Old mock (6/4/14):
Spoiler:
Biz Gilwalker wrote:[1]
ANDREW WIGGINS - SF
Wiggins appears to be a generational talent who has other-worldly potential. Cleveland has had a gaping hole at the small forward position for years, so this seems like a pretty easy decision for the incredibly lucky Cavaliers.
[2]
JOEL EMBIID - C
Milwaukee will have to figure out what to do with Larry Sanders sooner rather than later, but Embiid is a franchise changing big man. Having been compared to Al Jefferson, and even Tim Duncan, Larry Sanders should not impact this pick at all.
[3]
JABARI PARKER - SF/PF
Another franchise-altering talent, Jabari Parker seems to the be the best fit for Philadelphia. Philly will enjoy his offensive abilities from day one and will hope he is a reincarnation of Paul Pierce or Carmelo Anthony.
[4]
DANTE EXUM - PG/SG
The dynamic Aussie combo guard has a little uncertainty around him, but it's a chance Orlando has to take to complete a very scary backcourt that will be deadly for the better part of a decade. Pairing Oladipo and the second-coming of Penny Hardaway would be a dream come true for the Magic.
[5]
JULIUS RANDLE - PF
Utah's got a two top five picks in the frontcourt already, but that should not stop them from taking one of the two remaining power forwards. Randle is a very good all-around PF who is reminiscent of Chris Webber. Randle and Favors will make an excellent frontcourt from day one.
TRADE #1: Boston trades #6, Gerald Wallace to Philadelphia for #10
[6]
NOAH VONLEH - PF
The last of the elite six players in this draft, Noah Vonleh has fantastic two-way potential and could become an all-around terror given the time. Philadelphia makes this trade and eats the final two years of Wallace's contract to come out of the draft with Jabari Parker and Noah Vonleh to add to their young core of MCW and Noel.
TRADE #2: LAL trades #7, Steve Nash to Orlando for #12, Jameer Nelson
[7]
DOUG MCDERMOTT - SF
Orlando eats Nash's contract for a year and moves up five positions in the draft to select a fantastic and incredibly skiller scorer at the SF position. Orlando rolls into next season with a young and talented starting five of Vucevic, Harris, McDermott, Oladipo, and Exum.
TRADE #3: Sacramento trades #8, Jason Thompson, Travis Outlaw to Atlanta for Paul Millsap, who agrees to an extension. Sacramento gets their win-now player next to Demarcus Cousins.
[8]
ZACH LAVINE - SG/PG
Atlanta attempts a mini-rebuild around Al Horford and Jeff Teague. Keeping their own 15th pick, they swing a trade for a super athletic two-guard with wild potential to place next to Teague.
[9]
NIK STAUSKAS - SG/SF
Charlotte's biggest problem last season was outside shooting. Kemba, MKG, and Jefferson are all at their best in the paint. Meet Nik Stauskas, the best pure shooter in the draft. Barring a huge trade or signing, Charlotte could start the less-flawed version of Kevin Martin from day one and the Hornets will feel the difference right away.
[10]
AARON GORDON - PF
Boston moved down four spots in the draft to dump Wallace's restrictive contract, but they also expected their man to still be here at #10. The Celtics reportedly LOVE Aaron Gordon and the 18-year-old dunking maestro could make an interesting trio with Sullinger and Rondo.
[11]
GARY HARRIS - SG
Denver will like Harris's fit next to Lawson. A well-rounded two-guard, he can shoot the three, defend, and drive to the basket. Denver is a playoff-caliber team when healthy, and Harris will help them get back there.
[12]
MARCUS SMART - SG/PG
The Lakers dumped Nash's contract to move to this spot. A very strong guard with point guard abilities, LA can definitely start him next to Kobe from day one. Kobe and Smart can split ball-handling duties as Smart learns the game, and Smart can focus on scoring, defending, and improving his jumper as Kobe grooms his potential replacement.
[13]
RODNEY HOOD - SF
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Minnesota needs right now, other than a defensive center, which is completely absent in this draft. But Hood can bring plenty of scoring and shooting to this Minnesota team. He won't be great, but he'll be a decent to solid defender at the next level and that's welcome on the Wolves, where defense is a struggle, particularly in the frontcourt.
[14]
TJ WARREN - SF/PF
Phoenix gains a very talented scorer in Warren. He's been transforming into a wing in terms of his game, but still maintains the body of a combo forward. nbadraft.net's comparison of Caron Butler is spot-on- he's a strong wing player with multiple moves, and can slide over and play the role of a small-ball PF.
TRADE 4: Atlanta trades #15, Travis Outlaw for #24, Cody Zeller, Jeff Taylor
[15]
JAMES YOUNG - SG/SF
The Hornets overpay just a tad in this deal, but get another scorer on the wings in hopes that James Young is a long-term sixth man behind Nik Stauskas and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Young officially makes Gerald Henderson expendable, as he appears to be a very similar player, with better range and more potential on both ends.
