2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 8

[Psubs]

Poeltl defends at a high level though, and he's your only big out there. With Queen, you'd need to play another big next to him.

Depends on match ups....Queen can hold his own....Hes not a small big....Some people make Queen seem like hes tiny and he can't defend at all when that is not the case....

It's not really his size I'm worried about, it's more about his ability to defend other NBA Cs without help.

Right! it's like Olynyk is 7'ft with only a 7ft wingspan but he isn't a good defender.

[God Squad]

I know I'm probably the minority here, but Sorber > Queen.

You’re not alone.

SCOUTING REPORT BY Danny Chau
A season-ending left foot injury in February derailed what had been an outstanding run for Sorber, who was in the midst of one of the best-ever freshman campaigns for a Georgetown big man. That’s lofty but earned praise, placing him right up there with Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Greg Monroe, and Othella Harrington—all 10-plus-year NBA veterans at the very least. Sorber is a throwback, right down to his choice to commit to ol’ Big Man U. He gets low and wide in the post, sets bone-crushing screens, and understands how to leverage his verticality on defense without fouling. The foundation is rock-solid. What makes him so intriguing is the skills he’s amassed on top of it.

One of Sorber’s gifts is his court mapping. He has a sense for where everyone should be on the floor, which allows him to make instinctive, split-second passes out of just about every play type. Nothing fancy, but he can be a playmaker down on the blocks or in the high post, in the short roll or out of dribble handoffs. When he crashes the offensive glass, the biggest concern isn’t how quickly he’ll go back up, but how quickly he’ll spray the ball out to a wide-open shooter.

Shooting will be the big determining factor for Sorber’s high-end outcomes because he probably won’t be a compelling rim runner at the next level. Because of his lack of size and the long load-up time of his vertical explosion, his avenues for success in the pick-and-roll will largely depend on both his passing and his ability to stretch the floor from 3. That could come with time; he’s been a solid free throw shooter dating back to high school, and while the percentages aren’t good, he hasn’t been afraid of taking open looks from deep.

Sorber’s defense is very much in the eye of the beholder. As a slightly undersized NBA center without outlier athleticism, he may have a clear cap on his defensive ceiling. But he has real lateral mobility for a player his size, allowing him to credibly defend in space on the perimeter and recover for blocks on drives into the lane. He pries the ball loose using his strong hands and quick reaction time. He plays with a deep intuition, reflected in both the film and the numbers. There simply aren’t many college players in the past 20 years who have his steal and block rates and also averaged fewer than three fouls per 40 minutes. He creates moments of rupture on defense and does so cleanly. All while serving as a defensive lightning rod in his freshman year. In that light, Sorber’s discipline is damn near monk-like.

There’s a unique blend of skills, production, and youth here that adds up to a lottery-caliber talent. As a freshman, Sorber plays the game with the maturity of a four-year senior. It’s the greenest flag in his evaluation.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

I can get behind a Wendell Carter Jr low-end and Horford high-end comp.

[OakleyDokely]

If we're going with a "hub" or "playmaking" big, I think CMB is more of a seamless fit in the NBA. I like his chances of defending at the NBA level a lot more than Queen, and he gives you some of the same offensive qualities.

[Clutch0z24]

Poeltl defends at a high level though, and he's your only big out there. With Queen, you'd need to play another big next to him.

Depends on match ups....Queen can hold his own....Hes not a small big....Some people make Queen seem like hes tiny and he can't defend at all when that is not the case....

It's not really his size I'm worried about, it's more about his ability to defend other NBA Cs without help.

Yeah i guess what im saying is he is not as bad as people are making him out to be on the defensive end....He has his limitations but hes not going to allow any big to score over him every possession ....Also yes it depends on the Matchups...Because Queen is basically the same size with a good amount of Cs in the NBA....But if you look at the heights around the league he is fine..

