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            <h2>The Arc Digital 2017 NBA Mock Draft</h2>
            <div><h3>It’s Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball at the top, but where does everybody else go?</h3></div>
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    </div><h2 id="ecbe">Cleveland</h2><p id="51f1">No news, though they apparently almost traded in for a high second to take Ivan Rabb.</p><h2 id="c142">Dallas</h2><p id="9044">Dennis Smith Jr. is a super talented player that really worried me, but Dallas was the exact perfect destination. Now he can learn in that system, surrounded by veterans. And he can do it under Rick Carlisle, a great patient coach with a knack for getting the most out of guys, especially guards that don’t work elsewhere. Dallas has a real piece to build around now, maybe two if Nerlens Noel stays healthy and re-signs.</p><h2 id="c2a1">Denver</h2><p id="2f37">I’ve been saying Denver is Boston West with all their assets, but this draft felt like Boston West too, which is not a compliment. Denver could’ve used #13 to add one more big talent or a defender like Donovan Mitchell or OG Anunoby to round out the team. Instead they traded the pick away for two small-ball fours that aren’t as good as the one they already have in Juancho Hernangomez. Trey Lyles has shown little, and I didn’t like Tyler Lydon as a prospect at all. Denver still doesn’t have defenders and hasn’t been able to trade all its nickels and dimes into even a quarter or two yet.</p><h2 id="0dd0">Detroit</h2><p id="98af">Luke Kennard was taken one pick after Malik Monk. I have a feeling that sentence is going to be ludicrous in a couple years. I hated the pick, a low-upside guy that prioritizes need on a team that doesn’t have parts that should be built around. Van Gundy did develop a similar player in Redick so there’s some hope there. Kennard just wasn’t a lottery player in a deep draft like this.</p><h2 id="848f">Golden State</h2><p id="e34a">The Warriors entered the night with no draft picks. They left with a top ten player on my board that fits their team better than any other team in the league and didn’t give up anything but cash. Golden State should’ve been a non-story on draft night. Instead they somehow became one of the biggest winners. Jordan Bell could be a stud for them.</p><h2 id="03ef">Houston</h2><p id="ad8c">The Rockets picked up Isaiah Harteinstein in the second, but I’m more intrigued by them signing Cameron Oliver late. he has some real upside and is a great fit in their system.</p><div id="1ac5" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://arcdigital.media/five-sleeper-nba-teams-that-could-trade-for-paul-george-b764aa0b273d">
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            <h2>Five Sleeper NBA Teams that Could Trade for Paul George</h2>
            <div><h3>Where else could PG go besides Boston, Cleveland, or Los Angeles?</h3></div>
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    </div><h2 id="587c">Indiana</h2><p id="2edd">The Pacers quietly had one of my favorite drafts, turning a few middle picks into three of my top 35 prospects. T.J. Leaf could be a nice fit next to Myles Turner, and Ike Anigbogu is a high upside guy that has time to develop behind Turner. Edmond Sumner is a talented point guard who slipped with injuries but may get a good chance if Indiana doesn’t bring back Jeff Teague. This is a nice start toward a rebuild if the Pacers can find the right Paul George trade next.</p><h2 id="d7a9">LA Clippers</h2><p id="7faa">The Clippers started the night with no draft picks and left with two of my top 25 in Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell in the second round. That’s a heck of a draft, and it will get even more valuable if the Clippers keep CP3 and Blake and run it back. Thornwell is good enough to start at small forward (also an indictment of their options there) and Evans could thrive as a backup point guard — that is, of course, if Doc magically starts playing young guys. Still, the Clippers were a real surprise winner.</p><h2 id="fbda">LA Lakers</h2><p id="c680">Lonzo Ball could be a culture changer and was the right pick for the Lakers. He could unlock Luke Walton’s motion offense. I loved the Josh Hart pick too, especially since they added a second pick on a trade down but still got him in the first for a cheap, long contract. Ball and Hart could both be starters by the end of the season. Both have incredible hoops IQ and will make Luke Walton, a similarly brilliant basketball mind, very happy.</p><p id="69a6">I didn’t like the Kyle Kuzma pick as much but did like Thomas Bryant in the second and loved the signing of P.J. Dozier, my favorite sleeper. The Lakers added a ton of talent and potential. Ball, Hart, and Ingram could be a very tantalizing trio for LeBron to join next summer — or at least Paul George or Russell Westbrook. Dumping Mozgov’s salary was already a huge step in the right direction.</p><div id="71a3" class="link-block">
      <a href="http://sportspickle.com/nba/lavar-ball-worst-lavar-history-lavars.html">
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            <h2>Is LaVar Ball the Worst LaVar in the History of LaVars? - Sports Pickle</h2>
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            <div><p>undefined</p></div>
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    </div><h2 id="26ea">Memphis</h2><p id="aa63">The Grizzlies traded for two second round picks, then took two guys I didn’t think were worth drafting in Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks. Still, both fit the Grizz m.o. so I like them a little better there, and the team needed youth, depth, and upside so it’s never a bad thing to add cheap talent.</p><h2 id="8022">Miami</h2><p id="312f">I like Bam Adebayo but he was one of my least favorite picks on draft night. Bam has almost no chance to play with Hassan Whiteside, which means the Heat spent a lottery pick on a 15-minutes-a-night backup. Miami is missing two of its next four first-round picks and has a really thin roster. They couldn’t afford to miss this one, but they probably did.</p><h2 id="cc65">Milwaukee</h2><p id="0b6a">I didn’t even have D.J. Wilson among my top 40 prospects so getting him at 17 is a pretty big stretch, but you do you, Milwaukee. The Bucks love length and potential, and that’s Wilson. I liked their second round pick Sterling Brown enough to have been okay with him at 17. He’s yet another good wing and should get playing time right away like Brogdon did a year ago.</p><h2 id="8ab4">Minnesota</h2><p id="9f0e">Minnesota made out like bandits in the Butler deal. Jimmy Butler is <i>exactly</i> the player this team needed. He’s a Thibs disciple and has the defensive instincts, work ethic, and winning mentality that Towns and Wiggins need to learn from. Even if Butler doesn’t totally fit the timetable, even if he leaves in two years, what those two learn from him will be absolutely invaluable. It was a no brainer deal every day of the week, even if they hadn’t gotten the #16 pick back too.</p><p id="d45f">And for what it’s worth, I’m mostly pretending they didn’t. I hated the Justin Patton pick. He’s really raw and lacks defensive effort and just doesn’t seem like someone Thibs will have much patience for, plus it’s another sign Thibodeau may still be stuck on playing Towns at the four instead of as a center. I’m more intrigued by Charles Cooke and V.J. Beachem as undrafted 3-and-D wing potential. Still, Minnesota won draft night. Swapping LaVine’s minutes for Butler (and Dunn’s for Tyus Jones) is the sort of thing that could be worth 15 or 20 wins next year.</p><h2 id="86dc">New Orleans</h2><p id="6c77">The Pelicans didn’t have a first round pick but got a first round talent with an astute trade up for Frank Jackson at #31. He could end up playing much of the season as the starting point guard. That’s a big get for a team desperate for talent anywhere outside of big men.</p><h2 id="de1e">New York</h2><p id="866d">I wasn’t a fan of this Knicks draft. Ntilikina is a nice prospect but I’d rather have seen the Knicks take the higher upside prospect in Dennis Smith or Malik Monk, and Damyean Dotson and Ognjen Jaramaz seemed like throwaway picks. Ntilikina is a few years away from contributing anything useful. That’s okay, and it’s a win just to have kept Kristaps Porzingis after all the silly trade rumors, but the Knicks are sitting on a lot of dead money to Melo, Noah, and Lee if they’re going to build for 2020 with Porzingis and Ntilikina. They need to choose now or later instead of wading tepidly in the middle.</p><h2 id="27e5">Oklahoma City</h2><p id="ec44">I laughed when Terrance Ferguson was announced for the Thunder as their lone pick at 21 — such a typical Thunder pick. Ferguson won’t be ready to contribute right

