2025 NBA Draft Thread

[addict4sneakers]

I dont see what's wild about it ....

Plenty of parents demand their kids go to school.

Hell, there have been plenty of rich dudes that have given their money away instead of letting their kids have it in some type of you have to earn your money kid.

Yeah that’s cool but shareef already beat a heart condition and is actively pursuing his dream. He’s rich and that degree will always be there to get. Shaq could always put him on the Ghost plan like he did with Tariq

If that’s my kid and he’s working towards his dream, I’m pushing the chips in with him but that’s just me

 

[jpzx]

B Sox Doc Oc Razor but I feel like Math’s going to be a very solid 6th Man eventually… I just don’t know where you take him.

 

[pmatic]

 

[B Sox]

B Sox Doc Oc Razor but I feel like Math’s going to be a very solid 6th Man eventually… I just don’t know where you take him.

I think he has the potential to be a 3rd option for a good team at some point if things go right. Has the jumper and athleticism. Plays tough. Made some passes this past year that I didn't think he was capable of. Probably should be a capable defender.

They don't play the same position, but he's almost 2 full years younger than Keegan Murray, as he just turned 20 two days ago.

I don't really think it would be crazy to take him as high as 5th. He'd be fun with Cade too.

 

[pmatic]

 

[pmatic]

 

[HOU$TON]

I’m sure morey offered #23 but 4 picks will be too much this year. We just drafted 4 guys in the first round last year

I’ll take the suns 2023 pick though for EG

 

[pmatic]

There’s a NBA Mock Draft Special on ESPN right now.

 

[pmatic]

Jay Bilas just compared Holmgren to Giannis and Jabari Smith to Kevin Durant.

 

[pmatic]

 

[Mister Meaner]

Ivey looks like the goods eventually but as far as I’m concerned the Knicks are set at starting 2 guard for the next while with RJ.

Spoiler

It also depends on the price if I will or won’t cry about it about it much in this hypothetical but smokey scenario.

He fits much better next to Cade in Detroit anyway. That’s a solid backcourt to build on.

Can’t teach speed tho so if he’s within reasonable grasp NYK, gotta take that kid. Worry about fit and lineups later.

Very high boom/bust potential I feel like. Definitely has a lot to get fixed about his game but what rook doesn’t?

Still putting out the energy of a draft night jump all the way to Banchero. Otherwise, just stay put for Sochan or Agbaji.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Ultimately this has been my feeling on Sharpe.

a big creator/ 3 level scorer and passer is the most valuable commodity in the NBA.

And if I knew nothing about the Kentucky thing, nothing about his workouts

and was just watching the footage from EYBL it seems pretty clear that Shaedon has the best shot to be that player type.

Now would I advise the magic to take him one? Given the bust potential, I don't know.


Maybe the EYBL was just the best few weeks of his life and he'll never be that good again.

But given that none of these other guys profile as dead bang all stars I'd wanna roll the dice.

 

[pums]

Aside from the top 3 Sharpe is as much of a gamble except from maybe Ivey. Dont see the harm in going for him

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Aside from the top 3 Sharpe is as much of a gamble except from maybe Ivey. Dont see the harm in going for him

Nope

He doesn't know who plays for the Sacramento Kings

Bust

 

[Platinum State]

Someone gonna get a steal in Agbaji after 14
Possibly Jalen Duren too around 15
Im not high on AJ Griffin at all.

 

[pmatic]

Spoiler

John Hollinger’s 2022 NBA Mock Draft: Chet Holmgren goes No. 1 before the real intrigue starts at No. 4

The draft isn’t for 36 more hours, but the wheels are already turning and have been for several days. More than a week ahead of Thursday’s big event, two first-round picks changed hands. What is this, the NFL?

The waters will only get murkier as we get into draft night, with several more picks expected to be in play or on the move. Trade scenarios are very much in play as high as the 4th pick; seemingly all the lottery teams after the top three are looking to move out or move down for immediate help, while all the teams beneath them with multiple picks are looking to move up.

As a result, this mock draft is truly a mockery. How are we supposed to guess which players will be selected when we don’t even know which teams will do the selecting?

Alas, we press on and do the best we can. One guiding principle: Does the story add up? We’ll hear all kinds of smokescreens and crazy-*** rumors over the coming 36 hours. Circling back to a team’s cap situation, trade assets and front-office history helps separate the realistic possibilities from the random insanity.

A few other draft notes while we’re here:

• Houston’s acquisition of the 26th pick from Dallas will be completed on draft night after the Mavs make their selection, or possibly after free agency starts. Because the deal isn’t technically done, there is still a chance for this trade to expand.

• The Nuggets acquired pick 30 from Oklahoma City in a salary dump (sending out JaMychal Green and a future first) that was stage-managed to look like an acquisition; that one also hasn’t been called in to the league yet and could expand depending on what happens on draft night.

• I only cover the top 30 picks here, but activity will be wild and woolly in the second round, too. Expect the Lakers to try to buy a pick (and possibly Brooklyn, too), and look for Indiana (picks 31 and 5 and Orlando (picks 32 and 35) to see about a move into the first round.

• The Clippers (43) and Memphis (47) are likely to sign their picks to two-ways if they keep them, and that may restrict which players they select to those who indicate an openness to taking that route. Other teams with roster crunches and multiple seconds include Minnesota (40, 48 and 50), New Orleans (41 and 52) and Sacramento (37 and 4; each is likely to try either consolidating picks to move up or trade for future seconds, and any players they select will likely be on two-ways.

• That last point is important; a lot of teams believe in sussing out from agents ahead of time which players are willing to take a two-way if drafted in the second round. I’m lukewarm on this strategy — once a player is drafted he doesn’t have a lot of other options — but some teams don’t even want to chance a player signing the tender and occupying a roster spot.

• International man of mystery to watch: Karlo Matković of KK Mega Bemax. He put his name back in the draft an hour after pulling his name out, which is a strong indication that he has a promise in the second round from one of the teams with multiple second-round picks. He’s already under contract for EuroCup team Cedevita next season, so he’ll be in a strong stash situation. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to think Minnesota — whose new president, Tim Connelly, has a wee bit of history drafting big guys from Mega — might be a landing spot.

With all of that to consider, let’s look into the foggy haze of my crystal ball and see what picks are going to happen Thursday night … or at least, based on the above, what stories add up the best. Be sure to come back here on Friday for a good laugh:

1. Orlando Magic
Chet Holmgren | 7-1 freshman | C | Gonzaga
I think I might be the only person who thinks there’s a realistic chance Holmgren goes No. 1. Again: The story adds up. While most draftniks have Jabari Smith Jr. as the top-rated player (as do I), I don’t think that has ever moved the needle on how this front office thinks.

The Jeff Weltman-John Hammond front-office team in Orlando is also renowned for valuing length far more than most front offices, sometimes to its detriment (see Bamba, Mo), and sometimes hugely to its benefit (see Antetokounmpo, Giannis). While it’s overly reductive to say it’s the only thing the Magic look at — they took Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner a year ago, neither of whom had crazy wingspans — I’m not sure the lure of Holmgren’s rim protection will be resistible.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Jabari Smith Jr. | 6-10 freshman | PF | Auburn
If Holmgren goes to Orlando, that means the Thunder would seem extremely likely to take Smith. (If Orlando doesn’t take Holmgren, he would be the pick here at No. 2.)

While there has been a lot of noise about Jaden Ivey, I’ve always suspected that was more a scenario where the Thunder trade up from their pick at No. 12 to take him at, say, No. 5. The Thunder also have been pretty good with their draft smokescreens (pours one out for the 2021 James Bouknight rumors), and I don’t really see the angle here.

3. Houston Rockets
Paolo Banchero | 6-10 freshman | PF | Duke
Houston has it easy here at No. 3: Take whoever is left of the consensus top three. I’ve heard whispers that Houston might be trying to get into the top two, using some combination of picks 17, 26 and future firsts from Brooklyn or Milwaukee as bait, but I find this endgame improbable. Houston packaging some of those other picks to move up from 17, on the other hand, seems much more in play. We’ll get to that later.

4. Sacramento Kings
Jaden Ivey | 6-4 sophomore | SG | Purdue
And now the draft really starts. I’m more confident in the “Ivey” part than the “Sacramento” part, but neither is certain. There is some momentum to the idea that Keegan Murray fits the current Kings roster better and thus could be the pick here if Sacramento keeps it. Also, Ivey has done his best to cold-shoulder the Kings and push himself to Detroit (or a trade-up team) instead; he worked out for the Pistons but not Sacramento.

However, probabilistically, you’d have to bet on Ivey here. As near as one can tell, the teams that would trade up with Sacramento for this pick are doing it for Ivey, not Murray. Additionally, the Kings under Monte McNair have been pretty rigorous about drafting “best player available” and letting the chips fall later. So if you think there’s a 50 percent chance they trade the pick, a 75 percent chance the acquiring team takes Ivey and a 33 percent chance the Kings take Ivey if they keep it, then the overall odds still favor Ivey.

Sacramento trading down here is interesting, but I’m not sure I see the deal that helps the Kings, especially with teams like Washington and New York. An interesting thought is that Chris Duarte of the Pacers fits into their exception from the Tyrese Haliburton trade and could move them from No. 4 to No. 6, but I’d rather stand pat if I were them.

5. Detroit Pistons
Keegan Murray | 6-8 sophomore | SF/PF | Iowa
The Pistons would love to get their mitts on Ivey, and one wonders if a No. 5 for No. 4 trade could be part of the draft pick musical chairs on Thursday. I haven’t heard anyone talking about this, but swapping this pick, No. 46 and two future seconds to Sacramento for the fourth pick makes all kinds of sense for both teams. Each ends up with the guy they want, and the Kings get Murray at a lower salary; Sacramento’s leverage here is that it could trade down with another team and leave Detroit without Ivey.

Even if Detroit stays put, there’s a decent chance Murray is the guy. The Pistons don’t seem that into Shaedon Sharpe and likely will have an opening for Murray by dealing Jerami Grant (more on that in a bit).

If it isn’t Murray, the other name to watch here is Bennedict Mathurin, who has been quietly sneaking up draft boards.

6. Indiana Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin | 6-6 sophomore | SF | Arizona
I’m trying to keep track of all the balls Indiana has in the air right now. The Malcolm Brogdon rumors seem to be very real, with something for either Washington at 10 or New York at 11 a genuine possibility. However, both those teams are working on other stuff, too. The Knicks still have Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson dreams dancing in their head, and both are trying to move up to the No. 4 pick to grab Ivey.

Myles Turner is in play, too, and this time, it seems more serious than the other 36 times. A Turner-for-Deandre Ayton sign-and-trade at the start of free agency, for instance, would be a gobsmacker, but my read on the tea leaves is don’t get your hopes up. A more realistic endgame might be Turner going to Charlotte on draft night, bringing either the 13th or 15th pick and some combination of contracts from the Hornets. (Several possible iterations of this deal work, including a wild one I’ll list below.)

As for the draft … oh, there’s plenty of that, too. What if they get the 10th pick from Washington, for instance, and combine it with the sixth pick to move up to No. 4 and get Ivey or Murray? They also have $20 million in cap room, so somebody might pay them with a first-round pick to dump a contract. Or, they’ll hang onto the space to make a run at Miles Bridges.

Indiana also has a pick at 31 with lots of interesting possibilities. And did I mention Buddy Hield yet?

Anyway, after all this, I think the Pacers will have trouble moving up, and the top five players on their board will be gone, leaving them to take Mathurin at six. But Indiana’s night will just be getting started at this point.

7. Portland Trail Blazers
Shaedon Sharpe | 6-6 freshman | SG/SF | Kentucky
There seems to be an emerging consensus that Dyson Daniels is Portland’s pick if the Blazers keep it, although there is some significant Sharpe buzz here, too. Portland is under some win-now pressure because it has ignored the obvious move (trade Damian Lillard, actually rebuild) to do a Wizards of the West thing and chase the eighth seed.

If the Blazers are going that route, this brings us to my favorite fake three-way trade — Oklahoma City trading Lu Dort and the 12th pick to Portland for Nos. 7 and 36, Eric Bledsoe, Didi Louzada and Justise Winslow, followed by Portland trading 12 to Detroit for Grant.

Oklahoma City has been linked to Sharpe for a while, and picking him would be pretty consistent with the Thunder’s preference for working with raw clay. I don’t think he gets to them at 12.

While we’re making trades on behalf of Joe Cronin, the trio of Josh Hart, Winslow and Louzada also could be aggregated to bring back John Collins, in a trade down to Atlanta’s pick at 16. The Hawks seemingly would have more preference for Daniels here, giving them a wing who actually plays defense and can slide in at backup point guard when Trae Young rests.

The Blazers have so many options because they’re sitting on a $20.8 million trade exception from the CJ McCollum trade, which allows them to take in a player like Grant (or OG Anunoby, or Harrison Barnes, etc.) without needing to match salary.

In the midst of all that, I’ve also heard whispers about Portland moving up to take Murray. Stay tuned.

8. New Orleans Pelicans
Dyson Daniels | 6-6 | SG | G League Ignite

Here’s another pick that could be in play, although last season’s playoff run slowed down some of the “win now” mojo. The angle: With a $6.2 million trade exception from the Steven Adams deal, trading the eighth pick for a player and the accompanying $5.4 million salary slot for somebody who makes roughly the same amount is a real option, as it’s the one way for the Pelicans to add “win now” talent while staying below the luxury tax. That’s the through line to the rumors about dealing for Phoenix’s Cam Johnson, for instance, who happens to make $5.9 million next year.

A zillion players have been rumored to be in the mix here for New Orleans, but let’s cut through the smoke. Regardless of who ends up with possession of Nos. 7 and 8, it seems increasingly likely this part of the draft will go either Daniels-Sharpe or Sharpe-Daniels.

9. San Antonio Spurs
Jalen Duren | 6-11 freshman | C | Memphis
The Spurs went waaaaay out of the box when they took Josh Primo at 12 a year ago; could we see another out-of-left-field pick here? I think Daniels is their type of guy, but I have him gone by the time they pick, which leaves us with Duren. The Spurs, even in recent years, have valued bigs more than other teams (I mean, given their history, you would, too), and Duren gives them a fallback if they either trade Jakob Poeltl or see him leave as a free agent in 2023.

The Spurs also have picks 20, 25 and 38 and could try to package them to move up, but I don’t see the team ahead of them that is jonesing to move down and complete a trade like this with them.

10. Washington Wizards
Jeremy Sochan | 6-9 freshman | PF | Baylor
With the win-now help unappealing, Washington might trade this pick for a point guard as part of its plan to chase a 44-win season around Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porziņģis. There isn’t a real point guard worth reaching for at this point in the draft.

If that’s the play, keep an eye on Indiana. A trade of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ish Smith and this pick for Indiana’s pick at 31 and Goga Bitadze would solve Washington’s point guard problem, at least for the 36 games that Brogdon plays this year, and open up some more room for the Pacers. They’d have to guarantee the contracts of Caldwell-Pope and Smith to make the trade cap-kosher; Bitadze would fit into Washington’s exception from the Montrezl Harrell trade in February.

As for this pick … I’ve seen Johnny Davis mocked here quite a bit, which would be sort of perfect as “who is the most half-good Wizards-type guy you could see them taking?” But in reality, I think whoever ends up with this pick is going to have one of Sochan or Duren higher on their boards.

If Washington keeps the pick, Sochan would be an awkward fit as the fourth consecutive young combo forward drafted by this team. But none of the previous three have taken the league by storm, and it might be time to move on from Rui Hachimura.

11. New York Knicks
Johnny Davis | 6-4 sophomore | SG | Wisconsin
As with Washington above, the Knicks might be tempted to parlay this pick into a real point guard rather than adding to their crowd of young wing players. There isn’t really a point guard to draft in this spot, although the Knicks-y move would be to select the Kentucky guy (TyTy Washington), even if it’s 10 spots higher than everyone expects him to go.

I also think the Knicks are a very plausible trade-down team; they’ve been pretty canny about extracting value on draft night in the Leon Rose era, and if there’s a sleeper pick in the late teens, it would be a smart play given how many teams are trying to move up.

Finally, if the Knicks have any free agency aspirations, it likely involves moving this pick and Evan Fournier, waiving Taj Gibson and stretching Kemba Walker, which would put them $27 million under the cap, even with Mitchell Robinson’s cap hold.

One other possibility: With Memphis looking to move up and having excess cap space, the Knicks could send an unwanted contract or two to the Grizzlies in exchange for a move from 11 to 22.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder
A.J. Griffin | 6-6 freshman | SG | Duke
Oklahoma City will try to move up from here and is armed with multiple assets to help do so; the question, as ever, is the motivation of the parties above them to move down. This is why trading up in the draft typically involves overpaying; the Thunder are just in a position to overpay and not feel it as much.

If the pick ends up staying here, Griffin is the one guy in the top 30 whose medicals are going to give teams a bit of pause. But the counterargument is, my goodness, have you seen this team shoot? The Thunder shot a league-worst 32.3 percent from 3 last year, and the two perimeter linchpins of the squad are Josh Giddey (26.3 percent) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.0 percent). Griffin might not be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but he fits this roster.

13. Charlotte Hornets
Mark Williams | 7-0 sophomore | C | Duke
League insiders debated who looked worse after the Kenny Atkinson fiasco — Atkinson for bailing at the last minute, or Charlotte for turning him off on the head coaching job so quickly. Let’s just say teams with head coach openings are going to be a bit nervous about going to the finish line with Atkinson; surely, in any repeat of a situation like this one, they aren’t going to let him finish out the season in Golden State before signing the contract.

Nonetheless, I’m not sure it affects much of Charlotte’s offseason planning. The Hornets have picks 13 and 15, and at least one of them is in play — possibly for Indiana’s Turner, or even in a package to move up.

If Charlotte keeps both picks, there is a strong case for leaving Williams to the pick at 15 and taking a perimeter player at 13, knowing that the Cavaliers are extremely unlikely to draft a big at 14.

However, I think it’s more likely that 15 gets moved and the Hornets get their guy at 13. With or without another veteran big, Charlotte needs frontcourt and rim protection help as it seeks to upgrade its swiss cheese defense of a year ago.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Ousmane Dieng | 6-8 | SF | New Zealand Breakers
There’s been a lot noise about Dieng going even higher than this, but I’m having trouble distilling the smoke from the fire. I know it “only takes one,” so to speak, but too many people I trust are Dieng skeptics for me to see an enthusiastic rush to snag him in the top dozen picks.

That said, I do think this pick might be something of a floor for Dieng. The Cavs need a big wing. Dieng is a big wing. There are no other major “can’t pass on this guy” talents left on the board. The story fits.

Obviously, one worries this is a case of Wisemanesque thinking in matching the square peg of the team’s biggest weakness and the round hole of a player who kinda, maybe looks the part of filling it. Dieng has flashed some potential, but I’m not sure this is the place to take a swing on him.

15. Charlotte Hornets
Ochai Agbaji | 6-5 senior | SG | Kansas
After reaching for the stars on a Bouknight-Kai Jones combo last year and not having much to show for it (Jones was pretty good in the G League, at least), Charlotte, I’d expect, will return to its pattern of picking brand-name college players this time around. A Williams-Agbaji draft haul would follow that trend line perfectly. I don’t think Agbaji is a top-15 pick, but enough people do that it wouldn’t be shocking to see him selected here, regardless of who does the picking.

The other domino, here, of course, is how these picks at 13 and 15 affect Charlotte in free agency. The Hornets can match a big offer sheet to Bridges but would be close to over the tax line if they did and are historically quite tax-averse. One of these picks could end up paired with outbound money; for instance, what if Gordon Hayward and both picks went to Indiana for Turner?

Also, while we’re here, what about an internet-breaking three-way trade of Russell Westbrook to Charlotte; Hayward, Mason Plumlee and two unprotected Laker firsts (2027 and 2029) to Brooklyn; and Kyrie Irving to the Lakers? I’ll just leave that here, expecting full well that the comments will now burn to ashes.

