Official 2020 NBA Draft Thread

[jonbob17]

May as well throw in Isaac and Bamba too.
Gordon is arguably better than Wiggins, and he isn't owed $95M over the next three years. Yah, they traded Russell for Wiggins, who also doesn't play defense, and they got back a huge asset in Minnesotas first round pick in next years loaded draft.

[J the Drafter]

I’ve been looking at college power forwards. The draft is gonna be full of power forwards who can post up, shoot from outside and drive. There are even a few power forwards who can guard multiple positions. Mark Vital for one. He’s guarded all five spots for Baylor, and is one of the main cogs in their defense.

I’d love to grab a big man who can guard bigs and smalls while having enough offense to not be a liability.

[Knightro]

I don't think the Warriors think of Wiggins as a salary dump guy. They just traded D'Lo for him, and better offers surely would've been around for him. They also have deep pockets and are on a championship run. But I'm sure they'd also like a cheaper alternative. I don't see a Gordon for Wiggins swap being worth a 10+ jump in draft position. I think the Warriors will want more value than that.

What about Fournier (opted in) + Gordon + #16 for Wiggins + Looney + #5?

They take on more salary, but with two starting calibre players to fill out their depth. Adding the #16 is probably overkill on our part, but WeHam won't want anymore youth on the team.

We get a wing scorer to try alongside Fultz for a bit in Wiggins, and whoever we draft. Or we flip Wiggins on to another team. Wiggins + #16 for CJ? Wiggins for DeRozan? Wiggins for Heild? Wiggins for Oubre Jr?

Whoever we draft is likely 2-3 seasons away from opportunity and substantial minutes in this current system, as we've seen with Isaac, Fultz and Bamba so far. So drafting a prospect doesn't excite me in the short term, knowing we won't see anything of them. You just have to look at the experience of Bamba for the past two seasons and think - do I want to go through that again just to discover Ball/Edwards/Hayes is Hezonja 2.0? Not really. Especially not compared to the version of Gordon we were seeing just before covid lockdowns.

To me, someone like Wiggins or Oubre Jr have as much chance of becoming all stars as most of the guys in the top 5, but they've done the bulk of their development already. They just need the system, opportunity and mindset to take it to the next level.

The Warriors swapped 3 years, 90M of D'Angelo Russell for 3 years, 94.6M of Wiggins, but they also received what will likely be a lottery pick in 2021 for their trouble. That was the main reason Golden State made that deal, not what Wiggins gives them on the court.

The Warriors have two lottery picks back to back they can dangle in trades at this point.

Beyond that, the reality of the Warriors salary cap crunch have changed pretty dramatically from when they acquired Wiggins to now. They're looking at a significantly higher luxury tax bill next year than they were when that deal went down in February.

I could see Golden State being MUCH more motivated to shed salary than they were six months ago.

[Skin]

I don't think the Warriors think of Wiggins as a salary dump guy. They just traded D'Lo for him, and better offers surely would've been around for him. They also have deep pockets and are on a championship run. But I'm sure they'd also like a cheaper alternative. I don't see a Gordon for Wiggins swap being worth a 10+ jump in draft position. I think the Warriors will want more value than that.

What about Fournier (opted in) + Gordon + #16 for Wiggins + Looney + #5?

They take on more salary, but with two starting calibre players to fill out their depth. Adding the #16 is probably overkill on our part, but WeHam won't want anymore youth on the team.

We get a wing scorer to try alongside Fultz for a bit in Wiggins, and whoever we draft. Or we flip Wiggins on to another team. Wiggins + #16 for CJ? Wiggins for DeRozan? Wiggins for Heild? Wiggins for Oubre Jr?

Whoever we draft is likely 2-3 seasons away from opportunity and substantial minutes in this current system, as we've seen with Isaac, Fultz and Bamba so far. So drafting a prospect doesn't excite me in the short term, knowing we won't see anything of them. You just have to look at the experience of Bamba for the past two seasons and think - do I want to go through that again just to discover Ball/Edwards/Hayes is Hezonja 2.0? Not really. Especially not compared to the version of Gordon we were seeing just before covid lockdowns.

To me, someone like Wiggins or Oubre Jr have as much chance of becoming all stars as most of the guys in the top 5, but they've done the bulk of their development already. They just need the system, opportunity and mindset to take it to the next level.

The Warriors swapped 3 years, 90M of D'Angelo Russell for 3 years, 94.6M of Wiggins, but they also received what will likely be a lottery pick in 2021 for their trouble. That was the main reason Golden State made that deal, not what Wiggins gives them on the court.

