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With two days to go, draftniks still can't agree on who the Nets will take

By Net Income
US PRESSWIRE

They're all accounted for now. The draftniks are down to their last predictions and they still can't agree on the bottom third of the draft. But two players seem to be attracting some attention as the Nets choice. The names of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Gorgui Dieng appear next to "Brooklyn Nets" on two of the seven mocks posted over the past 24 hours. There are some surprises, a couple of which the Nets would appreciate.

The biggest surprise is that Chad Ford now projects 7'0" Canadian center Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga as the Nets pick, writing...

"Olynyk might have one of the largest ranges of anyone in the draft. He'll get looks as high as No. 11 to the Sixers and No. 12 to the Thunder, but he also could work his way down here. Gorgui Dieng and Tony Snell are other options for the Nets at 22."

    Ford has Dieng going at #26 and Snell at #30. Ford doesn't stop there, though. In discussing the Mavs' desire to trade their pick at #13, Ford writes the Nets might like to move up to take Sergei Karasev, the 6'7" swingman from Moscow.

    "There are several other teams who are after Karasev, including the Bucks, Hawks and Nets, and they could be great trade partners."

    Ford also reprises what he and Marc Stein reported Monday night after it was revealed the Nets and Timberwolves may be talking trade, adding that the talks are "serious" and that if the Nets wind up trading MarShon Brooks for the 26th pick, the target may be Dieng.

    With the Wolves in serious talks to swap this pick for the Nets' MarShon Brooks, I could see the Nets grabbing another big to fill out their front line.

    Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated thinks that if Dieng is there, he will be a Net.

    "Dieng continues to be all over boards, as concerns about his limited offensive potential are causing his stock to fluctuate. Brooklyn doesn't need any more offense from the pivot; what they need is defense, which Dieng can provide. At 23, Dieng has a reputation on that end of the floor (he was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year last season after swatting 2.5 shots and pulling down 9.4 rebounds per game) but his offensive game is better than most think. A strong passer with a decent midrange jump shot, Dieng is also regarded by scouts as one of the best screen men in the draft."

    So does Jonathan Givony of Draft Express ... and John Rothstein, college hoops maven at CBS Sports, who tweeted Dieng doesn't get past the Nets.

    Hardaway is the Nets' choice in the FOX Sports and Sheridan Hoops mocks, with Joe Kotch of Sheridan Hoops contending, "Hardaway, a player the Nets really like a lot, can help space the floor and gives Brooklyn protection behind Joe Johnson."

    Others who show up at #22 in recent drafts are: Jamaal Franklin, out of San Diego State, in the NBADraft.net mock and. Shane Larkin, out of Miami, in the SBNation mock.

    Meanwhile, Tim Bontemps provides grist for the tea leaf readers with a full list of all Billy King's picks in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Brooklyn.

  • 2013 NBA draft - Chad Ford Mock Draft 6.0 - Chad Ford - ESPN
  • 2013 NBA draft - Chad Ford Mock Draft 2nd round - Chad Ford - ESPN
  • 2013 NBA Draft - Experts make their picks for the first round - Chad Ford - ESPN
  • DraftExpress: Mock Draft - June 25 - Jonathan Givony - Draft Express
  • 2013 NBA Mock Draft: Ben McLemore stays at No. 2 - Draft 2013 - Chris Mannix - Sports Illustrated
  • Cavs would trade No. 1 pick for lottery pick, future No. 1 and young player. - Joe Kotoch - Sheridan Hoops
  • NBA Mock Draft, Version 4.0 - Sam Amico - FOX Sports
  • 2013 Mock Draft - June 24 - Aran Smith - NBADraft.net
  • 2013 NBA Mock Draft: Alex Len moves into the top spot - Jonathan Tjarks - SB Nation
  • Year-by-year draft history of Nets GM Billy King - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
  • NetsDaily's Tom Lorenzo Previews Brooklyn Nets Draft - WFUV Radio

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