The NBA draft is just three days away. The draft is always one of the most exciting basketball days of the year. Every year there are interesting stories and unexpected big moves on draft nights. Here are the 5 biggest stories and possible moves I’m watching headed into the draft.
1. Charlotte’s Scoot-Miller conundrum
Victor Wembanyama has long been locked in at number one to the Spurs, so the draft truly starts with the Hornets at number two. The debate between Scoot and Miller has long been discussed, especially since Charlotte got the number 2 pick. If the Hornets draft Scoot Henderson, they would pair him with Lamelo Ball creating one of the most entertaining young backcourts in the league. Henderson’s athleticism and finishing would complement Lamelo’s passing and shooting nicely. Scoot’s arrival would cause Lamelo to develop his off-ball game more. Ultimately, I think this pairing could work really well, especially if Lamelo becomes more of an off-ball threat. Alternatively, they could draft Brandon Miller to fill a much-needed hole at the wing position. Miller is a three-level scorer with defensive abilities in the mold of Jayson Tatum or Paul George. Many people argue Miller’s size and the increased value of big wings in the modern game make him the 2nd best player in the draft. Charlotte could trade the pick for a massive haul. The Pelicans have strong interest in trading up to get Scoot Henderson. Brandon Ingram has been the main name brought up in exchange for the number 2 pick but Zion Williamson or a slew of picks are other possible returns if the Pelicans make an offer. The Magic and the Raptors are two more teams to keep an eye on if the Hornets decide to trade the pick. Whatever happens, the number two pick will shake up this draft in a massive way.
2. What direction do the Blazers go?
On a similar note Charlotte’s decision could impact what the Blazers do at number three. The Blazers are in serious talks to trade the number three pick for immediate help around Damian Lillard. A combination of Aneferre Simons and the number three pick for Pascal Siakam is the most discussed package and probably the best value for Portland. Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Krispataps Porzingis, and Zach Lavine floating possibilities for a package centered around the 3rd pick. However, if the Blazers can’t find the right package or choose to rebuild they would select whoever is still available between Scoot and Miller. This would make the possibility of a Dame all the more likely especially if Scoot is still available.
3. The Pacers underrated flexibility
Moving away from some of the more notable draft stories and rumors the Pacers are quietly one of the most interesting teams in the draft. With three 1st round picks (7,26,29) the Pacers could go in a lot of different directions. It’s been rumored that Indiana is looking into trading their number 7 pick for a wing player. OG Anunoby feels like the target here and he would fit perfectly with the Pacers core. The Pacers could also give the Raptors the perfect rebuilding package. If the Pacers decide to keep the pick Taylor Hendricks is a versatile two-way wing who strikes me as a perfect fit for Indiana. Amen or Asuar Thompsen both have playmaking and defensive abilities making them intriguing possibilities for Indiana. The Pacers remaining draft picks give them flexibility. They could use all three of these picks and bring in an intriguing rookie class with an already solid core. Another possibility is that the Pacers could use some of these picks to trade up in the draft or land a win-now player. This flexibility excites me about the Pacers and their recent organizational direction gives me confidence they’ll have a great draft night.
4. What does Orlando do with their two lottery picks?
The Magic have one of the league’s best young cores and brightest futures. With picks 6 and 11, Orlando has the opportunity to add two more high-upside players to their already impressive core. With the 6th pick, the Thompson twins size and positional versatility would make them an ideal fit with Orlando’s style of play. Taylor Hendricks is another solid option at 6, his two-way abilities combined with great size and versatility also fits the mold for what Orlando is building. At 11 I could see the Magic targeting a sharpshooter like Grady Dick or adding more defense and versatility with the high-upside French wing Bilal Coulibaly. Alternatively, I could see the Magic being a sneaky Scoot team and using these picks to trade into the top 3. With two lottery picks Orlando has a lot of flexibility and packaging those two picks along with a young asset or future picks to land a guy like Scoot is certainly a possibility. Another idea is for Orlando to use the 11th pick along with a young asset or another future pick to land back-to-back picks at 6 and 7 setting up for them to draft both Thompson twins. Yet another idea would be to use one or maybe even both picks to target an established player to add to their impressive young core. If the Magic go this route Zach Lavine or OG Anunoby could be intriguing targets. The point is the Magic have a lot of options with two lottery picks and I’m super excited to watch what moves they make on draft night.
5. Do the Raptors blow it up?
The Raptors are coming off a disappointing season and face some serious questions this off-season. Fred Vanvleet is a free agent this year, and Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are free agents next year. With Vanvleet likely gone this off-season on top of a new coach arriving, now feels like the right time to trade Siakam and OG and start rebuilding. Siakam and OG still hold value on the trade market so why not cash in on that value on draft night? As discussed earlier the Blazers remain a strong possibility for Pascal and the Pacers for OG. These two destinations make the most sense for the Raptors because they could get three lottery picks in this draft to build around along with Scottie Barnes. That sets up a great future and rebuild for Toronto. If deals fall through or the Raptors decide to look elsewhere there are still plenty of suitors for Siakam and OG. The Rockets and Jazz are two teams that jump out to me for Pascal. The Rockets could offer the number 4 pick or a talented young player like Jalen Green along with future assets to make this deal work. Well, the Jazz have a ton of future assets to entice the Raptors with. For OG the Magic, Grizzlies, or Kings are other interesting possibilities. The Magic can offer a lottery pick along with future assets or an intriguing young player as previously discussed. While the Grizzlies and Kings both desperately need a defensive-minded wing and might overpay for OG with a haul of future picks. The Raptors could easily begin their rebuild on draft night and have a lot of options to kickstart that rebuild. I’ll closely be watching for the Raptors to blow it up on draft night and ultimately think it’s the smart move.