The Warriors have two lottery picks back to back they can dangle in trades at this point.

Beyond that, the reality of the Warriors salary cap crunch have changed pretty dramatically from when they acquired Wiggins to now. They're looking at a significantly higher luxury tax bill next year than they were when that deal went down in February.

I could see Golden State being MUCH more motivated to shed salary than they were six months ago.

Just because you get valuable assets doesn't mean they are any cheaper and easier to deal.

GS is going to try an max out any asset in a trade... they'll probably even try to play hard ball in dealing Wiggins because he actually gained some fans there. Minnesota is just like us... they develop players for other teams.

[Skin]

I don't know why everyone is so dismissive of this. I don't know that GS would be interested in such a swap, but I could certainly see why they would be. I'd actually be a bit surprised if they held onto that pick. This is not a strong draft and GS needs to retool if they are going to make another run at a title next year. Their championship window is closing and they'd probably be DOA if they just drafted Anthony Edwards. Gordon can give them someone to throw at LeBron, Kawhi, George, etc... and he is still young enough that he can be part of the post-Curry future. Gordon's perceived value almost certainly rises when everyone sees him as a functional piece of a contender in the Western Conference. I think the potential stumbling block would be that GS just might not be willing to use that trade exception to take on more salary. They are in luxury tax hell and revenue is uncertain right now.

Im sorry, but there isnt a GM in the NBA that would take a 16-18m a year 24 year old GOrdon, over a rookie contract top 5 pick. You can think its a week draft, but i dont see it that way, especially at the top. There is everything they could want at the top of the draft. If they want a PG of the future, they can get Ball, who would be a great eventual replacement for Curry. A SG? Edwards is sitting there. a Hybrid G? Hayes. a High flying 4? Toppin, or an elite center? Wiseman. They arent trading any of those guys for AG

As for a post curry future, im sure they looked at how Gordon fared in our rebuild and will take their chances with a younger player

Again, if Gordon ends up in GS, its gonna be for Wiggins, not a top 5 pick

Pretty much everyone looks more appealing before they are drafted. Gordon was every bit the prospect at the time of his drafting that these guys are right now. The difference is that he has six years of development under his belt. Do you remember how hyped RJ Barrett was one year ago? He probably would've gone first in this draft.

Edwards makes any team in the league worse the moment he steps onto the floor. You are drafting his body and hoping you can teach him to basketball. Hayes and Ball are going to require a lot of development time. Ball has plus vision and what else? He couldn't handle the Australian league. Hayes' team finished dead last in the EuroCup (1-9), which is the tier below the EuroLeague. Toppin is 18 months younger than Gordon. Gordon was averaging 18 ppg and 8 rpg in the NBA when he was Toppin's age now. Toppin can't defend. Is he better than Hachimura? Wiseman is the big wild card. He will pile up stats. How much he contributes to winning remains to be seen.

Steph Curry will be approaching 33 years of age when next season begins. Their window is now. None of these players projected to go in the top 5 of this year's draft are going to help the Warriors win a title while Curry is still an elite player in the NBA.

Understand that I am not a proponent of trading Gordon to get into the top 5 this year. The talent just isn't there.

Yes, they look appealing and for that reason the cost of getting top picks is extremely costly. Even when we had top picks, we couldn't move up for Embiid, Porzingis or Young who all went one pick ahead of us. Plus rookie deals are highly coveted.

There will be busts, but I don't see Edwards being one. In fact, I think he's NBA ready because his body is already there. That's exactly what we need. 6'5, 7'0 wingspan... WeHam should be burning up the phone lines trying to get him. He checks off a lot of things off the board for me. People are knocking his 3PT%, but that will come. Thing I like about him most is his competitiveness and hunger. Basketball is a psychological game as much as anything else and those types of guys who have that psycho-edge are the ones that become superstars. He's not getting the universal love that he deserves and that's fine with me... now WeHam has to figure out how to get him. Gordon alone is not gonna do it. Gordon+our pick+???

[Knightro]

Just because you get valuable assets doesn't mean they are any cheaper and easier to deal.

GS is going to try an max out any asset in a trade... they'll probably even try to play hard ball in dealing Wiggins because he actually gained some fans there. Minnesota is just like us... they develop players for other teams.

Oh I think the Warriors handled the whole situation extremely well.

They knew Durant was going to leave for nothing, but they also recognized they were going to be capped out and would have no way to replace him so they worked out a complex sign and trade of Durant for D'Angelo Russell.

