Clippers could pass on Howard

Updated: June 14, 2004, 11:11 AM ET
By Chad Ford | ESPN Insider
With Chicago pre-draft camp is behind us, we can start weeding the field in advance of Thursday's deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the NBA draft. From what we hear, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Kosta Perovic, Tiago Splitter, Johan Petro, Roko Leni Ukic, Ryan Gomes and Lawrence Roberts, among others, are planning to opt out. So for purposes of this mock, we're leaving them off the list.

The biggest mover this time around is prep point guard Shaun Livingston, whom we have being selected No. 2. If the Clippers don't trade the pick, chances are they'll take someone they can use more than Dwight Howard. If they trade, all bets are off. We should point out, though, that as many teams are trying to trade up for Livingston as they are for Howard.

The other big change is Oregon's Luke Jackson, who cracks the lottery in our projection for the first time after a series of stellar workouts.

  • Previous mock drafts: Post-lottery, May 26 | Second look, June 2


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    Chad Ford | email

    Senior Writer, NBA Insider
    • Senior NBA Writer for ESPN.com
    • ESPN Insider NBA Draft Analyst since 2002
    • Writes ESPN's NBA Draft Top 100 and Lottery Mock Draft

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