The draft is just a few days away, so it’s a good time to take one final stab at mocking the first round of this draft. I’ll continue to update the consensus draft this week, but this will be my last attempt at predicting what will happen this Thursday.

First, let’s take a look at the most recent consensus. Chad Ford released the most recent version of his mock draft today, NBADraft.net also updated today, while DraftExpress updated their mock yesterday.

Now I’ll go, pick by pick, through the first round, taking the consensus into account while also throwing in my $0.02 here and there.

#1 CLIPPERS
The Clips have shown no signs of trading away their opportunity to draft Blake Griffin. There is much fluidity with the next few picks, but the Oklahoma product is pretty much guaranteed to be the first pick. The Clippers will then (reportedly) try to move Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman, though it might be wise to move forward with Kaman and Griffin in the front court, Baron Davis at the point, and Eric Gordon and Al Thornton on the wing. Randolph is going to be tough to move. (I still can’t believe that Mike Dunleavy traded for him last season.)
Pick: Blake Griffin, PF, Oklahoma

#2 GRIZZLIES
The consensus says that Hasheem Thabeet will be the pick and I don’t disagree, even though he just pulled out of a workout with Memphis due to a shoulder injury. DraftExpress thinks that Memphis will go with James Harden and move O.J. Mayo to the point, which they say is his natural position. I don’t know that they’ve given up on Mike Conley yet, so I think they will go big with this pick. Their biggest need is at power forward, so trading down and drafting Jordan Hill is a possibility. But if they stand pat, Thabeet could very well be the pick, even though he doesn’t seem to want to play in Memphis.
Pick: Hasheem Thabeet, C, UConn

#3 THUNDER
This pick mostly depends on what the Thunder think they have in Russell Westbrook. Is he their point guard of the future? If so, OKC might go with Harden, a savvy off guard who tested much better athletically at the combine than expected. If not, they could go with Ricky Rubio or another point guard and move Westbrook to off guard. If Thabeet is available, he’s a possibility as well.
Pick: James Harden, SG, Arizona State

#4 KINGS
The consensus says that Rubio will be the pick even though his visit to Sacramento didn’t go all that well because he was too sick to work out. He has time to make another visit, but I think Evans’ performance at a recent workout has made him the frontrunner in Sacramento.
Pick: Tyreke Evans, PG, Memphis

#5 WIZARDS
The Wizards think they’re in “win now” mode, so they should probably trade this pick for some veteran help, especially at off guard. If they keep the pick, they could go with one of the combo guards — Holiday, Evans, Curry or Harden, if available — or go for some upside in the front court and draft Jordan Hill. They are reportedly really high on Rubio, even though he isn’t the greatest fit with Gilbert Arenas in the Wizards’ backcourt.
Pick: Ricky Rubio, PG, Spain

#6 TIMBERWOLVES
Minnesota looks to be set on drafting a point guard, which will allow Randy Foye to play off guard (probably his natural position). They should have their pick of Curry, Holiday, Evans, Flynn and Jennings, but it was Evans that reportedly dominated the massive point guard workout in Minnesota. Curry didn’t attend, but with both Rubio and Evans already off the board, he may be their pick.
Pick: Stephen Curry, PG, Davidson

#7 WARRIORS
Golden State really likes Stephen Curry, but now that he’s off the board, this becomes a crapshoot. Larry Riley said recently that he’d like some “beef,” and Jordan Hill fits the bill. Brandon Jennings and Terrance Williams are reportedly quite high on the Warriors’ draft board.
Pick: Jordan Hill, PF, Arizona

#8 KNICKS
The Knicks would like to draft Curry or Hill here, but with both players gone, look for them to go with another point guard. Jennings, Holiday, Flynn and even Ty Lawson are possibilities here. They’re reportedly trying to get Holiday in for a second workout, which tells me that he may be their backup plan if Curry and Hill are off the board.
Pick: Jrue Holiday, PG, UCLA

#9 RAPTORS
DeMar DeRozan has been penciled in for Toronto for the last few weeks, though NBADraft.net has the Raptors taking Gerald Henderson in their most recent mock. John Hollinger’s Draft Rater doesn’t like DeRozan, but there’s no telling if Bryan Colangelo, who has a reputation for having a great eye for talent, will care.
Pick: DeMar DeRozan, GF, USC