Now Russell secretly isn't *that* good and was probably never going to fit that well Curry and Klay when everyone was healthy, but that was never the point. By turning Durant into an asset, they were able to move Russell for a guy making equal money (who isn't a terrible player in his own right) and what is going to most likely be a 2021 lottery pick.

Savvy stuff.

The only thing that's changed for Golden State is the salary cap appears primed to take a significant dip compared to what they were probably anticipating when they made the Russell move in the first place. With a much more aggressive luxury tax bill on tap for them, I could see them motivated to try and shed salary moving forward while still looking improving their roster in the short term.

[zaymon]

Im sorry, but there isnt a GM in the NBA that would take a 16-18m a year 24 year old GOrdon, over a rookie contract top 5 pick. You can think its a week draft, but i dont see it that way, especially at the top. There is everything they could want at the top of the draft. If they want a PG of the future, they can get Ball, who would be a great eventual replacement for Curry. A SG? Edwards is sitting there. a Hybrid G? Hayes. a High flying 4? Toppin, or an elite center? Wiseman. They arent trading any of those guys for AG

As for a post curry future, im sure they looked at how Gordon fared in our rebuild and will take their chances with a younger player

Again, if Gordon ends up in GS, its gonna be for Wiggins, not a top 5 pick

Pretty much everyone looks more appealing before they are drafted. Gordon was every bit the prospect at the time of his drafting that these guys are right now. The difference is that he has six years of development under his belt. Do you remember how hyped RJ Barrett was one year ago? He probably would've gone first in this draft.

Edwards makes any team in the league worse the moment he steps onto the floor. You are drafting his body and hoping you can teach him to basketball. Hayes and Ball are going to require a lot of development time. Ball has plus vision and what else? He couldn't handle the Australian league. Hayes' team finished dead last in the EuroCup (1-9), which is the tier below the EuroLeague. Toppin is 18 months younger than Gordon. Gordon was averaging 18 ppg and 8 rpg in the NBA when he was Toppin's age now. Toppin can't defend. Is he better than Hachimura? Wiseman is the big wild card. He will pile up stats. How much he contributes to winning remains to be seen.

Steph Curry will be approaching 33 years of age when next season begins. Their window is now. None of these players projected to go in the top 5 of this year's draft are going to help the Warriors win a title while Curry is still an elite player in the NBA.

Understand that I am not a proponent of trading Gordon to get into the top 5 this year. The talent just isn't there.

Yes, they look appealing and for that reason the cost of getting top picks is extremely costly. Even when we had top picks, we couldn't move up for Embiid, Porzingis or Young who all went one pick ahead of us. Plus rookie deals are highly coveted.

There will be busts, but I don't see Edwards being one. In fact, I think he's NBA ready because his body is already there. That's exactly what we need. 6'5, 7'0 wingspan... WeHam should be burning up the phone lines trying to get him. He checks off a lot of things off the board for me. People are knocking his 3PT%, but that will come. Thing I like about him most is his competitiveness and hunger. Basketball is a psychological game as much as anything else and those types of guys who have that psycho-edge are the ones that become superstars. He's not getting the universal love that he deserves and that's fine with me... now WeHam has to figure out how to get him. Gordon alone is not gonna do it. Gordon+our pick+???

Well on film Edwards is one of the laziest players in this draft. Walking instead sprinting back on defense, not interested in defending, not moving without the ball. From all i heard he is one of the least competetive players this year. He is more Dion Waiters than Victor Oladipo. All can change becouse he is young and the tools are there ut i would stay away from him.

[Skin]

Pretty much everyone looks more appealing before they are drafted. Gordon was every bit the prospect at the time of his drafting that these guys are right now. The difference is that he has six years of development under his belt. Do you remember how hyped RJ Barrett was one year ago? He probably would've gone first in this draft.

Edwards makes any team in the league worse the moment he steps onto the floor. You are drafting his body and hoping you can teach him to basketball. Hayes and Ball are going to require a lot of development time. Ball has plus vision and what else? He couldn't handle the Australian league. Hayes' team finished dead last in the EuroCup (1-9), which is the tier below the EuroLeague. Toppin is 18 months younger than Gordon. Gordon was averaging 18 ppg and 8 rpg in the NBA when he was Toppin's age now. Toppin can't defend. Is he better than Hachimura? Wiseman is the big wild card. He will pile up stats. How much he contributes to winning remains to be seen.

Steph Curry will be approaching 33 years of age when next season begins. Their window is now. None of these players projected to go in the top 5 of this year's draft are going to help the Warriors win a title while Curry is still an elite player in the NBA.

Understand that I am not a proponent of trading Gordon to get into the top 5 this year. The talent just isn't there.

