2025 Draft Thread - Part 2

[badinage]

This is just so dispiriting.

And not just to lose out, but to lose out on no. 2, and no. 3.

And not just THAT, but to see a team like Dallas that had no business being in contention for the pick — and in a league that was smart and equitable, would not have been — leapfrog our team and collect its second generational talent in 6-7 years.

Our team has no generational talent, and has not had it since the late ’70s.

The only way to try to get that talent, with the new CBA, is by tanking, and hard — and hoping, and praying. But the NBA has said: nope, you’re not gonna do it, cuz we’re gonna punish tankers, and give them an almost 50 PERCENT chance of landing 5 or 6.

Which is insane. All by itself — INSANE.

And the system itself is so stupidly flawed, because it works, not to make the sport more equitable and balanced, but rather to screw the teams that try hard to get the players without which they cannot actually hope to compete.

A league where only 5-6 teams every season have a legit chance of winning. Where, without a super duper star, you can be good, but you’re never going to win it all.

That’s f**cked.

I don’t know why I keep watching. Honestly.

It’s injustice on so many levels. Disparity on so many levels.

It pains me, to support this with my time and money.

[FAH1223]

Cedric Coward is a guy we should target

Read on Twitter

[The Consiglieri]

Exactly, it's while I'll be checking out in late June and won't return until May of '26 (maybe the trade deadline '26). No interest whatsoever in the season or really the NBA, at all. Zero.

The one thing I'll say about '25, and its ridiculous, but honestly, maybe its not, is simply trying to trade our '25 first to a team that currently sucks and just got punished in the lottery and will probably suck next year. Would Charlotte, Utah, Brooklyn, New Orleans etc.

Honestly, I'd do it. Who gives a ---- about pick 6, like, at all. If you can give it to a team that will be bottom 8ish next year, it will up our lottery balls dramatically in a draft that appears 4 deep or at worst 3 deep in studs, instead of this years 2 deep, plus 2 question marks.

I have less than zero interest in the sixth pick. I would much prefer to trade it for futures, help the tank for '26 to keep our pick, and increase our lottery balls in '26. I'd do that, 1000%. I have zero interest in Queen, limited interest in Johnson, I could deal with Maluach, but I wouldn't be super excited, no interest in Murray Boyles, Id put it 95-5 for all of them save maybe Maluach, ever developing into transformative players. I'd rather increase our lottery balls options for '26, then just glumly take the pile of horse manure the NBA handed to us yesterday, no offense to the players, but getting gifted yet another Cal Cheaney/Guggs at best level prospect doesn't do a ----ing thing for this horror show on wheels. Just turn the page to '26. ---- the 2025 draft and the '25-'26 season and really the past 45 years while were at it.

[The Consiglieri]

Admittedly, I know the team won't do this. But they absolutely should do this. Nothing in this draft is going to change a damn thing with this team's fortunes 2025-2035, just like 2023-2024, or 2018-2022. It's utterly pointless. Give some other team the ---- sandwich and buy lottery balls for '26.

[9 and 20]

Interesting idea on trading out the draft entirely. Might be worth it if we get an unprotected pick back from another team.

One other thought I had about Maluach (if he's as good as he might be) - Poole would probably look a lot better throwing lobs to Maluach and maybe we could then trade Poole for something good at the deadline or next off-season.

I am also in favor of drafting a guy named Coward, but mostly just for the name. I know nothing about the player. Send him up to represent us at the lottery next year and have him just staring at Silver the whole time.

[mhd]

Interesting idea on trading out the draft entirely. Might be worth it if we get an unprotected pick back from another team.

One other thought I had about Maluach (if he's as good as he might be) - Poole would probably look a lot better throwing lobs to Maluach and maybe we could then trade Poole for something good at the deadline or next off-season.

I am also in favor of drafting a guy named Coward, but mostly just for the name. I know nothing about the player. Send him up to represent us at the lottery next year and have him just staring at Silver the whole time.

