2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 8

[Tripod]

Man, it would be really nice to draft someonr like Indy's Pascal Siakam or even the Knicks OG Anunoby.

Them on rookie deals would be nice...lol.

Or Vince Carter.

[Psubs]

Throwing a season away to end up with Maluach would be the definition of depressing.

With the 9th pick can’t really expect a franchise altering player.

We were unlucky at the lottery. We had more chances of jumping top4 than dropping to 9.

We need to turn the page IMO.

As for Maluach , let’s see first if he is our pick and then how he is developing before calling this pick depressing.

Nobody really knows the future.

What if he surprise you !

Even a Franz Wagner has altered the Magic. Everyone can surprise. Maybe Carter Bryant is like a mix of Paul George and OG?

[Psubs]

Thomas Bryant and Mitchell Robinson are impacting ECF game 6s, I feel more than safe with a Maluach selection

I've wanting Thomas Bryant on the Raptors since his friend OG was still on the team.

[Tor_Raps]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280589/Rockets-Expected-To-Consider-Trading-No-10-Pick-In-Draft

Wonder what the Rockets would be looking for in return. Seems like theyre in a perfect spot for consolidation trade.

[TNRaps4life]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280589/Rockets-Expected-To-Consider-Trading-No-10-Pick-In-Draft

Wonder what the Rockets would be looking for in return. Seems like theyre in a perfect spot for consolidation trade.

I would give them 2027 pick top 8 protected and a second ..

[DreamTeam09]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280589/Rockets-Expected-To-Consider-Trading-No-10-Pick-In-Draft

Wonder what the Rockets would be looking for in return. Seems like theyre in a perfect spot for consolidation trade.

I would give them 2027 pick top 8 protected and a second ..

That's an interesting, potentially savy move one could make. I'm not madd at it

[gbball]

Man, it would be really nice to draft someonr like Indy's Pascal Siakam or even the Knicks OG Anunoby.

Them on rookie deals would be nice...lol.

Or Vince Carter.

Essengue is a young Siakam to me. Further along at the same age though.

[JCP11]

Man, it would be really nice to draft someonr like Indy's Pascal Siakam or even the Knicks OG Anunoby.

Them on rookie deals would be nice...lol.

Or Vince Carter.

Essengue is a young Siakam to me. Further along at the same age though.

Defensively I can see it, they're both long and versatile but offensively I don't see it. Pascal is a unique player with unique skills. Where he came from and playing soccer first forced him to develop his own style that nobody has in the NBA. Even New Mexico Pascal was more advanced offensively. Essengue is so tough to project it's maddening. I'm not sold on him being more than a role player but when you watch the tape there are few flashes of skill that make you think. If Masai takes a chance on him I will be all in anyway.

[mademan]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280589/Rockets-Expected-To-Consider-Trading-No-10-Pick-In-Draft

Wonder what the Rockets would be looking for in return. Seems like theyre in a perfect spot for consolidation trade.

I would give them 2027 pick top 8 protected and a second ..

Seems like they want more immediate help. I can see something like 26/27 and Cam Johnson from BRK for 10. They can probably sell 26 or 27 to some contender who doesnt have any picks for swaps in the future, OKC style.

[djsunyc]

Read on Twitter

[ArthurVandelay]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280589/Rockets-Expected-To-Consider-Trading-No-10-Pick-In-Draft

Wonder what the Rockets would be looking for in return. Seems like theyre in a perfect spot for consolidation trade.

I would give them 2027 pick top 8 protected and a second ..

Raptors aren’t trading a 2027 pick imo

That locks up their draft capital until 2029 in any major trade

[BoyzNTheHood]

Thomas Bryant and Mitchell Robinson are impacting ECF game 6s, I feel more than safe with a Maluach selection

I've wanting Thomas Bryant on the Raptors since his friend OG was still on the team.

Taking a C top 10 when the draft has so many good bigs later on is just plain stupid. A guy like Sorber should be ranked so much higher than a glorified rim runner like Maluach. The fact that he’s ranked top 10 because he rode Flagg and Kneuppel’s coat tails is wild.

[gbball]

Them on rookie deals would be nice...lol.

Or Vince Carter.

Essengue is a young Siakam to me. Further along at the same age though.

Defensively I can see it, they're both long and versatile but offensively I don't see it. Pascal is a unique player with unique skills. Where he came from and playing soccer first forced him to develop his own style that nobody has in the NBA. Even New Mexico Pascal was more advanced offensively. Essengue is so tough to project it's maddening. I'm not sold on him being more than a role player but when you watch the tape there are few flashes of skill that make you think. If Masai takes a chance on him I will be all in anyway.

Siakam at New Mexico had a nice post game and good touch off the glass. Essengue doesn't show as much of that, but he cuts to open spots and leaks out like Siakam did. He finds his way to a lot of easy buckets. And I don't think he becomes a carbon copy of Siakam, but there are shades of Siakam in his game. He's a similar 3pt shooter, which I think eventually becomes respectable. Siakam struggled in pretty badly in his 2nd year NBA. I see them both as very creative too. Both having pretty solid improvisational skills. I like that Noa tries to finish stronger than Siakam and doesn't shy away from contact. Siakam a former soccer player and Noa did Judo as a kid, and I see the fighting spirt in his game.

