"Before he could begin talking about what the Indiana Pacers wanted in Thursday's draft, Larry Bird had to address a rumor.

Of course he did. It was two days before the draft, the season of rumors and rumblings. The one bubbling Tuesday had the Pacers considering sending center Roy Hibbert and their 15th pick to Minnesota for the Timberwolves' No. 2 pick.

"We're not doing that," the Pacers president said Tuesday. "I'm not interested in trading Roy. Roy is one of our core guys.

"The draft is a good draft, not a great draft. If there was somebody at 2 that we were really targeting that I think would make us a lot better, yeah, you'd have to do it. But I believe in Roy."

With that rumor put to rest -- at least for the moment -- Bird addressed what he wants in the draft with the Pacers' 15th and 42nd picks and where the coaching vacancy stands.

Bird said Frank Vogel, who finished the year as the Pacers' interim coach, will get the first and last interview. Bird added the team had received considerable interest in the position.

As for the draft, Bird said the Pacers' spot and the available talent dictate taking the best player available, regardless of position.

"The players I'm looking at, no center is going to drop to us, but every other position is open," Bird said. "I know there is going to be a good player at 15."

Since only three of last year's first-round picks averaged double-figure scoring as rookies, it's not likely an instant-impact player will be available at No. 15.

"My goal here is to try to get the best bench I can possibly get. I want 10 players I can depend on every night to be consistent. I want our bench to be one of the best in the league," Bird said."