7:53pm: Per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the Suns, while interested, have not made a promise to Garland.
6:15pm: Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland, a projected top-five pick in this year’s draft, will skip this week’s NBA Draft Combine, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, who adds that Garland’s departure from Chicago may be tied to a promise from a team picking in the lottery.
The three likeliest teams to have given that promise appear to be the Lakers, Suns, or Bulls, who pick fourth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. The Cavs, who pick fifth, selected Collin Sexton in last year’s lottery, and are therefore unlikely to add another point guard to their roster with their top selection.
Phoenix and Chicago, meanwhile, are both widely known to be looking for a franchise point guard to complement their young, promising rosters, while the Lakers have the first opportunity to select a player after the presumptive top-three players (Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and R.J. Barrett) are selected by the Pelicans, Grizzlies, and Knicks, respectively.
Despite appearing in only five games for Vanderbilt this season due to a season-ending knee injury, Garland has continued to move up draft boards after averaging 16.2 PPG on an impressive .537/.478/.750 shooting in those five games. He is widely considered the No. 2 point guard prospect behind Morant.
I’d say that this is the work of GarPax, but they don’t plan this far ahead.
No way the suns don’t swipe in and take him though considering their needs.
they did the same thing last year with Hutchison
He won’t go past the Suns, but I honestly doubt he gets to the Suns at 6. I think he will go 4th, but I doubt it is to the Lakers. I could see the Suns trading up with the Lakers to get him though.
Of course the Suns could try and trade up to 2 to get Ja as well. Memphis might be interested in a #6 + Josh Jackson and/or a future 1st.
Josh Jackson. I don’t see a single nba team giving any value for him
I disagree. He is still very young. He is not nearly as valued as he was 2 years ago, but he still has some value. Especially to a rebuilding team like the Grizzlies.
I get that. However he has shown absolutely nothing on the NBA level.
Josh Jackson is a joke. Makes Darius Miles look like a Hall-of-Famer.
Not enough value to be a significant piece in trading from #6 to #2 in this draft. That’s a bigger jump than #3 to #1 in 2017, or #5 to #3 last year. It first requires a team that wants to trade down, like Boston and Atlanta did. Does Memphis like Garland over Morant? Doubt it. Then compensation that could result in another high lottery pick the next year.
That’s why I said Jackson and/or a future 1st as well. So it could be JJ, #6, and next year’s 1st for #2. Plus it would just be cool to have Josh Jackson and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the the same team. That would be almost good enough to make up for the Brooks brothers trade debacle between Phoenix and Memphis.
As far as Garland over Morant, it is possible. Simply because Memphis might be able to promote Garland as a somewhat local guy since he is a Vandy product.
Very young? He was 20 coming out almost 2/3 years ago still cant shoot. Not worth a basketball at this point.
So you think 22 isn’t very young?
Ya it’s too bad athletes are over the hill at 22. Those 4 year college seniors never improve in the NBA..
Make it TJ Warren and the 6th, and the Grizzlies might be interested.
Doubt it’s the Lakers who gave the guarantee. To what end-? The only reason to do it is to shut down the guy from working out for teams ahead of you in the draft order who might take him. Those teams don’t exist here. Pelinka’s an amateur, but not to that degree (then again, as a former agent, I’m sure going back on his word is no big deal either, so why not).
Haven’t seen him play, but he certainly doesn’t profile as a top 10 pick. But, after #3, drafting for need makes sense in this draft. Bulls or Suns make sense.
Lmao so because you havent seen him play you base judgement? Comps are kyrie and lillard as a celling. Very pollished offensive game for his age and was regarded as a lottery pick before meniscus injury. He also happens to have klutch sports as his representation.
Apparently you don’t know what a “profile” is. Far more than optics, it determines draft position, because it correlates to success across levels of the game. Maybe you should learn. Then you’d be easier to take seriously.
Dude, you said you haven’t seen him play lol how can you even know what his ‘profile’ is
How? Because one has nothing to do with the other. Now that’s LOL. Although, sad too.
DXC, you should just stop. Your arguments don’t make sense. Of course his play and optics have to do with his profile.
