Hold on to your hats !

Here we go folks, the 2008 NBA draft is set to go tonight at 7.30pm Eastern.
There is already one deal done and by all accounts, several more moves will be made before and during the draft.

• In a developing story, the NJ Nets have agreed in principle to trade Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. Yi's representatives will be delighted with this move as it will expose Yi to a much larger market, closer to NYC. This trade could now lead to Vince Carter being traded as the Nets look to clean house. Nets GM Rod Thorn was shopping VC at the trade deadline last season but found no takers.
• New York Knicks GM Donnie Walsh is desperately trying to work something to grab USC G - OJ Mayo. This figures to be quite difficult at the moment as the Knicks currently sit with sixth pick but Mayo will not be on the board by then. The only way Walsh will land him is by trading up to at least third and even then, Mayo might already be gone. Walsh is rumoured to be shopping David Lee as bait and the 6th pick.
• Minnesota currently has the 3rd pick tonight. If Rose and Beasley do go 1 & 2, then even Kevin McHale can't get this wrong and take Mayo. It's being reported though that McHale is a big fan of UCLA F - Kevin Love.
• The Toronto Raptors have agreed in principle to send TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the 17th pick in tonight's draft to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal. The deal can't become official until July 1st at the earliest due to TJ Fords contract. So, barring any cold feet, the deal is done. If Jermaine can stay healthy - and that's a big IF - then it's a great deal for Toronto. If he continues to spend a lot of time on the IL, then it's going to be hard for him to have any real impact on the team.
• TJ going to Indiana means that Larry Bird will be looking to move Jamaal Tinsely pretty soon. There's no doubting that TJ is a quality starting point guard in the league, but he displayed a petulant, selfish attitude in his last few months in Toronto.
• The Raptors will still pick at #17 tonight, but it will on behalf of Indiana.
• Don't be surprised to see Bryan Colangelo try to work something else before tonight to keep Toronto involved.
• Expect the Miami Heat to try to trade the number 2 pick at some stage today. They really don't want to take Kansas PF Michael Beasley as their most important need is for a PG. Pat Riley doesn't seem to have found a team willing to deal with him. His offer to Memphis for Mike Conley was absurd.
• If the Heat can't swing something today, don't be surprised to see them take OJ Mayo instead of Beasley and then Riley might continue to work a trade in the next few days.

check back later for more updates throughout the day