General (Non-Wiz) Draft Discussion

[Rafael122]

Back to Nate's question regarding trades, I'm not sure how big Minnesota would be in wanting to get more picks, chances are they are going to have a top 5 pick but I would trade our pick for either the 18th and 28th pick, or trading Etan and our lottery pick for both picks. Something like that.

Also, consider the Thunder. They have 4 first round picks in the next two drafts, but again, they will most likely have a top 5 pick like us. They have no bigs. I would trade Etan and our lottery pick for the Thunder's 25th pick and a first round pick next year.

With that in mind, I would then flip that 25th pick for a team wanting to trade into the 1st round (Orlando?) and have them take back a contract...maybe Darius Songaila. Just give them the pick and a player in exchange for absolutely nothing. We keep our 2nd round pick which is in essence a late first round pick, clear more cap room, and then have two first round picks next year to use as ammunition.

Edit: We're gonna have to do something. The way I see it, its win win for Ernie. If he gets the top pick, he gets Blake, if he doesn't it gives him an out and an excuse to trade the pick away. We don't have the roster space to keep both picks as it is, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a draft night trade.

[doclinkin]

Drafting Rubio means a huge boost in ticket sales from the large hispanic population of VA-DC-MD, teenage fangirls and a lot of Europe wide attention for the Wizards. Bet you Abe is salivating at that thought.

Lots of teams are salivating at thought of getting Rubio for the exact reasons that you state (more-so teen-age boys and white suburban parents), and because he has future all-star written all over him. I would wager that on draft night, more teams will be aggressively pursuing trades for Rubio than they will for Griffin.

I'd agree with this, but mostly for the reason that anybody who lands the top pick will likely keep it no matter what.

[rl25g]

If in the 2008 draft, the argument for taking Rose over Beasley was because the PG position is more important than any other position on the floor. And if there is an opportunity to get a franchise PG then you can not pass it up...How come this these same arguments are not being made for Rubio over Griffin? Could there be a possibility that a team that gets the #1 picks Rubio?

[miller31time]

If in the 2008 draft, the argument for taking Rose over Beasley was because the PG position is more important than any other position on the floor. And if there is an opportunity to get a franchise PG then you can not pass it up...How come this these same arguments are not being made for Rubio over Griffin? Could there be a possibility that a team that gets the #1 picks Rubio?

Nobody will take Rubio with the 1st pick, even if they absolutely need a point guard and have absolutely no use for a power forward.

Why?

Because they'll draft Griffin and trade his rights for Rubio, knowing they can get a sweeter deal.

(IMO, of course)

[Rafael122]

If in the 2008 draft, the argument for taking Rose over Beasley was because the PG position is more important than any other position on the floor. And if there is an opportunity to get a franchise PG then you can not pass it up...How come this these same arguments are not being made for Rubio over Griffin? Could there be a possibility that a team that gets the #1 picks Rubio?

Well, a lot of these teams need a big man more than they need a point guard, and Griffin is easier to sign b/c there's no buyout. A $5 million buyout, plus a $5 million first year salary means that's $10 million for the first year with Rubio.

I think the only team who would draft Rubio would be Sacramento but we won't know that if they have the top pick.

[Benjammin]

If in the 2008 draft, the argument for taking Rose over Beasley was because the PG position is more important than any other position on the floor. And if there is an opportunity to get a franchise PG then you can not pass it up...How come this these same arguments are not being made for Rubio over Griffin? Could there be a possibility that a team that gets the #1 picks Rubio?

Well, a lot of these teams need a big man more than they need a point guard, and Griffin is easier to sign b/c there's no buyout. A $5 million buyout, plus a $5 million first year salary means that's $10 million for the first year with Rubio.

I think the only team who would draft Rubio would be Sacramento but we won't know that if they have the top pick.

I'm fairly certain that the team can only contribute $500,000 to a buyout so your point is moot. Rubio himself would have to pay the rest of the buyout.

[closg00]

Anyone remember last-years it-guy Lester Hudson? He was talked about as a late first-rounder last year, only to go back to Jr College. Now he can be had in the second round of a weak draft year.
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/lester-h ... file-42402

[LyricalRico]

If in the 2008 draft, the argument for taking Rose over Beasley was because the PG position is more important than any other position on the floor. And if there is an opportunity to get a franchise PG then you can not pass it up...How come this these same arguments are not being made for Rubio over Griffin? Could there be a possibility that a team that gets the #1 picks Rubio?

In addition to the other comments, it could also be that the media isn't as high on Rubio because they haven't seen him up close like they did Rose. Had Rubio been a US college player this could be a very hot topic.

Another reason could be the Blake Griffin is bigger than Beasley and more of a low post scorer. Yes, Beasley has great talent/skill but Griffin is a straight up stud who's going to demand double teams on the block. IMO that is harder to find than a quality PG.