Also, just for your information, pretty much every sports outlet “profiles” Garland as a top 5 talent in the draft and an expected top 10 pick.
I think you’re the one that needs to do some learning, maybe by researching a little information first. Then maybe you’d get taken seriously yourself.
I didn’t make any arguments. Maybe you don’t know what that is either. Anyway, if you believe what I said about Garland is inaccurate, then why not (instead of irrelevant drivel) cite someone from all those sports outlets that says Garland meets the profile of a top 10 NBA draft pick. Not about where he’ll be picked in this draft, since that was never at issue.
Is the best thing about making up your own definitions of words is so you can be condescending to everyone around you for no reason?
DXC, see link for ESPN best available players with some decent synopses of the big board.
link to espn.com
Good work. I don’t dispute this. It’s likely one of the many profiles I’ve read. He may go #4. In a typical draft, everything I read would describe a player taken outside the top 10. I don’t believe there are more than 3 guys in this draft who would profile as top 10 NBA picks (and that’s not a view original with me).
Based on objectives (some combination of physical attributes and performance), I think you’d be hard pressed to find a top 10 pick at his position (PG) that isn’t a special athlete or have an outstanding (college or Euro) resume; or some combination. Garland is good athlete without a post-HS resume. I can only think of one PG taken in the top 10 without a post-HS resume (Mudiay). I’m sure there were others, but I’m guessing they were all, like Mudiay, considered a special, if not freak, athlete. Garland is a significantly better athlete than Trae Young (also considered an elite shooting PG out of HS, and a McD’s AA), but Young had a prodigious one year of college BB (leading the nation in scoring and assists). Garland may turn out to be a great pro, but I’m fairly certain he wouldn’t go top 10 in most drafts (without even getting to his injury) despite that perceived upside.
Lakers would be idiotic to pass on DeAndre Hunter IMO.
Wouldn’t he play the same position as LBJ? I know we play in more of a positionless league but is Hunter similar to Kouzma, Ingram and Hart?
Ues they need a 2 or a 5, not a 3/4, but they might trade it anyway.
I don’t really think you ever worry about positions anymore. Hunter can guard nearly anyone anyway
A player cares. Great boss line: “I gave your position to someone else. But don’t worry I’ll find some work for you to do”.
In playoff basketball, boundaries can be skipped and players will still pull together. But if the whole year is like that, he will want out.
There are tasks to do and positions make sure they get done. Just throw 5 players on the court with no assignments and see how well they do playing playground basketball!
Culver can guard multiple players also and doesn’t try to disappear for stretches like Hunter.
I wouldn’t let Sexton get in the way of drafting a superior PG, if that’s what Garland is considered. Sexton is still a work-in-progress as a PG but his shooting and scoring ability is instinctual. I wouldn’t mind have two ball handlers and slide Sexton to SG. Wouldn’t be mad at Hunter or Hacimura. Maybe even Cody White. I’m hoping Cam Johnson is still on the board when the Cavs draft again at #26.
Mock draft top 10
1.Zion, 2.Ja, 3.RJ
4.Culver. LAL needs 2, 5 but may trade pick
5.Hunter. CLE is still sorting the backcourt but could take the versatile Culver also.
6.Garland. Suns need a 1 or a 4.
7.Coby White. With Morant & Garland gone, Bulls will try to make a PG out of White. They will likely try to trade up up one spot if Suns like White or a 4.
8.Doombouya. ATL takes risky upsider to make up for not getting as high as they hoped.
9.Hachimora. WAS may lose Portis (Bryant is cheaper). Drafted a 3 last year.
10.Reddish. Safe pick to make up for Hawk’s #8.
Already regret #10… Doumbouya vs Reddish at the 3 would be a fun competition but also perhaps wasteful. Enthusiastic Jaxson Hayes gets a youngster started at center for ATL though it would be nice if he could stay in Texas where the Mavs could use a center.
Mavs at #11 would also appreciate Reddish’s stability and fit-ability. Maybe they sign FA Dedmon from ATL.
Lakers could use a talented point guard sans baggage.