Dwayne Collins, the 60th pick in this year's NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, has opted to head to Europe this season to play for Cimberio Varese in Italy's top division according to a report from Tuttobasket.com.

Collins, 22, had his knee scoped on the 18th of June to repair a small meniscus tear and thus missed a chance to impress in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League, but as the last pick in the NBA Draft his chances probably weren't great to play in the NBA this season anyway.

Still, the Suns Director of Player Personnel told SB Nation Arizona last month that he would have liked to see Collins battle for a spot in training camp.

"Gani Lawal and Dwayne Collins -- I would love to see those guys battle in camp because they both play hard and they are both physical and they both bring a presence to our team that I think is going to be a real positive."

Since the Suns already employ 12 players with guaranteed contracts - and seem to be targeting a guard for the 13th spot with the recent signing of Matt Janning -Collins' decision to make some money next season was probably the right one.

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Mikhail Torrance, the former Alabama point guard, has signed in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv according to the Euroleague's official website.

Torrance will head overseas after a peculiar couple of months on the cusp of the NBA.

The 6-foot-5 point guard was seemingly on his way to being drafted in June's NBA Draft after solid showings at the Portsmouth Invitational and then the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago as he was ranked in the top 50 prospects by both ESPN's Chad Ford as well as DraftExpress.  Sixty players heard their name called that night, though, and none of them were named Mikhail Torrance - despite a draft class that had very few NBA prospects at the point guard position and none with Torrance's mix of size, versatility and athletic ability.

The reason, as we'd later find out, was due to a heart condition known as "athletic heart" - an ailment Torrance says means that his heart is just "a little bit bigger than normal."

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What's everybody's favorite part about college? The grades, right? Right. That's why every time after these collegiate scholars leave their respective universities, we journalists like to send them off with a nice parting gift of draft grades for the teams that they will be joining (/bleacherreport'd).

But after attending the draft and reading through dozens of A's, B's, and F's, I decided to take it in a different direction. To see just what in carnation I'm talking about, you will have to get up to get down and hit that jump.

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[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/26/10 12:57 AM CDT ]  Check below the jump - lots of Summer League invites out already that I found for you.

Thursday night's NBA Draft featured what was probably the most ridiculous second round anyone could have ever predicted.  Not only were there players that were picked way too high (what up, Andy Rautins) or way too low (sorry about lupus or whatever you have, Solomon Alabi), but it was just a really confusing second round.

I mean, seriously, what's a Ryan Reid (a linebacker that plays basketball, apparently).

Anyway, let's get to the title of this post - expanding to a third round.  Does it sound ridiculous due to all of the penny-pinching teams are currently involved in anyway? As we sit half-hungover this morning from overdosing on draft coverage over the past month, it does - yes.   But let's pretend the third round picks would just be used a la baseball - straight to the D-League, but the team that drafts a player gets to keep their rights.

Now it makes sense, baby.

But Scott, you're ridiculous! There aren't nearly enough players that would make 30 more draft picks worth the trouble of us listening to that awkward guy talk about socks and blisters with Derrick Favors!  Oh but there are, young child, and a third round would make those "eh, he's barely average right now but maybe he will be great someday" picks make more sense while proven players could fill the second round.

After the jump I've listed the players I wouldn't have been shocked to be drafted (like I was when Ryan Reid was drafted) that will more than likely get a chance at a Vegas Summer League team.  Notice there's more than 30 and it doesn't include European players (due to my assumption that they probably won't come over for Summer League, not because they wouldn't be drafted).

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Latavious Williams, the first ever high school player ever to be drafted from high school into the NBA Development League, took one step closer to his goal Thursday night when the Miami Heat selected him with the 48th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

AOL Fanhouse's Sam Amick reports that Williams was then acquired by the Tulsa 66ers NBA-affiliate Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 21-year-old Williams averaged 11.3 points and 8.0 rebounds for the Tulsa 66ers in the D-League playoffs after putting 7.7 points and 7.7 boards during the regular season - showing he improved considerably over the course of the season

Williams didn't seem like he was ready to play at even a D-League level at the beginning of the season (by nearly all accounts, he wasn't), but he improved quite a bit when playing time increased in January through the D-League playoffs in April.

While it has been widely speculated that he can play both forward positions, he has a lot to work onto become more than an "energy forward" in the NBA. 

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I planned to do this after the draft, but then I wouldn't be able to gloat about it - so we'll do it live, damn it.

First, a shout out to the two D-League prospects:

Latavious Williams, PF, Tulsa 66ers

This is going to surprise/disappoint a lot of my fellow D-League aficionados, but I'm not in love with Williams in the NBA this year - and I've watched him play more than almost anyone other than Tulsa coach Nate Tibbetts.

Williams didn't seem like he was ready to play at even a D-League level at the beginning of the season (by nearly all accounts, he wasn't), but he seemed to get better and better from when his playing time increased in January through the D-League playoffs in April.

While it was widely speculated that he can play both forward positions, he has a lot to work onto become more than an "energy forward" in the league.  Even though his mid-range jumper did improve over the course of the season, he still hasn't shown the ability to put the ball on the floor from the wing, nor is he able to shoot off of the dribble. 

I think that his body was actually the main reason it was suggested he can play at the small forward, but he seemed to put good weight on from the highlights I'd seen from high school and is probably more like 215 than 195 currently (with room to grow).

Either way, he's currently a combo-forward only because he hasn't developed the all-around abilities to excel at either position in the NBA.  Currently, I project him as a power forward if only because that's where he's more suited to play defense.

If he's able to bring it every night (and notice I have some questions since I used the if qualifier), he's worth at least a late round draft pick this year with his combination of athleticism, rebounding and the ability he's already shown to learn and play in an NBA system against near-NBA players (as opposed to like college players).

Even though Williams had some of the better coaches helping him progress this season, he'll need to put in good work over the Summer to develop his major deficiencies (go-to post moves, being able to put the ball on the floor) so that he can definitely be a high-energy 8^th man for an NBA team (that's not necessarily a ringing endorsement, I guess).

As is, he's a 21-year-old raw athlete (think the type of high school athlete that colleges recruit and assign a position later) with some pretty freakish athleticism and a penchant for tip-dunks.

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Tonight is the 2010 NBA Draft, the day we've all been looking forward to since the Rio Grande Valley Vipers won the D-League championship (or sometime between then and now, I guess).

Anyway, I've decided to make this an open thread in hopes that people stick around at RU to talk about the draft as it happens.  If no one joins me, however, I'll sneak over to Hardwood Paroxysm to enjoy the festivities.

Until then, though, I'll throw all of the juicy Twitter tidbits in here so we don't end up with 25 fan shots!

Before we get started, feel free to read TAFKAMB's thoughts on Media Day!

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To check out part one of my Media Day tomfoolery, head on over to Liberty Ballers and read this. If you're lazy (and you know you are), I'll sum up with some convenient bullet points that help alleviate the problems I have with my transitions.

• I rode in an elevator with Evan Turner all by ourselves -- *exclusive interview*
• Evan said things that made me swoon like your girlfriend('s younger sister) at a Justin Bieber concert.
• Me and P&T's Seth Rosenthal may or may not have cuddled.

We pick up this jolly tale as I walked away from Evan Turner's table after 15 minutes of cold, hard interview (watch my hand leave the frame at :31). Now a free bird, I could talk to whomever I wanted. I scanned the room and looked for my next target. In continuing with my child-like narrative, here's a picture of the room. *Holds it up to the class* *Oohs and Ahhs*

After the jump, read some non-elevator, non-exclusive interview quotes from a buncha dudes I talked to yesterday.

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