Yes, they look appealing and for that reason the cost of getting top picks is extremely costly. Even when we had top picks, we couldn't move up for Embiid, Porzingis or Young who all went one pick ahead of us. Plus rookie deals are highly coveted.

There will be busts, but I don't see Edwards being one. In fact, I think he's NBA ready because his body is already there. That's exactly what we need. 6'5, 7'0 wingspan... WeHam should be burning up the phone lines trying to get him. He checks off a lot of things off the board for me. People are knocking his 3PT%, but that will come. Thing I like about him most is his competitiveness and hunger. Basketball is a psychological game as much as anything else and those types of guys who have that psycho-edge are the ones that become superstars. He's not getting the universal love that he deserves and that's fine with me... now WeHam has to figure out how to get him. Gordon alone is not gonna do it. Gordon+our pick+???

Well on film Edwards is one of the laziest players in this draft. Walking instead sprinting back on defense, not interested in defending, not moving without the ball. From all i heard he is one of the least competetive players this year. He is more Dion Waiters than Victor Oladipo. All can change becouse he is young and the tools are there ut i would stay away from him.

One of the laziest players in the draft?

Is that found on anyone's scouting report? I haven't seen that but if you make a case maybe I have to change my mind. Is it consistent and habitual? Maybe he's taking this Harden comparison a little too seriously lol

[zaymon]

Yes, they look appealing and for that reason the cost of getting top picks is extremely costly. Even when we had top picks, we couldn't move up for Embiid, Porzingis or Young who all went one pick ahead of us. Plus rookie deals are highly coveted.

There will be busts, but I don't see Edwards being one. In fact, I think he's NBA ready because his body is already there. That's exactly what we need. 6'5, 7'0 wingspan... WeHam should be burning up the phone lines trying to get him. He checks off a lot of things off the board for me. People are knocking his 3PT%, but that will come. Thing I like about him most is his competitiveness and hunger. Basketball is a psychological game as much as anything else and those types of guys who have that psycho-edge are the ones that become superstars. He's not getting the universal love that he deserves and that's fine with me... now WeHam has to figure out how to get him. Gordon alone is not gonna do it. Gordon+our pick+???

Well on film Edwards is one of the laziest players in this draft. Walking instead sprinting back on defense, not interested in defending, not moving without the ball. From all i heard he is one of the least competetive players this year. He is more Dion Waiters than Victor Oladipo. All can change becouse he is young and the tools are there ut i would stay away from him.

One of the laziest players in the draft?

Is that found on anyone's scouting report? I haven't seen that but if you make a case maybe I have to change my mind. Is it consistent and habitual? Maybe he's taking this Harden comparison a little too seriously lol

Well its found on every scouting report. i am not saying he is not a good kid or hard worker or that he doesnt care, but on the court he acts like Bamba's young brother.

[Skin]

Stealing this from the Warriors forum but thought it was funny.

Aaron Gordon and the 15 pick for the traded player exception and the possible 1st pick.

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Nope.

Counter - Gordon absorbed with our TPE + a 2nd rounder.

Good try Rob! You brave soul you!

[jezzerinho]

Well its found on every scouting report. i am not saying he is not a good kid or hard worker or that he doesnt care, but on the court he acts like Bamba's young brother.

Mike Schmitz of ESPN's film breakdown interviews with prospects are very good watching.

In Edwards' one, he comes across as pretty immature. Not in a negative sense, just that he seems to have more growing up to do than some other prospects. I got the sense he needed to be told what to do and not to do, rather than be a self-starter. Every second sentence is "Coach is always on me about this". He admits he was playing lazy in the 1st half of the season.

That doesn't have to make him more of a possible bust, I just don't think he's as NBA ready as his body hints. I also don't think he's what Orlando needs. If we could have snagged Jimmy Butler... We need an alpha that produces, leads and holds others accountable. Edwards is another follower (until he grows up a lot), that much I'd be confident about.

[Skin]

Well its found on every scouting report. i am not saying he is not a good kid or hard worker or that he doesnt care, but on the court he acts like Bamba's young brother.

Mike Schmitz of ESPN's film breakdown interviews with prospects are very good watching.

In Edwards' one, he comes across as pretty immature. Not in a negative sense, just that he seems to have more growing up to do than some other prospects. I got the sense he needed to be told what to do and not to do, rather than be a self-starter. Every second sentence is "Coach is always on me about this". He admits he was playing lazy in the 1st half of the season.

