Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs are all flawed players that bring different things to the table, but minutes are already limited in Orlando's backcourt and none of those players should be given up on. except they have three former top-15 picks all under the age of 26. has likely done enough to lock up the center slot as well, especially on a value contract.Ĭonventional wisdom would therefore dictate that the Magic lean toward guards. We can safely call the power forward position ( Paolo Banchero) and small forward position ( Franz Wagner) locked up for the foreseeable future. That is not to suggest that Magic have stars in every slot, but take a look up and down their roster. The Magic are in a somewhat different position: they don't exactly have needs in the traditional sense. upside" slot on the board, and those are often the picks that define a draft. But if they're going to try to win now or even just put their best youngsters in a position to succeed, it's something they're going to have to think about. The Rockets have been content to tank over the past few seasons and allow their young players to figure out fit organically. Houston has never drafted for fit before this season, but they've never really needed to. But none represent the long-term value that Thompson does. Jarace Walker, Taylor Hendricks and Cam Whitmore should all be solid NBA players, and wings are the hardest players to find on draft night. The best fits on the board are lower-upside players. The last thing a Harden team needs is a raw athlete that struggles as a shooter. Oh, and then there are those pesky James Harden rumors floating about. Martin just competed in the dunk contest. They're not short on high-flying athletes either, as K.J. Houston already has plenty of those, with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. The best prospects on the board, led by Amen Thompson, are mostly high-usage ball-handlers. 4, the Rockets have an extremely uncomfortable decision to make. The Rockets wanted Wembanyama so badly that their owner literally told fans to " pray for Victor." Miller, a flexible wing that does a bit of everything, would have fit in just as easily. If they can't find a trade between now and Thursday, we'll probably be spending Friday looking for Lillard's new home. Most of the teams below are intriguing for how they could impact the draft, specifically.īut the Blazers? What happens to them this week could swing the 2024 championship picture. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes has reported that Miami is focused on pursuing him, and the Nets lurk as another possibility as well. Lillard has said that he isn't interested in a rebuild. In other words, right now, it appears as though Portland lacks a trade partner. but the Hornets could easily cut them out of the equation by simply taking Henderson themselves, either to keep or to trade to New Orleans themselves. New Orleans is reportedly interested in moving up for Henderson, and the Blazers would surely be interested in either Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram as the centerpiece of such a deal. The same appears true of Mikal Bridges in Brooklyn. Boston has not indicated any willingness to trade Jaylen Brown. Thus far, that veteran has not presented himself. They've signaled all offseason that they hope to trade that pick for a veteran to help Damian Lillard win right now. The question here is who will actually be making the pick.įor the time being, the Blazers hold the No. Henderson and Miller are the two best prospects in this class after Wembanyama, and whoever doesn't go No. All five of these teams are currently in the lottery, but if we get fireworks on Thursday night, there's a good chance that one of these teams is involved. So with mere days before the draft, let's take a look at the five most intriguing teams in Thursday's event. Plenty of teams outside of the top 10 look eager to jump into the mix. Virtually every team in the top 10 appears open to a trade. The Charlotte Hornets are still debating between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller at No. But after that? We still know very little about how the rest of the draft will play out. We can say with relative confidence that Victor Wembanyama will be a San Antonio Spur on Thursday.
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