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away, and OKC has a horrible history developing wing talent. The last five Thunder draft picks are Terrance Ferguson, Cameron Payne, Dakari Johnson, Mitch McGary, and Josh Huestis. That’s a pretty good way to kill off a franchise.</p><h2 id="f60f">Orlando</h2><p id="920e">I love Jonathan Isaac, and getting my #3 prospect at 6 is a win — though I like him a little less in Orlando. He’s a typical John Hammond pick, swinging for the fences on length and upside, and the right pick. But the Magic have squandered similar tweener players like Aaron Gordon here before so I’m a bit skeptical on Isaac’s development. I didn’t love the Iwundu pick high in the second but he’s a decent wing prospect.</p><div id="a45c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://arcdigital.media/jonathan-isaac-is-the-most-interesting-man-in-the-nba-draft-407ae8d3b1bf"> <div> <div> <h2>Jonathan Isaac Is the Most Interesting Man in the NBA Draft</h2> <div><h3>Every team in the NBA needs Isaac. Which one will get him?</h3></div> <div><p></p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*4NdcU0tjl1gp1cbVxIh1VQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="178a">Philadelphia</h2><p id="940a">The Sixers might have grabbed the most valuable asset on draft night. Markelle Fultz is the absolute perfect fit on this team next to Ben Simmons, and the Fultz-Simmons-Embiid trio is one worth getting legitimately excited about. Philly gave away what will probably be a 3–7 pick to move up for Fultz along with a #3 pick that wasn’t quite as valuable to them without a clear choice, but Fultz was well worth it. There’s real value too in adding his upside with the injury risk around Embiid and Simmons.</p><p id="e5cd">And if you stopped paying attention after Fultz, you missed Philly painting the other half of its masterpiece as they added Anzejs Pasecniks, Jonah Bolden, and Matthias Lessort later in the draft. Drafting and stashing international talent has proven a very effective strategy, and the Sixers loaded up on future talent using their many second round picks everyone thinks are useless. The Pasecniks trade was highway robbery, as Philadelphia gave up a heavily-protected future first that will almost certainly never convey (something I had marked as their 18th best asset) for a first round pick. That’s insane. Pasecniks and Bolden are lottery talents the Sixers just casually added for a handful of seconds that were throw-ins on other deals, and they’re guys that will sign for dirt cheap contracts when they do come stateside.</p><h2 id="dfdf">Phoenix</h2><p id="a237">The Suns stayed patient and got the guy that was the perfect fit all draft season in Josh Jackson. We’ll see if Jackson is as good as everyone else seems to think, but the Suns had to have cheered when he was there. Davon Reed and Alec Peters were fine second round picks. Neither has terribly high upside and it’s tough to see Peters sticking with Bender and Chriss around.</p><h2 id="fd54">Portland</h2><p id="64ad">The Blazers came into draft night with three first round picks and left with one first round talent. In some ways that’s good. I loved the trade up for Zach Collins. I’m not as high on Collins as some but he seems like a very good fit and a high upside guy, and word out of Portland is that they viewed him as a top-five guy. To trade #15 and #20 for that asset is a huge boon, especially when the Blazers didn’t really have cap space or roster room for three picks anyways.</p><p id="f272">I didn’t like using the other pick on Caleb Swanigan, though. A lot of analytics guys like his upside but that’s not a contract I’d want to guarantee with a first round pick. I’d have much rather Portland tried to do what the Lakers did, packaging that pick with a bad contract to even out the team a bit.</p><div id="7005" class="link-block"> <a href="https://arcdigital.media/who-actually-won-last-years-nba-free-agency-ad9486e87fe9"> <div> <div> <h2>Were Any of Last Summer’s NBA Free Agency Deals Actually Good?</h2> <div><h3>One year later, how many of those deals were actually worth it?</h3></div> <div><p></p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*-2068uf5f3PmbExbC-3eiQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="2d76">Sacramento</h2><p id="3431">Many like <a href="undefined">Kevin O'Connor</a> called Sacramento a big winner on draft night. I disagree. The Kings came into the night with two top-10 picks, plus a high second. They were <i>supposed</i> to get a good haul of players. They should have had two top-10 guys in a top-heavy draft, and De’Aaron Fox at 5 was a great start.