2007 Nba Draft Lottery

Shumpert Set for NBA Draft

ATLANTA - Georgia Tech's Iman Shumpert , who entered his name in the NBA Draft following his recently-completed junior season with the Yellow Jackets, will learn his fate Thursday night when the annual draft is held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., beginning at 7:30 p.m., televised on ESPN.

Shumpert's Georgia Tech bio and career statistics
NBA Draft official site

The 6-5, 222-pound guard from Oak Park, Ill., impressed scouts at the recent NBA draft combined and has worked out for several teams. His draft projections vary greatly, from a high of No. 17 in the first round to New York to as low at No. 51 to Portland. An NBA.com projection by Scott Howard-Cooper has Shumpert going No. 43 overall to his hometown Chicago Bulls, and another projection makes him the 23rd pick overall to Houston.

A second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2011 who also was named to the ACC's All-Defensive team in 2011, finished his career No. 32 on Georgia Tech's all-time scoring list with 1,166 points. He also climbed to 11th place on Tech's career list for assists (382) and 4th in steals (207).

In 2011, he achieved a rare feat by becoming only the fourth player in ACC history to lead his team in scoring (17.3 points per game), rebounds (5.9), assists (3.5) and steals (2.7). He ranked fourth in the conference in scoring average, 15th in rebound average, 10th in assists and first in steals. He also was among the top 10 in free throw and field goal percentages.

He scored in double figures 55 times in 92 career games, and recorded the fourth triple-double in Tech history against Virginia Tech on Jan. 25, scoring 22 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists. It is the only triple-double ever for a Tech player against an ACC opponent.

Spurs Nation » Is TP being shopped for a high lottery pick?

Tony Parker’s days running the Spurs’ offense could be numbered.

Yahoo Sports.com reported Wednesday night that the Spurs are fielding trade offers to secure a high draft pick in Thursday’s draft .

Yahoo reports that the Spurs have talked to Toronto, which is picking fifth, and Sacramento, which is picking seventh, about their first-round draft picks.

Parker, who turned 29 last month, is considered to be the most marketable of the Spurs’ “Big Three” because of his age and potential replacements at the position in George Hill and Gary Neal.

But still, it’s a shocker the Spurs would want to trade into the upper part of what most observers believe is a shallow, weak pool of talent.

Kyrie Irving of Duke is considered the overwhelming choice for the No. 1 pick. Most talent analysts believe he will struggle to reach the level of Parker, who averaged 17.5 points, 6.6 assists and led the Spurs in minutes played last season.

League sources also said the Spurs are shopping Hill for a potential pick at the back end of the lottery as well.

Yahoo reporter  Adrian Wojnarowski also reports that Sacramento forward Omri Casspi could be a part of a Spurs deal with the Kings. Casspi, a 6-foot-9 small forward from Israel who averaged 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last year with the Kings, has been a personal favorite of Spurs general manager R.C. Buford.

The Kings appear most interested in getting a point guard. If they can’t get Parker, Yahoo reports they are interested in Denver guard Raymond Felton.

Parker told  the French media last month that he didn’t think the Spurs, as constantly constructed, could contend for a championship. He later backed off those comments, but they weren’t popular with the team’s management and earned him a rebuke from Gregg Popovich.

It figures to be a busy 48 hours for the Spurs as they weigh offers in what potentially consider what could be a blockbuster trade for Parker, a three-time All-Star player who was the 2007 Finals MVP.

What about it, Spurs Nation? Is giving up Parker for a high pick in what is considered to be a weak draft too much of a risk?

Or do the Spurs need to get rid of him after his comments he reportedly made to the French media?

As always, I’m curious about your responses.

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