Mike1989

They could be tempted to move up if Joel Embiid is available at #4, or if they want to add Noah Vonleh and want to make sure they aren't beaten to the punch by Utah. Equally, if they want to trade Rondo they could feel that Exum is the best replacement for him. However, if they want to get involved in the Kevin Love sweepstakes then they can't afford to trade away those draft picks. It is possible that they might want to trade up, and if we received the #6 and #17 picks, to go along with #12, then that would give us a nice selection of draft picks: #6 - We should be able to draft Marcus Smart at this stage, though the alternative pick could be Noah Vonleh or Julius Randle. Now granted we could draft them at #4, but most mocks have them going between #5 and #8. So if we traded back, then taking one of those guys would be worth seriously considering because either guy could come in and make an impact in our front court. #12 - If we go with Smart, then I have seen a number of mocks with us picking Dario Saric. I'm not sure I would want him due to the potential fact that he might not come over to the NBA for a season or two. So potentially we could have the option of drafting a shooter like Nik Stauskas, or perhaps look to an athletic forward like Rodney Hood. If we went big, then we could have the option of taking one of the PGs in the draft (Zach LaVine if he lasts Elfrid Payton, Tyler Ennis or Shabazz Napier). #17 - Bit more difficult at this stage. If we haven't already taken a PG then I have seen Elfrid Payton, Tyler Ennis and Shabazz Napier drafted at this stage and later. If we have taken a PG, and not yet got a big, then a PF like Adreian Payne could be available. And equally, we could look at forwards like Jerami Grant or TJ Warren. Overall those three picks could land us three valuable players, or we could package the #12 and #17 in order to move back into the top ten with another team that may desire to trade back, perhaps the Lakers? A decent scenario.

Agreed, especially if the rumor about the 76ers and Exum are true, in that they have considered trading Michael Carter-Williams and replacing him with a guy they feel has a higher ceiling. Even if they didn't trade MCW, it's possible that if Parker and Wiggins go #1 and #2, that they go Exum due to them having Noel on their roster. So I suppose it is possible that we could be in a scenario where we choose between Embiid, Smart and Vonleh at #4. So best to cover the bases in case the first choice guy isn't there.

Bobcats vs Magic PG: Kemba Walker vs Jameer Nelson / draft pick SG: Gerald Henderson vs Victor Oladipo SF: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs Arron Afflalo PF: Josh McRoberts vs Tobias Harris / draft pick C: Al Jefferson vs Nikola Vucevic When I look at those two teams, the main two differences I see between them is Al Jefferson and Steve Clifford their head coach. Jefferson is a borderline all star, and arguably should have made the game this year. He really did play at a high level, and I think his play was a big reason behind their improvement this season. Walker played well, and the others played a role. But of them all, Jefferson carried the team. He needs some support, and I'm sure with their cap space they'll be aggressive. And Clifford has done an excellent job so far. They've gone from one of the worst to a team above .500. Granted they got swept by the Hear, but it was a great turn around. They became one of the best defensive teams in the league, and if that continues, and via free agency or the draft they add some fire power, they have the coaching staff and base to build a very competitive team. As for us. I think we have the base of a good line, with some decent rotation options. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if we can come out of the draft with Exum and Vonleh, our line up has the talent to develop into a dangerous team. But if we come out with only one top player, plus a guy at #12 and keep Afflalo, then we still have the base of a talented team heading in the right direction. The issue I see with us could be the coaching staff. Is Vaughn the right man to take this team from one of the worst to the 7th or 8th seed? I'm not sure. I've seen good and bad from him so far. But with new talent to boost the current roster, we should hopefully see improvement. Though I'm not convinced we will become a 7th or 8th seed this off season. I think we are more likely a 30-win team unless we land a big name free agent as well as two draft picks.

Latest mock on bleacher has us selecting Exum at #4, and trading Afflalo and #12 with Utah for #5, leading us to select Vonleh at #5. I'd be happy if that deal happened. It would give us a talented line up: Exum Oladipo Harris/Harkless Vonleh Vucevic Tons of potential in that line up. I think it would be a good deal to make.