#10 BUCKS
From the sound of it, GM John Hammond is looking for a point guard here, and with Jonny Flynn, Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson on the board, he has a nice group to choose from. Of that group, I think Flynn is most likely to be the pick. He’s the best defender of the bunch (including Evans and Curry) and has the right attitude to thrive in a small market like Milwaukee. The Bucks already have Ramon Sessions, and probably should be looking at a front court pick like DeJuan Blair (or moving up for Jordan Hill), but it sounds like they have point guard on the brain. Jrue Holiday is another possibility, if available.
Pick: Jonny Flynn, PG, Syracuse

#11 NETS
Even though the Nets already have Devin Harris, it’s entirely possible that they’ll decide to go with the best player available, even if it’s a point guard like Flynn, Jennings or Lawson. Gerald Henderson is another possibility with Vince Carter getting on in years, but the rumors all seem to be swirling around a front court pick like DeJuan Blair or Tyler Hansbrough. Both players are hard-nosed rebounding types, but they each have their faults. For Blair, it seems to be his height (6’5″ w/o shoes) and concerns about his knees. For Hansbrough, it’s a perceived lack of upside. Blair’s reach makes up for his height, and I think his game will translate a little better to the NBA given his strong post moves inside. (Hansbrough is more robotic on the block.)
Pick: DeJuan Blair, PF, Pittsburgh

#12 BOBCATS
Again, Charlotte could very well go with Jennings or Lawson here and maybe look to make a trade with a team searching for point guard help. If not, they’ll probably look to the wing where a guy like Gerald Henderson could really make an impact. He’s a terrific athlete and has an improving offensive game. He should fit in with what Larry Brown is trying to do.
Pick: Henderson, SG, Duke

#13 PACERS
Indiana would probably be thrilled if they have the choice between Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson here. Lately, the buzz about Lawson has been good, and concerns about slipping out of the lottery has Jennings working out for some of the teams working in the mid-first round. With GM Larry Bird calling the shots, I think he’ll go with the safer pick (Lawson) leaving the upside of Jennings on the table.
Pick: Ty Lawson, PG, North Carolina

#14 SUNS
While there are a few guys that might be able to help immediately, with Steve Nash’s career on the decline, GM Steve Kerr could look at finding his eventual replacement. I don’t think he would pass on Jennings’ potential here. The Suns seem to want to move forward with Nash running the show, so it would give Jennings a year or three to develop.
Pick: Brandon Jennings, PG, via Italy

#15 PISTONS
The word is that the Pistons have made a promise to draft B.J. Mullens if he’s on the board at #15, but Mullens himself says there is no promise, and Chad Ford says that the team is more interested in Earl Clark. If Clark beefs up, he can play the 4, so he’d help with the Pistons’ problems on the front line. (And if they draft Clark, what does that mean for Carlos Boozer potentially signing with Detroit?)
Pick: Earl Clark, F, Louisville

#16 BULLS
Chicago reportedly has interest in Hansbrough here, but they may not be able to pass on the upside of B.J. Mullens. They should be aware that there are long odds of a seven-footer drafted outside of the lottery going on to have a great NBA career.
Pick: B.J. Mullens, C, Ohio State

#17 SIXERS
Philly fans may be hoping that Ty Lawson or Brandon Jennings slips to them here at #17, but Eric Maynor would be a nice pick as well. He’s being overlooked in a great point guard draft, but he does everything well and should be able to contribute immediately, a la Courtney Lee. Jeff Teague is another possibility. His outside shooting should help Elton Brand down low.
Pick: Eric Maynor, PG, VCU

#18 TIMBERWOLVES
If Minnesota gets their point guard (Evans) at #6, their fans should be happy if they can land someone like Terrance Williams at #18. Corey Brewer’s career is off to a rocky start, and Randy Foye isn’t exactly lighting things up, so Williams gives the T-Wolves another option on the wing.
Pick: Terrance Williams, GF, Louisville

#19 HAWKS
Truth be told, the Hawks should have taken Chris Paul or Deron Williams in the ’05 Draft, but they didn’t and they’re still looking for their point guard of the future after drafting Acie Law two years ago. Enter Jeff Teague, a smooth shooter in the same mold as current Hawk Mike Bibby.
Pick: Jeff Teague, PG, Wake Forest

