Big news of the weekend: Influential Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley flies in to see Hasheem Thabeet work out for the team and then the former UConn center cancels the workout. So, what does it all mean?
Ugo Udezue, Thabeet's agent, explained the reasons for the cancellation to Draft Express: "He's not going to block shots in a workout, and that's what he's going to do in the NBA. What are they going to do, have Hasheem shoot 3-pointers?"
Fair point. However, the situation probably won't endear Memphis' brass to the perceived top big man in this year's crop. The Grizzlies could trade the pick -- via NBA Rumor Central, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports the odds of that happening are 50/50 -- or they could go after Ricky Rubio. There's more drama and confusion about Rubio's relationship with Memphis than a "Gossip Girl" marathon, though, so that seems less likely.
And all of these developments can only help James Harden. The Grizzlies were the worst rebounding team in the NBA last season, so taking Thabeet could fill a major need. But Harden is a good scorer, has no background issues and is only 19 years old. Developing him alongside O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay could lead to a pretty dynamic trio in a few years. Harden's workout for the Grizzlies was not ideal, according to Memphis Flyer, but he may be the guy at No. 2 just because he wants to play there.
Other notes
• New Wolves GM David Kahn might have the busiest cell phone in America right now. He's apparently trying to get either the No. 2 pick from Memphis or the No. 5 pick from Washington, and is offering combinations that involve most of his players (per Draft Express), save for Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. (Dude also needs to hire a coach.)
•The New York Times has an interesting article about how guys who compile mock drafts for a living don't really enjoy doing it.
•The Wizards' options at No. 5 -- assuming they don't trade the pick -- now include Stephen Curry, according to the Washington Times.
•The Chicago Bulls may be angling to trade up to the No. 11 pick (currently owned by the New Jersey Nets), via the Daily Herald.
•The Atlanta Hawks have a growing interest in Wayne Ellington, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
•Big news via The Sacramento Bee: Rubio's buyout amount may be reduced by his current team, DKV Joventut, a development that could change his attractiveness to all the teams slotted to pick second through fifth.
•The Kings worked out Patrick Mills over the weekend, and he seemingly did a good job, via The Sacramento Bee. Jonny Flynn was also in Sacramento over the weekend, and from a variety of sources on the Internet, it appears that Flynn -- who once seemed a sure thing to go the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10 -- could be the Kings' pick at No. 4.
•The Oregonian reports that Paul Allen just gave Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard the green light to upgrade the roster, realizing that they have a chance to compete soon. And that means draft night could become more interesting than expected in Portland.