The 2012 NBA Draft didn’t have a consensus Jan Vesely moment. That came last year when Vesely — Washington’s brand-new pick — and his girlfriend Eva Kodouskova celebrated the No. 6 draft choice with a drawn-out kiss that made her Internet famous for the day. That said, post-selection interviews are always some of our favorite moments because they hold the most promise for a memorable moment. Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick, got one out of the way early. Read More »

Florida State’s Bernard James came into the Prudential Center on Thursday night with one of the NBA Draft’s most unlikely routes to arrive there. He left a part of one of its best moments. James, you see, served six years in the U.S. Air Force and even did three tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar. He never graduated high school, but he got some of the loudest cheers of the night from fans who knew his backstory. The fans were their typically quick-to-judge selves on Thursday, booing every Knicks pick and most late-rounders. But for James, the cheer of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and the accompanying standing ovation was about an appreciation for his service. Read More »

So how about that 1-2 Kentucky punch? Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist became the first teammates to ever go 1-2 in the NBA Draft and it wasn’t something many saw coming until the final minute. All the hubbub was about what Michael Jordan would do with No. 2. We mean, the Bobcats are so bad (qualifier: worst ever) they needed as many picks as possible, but they’re putting their faith into a big, strong wing defender who can throw down hard on you, too. The initials MKG were trending in the U.S. right after the bold pick. We hope it’s right because we liked him in Kentucky. Read More »

It was only one year spent at Florida for Bradley Beal, but he’s become one of the late risers in tonight’s NBA Draft. The sharpshooter is in everyone’s mock draft in the top five picks that will be called out tonight in New York City. But how did he get here? Here are his top five plays of his only season in Gainesville. Read More »

They used to call it one of the best draft classes of the last 25 years. Now, it’s looking more and more like Anthony Davis… and then everybody else. Still, this Thursday, the 2012 NBA Draft will bring hope, and hopefully new talent to some teams that desperately need it.

As we do every year, Dime will be holding you down with mock drafts, player interviews and diaries (you should check out Dion Waiters‘ draft diary), and we will also be bringing you draft profiles for every potential prospect deemed worthy. With this year’s crop of talent, that list is long. Our last profile was on the future of Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger. Today, we’re looking at Kansas’ Thomas Robinson. Read More »

Reports all around the league have been speculating that Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey has been gearing up to make a run at Dwight Howard, targeting multiple top 10 draft selections as the necessary ammunition. Last season, if you remember, David Stern foiled Pau Gasol’s arrival in Houston, so it’s no surprise that the Rockets are once again going after a game-changing big man. In the meantime, the Rockets have now dealt the 24-year-old Chase Budinger to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 18 pick in this year’s draft, according to Draft Express. Minnesota will also pick up the rights to Lior Eliyahu. The Rockets now have picks No. 14, 16 and 18, so don’t expect their wheeling and dealing to end any time soon. Read More »

They used to call it one of the best draft classes of the last 25 years. Now, it’s looking more and more like Anthony Davis… and then everybody else. Still, on June 28, the 2012 NBA Draft will bring hope, and hopefully new talent to some teams that desperately need it.

As we do every year, Dime will be holding you down with Mock Drafts, player interviews and diaries (you should check out Dion Waiters‘ draft diary), and we will also be bringing you draft profiles for every potential prospect deemed worthy. With this year’s crop of talent, that list is long. Our first profile comes for Illinois’ sophomore center Meyers Leonard, a player who looks like he could fit in anywhere from picks 10-25 on draft night. Read More »

Whether it’s one and done or four and out, the NCAA Tournament can either confirm what we know about players’ college credentials or burnish new ones entirely. It’s the ultimate job fair, but this one doesn’t involve schmoozing or hors d’oeuvres and is televised to millions (hope you wore your best suit, er, sneakers). Read More »

And the 2011 NBA Draft trade madness has begun! According to multiple reports, a three-team trade involving the Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Bobcats and Milwaukee Bucks has just been finalized.

The deal looks like this: Sacramento gets John Salmons and moves back three spots to the 10th pick. The Bobcats move up to pick seven and acquire Corey Maggette from Milwaukee. The Bucks move all the way back to pick 19 and acquire Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih and Shaun Livingston.

Quick analysis of what this means for all teams: Read More »

Heading into yesterday, we knew that the official announcement from Ricky Rubio that he is coming to the NBA was going to happen on Friday. After all of the speculation, all of the conjecture, all the back and forth from “experts” in every medium, we finally got to hear from Rubio himself. After confirming that he is indeed heading Stateside, he admitted that his most recent season in Europe was less than stellar (just 5.3 ppg for Barcelona this past season). “I have to improve a lot as a player now,” he told reporters. “I have to gain weight because the game in NBA is harder. Next week I will be in Minnesota for the official presentation.” Apparently Rubio’s significant slide in production, strength issues and everything else aren’t going to phase T-Wolves president David Kahn. Read More »