Draft insight from ESPN

[pacershereiam]

The Pacers seem to be leaning toward going with either a point guard (Jennings, Maynor, Lawson or, if one of them falls, Jrue Holiday or Jonny Flynn) or one of two big guys, Blair and Hansbrough.

Behind the scenes, there has been a lot of talk and maneuevering, as these teams try to figure out who will be available. The Pacers, Suns and Bulls have all talked with teams about moving up and down in the draft. The Bulls seem to be trying to leapfrog the others by acquiring the Nets' No. 11 pick, and are dangling No. 16 and No. 26. The Suns have tried to get up higher in the lottery, as have the Pacers

Looks like we are trying to get a player maybe Jordan Hill? He is falling but not quite enough. Your thoughts?

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft200 ... DraftBuzz2

[pacersrule08]

damn i would love to get hill or move up in the draft. come on Larry get it done.

[Scoot McGroot]

I'm ok with moving up in the draft, so long as we don't have to pay a steep price to do so. This really just isn't the draft to pay deeply to move up when you're going to be getting relatively the same tier player from roughly 3 or 5 down to 14 or 16.

[cdash]

If we move up, it probably won't be for Jordan Hill. I would think it would be in attempt to get Holiday or one of the other top PGs.

[Grang33r]

If we move up, it probably won't be for Jordan Hill. I would think it would be in attempt to get Holiday or one of the other top PGs.

I agree. If they move up, it will be Holiday (who i hope) or Evans. Pacers were very keen on Evans earlier in this process. Not sure their stance now.

Speaking of Hill. I think he will be one of the major busts in this draft but Danny Granger likes him. So i'd be ok if we drafted Hill.

The last word goes to Indiana Pacers All-Star forward Danny Granger, telling ESPN The Magazine why the Pacers should draft Hill:

"We need an athletic big man. Even though he's raw, I think he can help us right away. Sometimes you have guys who are polished but they lack size or athleticism. He's got both of those gifts, so it's just a matter of matter of time. He's got a lot of potential.''

Link- http://my.journaltimes.com/post/woelfel ... draft.html

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

I think the Pacers are interested in moving up to draft Evans, though I would prefer Holiday. I wouldn't trade Granger, Rush, or Hibbert to move up, but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

[Sid the Squid]

but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

I'd like to see my Warriors trade the 7th pick to you guys for an unprotected 2010 first rounder..I'm not into the talent in this 09 draft.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

I'd like to see my Warriors trade the 7th pick to you guys for an unprotected 2010 first rounder..I'm not into the talent in this 09 draft.

Holiday would have to be there at #7 and I'm really not sure I would trade an unprotected pick, I would have to make it a top 2 protected pick(isn't likely we get there anyway).

I would only do that if Holiday was there at #7 though - problem then becomes what we do with #13.

[PR07]

Agreed on the sentiment, that if we traded up, it would probably be to get Holiday. I don't see Evans being available after the 7th pick, and I'm not sure the Pacers are willing to sacrifice the ammunition needed to get in those first 7 picks. There's a decent chance that Holiday will be there in the 8-11 pick range, and I'd bet that even if he's not, someone like Brandon Jennings or Jordan Hill will be.

[freeman]

I think the Pacers are interested in moving up to draft Evans, though I would prefer Holiday. I wouldn't trade Granger, Rush, or Hibbert to move up, but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

I don't think it'll be wise to trade our 2010 pick, trade the 2011 draft pick instead.
Next year looks like a big man draft with Aldrich, Monroe, Brackins, etc. And we still don't know if this upcoming season's gonna be better.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

I think the Pacers are interested in moving up to draft Evans, though I would prefer Holiday. I wouldn't trade Granger, Rush, or Hibbert to move up, but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

I don't think it'll be wise to trade our 2010 pick, trade the 2011 draft pick instead.
Next year looks like a big man draft with Aldrich, Monroe, Brackins, etc. And we still don't know if this upcoming season's gonna be better.

If we could trade up for Holiday - I think I'd be okay with it, trade #13 and our 2nd for Chicago's picks - take Holiday, Hansbrough, and either Casspi, Budinger, Ellington, or Green. We have then filled our roster for the future too.

Holiday/Jack/Ford(Trade)
Rush/Dunleavy/26th pick
Granger/Dunleavy/26th pick
Murphy/Hansbrough
Hibbert/Foster

I mean, I'm not a big fan of trading out of the 2010 draft - I think its the second strongest draft of decade outside the LeBron draft - but for Holiday I'd take the chance. I do not expect to be in the lottery next year anyway.

[Grang33r]

If they move up for a player they truly love, like a Jrue Holiday, then they should do it, even at the expense of the 2010 pick. I personally don't think this draft is that strong at all, but i do think there are several players here who could become stars for a long time. I'm no NBA scout, sure, i really like Jennings and Holiday, but i can't really say who'll be good or not. I have opinions but that's as far as it goes. Larry Bird and his braintrust, if they can find the right guy, even if it's Jonny Flynn who turns out into a star, if they find the right guy, we will be in great shape. For next season and for the future.

