NBA Draft 2012: 5 Maverick GMs Who Will Shock the NBA on Thursday

For NBA general managers, the draft is easily one of the most stressful and scrutinized parts of their jobs. For the entire season, the GM takes a back seat to the coach and the team, but once the draft rolls around, all eyes shift to the front office.

While most are content to make the logical picks and to go about their business, there are always a few GMs who are willing to defy expectations and make bold moves for the sake of advancing their franchise. Knowing that the initial reaction may not be positive, they are willing to ignore what may be the obvious or easy decision in order to try and make a significant upgrade to their team.

There are a few of these every year, and the 2012 draft should be no exception. Teams, ranging from those with a pair of lottery picks to those with none in the first round, will be looking to make radical moves in order to improve their ball clubs.

Let's take a look at a few GMs who may be making some surprising moves come draft night.

Daryl Morey (Houston Rockets)

Possessing the 14th and 16h overall selections, the Houston Rockets could surprise plenty of fans based on who they select in the mid-first round. However, according to ESPN's Chad Ford and Marc Stein, Daryl Morey and the Rockets are not merely content to stay in place.

The Rockets have reportedly spoken to both Sacramento and Toronto about moving up in the draft in order to secure a top-10 selection. Houston, desperate to add some quality size to their roster, is believed to be enamored with Connecticut center Andre Drummond.

Drummond, an extremely athletic big man with a phenomenal motor, is projected as a top-five or top-six pick, meaning that the team must move up for a shot at acquiring him.

Since Yao Ming's tragic foot injuries and subsequent retirement, Houston has been in the market for a new franchise big man. Though Drummond has bust potential due to his lack of polish and extremely raw offensive game, he has the physical tools to be a dominant center in this league for a long time to come. He could potentially be the next great interior defender in the NBA.

Another possibility that has been discussed is that Houston will trade for higher picks in order to throw a hefty package at the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard.

Houston has a slew of young players that could be attractive to a rebuilding franchise. If they can acquire one or two top-10 picks, it would certainly be difficult for Orlando, with all the uncertainty they are facing, to turn the offer down.

The fact that Houston would seriously consider this move with Howard, who is set to become a free agent next season, is quite shocking, as it could leave the team in a similar position as the Cavaliers post-LeBron James.

Whether they trade up for a lottery selection, make some surprise picks of their own or attempt to bring in Dwight Howard, the Houston Rockets will undoubtedly turn some heads with their decisions Thursday night. 

Mitch Kupchak (Los Angeles Lakers)

Though the L.A. Lakers traded away their first-round pick in this year's draft for point guard Ramon Sessions, that does not mean that the team is going to sit quietly through Thursday night. Fox Sports' Sam Amico tweeted that Los Angeles is looking to find a way into the first round and is particularly interested in Baylor's Quincy Miller and Perry Jones III.

After losing in the conference semifinals for the second year in a row, it is clear that the Lakers need to make some changes if they want to make it back to another NBA Finals.

The team needs to upgrade its bench and find a way to get more production from the small forward spot. Both Miller and Jones can play either the 3 or the 4 as necessary and would provide the team with some much-needed youth and athleticism.

While talking to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times, Kupchak himself said that "there will be some change," referring to the Lakers' roster. Whether this involves dealing Pau Gasol or retooling the team's bench, it is clear that the Los Angeles front office is not content to sit idly by this offseason.

There are plenty of teams that are looking to add an All-Star big man like Gasol, meaning that the Lakers could use him to work their way into the draft to acquire one—or two—of the players they want.

In addition, with Sessions opting out of the final year of his contract, the team could look to move into the mid-lottery and grab either Kendall Marshall or Damian Lillard, two of the draft's elite point guards.

It is difficult to predict just what moves the Lakers will make, but this is not a team content to toil in mediocrity. If an opportunity to improve through the draft presents itself, expect Los Angeles to pursue it aggressively. 

Neil Olshey (Portland Trail Blazers)

Despite an underachieving season that saw the Trail Blazers miss the playoffs and finish 28-38, Portland is in as good a position as any to make moves in the draft.

Holding their own 11th overall pick and the sixth overall pick courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets, Portland has the potential to either use both picks to address their needs at point guard and center or to try and make a trade.

One possibility is Portland swapping picks with Cleveland, giving up their picks in exchange for the fourth and 24th selections. Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld.com tweeted this idea recently. This would allow the Blazers to grab any player they want save for Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal and Thomas Robinson.

By moving up in the draft, the team could guarantee themselves a shot at Andre Drummond, whose potential as a franchise center may be too much for the team to pass up. If Drummond excels at the NBA level, a frontcourt tandem of him and LaMarcus Aldridge would be enough to catapult the Blazers back into the Western Conference elite.

They could also use the 24th pick to grab a project point guard like Tony Wroten or Marquis Teague, who need to develop a bit more but have starter potential down the road due to their athleticism and open court abilities.

Even seeing Portland keep their selections would be shocking in a way. Watching a franchise that is not too far from contending put their faith in a pair of rookies to be key contributors would certainly be interesting.

Drummond's game is incredibly raw, and while Kendall Marshall has stellar court vision and Damian Lillard can score with ease, neither is a franchise point guard in the vein of Kyrie Irving, who could be counted on from Day 1.

According to Blazersedge.com, Neil Olshey stated after a pre-draft workout that, as of now, the team plans to use both of their picks, but whatever happens on draft night will undoubtedly surprise some fans.

Rich Cho (Charlotte Bobcats)

The Charlotte Bobcats were undoubtedly heartbroken after receiving the second pick in the draft. They missed out on Anthony Davis, the consolation prize for a beyond dismal 7-59 season. With the second overall pick, Charlotte has plenty of options, but there is simply not a player available who can change the course of their franchise like Davis could have.

The Bobcats have the opportunity to take Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a lockdown defender and nightmare in transition, but one whose offensive game still needs to develop, Thomas Robinson, a superb athlete whose lack of upside troubles some pundits, or Bradley Beal, a very gifted shooting guard but one who cannot be a franchise player.

According to Alex Kennedy at Hoopsworld.com, Charlotte has made the pick available but are seeking hefty compensation for the second overall selection. The team reportedly wants a player they can build their franchise around and has named Rudy Gay and James Harden as options.

Though Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo had decent rookie seasons, Charlotte is still missing that easily identifiable player to build around. Because there is so much uncertainty about who to pick after Davis comes off the board, it makes sense that the Bobcats would want a sure thing.

Some believe the best option is for Charlotte to deal the pick and receive proven talent. Others think they should hold on to it and draft the best player available, be it Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist, Robinson or even a surprise candidate like Harrison Barnes.

There will undoubtedly be plenty of shocked faces when the Bobcats decide what to do with their draft selection.

Geoff Petrie (Sacramento Kings)

This one is a bit of a hunch, but I would be very surprised if the Sacramento Kings stand pat with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft.

The Kings have plenty of young talent on their roster—Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins have lived up to expectations in terms of talent, but have yet to truly become team players, while Marcus Thornton and Isaiah Thomas have both been revelations over the past two seasons.

However, the team has yet to create a winning culture, and the best thing for them to do is to try and acquire some veteran players by moving down in the draft.

According to Sactownroyalty.com, the Kings have recently worked out Moe Harkless and Arnett Moultrie, neither of whom are considered high lottery picks. This means that the team must seriously be considering moving down in the draft.

With the myriad of teams clamoring to grab as many draft picks as possible, it is conceivable that Sacramento could move down in the draft, get an established player who could help them now and mentor the team's younger pieces and still be able to grab a talented rookie in the mid-late first round.

None of the players expected to be available when the Kings are picking are franchise-altering talents.

Harrison Barnes is a gifted scorer. Maybe if Andre Drummond exceeds all expectations, he could be a star, but the Kings already have one enigmatic big man in Cousins. The Kings should be looking to bring in veterans who could help change the team's culture, make everyone more accountable and set an example for the rest of the team to follow.

The Kings need a small forward. They have been using Tyreke Evans at the 3, but that is simply not a viable option long-term. They could potentially grab Harkless and a veteran like Dallas' Shawn Marion who could be the starter in the immediate future.

I can't exactly predict what Sacramento will do in this year's draft, but expect it to be something beyond simply using their first-round pick.