Intrigue abounds with lottery picks in play
Jumping at the chance to land Doncic, or dump salary, will make the draft ride bumpy
We are now two days away from the NBA draft, which is shaping up to be as unpredictable as any in recent memory. Here’s a rundown of what we are hearing about some of the most intriguing and interesting storylines heading into the league’s annual selection show:
á If Luka Doncic were American with his level of production and accomplishment at age 19, he would be the undisputed top pick. Instead, he might still be on the board at No. 4 or No. 5 considering the way things are trending. That could prove to be a boon to the teams with those picks, Memphis and Dallas. If Doncic somehow gets to fifth, he seems destined to go to Dallas. If he is on the board for the fourth pick, things could get interesting. Several teams further down the draft board may seek to move up to get Doncic. Memphis, which has designs on again becoming a factor in the West after missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years, could turn the pick into multiple pieces — particularly if that includes moving on from Chandler Parsons’ remaining two years of salary. Could the Knicks send Tim Hardaway Jr. and the ninth pick? Could the Clippers send the12th and13th picks with Tobias Harris? Could the Cavaliers send George Hill and the eighth pick? Any one of those moves might pique Memphis’ interest.
á The next most interesting name will be Michael Porter Jr., who has the widest range of anyone near the top of this year’s class. He could go anywhere from Sacramento at No. 2 to New York at No. 9. His talent is undeniable. There’s a reason Porter was considered a topthree selection this time a year ago. But his ongoing health issues — both the back injury and subsequent surgery that knocked him out for nearly all of his lone season at Missouri, and complications from the lengthy layoff that delayed his recovery — could impact his stock.
á The weird thing about this draft is that five of the top eight picks will be big men, in a league that is rapidly moving away from such players unless they are truly elite. Meanwhile, good teams such as the Sixers, Celtics and Warriors at the back of the first round will have their choice of wing players who can contribute now — we’re talking Donte DiVincenzo, Jacob Evans, Grayson Allen, Melvin Frazier and Khyri Thomas — which is atypical for players picked late in the first round.
á Something else to watch will be teams trying to shed salary. Denver has been targeted as one possibility to move on from its pick, 14th overall, to shed the contracts of Kenneth Faried and Darrell Arthur (roughly $21 million combined) so as to offer Nikola Jokic a max deal as a restricted free agent this summer. As mentioned before, Parsons could also be on the market. Perhaps the 11th pick will be in play for the Hornets, who are pushing the luxury tax and have several bad deals on their books. Half the league will be in that same boat this summer, and few teams have the money to take on bad deals. Whether it happens Thursday or in July, expect several teams to try to get rid of bad deals one way or another. Draft pick compensation, historically, is the best way to do so.