Jan 10, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings fans holds a sign against the possible sale of the Kings to a Seattle based group during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Add Ric Bucher to the choir of voices pointing out that Seattle could be on the prowl for a non-expansion NBA franchise.  Today he reiterated (on Twitter/Sulia) that Milwaukee could be a prime target for Chris Hansen’s prospective ownership group.

The Milwaukee Bucks have to be at the top of the tout sheet. A league source says that Bucks owner Herb Kohl has until 2017 to present a plan for a new arena; if he can’t come up with one, supposedly there will be a push to sell the franchise to someone who can. Or who already has a brand-new arena built and waiting. Kohl has been a long-time upstanding owner, from everything I’ve been told, and such a measure seems not only harsh but draconian. Such, though, is the precedent set by manipulating authority of the Kings out of the hands of the Maloofs.

Bucher is actually selling it a bit short here.  The auction-style offers went from Vivek Ranadive’s group offering to wean itself of its luxury tax payout to Chris Hansen promising to be a luxury tax payer.

He goes on to emphasize an important point that makes expansion less of an “everybody wins” option:

The league likes having balanced conferences and if there’s resistance to adding another slice to the divvying of the money pie, there’s no consideration for adding two slices.

If one team is added then the conferences and schedules get lopsided.  If two are added, each equally split revenue stream becomes a 1/32nd share instead of a 1/30th share.  In terms of fractions, it doesn’t sound like much. But when magnified into the hundreds of millions (or more), it makes a huge difference.

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; James Southerland is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Bucks will hold their first pre-draft workout today.  According to Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports Wisconsin, those included among the six-player workout are Glen Rice, Jr., James Southerland of Syracuse, Will Clyburn of Iowa State, Tony Snell of New Mexico, Tyrone Gordon of Dakota State University, and Junior Cadougan of Marquette.

Anyone wanting for some wings today?

Glen Rice, Jr. intrigues because of his athleticism, shooting ability and comparisons to his father.  Rice’s maximum vertical leap was measured at 40.5″ at the combine.  He made 57.8% of his two-point shots and 37.9% of his (NBA distance) three-pointers in the NBA’s D-League, where he led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to a title in his only season.  He could be the Bucks’ shooting guard of the future, but a number of question marks stem from incidents that led to his dismissal from Georgia Tech after two seasons.

James Southerland merits a look because of his combination of size and shooting ability. He converted almost 40% of his three-point attempts in senior season, but he did it in just that: his senior season.  At 23 years old, he is just six months younger than Brandon Jennings.

Southerland’s athleticism may also be something of a question mark.  His maximum vertical leap was measured at 32″ at last week’s NBA combine, where he hit 14 of his 25 shots in the three-point shooting drill.  As Syracuse made their way to the Final Four, Southerland’s defensive skills were masked by the Orange’s reliance on the matchup zone, but that’s presumably something the Bucks got to see for themselves in today’s workout.

Will Clyburn is something of a tweener forward. He doesn’t shoot well enough to space the floor as an NBA small forward, and at 6’7″, 210 lbs., he definitely isn’t large enough to play any bigger positions. After hitting 40.3% of his three-point shots in his final season at Utah, he sat out a year to transfer, then made just 30.8% of his threes in his only season at Iowa State.  Clyburn took part in the NBA’s combine, where his maximum vertical leap was measured at 34.5″.

Tony Snell is athletic.  He finished second at the combine in the agility drill.  He’s lean (4.85% body fat) and light (under 200 lbs.), and his maximum vertical leap was measured at 36.5″.  At 21 years old, he’s also a bit younger than some of the others working out today.

Evaluating his primary skills, he looks like the prototypical San Antonio Spurs-type wing:  he can move his feet on defense, he shoots well from long range with his feet set, and he has a demonstrated ability to pass.  Last season, he made 39% of his threes and averaged 2.9 assists per game.

Gordon is a 6’2″ guard from Division II Dakota State University.  Cadougan was started at guard for Marquette last season.  Neither Gordon nor Cadougan is likely to be selected in the June 27 draft.