LL: Sixers Sale, Monta Ellis Rumors, and Pre-Draft Workouts

Liberty Links: A daily post with links to all things pertaining to the Philadelphia Sixers

Phil Sheridan of the Inquirer has a nice feature on Ed Snider and the sale.

Harris went to the Wharton School, then returned to his native New York to get rich purchasing what financial types like to call "distressed properties." There are plenty of jokes about the Sixers in there. One worry is that he'd see the team as merely another business to strip and flip, although there are NBA rules against downsizing the roster. Another worry is that the team would be just a toy, a vanity project for the 46-year-old Harris until he gets bored with it.

The best case, of course, is that he's a competitive guy with a mean streak who will do whatever it takes to win a title. It looks as if we'll find out.

[snip]

We have no idea whether the men trying to buy the Sixers have what it takes to win. We have enough of an idea about the men trying to sell the team to hope the deal gets done.

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Chad Ford of ESPN has the Sixers taking Jordan Hamilton in his latest mock draft.

Analysis: The Sixers have been looking for a big man in the draft but the team could go in a different direction now that it appears Andre Iguodala is back on the block. The Sixers have also been hungry for shooters, and Hamilton is one of the most lethal scorers in the draft. Markieff Morris, Nikola Vucevic and Kenneth Faried are also possibilities here.

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Sam Donnellon of the Daily News has a feature on Ed Snider and his waning interest in the NBA.

At 78, Ed Snider is no dinosaur. He understands leagues and change and still sits on the NHL's rules committee. And as much as he professes his love for basketball - he reminds you repeatedly that he "played the damn sport as a kid" - it has been painfully clear almost since he took control of the team in the Pat Croce-brokered deal of 1996 that he has no patience for the compromise demanded by NBA talent, and no tolerance for a system that rewards teams that tank with the opportunity to rebuild quicker and better than those who play it straight.

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Sam Amick of NBA Confidential tweeted what he thought the chances of an Andre Iguodala-Monta Ellis trade happening was, as of yesterday.

From what I've gleaned about Andre Iguodala-Monta Ellis trade talks, I'll put it at less than 20 % it happens. As always, that could change.

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Kate Fagan of Deep Sixer has the latest on the Sixers most recent pre-draft workouts.

Working out from 10-11:15 a.m. were the following players:

1. Keith Benson (Oakland): 6-foot-11 center. Averaged 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game last season for Oakland.

2. Justin Harper (Richmond): 6-foot-10 forward. Averaged 17.9 points and 6.9 rebounds a game last season.

3. Nikola Vucevic (USC): listed as a 6-foot-10 forward. Averaged 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds a game last season for USC.

4. Jordan Williams (Maryland): 6-foot-10 forward. Early entry candidate after two seasons at Maryland. Last season averaged 16.9 point and 11.8 rebounds a game.

Working out immediately after were the following players:

1. Jordan Hamilton (Texas): 6-foot-7 guard/forward. Early entry candidate after sophomore season. Averaged 18.6 points and 7.7 rebounds during his sophomore season at Texas.

2. Scotty Hopson (Tennessee): 6-foot-7 guard. Played three seasons for the Vols, averaged 17.0 points and 3.3 rebounds last season.

3. Malcolm Lee (UCLA): 6-5 guard. Left UCLA after his junior season, during which he averaged 13.1 points and 3.1 rebounds a game.

4. Josh Selby (Kansas): 6-2 guard from Baltimore. Left Kansas after his freshman season. Averaged 7.9 points and 2.2 assists during that freshman season.

5. Chris Singleton (Florida State): 6-8 forward, played three seasons for the Seminoles, averaged 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds during his junior season.

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Ric Bucher basically guaranteed an Iguodala trade by July 1st on ESPN radio.

Bucher: "Iguodala will be traded by July 1. The Ellis trade is there for the taking."

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Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the Sixers aren't the only team the Warriors have had conversations about Monta Ellis with.

League sources said the Warriors also have discussed Ellis, among a variety of other players, in trade talks with Atlanta, Chicago, Memphis, Orlando and the Lakers.

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Andre Iguodala told Scott Van Pelt he's not worried about the trade rumors.

"I really haven't been paying too much attention to it," he said. "I don't have control over it . My biggest thing this summer is I am trying to relax, and keep my mind off basketball ... My thing is, things happen, let it happen and then react to it. I think it's too early for me to start worrying about it."

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Draft Express has a video breakdown of Jordan Hamilton's strengths and weaknesses.

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Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has a scouting report (with videos) on Enes Kanter.

This lack of experience shows up first and foremost on the defensive end, where Kanter was incredibly ineffective in the film we watched. His fundamentals, instincts and positioning leave a lot to be desired. He can often be found standing straight up in the paint with his arms down, putting in little to no effort. He rarely boxes out his opponent and generally looks disinterested in anything that has to do with defense. He rarely bends his knees and often fails to get back in transition--doing very little to protect the paint when he does.

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Chad Ford of ESPN says Tristan Thompson is one of the prospects the Sixers wanted to work out, but didn't.

It's an interesting spread for [Thompson]. He's essentially taken workouts from the fourth pick to the 13th pick. Considering that there are a few teams below that point in the draft that wanted him to work out (Pacers, Sixers) but didn't get him in, his camp must feel pretty strongly that the Suns, at No. 13, are his floor.

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