I 100% support this. Give a giant finger to Silver and his cronies by punting on this draft and trade away 6 for multiple unprotected future 1sts. I like no one at 6 anyways. We're tanking anyways next year with that pick being only top 8 protected. Considering Silver will do anything to prop up the Knicks, we need to be brazen as Utah and lose every game next year to ensure that pick has zero chance to convey. I don't care. Screw the rigged lottery system.

[payitforward]

This guy has a great channel:

Watch on YouTube

Really selling me on Johnson (pause). Down for him or Queen.

I didn't realize his feetwurk was so nice.

Not interested TBH. It seems like his game is alot like Carrington's...pull up jumpshots, an inability to finish at the rim. Not overly athletic and not a good defender. I'd pass.

Agreed. Not a target for me....

[DCZards]

Honestly, I'd do it. Who gives a ---- about pick 6, like, at all. If you can give it to a team that will be bottom 8ish next year, it will up our lottery balls dramatically in a draft that appears 4 deep or at worst 3 deep in studs, instead of this years 2 deep, plus 2 question marks.

I have less than zero interest in the sixth pick.

Here’s why you should give a ———about pick 6.

Lillard a 6th pick.
Jamal Murray a 7th pick.
Julius Randle a 7th pick.
Deni a 9th pick.
SGA an 11th pick.
Haliburton a 12th pick.
Jalen Williams a 12th pick.
Devin Booker a 13th pick.
Donovan Mitchell a 13th pick.
Leonard a 15th pick.
Giannis a 15th pick.
Sengun a 16th pick.
Brunson a 33rd pick.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I think he might be a good role player, but I wouldn’t take him at #6. The guy averages 6.5 points!

To be fair he scored as much as Kyshawn per minute. He's deaf so that may have been an issue with his playing time.

4 stocks per 40 definitely has my attention. His standing reach is only a half inch less than Flagg.

Not deaf. Grandchild of Deaf Adults. Meaning he was raised fluent in sign language. Culturally Deaf. It's a thing in the Deaf community if you were raised understanding the lingo and values vs if you came to it late. HIs grandfather is in the Deaf Basketball Players HOF. Never knew there was such a thing.

I like him at 18, or even higher if we are moving around in trade, but I think he's not one of our targets at 6.

I watched a lot of Arizona this year, and the fact of the matter is Bryant didn't put up bigger numbers because he didn't play a lot. He was a freshman on a team with a lot of older established players, and a coach that wasn't concerned with developing a freshman. He came off the bench, and accepted his role and fit in and contributed to a tournament team. When he did play, his game was team oriented and complimentary, focused on defense.
His teammates like Luis and Love, were more focused on their own scoring, very ISO heavy, there was not a lot of ball movement going to Carter. But he stepped up in his opportunities.

High School he was a 5 star recruit and McDonald's All-American.

As far as his production... I would compare it to a teenage Euro prospect that is playing behind older players and not getting a lot of PT. For example, look at Bilal Coulibaly. His season playing for Paris before being drafted....

MPG - 18.1 PTS - 5.0 REB - 3.1 ASSTS - 0.8 STL - 0.8 BLK - 0.2

And Bryant at Arizona...

MPG - 19.3 PTS - 6.5 REB - 4.1 ASSTS - 1.0 STL - 0.9 BLK - 1.0

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[Endless Loop]

Interesting idea on trading out the draft entirely. Might be worth it if we get an unprotected pick back from another team.

One other thought I had about Maluach (if he's as good as he might be) - Poole would probably look a lot better throwing lobs to Maluach and maybe we could then trade Poole for something good at the deadline or next off-season.

I am also in favor of drafting a guy named Coward, but mostly just for the name. I know nothing about the player. Send him up to represent us at the lottery next year and have him just staring at Silver the whole time.

