2024-2025 College Basketball / NBA Draft

[youngcrev]

For all the talk of moving back and picking up an asset because of the lack of trust in the guys available at #3... what's a reasonable price to pay to move up 1 spot for Harper?

Purely from a fit perspective, a lead guard with great size (big enough to play some 3 in a 3 guard lineup) that's an elite paint toucher/finisher feels like exactly the type of guy this team needs. Putting him next to either Maxey or McCain (or both) feels like exactly what you want. And the star upside/likelihood seems a lot higher than tier we are picking from.

So turn the microscope on him. I know the shot is a question mark (which is an obvious red flag for a guard). Same for the team success we holding against Ace.

Pretend we have the #2 pick and rip him apart!

I would do #3 and McCain to move up in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't give up any more draft capital. McCain fits the Spurs' need for shooting off the bench and doesn't mess up the Fox/Castle backcourt.

That feels like a lot. I value McCain more than I do #3 at this point. And I was not happy they drafted him in the first place

[ivysixer2000]

I'd be sceptical of the Spurs being willing to trade back with us. How sick would you feel if it came out they weren't going to pick Harper at #2 anyway. Fultz <->Tatum vibes.

Yea I wouldn’t even be entertaining a trade up at this point. Take whoever’s left or trade back. I don’t know that Harper is as much of a sure thing as people say, anyways.

Im probably just a homer, but i dont think Harper is that much better of a prospect than Bailey. And we already have a nice backcourt with Maxey, Mccain and Grimes, so im not that enamored with Harper. I just dont think he has that kind of potential, i even like Tre more than him.

Well I'm not sold on the Spurs taking another guard who can't shoot in Harper, they already have 2 of them starting.

If anything, even the sucky teams are stacked in the backcourt, as we are. I could see them going with Ace, a wing they can develop as they have a long history of doing just that.

Harper would be there for us in this case, but he has his warts too. Again, it will come down to how much they want to work on their games more than anything about their profile coming out the draft.

[mjkvol]

For all the talk of moving back and picking up an asset because of the lack of trust in the guys available at #3... what's a reasonable price to pay to move up 1 spot for Harper?

Purely from a fit perspective, a lead guard with great size (big enough to play some 3 in a 3 guard lineup) that's an elite paint toucher/finisher feels like exactly the type of guy this team needs. Putting him next to either Maxey or McCain (or both) feels like exactly what you want. And the star upside/likelihood seems a lot higher than tier we are picking from.

So turn the microscope on him. I know the shot is a question mark (which is an obvious red flag for a guard). Same for the team success we holding against Ace.

Pretend we have the #2 pick and rip him apart!

I would do #3 and McCain to move up in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't give up any more draft capital. McCain fits the Spurs' need for shooting off the bench and doesn't mess up the Fox/Castle backcourt.

That feels like a lot. I value McCain more than I do #3 at this point. And I was not happy they drafted him in the first place

It is a bit much, but pairing Maxey with a big lead guard might allow him to take the next big leap, and signing Grimes gives us a rock solid backcourt rotation that isn't a size liability.

[youngcrev]

I would do #3 and McCain to move up in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't give up any more draft capital. McCain fits the Spurs' need for shooting off the bench and doesn't mess up the Fox/Castle backcourt.

That feels like a lot. I value McCain more than I do #3 at this point. And I was not happy they drafted him in the first place

It is a bit much, but pairing Maxey with a big lead guard might allow him to take the next big leap, and signing Grimes gives us a rock solid backcourt rotation that isn't a size liability.

Makes sense. Personally, I'm not giving up that package unless it's for an established star.

[zaz102]

Harper has his warts as well. I would without a doubt take him second, but I think there's a much bigger gap between him and Flagg than there is between him and whomever you deem the next best prospect.

[ivysixer2000]

Harper has his warts as well. I would without a doubt take him second, but I think there's a much bigger gap between him and Flagg than there is between him and whomever you deem the next best prospect.

Yeah thats my point, I don't understand why the Spurs would put a rotation of 3 guards who can't shoot around Wemby.

Seems like a crime to me, he will never have space in the post and will always have to shoot 3s all the time cause he shoots better than they do. Maybe Pop is thinking 20 years ago, don't know, and I know all these mocks have them taking Harper but I just don't see it at all. A rotation of Fox, Castle, and Harper would be horrible for Wemby and an ugly game to watch.

[ivysixer2000]

I would do #3 and McCain to move up in a heartbeat, but I wouldn't give up any more draft capital. McCain fits the Spurs' need for shooting off the bench and doesn't mess up the Fox/Castle backcourt.

