drives us crazy. It's not like we're all slowly unraveling already anyways, right gang!?!?

CSN Philly | Andrew Wiggins arrives for workout
Before Wiggins makes his way to Milwaukee, he stopped in Philadelphia for a private workout. The Philadelphia media was awaiting Wiggins at the Philadelphia International Airport, and pounced on the opportunity to get a few answers from him.

Comcast SportsNet's John Clark caught up with Wiggins at Philadelphia International Airport as he arrived.

"I'm excited," Wiggins said when asked how happy he was to be in Philly and try out for the Sixers. "Been looking forward to this time for a long time, so I'm excited."

According to ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford's mock draft on Tuesday, the Sixers "engaged the Cavs about moving to No. 1" -- and presumably using the first overall pick to take Wiggins. Ford also reported that the "camp" for Wiggins prefers the Sixers as the "best possible fit."

Is that report true?

"I think [the Sixers do] fit my style," Wiggins said, "but I also think Cleveland and Milwaukee do too, so wherever I go..."

Kudos to Wiggins for handling a somewhat awkward situation calmly. It's probably very easy to say something less vanilla that gets taken out of context and shot off into the internet echo chamber, so...props.

Liberty Ballers | Do the Sixers want to draft Andrew Wiggins or is it a smokescreen?
Speaking of Wiggins, our pal Michael Levin at Liberty Ballers wrote an interesting take on the "Wiggins loves Philly and Philly loves Wiggins" scuttlebutt that has been germinating since early in the regular season. I don't doubt that the Sixers have a genuine interest in Wiggins--every team in the top three likely has a significant amount of interest in him--but having this be the only leak coming out of the Sixers' camp raises some questions as to whether drafting Wiggins is actually their true intention. Mike goes on to suggest two possible smokescreen scenarios that this possible Wiggins infatuation provides, and goes on to sum up all of this beautifully.

Really, nobody's going to know anything for sure until June 26th. I just have a tough time swallowing all these canned baby peaches from suits telling me what Hinkie wants. Ain't nobody know what Hinkie wants. So I gotta assume bullshit.

The same could be said about Hammond and company. It should lead to an interesting next nine days packed with your fill of canned baby peaches.

Bucks.com | Boeder: The Top Prospects
Our man Alex Boeder gives you a concise rundown of everyone you need to know.

JS | Walker: Long-time Kohl associate Ron Walter out with Bucks
No big surprise here: Don Walker reports that Bucks' Executive VP of Business Administration Ron Walter is stepping down from his post, the first big name from the organization to depart since the team's sale to Wes Edens and Marc Lasry.

Walter was last seen being replaced as the Bucks' rep on the MMAC's Cultural Needs Task Force a couple weeks ago, with his close ties to Herb Kohl making him an obvious target for house-cleaning. Stay tuned.

The Boston Globe | Jabari Parker draws raves for his scoring
Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe gets some quotes from NBA executives on the Duke forward. I don't want to appear to play favorites, so you'll just have to read the quotes for yourself.

The Boston Globe | Wiggins has what it takes to succeed
Baxter Holmes also provided a Wiggins report from NBA executives a few days ago.

JS | Joel Embiid is the center of attention in NBA draft
Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel covers Joel Embiid in part two of his prospect series, with quotes from CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb and Bucks Director of Scouting Billy McKinney. Embiid's health continues to be the only real obstacle holding him back from being a lock for the top pick, but that's okay because reports are saying that he had a great visit in Cleveland with no hiccups.

Also, there are reports from that same workout suggesting that some red flags popped up during his medical testing.

So basically, we still don't know what the truth is with regards to  Embiid's back. Thankfully the Bucks medical staff should get a look at that back this week.

LATEST MOCKS:

Keeping up to date with the latest  mocks can be tiring, so if you're looking for everything in one spot, check out NBA.com's consensus mock. What they do is pool together all the mocks across the internet and create their own, based on the player that is the most common selection at that position in the mock drafts. Jabari Parker was the Bucks' most common selection at #2. Shocking stuff, right?

If you are more of an individual mock draft type of person, here is the most recent roundup with the top three for each (notice a pattern?).

Ford continues to suggest that the Bucks remain legitimately interested in the top four, which could either mean that he's really tapped into what's going on in Milwaukee, or that he's mostly left guessing like the rest of us. I'd guess that he rests somewhere in the middle, and that we'll get that answer on June 26th. Man, that night can't come soon enough.

Will the quarterback soon become a minority owner? Like all the other news surrounding the Bucks, we'll just have to wait and see. For now, we'll just have to remain calm and stay away from the canned baby peaches.
"I don't have any update," Rodgers said. "Besides the fact that I was wearing a Bucks long-sleeve (during a recent interview)."

Rodgers was then asked directly if becoming part of the new Bucks ownership group is something that interests him.

"I'm a big fan of the Bucks; I have been for a long time," Rodgers said. "I love going to the games. They've been great to me. I'm excited about the new ownership, and it seems like they have a desire to keep the team in the area. But I've been a fan for a while."

Later, Rodgers wouldn't say whether he had talked to Lasry and Edens about ownership of the Bucks.

Kevin O'Connor of CelticsBlog has created a massive NBA Draft guide for your enjoyment. It does cost you some money to view it, but the good news is you can pay as much as you want for it. If you're looking for something to sink your teeth into while you kill some time before the draft, this should fill that need and then some.

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