Hawks tallest player is 6'11" Gueye
Celtics tallest player is 7'2" Kristaps
Nets tallest player is 6'11" Claxton
Hornets tallest player is 7'0" Williams
Bulls tallest player is 6'11" Collins
Cavs tallest player is 6'11" Mobley
Mavs tallest player is 7'1" Livley
Nuggets tallest player is 6'11" Jokic
Pistons tallest player is 6'10" Duren
Warriors tallest player is 7'0" Post
Rockets tallest player is 6'11" Sengun
Pacers tallest player is 6'11" Turner
Clippers tallest player is 7'0" Zubac
Lakers tallest player is 7'0" Hayes
Grizzlies tallest player is 7'4" Edey
Heats tallest player is 7'0" Ware

I will just stop here to give you an idea...Yeah there are alot of Giants in the NBA like Edey/Wemby but majority of the bigs are around 6'11" Which yeah Queen gives up 1 inch on them all but lets not act like 1 inch is going to dramatically make Queen a useless big out there...Because it won't...As for the big guys over 7 ft 3 inches tall well we have Yak who can guard them guys....

Thats why i said its matchup based because against alot of Cs in the NBA Queen can hold his own against them....Guys like Edey is when you need to put another big in with Queen.

[OakleyDokely]

Depends on match ups....Queen can hold his own....Hes not a small big....Some people make Queen seem like hes tiny and he can't defend at all when that is not the case....

It's not really his size I'm worried about, it's more about his ability to defend other NBA Cs without help.

Yeah i guess what im saying is he is not as bad as people are making him out to be on the defensive end....He has his limitations but hes not going to allow the any big score over him every possession ....Also yes it depends on the Matchups...Because Queen is basically the same size or taller than a good amount of Cs in the NBA....But if you look at the heights around the league he is fine..

Hawks tallest player is 6'11" Gueye
Celtics tallest player is 7'2" Kristaps
Nets tallest player is 6'11" Claxton
Hornets tallest player is 7'0" Williams
Bulls tallest player is 6'11" Collins
Cavs tallest player is 6'11" Mobley
Mavs tallest player is 7'1" Livley
Nuggets tallest player is 6'11" Jokic
Pistons tallest player is 6'10" Duren
Warriors tallest player is 7'0" Post
Rockets tallest player is 6'11" Sengun
Pacers tallest player is 6'11" Turner
Clippers tallest player is 7'0" Zubac
Lakers tallest player is 7'0" Hayes
Grizzlies tallest player is 7'4" Edey
Heats tallest player is 7'0" Ware

I will just stop here to give you an idea...Yeah there are alot of Giants in the NBA like Edey/Wemby but majority of the bigs are around 6'11" Which yeah Queen gives up 1 inch on them all but lets not act like 1 inch is going to dramatically make Queen a useless big out there...Because it won't...As for the big guys over 7 ft 3 inches tall well we have Yak who can guard them guys....

Thats why i said its matchup based because against alot of Cs in the NBA Queen can hold his own against them....Guys like Edey is when you need to put another big in with Queen.

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

[Psubs]

You’re not alone.

SCOUTING REPORT BY Danny Chau
A season-ending left foot injury in February derailed what had been an outstanding run for Sorber, who was in the midst of one of the best-ever freshman campaigns for a Georgetown big man. That’s lofty but earned praise, placing him right up there with Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Greg Monroe, and Othella Harrington—all 10-plus-year NBA veterans at the very least. Sorber is a throwback, right down to his choice to commit to ol’ Big Man U. He gets low and wide in the post, sets bone-crushing screens, and understands how to leverage his verticality on defense without fouling. The foundation is rock-solid. What makes him so intriguing is the skills he’s amassed on top of it.

One of Sorber’s gifts is his court mapping. He has a sense for where everyone should be on the floor, which allows him to make instinctive, split-second passes out of just about every play type. Nothing fancy, but he can be a playmaker down on the blocks or in the high post, in the short roll or out of dribble handoffs. When he crashes the offensive glass, the biggest concern isn’t how quickly he’ll go back up, but how quickly he’ll spray the ball out to a wide-open shooter.

Shooting will be the big determining factor for Sorber’s high-end outcomes because he probably won’t be a compelling rim runner at the next level. Because of his lack of size and the long load-up time of his vertical explosion, his avenues for success in the pick-and-roll will largely depend on both his passing and his ability to stretch the floor from 3. That could come with time; he’s been a solid free throw shooter dating back to high school, and while the percentages aren’t good, he hasn’t been afraid of taking open looks from deep.