</p><p id="5378">Then they traded down from 10 with Portland and got the Blazers’ 15 and 20. I like that idea in a vacuum — Sacramento is talent-starved, so adding two good prospects instead of one seems like a good idea. The problem was the execution. I wouldn’t have loved Justin Jackson at 15 to most teams, but I hate the pick for the Kings. He might be a useful rotation wing for a playoff team, but he’s a low upside pick here. I loved the Harry Giles at 20. I’m not a fan but he’s the kind of huge swing this team should be taking, and he could end up a top-ten player in the draft much like Skal Labissiere last year. The problem is Giles <i>might</i> be a top player — but Malik Monk and Zach Collins already are. The Kings passed on guys in better health and with more polish and upside for a player who might be really good if a lot of things break right, and their reward was a low-upside role player in Jackson. That’s not a good trade-off. I didn’t like the Frank Mason pick at #34 either. Like Jackson, he trades upside for experience and character.</p><p id="8ec4">The #10 pick was the one Sacramento received in the DeMarcus Cousins trade. So the Kings effectively traded Boogie for Buddy Hield, Justin Jackson, and Harry Giles. Character is nice, but do you know what’s even nicer? Real talent and upside. Maybe this is really what it takes to turn a franchise around, but I would’ve loved to see Sacramento keep the Kentucky back court of Fox and Monk together and let that develop or add Collins next to Skal in the front court. Low-upside character guys like Jackson and Mason might change a culture, but all they do in the meantime is help the team get the #7 pick instead of #4 next year and offer little long-term value.</p><h2 id="32d4">San Antonio</h2><p id="d0e6"><a href="undefined">Jonathan Tjarks</a> wrote a great piece about how every team in the NBA could use Derrick White, so naturally, every team passed on White and gave the Spurs a perfect fit who can contribute right away. White’s experience and shooting might be good enough to let the Spurs move on from Patty Mills, using their money elsewhere. Another good pick for a franchise that pretty much always gets it right.</p><h2 id="cbb5">Toronto</h2><p id="9326">The ESPN guys joked how OG Anunoby is every blogger’s favorite pick, and I loved him for Toronto at #23. He was top ten on my draft board with massive defensive upside if he can stay healthy and find an offensive role. We gave last rites to this Raptors team in the playoffs, but with Boston yet to make its big move and Cleveland looking a bit shaky, it might make sense for Toronto to re-sign Lowry and Ibaka and run it back once more. If they do, OG is a perfect fit and another defensive weapon.</p><h2 id="ebb3">Utah</h2><p id="efa8">The Jazz traded up twice on draft night. I loved the first, sending away Trey Lyles to jump from 24 to 13 and taking Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell is an awesome fit and could fill the George Hill role, a stronger defender with enough offense, and Utah hadn’t found a role for Lyles anyway. I liked the other Jazz trade less, when they gave away #42 to move up two spots to select Tony Bradley. Were the Jazz that afraid of San Antonio taking Bradley in front of them? Maybe, but it feels like Utah thinking they’re outsmarting the Spurs. I liked Bradley as a second round stash. Giving him a guaranteed contract to take up a roster spot and play backup minutes to Gobert is less exciting.</p><h2 id="355d">Washington</h2><p id="5bbb">The Wizards didn’t have any draft picks because they traded their one late second for Tim Frazier. Frazier’s a nice cheap backup point guard option who isn’t anything special but also isn’t Trey Burke, so he’s a nice add.</p><figure id="4cb8"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*Fi1W5QM5aK4JCyks3EjDng.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><p id="101c"><i>Follow Brandon on Medium or <a href="https://twitter.com/wheatonbrando">@wheatonbrando</a> for more sports, humor, pop culture, and life musings. Visit the rest of Brandon’s <a href="https://readmedium.com/brandon-anderson-writing-archives-6b3ee1a29301#.6cteu050v">writing archives here</a>.</i></p><figure id="001a"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*gc_0xOQ53jBoANIl7LXrkQ.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></article></body>

