...........the Chicago pre-draft camp officially got under way Tuesday night with 64 prospects playing their hearts out in scrimmages in front of hundreds of NBA scouts and executives.

The action was fast and furious on three different courts for an hour and a half, but serious scouting won't begin until today, when individual drills and actual games start.

Insider talked to dozens of NBA executives and scouts...Here's what we're hearing.

• Every year about this time we start hearing about team promises to underclassmen. The draft promise is steeped in folklore, but also is very real. It doesn't happen as much as agents and the media claim it does, but it does happen.

Promises happen when teams tell players they pledge to take them with their picks if they agree to shut down their workouts or stay in the draft (for underclassmen eligible to withdraw).

This year, there have already been two false Internet reports about promises.

The first had the Warriors promising to take Channing Frye at No. 9. While the team is strongly considering him at that position, both the Warriors and Frye's agent say it's bogus. Considering that Frye is a senior and is planning on working out for teams above the Warriors, what would the Warriors gain by making the promise?

The other ridiculous one had the Suns promising to take Arizona State's Ike Diogu at No. 21.

Tuesday night, the buzz was that Russian prospect Yaroslav Korolev got a promise in the "12-15 range," according to multiple NBA general managers. GMs were split on whether it was the Clippers or the Nets who made the promise.

Korolev was expected to join the Russian junior national team in a tournament in San Diego this weekend. However, he withdrew at the last second with a mild ankle sprain. That's partly what has been fueling the rumors.

Korolev's agent, Marc Fleisher, denied to Insider Wednesday that a promise had been made. However, he said it is "very likely" Korolev will stay in the draft.

"There's been significant interest," Fleisher said. "We haven't made a final decision, but I think he stays in."

As far as sure-fire NBA prospects go, Korolev looks like the real thing. He's been on scouts' radars now for two years, but he really put it all together at a juniors tournament at the Euroleague Final Four in Moscow in May, averaging 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Korolev is one of the most complete young players in Europe. He's a long, 6-foot-9 small forward with great athleticism, an excellent long-range jumper and superb ballhandling skills. While scouts are a little concerned about his toughness and decision-making skills (he takes a lot of unnecessary chances), he's clearly a blue-chip NBA prospect. The only thing he really lacks is significant playing time at the senior level.

Fleisher says Korolev's buyout with CSKA Moscow still has to be negotiated, but he said it looks like a framework is starting to come into place that would pay CSKA $1.5 million if he's a top-10 pick, $750,000 if he goes 10-20 and $500,000 if he goes below No. 20. Under those scenarios, Korolev would be available to come directly to the NBA next season.

• The Hawks have been in numerous conversations with teams about adding more first-round picks. They know they are going to struggle to lure top free agents to Atlanta this summer with all of their cap room and are trying to fill out the roster with young players.

That could open the door for a Hawks-Bobcats swap on draft night if Marvin Williams is available at No. 2. The Bobcats sound willing to part with the No. 5 and No. 13 picks for Williams.

• As happens every year, not every prospect who promised to attend actually showed. Two of the 12 best prospects due in the camp, Kentucky's Randolph Morris and prep star Louis Williams icon_tever.gif , pulled out Tuesday afternoon. They were replaced by Georgia Tech's Will Bynum and Fresno State's Mustafa Al-Sayyad.

Morris is in Chicago and is expected to participate in a private workout today with prep star Amir Johnson, Arkansas' Olu Famutimi, Duke's Daniel Ewing and Georgetown's Brandon Bowman.
Two other top prospects, Arizona's Salim Stoudamire and Kentucky's Kelenna Azubuike, also weren't in attendance. Stoudamire had "travel problems" icon_rolleyes.gif Azubuike was injured in practices Monday.

• The players just went through scrimmages Tuesday evening, but Maryland's John Gilchrist, Memphis' Sean Banks, Florida's David Lee, St. Joseph's Dwayne Jones, George Washington's Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Louisville's Ellis Myles, Poland's Marcin Gortat, Chicago State's Deji Akindele, Pepperdine's Alex Acker and Washington's Will Conroy caught the eyes of several NBA scouts in attendance.

Chad Ford covers the NBA draft for ESPN Insider.

[Edited by - Killa4luv on 06/08/2005 23:48:28]

The first had the Warriors promising to take Channing Frye at No. 9. While the team is strongly considering him at that position, both the Warriors and Frye's agent say it's bogus. Considering that Frye is a senior and is planning on working out for teams above the Warriors, what would the Warriors gain by making the promise?

This might bear some relevance to the comment Briggs had about Isiah making a promise to Frye. Maybe the rumor of a lottery promise to Frye started b/c of this Warrior rumor and had nothing to do with Isiah or the Knicks.

I believe they do the measurements on Wednesday, so we'll probably see them tomorrow.

I for one love Korolev

While scouts are a little concerned about his toughness and decision-making skills (he takes a lot of unnecessary chances), he's clearly a blue-chip NBA prospect.

The bold part isn't really true, it's more that he starts to either showboat or lose interest as he's alot better then the competition (on the junior team anyway).