That feels like a lot. I value McCain more than I do #3 at this point. And I was not happy they drafted him in the first place

It is a bit much, but pairing Maxey with a big lead guard might allow him to take the next big leap, and signing Grimes gives us a rock solid backcourt rotation that isn't a size liability.

At that point, we would just be getting rid of McCain.

If we do have to trade McCain, I would prefer it be for a wing like Eason, Portis, and such. Although I like the idea of moving up, don't think there is much reason for it in this draft.

[mjkvol]

That feels like a lot. I value McCain more than I do #3 at this point. And I was not happy they drafted him in the first place

It is a bit much, but pairing Maxey with a big lead guard might allow him to take the next big leap, and signing Grimes gives us a rock solid backcourt rotation that isn't a size liability.

At that point, we would just be getting rid of McCain.

If we do have to trade McCain, I would prefer it be for a wing like Eason, Portis, and such. Although I like the idea of moving up, don't think there is much reason for it in this draft.

I don't disagree with the idea of getting a guy like Eason, but I would rather move up to get Harper if the only alternative is keeping #3 and taking Bailey or Tre. I don't believe a Maxey/McCain backcourt is sustainable, and having a big lead guard next to Maxey would be perfect.

But I would only make that trade after they picked Harper. My preference overall is still to trade down in the lottery for more picks.

[sodmoraes]

Read on Twitter

He seems to have all the tools to be a good defensive player and he was a 39% CS from 3, so i cant see why he wouldnt be a good 3&D player starting his career with good potential to be way more than that as he gets stronger and gets a better handle. That looks like a pretty goood player to pick at 3rd: good chance to be an useful player( as a 3&D wing) but with a lot of potential to be way more than that( hes top 3 in potential in this draft for me). And he plays a position we sorely need, so thats an easy pick for me.

[eyeatoma]

I was just reading about Sam Presti’s draft record. He has a really good track record in the lottery. He has some misses in the bottom half of the round, and Cam Payne at 14 wasn’t great. DraftExpress had Harden going 5 and ESPN had him going 8, but Presti hit on the future MVP at 3. NBAdraft.net and Chad Ford had Westbrook going 6, and Presti hit on the future MVP at 4. Durant was a no-brainer at 2. Steven Adams, Chet, Jalen Williams, and Cason Wallace were very good as well. And he really hit on SGA as a rookie.

He has a really good track record of not botching top 5 picks. Meanwhile, Thabeet, Beasley, and OJ Mayo were picked before his selections. I think he often looks for guys who are excellent athletes, have the ability to handle the ball, and metrics that indicate shooting potential. Basically, players who have a long developmental runway, and from there he trusts his development team.

Looking at his tendencies I could see Edgecombe as a Presti target. However, Morey has drafted very similar with the Sixers. Even Springer fit the bill, but just did develop like they hoped. It’s risky to hope a player develops a jumper, but if it happens like it did with Maxey, then you have a steal.

I'm a VJ at 3 guy, so there's definitely going to be some bias on my part. For me, the star equity in VJ depends on how much you can improve a handle. I think so many of his faults as a prospect stem from specifically that skill. I would really like to see one of the popular podcasts dig into specific skills like that and what is or isn't fixable.

I was also a Maxey and Springer guy, but I thought Maxey would be a better point of attack defender than he has been so far with a good shot and floater touch. Instead, his shooting exploded and the defense never really came. I'm not sure that even counts as being right!

Presti is about as low on the incompetence scale as it gets, but I think this is also a great example of how hard it is to draw specific lines. In your post, the Top 5 clause is carrying a hell of a lot of weight. Giddey over Franz Wagner at 6 was a disaster. Like you said, the developmental team a GM hands these guys over to matters so damn much. If Utah takes Cason Wallace at 9, where is he now? I'd bet significantly worse off. How much of Presti's success is him making good decisions in who to draft? How much of it is in who he hired as coaches and trainers? We'll never know. That's what makes it fun to me.

The defense never really came? Huh? Did your watch him this season. He's almost a plus defender now.

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[ivysixer2000]

It is a bit much, but pairing Maxey with a big lead guard might allow him to take the next big leap, and signing Grimes gives us a rock solid backcourt rotation that isn't a size liability.

At that point, we would just be getting rid of McCain.

If we do have to trade McCain, I would prefer it be for a wing like Eason, Portis, and such. Although I like the idea of moving up, don't think there is much reason for it in this draft.

I don't disagree with the idea of getting a guy like Eason, but I would rather move up to get Harper if the only alternative is keeping #3 and taking Bailey or Tre. I don't believe a Maxey/McCain backcourt is sustainable, and having a big lead guard next to Maxey would be perfect.

But I would only make that trade after they picked Harper. My preference overall is still to trade down in the lottery for more picks.