Sorber’s defense is very much in the eye of the beholder. As a slightly undersized NBA center without outlier athleticism, he may have a clear cap on his defensive ceiling. But he has real lateral mobility for a player his size, allowing him to credibly defend in space on the perimeter and recover for blocks on drives into the lane. He pries the ball loose using his strong hands and quick reaction time. He plays with a deep intuition, reflected in both the film and the numbers. There simply aren’t many college players in the past 20 years who have his steal and block rates and also averaged fewer than three fouls per 40 minutes. He creates moments of rupture on defense and does so cleanly. All while serving as a defensive lightning rod in his freshman year. In that light, Sorber’s discipline is damn near monk-like.

There’s a unique blend of skills, production, and youth here that adds up to a lottery-caliber talent. As a freshman, Sorber plays the game with the maturity of a four-year senior. It’s the greenest flag in his evaluation.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

I can get behind a Wendell Carter Jr low-end and Horford high-end comp.

I would trade Agbaji for a late teens pick to draft Sorber. I think he drops 5-7 spots based on the injury.

[Clutch0z24]

It's not really his size I'm worried about, it's more about his ability to defend other NBA Cs without help.

Yeah i guess what im saying is he is not as bad as people are making him out to be on the defensive end....He has his limitations but hes not going to allow the any big score over him every possession ....Also yes it depends on the Matchups...Because Queen is basically the same size or taller than a good amount of Cs in the NBA....But if you look at the heights around the league he is fine..

Hawks tallest player is 6'11" Gueye
Celtics tallest player is 7'2" Kristaps
Nets tallest player is 6'11" Claxton
Hornets tallest player is 7'0" Williams
Bulls tallest player is 6'11" Collins
Cavs tallest player is 6'11" Mobley
Mavs tallest player is 7'1" Livley
Nuggets tallest player is 6'11" Jokic
Pistons tallest player is 6'10" Duren
Warriors tallest player is 7'0" Post
Rockets tallest player is 6'11" Sengun
Pacers tallest player is 6'11" Turner
Clippers tallest player is 7'0" Zubac
Lakers tallest player is 7'0" Hayes
Grizzlies tallest player is 7'4" Edey
Heats tallest player is 7'0" Ware

I will just stop here to give you an idea...Yeah there are alot of Giants in the NBA like Edey/Wemby but majority of the bigs are around 6'11" Which yeah Queen gives up 1 inch on them all but lets not act like 1 inch is going to dramatically make Queen a useless big out there...Because it won't...As for the big guys over 7 ft 3 inches tall well we have Yak who can guard them guys....

Thats why i said its matchup based because against alot of Cs in the NBA Queen can hold his own against them....Guys like Edey is when you need to put another big in with Queen.

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

CMB is not the same size like CMB is 6'6" without shoes....6'7" With shoes....Queen is 6'10" in shoes....Thats a huge difference....Again just because Queen is not a rim protecting shot blocker does not mean he can't defend at all...Its a made up narrative....He is not useless on D...

[HumbleRen]

It's not really his size I'm worried about, it's more about his ability to defend other NBA Cs without help.

Yeah i guess what im saying is he is not as bad as people are making him out to be on the defensive end....He has his limitations but hes not going to allow the any big score over him every possession ....Also yes it depends on the Matchups...Because Queen is basically the same size or taller than a good amount of Cs in the NBA....But if you look at the heights around the league he is fine..

Hawks tallest player is 6'11" Gueye
Celtics tallest player is 7'2" Kristaps
Nets tallest player is 6'11" Claxton
Hornets tallest player is 7'0" Williams
Bulls tallest player is 6'11" Collins
Cavs tallest player is 6'11" Mobley
Mavs tallest player is 7'1" Livley
Nuggets tallest player is 6'11" Jokic
Pistons tallest player is 6'10" Duren
Warriors tallest player is 7'0" Post
Rockets tallest player is 6'11" Sengun
Pacers tallest player is 6'11" Turner
Clippers tallest player is 7'0" Zubac
Lakers tallest player is 7'0" Hayes
Grizzlies tallest player is 7'4" Edey
Heats tallest player is 7'0" Ware

I will just stop here to give you an idea...Yeah there are alot of Giants in the NBA like Edey/Wemby but majority of the bigs are around 6'11" Which yeah Queen gives up 1 inch on them all but lets not act like 1 inch is going to dramatically make Queen a useless big out there...Because it won't...As for the big guys over 7 ft 3 inches tall well we have Yak who can guard them guys....

