Who will go where ?

With the NBA draft set to go on Thursday night, we're going to hear all sorts of trade scenario's between now and then. Some will be reasonable and probably have been talked about between GM's, but most will just be wild rumours ignited by agents and er, random NBA blog sites. Some notes:

• An early rumour which sounds legit for many reasons concerns the Raptors primarily sending TJ Ford & Rasho Nesterovic to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal. A few other minor players would have to be added to make this trade work under the NBA's rules. Jermaine's knee's aren't the most reliable in the world but TJ will always carry something of a risk with his spine/back related injuries. TJ really played his way out of Toronto last season and it's time for Indiana and Jermaine to go their separate ways. If Jermaine remains healthy and returns to the player he was a couple of seasons ago, the Raptors will have a front line of Bosh, O'Neal and Bargnani/Moon which threatens to be a very difficult match up. It would be a huge financial commitment by the Raptors as O'Neal is owed $44m over the next two years. Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo's record tells us that normally he doesn't gamble with such heavy contracts so we'll have to wait and see what happens here......any news will be immediately updated here.
  
• The general consensus appears to be that Memphis PG Derrick Rose will be taken first overall by Chicago, with Kansas St PF Michael Beasley going to Miami second. If this proves to be correct, then a reasonable guess would be that the Bulls are planning on trading Kirk Hinrich or making some such move. Cap'n Kirk had a very disappointing season but then again the Bulls were very bad this year.
• After that it becomes a complete lottery really, not the players themselves as such, but more the scenario's and possibilities, so we won't try to list every possible selection from there because who knows what will happen.
• The one prospect that is very intriguing is Italian SF Danilo Gallinari. Listed at 6'9, he's reportedly got excellent ball handling skills. Last year another Italian was highly touted - Marco Belinelli but his rookie season in Golden State wasn't great. The Warriors are probably the hardest team for a rookie to play for though with Don Nelson's unique style of coaching.
• According to Carmelo Anthony's agent, Calvin Andrews, the Denver Nuggets have vowed not to trade 'Melo this season.....I hope this is not like when a GM assures a coach that his job is safe only for him to sacked a day or so later. I wouldn't be totally surprised to see the Nuggets trade him though, Anthony is a capable scorer but a lazy defender and he hasn't been able to lift his game dramatically in the playoffs.
• Allen Iverson wisely decided not to opt out of the final year of his contract. AI is one of the toughest, hardest players in the league who gives it his all, but it's unlikely anyone will pay him $20m a year again, especially for another 5 years or so.