Blazers Say There Is No Pursuit Of Conley Jr

The Portland Trail Blazers suspect most of the misinformation flying around about their phantom pursuit of Mike Conley Jr. is coming from Camp Conley, which is run by Mike Conley Sr, The Oregonian is reporting.

There is no pursuit, the Blazers said. They like Conley Jr., but they like their young nucleus even more.

While it's true, a team source said, that the Blazers had a conversation with the Atlanta Hawks about their No. 3 pick, it was a single conversation that went nowhere fast.

The Hawks apparently wanted two young Blazers (LaMarcus Aldridge and Jarrett Jack) along with Portland's first pick in 2008 as part of the trade.

Via The Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks

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Lottery Success Makes Randolph Expendable In Portland?

With Greg Oden all but assured of landing in Portland in June, Zach Randolph may be the odd man out in the Blazers frontcourt.

Randolph, writes Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune, sounds like a perfect match for a team like the Bulls, a 6-foot-9-inch, 270-pound player with a rare, classic post-up game and outside shot. He averaged 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season, but with Oden and last year's No. 1 pick, LaMarcus Aldridge, there certainly is no room for Randolph in Portland. His time there was rumored to be up anyway, no matter whom the team would get in the draft.

The most recent talk has the Trail Blazers trying to trade Randolph to the Washington Wizards, who are in desperate need of interior scoring. Perhaps in a multiteam deal with Atlanta? Antawn Jamison, who's going into his final contract season with the Wizards, could be part of a deal to offset Randolph's $13.3 million salary for next season.

Via Chicago Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks

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Hawks: "We Don't Have Any Idea Who We Might Pick"

With everyone knowing Greg Oden and Kevin Durant will be taken with the first two picks of the Draft, the Hawks will dictate how things transgress with their third selection.

"We really think that [No. 3] starts the rest of the draft," Knight said. "We'll have to look at all of those guys after those top two guys. The consensus is pretty standard for the league that it's the top two and who they are. After that it's really up to another six guys probably."

Florida forwards Al Horford and Joakim Noah, North Carolina forward Brandan Wright, Chinese forward Yi Jianlian, Kansas forward Julian Wright and Ohio State point guard Mike Conley will all be discussed as possibilities for the third pick. But Knight admitted Wednesday that the speculation is nothing more than that.

"We don't have any idea who we might pick," Knight said. "We just got the pick last night. We can't bring players in until after the Orlando camp, after [June] 5th. But we are going to have more assets."

Via Atlanta Journal-Consitution

Atlanta Hawks

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