Thats why i said its matchup based because against alot of Cs in the NBA Queen can hold his own against them....Guys like Edey is when you need to put another big in with Queen.

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

CMB is 6’6 bare feet. I’m confused at him being the same size at Queen.

[WuTang_CMB]

I know I'm probably the minority here, but Sorber > Queen.

You’re not alone.

SCOUTING REPORT BY Danny Chau
A season-ending left foot injury in February derailed what had been an outstanding run for Sorber, who was in the midst of one of the best-ever freshman campaigns for a Georgetown big man. That’s lofty but earned praise, placing him right up there with Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Greg Monroe, and Othella Harrington—all 10-plus-year NBA veterans at the very least. Sorber is a throwback, right down to his choice to commit to ol’ Big Man U. He gets low and wide in the post, sets bone-crushing screens, and understands how to leverage his verticality on defense without fouling. The foundation is rock-solid. What makes him so intriguing is the skills he’s amassed on top of it.

One of Sorber’s gifts is his court mapping. He has a sense for where everyone should be on the floor, which allows him to make instinctive, split-second passes out of just about every play type. Nothing fancy, but he can be a playmaker down on the blocks or in the high post, in the short roll or out of dribble handoffs. When he crashes the offensive glass, the biggest concern isn’t how quickly he’ll go back up, but how quickly he’ll spray the ball out to a wide-open shooter.

Shooting will be the big determining factor for Sorber’s high-end outcomes because he probably won’t be a compelling rim runner at the next level. Because of his lack of size and the long load-up time of his vertical explosion, his avenues for success in the pick-and-roll will largely depend on both his passing and his ability to stretch the floor from 3. That could come with time; he’s been a solid free throw shooter dating back to high school, and while the percentages aren’t good, he hasn’t been afraid of taking open looks from deep.

Sorber’s defense is very much in the eye of the beholder. As a slightly undersized NBA center without outlier athleticism, he may have a clear cap on his defensive ceiling. But he has real lateral mobility for a player his size, allowing him to credibly defend in space on the perimeter and recover for blocks on drives into the lane. He pries the ball loose using his strong hands and quick reaction time. He plays with a deep intuition, reflected in both the film and the numbers. There simply aren’t many college players in the past 20 years who have his steal and block rates and also averaged fewer than three fouls per 40 minutes. He creates moments of rupture on defense and does so cleanly. All while serving as a defensive lightning rod in his freshman year. In that light, Sorber’s discipline is damn near monk-like.

There’s a unique blend of skills, production, and youth here that adds up to a lottery-caliber talent. As a freshman, Sorber plays the game with the maturity of a four-year senior. It’s the greenest flag in his evaluation.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

I like Sorber. The broken foot worries me already at a young age and those don't always heal 100%. He's big too.

[DatHomieYouHaTe]

The issue I have with Queen is that you'd need to give him a very high usage to get the most out of it, but I'm not sure he's the type of prospect that should warrant a high usage in the NBA. He isn't an off ball player, he isn't a shooter, he likely won't be a elite defender, so you'd have to run a lot of your offense through him, otherwise, he's just a guy out there.

In high school he was not the focal point of the offense since they had Flagg/McNeeley/Newell....And he still gave you 16 PPG 8 Reb 2 Ast 1 Stl 1 Blk Per game.....You can say that about any prospect though in this area of the draft if they do not do certain things they do well at the lower level they could just be "Guys out there"

Also Queen would have the ball in his hands just like Yak does (Off the bench or if he takes Yaks spot)....Darkos System is exactly what Queen is good at doing....

I think Queen would figure it out and i don't see him being a useless player....Even if hes not the focal point of the team....Hes too skilled...

Poeltl defends at a high level though, and he's your only big out there. With Queen, you'd need to play another big next to him.

