[CHRONIC] And with the 14th pick, the Houston Rockets select...

[CHRONIC] And with the 14th pick, the Houston Rockets select...

http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/06/and_with_the_14th_pick_the_hou_1.html

Paul George.

Yeah, I don't have a lot of confidence that will hold up either. I'm frankly surprised I've had him there through the last three mock drafts.

There are many reasons he's still at 14 in my last mock, but there are as many ways it could go wrong.

Most obviously, the Rockets could move, as they do just about every year. They have been working to move up, but have had some talks about moving back, depending on how things go.

As much as they'd like to improve their position - and they have been talking a lot, as that ridiculously long list the other day showed - they tried in each of the past three seasons but could not quite get those deals done.

Even if they remain at 14, however, things could still change a lot before they make their pick.

The pick that could impact the Rockets most is at No. 11. The Hornets are among the teams open to moving back, and No. 11 is targeted by teams looking to move up. If the Hornets remain at 11, I've been hearing about James Anderson going there. If someone else picks, however, it could be a wide variety of players other than Anderson and including several that the Rockets would consider.

The Raptors (another team that could move the pick) could surprise but have seemed to be high on Avery Bradley.

Plug that in and there is basically a group of wings - George, Gordon Hayward and Xavier Henry -- around when the Rockets pick, with one of those guys likely go at No. 12. (I have Paul Babbitt already gone at No. 9.)

I plugged in Hayward at 12, Bradley at 13 and with that, the Rockets are on the mock clock.

To me, that leaves the Rockets, if they remain at 14, choosing between the first name last name guys, George and Henry.

An argument could also be made for Cole Aldrich there. The Rockets, however, have insisted that they will not consider position need and are willing to accept risk to get more upside potential. That's not Aldrich, a player that might fit their roster's need better and is easier to project, but does not have the same potential as the others.

So, I'm trusting what they have said. Look for upside. Don't consider the roster.

I almost switched to Henry about a dozen times. And the pick at 11 could change everything for the team pick at No. 14. But out with Tracy McGrady, in with Tracy McGrady 2.0.

For now, it's Paul George.

And if not, well, at least by Lakers over Celtics preseason pick panned out, and I can milk that one for a little while more.

I might have to.

• • •

The draft did not figure to impact free agency much, but the Heat found a way. By moving their pick and Daequan Cook, they saved about $3.4 million in cap space and have roughly $27.3 million to spend on free agents other than Dwyane Wade.

The Heat, who will likely have just two players signed July 1, don't have much to offer in a sign-and-trade, but are carving out enough room to fit a second player into the cap room. Someone (Chris Bosh) might still want the sign-and-trade to get the maximum max deal. And the Raptors might actually want something to make that happen.

The Heat, however, have improved their situation and did not have to give the Rockets Jordan Hill and first-round picks to do it.