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When the Washington Wizards earned the No. 3 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, owner Ted Leonsis said they would not trade out. When Ernie Grunfeld was pressed with Leonsis' comments, he said that "we do what our owner says." So let's just say I'm not at all worried that the Wizards will trade the selection.
That hasn't stopped all the calls from flooding in, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
As Thursday’s draft draws near, the Wizards are discovering that No. 3 is in demand. According to two league sources, the Wizards have been fielding calls in recent days from teams interested in moving up to possibly select Kansas big man and District native Thomas Robinson.
I'm sure the Wizards are fielding calls. Every team at the top of the draft does. But this all feels a bit too convenient.
Remember, while the Charlotte Bobcats have made it known that they're considering trading the pick, their reported top target is Robinson. From their perspective, a long-rumored trade with the Cavaliers could get them Robinson while adding another asset, since the Cavaliers and Wizards seem to prefer Bradley Beal, Harrison Barnes and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. You could easily argue that, by letting it be known that there are teams looking to grab Robinson, the Wizards are throwing a misdirection play to prevent the Bobcats from trading the pick. That would allow the Wizards' first choice, be it Beal, Barnes or Kidd-Gilchrist, to fall to the No. 3 pick.
(As an aside, I think this is also why it's gotten out that the Bobcats are trying to get teams trading for the No. 2 pick to take on Tyrus Thomas' contract, as Lee reports. The idea: make teams trying to trade up with the Bobcats think twice).
That's also why this tweet, sent out soon after Lee's story published, seems too convenient as well.
Most feel Charlotte will take Thomas Robinson if keep No. 2 pick. Sources told CBSSports Michael Kidd-Gilchrist heavily under consideration.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanCBS) June 27, 2012
It's been a while since someone has reported that the Bobcats are still thinking about Kidd-Gilchrist. Like I said, it's all very convenient.
Lee ends his update by saying this is a "crazy draft game." Get ready to keep enjoying it.