2017 NBA Draft Analysis for Every Single Team

Minnesota won the Jimmy Butler deal, but who else won and lost on NBA Draft night?

Another NBA draft is in the books, and it was a wild night as expected. The biggest news sent Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Chicago Bulls to a rebuild, but there was plenty of buzz for the other 28 teams too. As always, that means winners and losers and plenty of draft analysis.

Like everyone else, I loved the Jimmy Butler trade for Minnesota and hated it for Chicago. I also loved the Markelle Fultz trade for Philadelphia and hated it for Boston. Those moves made Minnesota and Philly my biggest draft winners and Chicago and Boston my two biggest losers. I also thought Charlotte and Brooklyn won pre-draft trades for Dwight Howard and D’Angelo Russell. In the draft itself, I loved what both Los Angeles teams, Warriors, and Pacers did, along with a handful of other teams. I didn’t like what the Nuggets, Pistons, Heat, or Knicks did quite as much.

Take a look below for a quick review of each team’s draft, and here’s a link to my pre-draft Big Board to see where everything started.

The Arc Digital 2017 NBA Draft Big Board

NBA Draft Day is here! Here’s what you need to know about every top prospect

Atlanta

I like John Collins more in Atlanta than I would’ve elsewhere. They develop young guys well, and hopefully Collins makes it less likely the Hawks sign Millsap. I hated the Howard trade for Atlanta. I get wanting to move on, but they took on a bad Miles Plumlee contract and gave up a valuable draft pick (#31). Atlanta is in no man’s land, and on the low end of it. They’re one of three teams right now whose most valuable asset is their own draft pick, so they need to let Millsap walk and lose a lot to make sure it’s good.