#20 JAZZ
I may be wrong, but if Hansbrough is available at #20, I don’t see the Jazz passing on him. It’s just too good of a fit (especially with Carlos Boozer likely on his way out of town).
Pick: Tyler Hansbrough, PF, North Carolina

#21 HORNETS
New Orleans needs wings who can shoot, because Peja Stojakovic and Rasual Butler aren’t going to get the Hornets to the Finals. While Wayne Ellington is a possibility, LSU’s Marcus Thornton might be the better fit. He’s sort of a Rip Hamilton type who scores a lot off of screens. He also does a nice job of knocking down contested jumpers which will help in the NBA.
Pick: Marcus Thornton, G, LSU

#22 MAVERICKS
The Mavs probably need to think point guard first, but they might still be in denial about that Devin Harris-for-Jason Kidd trade. Darren Collison is a possibility, but the Mavs should be able to re-sign Kidd for another season or two, and they may look at trading Josh Howard due to his tendency to be an off-court distraction. This is where James Johnson comes in. He can play either forward position and was considered a borderline lottery talent before questions about his attitude started to weigh down his stock.
Pick: James Johnson, F, Wake Forest

#23 KINGS
If the Kings go with a point guard at #4, they would have a tough time passing on the potential of Austin Daye here. Draft Express has him rated as the #2 small forward in this draft, but he’s going to need some time to develop, and they have nothing but time in Sacramento.
Pick: Austin Daye, SF, Gonzaga

#24 TRAIL BLAZERS
I think Darren Collison is a sleeper at point guard in this PG-heavy draft. He’s a floor general who plays great defense and can hit the open jumper. He doesn’t have the three-point range of Steve Blake, but he already does everything else better. He would be a nice fit in Portland, assuming they keep this pick. (They’ll probably trade it.)
Pick: Darren Collison, PG, UCLA

#25 THUNDER
Assuming OKC goes with Harden at #3, they’ll probably look to the front court with this pick. At this point, there are a number of power forwards — Josh Heytvelt, Gani Lawal, Jeff Pendergraph, Taj Gibson, Omri Casspi, Derrick Brown or DeMarre Carroll — who could help the Thunder up front. Two of the mocks say that Chase Budinger is a good pick here, but unless they get Thabeet at #3, I think they’re going to go big. How about Casspi, who has played well in workouts this summer? The Thunder can wait for the 20-year-old to develop.
Pick: Omri Casspi, F, Israel

#26 BULLS
They drafted a center at #16, so they might look to the wing to shore things up in case Ben Gordon leaves via free agency. Wayne Ellington shot the ball great in the tournament and he has the potential to be a pretty good fit alongside Derrick Rose in the backcourt when John Salmons eventually leaves.
Pick: Wayne Ellington, SG, North Carolina

#27 GRIZZLIES
If they go with Thabeet at #2, they might turn to the backcourt with this pick and draft Florida’s Nick Calathes, who is a good finisher and spot up shooter. There are also a number of power forwards still on the board that could provide some defense and rebounding.
Pick: Nick Calathes, PG, Florida

#28 TIMBERWOLVES
The T-Wolves could use a little more beef up front, and Gonzaga’s Josh Heytvelt has the outside stroke to complement Al Jefferson’s post up game. Along with Kevin Love, the trio could give Minny a nice rotation up front, though the T-Wolves may elect to draft a player with more athleticism.
Pick: Josh Heytvelt, C, Gonzaga

#29 LAKERS
With Derek Fisher getting older and Shannon Brown entering free agency, the Lakers have a few questions in the backcourt. They might also look to shore up the small forward position if it looks like Trevor Ariza or Lamar Odom isn’t going to return. Sweden’s Jonas Jerebko is a versatile 6’9″ forward who could potentially fill Odom’s role at the 3/4 spot.
Pick: Jonas Jerebko, F, Sweden

#30 CAVALIERS
With Anderson Varejao’s future in Cleveland unknown, the Cavs have their pick of several power forward types who could bring defense and rebounding. How about USC’s Taj Gibson, who is a pretty good shotblocker?
Pick: Taj Gibson, PF, USC

Lawson, who is coming off an electric performance in leading North Carolina to the championship, grades out highly for several reasons: Although he’s short for a point guard, his shooting numbers (47.1 percent on 3-pointers), strong assist rate and microscopic turnover ratio (9.1, first among point guard prospects) all point to him as an NBA keeper.