If Pacers select a PG in round 1, and get a 2nd first round pick later in the draft, i wouldn't mind Blair at that spot (he will fall like a rock, like Darrell Arthur did last year i think) or Austin Daye. Daye had a lot of question marks but has impressed in almost every workout he's been in.

[Dunthreevy]

I think the Pacers are interested in moving up to draft Evans, though I would prefer Holiday. I wouldn't trade Granger, Rush, or Hibbert to move up, but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

I don't think it'll be wise to trade our 2010 pick, trade the 2011 draft pick instead.
Next year looks like a big man draft with Aldrich, Monroe, Brackins, etc. And we still don't know if this upcoming season's gonna be better.

If we could trade up for Holiday - I think I'd be okay with it, trade #13 and our 2nd for Chicago's picks - take Holiday, Hansbrough, and either Casspi, Budinger, Ellington, or Green. We have then filled our roster for the future too.

Holiday/Jack/Ford(Trade)
Rush/Dunleavy/26th pick
Granger/Dunleavy/26th pick
Murphy/Hansbrough
Hibbert/Foster

I mean, I'm not a big fan of trading out of the 2010 draft - I think its the second strongest draft of decade outside the LeBron draft - but for Holiday I'd take the chance. I do not expect to be in the lottery next year anyway.

How exactly would trading our 13th pick and a 2nd rounder, for the 16th and 26th picks, end up netting us Holiday and Hansbrough? They're both projected to go before or right around 13.

[Gremz]

^He's referring to adding either a 2010 or 2011 1st in the given scenario.

[cdash]

I think the Pacers are interested in moving up to draft Evans, though I would prefer Holiday. I wouldn't trade Granger, Rush, or Hibbert to move up, but I would trade our 2010 pick if it gets us Holiday - but I wouldn't deal the #13 with it.

I don't think it'll be wise to trade our 2010 pick, trade the 2011 draft pick instead.
Next year looks like a big man draft with Aldrich, Monroe, Brackins, etc. And we still don't know if this upcoming season's gonna be better.

If we could trade up for Holiday - I think I'd be okay with it, trade #13 and our 2nd for Chicago's picks - take Holiday, Hansbrough, and either Casspi, Budinger, Ellington, or Green. We have then filled our roster for the future too.

Holiday/Jack/Ford(Trade)
Rush/Dunleavy/26th pick
Granger/Dunleavy/26th pick
Murphy/Hansbrough
Hibbert/Foster

I mean, I'm not a big fan of trading out of the 2010 draft - I think its the second strongest draft of decade outside the LeBron draft - but for Holiday I'd take the chance. I do not expect to be in the lottery next year anyway.

I think last year's draft was stronger, but it's too early to tell on next year's draft.

[notque]

We shouldn't trade our first rounder next year. It's a player like Jack/Ford/Tinsley to move up, or nothing.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

We shouldn't trade our first rounder next year. It's a player like Jack/Ford/Tinsley to move up, or nothing.

I think Holiday would be a top pick next year. Certainly higher than I project us picking next year. I'd want to make the pick top 2 or 3 protected, but otherwise I think Holiday is worth the risk.

[cdash]

We shouldn't trade our first rounder next year. It's a player like Jack/Ford/Tinsley to move up, or nothing.

I think Holiday would be a top pick next year. Certainly higher than I project us picking next year. I'd want to make the pick top 2 or 3 protected, but otherwise I think Holiday is worth the risk.

We need to get the #5 pick from Washington and take Holiday. It doesn't look like he is in the mix with Sacramento at #4 anymore, so odds are good he will be there. Package Ford or Foster with #13 and take #5 and Etan Thomas off their hands.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

We shouldn't trade our first rounder next year. It's a player like Jack/Ford/Tinsley to move up, or nothing.

I think Holiday would be a top pick next year. Certainly higher than I project us picking next year. I'd want to make the pick top 2 or 3 protected, but otherwise I think Holiday is worth the risk.

We need to get the #5 pick from Washington and take Holiday. It doesn't look like he is in the mix with Sacramento at #4 anymore, so odds are good he will be there. Package Ford or Foster with #13 and take #5 and Etan Thomas off their hands.

I would be thrilled with that, but Bird made it sound like thats not going to happen. From Mike Wells: "Bird would ideally he would like to trade up to get the No. 5 pick, but he said the Pacers aren’t in the position financially to move up."

Even still, he might just be trying to get other teams to think its less likely. Ford seems to have us as one of the 3 teams in the mix for the pick. A new scenario I've been thinking of though - is trade our 2010 pick(top 3 protected) for the Warriors pick. If we believe Jennings will fall to #13, we could take Hill and Jennings and have a core of Hibbert/Hill/Granger/Rush/Jennings - that would be sick. The other option is taking Holiday or Evans, problem then becomes what do we do with #13 as I wouldn't wanna take Blair. Hansbrough would be a better pick, but even then, I'm not sure he will ever be a starter in the league - though I hope he will. My point is, theres no PF prospect we can find at #13 that has a high chance of being a starter and then we wouldn't be able to get one next year either. It would be a risk, but I still think I'd go for it.

[fienX420]

I'm only OK with trading our 2010 if A) we get some seriously talented top player (Stephen Curry) and B) we pick up a decent long term PF prospect (Clark or maybe Mullens).