Report: Bill Simmons says Willie Cauley-Stein would have declared for the last draft if Boston promised to draft him...at pick No. 17

This just in: Bill Simmons likes to make things up. I know this news may come as a shock to some of you, but all you have to do is listen to his latest podcast for proof.

In the podcast, hilariously titled "Bill Don't Lie," Simmons talks with his "buddy" Joe House about Willie Cauley-Stein's ability. During the conversation, at about the 13 minute mark, Simmons casually drops this:

I think if the Celtics had promised him that they would have taken him at 17 he would have come out last year. From what I heard. Word on the street. Word on the street.

Wait, what? What street? Don't get me wrong. I love WCS and absolutely want Boston to draft him in June if it is at all possible, but this is just reckless. Simmons goes from "I think" to making it sound like this was a real possibility with "word on the street." He doesn't say a rival exec. told him this or someone from either the NBA or the NCAA fed him this information. Why? Because "word on the street" is slang for "straight out of Bill Simmons' ass."

Of course Boston would have likely taken WCS at No. 17 had he declared, but there's just one small problem with that. There's no way in hell he'd still be on the board at that point.

Looking back on the draft, there were at least four teams that would have snagged WCS had he been available. The Charlotte Hornets, with the No. 9 pick, could have paired him with Al Jefferson to be the defensive ying to Jefferson's offensive yang.

The Phoenix Suns, with the No. 14 pick, would have taken a very hard look at WCS, given the injury issues with big man Alex Len. The Atlanta Hawks, who picked right after Phoenix, could have paired WCS up with Al Horford for a very deadly frontcourt. And the Denver Nuggets, who drafted center Jusuf Nurkic at No. 16, would have probably taken the more finished product in WCS, even though Nurkic has been a very good pick so far.

Those are just the teams that jump out at me. Who knows how many other teams would have tried to trade up to grab WCS? This past draft was known for its lack of big men.

Simmons is an entertainer and there's nothing wrong with that, but he needs to stop "reporting" things he supposedly "hears" without giving more attribution than "word on the street." Otherwise, word on the street is people will stop taking him seriously. Wait, that one might actually be true.


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