[closg00]

Stephen Curry enters the draft today, that's a bit of a relief. If we pick 5, I wouldn't be upset with a reach pick of Curry or Lawson. Both of these guys are winners and could contribute right away as subs.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12340

[Rafael122]

If in the 2008 draft, the argument for taking Rose over Beasley was because the PG position is more important than any other position on the floor. And if there is an opportunity to get a franchise PG then you can not pass it up...How come this these same arguments are not being made for Rubio over Griffin? Could there be a possibility that a team that gets the #1 picks Rubio?

Well, a lot of these teams need a big man more than they need a point guard, and Griffin is easier to sign b/c there's no buyout. A $5 million buyout, plus a $5 million first year salary means that's $10 million for the first year with Rubio.

I think the only team who would draft Rubio would be Sacramento but we won't know that if they have the top pick.

I'm fairly certain that the team can only contribute $500,000 to a buyout so your point is moot. Rubio himself would have to pay the rest of the buyout.

That's right! I forgot about that. Very true, my mistake.

[doclinkin]

Stephen Curry enters the draft today, that's a bit of a relief. If we pick 5, I wouldn't be upset with a reach pick of Curry or Lawson. Both of these guys are winners and could contribute right away as subs.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12340

Let's play that game now that we have our floor established. Worst Pick Scenario and no reasonable trades surface, the Wiz with the 5th pick select who. Give your preferred pick and Ernie's probable pick.

1. Blake
2. Enrique
3. Hasheem
4. ???
5. ???

[doclinkin]

Anyone remember last-years it-guy Lester Hudson? He was talked about as a late first-rounder last year, only to go back to Jr College. Now he can be had in the second round of a weak draft year.
http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/lester-h ... file-42402

Mister Quadruple Double. He's still on my radar. A volume scorer, needs touches to play, not a superlative shooter from distance, short, defensive question marks, but a powerful athlete for his size and an attack dog mindset. Hungry for the ball at all times. Older than most players his grade level so the upside development is less of a positive question mark. But a baller. Quintessential combo guard.

At the top of the 2nd round there will probably be a few options better. But I like the idea of a secondary attacking ballhandler who can actually score and draw the foul. A tougher Juan Dixon.

[nate33]

Stephen Curry enters the draft today, that's a bit of a relief. If we pick 5, I wouldn't be upset with a reach pick of Curry or Lawson. Both of these guys are winners and could contribute right away as subs.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12340

Let's play that game now that we have our floor established. Worst Pick Scenario and no reasonable trades surface, the Wiz with the 5th pick select who. Give your preferred pick and Ernie's probable pick.

1. Blake
2. Enrique
3. Hasheem
4. ???
5. ???

If I absolutely had to keep the player (i.e. no trades), I'd pick:

4. Tyreke Evans
5. Stephen Curry

But if I were EG, I'd be drafting somebody for the purposes of making a trade. Under that scenario, I'd pick:

4. Jordan Hill
5. James Harden (or maybe Brandon Jennings. I don't know enough about him.)

[pancakes3]

ok, i'm going to defend my anthony morrow trade here. i thought i could let it slide with water off a duck but it's really eating at me. i'm taking it kind of personally...

1 - Morrow is a better fit for our team than any other player available at the 4th spot. All the prospects in this year's draft are 3 years away from contributing the way that Morrow can do coming in from day 1. Be it Harden, Lawson, Curry, Henderson, whoever... none of them can come in and be the Roger Mason Jr. type shooting guard and stretch the offense.

2 - Morrow is cheap. Next season he's slated to earn all of 700k next season. When it comes to resigning him, it would not take any more than 4 million dollars a year - the cost of a top 5 rookie contract. I'd rather pay 700k for Morrow than 4 million for James Harden next season, especially with cap considerations.

3 - Morrow is a better fit for our team than any 2-guard on our roster. As much as we value DMac's defense/rebounding and Nick Young's scoring ability, neither will compliment the starting lineup due to their lack of outside shooting. Young did get a .400 shooting season his rookie year but this season he posted a .340. The kid just isn't the type of shooter that Morrow is.

4 - Morrow isn't as one-dimensional as many here think. He's averaging 3 boards a game in 22 minutes, which is decent for a shooting guard. His assists, steals, and blocks are comparable to Nick Young's which suggests that he has the same physical tools for average->above average defense that Nick is capable of.

Bottom line: This kid is a great player that would be a great asset for our team given its current construction, and in also picking up Ronnie Turiaf the trade doesn't seem that bad to me. I don't understand the unmitigated hatred.

Please... if you're going to flame the trade tell me why i'm wrong so i can learn.

[Dat2U]

Let's play that game now that we have our floor established. Worst Pick Scenario and no reasonable trades surface, the Wiz with the 5th pick select who. Give your preferred pick and Ernie's probable pick.

