2024 NBA draft

[Clav]

The two areas I can see OKC target to improve in the classic draft sense are size, and post-versatility. This draft for all the people panning it as a 'bad draft' has many prospects that are big guys, international or otherwise, and though they may not be stars, they may be Clint-Capelas-or-Bobby-Portises lurking here.

My top 5+1 relative to our position in the draft @12. Though I would be ...okay with any of these selections. If we also help our team's construction with a FA signing for PF/C I will be a lot happier with any of these selections.

1 Donovan Clingan
2 Zach Edey
3 Kel'el Ware
4 Tristan Da Silva
5 Ulrich Chomche
HM Flipkowski

Ware is an interesting one, I wouldn't mind him at 12 either. Chomche is more of a prospect but has a big ceiling. Flipkowski, I'm not that warm on, but he feels like a Presti pick.

Cody Williams and Risacher likely targeted higher than 12 (Clingan maybe @ #8-10 too?) but I would be happy with either of them two as long as we also address post-play with a FA signing. Williams is right on that line where he may be available for us, and I would have no doubt Presti would select him given the chance.

If we somehow make a play into the 2nd round, a few guys I could also see OKC targeting are Oso Ighodaro, and Izan Almansa. I'm not sure how far they drop but yeah I'll be looking to see where they end up regardless.

[Kizz Fastfists]

This draft for all the people panning it as a 'bad draft' has many prospects that are big guys, international or otherwise, and though they may not be stars, they may be Clint-Capelas-or-Bobby-Portises lurking here.

When people say it is a bad draft they mean they don't see a Wemby, Chet, Luka, KAT, etc. type of franchise changing player. This draft has a lot of solid prospects. It is similar to the 2013 draft where Oladipo was clearly the player that should have gone #1 at the time and was never going to be a franchise changing player even without his injuries that destroyed his career. However, that draft produced Giannia, Gobert, Adams, Olynyk, CJ McCollum and other solid players. Jokic was a 2nd round pick in a draft everyone had Andrew Wiggins as the franchise player in the draft. This draft will end up producing at least one all-star player the question is who will it be. All you can do is draft from the available talent, but Presti has a chance to add a very good player even if the odds of finding another superstar are extremely slim at #12.

I think Clingan goes top 5 and if I were Houston I'd be seriously thinking about him at #1. I was much higher on Filipowski early in the process than I am now, but I won't be mad if he is the pick. He's got some similarities to Chet, but he's not the shot blocker Chet is and even less of a physical player than Chet is when it comes to banging in the paint. Filipowski is much more a PF that will be bullied in the paint. I don't like Chet playing center as he gets pushed around more than I want my center to, but if someone tries to make Filipowski their starting center they are going to have issues. Toronto would be a good landing spot where he could learn behind Olynyk and eventually fill that type of role as a good PF and decent backup C.

I have Edey as the player OKC needs to come away from the draft with even if that means moving up. Last year I had Lively as that player. The year before Chet was my guy. Wallace was a good pick as was Lively. Both players are making significant contributions in the second round of the playoffs as rookies. I felt then, and still do, that Lively was a better fit for what OKC needed. There has been talk about OKC needing another PF/C type since last off-season. Lively would have required them playing a different style as he has no shooting range so I understand passing on him. Edey's improved agility makes him a potentially great fit for what OKC does. It will be interesting to see what happens June 26th.

[Clav]

This draft for all the people panning it as a 'bad draft' has many prospects that are big guys, international or otherwise, and though they may not be stars, they may be Clint-Capelas-or-Bobby-Portises lurking here.

I think Clingan goes top 5 and if I were Houston I'd be seriously thinking about him at #1. I was much higher on Filipowski early in the process than I am now, but I won't be mad if he is the pick. He's got some similarities to Chet, but he's not the shot blocker Chet is and even less of a physical player than Chet is when it comes to banging in the paint. Filipowski is much more a PF that will be bullied in the paint. I don't like Chet playing center as he gets pushed around more than I want my center to, but if someone tries to make Filipowski their starting center they are going to have issues. Toronto would be a good landing spot where he could learn behind Olynyk and eventually fill that type of role as a good PF and decent backup C.

Good points, there's ways we can work this draft to find talent (as in 2013 where some gems were found later in the draft). Of course, Giannis took a couple of years to get there. Edey would be a fine choice, I'm on board.

Oh and ...Did you mean ATL at #1 because Rockets have #3 selection ?? Clingan would be good with Rockets for sure. For Atlanta, I'm really not sure which angle they will take with all the noise of the trades surrounding the team, will they surprise and trade Trae and select a G like Topic? Will they trade Capela or Okongwu and select Sarr #1 ? I have very little pulse of what the first selection will be other than Sarr as the presumed favorite.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Oh and ...Did you mean ATL at #1 because Rockets have #3 selection ?? Clingan would be good with Rockets for sure. For Atlanta, I'm really not sure which angle they will take with all the noise of the trades surrounding the team, will they surprise and trade Trae and select a G like Topic? Will they trade Capela or Okongwu and select Sarr #1 ? I have very little pulse of what the first selection will be other than Sarr as the presumed favorite.