That doesn't have to make him more of a possible bust, I just don't think he's as NBA ready as his body hints. I also don't think he's what Orlando needs. If we could have snagged Jimmy Butler... We need an alpha that produces, leads and holds others accountable. Edwards is another follower (until he grows up a lot), that much I'd be confident about.

Dude lost his mother when he was in 8th grade and was raised by his sister and brother since. Sounding immature may be a thing, but his hunger is a thing as well. It takes a real drive and commitment to have his body NBA ready at such a young age. When he's on the court, he's an assassin with the ball in his hands. The fact that he's this good with a limited support system is only encouraging because things will undoubtedly improve.

I hope he falls because acquiring that pick will be that much easier, but based on this year's talent, I still see him going #1 overall.

[Knightro]

Read on Twitter

Some information from Jonathan Wasserman.The tidbit that caught my eye in relation to the Magic...

Teams Aren't as High on Killian Hayes as Bleacher Report and Various Media

Wasserman says Hayes is much more likely to go in the 7-14 range than he is in the top 6.

I think Hayes absolutely could be the apple of Weltman and Hammond's eye. He has the wingspan and hypothetical defensive versatility that they seem to like in prospects.

[jezzerinho]

If he can develop his off hand he could be a star.

But it's not just BR that has him high. Stepien, Ringer, CBS, ESPN all rate him right up there. I'm sceptical he will fall much.

[Skin]

Hayes seems a safe bet to be a pretty good starter, but he doesn't have star potential, imo. I like him, I think he could contribute effectively and fit in with our team... Maybe be like a Malcolm Brogdon type... If we're looking at Fultz/Hayes/Okeke/Isaac/Bamba... who in the hell is the leader of that team???

We NEED a guy like Anthony Edwards who has the bravado, gusto, swag to take over games offensively and be our lead dog.

[basketballRob]

I like Okoro as a Jimmy Butler type player. It would be nice to have a two guard that was physical. He has a nice handle too.

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[Skin]

I like Okoro as a Jimmy Butler type player. It would be nice to have a two guard that was physical. He has a nice handle too.

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I'd stay away. Dude can't shoot. Poor 3PT% and FT%. More of a highlight reel guy than a guy who actually can score in bunches. Plus, when he's not scoring, he's not really doing much else. Low AST rate (2 apg), low STL and BLK rate (both less than 1.0 per game).

Cassius Stanley in Round 2 is a better bang for your buck.

[Knightro]

Hayes seems a safe bet to be a pretty good starter, but he doesn't have star potential, imo. I like him, I think he could contribute effectively and fit in with our team... Maybe be like a Malcolm Brogdon type... If we're looking at Fultz/Hayes/Okeke/Isaac/Bamba... who in the hell is the leader of that team???

We NEED a guy like Anthony Edwards who has the bravado, gusto, swag to take over games offensively and be our lead dog.

Certainly don't disagree at all with the idea that the Magic need an elite three-level perimeter scorer. They obviously do. A lot of teams do

I just don't see a realistic way to get into the top 5 considering what assets the Magic will available to trade.

Beyond that, while I do like him, Anthony Edwards isn't the same caliber of can't miss prospect like Luka Dončić or Zion Williamson were to justify giving up the moon to move up for anyway.

[Skin]

Hayes seems a safe bet to be a pretty good starter, but he doesn't have star potential, imo. I like him, I think he could contribute effectively and fit in with our team... Maybe be like a Malcolm Brogdon type... If we're looking at Fultz/Hayes/Okeke/Isaac/Bamba... who in the hell is the leader of that team???

We NEED a guy like Anthony Edwards who has the bravado, gusto, swag to take over games offensively and be our lead dog.

Certainly don't disagree at all with the idea that the Magic need an elite three-level perimeter scorer. They obviously do. A lot of teams do

I just don't see a realistic way to get into the top 5 considering what assets the Magic will available to trade.

Beyond that, while I do like him, Anthony Edwards isn't the same caliber of can't miss prospect like Luka Dončić or Zion Williamson were to justify giving up the moon to move up for anyway.

I don't think he's can't miss either, but he's the best option for us in the draft imo.

[Knightro]

I don't think he's can't miss either, but he's the best option for us in the draft imo.

Again, not disagreeing. There's certainly the possibility, however unlikely, that Edwards could become a Mitchell/Oladipo type of scoring guard.

Just not sure how the Magic could realistically get into a position to acquire him.

I don't think Gordon and 16 is going to be enough the Magic into the top 5 (if it is, I'd do it) and I wouldn't be comfortable giving up one or multiple additional first round picks for a guy I'm not totally convinced is going to reach his ceiling.