1. Blake
2. Enrique
3. Hasheem
4. ???
5. ???

My picks:
1. Blake Griffin (wouldn't trade under any circumstances - except Durant)
2. Ricky Rubio (wouldn't look to trade either)
3. Tyreke Evans (would look to trade for a high quality NBA starter)
4. Stephen Curry (would prefer to trade down a few slots to get him)
5. Ty Lawson (would prefer to trade down a few slots to get him)

I would not under any circumstances draft a player just because I think he might hold the most trade value. That's how Jerry Krause ended up with a bust in Marcus Fizer with the fourth pick back in 2000. A trade would have to be already locked in place.

EG's likely picks:
1. Blake Griffin (I could see him trading this pick b/c of Jamison & the roster logjam at PF. They may think he's another Beasley, just a solid but not great player)
2. Ricky Rubio (I think he'd keep Rubio, I believe his a big fan of his)
3. Hasheem Thabeet (EG is a high upside guy. He'll look to trade the pick but could keep him if no takers are found)
4. Brandon Jennings (Another high upside guy...likely trade bait)
5. DeMar DeRozan (High upside guy...likely trade bait)

EG won't consider James Harden. I think his stock is likely to fall anyways. Not top 5 material. Jordan Hill is too much like our young talent we already have. Good athlete with little skill and low b-ball IQ.

I honestly think we'll see a major trade. EG will likely not trade down, but trade will trade out of the draft altogether. I suspect a package of Etan's & James' expirings will be a mandatory part of the package for a solid veteran.

Only guy I see them definitely keeping is Rubio.

[LyricalRico]

I honestly think we'll see a major trade. EG will likely not trade down, but trade will trade out of the draft altogether. I suspect a package of Etan's & James' expirings will be a mandatory part of the package for a solid veteran.

Yep, and I think it's going to come pre-draft. This Wiz situation is feeling very similar to the summer when we ended up with the #5 and dealt it for Jamison. We've got a high pick but nobody in that range is really going to help us, just like we didn't need Devin Harris because we'd just signed Arenas. And since we used our pick last year we'll be able to trade this year's pick in advance of the draft.

[nate33]

One simple no-brainer trade that could be on the table would be to trade our #3-5 pick plus Stevenson to Toronto for their #9. That saves us money while netting Toronto a stopgap starting SG, and moving them up high enough to have a shot at a center like Thabeet or whatever SG prospect they like best. They're not going to be players in the 2010 free agency market anyhow.

At #9, we should still have a shot at Curry or Henderson - two of the few players in the lottery who would be able to help us immediately. Counting the savings from signing a lower draft pick, we would shave $4.8M and $5.1M off our cap in the next two years respectively.

I think that's the kind of deal EG will do if we pick 3-5. I really hope the focus will be on dumping Stevenson, not Etan or James. The thing about Etan and James is that we could probably negotiate a buyout with them and save a little money. We owe Etan $7.3M and James $6.4M. EG should be able to get them to agree to a buyout of, say, $5.5Mand $5.0M respectively. They'd get paid to do absolutely nothing (rather than work out every day and shlepp all over the nation for 41 road games); we'd save a combined $3.2M off our payroll. Couple that with the savings in the Toronto trade and we'd avoid the luxtax this year and might avoid it again next year (even after resigning Haywood and DMac).

I'd be satisfied with the following roster on opening day:
PG Arenas/Curry
SG DMac/Young
SF Butler/Jamison
PF Jamison/Songaila
C Haywood/Blatche

That's a good 9-man rotation plus Crittenon, Pecherov and McGee deep on the bench. The team is a bit young, but DMac and Curry will play like vets so it'd be like having 7 seasoned players. Our luxtax problems would be solved and other teams wouldn't hover around us like vultures next summer trying to pick off Haywood and DMac.

[fishercob]

If I'm Etan, I gladly work out and fly around the country on someone else's dime for $1.8M. I think he and his agent reject that quickly.

Regardless of whether or not it's fiscally sound, it will be somewhat of a substantial bummer if what we get out of this lost season is a mid-level back court prospect and dumping Stevenson.

[Severn Hoos]

If I'm Etan, I gladly work out and fly around the country on someone else's dime for $1.8M. I think he and his agent reject that quickly.

Regardless of whether or not it's fiscally sound, it will be somewhat of a substantial bummer if what we get out of this lost season is a mid-level back court prospect and dumping Stevenson.

Well, given that his man Barack is going to be taking 70% of that $1.8M, maybe he'll think about it.

[MJG]

If I'm Etan, I gladly work out and fly around the country on someone else's dime for $1.8M. I think he and his agent reject that quickly.

Aye. I think at the minimum, our buyout would need to be his current contract minus the veteran's minimum (about $1.1 million I think), assuming he and his agent believe that someone else would be willing to pick him up. We'd may even have to added another few hundred thousand onto it, just for the trouble of him having to find a new team, and the fact that he's doing us a favor. We still come out better than we were, but the savings would be more in the $1.5 million range.