Does Poeltl defend at an elite level? He's mediocre at best. He get's overrated big time you would think he's up there with Rudy Gobert for DPOY. He has so many holes in his game offensively he just becomes a full blown liability out there. It is a huge drop off when he doesn't play but that's only because we have no other Center to back him up.

[OakleyDokely]

Yeah i guess what im saying is he is not as bad as people are making him out to be on the defensive end....He has his limitations but hes not going to allow the any big score over him every possession ....Also yes it depends on the Matchups...Because Queen is basically the same size or taller than a good amount of Cs in the NBA....But if you look at the heights around the league he is fine..

Hawks tallest player is 6'11" Gueye
Celtics tallest player is 7'2" Kristaps
Nets tallest player is 6'11" Claxton
Hornets tallest player is 7'0" Williams
Bulls tallest player is 6'11" Collins
Cavs tallest player is 6'11" Mobley
Mavs tallest player is 7'1" Livley
Nuggets tallest player is 6'11" Jokic
Pistons tallest player is 6'10" Duren
Warriors tallest player is 7'0" Post
Rockets tallest player is 6'11" Sengun
Pacers tallest player is 6'11" Turner
Clippers tallest player is 7'0" Zubac
Lakers tallest player is 7'0" Hayes
Grizzlies tallest player is 7'4" Edey
Heats tallest player is 7'0" Ware

I will just stop here to give you an idea...Yeah there are alot of Giants in the NBA like Edey/Wemby but majority of the bigs are around 6'11" Which yeah Queen gives up 1 inch on them all but lets not act like 1 inch is going to dramatically make Queen a useless big out there...Because it won't...As for the big guys over 7 ft 3 inches tall well we have Yak who can guard them guys....

Thats why i said its matchup based because against alot of Cs in the NBA Queen can hold his own against them....Guys like Edey is when you need to put another big in with Queen.

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

CMB is not the same size like CMB is 6'6" without shoes....6'7" With shoes....Queen is 6'10" in shoes....Thats a huge difference....Again just because Queen is not a rim protecting shot blocker does not mean he can't defend at all...Its a made up narrative....He is not useless on D...

Combine
Queen: 6'9.25 w/o shoes, 7'0.50 wingspan, 247.8 lbs
CMB: 6'6.5 w/o shoes, 7'0.75 wingspan, 239.2 lbs

What CMB lacks in height, he makes up with wingspan.

I didn't say Queen is useless. I said he won't be good enough to play as your lone big, if you want your defense to be good.

[OakleyDokely]

Yeah i guess what im saying is he is not as bad as people are making him out to be on the defensive end....He has his limitations but hes not going to allow the any big score over him every possession ....Also yes it depends on the Matchups...Because Queen is basically the same size or taller than a good amount of Cs in the NBA....But if you look at the heights around the league he is fine..

Hawks tallest player is 6'11" Gueye
Celtics tallest player is 7'2" Kristaps
Nets tallest player is 6'11" Claxton
Hornets tallest player is 7'0" Williams
Bulls tallest player is 6'11" Collins
Cavs tallest player is 6'11" Mobley
Mavs tallest player is 7'1" Livley
Nuggets tallest player is 6'11" Jokic
Pistons tallest player is 6'10" Duren
Warriors tallest player is 7'0" Post
Rockets tallest player is 6'11" Sengun
Pacers tallest player is 6'11" Turner
Clippers tallest player is 7'0" Zubac
Lakers tallest player is 7'0" Hayes
Grizzlies tallest player is 7'4" Edey
Heats tallest player is 7'0" Ware

I will just stop here to give you an idea...Yeah there are alot of Giants in the NBA like Edey/Wemby but majority of the bigs are around 6'11" Which yeah Queen gives up 1 inch on them all but lets not act like 1 inch is going to dramatically make Queen a useless big out there...Because it won't...As for the big guys over 7 ft 3 inches tall well we have Yak who can guard them guys....

Thats why i said its matchup based because against alot of Cs in the NBA Queen can hold his own against them....Guys like Edey is when you need to put another big in with Queen.

