The Journal Times Online - Racine, Wisconsin

BY GERY WOELFEL

The fluidity of the upcoming NBA draft is vividly reflected in the uncertainty surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks' top pick.

Less than three weeks ago, the Bucks seemingly had a firm grip on the players they would seriously consider for the 10th overall selection.

On their short list at the time were several point guards, including Stephen Curry of Davidson, Jonny Flynn of Syracuse and Ty Lawson of North Carolina.

Their hit list, according to several league observers, also included  power forward DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh.

But now, with the draft just over a week away, there is an increasing likelihood that none of those guards will be available to the Bucks, and that they'll probably pass on Blair, who is generally regarded as the third-best player at his position in the draft behind consensus top pick Blake Griffin of Oklahoma and Jordan Hill of Arizona.

The Bucks' chances of landing Curry, whose father, Dell, played for the Bucks during the 1998-99 season, are virtually nil. The Bucks were recently informed that Curry had cancelled his scheduled workout later this week with them.

The scuttlebutt is Curry has been assured by both Golden State, which has the seventh pick, and New York, which has the eighth pick, that they'll take him.

The Bucks had also entertained high hopes of possibly landing Flynn, but those plans may be slipping away as well. Flynn has wowed some teams picking in front of the Bucks with not only his top-shelf playing abilities but also with his clean-cut image, engaging personality and leadership skills.

Lawson's stock has suddenly soared as well, thanks to some impressive recent workouts. Once considered a mid first-round selection -- at best -- he now could be a top 10 selection as well.

Jeffrey Fried, Lawson's agent, told me in a telephone interview Tuesday that several teams have recently contacted him and expressed a keen interest in his client.

"There are three teams that are extremely pro-active in getting a pick in the 7-to-11 range,'' Fried said. "Two of those teams want to move up and one team wants to move down into that range.''

Fried didn't disclose any of those teams. However, it's hardly a secret that Phoenix and Portland will make a concerted effort to get into the lottery to draft a point guard.

Phoenix, which has already worked out Lawson, is seeking an heir apparent to 35-year-old Steve Nash. Portland, which is expected to work out Lawson soon, is looking to upgrade the point guard position currently manned by ex-Buck Steve Blake. The Blazers are also expected to make a run at chicago's Kirk Hinrich.

Lawson is scheduled to work out for the Bucks on June 22 -- just three days prior to the draft.

As for Blair, he has done fairly well in his workouts but teams are still quite concerned about his lack of height -- he is 6-5 1/2 without shoes -- and his knees. He had two operations in high school.

Some NBA officials now contend Blair won't be drafted until at least the middle of the first round with one player personnel director, whose team is drafting several slots after the Bucks, telling me his team would definitely pass on Blair.

The Bucks seem to be one of the few teams who don't have serious reservations about Blair. They worked him out last week and are considering bringing him back for another visit before the draft, a clear indicator of their interest in him.

* Perhaps the most intriguing player in the draft is Byron Mullens of Ohio State. While most NBA officials are convinced it'll take about two years for the highly-athletic 7-foot center to make an impact, they also believe it'll be worth the wait.

Mullens, who has quietly creeped up the draft board, has already worked out for two teams drafting in front of the Bucks: the Knicks and Raptors (No. 9). The Detroit Pistons also have more than a passing interest in Mullens, who grew up in the same neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio with Bucks star Michael Redd.

Mullens said he'll be working out for the Bucks on Friday.

* Contrary to an internet report, the Bucks' aren't prepared to use their top pick on Wake forest point guard Jeff Teague.

* Former Bucks GM Ernie Grunfeld isn't afraid to pull the trade trigger, and that's why rumors about him dealing the Washington Wizards' No. 5 pick are gaining more credence.

I'm hearing a deal, which would revolve around Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire and the wizards' top pick, has a decent chance of going down.

* At least one well-informed NBA informant insists that Lakers coach Phil Jackson will hang up the clipboard this summer and his successor could be Duke's Mike Krzyzewski -- especially if his highly-influential agent (Kobe Bryant) puts the heat on Lakers management.

* I know Bucks officials like UCLA guard Jrue Holiday, but does owner Herb Kohl and his cronies really want to deal with his agent, Dan Fegan -- especially after the latter pulled all those shenanigans on them before the draft two years ago while representing Yi Jianlian?

Fegan, by the way, also represents Louisville forward Earl Clark, who has also drawn interest from the Bucks.

* The Raptors' pick could have a major impact the Bucks' pick.

I've been told the Raptors want to secure a wing player via the draft and their primary candidates are Southern Cal shooting guard-small forward DeMar DeRozan, shooting guard Gerald Henderson of Duke, small forward James Johnson of Wake Forest and Clark.

If the Raptors pass on DeRozan, the Bucks brass could have one interesting decision on their hands.

* Bodog.com gives the Bucks a 100/1 chance of winning the 2010 NBA championship. Eight other teams are given the same long-shot odds. Only Minnesota (125/1) and Memphis (150/1) have worse odds than the Bucks.

The Lakers are 9/4 favorites to repeat as champions, with Cleveland next at 3/1.

* The Bucks will play their first NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks on July 10, starting at 7 p.m.

The Bucks will also play Cleveland, Sacramento, Chicago and Toronto in games that will be held once again at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavillion.