Kevin Durant's Wednesday News and Views

This photo of a teacher reunited with one of his students who was pulled from the rubble is particularly moving.

The stories don’t stop coming out of Moore, Oklahoma after Monday’s devastating tornadoes. Some stories are tragic, some are heartwarming, and some give you faith in mankind, like the news that NBA superstar Kevin Durant is donating $1 million to tornado relief. Durant has been in Oklahoma City for five years, and in a message through his foundation, said that he considers the town his home:

“As the day went on and I saw the footage and the casualties and the houses being blown away, it was tough to see. I call Oklahoma City my home. I go through Moore all the time. It’s unfortunate. We’re going to come together as a city like we always do and we’re going to bounce back.”

Durant was in Minneapolis during the tornadoes, but says he hopes to be back in Oklahoma City on Wednesday to continue to give back:

“Just to get to the hospital, see some kids. Something. Just something to give some hope. Playing for the Thunder, we mean so much to the state. So many people support us and I just want to go back and support those people.”

Good on ya, Kevin. Let’s all do the same by donating what we can to the victims through the Red Cross.

— The big news of the day was the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the number one pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. However, with their cap space, two first round picks and interest in improving fast, there were reports on Tuesday night that the Cavs are going to investigate trading the number one pick. If they keep the pick, it is widely expected that they will select Nerlens Noel. It’s a win-win for both parties: Nerlens gets to join forces with Kyrie Irving and potentially another top pick next season; and Cleveland gets a player that, once rehabbed, will have an immediate impact inside. Chad Ford said that Nerlens “might be the perfect fit for the Cavs” due to his compatible defensive presence and the fact that they can be patient for him to fully recover because of bigs Anderson Varejao and Tyler Zeller. Ford also said that barring any bad news about his knee (NBA docs evaluate him this weekend), he thinks Nerlens will be a Cavalier.

Smile, Nerlens, you’re probably headed to Cleveland!

(The size of Nerlens’ hand in this .gif might haunt me forever.)

— Right now, Draft Express has Nerlens going first to the Cavs, and Archie Goodwin going 30th to the Phoenix Suns, while Chad Ford left Archie out of his mock first round. Here’s the complete first round draft order:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Orlando Magic
3. Washington Wizards
4. Charlotte Bobcats
5. Phoenix Suns
6. New Orleans Pelicans
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
10. Portland Trail Blazers
11. Philadelphia 76ers
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Toronto Raptors)
13. Dallas Mavericks
14. Utah Jazz
15. Milwaukee Bucks
16. Boston Celtics
17. Atlanta Hawks
18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston Rockets)
19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Lakers)
20. Chicago Bulls
21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State Warriors)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis Grizzlies)
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami Heat)

— Bill Simmons had to go and troll the BBN with this possibility on Twitter: if you were the Cavs, would you trade the number one pick to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins? Hmmm…

— Another Cat will have a shot at making a team when Julius Mays works out in the Brooklyn Nets’ league-wide NBA combine on Thursday. The combine features five-on-five competition between potential second rounders. Mays is scheduled to play with Pierre Jackson (Baylor), Travis Releford (Kansas), Marshawn Powell (Arkansas) and Alex Oriakhi (Missouri) in Thursday’s 11:15 a.m. session. Last week, Mays worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Toronto Raptors. If Uncle Julius makes a team, Calipari is officially the king of getting players in the league. Game over, end of story, give him the scepter.

— The baseball team’s season ended on Tuesday with a 4-1 loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. The team’s late season collapse is truly disappointing, as they were ranked as high as seventh at times this year. The loss also kills any postseason dreams the Bat Cats have. The Bat Cats ended the season with a 30-25 record after a 22-6 start. Ouch.

— Rivals updated their 250 for 2014 on Tuesday, and some future Cats jumped up the list. Drew Barker moved up to #117 from #153, Mikel Horton up to #131 from #209, and Thaddeus Snodgrass jumped on the list at #205.

— Cincinnati safety Mike Edwards reportedly enjoyed his trip to UK on Monday, and according to current 2014 commitment Mikel Horton, will be a Cat soon. Horton said that Edwards is a “UK lover,” and that he feels they’ve “got him.” What about Edwards’ BFF Darius West, who came in at #185 on the Rivals250? Horton called West a “hell of an athlete” that “gets the job done,” and said that West tells him loves Kentucky, but also has interest in Louisville. West will announce his decision on May 30th, while Edwards has yet to set an announcement date. They’ve both said that they plan on playing on the same team at the next level.

— Another exciting week rolls on, with a huge slate of radio guests set to end the week. On Thursday, Matthew Mitchell will be in-studio to co-host with Matt, and on Friday, Matt and Drew will travel to Floyd County where Cleveland superhero Charles Ramsey will be doing a public appearance. Ramsey has agreed to come on the radio show, which is just about the most exciting thing to happen around here since BTI came back. Don’t miss out.