16. Atlanta Hawks
Malaki Branham | 6-4 freshman | SG | Ohio State
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: There’s a good chance this pick could be traded, too. Atlanta has Collins scenarios on the board, obviously, but that’s hardly the only thing the Hawks are working on as they look to shake up the roster after a disappointing regression in 2021-22.

The Hawks need immediate help more than they need another developing young guard, but Travis Schlenk loves him some offensive talent, and Branham can score. More generally, if this pick gets moved to whomever, Branham is probably the consensus best player available at this point in this mock.

17. Houston Rockets
Tari Eason | 6-7 sophomore | SF | LSU
Houston won’t deal this pick for players, but it might as part of a package with the recently acquired 26th pick to move up. If the Rockets keep it, Eason’s wild end-to-end game fits more easily here than at a lot of other places. Houston needs another wing defender, and Eason provides it. His ability to play the three will help keep him on the court with presumed third pick Banchero.

It’s an interesting spot, though, because Eason could slide a bit if he isn’t the pick here. Some teams aren’t as enamored with his ability to fit into a system. Could the Rockets gamble that he’s still there for them at 26 and go a different direction at 17?

18. Chicago Bulls
E.J. Liddell | 6-7 junior | PF | Ohio State
What would a package of the 18th pick and Coby White get you in a trade? OK, but what if we throw in Tony Bradley? The answer is not Rudy Gobert, and not even Turner. However, maybe it brings Chicago another big wing to fill in a pretty glaring hole in the current roster. So, yes, I do think this pick, like many here, is very much in play.

I also struggle to see who the guy is here that sends the Bulls head over heels, especially if the top 15 picks play out the way I outlined above. Enter Liddell, who fills a clear need as a four who can block some shots and make an open 3 for a team in win-now mode. If Chicago keeps the pick, he seems to make the most sense. Even for other teams that might trade into this spot, Liddell checks a lot of boxes as a role-player four; it’s not hard to imagine a team like Memphis or Minnesota trading up for him.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves
Jalen Williams | 6-6 junior | SG | Santa Clara
This would work out pretty well for Minnesota if Williams fell to 19, so well that Connelly would likely go with this option over selecting somebody named “Nikola Jović” with his first choice in Minnesota. Williams would give the Wolves another ballhandler, one with some size, after they too often leaned on undersized perimeter lineups last season. Liddell also would be a really good fit here, but I have him gone by this point.

20. San Antonio Spurs
Blake Wesley | 6-5 freshman | SG | Notre Dame
I’m higher on Wesley than most, listing him 11th on my board, and think this is a good fit on a team that has prioritized toolsy perimeter players in recent drafts. The Spurs have picks 20, 25 and 38 and could easily find themselves trading up, if they can just find a partner willing to trade down.

If so, the Spurs could do that in conjunction with a salary dump into their impending cap space. For one hypothetical example, they could take Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel off the Knicks’ hands in return for a swap of pick 25 for pick 11.

21. Denver Nuggets
TyTy Washington |6-3 freshman | PG | Kentucky

Here’s another one where the story feels believable. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the Nuggets can get under the luxury tax if they trade Monté Morris, and that he probably has enough demand around the league that it wouldn’t be hard to pull off. The Nuggets can fortify their flank in the backcourt by taking Washington; his stock has seemingly cooled off since an awesome midseason stretch, but he still might be the best pure point guard in a fairly weak class at the position.

22. Memphis Grizzlies
Wendell Moore | 6-5 junior | SG | Duke
Here’s another team with a lot of balls in the air, although it’s less certain that any of them result in a deal. Here’s the thing: Every pick the Grizzlies have made in Zach Kleiman’s tenure has been after trading up, except for Ja Morant, whom they picked second. With future draft capital, young players on friendly contracts and $20 million in cap room coming their way, the Grizzlies are again as well-equipped as any other team in the league to make such a move. They could possibly cash in their De’Anthony Melton stock and/or take on a bad deal from another team to move up.

One low-wattage possibility: Trading 22 and 47 to move up a spot or two, similar to what the Grizzlies did when they picked Brandon Clarke in 2019 and Xavier Tillman in 2020.

If they stay in this range, the two names I’ve heard for the Grizzlies are Moore and Dalen Terry. Both are plausible from a fit and team draft history perspective. It’s also possible one of them becomes Memphis’ guy at 29, although I think it’s slightly better than 50-50 that neither lasts that long.

23. Philadelphia 76ers
Dalen Terry | 6-7 sophomore | SF | Arizona
The Sixers have been active, but don’t necessarily read anything into it beyond that. Daryl Morey’s front office in Houston operated like this, too, calling everyone and getting the wheels turned with lots of offers … but their actual trade history (beyond the obligatory flipping of second-rounders in every single draft) was less active than their rep. That said, the Sixers surely are looking at what some combination of this pick and, say, Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz can land them in a trade. They’ll even throw in the rights to Filip Petrušev if you ask nicely.

If they keep the pick, the fit with Liddell is hard to ignore, but I have him off the board at this point. Terry might be a bit more developmental than the Sixers hope, but he fits nicely on a roster that doesn’t have a true three.

24. Milwaukee Bucks
MarJon Beauchamp | 6-5 | PF | G League Ignite
Milwaukee would be another great landing spot for Liddell; he’s gonna have a lot of fans in this stretch if the picks aren’t traded. Beauchamp is raw in a lot of ways, but bringing a high-energy forward off the bench might help goose the Bucks’ somewhat-sluggish second-unit play. Milwaukee doesn’t have any players in this size/position profile with a last name shorter than 13 letters.

Speaking of which, a Milwaukee trade of pick 24 to Orlando for picks 32 and 35 makes too much sense to ignore. The Bucks could take a stash player with one (such as Italian Gabriele Procida) and select a player with the other and sign him to a rookie-minimum deal, which would save about $5 million in salary and luxury tax for what is likely the team’s 14th and final roster spot. That savings would increase if the Bucks raise their tax bill further by shelling out to retain both Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton and using their taxpayer midlevel exception.

25. San Antonio Spurs
Kendall Brown | 6-8 freshman | SF | Baylor
I don’t really get how Brown is being projected in the 30s and 40s; there is too much combination of youth, size and athleticism to be pushing him behind a bunch of blah long shots. Given that the Spurs have only Doug McDermott as a quasi-realistic three-man right now, Brown fits here and would get plenty of opportunity in a strong development system.

26. Houston Rockets
Bryce McGowens | 6-5 freshman | SG | Nebraska
While I personally don’t have McGowens rated this highly, his toolset is getting enough attention in the 20s that it seems probable that at least one team in this range will take a chance. Houston probably would rather push this pick into a future season, but moving picks in the late 20s for a future first is complicated, and the Rockets may be stuck making the choice. An international stash also is a possibility, but the options feel like reaches until the draft get into the 30s.

27. Miami Heat
Justin Lewis | 6-6 sophomore | SF | Marquette
While I don’t expect the Heat to move this pick, it could end up in play in scenarios where Miami moves Duncan Robinson and multiple picks for a difference-maker. Miami can also trade its firsts in 2023 and 2027 as part of a package.

Without a player worthy of said package being available, the Heat probably go best player available and grab a big, strong wing they can groom as another switchable forward who can make an open shot. That’s the idea anyway; it’s pick 27, so who knows how it turns out.

28. Golden State Warriors
Jake LaRavia | 6-9 junior | PF | Wake Forest
Championship runs don’t give you a lot of time to work on the draft. The Warriors were doing their best by shoehorning June draft workouts into the days when the team wasn’t either in Boston for the NBA Finals or drunkenly celebrating winning the title (they just had their parade 48 hours ago).

Financially, there is one clear trade option here: Golden State could trade down with Indiana (pick 31) and draft a player who would make the league minimum next year. Because the Warriors’ luxury tax and repeater penalties make every marginal salary collar cost about six times more, exchanging the rookie scale of the 28th pick for the rookie minimum at pick 31 would save the team several million.

As far as actual basketball stuff goes, I love LaRavia’s fit in Golden State. He’s not an iso-ball guy but can do a lot of stuff in a motion system with his passing and cutting, and he held up pretty well defensively on switches.

29. Memphis Grizzlies
Kennedy Chandler | 6-0 freshman | PG | Tennessee
Memphis doesn’t need to roster its 29th pick this year and could take an overseas player here. The problem is that I don’t think the overseas players are good enough to justify investing a first-round pick. The Grizzlies also could trade out of this pick, but historically this is a difficult place from which to trade. You can’t really trade for a random “future first” when you’re offering pick 29 as the return.

Chandler, however, checks a lot of boxes. He’ll grade out well analytically, and he solves a roster issue created by Tyus Jones’ impending free agency. The draft market may be sleeping on him a bit because of his size, but his freshman season at Tennessee was pretty solid.

30. Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jović | 6-10 | PF| Mega Basket
This has to happen, right? A player from Mega named “Nikola Jović” going to the Nuggets? It’s too perfect. As an added bonus, Denver can plug Jović right into the “mildly intriguing former Mega Basket combo forward” spot on its roster being vacated by Vlatko Čančar and his expiring contract.

We have other reasons to suspect Jović might be the pick here, of course. The Nuggets have always loved their internationals, and Jović fits positionally with Denver’s likely roster needs in the next few years. On a talent basis, he might be the best player left on the board at this point.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

We gotta stop letting Shannon Sharpe talk about basketball. He compared Jabari Smith to Evan Mobley

 

[VARNELL HILL]

This is...interesting

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

Thompson brothers popped off the screen last year. Be dope to see them in that Tournament setting

 

[pmatic]

 

[frshstunna]

This is...interesting

This is big for the TBT …it’s a solid tourney/basketball content for the dead summer months

Those youngins will get to play against some high level overseas pros n former/borderline NBA players too

 

[pmatic]

Have 2022 NBA Draft questions? We have the answers (hopefully)

Is that team really interested in that player? Is this All-Star actually available in trades?

theathletic.com

Spoiler

2022 NBA Draft questions: Are Smith, Holmgren locks at 1-2? Will Kings take Ivey?

This is the time when rumors, conjecture and flat-out lies saturate the NBA air. We have the infamous smokescreens being tossed out to throw people off the draft selection and transaction scents. The espionage is exquisite, and something that should be celebrated. There will be at least one trade or selection (or both!) on draft day/night that shocks the basketball world and throws everything off its axis as people figure out what it means for the NBA landscape.

Leading up to the draft, I find people are asking questions constantly. Fans, media, executives, players, agents, everybody. I thought I would try to answer some of the questions I’m being asked the most, I’m hearing asked the most and the ones I have most often heard in the intel-gathering process prior to Thursday’s big night. For some other reading material, Sam Vecenie just unleashed his latest mock draft, and we also have my mock draft from Monday to peruse, in addition to our 2022 NBA Draft Guide.

Here are five big questions and a bonus pseudo-question for the 2022 draft. We’ll also dive into what I like to call “Scuttlebutt SZN” for all of the upcoming trades and free-agent signings/pursuits being bandied about the league. We’ll try to figure out what’s real and what might be bait.

1. Will Jabari Smith Jr. or Chet Holmgren be the top pick in the draft?
As of right now, the money is on the Orlando Magic taking Smith with the top pick. BetMGM.com has the big man out of Auburn at -140 to end up as No. 1. I floated the idea in my mock draft of Holmgren being the top pick, and while some people around the league can definitely see it, there is this belief that Smith is more foolproof as a prospect. Smith also fits with what the Magic have a lot better than Holmgren on the surface. Assuming Orlando keeps Mo Bamba in restricted free agency, it gives the Magic a bunch of options and combinations to utilize on the court as they figure out their future.

That versatility, in addition to the skill set of Smith, seems like he’s more of a lock to end up No. 1 overall. The little success the Magic saw last season often involved Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. playing alongside each other on the court. Their two-big lineup worked, particularly with their primary lineup. You can plug Smith next to Carter or Bamba pretty easily, although you eventually have to worry about all three guys getting enough playing time. There are plenty of people around the league not convinced that Holmgren can play the five at the NBA level because of his lack of strength. Maybe he fits into the four like Smith does with these guys, but the smart money is still on Smith getting called to the stage first.

2. Are they a lock to be the top two in this draft?
Here’s the interesting thing about the betting odds for the No. 1 pick: Holmgren doesn’t have the second-best odds by far. Newest odds have Paolo Banchero out of Duke with +230 odds and +200 for Holmgren, according to BetMGM.com. The opening odds were Holmgren at +145 and Banchero at +350 for the top spot. Now we’ve seen that gap narrow dramatically. It begs the question of whether Banchero should have better odds for the second pick than Holmgren. Reading the tea leaves on that, it sounds like Banchero’s possibility of going No. 1 over the other two top prospects has more to do with Orlando being intrigued by a player like Banchero.

The Magic hit a home run with Franz Wagner at No. 8 in last year’s draft. The Jalen Suggs pick at No. 5 isn’t quite the same standing ovation. Perhaps getting more of a point forward or playmaking forward like Banchero helps absolve Suggs of some of that playmaking responsibility. Or maybe they shouldn’t overreact to Suggs’ rookie season. Either way, Smith continues to be the guy everybody feels safe saying will go first. That leaves the Oklahoma City Thunder trying to decide what the second-best player (of the future) looks like next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

There is a case to be made for both Holmgren and Banchero. The skill set on offense and the shot-blocking timing on defense make Holmgren look extremely enticing. Comparisons will get out of control any time a player at 7-foot can handle the ball and shoot the ball like Holmgren does. Kevin Durant’s name has been floated a little bit, but obviously, there are massive differences in how they both move and attack coming out of college. Holmgren is slight of build for even a stick figure, but we’ve seen the Thunder throw their support behind Aleksej Pokuševski.

But Banchero might make more sense for a couple of reasons. 1) He’s someone who can handle the ball and make plays with a bully-ball element to his game. That takes playmaking duties off SGA’s plate, and it’s a little easier to project him getting to spots on the floor physically to make said plays. Banchero will be able to get wherever he wants, in theory, whereas Holmgren can be easily bodied up and kept away from the areas on the floor he covets. 2) Skill development with Banchero (already a highly skilled, 6-foot-10 dynamo) could be easier than bulking up Holmgren. We’re still likely to see Holmgren called in the first two before Banchero gets up from his green room table, but it’s an interesting (and good) dilemma for the Thunder to be in.

3. Will Houston take anybody but Paolo Banchero with the third pick?
Assuming Banchero isn’t a surprise selection in the first two picks, it seems likely he’ll be taken third in this draft. From what I’m hearing, Banchero is a lock at No. 3 in the draft, assuming it’s still Houston having the chance to select him. The Rockets aren’t expected to move off this pick, and their other selections in this draft are gettable. It’s just a matter of whether or not Banchero will be around at No. 3. With all of the smart money going to Smith as the first pick and a lot of assumptions that Holmgren’s ceiling is too high for the Thunder to pass on, Banchero at No. 3 feels and sounds like a lock.

Banchero joining the team and Alperen Şengün showing so much promise as a rookie provide even more depth and layers to the idea of moving on from Christian Wood this past week when they sent him to Dallas for a potpourri of role players and the 26th pick in the draft. Wood is entering free agency in 2023, and it appears ponying up the money to keep him around didn’t really entice general manager Rafael Stone. But you also don’t need some logjam for a veteran very concerned about his stats while trying to develop a bunch of young guys with high potential.

Banchero gives the Rockets more versatility at the four, but he’ll also be very difficult to pair with Şengün as a four/five big-man combo. That’s fine for now as the Rockets are still very much in a rebuilding phase of roster construction. Maybe Banchero figures out defense at the NBA level and competes. Maybe Şengün turns into a guy you can trust as a positional defender in a team concept. However, both guys give a lot of hope but still plenty of questions about pairing them for the long-term future.

4. What do we then make of Jaden Ivey and the Sacramento Kings owning the fourth pick?
There’s plenty of chatter around the league that the Kings are hoping teams who are at loggerheads with Portland in discussions for the seventh pick in the draft will come kick the tires on the fourth pick instead, though as our Shams Charania reported earlier this week, the Kings are becoming increasingly comfortable drafting at No. 4.

Harrison Barnes’ name has been in trade rumors in the lead-up to the draft, and Sacramento is thinking it will probably take more than just Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox to bring them back to the postseason after an NBA-record 16-season drought. That’s the accurate way of looking at it. That pairing isn’t good enough to contend with what is expected to be a deeper Western Conference next season, but the Kings do feel it’s a great start toward building out a trio they can rely upon. What happens if those deals don’t materialize prior to Thursday night’s selection at No. 4?

Ivey is, by far, the best prospect on the board, but how well does he end up meshing with Fox if they’re so intent on keeping the guard entering his sixth season? Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé is believed to be a big fan of Keegan Murray out of Iowa. The idea of Ivey and Fox working together has its holes, and they’ve already committed the max to Fox while also jettisoning Tyrese Haliburton to grab Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline. Murray makes more sense for the roster construction, plus he looks like he’s going to be really damn good. We’ll see what can materialize for them if anybody feels desperate to move up for a guy like Ivey, Murray or someone else.

5. Are we certain Detroit and Indiana will take Ivey if he’s available?
It’s difficult to sift through the smog of what to believe will happen in this top 10, but it sounds less and less likely that Ivey is the pick at No. 5. General manager Troy Weaver and the Detroit Pistons are being linked to the wings quite a bit. Murray is the wing/forward everybody wants to move up for. The Pistons would love for Murray to drop to them at No. 5, but if Murray is gone, where does that put the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers?

Bennedict Mathurin sounds like the leader in the clubhouse for Detroit. He had a great workout there, and his stock has been climbing while more and more people feel unsure about Shaedon Sharpe — another wing in the mix here. Ivey could potentially be a great fit next to Cade Cunningham as primary playmakers (Ivey more as a scorer than the all-around approach of Cunningham), but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of steam there for the Pistons to take him. This could all be a smokescreen to keep teams from trading up with the Kings to try to get Ivey. Or this could be a sign that Mathurin really is the leader to be picked at No. 5.

It may come down to what the Pacers want to do at No. 6. There’s no mistake about whether they’re trying to free up some minutes in that backcourt. Haliburton is their guard of the future, and you can comfortably put him at the one or two. The Pacers have been fielding Malcolm Brogdon calls, and they’ve also been making their own. It sounds like they’d love to end up with Murray, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be there when they pick. Both the Kings and the Pistons passing on Murray doesn’t sound feasible. Ivey is very much in the mix for being picked at No. 6 if he’s still available, and then the Pacers can just figure out the backcourt logjam at some point.

Sharpe also could be an option for the Pacers at No. 6, which would then bring us to possibly the biggest wild card in the top 10.

Bonus: How likely is Portland to move the seventh pick in this draft?
The Portland Trail Blazers seem to be involved in all kinds of trade talks that involve the seventh pick in the draft. They’ve been hot on the OG Anunoby trail in the lead-up to the draft. It sounds like Anunoby doesn’t love his role with the Toronto Raptors, especially after Scottie Barnes came in and locked up being their wing of the future. Anunoby has two more seasons on his deal plus a player option in 2024-25. He wants a more prominent role and the opportunity to show what he can do on offense. The Blazers probably love the idea of adding him to the core with Damian Lillard, and their best trade chip in accomplishing that is using the seventh pick to entice Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri.

If the Blazers do end up selecting at No. 7 for their own use, Dyson Daniels and Sharpe are the two perimeter players most likely to join Lillard. There’s also some consideration for Jalen Duren, the big man out of Memphis. If we believe that Jusuf Nurkić will go elsewhere in free agency, Duren seems to have the most upside for big men in this draft and should edge out Mark Williams as the first more-traditional center off the board.

Quick-hitters
• Dyson Daniels: Speaking of Daniels, the Washington Wizards are believed to be high on him. They don’t pick until 10th, so he might be available for them. New Orleans is thought to be very interested in Daniels at No. 8, but the Pelicans are not anticipating him getting past the Blazers (or whoever picks there) at No. 7. They’d love for Mathurin to fall, as well, but he’s probably not going to be there at No. 8, either.

• Ousmane Dieng: With the Pelicans hoping for Daniels or Mathurin to fall to No. 8, they’re probably going to need a realistic backup plan. That’s where someone like Dieng out of Australia’s NBL shows up. He’s a big playmaker who can potentially guard multiple positions. For a team with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, that’s exactly the type of role player to put with them. The Pelicans might look to trade down to select Dieng if he ends up being their guy.

• Johnny Davis: The Wizards and San Antonio Spurs are big on Davis. The Spurs pick at No. 9, so Davis might not end up being a viable target for the Wizards at No. 10. If Washington misses out on Daniels and Davis, AJ Griffin could be the guy. The Spurs need a big man with Jakob Poeltl becoming a very rich man soon, but Davis appears to have the advantage as of right now.

• Tari Eason: The forward out of LSU is a big target for teams looking to move into the first round or higher in it. Maybe this surge in interest for Eason could move him up to the lottery, but he’s expected to go somewhere in the mid-to-late teens. Sources have told me the Celtics are high on him and could be looking to move into the first round to grab Eason by dangling a young role player like Payton Pritchard or Aaron Nesmith. They may have to get above No. 17 to do so, because it’s also believed Houston loves Eason at that selection if they end up keeping that pick.

• Jake LaRavia: The Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks could find themselves in a chase for LaRavia out of Wake Forest. The Bucks will have the first shot at him between these two teams with them selecting at No. 24 and the Raptors having to wait until nine picks later. LaRavia can shoot, and we know the Bucks love role players who can be deadly from the outside. I’ve also heard they have some interest in Andrew Nembhard, but the point guard position isn’t a priority here. The Raptors don’t select until No. 33, but as long as someone like Caleb Houstan is still available, they’ll be happy with waiting until early in the second round.

• Dallas Mavericks: Despite moving their first-round pick in the Christian Wood deal, the Mavs are believed to want back into the late first round or early second round, from what I’m told, if it can land them Trevor Keels out of Duke. Ismaël Kamagate could also be a guy they trade into the draft for, so they can stash him overseas and bring him into the mix in a year or two.

• Golden State Warriors: The defending champs are apparently open to moving their 28th pick in the draft, and that could be tied to some guaranteed money causing them an even greater luxury-tax bill, although there isn’t a huge difference between a minimum deal and what the 28th pick would command. If they do decide to keep it, the Warriors are thought to be interested in Houstan or Christian Braun. E.J. Liddell would be the dream scenario, but it’s hard to imagine him falling to No. 28.

• Utah Jazz: While searching for a new coach is definitely the priority for the Jazz, they could be looking to get back into the first round of this draft. Their pick belongs to Memphis for the Mike Conley sign-and-trade back 2019. But the Jazz would love to get into the mix, likely somewhere in the back end of the first round, to grab a cost-effective role player. There’s been a little bit of chatter about whether Royce O’Neale could be the guy moved in this trade, but the franchise’s dedication to Donovan Mitchell and making him happy means they’re unlikely to move his good friend off the team for a rookie. More likely, it would be dangling a young player — maybe even Nickeil Alexander-Walker — for that first-round selection.

Is Deandre Ayton really out of Phoenix no matter what?
In the blink of an eye, the Phoenix Suns went from, “Could this be the year they finally win the title?” to getting knocked out in the second round and nobody expecting Ayton to be back with them next season. The tricky part about is that Ayton is a restricted free agent. There are only two ways he ends up far away from the Suns’ organization. He could sign the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023, or he and his agent orchestrate a sign-and-trade in restricted free agency. The Suns can match any offer sheet thrown his way, and once the offer sheet is signed, the Suns can no longer manufacture that sign-and-trade.

It’s going to come down to how willing both sides are to work together to make sure both sides end up happy but also separated from each other. Sources have told The Athletic that Ayton is being highly sought after by Detroit and Atlanta, and Sacramento has checked in on a potential acquisition. The Hawks and Pistons both have a ton of flexibility to get a deal done. Even if a team is able to offer Ayton a max offer sheet, the Suns would be expected to match rather than lose him outright.

Atlanta could offer up any number of its nice young players and satiate the Suns in their “win-now mode” by parting with Clint Capela to keep the defensive-minded Suns approach whole at the center position. Detroit doesn’t quite have that Capela piece to include, but it could dangle Jerami Grant as the veteran ready to help you keep winning. The Suns could do a lot of small ball with him, but they’d still need a center in the mix. Sacramento can offer Barnes as the veteran and also include the fourth pick in the draft in a potential sign-and-trade deal for Ayton, but the Kings wouldn’t be able to complete that until after free agency starts. It would have to be somewhere Ayton wants to go. It also would involve the Suns being cool with trading to a division foe.

Will Utah actually move Rudy Gobert?
It’s hard to gauge what the Jazz will end up doing with Gobert. It’s clear they’re committing to Mitchell and trying to find a way to make him happy long-term in Salt Lake City. While some in the organization value Gobert greater than they do Mitchell, that is ultimately going to lose out to owner Ryan Smith and how he feels about Mitchell. Gobert and Mitchell have tried to make it work following some turmoil in the locker room throughout 2020. It doesn’t. I do think they made a valiant effort to make it work as a duo and a team, but the Jazz fell apart time and time again due to a lack of cohesion on both ends of the floor.

Other teams know the Jazz may have to move off Gobert, and they’re ready to pounce. Teams all over the league have called to ask about what it would take to part with Gobert. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year has a lot of complications for a deal happening. His perceived value around the league is high, but not nearly as high as how the Jazz view him. He also has a cap number of $38 million for next season, and he’s owed just under $170 million over the next four years (including his player option). It will take some big money to match salaries enough here.

The Hawks are very interested in Gobert but may wait to see what the Ayton market looks like — both in terms of money and complications in making a trade with Phoenix. The Minnesota Timberwolves called about Gobert, as they’re interested in pairing Karl-Anthony Towns with a defensive-minded five (Capela is also an option for them to pursue). But the Chicago Bulls might hold the keys to all of this. They can provide a solid-enough veteran big man (Nikola Vučević) back in the deal to help the Jazz play/win now. The Bulls’ willingness to attach Patrick Williams in a deal at the end of the day is a game of chicken that has yet to approach its breaking point.

A dozen other teams, at least, will kick the tires on a Gobert acquisition, but the Jazz are preparing to see what life without Gobert might look like in their next era of basketball.