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

CMB is 6’6 bare feet. I’m confuse
d at him being the same size at Queen.

wingspan is the same. close in weight.

[WuTang_CMB]

Some good intel across the league here

Read on Twitter

After Flagg, a cloud of uncertainty surrounds the rest of the lottery and how everything will play out. More specifically, teams are keeping a close eye on what will happen with the Philadelphia 76ers, who jumped multiple spots in the lottery drawing and are in possession of the third-overall pick on June 26.

The 76ers have a big decision to make, one that will undoubtedly impact their future given the uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid and Paul George. This is a blessing in disguise for the Sixers… unless they take the wrong prospect.

Ace Bailey is the name everyone has linked to Philadelphia since the NBA Draft order was set. He is undoubtedly one of the top players in this draft class due to his athleticism, confidence, and scoring abilities. At the same time, Bailey isn't everyone's favorite, as some have cited concerns about his maturity and willingness to not be “the guy” wherever he is drafted, sources told ClutchPoints.

However, Bailey just played at Rutgers alongside Dylan Harper, another elite-level talent in this NBA Draft class, and his tape speaks for itself. That is why there is such a big argument about where he will ultimately end up on draft night.

Along with Bailey, the 76ers are evaluating VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, and Kon Knueppel in this spot. The conversation of whether the Sixers should trade this pick is also very relevant at this time, and such a move would completely alter the entire 2025 NBA Draft.

All options are on the table right now for Daryl Morey and his front office, as Philadelphia has already been in contact with several organizations who are interested in expanding trade talks for the third pick, sources said. It is worth mentioning that the 76ers aren't giving indications that they will be moving on from their core group of Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey this offseason.

Other prospects may prove to make a greater impact right away, but is Bailey's potential and star-like qualities too much to pass up? Many questions loom large in Philadelphia with the 2025 NBA Draft nearing.

Unlike the Jazz, the Washington Wizards are not as open for business when it comes to trade talks. This front office wants to build a long-term, sustainable core, and they have done so in recent drafts with Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Bub Carrington. Since they also own the 18th and 40th picks, there is always the possibility of the Wizards looking to make a big draft-day move.

However, league sources have signaled that Washington is confident a high-level prospect will fall to them with this sixth pick. Along with Jeremiah Fears being on their radar, Maluach and Knueppel are also two players that fit the Wizards' young core. Another prospect who has come up in multiple conversations with the Wizards is French guard Nolan Traore, sources said. Traore's range in this draft is anywhere from late lottery through the middle of the first round.

One scenario floated by an Eastern Conference scout is the idea of the Wizards targeting French big man Noa Essengue with this pick and then finding a way to also draft Traore, pairing these two Frenchmen with Coulibaly and Sarr. This is just an idea, as there haven't been any real indications from those close to the Wizards that this is what they are thinking. Washington hardly ever has leaks of information.

Back to the actual selection in this NBA Mock Draft — Fears presents long-term upside and playmaking alongside Carrington in the Wizards' backcourt. All the Wizards need moving forward is potential. This organization is in no rush to rapidly develop players, and they can devote time to a young, rising talent like Fears in their backcourt.

7. New Orleans Pelicans – C Khaman Maluach – Duke
Where Maluach ends up is one of the biggest questions before the NBA Draft. As previously reported in our Big Board 3.0 last week, the Duke center is drawing interest from the Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and New Orleans Pelicans. To build off this, the Jazz are another team to quietly keep tabs on regarding Maluach, given that his stock continues to rise.

While he is being mocked to the Pelicans with this seventh pick, Maluach could realistically go anywhere from the third pick to the ninth pick in this draft, as the Raptors are widely viewed as his floor should he fall to them. If Maluach makes it past the fifth pick, a variety of teams will be on the phone trying to acquire his draft rights. There is no doubt that the highest-ranked center in the 2025 NBA Draft is flying up draft boards across the league.

Joe Dumars, the Pelicans' new head of basketball operations, made it clear that he will be looking to beef up the team's frontcourt alongside rookie standout Yves Missi in the offseason. Although players like Knueppel, Johnson, and guards like Egor Demin or Kasparas Jakucionis could provide more immediate upside, scouts are falling in love with Maluach's ability to stretch the floor and be an elite two-way factor.