The Draft Rater puts Lawson slightly ahead of Griffin for first, but this doesn’t mean a team should take Lawson first. The standard error in the projections for point guards is higher than it is for big men, which means random noise could be putting Lawson ahead just as easily as on-the-court performance. If the consensus is that Griffin is the better player, I don’t think Lawson’s statistical record alone is strong enough evidence to refute it. Additionally, we’ve heard questions about Lawson’s work ethic and injuries.

But the rating is emphatic enough for me to say Lawson should be at the top of the college point guard ladder, ahead of Jonny Flynn, Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague & Co. (If you’re wondering about Ricky Rubio, I’ll have more on him next week.)

Hollinger’s Draft Rater isn’t error-proof but it’s not a bad second opinion when trying to pick a player out of a group of two or more.

Or when you’re trying to avoid a bust…

From 2002 to 2007, 15 players were (a) among the first 10 collegians drafted and (b) excluded from the top 12 by the Draft Rater. In other words, these were the college players the Draft Rater thought were drafted too high. Of those 15, not one has played in an All-Star Game. The only two who have started a significant number of games in the long term have been Kirk Hinrich (who was 13th in the Draft Rater in 2003) and Charlie Villanueva.

Who were the other top-10 picks not favored by the Draft Rater? Spencer Hawes, Acie Law, Fred Jones, Melvin Ely, Marcus Haislip, Jarvis Hayes, Rafael Araujo, Ike Diogu, Channing Frye, Randy Foye, J.J. Redick and Patrick O’Bryant.

In other words, when the Draft Rater has suggested avoiding a player, that has turned out to be good advice.

His system also had Carlos Boozer (2nd), Josh Howard (5th), Danny Granger (3rd), Rajon Rondo (2nd) and Rodney Stuckey (5th) much higher than they were actually drafted.

Other than Lawson, Austin Daye was a surprise in the top 5. The Rater also has Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, DeJuan Blair, Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden and Earl Clark in the top 12.

On the flip side, the Rater doesn’t like Jordan Hill (26th), B.J. Mullens (28th), James Johnson (30th), Chase Budinger (31st), Sam Young (52nd), DeMar DeRozan (54th) and Patty Mills (68th).

I think Hill will turn out to be a player. He picked up the game late, which will explain some of the ball handling issues that Hollinger says are an important indicator for the Draft Rater. DeRozan had the biggest disparity between current ranking (in the top 10) and projected performance.

Chris Bosh discussed Miami as a possible destination next summer.

“As of right now, I’m not sure. I like Miami, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t know what comes along with being a part of that organization. I don’t even have any friends in Miami, which was the funniest part. A close friend of mine hit me yesterday and was like ‘Hey there’s another article out’ and I was like ‘What now?’ ‘Apparently a friend in Miami said you’re going to Miami.’ He sent me the article and I read it, and I’m like, ‘now they’re just making stuff up.’”

For Heat fans, re-signing Dwyane Wade and signing Bosh would be a dream scenario next summer. The best thing Miami has going for it (other than South Beach, of course) is Wade, so if Bosh signs he better hope that Wade doesn’t pull an Elton Brand and bolt. Speaking of…

Dwyane Wade discussed his hometown of Chicago as a possible destination next summer.

“I’m not ruling out a lot of places, including Chicago, but I’m not really thinking about those places. Like I said, 2010 is the year when I will sit down and open up my options and, hopefully, I’m still blessed and healthy to have those options and then go from there. But Miami is my number one option and I’ve made that clear. That’s where I want to be and, hopefully, we can get everything right here in Miami.”

Wade is just keeping his options open. He has said repeatedly that he’d like to stay in Miami, but he’s keeping the organization’s feet to the fire by insinuating that he still might leave if the franchise is unable to surround him with good players. The Heat are projected to have significant cap space next summer, so they could conceivably sign Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire or even LeBron James.

If the Knicks draft Jordan Hill, then David Lee may be moved in a sign-and-trade.

Adding Hill would mean the Knicks will attempt to deal free agent David Lee in a sign-and-trade in July, possibly with Portland.

The Eastern Conference’s road to The Finals no longer goes through LeBron James’ palace. It goes through Dwight Howard’s Magic Kingdom.

An ability to defend the post is tantamount — something King James’ Cavaliers failed to do. Currently, the Knicks probably have the NBA’s worst post defense. Hence, Donnie Walsh’s fascination with Hill.

Portland doesn’t make a lot of sense other than the fact that they could use some toughness and rebounding inside. I don’t know what’s in it for the Knicks. The Blazers don’t have any expiring contracts, so New York would need to pry away one of the Blazers’ young pieces. With Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge seemingly off the table, would Portland give up Rudy Fernandez or Greg Oden to land Lee? Jerryd Bayless, Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez and Nicolas Batum are other possibilities.

The Knicks currently project to have about $34 million in cap space heading into the 2010 season, enough to sign two big name free agents. If they take on more than $4 or $5 million in salary as part of this potential trade, they’re only going to have enough cap space to sign one superstar. (Unless of course, they can rid themselves of Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries.)

According to the LA Times, the Magic need to get rid of Rafer Alston.

The Magic’s first order of business during this all-important off-season must be to do whatever’s necessary to get rid of point guard Rafer Alston.

You heard me. “Skip to My Lou” must skip outta town if the Magic is to move forward with Jameer Nelson as the starting point guard and de facto leader of the team. Just call it addition by subtraction.

Alston only has one year remaining on his contract, so he shouldn’t be difficult to move and it shouldn’t have much of an impact on the Magic’s attempt to re-sign Hedo Turkoglu. He’s a borderline starter in this league, so it’s not inconceivable that Orlando could keep him to backup Jameer Nelson, since he says he won’t be a distraction.

The Golden State brass reportedly promised Ellis that they wouldn’t draft a playmaking guard.

One source indicates that Ellis came out of the Nelson/Riley meeting with the understanding that they would not draft a play-making guard to usurp Ellis’ standing.

I assume that Brandon Jennings, Ricky Rubio, Jrue Holiday, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans would all fall into that promise-won’t-draft category.

This is a little different than promising not to draft a point guard. While I would classify Rubio, Jennings, Flynn, Evans and probably Holiday as “playmakers,” I would not describe Curry that way. Curry is at his best when he’s shooting, and if he’s spotting up with his feet set, even better. He and Ellis could conceivably share the backcourt duties in Golden State, and might actually fit well together.

Turkoglu looking for $10 million per season?

When Turkoglu opts out of the final year of a six-year, $36 million contract on June 30, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent starting July 1. He’ll assuredly be looking for a five-year contract and likely one worth the $10 million a season that Corey Maggette got last summer from the Golden State Warriors.

Turkoglu is a lot better than Maggette, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going to get the same kind of contract. The Maggette signing was even considered lavish last year when it went down (and the NBA economy was better), so why should the Magic base Turkoglu’s contract on a bad deal that the Warriors made in knee-jerk reaction to losing Baron Davis and missing out on Elton Brand? The Magic should pay him his market value and he should take it. I don’t think there are too many teams in a position to give him $10 million per season, so I’d start with a deal averaging $8 million and go from there. I think the Magic could get this done for $8.5-$9 million per season. Turkoglu needs to remember who gave him a chance to flourish. More importantly, he has a good thing going in Orlando and he shouldn’t sacrifice several guaranteed playoff runs for a few extra million.

Luke Walton is a genius.

Luke Walton said he told general manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Phil Jackson during his season-ending meeting on Tuesday that “if we can bring everyone back, we’ll definitely be competing for an NBA title, at least for the next couple years.”

Really? He’s saying that if the team that just won the title can bring everyone back, they’ll be a contender next season. Did he major in rocket science at the University of Arizona?

If Phil Jackson retires, will Coach K take over?

At least one well-informed NBA informant insists that Lakers coach Phil Jackson will hang up the clipboard this summer and his successor could be Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski — especially if his highly-influential agent (Kobe Bryant) puts the heat on Lakers management.

File this one under pure speculation. Besides, other than a crapload of money, I don’t see the upside here for Mike Krzyzewski. The Lakers just won the title and are expected to win it again next season. If he takes over, and the Lakers lose, he’ll get the blame. If they win, then no one will give him any credit because they were supposed to win.

Can you imagine how this will affect all the Laker and Duke haters around the country? Their heads will explode.

Yesterday’s rumors…
Does Ben Gordon have a promise from the Pistons?