Boston

If I was giving out draft grades, I would have to give Boston an F right now. There’s just no other way to grade a team when they give up a decade of a player I valued far more than anyone else in the draft (Fultz) and instead came away with Tatum, my #8 player in the next tier that I liked by far the least. Maybe my player evaluations will prove incorrect, but that’s a catastrophe from my point of view. They’ll get a pick likely in the 3–7 range the next couple years too, but if Fultz as as good as I expect, there’s no way those two pieces are worth losing him.

The hidden cost of trading Fultz is it leaves Boston with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart as its only real guards, all with only a year left under contract. The Celtics lose a ton of leverage in negotiation without Fultz and this deal almost certainly locks them into keeping IT on a max deal, which could by ugly for a tiny past-prime guard. Boston kicked its can further down the road for another asset, but 2017–18 is the last year they benefit from all of these cheap deals and before Horford starts really declining. One summer from now they’re likely locked into whatever team they have for a few years. Losing Fultz means they need to push harder to go all-in this year, give up some of the assets they just got and trade away some of those good deals to create cap room, and push the time table up in what is clearly a Warriors year. Fultz was a player that let Boston have its cake and eat it too. Now they may have created two separate windows.

I liked the Ojeleye pick, for what it’s worth. He’ll learn from Crowder and eventually replace him. It sure seems like Boston could’ve used something other than more wings though.

Brooklyn

The Nets big move was packaging a low first with Brook Lopez to take on Mozgov’s contract and roll the dice on D’Angelo Russell. That was exactly the sort of deal this team should be making. Cole Zwicker argued well that Russell plus Mozgov combined essentially equates to paying $20 million to a developing player that might not be great, and that’s true. But Brooklyn’s cap space isn’t hugely valuable right now — this is a team that wanted in on Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson last summer in free agency, two guys on crippling contracts now. I like Russell and he gives the Nets a real young talent to build around. I really like Jarrett Allen too, and he can take his time developing here. Russell, Allen, and Caris LeVert give Brooklyn something real to build on, and there’s only one more future pick lost. The future is getting closer.

It’s Kind of a Long Story

If you want to spot good prospects, focus on wingspan & reach, not height

sethsdrafthouse.com

Charlotte

The Hornets made two moves I loved, falling into Malik Monk at #11 and dumping a bad Plumlee deal for a chance on Dwight Howard, who has always done well under Steve Clifford. Monk is a perfect fit and exactly what the team needed, and Clifford will find some way to balance the lack of size with him and Kemba together on defense. The Hornets are pretty locked into the team they have, but it’s a pretty solid one now — think the Grizzlies from a couple years ago. They could contend for the 3 or 4 seed out East and win a playoff series, maybe even two.

Chicago

There are disasters, and there’s what the Bulls did. Trading Jimmy Butler and hitting the reset button was the right decision. But the deal they got and the decisions surrounding it were all so wrong. They threw in a #16 pick they never should’ve lost, then sold a high second rounder on a team that desperately needs talent. They waited too long on a trade and are now stuck with Dwyane Wade’s big contract and a player who can only hurt the team’s draft picks. They traded away talent and threw in what will now be a top-35 pick in a deal for Cam Payne, who is now buried on the roster.

As for what the Bulls got? Not great, Bob. Kris Dunn is 23 already and showed precious little as a rookie. There’s very little history of a player like that turning into a positive. Zach LaVine has become a solid shooter but is a classic gunner that scores a lot of empty points and contributes little else and is a disaster on defense. Then, like everything else for the Bulls, the problem compounded — at least Chicago could’ve taken a chance on talented point guard Dennis Smith at #7 or stud shooter Malik Monk, but of course they “couldn’t” for the same reasons I feared my Wolves in that spot on draft day, because they now had two young guards in those spots. Instead they grabbed Lauri Markkanen, my least favorite lottery talent, a 7-foot shooting guard.

Trading Jimmy Butler was good. Trading him this way at this time for this package was a disaster. The Bulls might not have an NBA starter on their roster outside of Wade and Lopez, who only hurt the team. Chicago’s best assets now are its draft picks. They’re suddenly in contention with the Nets (Celtics) and Kings for the #1 pick and a shot at Luka Doncic or Michael Porter next year. Even the supposed “youth movement” is a fail. Kris Dunn, Cam Payne, Denzel Valentine, and Jerian Grant are all already 23 or older. Zach LaVine is actually younger than all of them.

