JUST call me a draft dodger. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I’m helpless to lead you astray regarding tonight’s sometimes grand/often grating NBA experience. What I am able to do is provide some pertinent facts, thanks to sources, to hopefully pacify your hunger for content.

* Michael Jordan‘s venture to buy the Bucks rapidly is becoming a reality; it’s really going to happen, folks. Look for an announcement shortly, which will free up GM Ernie Grunfeld to take charge of the Wizards’ front office. David McDavid‘s purchase of the Hawks also is close to being finalized.

Meanwhile, former Washington/Nets GM John Nash was flown out to Seattle within the last couple days to meet with Paul Allen and Co. concerning the Blazers’ GM job.

* Former Rutgers coach Tom Young will assist pupil Eddie Jordan on Washington’s sidelines next season and will be joined by Mike O’Koren (the Nets already approved it) and Phil Hubbard, whose Warriors’ contract expired. Cavaliers interim coach Keith Smart is switching allegiance to Golden State to aid Eric Musselman; the two have a CBA relationship as coach and player. Mark Osowski is taking the opposite route to support Paul Silas in Cleveland.

* Contrary to what you might have read in Mitch (No News, All The Time) Lawrence‘s column, the Pistons have no intention whatsoever of trading Richard Hamilton; Larry Brown adores his starting backcourt of Rip and Chauncey Billups. The Cleveland Plain Dealer published its own counterfeit story in Wednesday’s editions, claiming Detroit was prepared to acquire Ricky Davis for Tayshaun Price, Mehmet Okur and Chucky Atkins.

“When I walked into the office today I was told about the article,” Pistons VP Joe Dumars said. “If I’m giving up my two prize rookies, then we must be getting LeBron James, not Davis. There’s no basis of truth to either of those tall tales. They weren’t even a topic of conversation.”