A few random thoughts…

- I was confused about DE’s prediction that the Grizzlies will take Harden, when they already have Mayo at off guard, so I emailed the site about it. Jonathan Givony had this to say: “I think they move Mayo to the 1 (his natural position) and use Harden at the 2.” Mayo’s shot-to-assist ratio and A/TO ratio don’t support this theory, but one could argue that Mayo had to launch all of those shots last season to keep the Grizzlies competitive. He’s just 6’4″ and certainly has the athleticism to play the point, but does he have the mindset?

- What are the Warriors going to do at #7? Supposedly, they made a promise to Monta Ellis that they wouldn’t draft a point guard, so that leaves DeRozan and Hill potentially at #7. This is a point guard heavy draft, especially in the top 10 or 12, so they’re sort of painting themselves into a corner. The top PGs won’t work out for them, so if Hill is on the board, I think they take him.

- Any chance of the Bucks landing Hill at #10 seem slim at best given the rumored interest from the Warriors and the Knicks. If they stand pat, they’re looking at a point guard (with Ramon Sessions already on the roster) or maybe DeJuan Blair and his questionable knees. If I’m John Hammond, I’m dangling Charlie Villanueva and the #10 pick out there in an attempt to move up and grab Hill. I’ve said time and time again that Sessions has all the tools to be a top 10 point guard in the NBA.

- There are only three picks that all four mocks agree on: Griffin at #1, DeRozan at #9 and Henderson at #12. It will be interesting to see if all three picks come in.

- Nobody has any idea what the Suns are going to do at #14. Is Steve Kerr holding his cards closely to his chest or is he as confused as the rest of us? (Regular readers know that I am no fan of Kerr’s management thus far, as evidenced by this and this.)

- Kevin Pritchard might be looking for more of an impact at point guard, but I think Darren Collison would be a good fit with the Blazers. He can run an offense, plays great defense and can hit the open shot. He’s like Steve Blake, but he isn’t quite as good of a shooter. (He’s a much better defender, however.)

- I love Sam Young in the bottom third of the round. He has the potential to be a Josh Howard-type if he puts the work in. The Kings could really use him at #23.

With the Finals behind us and the draft and free agency looming, the rumors are flying fast and furious. Here’s a rundown of the latest scuttlebutt…

Things are rumored to be getting worse in Golden State.

The talk is that Monta Ellis is unhappy with the direction the organization is heading in, and still holds a bit of grief over the way they held his contract status in limbo for months following his moped injury. For weeks we’ve heard that Ellis is no longer interested in playing for Golden State, and apparently it had reached a point where it was “close to popping off” in the words of one NBA executive—meaning going to the media and publicly demanding a trade.

Let me get this straight — the franchise gives Ellis $66 million over six years and he rewards them by tearing up his ankle in a moped accident, missing 57 games this season. I’m sure he wasn’t happy about the 30-game suspension he served with no pay, but he wasn’t going to play in those games anyway. Shouldn’t he be punished for being boneheaded enough to tool around on a moped?

It sounds like the team has promised Ellis that he’ll be running the point next season and may have promised that they wouldn’t take a point guard at #7, prompting several prospects — Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Ricky Rubio — to refuse to work out for Golden State. Suddenly, Jordan Hill looks like a stronger possibility if he’s still on the board when the Warriors pick.

In addition to the Shaq rumors, the Cavs might be thinking about adding Antawn Jamison.

The deal would essentially be a cost-cutting move for the Wizards, sending Antawn Jamison and filler (Mike James) to the Cavs for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. Wallace seems likely to retire, and Pavlovic is on a non-guaranteed contract for next season. It’s not clear whether the Wizards would need to surrender the #5 pick. Jamison is attractive to the Cavs since he’s exactly the type of combo forward they were missing to match up with Orlando’s Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu.

Jamison, 33, is due more than $40 million over the next three years, so if the Cavs were to take on his contract, it would eat up most of the cap space they’re projected to have next summer. They’re on the hook for $20.2 million heading into 2010 (not counting the final year of LeBron’s contract), so if you add in Jamison’s $13.4 million, that puts the Cavs’ projected payroll at $33.6 million, leaving roughly $25 million to sign LeBron and another free agent or two. That’s not enough money to lock up a big name like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire, so if the Cavs were to acquire Jamison, they’d have to move Mo Williams or Daniel Gibson to clear enough cap space to add a player like that.