Maluach could be a foundational piece in New Orleans for many years to come, finally giving this organization young talent to develop and mold into what it wants.

The Nets continue to be engaged in trade conversations around the league and exploring ways to possibly acquire another lottery pick, multiple sources said. Aside from the eighth pick, Brooklyn also owns the 19th, 26th, and 27th picks in the first round.

If the Nets are to consider trading Cam Johnson, whom they held a high asking price of two first-round picks for at the trade deadline, they will only do so knowing they could jump ahead of the 8th pick.

Of course, that is unless a team like the Raptors would give up the ninth pick, future NBA Draft consideration, and a player like RJ Barrett, who is still only 24 years old. Toronto, more on them shortly, is fully engaged in drastically improving its roster.

In this spot, Knueppel is the best player available for the Nets based on the first seven picks in this mock draft. Knueppel can shoot from anywhere on the floor, and he is a much better scorer when putting the ball on the floor than many give him credit for.

Egor Demin, Kasparas Jakucionis, Noa Essengue, and the players above Knueppel in this mock draft are all in consideration for the Nets with this eighth pick. Jeremiah Fears is near the top of Brooklyn's draft board, sources said. While it sounds crazy to list virtually 10 prospects for the Nets, that is where this franchise is at right now.

All options are on the table based on how the top end of the NBA Draft plays out, especially if there isn't a path for Brooklyn being able to trade up for the second pick and take Dylan Harper.

9. Toronto Raptors – PF Noa Essengue – France (Ratiopharm Ulm – BBL)
Masai Ujiri is one of the best at pulling off big moves in the offseason, and the Raptors have signaled to the rest of the league with their acquisition of Brandon Ingram that they are ready to emerge from their short retooling phase. Nobody outside of Scottie Barnes is untouchable in Toronto, which is why they are being linked to a potential Kevin Durant trade.

What trade opportunities come the Raptors' way will dictate what happens with this ninth pick. If the Raptors hold onto it with Knueppel and Maluach off the board, what's stopping Ujiri from targeting Essengue, one of the highest risers in this draft class? The French big man is receiving interest as high as the Jazz at No. 5 overall.

Essengue possesses the physicality and size of a modern-day NBA All-Star, and he fits the mold of a lengthy utility forward in the sense that he can do a little bit of everything on the floor. That is what the Raptors saw in Pascal Siakam initially, and it would make sense if they see a similar path for Essengue.

[HumbleRen]

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

CMB is not the same size like CMB is 6'6" without shoes....6'7" With shoes....Queen is 6'10" in shoes....Thats a huge difference....Again just because Queen is not a rim protecting shot blocker does not mean he can't defend at all...Its a made up narrative....He is not useless on D...

Combine
Queen: 6'9.25 w/o shoes, 7'0.50 wingspan, 247.8 lbs
CMB: 6'6.5 w/o shoes, 7'0.75 wingspan, 239.2 lbs

What CMB lacks in height, he makes up with wingspan.

I didn't say Queen is useless. I said he won't be good enough to play as your lone big, if you want your defense to be good.

Being actually 6’9 still matters more though. I agree that I don’t think Queen can be a 5 for a team but CMB would be worst at it imo.

[OakleyDokely]

In high school he was not the focal point of the offense since they had Flagg/McNeeley/Newell....And he still gave you 16 PPG 8 Reb 2 Ast 1 Stl 1 Blk Per game.....You can say that about any prospect though in this area of the draft if they do not do certain things they do well at the lower level they could just be "Guys out there"

Also Queen would have the ball in his hands just like Yak does (Off the bench or if he takes Yaks spot)....Darkos System is exactly what Queen is good at doing....

I think Queen would figure it out and i don't see him being a useless player....Even if hes not the focal point of the team....Hes too skilled...

Poeltl defends at a high level though, and he's your only big out there. With Queen, you'd need to play another big next to him.

Does Poeltl defend at an elite level? He's mediocre at best. He get's overrated big time you would think he's up there with Rudy Gobert for DPOY. He has so many holes in his game offensively he just becomes a full blown liability out there. It is a huge drop off when he doesn't play but that's only because we have no other Center to back him up.

