Before a Tuesday report indicated that the Rockets are trying to trade up for the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. Kelly Iko of The Athletic, along with beat writers for other teams, took a look at some potential deals Houston could make with the No. 2 pick. Some were considered hard passes (such as a trade-down with the Kings), others were considered interesting but not good enough (including a trade with the Magic for Nos. 5 and 8, and Wendell Carter Jr.), and only a couple were deemed acceptable. The bottom line: there are deals to be made, but it won’t be easy.
Meanwhile, William Guillory of The Athletic examined four potential trades for the Pelicans with the 10th pick, with beat writers from the Kings, Magic, Cavaliers, and Wolves chiming in on the likelihood of each respective deal’s appeal.
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times-Picayune profiles Willie Green, who is expected to be named the next Pelicans head coach. One of the primary appeals of Green, Kushner writes, as opposed to Stan Van Gundy or Alvin Gentry, is his focus on player relationships and establishing trust, rather than instilling a rigidity and system. “The best coaches aren’t necessarily the ones that talk about Xs and Os,” Green said in an interview last year. “It’s doing everything from a place of love. People feel that.”
- When the Rockets were sold to Tilman Fertitta, part of the agreement included guaranteed five-year extensions for GM Daryl Morey, CEO Tad Brown, and others, which had to be paid out even if those execs joined other teams before the deals expired, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. This could have helped incentivize higher-ups to step down and pursue new opportunities, Feigen notes. This report comes on the heels of Brown being named CEO of the Sixers and New Jersey Devils.
- As two teams that have eschewed all-out tanking in order to find other ways to rebuild, the Spurs could look to Suns GM James Jones for inspiration, writes Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News. Jones was not without his fair share of criticism for his moves in 2019 to maintain competitiveness while retooling around star Devin Booker, Finger writes. But by following his own compass – including the surprise selection of playoff breakout Cameron Johnson with the 11th pick after trading down from No. 6 – and taking advantage of the opportunity to trade for Chris Paul, Jones has found his own way to bring the Suns to greatness. Whether the Spurs can do the same remains to be seen.
Next 2 weeks will all be “fake leaks”
Nothings real, but there is quite a bit that is feasibly possible this year and I think there is a ton
of interest to move around from many Orgs making the 29th a must watch event –
Fun times –
Go Mil !
A trade proposal of #2 for #5 and #8 is – or might be -real. I believed all along that there would be no trade of a top 5 pick other than for compensation including another top 5 pick. It’s really about Kuminga’s grade vs whoever they have at #2.
Its in my opinion 5 + 8 + Bulls 23 top 4 protected wouldn’t even be enough for 2 and Rockets should pass rather quickly on that if presented
I think that same offer is about the par offer for 3 with Cle *if Orl is thru the moon on a Mobley Isaac pairing down low –
The way these 3 players are being talked about I think thats the package that needs to be thrown to get Orl over the fence (if they want to be) ultimately. It might seem high but neither team has any problem standing pat so you have to really catch their attention in the end
I still see it as a top 5 (not a top 3) draft. While Kuminga appears (based on mock drafts) to have fallen behind the other 4 (and perhaps even Barnes), I’m not sure I buy it completely. He’s the only one of the 5 that profiles as a combo F, which is, right now, the hard target position.
I think the top 2 players are clearly Cade and Green, but 3-5 should be a tough choice between Mobley, Suggs, and Kuminga. Then it drops off sharply after those guys.
No one is trading down out of the top 3 or 4 picks, why would anyone pass on taking a franchise player? The only trade that makes sense is between Detroit and Houston and it all depends on how much it takes to move up one spot. Green seems like a better fit with the Pistons so they just have to decide what will be fair compensation. Obviously it will take more than one of the Rockets other first round picks this year. Houston has plenty of first round picks available in the 2022 and 2023 drafts to make a reasonable trade offer.
Pelicans will have another disappointing season, sadly. Think we’ll see something similar to 2021 Grizzlies with less heart. Zion has 1 gigantic foot out the door. Wouldn’t be surprised if Ingram gets moved at the deadline.
What a great take from Green, he is sooo right that all is ’bout love… personally the very last thing I want from a HC is x’s & o’s… they have nothin’ to do with hoops… & much less rigid systems… just give the ball to Zion & let’s hoop! & that is how you win if you are NOLA!