I don't see why the Spurs would draft get another guard who can't shoot so they would have 3, but maybe that's just me. I would have to see that to believe that, screw all these mock drafts that's just bad for Wemby. Least they wouldn't go far in the playoffs.

It would be hard for me to give up on McCain this early, maybe at the deadline. He might not even pass the physical, who knows.

[Arsenal]

No way I’m trading McCain AND #3 for #2.

It’s a very realistic outcome that McCain is better than Harper himself, leaving aside the value of the 3rd pick.

[Jojothewhale]

The defense never really came? Huh? Did your watch him this season.

You quoted me talking about him as specifically a point of attack defender. That's not these Steals off of leaks and getting in passing lanes. Of course he showed defensive improvement this year.

He's almost a plus defender now.

Agree to disagree. I think he's got it in him though. He's really added some strength, which is obviously a huge deal for a small Guard.

[mjkvol]

Okay, let me throw one out there for you guys - we keep seeing rumors of SA trading the #2 in a package for Giannis. What about Dallas trading Flagg for Giannis in a package?

We know that Nico Harrison is a win now guy. He has two stars well into their 30's in Irving and Davis. Giannis is a perfect fit with the two of them. Nico might get shot on the street in Dallas for even suggesting it, but why not go for the throat right now with his very own "big 3"? And Milwaukee can rebuild around the next alleged 'generational' player and maybe gets an additional pick or two.

[M2J]

No way I’m trading McCain AND #3 for #2.

It’s a very realistic outcome that McCain is better than Harper himself, leaving aside the value of the 3rd pick.

McCain could become one of the best floor spacers in the league by this season and is miles ahead of Harper already. May be similar playmaker more (which we didn't know he could do until his rookie year), and a clear hard worker.

In other words, I agree. My only real questions on Jared is if his defense will let him play with Tyrese... Because he should've been the ROY last year

[ivysixer2000]

Okay, let me throw one out there for you guys - we keep seeing rumors of SA trading the #2 in a package for Giannis. What about Dallas trading Flagg for Giannis in a package?

We know that Nico Harrison is a win now guy. He has two stars well into their 30's in Irving and Davis. Giannis is a perfect fit with the two of them. Nico might get shot on the street in Dallas for even suggesting it, but why not go for the throat right now with his very own "big 3"? And Milwaukee can rebuild around the next alleged 'generational' player and maybe gets an additional pick or two.

Nico would get stoned in the city square. Shooting squad. Burned at the stake. Wear a Scarlet Letter, pick one. Pick any medieval torture method. I'll measure out his casket (yeah I do that).

Even he couldn't pull that one off.

[M2J]

Okay, let me throw one out there for you guys - we keep seeing rumors of SA trading the #2 in a package for Giannis. What about Dallas trading Flagg for Giannis in a package?

We know that Nico Harrison is a win now guy. He has two stars well into their 30's in Irving and Davis. Giannis is a perfect fit with the two of them. Nico might get shot on the street in Dallas for even suggesting it, but why not go for the throat right now with his very own "big 3"? And Milwaukee can rebuild around the next alleged 'generational' player and maybe gets an additional pick or two.

Dallas has already confirmed they're drafting Flagg. Trading Luka was clearly out of frustration with Luka and the organization including the owner. The owner won't trade Flagg

The defense never really came? Huh? Did your watch him this season.

You quoted me talking about him as specifically a point of attack defender. That's not these Steals off of leaks and getting in passing lanes. Of course he showed defensive improvement this year.

He's almost a plus defender now.

Agree to disagree. I think he's got it in him though. He's really added some strength, which is obviously a huge deal for a small Guard.

Tyrese defense is definitely there, with his main weakness still being shorter when attacked by the likes of Brown and Tatum.... He gives up ground where a stronger guy like Lowry wouldn't....I think Jared can become that kinda defender. But Tyrese battles in this situations still.
And can definitely defend traditional point of attack, though that wouldn't typically be his role as the main offensive guy

[76thBearCub]

Hopefully they don't let Embiids presence on the roster keep them from picking a big if that's who they identify as the best pick

[youngcrev]

Just saw a wiretap that teams are looking at Mario Hezonja... So we can still hold out hope that we are collectively the greatest talent evaluators of all time.

[Negrodamus]

Short version of my post: let's be a little more humble about the process and not set this place up for a toxic situation on the off chance we do end up taking Ace.

I think that’s somewhat fair, but I do think it’s been far more toxic during Simmons, Okafor, Fultz drafts than this one and everyone fell in like once the guys were picked. I mean, there’s been times where people might say “I didn’t want this guy” during the bust process, but I think everyone for the most part hope the draft pick is a success once they’re on the Sixers.

That’s how it always has been for me at least.