RealGM

Kind of a fantasy thread. In the world of sports, anything can happen and maybe the Pacers try to pull some strings to make a splash at the draft. The Portland Trail Blazers may be trading the 10th overall pick, which is 13 selections ahead of the Pacers at the moment-

If the Blazers keep their lottery pick -- and that's a big if as it appears Olshey will look for willing trade partners -- it is likely the team pursues a shooting guard.

Link- http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index ... t_the.html

So, what if... the Pacers and Blazers struck a deal for Pacers to land the 10th pick? Who would you want us to draft? Cody Zeller as a down the road replacement to David West? C.J. McCollum who may be the sleeper of the draft?

Lets hear it...

If Trey Burke would fall to the number 10 spot and we could get him, that's my number one choice. Second would be Alex Len or even Cody Zeller. There's no way I'd target a wing, we have too many players on the wing for too few spots as it is right now.

I'd have to know who we're trading for that 10, because its gotta be one of our starters.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agree; Who do we trade for the 10th? I like Hardaway Jr. as a nice combo option but wouldnt want to give up any of the starters to get him. A nice fantasy idea would be if the team could get West to take 6-8 per on 2-3yrs; George to take a about 10-11 per and Granger to take 6-8; keeping the whole core intact to retire as pacers. If I was gm I would be working to do just that; even if I have to give away a few draft picks for future picks. I miss the days when fans could count on guys staying with teams for their careers like Miller Time.

Another Fantasy would be to keep coach Shaw and Vogel together. Im not looking forward to watching them coach against each other next season.

SmashMouthRod wrote:Another Fantasy would be to keep coach Shaw and Vogel together. Im not looking forward to watching them coach against each other next season.

Keeping Shaw and Vogel together just isn't gonna happen. He's gone this offseason. Too many teams need a coach, and he's been an assistant for far too long.

SmashMouthRod wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agree; Who do we trade for the 10th? I like Hardaway Jr. as a nice combo option but wouldnt want to give up any of the starters to get him. A nice fantasy idea would be if the team could get West to take 6-8 per on 2-3yrs; George to take a about 10-11 per and Granger to take 6-8; keeping the whole core intact to retire as pacers. If I was gm I would be working to do just that; even if I have to give away a few draft picks for future picks. I miss the days when fans could count on guys staying with teams for their careers like Miller Time.

That'd be asking Paul George to take almost $35m less than he has rightly earned. There's no way you can even ask a young guy to five that up for your benefit. That's the kind of thing the player has to volunteer.

Scoot McGroot wrote:

SmashMouthRod wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agree; Who do we trade for the 10th? I like Hardaway Jr. as a nice combo option but wouldnt want to give up any of the starters to get him. A nice fantasy idea would be if the team could get West to take 6-8 per on 2-3yrs; George to take a about 10-11 per and Granger to take 6-8; keeping the whole core intact to retire as pacers. If I was gm I would be working to do just that; even if I have to give away a few draft picks for future picks. I miss the days when fans could count on guys staying with teams for their careers like Miller Time.

That'd be asking Paul George to take almost $35m less than he has rightly earned. There's no way you can even ask a young guy to five that up for your benefit. That's the kind of thing the player has to volunteer.

I agree 100%; I just thought it was a sexy fantasy idea.

Scoot McGroot wrote:

SmashMouthRod wrote:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I agree; Who do we trade for the 10th? I like Hardaway Jr. as a nice combo option but wouldnt want to give up any of the starters to get him. A nice fantasy idea would be if the team could get West to take 6-8 per on 2-3yrs; George to take a about 10-11 per and Granger to take 6-8; keeping the whole core intact to retire as pacers. If I was gm I would be working to do just that; even if I have to give away a few draft picks for future picks. I miss the days when fans could count on guys staying with teams for their careers like Miller Time.

That'd be asking Paul George to take almost $35m less than he has rightly earned. There's no way you can even ask a young guy to five that up for your benefit. That's the kind of thing the player has to volunteer.

Yep, PG was quoted as saying that he's "hoping for the max."

Coming back around to the thread premise:

The 10th pick is a tough spot. All the guys you'd want are likely gone in Oladipo, Zeller, McCollum, Burke, etc. Len, Olynyk, Adams, etc are far from a need, and ultimately are centers. So, do you take a Caldwell-Pope to protect against Lance possibly leaving after next year and add scoring punch to the bench (which you're ideally doing already with Granger)? Do you take Schroeder as your PGOTF or MCW as your combo guard/ball handler that can play with George Hill? Saric is pulling out.

All of a sudden, you're getting to the spot where you are looking at the same guys you would be at 23.

the only reason I trade up to 10 (or 13) is to get a point guard that wouldn't be available at 23. certainly Burke is a first choice but he'll be gone sooner. MCW is probably my next choice. at 23 I like Larkin. many mocks suddenly have him going much higher, but I don't think I want to give up a starter to get Larkin. I haven't done enough scooting of CJ to have an opinion because I've just assumed he wouldn't be available to us. I'm not sold on Schroeder.

I'm probably lying though. if Zeller were to drop to 13 or Oladipo were to drop to 10, I'd have to think about it.

Alot's been made about the weakness of this draft. Aside from Anthony Davis I"m not sure there's that much difference between the top 8 or so guys. I agree that there doesn't seem to be any franchise changing players
to be had this year but there are about 8 guys who will be Danny Granger level good. Beyond that I think there are about 20 guys who could be solid starting caliber players. They need to have the right attitude and at some point land in the right situation.

If my assessment is correct trading up doesn't make a lot of sense in this draft. Getting another pick in the top 25 would make more sense. The wing position offers a large number of players who I think could have nice careers but who at this point don't distinguish remarkably from one another. Pope, Franklin, Crabbe, Karasev, Hardaway, Bullock are the guys I'm thinking of who seemed to be rated all over the place on the mocks such that its hard value them against one another.

8305 wrote:Alot's been made about the weakness of this draft. Aside from Anthony Davis I"m not sure there's that much difference between the top 8 or so guys. I agree that there doesn't seem to be any franchise changing players
to be had this year but there are about 8 guys who will be Danny Granger level good. Beyond that I think there are about 20 guys who could be solid starting caliber players. They need to have the right attitude and at some point land in the right situation.

If my assessment is correct trading up doesn't make a lot of sense in this draft. Getting another pick in the top 25 would make more sense. The wing position offers a large number of players who I think could have nice careers but who at this point don't distinguish remarkably from one another. Pope, Franklin, Crabbe, Karasev, Hardaway, Bullock are the guys I'm thinking of who seemed to be rated all over the place on the mocks such that its hard value them against one another.

You just said every player in the first round, minus 2, are starting caliber players. I just don't see that. If you're not moving up into the top 5 at least, you may as well stand pat.

Yeah, "solid starters" might be a little over the top optomistic.

Maybe saying it another way I see about 8 guys who are the top tier of this draft. After that I see about 20 guys who make up the next tier (starters for below average teams, rotation guys on good teams).

Typical guy in the 2nd tier Reggie Bullock. Good shooter, lots of experience playing in an elite college program. He's not going to be an elite player but his backround and skill set reminds me of Danny Green. A guy who has carved a very nice niche on an elite NBA team. Good chance he will be there for Indiana at pick 23.

A guy who seems to be more highly reguarded in that 2nd tier Caldwell-Pope. He might have a little more upside but if I can get Bullock at 23 does it make sense to trade up 10 or more slots to get Caldwell-Pope?

All that depth of 2nd level wing players and the fact that I think drafting a wing makes a lot of sense for the Pacers drives me to think trading up doesn't fit for Indiana.