Is John Collins on the move?
Hawks team president Travis Schlenk has not been shy about making members of this roster not named Trae Young available in trade discussions. He openly commented on the radio this past season that he probably shouldn’t have brought everybody back from the Eastern Conference finals run in 2021. Collins is probably the most enticing player the Hawks could move, and we may see them toss out a Godfather-type offer to Utah if Schlenk decides Gobert is the perfect complement to Young. We just don’t know if Gobert’s defensive capabilities and impact are exactly what the Hawks are looking for in a big man, especially at nearly $170 million over the next four years. Even if it is, the Hawks might not be looking to trade Collins in that move. They might be bringing Gobert in to ease some of the defensive responsibilities on Collins. Or what if it also gives them the opportunity to move Collins for something else?

The Kings are also said to be interested in Collins. He would pair horribly with Sabonis if a trade came to fruition, but a bad pairing never stopped Sacramento from making a move before. It’s almost expected at this point. The Kings are also looking around for a potential acquisition with Grant out of Detroit or Tobias Harris out of Philadelphia. In fact, it sounds like the Kings want to put themselves in the mix with any available trade target at this point because they’re so desperate to make something happen that puts them in the postseason.

There’s also some chatter the Celtics could be interested in a deal for Collins. Al Horford is 36 years old, and he has one more year on his deal, which is non-guaranteed. As great as he was for them in the postseason, the Celtics shouldn’t plan on him being a viable part of this rotation for the long term. Collins is only 24 years old, and putting him with Robert Williams III and Jayson Tatum in the frontcourt would give the Celtics a young, dynamic trio up front. The problem is … who do you give up for Collins in this scenario? It isn’t Horford.

Would Jaylen Brown be in the mix here? This is where it gets quite complicated. Brown is a far better player than Collins is. Unless the Celtics have a guarantee at the point guard position that moves Marcus Smart to the two, finding some version of a Collins-for-Brown swap doesn’t make a lot of sense. Brown is from Georgia, so it would be a nice homecoming for him. My guess is Boston’s to-do list doesn’t have “get Brown back home” as a high priority. The Celtics were two wins away from a championship, and tinkering is a better operation here than an overhaul.

Either way, expect the Hawks to shake things up and dangle Collins as a guy to help galvanize it.

Are any teams looking to move up in the draft, and why?
• Spurs: The Spurs will have to move up in the draft if they become fixated on Keegan Murray. That means finding a deal with the Kings, because he’s not going to fall past Detroit at No. 5. We’re not even sure he’s going to be someone Sacramento passes on. The Spurs have a lot of ways to go about trading up with the Kings. Poeltl is a year away from getting paid in the summer of 2023. Could he be someone to dangle as a defensive big man you can play next to Sabonis? Would that allow them to keep their ninth pick and take Duren there?

• Wizards: Washington really loves Daniels, so what kind of deal makes sense for them to move up to ensure they get him? Would it make sense to try to convince the Blazers that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the veteran wing they need to put next to Lillard? Is that even enough for both sides to feel comfortable in the trade? The Blazers are looking for more home run deals for them, and they just might not be there at No. 7 for someone looking up to grab Daniels. Or maybe Ivey if he’s still around.

• Knicks: The Knicks definitely need a new backcourt after the disaster that was Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Trading up to get Ivey would make a lot of sense toward doing so. That probably means trading with Sacramento, unless they take the wait-and-see approach and then Ivey happens to be around at No. 7. They’re not going to part with RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley. Cam Reddish isn’t likely to be moved, although Tom Thibodeau would probably love it if he’s included. Griffin appears to be the consolation prize for the Knicks at No. 11 if he’s around. If not, they could actually look to trade down to get TyTy Washington out of Kentucky.

Second-round sleepers I absolutely love
• David Roddy | 6-foot-6 forward | Colorado State: The key to Roddy being a massive value in the second round comes from whether you believe in his 3-point shooting from his junior season. The indicators are a little all over the place. In his first two college seasons, he made 35 of 149 from deep (23.5 percent). Yuck. His junior season saw a massive improvement with a 46-of-105 mark (43.8 percent). However, he went from being a 76.7 percent free-throw shooter his first two seasons to a 68.9 percent freebie shooter as a junior. Free-throw accuracy is typically a good indicator of future shooting success outside of the free-throw line. Roddy’s went opposite directions his junior season.

The shot looks pretty good, although he’s so plodding as a wing player that everything looks a bit labored and mechanical. Not necessarily a bad thing unless he’s trying to create the shot for himself. He reminds me a lot of a P.J. Tucker type of forward. He’s short, but he has a wingspan in the neighborhood of 7-foot. He can lock in defensively and hit the boards quite well for someone his height. Could Portland target him with its pick at 36?

• Caleb Houstan | 6-foot-8 wing | Michigan: There’s a chance Houstan winds up at the back end of the first round, but he’s been mostly projected as a second-round guy. Houstan was missing from the pre-draft combine, which made a lot of people wonder if he had a promise in the first round or early in the second round. Oklahoma City was the presumed team with that, but then it traded the 30th pick to Denver. That doesn’t mean the Thunder wouldn’t have promised him the 34th selection, but it definitely confused that assumption. As for Houstan the player, he’s extremely intriguing with his length and potential to shoot the ball.

Houstan only shot 35.5 percent from deep in his freshman season at Michigan, but over his last 20 games, he was putting up five 3-pointers per game and made 39.6 percent of them. His slow start killed his season percentage, but he eventually found his groove. Teams are banking on that groove being the norm for him, and his jumper looks aesthetically pleasing. He moves a bit off the ball like Kyle Anderson (but quicker) or Kyle Kuzma (but physically weaker). You hope he can turn into a defender to complete the 3-and-D projection. I think he can. Golden State and Toronto are both thought to be high on him.

• Justin Lewis | 6-foot-7 wing | Marquette: Right away, you notice Lewis has a 7-foot-2 wingspan to swarm and harm the opposition in front of him. Lewis is definitely a project at just 20 years old, but there was some encouraging growth out of him from his freshman year to sophomore year. His free-throw shooting and 3-point shooting both improved in an increased role on offense. Everything shot up straight across the board as he became the first option for Marquette. He needs a lot of polish to his game, but his jump shot looks really good and effortless, either spotting up or pulling up off the bounce.

He looks exactly like the type of guy teams like Miami and Toronto covet. He has good size, good strength and long arms. He isn’t a great defender, but get him in the right system, and he could end up being a terror on defense. Lewis has enough ability on offense to make something happen. He’s a little awkward with the ball driving and shooting against contact, but he’s got good enough touch to feel like you’ll get something out of it.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

There’s a safe bet that Dyson Daniels is at least Kyle Anderson, right?

Feel like he should be a lock for top 9

 

[VARNELL HILL]

I figured they were going to move that pick. There will be some really good players available @ 28.

 

[pmatic]

Trading #28 for a high second rounder (Indiana #31, Orlando #32) seems obvious.

I have nightmares LaRavia falls to them. And they draft Trevion Williams in the second round.