Yes, I meant Atlanta. Clingan would be a great Capela replacement for them. Capela is an expiring and they are going to be reshaping their roster this off-season moving one of Murray or Trae.

[Zagor]

If they want big who can jump high, set screens and cover a lot, then there are Yves Missi and Kel'el Ware.

If they want more skillful player who can also play beside Chet, then there is option of Daron Holmes.

But we don't know what is in Presti's head.

[shakes0]

This draft for all the people panning it as a 'bad draft' has many prospects that are big guys, international or otherwise, and though they may not be stars, they may be Clint-Capelas-or-Bobby-Portises lurking here.

I think Clingan goes top 5 and if I were Houston I'd be seriously thinking about him at #1. I was much higher on Filipowski early in the process than I am now, but I won't be mad if he is the pick. He's got some similarities to Chet, but he's not the shot blocker Chet is and even less of a physical player than Chet is when it comes to banging in the paint. Filipowski is much more a PF that will be bullied in the paint. I don't like Chet playing center as he gets pushed around more than I want my center to, but if someone tries to make Filipowski their starting center they are going to have issues. Toronto would be a good landing spot where he could learn behind Olynyk and eventually fill that type of role as a good PF and decent backup C.

Good points, there's ways we can work this draft to find talent (as in 2013 where some gems were found later in the draft). Of course, Giannis took a couple of years to get there. Edey would be a fine choice, I'm on board.

Oh and ...Did you mean ATL at #1 because Rockets have #3 selection ?? Clingan would be good with Rockets for sure. For Atlanta, I'm really not sure which angle they will take with all the noise of the trades surrounding the team, will they surprise and trade Trae and select a G like Topic? Will they trade Capela or Okongwu and select Sarr #1 ? I have very little pulse of what the first selection will be other than Sarr as the presumed favorite.

what I'm hearing on the private ATL board is that they will take Sarr. Rumor has it they are seriously considering trading Trae to SAS for a boatload of picks. If that happens it will be full rebuild in ATL. If they keep Trae they will draft Sarr although Trae has made it abundantly clear he wants them to trade the pick for someone who will help right away. So basically anything could happen with ATL but the most stable part of any prediction is that Sarr gets drafted either way.

[Kizz Fastfists]

what I'm hearing on the private ATL board is that they will take Sarr. Rumor has it they are seriously considering trading Trae to SAS for a boatload of picks. If that happens it will be full rebuild in ATL. If they keep Trae they will draft Sarr although Trae has made it abundantly clear he wants them to trade the pick for someone who will help right away. So basically anything could happen with ATL but the most stable part of any prediction is that Sarr gets drafted either way.

I'm in San Antonio and everything I've heard is that the Spurs want to win championships and have no interest in sabotaging that by trading for Trae.

[shakes0]

what I'm hearing on the private ATL board is that they will take Sarr. Rumor has it they are seriously considering trading Trae to SAS for a boatload of picks. If that happens it will be full rebuild in ATL. If they keep Trae they will draft Sarr although Trae has made it abundantly clear he wants them to trade the pick for someone who will help right away. So basically anything could happen with ATL but the most stable part of any prediction is that Sarr gets drafted either way.

I'm in San Antonio and everything I've heard is that the Spurs want to win championships and have no interest in sabotaging that by trading for Trae.

not surprised a Cubs fan has terrible sports takes.

[Kizz Fastfists]

not surprised a Cubs fan has terrible sports takes.

The Spurs require their players to play defense and be active without the ball on offense. They also require ball movement and not one player dominating the shot clock. Basically, the opposite of Trae. As long as Popovich is running the show the Spurs will have no interest in Trae. Still can’t believe Atlanta was stupid enough to trade Luka for Trae.

[shakes0]

not surprised a Cubs fan has terrible sports takes.

The Spurs require their players to play defense and be active without the ball on offense. They also require ball movement and not one player dominating the shot clock. Basically, the opposite of Trae. As long as Popovich is running the show the Spurs will have no interest in Trae. Still can’t believe Atlanta was stupid enough to trade Luka for Trae.

This isn't rocket science.

Wemby could possibly be the GOAT PnR screener/roller/popper when it's all said and done.

Trae could possibly be the GOAT PnR initiator when its all said and done.

Why wouldn't they want to put those two together?


Trae's defense is lacking, but would be barely noticeable with Wemby anchoring the defense. There might not be a better star combo fit in the league than Wemby and Trae.

I do agree that Trae is not active without the ball and that Pop is not a fan of him from what I gather.


Please post your receipts from 2018 where you ripped the Hawks on draft night for dealing Luka for Trae.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Please post your receipts from 2018 where you ripped the Hawks on draft night for dealing Luka for Trae.

viewtopic.php?f=334&t=1681811

I didn't "rip" the hawks online as I had no reason. I did, however, say in post #179, that I would take Doncic as the top player. Specifically, I was calling Michael Porter Jr., Doncic and Ayton the top 3 in the draft. I said Porter Jr. was going to be under drafted drastically due to his injury. Porter Jr. is a stud. Doncic is a bigger stud and Ayton has refused to reach his potential. I didn't mention Trae as even being in consideration for being with that group.

