A quick note: the Michael Beasley discussion has been fascinating. As you can likely tell from the tone of my post, I err on the side of section214, who argues while Beasley is a good young prospect he doesn't fit the team's needs or the blueprint for the team. But I see the arguments those like jjham are making -- the kid's practically a 21-year-old producing like Carl Landry (though with worse efficiency). Fascinating discussion.
Turning our attention, then, to the actual Kings movement -- Geoff Petrie is headed to Europe. Jason Jones of The Bee has a story on what Petrie is looking for: potential prospects beyond the top six, potential veteran free agents and players whose NBA rights are accounted for but who could be on the trade block this summer. You can read all about it by following the link to Jones' story. (Amazing how that works, no?)
As Jones writes, there are no international prospects considered worthy of a top-6 pick. Czech Jan Vesely was in the mix that high before pulling out. The top international prospect draft bible DraftExpress lists is Donatas Motiejunas at No. 12. Motiejunas is a 7-foot Lithuanian who plays for Treviso (Andrea Bargnani's old team). Petrie mentions visiting Treviso during his European trip -- they play today at home Carife, and given the team doesn't play at home again during Petrie's trip, we'll assume he's attending that match-up. Treviso also plays host to the adidas Eurocamp, but that's not until the first week of June.
DraftExpress lists just one other international player in the first round of its latest mock draft: Kevin Seraphin of Cholet, a 20-year-old 6'9 center from French Guiana. Cholet played Saturday, but not again until after the Euroleague Final Four.
DX's current second round international prospects include Miroslav Raduljica, a 7-footer from Serbia; Alexey Shved, a 21-year-old combo guard from Russia; German wing Robin Benzing, who apparently can't get out of his club contract this summer; Nemanja Bjelica, a 21-year-old Serbian swingman; Vladimir Dasic of Montenegro, a 6'9 combo forward; and Spain's Pablo Aguilar, a 6'8 face-up power forward.
DraftExpress also has a comprehensive ranking of the top overseas free agents. No. 1 on that list -- Greek titan Yiannis Bouroussis -- was tied to the Spurs last summer, but never made the leap. Bouroussis plays for Olympiakos, one of the teams featured at the Euroleague Final Four next weekend. (Olympiakos also features Josh Childress, who is still a restricted free agent of the Hawks.)
There's a lot going on in the Old World, and we'll see if anyone strikes Petrie's fancy. The Kings have the No. 33 pick in the draft, as well as one in the top six.