I 100% support this. Give a giant finger to Silver and his cronies by punting on this draft and trade away 6 for multiple unprotected future 1sts. I like no one at 6 anyways. We're tanking anyways next year with that pick being only top 8 protected. Considering Silver will do anything to prop up the Knicks, we need to be brazen as Utah and lose every game next year to ensure that pick has zero chance to convey. I don't care. Screw the rigged lottery system.

Problem is, would any teams be willing to trade an unprotected pick if there's much of any chance it would be in the lottery?

Too bad that there's a salary floor in the NBA. Otherwise the Wiz could be like Oakland or (sad to say) the Nationals, and field an absolutely miserable team with $0 in salaries, and make big $$ from revenue sharing while harvesting lottery balls.

[payitforward]

I still blame Terd for bad karma coming from the proposed move to Virginia as the reason for this lottery catastrophe.

I blame PIF for moving to Silver Spring so we could actually meet in real life for a burger and beer. Clearly terrible juju for us to meet in real life. In fact how long has he been a fan of this franchise? 40 years? Does his fandom coincide with our long and terrible record? If so I think he has a lot to answer for.

Hmmm... there may be something to this. Let's see... I moved from San Francisco to DC in March 1992 -- i.e. end of the '91-92 season. Let me look...

...nah, we were already terrible -- & I'm not taking any retrospective blame for earlier misfortune. Sorry -- gotta be someone else.

[payitforward]

I am also in favor of drafting a guy named Coward....

Nah, he needs to go to Miami: "starting at guard tonight are Coward & Herro...."

[Jay81]

I’m picking Fears at 6. Most upside. Got to the free Throw line at an absurd rate.

Queen combine was a disaster. Maluch zero agility

[SUPERBALLMAN]

If Dawkins and the Wizards are going pure upside and long-term talent at 6 with a focus on development and not concerned with significantly contributing next season, I could see Beringer being someone they could consider.

Watch on YouTube

[BearlyBallin]

Cedric Coward is a guy we should target

Read on Twitter

He’s getting a lot of attention now.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[closg00]

I’m picking Fears at 6. Most upside. Got to the free Throw line at an absurd rate.

Queen combine was a disaster. Maluch zero agility

I am beginning to settle on Fears as-well, assuming that Bailey, Johnson, & VJ are gone.

Queen is going to be a dropper and will have to work hard wherever he lands.
https://www.reddit.com/r/torontoraptors/comments/1klubi6/derik_queens_historically_bad_combine_score/?rdt=45287

[Northwest Roddy]

Dat, am I missing Jase Richardson? Did he decide to return to school?

He's 6-0 1/2 .... I love his game but that kinda kills my enthusiasm unless he shows he can play the PG position full time and I didn't see that in his handle tbh.

I understand downgrading Jase Richardson because of his size but I’m not dropping him out of my top 20.

Kid just knows how to play the game and showed some big kahunas at times. Plus he has that NBA pedigree in his blood.

Jase will figure out how to have an impact at the next level…just as the smallish Jalen Brunson did.

Big Cajones! The Spanish word for testicles.

Kahuna is a mystical, shaman like figure in traditional Hawaiian culture, and it is offensive to them when we say, for example, someone is a big Kahuna. Though I doubt we have many Hawaiians on this board…

[AFM]

Does the big Kahuna have big cajones. Someone ask ChatGPT.

[doclinkin]

Drives me mad how slow NBA.com is to input the official measurements etc. I hate tracking them by twitter etc.

[doclinkin]

I’m picking Fears at 6. Most upside. Got to the free Throw line at an absurd rate.

Queen combine was a disaster. Maluch zero agility

I am beginning to settle on Fears as-well, assuming that Bailey, Johnson, & VJ are gone.

Queen is going to be a dropper and will have to work hard wherever he lands.
https://www.reddit.com/r/torontoraptors/comments/1klubi6/derik_queens_historically_bad_combine_score/?rdt=45287

Cool, if he falls to 18 he's a bargain.