I think Noa's more assertive offensively and I expect his handle to get a lot better. I like the way he can dribble at full speed and with a defender on his hip and he shows a lot of fight. He also shows good feel overall. If his shooting and handle improve, you're looking at an Ingram-like player.

His offball movement is excellent. He has a knack for getting to open space and getting easy baskets.

As far as guys that might be available when we pick, I see star upside in Fears and Essengue and Traore. I think Maluach, Fleming and Bryant will be good players, but I don't see the same ceiling. Fleming's game is pretty rigid - Obi Toppin type and Bryant is interesting because of his shooting, but I don't know that he has the requisite assertiveness on offense. Maluach would be very useful, but he didn't show the same flashes someone like Embiid did at Kansas, and is a lot less athletic than young Embiid. Demin and Jakucionis are interesting, but more difficult to project, I think they'll be solid players, but I don't see star upside in either.

[gbball]

Coward is also intriguing. His shot looks really good and his measurements are great. I can see why some people are enamored by him.

[DreamTeam09]

Thomas Bryant and Mitchell Robinson are impacting ECF game 6s, I feel more than safe with a Maluach selection

I've wanting Thomas Bryant on the Raptors since his friend OG was still on the team.

Taking a C top 10 when the draft has so many good bigs later on is just plain stupid. A guy like Sorber should be ranked so much higher than a glorified rim runner like Maluach. The fact that he’s ranked top 10 because he rode Flagg and Kneuppel’s coat tails is wild.

Yawn yawn yawn / Cooper speaks very highly of him, we have professional fuba Olympics footage of the kid, 7'2 is much different than 6'10 Sorber, and I'm sure there will be plenty of good guards or wings later on in the draft, does that mean you shouldn't take one at 9 either? That logic is dumb. Plenty of good post are our there as to why we shouldn't take KM, yours simply wasn't a good one at all

[TakeYourHeart]

Thomas Bryant and Mitchell Robinson are impacting ECF game 6s, I feel more than safe with a Maluach selection

Thomas Bryant (pick #42), Mitchell Robinson (pick #36) and Isaiah Hartenstein (pick #43) contributing to finals runs are all the more reason to NOT draft Maluach with #9. Use #39 on the best center available because a role player outcome is all you need. Meanwhile SGA (pick #11) and Haliburton (pick #12) are the engines of their respective teams...it's clear we need to go for high upside, high ceiling with #9.

[BoyzNTheHood]

I've wanting Thomas Bryant on the Raptors since his friend OG was still on the team.

Taking a C top 10 when the draft has so many good bigs later on is just plain stupid. A guy like Sorber should be ranked so much higher than a glorified rim runner like Maluach. The fact that he’s ranked top 10 because he rode Flagg and Kneuppel’s coat tails is wild.

Yawn yawn yawn / Cooper speaks very highly of him, we have professional fuba Olympics footage of the kid, 7'2 is much different than 6'10 Sorber, and I'm sure there will be plenty of good guards or wings later on in the draft, does that mean you shouldn't take one at 9 either? That logic is dumb. Plenty of good post are our there as to why we shouldn't take KM, yours simply wasn't a good one at all

And neither is this weak reply. He’s tall, let’s take him! Okay Leo. Sorber showed much more skill and has the standing reach and wingspan to play C, but you conveniently left that out so that you could mention how Maluach is 7’2”. Okay and? Using your logic we should take Zikarsky over Maluach since he’s 7’4”

[PhilBlackson]

Man, it would be really nice to draft someonr like Indy's Pascal Siakam or even the Knicks OG Anunoby.

Them on rookie deals would be nice...lol.

Or Vince Carter.

Essengue is a young Siakam to me. Further along at the same age though.

Pascal had far more post game and 3 inch longer wingspan.

[DreamTeam09]

Thomas Bryant and Mitchell Robinson are impacting ECF game 6s, I feel more than safe with a Maluach selection

Thomas Bryant (pick #42), Mitchell Robinson (pick #36) and Isaiah Hartenstein (pick #43) contributing to finals runs are all the more reason to NOT draft Maluach with #9. Use #39 on the best center available because a role player outcome is all you need. Meanwhile SGA (pick #11) and Haliburton (pick #12) are the engines of their respective teams...it's clear we need to go for high upside, high ceiling with #9.

I mean I would be all over a Hali or Shai type, but that's not gonna happen in this draft. As far as Maluach I was saying that as a floor worst outcome here, he would still contribute functionally. His ceiling would be a Turner / Chet type who went 11th & 1 respectfully. Of course Maluach has a high upside

[CazOnReal]

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280589/Rockets-Expected-To-Consider-Trading-No-10-Pick-In-Draft

Wonder what the Rockets would be looking for in return. Seems like theyre in a perfect spot for consolidation trade.

Jaylen Brown, presumably. Ime connection and they do need a go-to scorer. Plus there was that whole "Brown wants to the The Guy™" thing which has died down for the time being.

I could maybe see the Celtics making it a 3-team deal involving Jakob Poeltl - and it's a big maybe since I doubt we'd want to get off of Jakob unless he said under no circumstances would he re-sign with us this offseason - since they were linked to Poeltl and are supposedly the reason why we gave up a 1st with such menial protections but TBD if they're going to actually make such a drastic move in the draft unless they want to bottom out & try again in 2026/27 with a Top 4-ish pick to trade for Tatum's next co-star.