2013 NBA Draft News, Notes & Trade Rumors

Thursday night, the 2013 NBA Draft will take place at Brooklyn's sparkling Barclays Center. The NBA is rolling out the red carpet at the posh new home of the Brooklyn Nets. One of the night's biggest stories may well involve those very same Nets, as it is being reported that Brooklyn is close to acquiring Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry, as part of a blockbuster deal being negotiated with the Boston Celtics.

Aside from that unbelievable bit of news, this year's draft, though solid, does not possess what would be considered a can't miss top pick. Despite this situation, there are still a bevy of good players available for teams. Many mock drafts have Kentucky power forward Nerlens Noel going number one to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with others placing Maryland center Alex Len in the top spot. Speculation has also centered on Cleveland's interest in trading out of the first pick. A proposed trade, involving Kevin Love, was flatly turned down by Wolves President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders.

Other notable, top 15 prospects include Ben McLemore, Victor Olidipo, Cody Zeller, Otto Porter, Trey Burke and Shabazz Muhammad.

Another interesting nugget to watch for involves the prospect of several draft day trades, particularly among teams with multiple first round picks. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder each own two first round selections. These clubs have the ability to package both players and picks, in an effort to move up and/or add depth to their rosters. It is being reported that Minnesota is actively shopping forward Derrick Williams, along with their two first round picks, in the hopes of moving up to grab either Olidipo or McLemore.

OKC is also attempting to package picks and center Kendrick Perkins, in their quest to move up into the top five.

Stay tuned, even without a unanimous top pick, this draft has all the makings of a very entertaining night for hoops fans.