Devin Harris + #12 + 2012 Warriors pick for #2

[shrink]

If the Jazz go for Brandon Knight, they will try trade down to the 5-7 range where he will likely be available, unless Cleveland goes that Williams/Knight at 1 and 4.

Going to be very interesting to see who Cleveland picks at #1, could change everything.

I agree that for specific teams, there may be significant gaps in the value of the individual player. Like MIN, UTA has to be worried that if they are willing to trade down, hoping the player they want is still there, that another team doesn't do the same thing, and that player will be gone.

==================================

Let me give an example from the Wolves side. A lot of people advocate trading the 2 for the 4 + "something" from CLE, because they think the draft will go:

CLE: Kyrie
CLE: Williams
UTA: Knight
MIN: Kanter

... and Kanter may be the best fit for MIN.

However, if we make that deal, there is nothing stopping UTA from trading down too:

CLE: Kyrie
CLE: Williams
WAS: Kanter
MIN: ?????

[finnegan]

I would estimate that there is about a 1% chance that Kanter is available at #4. For two reasons:

1. No way Jazz take Knight at #3 over Kanter, because they can so easily trade down. Plus they already have an all-star PG in Devin Harris.
2. Other teams value Kanter far more than Knight , so the scenario you describe comes into play.

The two major moves that will determine everything else:

1. If Cleveland wants a Williams/Knight combo at 1 and 4 over Kyrie + whomever. If Clevelend picks Williams #1 that totally chnages the lanscape.
2. If Minnesota picks Kanter at #2 instead of Irving or Williams, because they need a center much more than a PG or SF.

Cooking up to be very interesting

[shrink]

I would estimate that there is about a 1% chance that Kanter is available at #4. For two reasons:

1. No way Jazz take Knight at #3 over Kanter, because they can so easily trade down. Plus they already have an all-star PG in Devin Harris.

OK, first, you need to stop calling Devin Harris an all star, when Steve Nash doesn't even make the ASG.

But what I wanted to point out here that if we start talking about easy trade downs, UTA is in the same boat.

Unless UTA can make a trade with TOR, The top three PG's could be gone in the first five picks in trade downs. And from what I've been reading, I thought UTA loved Knight, and wasn't hot on Kemba anyway? That would mean you'd need to be Top 4, and CLE wants the better PG too.

[Krapinsky]

That's like the Celtics referring to their "all star" center Jermaine O'neal

[Esohny]

That's like the Celtics referring to their "all star" center Jermaine O'neal

Careful, the Heat's "all-star" and "all-NBA" center Juwon Howard might get offended.

[finnegan]

Bottom line is there is very little motivation for the Jazz to take Knight at #3 when they already have Harris. That means that Knight will get very little play time, unless the Jazz finally admit to themselves that they are in rebuild mode. The GM is calling it "remodeling mode" and he actually believes that the Jazz will "make some noise" this season and have a winning record.

The Jazz play games like this all of the time in the draft (i.e., they will lead other teams to believe that they are interested in someone that they are not like Knight), and they usually do it by remaining quiet.

There are only two potential possibilities for a trade between us, both of which you proposed:

1. Derrick Favors for Kyrie (Favors for Derrick Williams doesn't seem to make sense), or
2. #3 and #12 for #2 and #20 if Jimmer is off the board at #12. Otherwise the Jazz take Kanter and Jimmer over Williams.