Some will defend this trade because of rumors a year ago when Butler might have been traded for LaVine and Dunn, saying Chicago got that deal and the #7 pick. A lot has changed in a year. Dunn looked terrible. LaVine improved some but was still abysmal on defense then tore his ACL. Meanwhile Butler got even better and suddenly became a top 10 or 12 player in the league. And for all that change, the Bulls got the #7 pick? Wait, even that isn’t true. They got to move up from 16 to 7, far less valuable, then passed on the top talent available at 7 anyway. This was a disaster from every angle. #FireGarPax

The Arc Digital 2017 NBA Mock Draft

It’s Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball at the top, but where does everybody else go?

Cleveland

No news, though they apparently almost traded in for a high second to take Ivan Rabb.

Dallas

Dennis Smith Jr. is a super talented player that really worried me, but Dallas was the exact perfect destination. Now he can learn in that system, surrounded by veterans. And he can do it under Rick Carlisle, a great patient coach with a knack for getting the most out of guys, especially guards that don’t work elsewhere. Dallas has a real piece to build around now, maybe two if Nerlens Noel stays healthy and re-signs.

Denver

I’ve been saying Denver is Boston West with all their assets, but this draft felt like Boston West too, which is not a compliment. Denver could’ve used #13 to add one more big talent or a defender like Donovan Mitchell or OG Anunoby to round out the team. Instead they traded the pick away for two small-ball fours that aren’t as good as the one they already have in Juancho Hernangomez. Trey Lyles has shown little, and I didn’t like Tyler Lydon as a prospect at all. Denver still doesn’t have defenders and hasn’t been able to trade all its nickels and dimes into even a quarter or two yet.

Detroit

Luke Kennard was taken one pick after Malik Monk. I have a feeling that sentence is going to be ludicrous in a couple years. I hated the pick, a low-upside guy that prioritizes need on a team that doesn’t have parts that should be built around. Van Gundy did develop a similar player in Redick so there’s some hope there. Kennard just wasn’t a lottery player in a deep draft like this.

Golden State

The Warriors entered the night with no draft picks. They left with a top ten player on my board that fits their team better than any other team in the league and didn’t give up anything but cash. Golden State should’ve been a non-story on draft night. Instead they somehow became one of the biggest winners. Jordan Bell could be a stud for them.

Houston

The Rockets picked up Isaiah Harteinstein in the second, but I’m more intrigued by them signing Cameron Oliver late. he has some real upside and is a great fit in their system.

Five Sleeper NBA Teams that Could Trade for Paul George

Where else could PG go besides Boston, Cleveland, or Los Angeles?

Indiana

The Pacers quietly had one of my favorite drafts, turning a few middle picks into three of my top 35 prospects. T.J. Leaf could be a nice fit next to Myles Turner, and Ike Anigbogu is a high upside guy that has time to develop behind Turner. Edmond Sumner is a talented point guard who slipped with injuries but may get a good chance if Indiana doesn’t bring back Jeff Teague. This is a nice start toward a rebuild if the Pacers can find the right Paul George trade next.

LA Clippers

The Clippers started the night with no draft picks and left with two of my top 25 in Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell in the second round. That’s a heck of a draft, and it will get even more valuable if the Clippers keep CP3 and Blake and run it back. Thornwell is good enough to start at small forward (also an indictment of their options there) and Evans could thrive as a backup point guard — that is, of course, if Doc magically starts playing young guys. Still, the Clippers were a real surprise winner.

LA Lakers

Lonzo Ball could be a culture changer and was the right pick for the Lakers. He could unlock Luke Walton’s motion offense. I loved the Josh Hart pick too, especially since they added a second pick on a trade down but still got him in the first for a cheap, long contract. Ball and Hart could both be starters by the end of the season. Both have incredible hoops IQ and will make Luke Walton, a similarly brilliant basketball mind, very happy.

I didn’t like the Kyle Kuzma pick as much but did like Thomas Bryant in the second and loved the signing of P.J. Dozier, my favorite sleeper. The Lakers added a ton of talent and potential. Ball, Hart, and Ingram could be a very tantalizing trio for LeBron to join next summer — or at least Paul George or Russell Westbrook. Dumping Mozgov’s salary was already a huge step in the right direction.

Is LaVar Ball the Worst LaVar in the History of LaVars? - Sports Pickle

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Memphis

The Grizzlies traded for two second round picks, then took two guys I didn’t think were worth drafting in Ivan Rabb and Dillon Brooks. Still, both fit the Grizz m.o. so I like them a little better there, and the team needed youth, depth, and upside so it’s never a bad thing to add cheap talent.