Jamison would be a nice matchup for Lewis and Turkoglu, but at 33 years-old, I don’t know if it’s a wise investment for the Cavs.

Kevin Love to Memphis?

No GM in the NBA is apparently more active right now than Minnesota’s David Kahn, as he’s apparently set on “making a big splash in his first draft” according to one NBA executive, and is “talking to everyone” at the moment. One rumor that is making the rounds has Minnesota sending Memphis Kevin Love in exchange for the #2 pick (and filler). Minnesota would then draft Ricky Rubio, which could help them significantly with their ticket sales, and still have the #6 pick at their disposal, which they could use to take someone like Jordan Hill.

The move does make sense for the Grizzlies, as they would get a semi-proven power forward in Love, who averaged 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds in around 25 minutes of playing time in his rookie season. His PER (18.39) is 13th amongst qualified power forwards. Love would seemingly be a nice fit with the core of O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley.

For the T-Wolves, it’s pretty risky to give up on Love. If they’re trying to upgrade at point guard, they can do so at #6 without trading Love. The best thing about this draft is the depth at point guard, but if they’re desperate to land Rubio, they’re probably not going to get him at #6. This is essentially a Love-for-Rubio swap, and Rubio is a big unknown right now. However, this is Kahn’s first draft, so he holds no allegiance to Love, so the rumors may very well be true.

The Lakers may be able to keep both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom.

The recent sentiment is that there might be room for both Ariza and Odom. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson even said as much last week, saying it wasn’t “written in stone” that the team would have to make an either/or decision with the two players.

The great unknown, however, is the spending culture of NBA owners this summer in a bedraggled economy. Will Odom and Ariza find fewer offers than they would have entertained in past free-agent markets? If so, the Lakers might be able to retain both.

Another important economic figure for the Lakers will be the luxury-tax threshold for the 2009-10 season, which will be announced by the NBA in July. The team is already expected to pay between $5 million and $7 million in luxury taxes this season, a number that would jump significantly next season if Odom and Ariza are re-signed. Buss will have to dip much more deeply into his own pockets to re-sign the two free-agent forwards.

Winning simply makes everything easier. Everyone is happy in Los Angeles, so Jerry Buss is more likely to pony up to keep the team together and the players are more likely to give a hometown discount. Odom has said in the past that he can’t imagine not living at the beach, but it’s unclear just how much less he’d be willing to take to stay in Los Angeles. There aren’t that many teams in a position to offer him a fat contract, so I could see him signing for $7-$8 million per season.

Ariza is a bigger priority from a long term perspective. He’s just 23 and has improved by leaps and bounds since he has joined the Lakers. While he shot just 32% from long range on the season, he hit about 35% of his attempts over the last half of the season and an astounding 48% in the playoffs. And don’t underestimate the value of his defense. He’s able to cover the opposition’s best wing, which allows Kobe to float and to get a breather if necessary.

The Lakers are already well over the luxury tax threshold, so either contract is going to cost Jerry Buss twice as much as its face value. If Kobe really wants to keep this team together and have a shot to win another title or two, he could take a pay cut to convince Buss to pony up for Ariza and Odom, but don’t hold your breath.

The Knicks are apparently more interested in Jordan Hill than they are in Stephen Curry.

The Post has learned Knicks president Donnie Walsh has secretly coveted Hill, the 6-foot-10 big man whom they would take in a heartbeat over Curry. Walsh told confidants that after the draft order was established he thought a better chance existed of Hill slipping to them. That’s because some teams picking before the Knicks weren’t in the market for bigs.

It has been stated the Knicks’ priority has been a point guard, but Walsh says that perception is there only because a slew of point guards are considered viable in that range.

For a few days there it seemed like Hill might slip to the Bucks at #10, but a couple of teams picking just before them — the Warriors at #7 and the Knicks at #8 — are rumored to be interested. He is raw, but has a lot of upside and his measurables were great.

A few things to note:

- Whether or not Jordan Hill slips might depend on what happens with James Harden. If he’s there at #5, the Wizards could very well take him, and the teams picking #6 through #9 will probably pass on Hill, leaving him for the Bucks at #10. As a Bucks fan, I’d be happy if the team got Hill in the draft and re-signed Ramon Sessions.