I've just read that according to Chad Ford of ESPN, the 76ers have "bounced around" the idea of trading Michael Carter-Williams, because of their love for Dante Exum. According to Ford: The Philadelphia 76ers are Exum fans as well and if Wiggins is off the board, he's in the mix. They think Exum and Carter-Williams could play together in the backcourt, though it would not be a very good shooting tandem. I think the more obvious fit comes if they trade Carter-Williams, an idea I'm told they have bounced around. Now I'm not convinced that they will trade Michael Carter-Williams, he is the type of kid that could be a good long term point guard for them. However, it does seem like the type of deal that their general manager has become known for, in that he did trade Jrue Holliday, an all star, to acquire assets to rebuild the team. So no one is really untouchable on a rebuilding team, and if Parker and Wiggins are off the board, and the 76ers prefer the upside of Exum, then he could be off the board by the time we come to draft at #4 leaving us with a choice of Joel Embiid, Noah Vonleh and Marcus Smart. So here's a thought. If the first two picks are Parker and Wiggins, and then the 76ers take Exum, should we look to do a deal to acquire Michael Carter-Williams? The kid has already made an impact in the NBA. He is one of three players to average 16/6/6 in his rookie season, the other two being Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. The pairing of Carter-Williams and Oladipo could give us a back court to build around for the future. Now granted it depends on what the 76ers would want for him, and two examples were the Lakers or Kings trading their #7 or #8 pick for him. Now we wouldn't throw our #4 pick their way, but if we packaged Afflalo and #12 in exchanging for Carter-Williams and a second round draft pick or two, then that would allow us to land our future PG and grab a potentially franchise changing player in Embiid or Vonleh. That would leave us with the line of: PG: MCW SG: Oladipo SF: Harris PF: Vuc / Vonleh C: Embiid / Vuc Whether we went for Embiid or Vonleh, we would end up with a talented line up going forwards. So do you think if the 76ers draft Exum, that we will be interested in acquiring Michael Carter-Williams?

Question: If a team trades for Love and he opts out of his player option, can that team still offer more money than any other team (eg Lakers offering Dwight $118m over 5 years versus Houston's $88m over 4 years)? If so, then any team that acquires Love could offer more money than another team if they wanted. Granted it doesn't mean he will re-sign, but if he was offered more money here in Orlando, or say Dallas, then it would make it more lucrative than somewhere like California. Not saying I'd want us to pay out as much money on Love as the Lakers offered Dwight, but the home team can offer more money on a max deal?

It would be a nice line up. Though I think the more realistic option could be: (If we give up both firsts) Nelson Oladipo Harris Love Vuc (If we give up #4 and keep #12) Ennis/Payton Oladipo Harris Love Vuc It would be nice to land a superstar, to go along with our borderline all star center, and our talented SG. It could certainly bring back the good times.

Afflalo and Nicholson for #8, no pick included? I think that would be a good move for both teams. Afflalo would slot in nicely at SG for them, help improve their defense and give them a good scoring option. It could allow them to drop McLemore to sixth man. Would be nice if we could somehow swing a deal to acquire McLemore, but the Kings do seen to want to win now and perhaps follow the Bobcats type model of getting veterans to get them into the play offs. For hs, if we end up with three first round picks and ended up with a haul like: Exum, Randle/Gordon, and Stauskas; or went with Vonleh, McDermott/Stauskas, Ennis/Payton - then we'd be in a pretty good position with a young talented roster. An alternative could be to see if we could then package #8 and #12 to trade up further, perhaps with a team like Utah to allow us to grab Vonleh. Exiting the draft with Exum and Vonleh, or even Exum and Embiid (if he falls) could be a heck of a result for the team. A line like Exum, Oladipo, Harris, Vonleh, Vuc; or, Exum, Oladipo, Harris, Vuc, Embiid - could be a heck of a line up.

I do agree that he probably doesn't see us as a destination. Plus, we would probably have to give up a combination of talent and picks to them. I'd hate to lose some of our talented pieces, but as long as we could retain Oladipo and Vuc, then I suppose we could have the base of a good line up - ?, Oladipo, ?, Love, Vuc. The problem would be how we could fill in those holes, especially if we ended up sending one or both of our first round draft picks to them, plus any established talent like Nelson and Afflalo, or young pieces like Harkless, Harris and Nicholson. That said, we could be an attractive landing spot if he cares about the weather, no state income tax, and the potential that the team has to contend if built around a good young core and a superstar. But we are probably not going to be in the sweepstakes. Does he have a choice if he's traded to Cleveland? Not really. It isn't like Kevin Garnett who had a no-trade clause in his contract. So essentially Love can't veto the trade. He can make his intentions clear that he will not sign a new contract with whatever team he is traded to, but Cleveland might not be as bad a landing spot as you might think. They already have Kyrie Irving who is a two time all star point guard, and they do have some talent on their roster, not on a Golden State scale, but they have enough to build around. The other tempting hypothetical scenario that could tempt Love to consider signing a deal with the Cavs is LeBron James. Now granted LeBron might not opt out of his contract, and even if he does, he might not want to go back to Cleveland. However, if he did opt out and return to Cleveland, imagine the potential that the trio of Kyrie, LeBron and Love would have. With the right supporting cast, the Cavs could be a play off team or a serious contender in the east. Now I don't think either situation will happen. He will want to go to a contender with the talent already on the roster, like a Chicago or Golden State. It will be interesting to see which team he ends up on.