Post #198, we were ranking players we target in each pick range, I had Doncic in the first group, 1-5, and Trae in the 2nd group, 5-10. So I clearly had Luka rated higher than Trae.

The real gold, that I completely forgot about is post #3 where I called SGA a Presti player.

[mr570]

Trae is a lot better than he’s shown in Atlanta. I’m with shakes in that I think he’d be a different player with Wemby in San Antonio. Pop be damned.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Trae is a lot better than he’s shown in Atlanta. I’m with shakes in that I think he’d be a different player with Wemby in San Antonio. Pop be damned.

Are you saying you think Trae would suddenly develop defensive effort and stop napping on offense when the ball wasn't in his hands and stop dominating the shot clock if he were traded to San Antonio? Next thing you are going to tell me is that Westbrook would have stopped jacking up an insane amount of 3pt shots if he had been on the right team. Just none of the five he has been on so far was the right team to get him to want to play in a way that could win a championship.

[mr570]

Trae is a lot better than he’s shown in Atlanta. I’m with shakes in that I think he’d be a different player with Wemby in San Antonio. Pop be damned.

Are you saying you think Trae would suddenly develop defensive effort and stop napping on offense when the ball wasn't in his hands and stop dominating the shot clock if he were traded to San Antonio? Next thing you are going to tell me is that Westbrook would have stopped jacking up an insane amount of 3pt shots if he had been on the right team. Just none of the five he has been on so far was the right team to get him to want to play in a way that could win a championship.

No I don't think he would do that but it wouldn't matter with Wemby waiting. We've seen that with DERRICK LIVELY AND DANIEL GAFFORD in the past two weeks. LOL

What I do think is that Trae would, yeah, be an absolute unstoppable PnR partner with Wemby. And once he isn't playing in a quasi-heliocentric, poorly put together (sorry Atlanta) team, maybe we'd get to see what Trae Young looks like in San Antonio's euroball movement offense. And maybe it would be a lot better than whatever you went on about Westbrook doing.

[Kizz Fastfists]

No I don't think he would do that but it wouldn't matter with Wemby waiting. We've seen that with DERRICK LIVELY AND DANIEL GAFFORD in the past two weeks. LOL

Luka and Kyrie give effort on defense and move without the ball. We've seen that Capela can't save a team from Trae's naps on defense so what makes you think Wemby could? Trae requires a lot more around him than a defense center to try to bail him out on defense. Trae needs a lot more than a defensive center that can bail you out. If you replace SGA with Trae OKC would have gone home in the first round.

[mr570]

No I don't think he would do that but it wouldn't matter with Wemby waiting. We've seen that with DERRICK LIVELY AND DANIEL GAFFORD in the past two weeks. LOL

We've seen that Capela can't save a team from Trae's naps on defense so what makes you think Wemby could?

lol just lol

[Devilanche]

Is it overreaction right now for me to want Edey ?

[Big nick]

Is it overreaction right now for me to want Edey ?

No I don't think that it is, because I am wanting him also. Great size and if he can develop a 3 wow, might be a vw stopper because vw is going to be a real problem.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Is it overreaction right now for me to want Edey ?

Not an overreaction to want Edey, Clingan, Missi, Ware, Filipowski, Salaun or Chomche. I do think Chomche is a bit raw and I don't see him as a lottery pick, but after the combine there has chatter about him playing his way up that high. Filipowski doesn't give the defense and rim protection I'd like, but he's a solid stretch big who rebounds and might develop adequate rim protection. He'll never be close to Chet, but he could be a Dirk level rim protector. Dirk was great in a lot of aspects, but rim protection wasn't one of them and I'm not comparing Filipowski's overall game to Dirk's.

I said months ago I was high on Edey and hoped he'd be the pick. After his shooting and agility displays at the combine I'm all in on him. I would also like to add Chomche, but as I previously mentioned I'd like him to have a year in Europe, after playing well in Africa the last few years, before coming to the NBA. We still have a little over a month before the draft, but I think right now my ideal draft is Edey and then trade some future picks for a mid-late first to draft Chomche and talk him into playing in Europe for a year, although a worst case scenario of a year in the g-league isn't a deal breaker for me. If he does end up in the g-league I'd look into adding Ibaka as a coach to help him transition and develop.

[Zagor]

Everything depends on how they want to play.

If 5-man out is still a plan, then Presti has to find better starting forward instead of Giddey. That could be someone from this list: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Deni Avdija, Tobias Harris, Bobby Portis, Patrick Williams, Jalen Smith.
Next move: draft Yves Missi who is going to be defensive stud. Ideal back-up center for Chet and if needed they could play together against teams like Mavs or Minnesota.
Also sign cheap veteran like Royce O'Neal.

If they don't want to play 5-man out and want size in starting unit. Guys like Claxton, Jarrett Allen or Hartenstein are possible solution.
Then you need 6th man guard who can score and create. And one more guy who can play both PF and C position.