- It doesn’t look like Ricky Rubio is too keen on going to Memphis, but he probably won’t slip past the Kings at #4. If the Thunder see Russell Westbrook as their point guard of the future (which is what Chad Ford is reporting), then it wouldn’t make sense for OKC to draft him, though they could try to trade down and pick up a good player in the process. They could trade down to #5 and grab Hill, but the Wizards aren’t looking to trade up.

- Brandon Jennings’ range in this consensus is #7 to #14. Expect that to change as he does a few individual workouts. He was considered the top talent in his class by many coming out of high school, but his stock has slipped some since he played (inconsistently) over in Italy this season.

- The four mocks have the Warriors taking four different point guards. It just goes to show what kind of depth there is at the position this year.

- Of these four mocks, the one I trust least is DIME. From Earl Clark going #6 to the Jazz passing on Hansbrough at #20, there are a few headscratchers. I’d like to see an updated mock from DIME.

DraftExpress is over at the Reebok EuroCamp, and reported some rumors that are making the rounds.

Jordan Hill potentially slipping into the bottom of the top-10 or even possibly slightly beyond. The talk is that the Washington Wizards’ 5th pick could very well end up being claimed by Stephen Curry (whether for them or another team trading up), and that since Minnesota, Golden State, New York and maybe even Toronto appear to be looking at other positional needs, Hill could be on the short end of the stick come draft night.

Hill has a lot of upside, picked up the game late, and still averaged 18.3 points and 11.0 rebounds per game for a NCAA tournament-caliber team in a power conference. He has long arms and a great reach, and he can jump out of the gym. The only concern from his combine numbers is a lack of lateral quickness. He’d be a good fit for the Bucks at #10 and even the Raptors at #9, though Toronto might be interested in finding a banger so that they can move Chris Bosh to power forward full time.

Ron Artest as a willing and interested free agent target for both Greek powerhouses this summer, Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, granted he does not find a superior NBA offer on the free agent market.

Hmm, Artest is thinking about going the Josh Childress route. I think he’ll eventually sign an NBA deal, probably with the Rockets in the $7-$8 million per season range. I don’t know that any team is going to offer him more than that in this economic environment. He has been a pretty good citizen of late, but he’s still Ron Artest.

DeJuan Blair, whose knees and arthritic condition are a major concern to certain teams

Ugh. I was advocating that the Bucks take Blair if Jordan Hill is gone at #10, but that was only when I was worried about his weight. Now we learn that he has bad knees, though the information is sketchy at best. If this is accurate, I think I’d steer clear of him in the late lottery.

Plenty of chatter about the Ricky Rubio situation, with the most interesting commentary coming from the many members of the Spanish basketball industry, which are out here in full force. The news this morning about a lawsuit being planned by Rubio’s camp is apparently very true, and there was plenty of spirited discussion regarding whether his exorbitant buyout relative to his proportional contract will hold up in a Spanish court.

Some cited the fact that similar cases in soccer (for example in England) had sided in favor of the players in the past, while others mentioned that Rubio’s willing acceptance of a large pay raise a few months back had nullified his ability to dispute the validity of the deal.

SI.com has the scoop on Rubio’s buyout…

A further complicating issue is the buyout demanded by Rubio’s Spanish club DKV Joventut Badalona. The club will set Rubio free from his contract if, before June 30, he pays $6.6 million (4.75 million euros being the exact figure). If he pays the buyout after June 30, the price he owes the club rises to $8 million (5.75 million euros).

It’s hard to imagine that the team will be so shortsighted as to refuse to negotiate a much lower buyout. The same club last season was paying Rubio — its biggest star and best player around whom its marketing was built — a salary of 70,000 euros, which by today’s exchange rate is worth $97,706. For this season only, the club preemptively raised Rubio’s salary to 210,000 euros, or $293,118, in an apparent attempt to show it was treating him fairly.

But there is no fairness by today’s standard in paying a player less than $100,000 and demanding a buyout of $8 million.

If Rubio’s camp is unable to reduce the amount of the buyout, it’s conceivable that it will be more than his entire salary for his rookie year. Sure, he should be able to sign endorsement deals that will make it a profitable first year in the NBA, but the buyout number is ridiculous given how his old team was paying him for the last few seasons.