Chinese power forward Yi Jianlian is busy training for the upcoming National Basketball Association Draft in Los Angeles, United States, on Tuesday, June 26, 2007. [mtime.com]
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A Suns front office
contingent1 of Steve Kerr, David Griffin and Vinny Del Negro traveled to Los Angeles on Monday to watch 7-foot Chinese power forward Yi Jianlian work out, further fueling the notion that
Phoenix2 is in line to trade into the top 10 of the NBA draft.
The Suns have two workouts slated3 Tuesday, including a closed, multiple-team workout out for Florida's Corey Brewer4, a defensive5 small forward; Joakim Noah, an active power forward; and versatile6 Georgetown small forward Jeff Green. All three are pegged7 as top-10 picks, but Green has refused to work out for Charlotte, which picks eighth.
Phoenix also is holding workouts today with Finnish point guard Petteri Koponen, Oregon point guard Aaron Brooks8 and Wisconsin small forward Alando Tucker, all of whom are visiting the Suns for a second time and project to be drafted where the Suns have picks, at Nos. 24 and 29. For Phoenix to move up, it might take at least the No. 24 pick and the 2008 Atlanta pick that the Hawks9 owe Phoenix.
The Suns had seen a lot of Yi before Monday's workout, which mainly was a skills display. Phoenix's European scout10, Marco Crespi, worked out Yi in Italy last year, and Griffin and Del Negro attended Yi's playoff games in China. Yi also attended a Suns playoff game, as did Brewer and Noah.
Yi would not be just an international marketing11 boon12. He is athletic13 and despite his size has a good shooting touch and ball-handling skills.
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