In a perfect world, before considering whether to select a center such as Chris Kaman in this week's NBA Draft, Pat Riley would know whether Alonzo Mourning was coming back as a free agent.

In a perfect world, before risking a pick on a point guard such as T.J. Ford, Riley would know the chances of instead landing a free-agent veteran such as Andre Miller or Kenny Anderson.

In the NBA's world, however, the calendar mandates uncertainty.

Unlike in the NFL, where the free-agency period overlaps with the draft, the NBA completes one process before allowing teams to start the other.

The NBA Draft is Thursday. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on July 1, but are not allowed to sign any until July 16.