The Cleveland Cavaliers have the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but they appear unwilling to settle with the lucky bounce of the lottery balls. As rumors float that they could even be ready to trade out of the first pick, the Cavs are also trying to acquire more picks.
-- If Cleveland keeps the first pick, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reports, it appears more likely Maryland center Alex Len will be selected instead of Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel. The discussion about Len (his scouting report is here) having more upside than Noel appears to be more legitimate than first thought, even to the point that the Oklahoma City Thunder are also hunting top five picks with hopes of grabbing the big man, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
-- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports the Cavs would take New Orleans Pelicans guard Greivis Vasquez, the sixth pick and a 2014 first-rounder for the first pick in a deal that appears to be extremely favorable on the Cavs' end and not so much on the New Orlean's side of things. In a more likely scenario, the Cavs are shopping swingman C.J. Miles with the No. 22 pick owned by the Brooklyn Nets being a potential return, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. It's unclear whether that talk is related to the Cavaliers' wish of acquiring Sergey Karasev. Wojnarowski reports the front office believes they need to move up to No. 13 to grab the Russian forward, whose scouting report can be viewed here. The Dallas Mavericks currently own that pick but have been shopping it.
-- Cody Zeller, once a surefire top-five pick who has fallen since the draft lottery, still could be surprise choice in that range. Charlotte Bobcats general manager Rich Cho has been pushing his front office to take the Indiana Hoosiers forward with the fourth pick, but his opinion is meeting some apprehensive ears, according to ESPN. Along with Zeller (scouting report here), Charlotte also likes Len, Ben McLemore and Otto Porter.
-- The news of Larry Bird returning as an Indiana Pacers executive could change the outlook on draft day. Though Bird is not supposed to lead draft decisions having been on leave for the last year, he could still have influence. Bird apparently was a fan of Sacramento Kings guard Jimmer Fredette during the 2011 draft, and Indiana is dangling swingman Gerald Green and the No. 23 pick in the draft in front of the Kings' faces, ESPN's Chad Ford reports. Green was a free agent signing from last summer who struggled to fit into a reserve role. He is making $3.5 million a year and has two more years on his contract.
-- Former Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams told Blazers.com he wouldn't be very thrilled to join a Portland Trail Blazers team that already has a young point guard, 2013 Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard, on the roster. "If I get chosen by them, it's not something I can do, it's not a particular place where I choose to go, but I'd go there and make the best of it and then see what happens when my time comes," Carter-Williams said of being selected by the Blazers. Check out Carter-Williams' scouting report here.
More from SB Nation:
• NBA draft: 5 scenarios for the top 5 picks
• Kevin Garnett draws Nets' attention
• NBA mock draft: We have a new No. 1! | Scouting reports | Big Board
• Ziller: John Wall got some tattoos, let's freak out
• Buses of Glory: The Miami Heat parade