Well, lets actually consider everything that we mortals know (I swear to God if I ever reach the pinnacle of NBA Beat Writer status as I dream I will not tell some of you boys nothing...
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Monroe and Whiteside, along with a handful or 2nd rounders are coming in for a workout on Saturday.
Unknowns/Considerations
1. Apparently, one of those two canceled a workout with another team, so apparently this workout means a lot. (Unconfirmed)
perezident wrote:I'm hearing one of these guys cancelled a workout just to come back. I wonder if he is getting some good responses?
So, apparently we really ARE that impressed with someone. While nothing has been mentioned about who canceled a workout, it could be really good or bad for us Monroe fans - if Monroe is feeling SO confident that he canceled a workout, we really DO like him and it destroys this as a smokescreen. If Whiteside canceled a workout for this, I'm 99% sure that means that our draft order is 1. Cousins, 2. Whiteside. Which is fine with me. If Whiteside DIDN'T cancel the workout, it still means we don't know who the Kings are favoring, and hopefully Whiteside dominates Monroe.
1a. Apparently a third party, consisting of one of Ekpe, Aldrich or Orton refused to join Hassan and Monroe for this workout (I know Rookie Wall had Hassan on that, but since he is already confirmed). Basically it must mean that one of those players (I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Ekpe or Aldrich, considering that mitch already said that in their first workout, Aldrich and Ekpe were the 2nd and 3rd most impressive players behind Whiteside) and their agent know Sacto has limited their selection.
2. Apparently, the "Detroit Deal" has legs - despite it being some of the more quick-to-print ESPN insiders that continues to press it. Nocioni and the 2 years left on his deal as well as #5 for Prince and #7.
Let’s think about this rationally. Prince is a perfect fit for us at SF. Athletic, quick, a great defender, and a good shooter - everything we (basically) want Omri and Greene to turn into (although both COULD be better). Would we do this? If Whiteside is THAT impressive that we've called him in for a 2nd workout, or even had him CANCEL a workout, perhaps this isn't impossible.
If Cousins (and Favors, although we can forget about him) is apparently off the board, I'd do the deal and take Whiteside. I think if we look rationally this is a good backout plan, because we get the guy we want and get a + out of it. Of course, we could also take Monroe with that pick and make the pain of taking Monroe slightly lessened by getting Andris Locker-room-Buster Nocioni out.
3. Cousins had the most dominant workout we've had yet, and he will not work out for Minnesota. And, according to Amick as mobiuseinz pointed out, the Kings are in love with him.
Stuff we don't know about Cousins...
a. Is he coming back for another workout?
b. Will he be working out with anyone?
c. Is the reason his agent is declining a workout with Minny because they really feel Minny will take Johnson? Minny has been rumored to be heavily courting Rudy Gay for FA... why would they TAKE Johnson? Or does the agent believe that his client really would benefit not having two stud big men in front of him?
4. We aren't even looking at Johnson right now.
Making a realistic guess with what we know, and keeping in mind that I don't have the "sources" that DraftWall, mitch or apparently perezident have... Cousins will fall to us at #5, unless Minnesota is suicidal and taking a guy that doesn't want to be there (again) and didn't work out for them. If he gets taken by the Wolves, which I am growing convincingly sure won't happen, Monroe and Whiteside are fighting it out to be our backup contingency plan, and that opens up the Detroit deal.
So, overall, piecing everything together gives us a much clearer vision of what could go down next Thursday.
(7/4/15)
Soooorrryy *Smacks self*