Miami

I like Bam Adebayo but he was one of my least favorite picks on draft night. Bam has almost no chance to play with Hassan Whiteside, which means the Heat spent a lottery pick on a 15-minutes-a-night backup. Miami is missing two of its next four first-round picks and has a really thin roster. They couldn’t afford to miss this one, but they probably did.

Milwaukee

I didn’t even have D.J. Wilson among my top 40 prospects so getting him at 17 is a pretty big stretch, but you do you, Milwaukee. The Bucks love length and potential, and that’s Wilson. I liked their second round pick Sterling Brown enough to have been okay with him at 17. He’s yet another good wing and should get playing time right away like Brogdon did a year ago.

Minnesota

Minnesota made out like bandits in the Butler deal. Jimmy Butler is exactly the player this team needed. He’s a Thibs disciple and has the defensive instincts, work ethic, and winning mentality that Towns and Wiggins need to learn from. Even if Butler doesn’t totally fit the timetable, even if he leaves in two years, what those two learn from him will be absolutely invaluable. It was a no brainer deal every day of the week, even if they hadn’t gotten the #16 pick back too.

And for what it’s worth, I’m mostly pretending they didn’t. I hated the Justin Patton pick. He’s really raw and lacks defensive effort and just doesn’t seem like someone Thibs will have much patience for, plus it’s another sign Thibodeau may still be stuck on playing Towns at the four instead of as a center. I’m more intrigued by Charles Cooke and V.J. Beachem as undrafted 3-and-D wing potential. Still, Minnesota won draft night. Swapping LaVine’s minutes for Butler (and Dunn’s for Tyus Jones) is the sort of thing that could be worth 15 or 20 wins next year.

New Orleans

The Pelicans didn’t have a first round pick but got a first round talent with an astute trade up for Frank Jackson at #31. He could end up playing much of the season as the starting point guard. That’s a big get for a team desperate for talent anywhere outside of big men.

New York

I wasn’t a fan of this Knicks draft. Ntilikina is a nice prospect but I’d rather have seen the Knicks take the higher upside prospect in Dennis Smith or Malik Monk, and Damyean Dotson and Ognjen Jaramaz seemed like throwaway picks. Ntilikina is a few years away from contributing anything useful. That’s okay, and it’s a win just to have kept Kristaps Porzingis after all the silly trade rumors, but the Knicks are sitting on a lot of dead money to Melo, Noah, and Lee if they’re going to build for 2020 with Porzingis and Ntilikina. They need to choose now or later instead of wading tepidly in the middle.

Oklahoma City

I laughed when Terrance Ferguson was announced for the Thunder as their lone pick at 21 — such a typical Thunder pick. Ferguson won’t be ready to contribute right away, and OKC has a horrible history developing wing talent. The last five Thunder draft picks are Terrance Ferguson, Cameron Payne, Dakari Johnson, Mitch McGary, and Josh Huestis. That’s a pretty good way to kill off a franchise.

Orlando

I love Jonathan Isaac, and getting my #3 prospect at 6 is a win — though I like him a little less in Orlando. He’s a typical John Hammond pick, swinging for the fences on length and upside, and the right pick. But the Magic have squandered similar tweener players like Aaron Gordon here before so I’m a bit skeptical on Isaac’s development. I didn’t love the Iwundu pick high in the second but he’s a decent wing prospect.

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Philadelphia

The Sixers might have grabbed the most valuable asset on draft night. Markelle Fultz is the absolute perfect fit on this team next to Ben Simmons, and the Fultz-Simmons-Embiid trio is one worth getting legitimately excited about. Philly gave away what will probably be a 3–7 pick to move up for Fultz along with a #3 pick that wasn’t quite as valuable to them without a clear choice, but Fultz was well worth it. There’s real value too in adding his upside with the injury risk around Embiid and Simmons.

And if you stopped paying attention after Fultz, you missed Philly painting the other half of its masterpiece as they added Anzejs Pasecniks, Jonah Bolden, and Matthias Lessort later in the draft. Drafting and stashing international talent has proven a very effective strategy, and the Sixers loaded up on future talent using their many second round picks everyone thinks are useless. The Pasecniks trade was highway robbery, as Philadelphia gave up a heavily-protected future first that will almost certainly never convey (something I had marked as their 18th best asset) for a first round pick. That’s insane. Pasecniks and Bolden are lottery talents the Sixers just casually added for a handful of seconds that were throw-ins on other deals, and they’re guys that will sign for dirt cheap contracts when they do come stateside.