I wouldn't say he's elite, but he's well above average imo.

[Clutch0z24]

Again it's not his size I'm worried about. CMB is about the same size, but I think he'll be able to defend at the NBA level.

CMB is not the same size like CMB is 6'6" without shoes....6'7" With shoes....Queen is 6'10" in shoes....Thats a huge difference....Again just because Queen is not a rim protecting shot blocker does not mean he can't defend at all...Its a made up narrative....He is not useless on D...

Combine
Queen: 6'9.25 w/o shoes, 7'0.50 wingspan, 247.8 lbs
CMB: 6'6.5 w/o shoes, 7'0.75 wingspan, 239.2 lbs

What CMB lacks in height, he makes up with wingspan.

I didn't say Queen is useless. I said he won't be good enough to play as your lone big, if you want your defense to be good.

Height and Wingspan are 2 different things....For example Queen can actually body up against the 7 footers and not give up total position down there....CMB a 7 footer would tower over him...

CMB would be a sole SF/PF in the NBA....Queen will be a PF/C depending on matchups.

[WuTang_CMB]

CMB is not the same size like CMB is 6'6" without shoes....6'7" With shoes....Queen is 6'10" in shoes....Thats a huge difference....Again just because Queen is not a rim protecting shot blocker does not mean he can't defend at all...Its a made up narrative....He is not useless on D...

Combine
Queen: 6'9.25 w/o shoes, 7'0.50 wingspan, 247.8 lbs
CMB: 6'6.5 w/o shoes, 7'0.75 wingspan, 239.2 lbs

What CMB lacks in height, he makes up with wingspan.

I didn't say Queen is useless. I said he won't be good enough to play as your lone big, if you want your defense to be good.

Height and Wingspan are 2 different things....For example Queen can actually body up against the 7 footers and not give up total position down there....CMB a 7 footer would tower over him...

CMB would be a sole SF/PF in the NBA....Queen will be a PF/C depending on matchups.

Queen also has a 9'1.50" standing reach vs CMB's 8'10" .. over 3 inches diff.

[OakleyDokely]

CMB is not the same size like CMB is 6'6" without shoes....6'7" With shoes....Queen is 6'10" in shoes....Thats a huge difference....Again just because Queen is not a rim protecting shot blocker does not mean he can't defend at all...Its a made up narrative....He is not useless on D...

Combine
Queen: 6'9.25 w/o shoes, 7'0.50 wingspan, 247.8 lbs
CMB: 6'6.5 w/o shoes, 7'0.75 wingspan, 239.2 lbs

What CMB lacks in height, he makes up with wingspan.

I didn't say Queen is useless. I said he won't be good enough to play as your lone big, if you want your defense to be good.

Height and Wingspan are 2 different things....For example Queen can actually body up against the 7 footers and not give up total position down there....CMB a 7 footer would tower over him...

Again, you keep focusing on Queen's size which isn't the main issue for me.

[OakleyDokely]

Queen isn't a drop rim protecting big. But he also isn't a switchable defender like someone like CMB.

I just don't see where he fits defensively in the modern NBA. If we were in the 90s, early 20s, he'd be every teams starting 4. But in the current NBA, a big needs to be able to shoot it, and if he can't shoot it he better be able to rim protect or be a switchable defender otherwise it's tough to build a winning lineup around that guy.

That's not to say Queen can't or won't be a useful piece because he has some unique offensive skills but he's just a lot harder to build a team around, especially if the shot never comes along.

[bballsparkin]

It has little to do with how aesthetic his game is and more to do with projecting out whether the way he is scoring over smaller and less athletic players in college translates over to the pros.

He's got moves though. Good body control for someone his size. And an edge. That's were the Zach comparisons come in. I personally wouldn't draft him but I think he could have a Randolph like career. Needs to cut out Mickie D's though hah.

Randolph had a career 52.2 TS%, would that play in today's game?

Well, you'd have to consider some kind of sliding scale I imagine becuse TS% is higher in general these days. Honestly I'm not sure if Zach would work today. Or that Queen can replicate what Randolph did. I wouldn't be upset if he was drafted before #9.