[16]
DARIO SARIC - SF
In pursuit of a top free agent like Carmelo Anthony, the Bulls select the versatile Croatian and stash him for a year until he's ready to come over. Patience could pay off for the Bulls if Saric becomes a Hedo Turkoglu-esque talent.
[17]
SHABAZZ NAPIER - PG
Staying pretty close to his hometown, Napier is also the perfect fit for this Celtics team. He can learn under Rajon Rondo if he's still in Boston, and can take over once Rondo eventually departs. Napier is everything you want out of a point guard- he scores, he passes, and most of all, makes the big play when he needs to. UCONN fans and Celtics fans alike will be thrilled with this pick.
TRADE 5: Phoenix trades #18, #27, Frye to Milwaukee for Sanders and #36
Phoenix may be one of the few teams to trade for Sanders, but Sanders can fill a need, as an athletic defensive stud at the center position.
[18]
GLENN ROBINSON III - SF
After Milwaukee picked Embiid at #2, that reduced Milwaukee's positions of need from five positions to four. They pick the best non-center available after trading Sanders, and pick an excellent, athletic scorer. He seems like the full package. A less ball-hogging version of Corey Maggette with some defensive ability is a value pick at #18.
[19]
ADREIAN PAYNE - PF
With Carlos Boozer clearly on the way out, and Taj Gibson taking over the starting role, Payne can step right in and be an impressive backup from day one. His physicality and multidimensional offensive game makes him a perfect Chicago Bull.
[20]
JERAMI GRANT - SF
Grant is raw, and won't be a factor in his rookie season, but his athleticism and tremendous upside (particularly defensively) make him a prime target for the Toronto Raptors, especially if Derozan can continue progressing in his three-point shot.
[21]
KYLE ANDERSON - SF
Anderson is the next Lamar Odom, minus the drugs. He'll be a point forward from day one, and while he may not play with the starting unit, the Thunder's bench unit needs an overhaul offensively, and a game plan revolving around Kyle Anderson's scoring and passing abilities certainly can't be worse than this season's game plan for the bench.
[22]
TYLER ENNIS - PG
Memphis needs a solid scorer on the bench and in backcourt. Ennis covers both for Memphis and should be a good value pick. He can run the second unit, and could even briefly play alongside Conley. A scoring small forward would have been nice here, but there simply wasn't a good enough one available to warrant passing on Ennis.
[23]
CLEANTHONY EARLY - SF
Now that Utah has really bolstered the frontcourt, the wings need work. Enter Cleanthony Early, an explosive small forward. He can play the 4, but he's primarily a three, and a nice contrast to Gordon Hayward on the wings.
[24]
CJ WILCOX - SG
An NBA-ready prospect with nice range on his jumper, Wilcox will be traded to Atlanta because of the trade with Charlotte. His shooting stroke is a big plus for Atlanta, as he will stretch the floor very well for Horford.
[25]
JUSUF NURKIC - C
Houston could choose to stash this pick until next year should they decide to do so, to conserve cap space, but it's a foregone conclusion that Asik's time in Houston is gone. Houston needs a backup for Dwight Howard, and the enormous Bosnian center with some two-way potential should be up for the task.
[26]
MITCH MCGARY - C/PF
McGary is another big man Miami can throw at guys like Roy Hibbert to attempt to slow him down. A great hustle player, he'll do exactly what Miami wants him to do. Mock drafts have him deep in the second round, but he's easily a late 1st round talent. He's ready to play now, and has room to grow.
[27]
THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO - SF/SG
First and foremost, Thanasis is a great defender even if his offense is a bit of a mess. Second, his brother already plays for Milwaukee and there is no doubt that playing for the same team will help both of them develop. He doesn't have the endless ceiling Giannis has, but his defensive game could prove to be special similar to Thabo Sefolosha.
[28]
PJ HAIRSTON - SG/SF
The Clippers are pretty good at point guard, center, and power forward. The wings are a bit shaky though. Hairston is borderline lottery talent even in this draft- great shooter, and athletic finisher, but off-court issues have plagued him at UNC. Doc Rivers should set him straight.
[29]
CLINT CAPELA - PF/C
Capela is most certainly a project, who possesses great athleticism for a big man and could eventually become an excellent defensive player for the Thunder. A lot of his problems can be fixed with good coaching, experience, and player development, but he's got the tools to be a pretty good player.
[30]
SEMAJ CHRISTON - PG
A very active, athletic point guard, Christon seems like he could step in right away if Patrick Mills left in free agency this summer as San Antonio's backup PG. He's still developing as a playmaker, but seems like a talented enough player to be able to adjust. With Popovich coaching, anything is possible.
Notable 2nd rounders:
Elfriid Payton
Kristaps Porzingas
James McAdoo
Jordan Clarkson
Jahii Carson
Isaiah Austin
Spencer Dinwiddie
Jarnell Stokes
KJ McDaniels