Phoenix

The Suns stayed patient and got the guy that was the perfect fit all draft season in Josh Jackson. We’ll see if Jackson is as good as everyone else seems to think, but the Suns had to have cheered when he was there. Davon Reed and Alec Peters were fine second round picks. Neither has terribly high upside and it’s tough to see Peters sticking with Bender and Chriss around.

Portland

The Blazers came into draft night with three first round picks and left with one first round talent. In some ways that’s good. I loved the trade up for Zach Collins. I’m not as high on Collins as some but he seems like a very good fit and a high upside guy, and word out of Portland is that they viewed him as a top-five guy. To trade #15 and #20 for that asset is a huge boon, especially when the Blazers didn’t really have cap space or roster room for three picks anyways.

I didn’t like using the other pick on Caleb Swanigan, though. A lot of analytics guys like his upside but that’s not a contract I’d want to guarantee with a first round pick. I’d have much rather Portland tried to do what the Lakers did, packaging that pick with a bad contract to even out the team a bit.

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Sacramento

Many like Kevin O'Connor called Sacramento a big winner on draft night. I disagree. The Kings came into the night with two top-10 picks, plus a high second. They were supposed to get a good haul of players. They should have had two top-10 guys in a top-heavy draft, and De’Aaron Fox at 5 was a great start.

Then they traded down from 10 with Portland and got the Blazers’ 15 and 20. I like that idea in a vacuum — Sacramento is talent-starved, so adding two good prospects instead of one seems like a good idea. The problem was the execution. I wouldn’t have loved Justin Jackson at 15 to most teams, but I hate the pick for the Kings. He might be a useful rotation wing for a playoff team, but he’s a low upside pick here. I loved the Harry Giles at 20. I’m not a fan but he’s the kind of huge swing this team should be taking, and he could end up a top-ten player in the draft much like Skal Labissiere last year. The problem is Giles might be a top player — but Malik Monk and Zach Collins already are. The Kings passed on guys in better health and with more polish and upside for a player who might be really good if a lot of things break right, and their reward was a low-upside role player in Jackson. That’s not a good trade-off. I didn’t like the Frank Mason pick at #34 either. Like Jackson, he trades upside for experience and character.

The #10 pick was the one Sacramento received in the DeMarcus Cousins trade. So the Kings effectively traded Boogie for Buddy Hield, Justin Jackson, and Harry Giles. Character is nice, but do you know what’s even nicer? Real talent and upside. Maybe this is really what it takes to turn a franchise around, but I would’ve loved to see Sacramento keep the Kentucky back court of Fox and Monk together and let that develop or add Collins next to Skal in the front court. Low-upside character guys like Jackson and Mason might change a culture, but all they do in the meantime is help the team get the #7 pick instead of #4 next year and offer little long-term value.

San Antonio

Jonathan Tjarks wrote a great piece about how every team in the NBA could use Derrick White, so naturally, every team passed on White and gave the Spurs a perfect fit who can contribute right away. White’s experience and shooting might be good enough to let the Spurs move on from Patty Mills, using their money elsewhere. Another good pick for a franchise that pretty much always gets it right.

Toronto

The ESPN guys joked how OG Anunoby is every blogger’s favorite pick, and I loved him for Toronto at #23. He was top ten on my draft board with massive defensive upside if he can stay healthy and find an offensive role. We gave last rites to this Raptors team in the playoffs, but with Boston yet to make its big move and Cleveland looking a bit shaky, it might make sense for Toronto to re-sign Lowry and Ibaka and run it back once more. If they do, OG is a perfect fit and another defensive weapon.

Utah

The Jazz traded up twice on draft night. I loved the first, sending away Trey Lyles to jump from 24 to 13 and taking Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell is an awesome fit and could fill the George Hill role, a stronger defender with enough offense, and Utah hadn’t found a role for Lyles anyway. I liked the other Jazz trade less, when they gave away #42 to move up two spots to select Tony Bradley. Were the Jazz that afraid of San Antonio taking Bradley in front of them? Maybe, but it feels like Utah thinking they’re outsmarting the Spurs. I liked Bradley as a second round stash. Giving him a guaranteed contract to take up a roster spot and play backup minutes to Gobert is less exciting.

Washington

The Wizards didn’t have any draft picks because they traded their one late second for Tim Frazier. Frazier’s a nice cheap backup point guard option who isn’t anything special but also isn’t Trey Burke, so he’s a nice add.

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