I did see us mocked Exum (#4) and Payne (#12) in a post-combine mock draft. I'm not sure Payne will go that high, but if we could grab another lottery pick, or a mid first round pick for Afflalo, then drafting Payne could be a decent option.

What are our main needs? The obvious need is point guard, and Exum has the skill set and ability to become a very good player. Pairing Exum with Oladipo could potentially give us an excellent back court going forwards. However, there are options that should be on the board at #12 that could be considered like Tyler Ennis and Elfrid Payton. I guess even Marcus Smart can come into the equation at #4. Whichever way we go, we should aim to find our future point guard in the draft. Another need for this team is a go-to scorer. Someone like Parker or Wiggins could certainly fill that void. If either guy falls to #4, then we have been very lucky and should pull the trigger and draft them. Both guys have all star potential. Parker should be able to go into the line up and average 20 PPG, and Wiggins could have the potential to be a decent contributor too. However, I am not convinced either guy will fall to us. The other need is a big, athletic power forward. For me, an excellent option could be Vonleh. He's big, he's athletic, and he's got the potential to be a star. We already have our center for the future in Vucevic, and if we pair him with a big, athletic freak like Vonleh, then that could give us an excellent front court partnership for many years to come. Plus, by going for Vonleh, that frees up the option of taking a point guard at #12, and Ennis and Payton should both still be available at that time. So who would I take at #4? Exum or Vonleh. Like I said above, Exum provides us with the chance to add an excellent prospect to pair with Oladipo. The athleticism and work ethic that those two guys possess would potentially give us two stars to help rebuild this team back into a contender. However, Vonleh is an impressive player in his own right. He gives us the size and athleticism to be an upgrade at the PF position, and he brings all star ability to the position that we currently don't have on the roster. This would allow us to move Harris back to SF to rotate with Harkless, and also, it would allow the team to draft its future PG at #12 like Ennis or Payton. Both ways have their pros and cons. I do like the idea of Exum and Oladipo, but equally grabbing Vonleh for our front court is equally appealing.

Can't or won't? The difference between the two is some guys don't have the ability to play defense, regardless of what system they are in, or what coaching they receive. However, some guys simply take less interest in playing defense, or they are in a system where they aren't asked to play a huge role in defense, but they have the physical and mental ability to play defense if they are put in the right system and get good coaching. Now I haven't seen enough tape to say which type of player Parker is. But what Parker brings to the table offensively could offset any defensively liabilities he may or may not have, especially if we surround him with good defensive players in the line up. For me, he's got a the skill set, size and athleticism, to be able to contribute. He may never be an elite defender, but with the right coaching, he could improve to be a solid enough defender.

Depends on the team. In terms of the top ten lottery picks, the Bobcats/Hornets might be tempted to get a proven veteran to slot in at SG or SF. After all Afflalo is an upgrade on Henderson and MKG at SG and SF respectively. So #9 for AA and perhaps Nelson, could be a deal that they would go for to give them two veterans capable of helping them push on. Nelson would give them a good back up to Kemba to lead their bench, and AA would slot in at SG or SF with the existing stater dropping to the bench. I think that deal would benefit both teams.

What if - and this is a big hypothetical if - the package was #12 + AA + future first for the first overall pick? The team could come out of the draft with a Wiggins/Parker and Exum combination, or a Wiggins/Parker and Vonleh combination. Not saying we should, but if Henny could swing a deal for ensure we draft two of the top four or five guys, then that could be a significant step forwards in the rebuilding project.

Never seen much of him to know. Personally I'd like to keep Afflalo unless we get an offer that is too good to turn down. He's been a good contributor, and I think as this team continues to develop, he could prove to be a good asset at either SG/SF/rotation.

It would depend on price. But could he be a cheaper version, or replacement for Afflalo? Both guys are SG/SF tweeters. So at the right price he could be a useful addition, and the guy does have talent to be a contributor. Not sure what price range he's in.

I agree, but at the same time it depends what the aims of the front office are, and how many seasons this rebuild is to last . For instance, year one resulted in 20-62, and year two resulted in 23-59. Is the aim for year three to try and get thirty wins and possibly another top ten lottery pick? If so, then I'd agree our activity will be limited in free agency this off season. I think Henny and co want to rebuild this team the "right" way, or at least their way by continuing to acquire talent, stockpile draft picks, and free up space. Then pursue a big name free agent in 2015. However, if we could expedite the process. If we come out of the draft with a combination of Jabari Parker and Dario Saric, then our main position of need is PG. What if we went hard for Kyle Lowry? Unlikely, I know, but imagine this line up and rotation: Lowry / Nelson Oladipo / Afflalo Parker / Harkless Harris / Saric Vuc / O'Quinn Has a nice look to it. Similarly if we draft Exum and Saric, and then make a play for Greg Monroe, we could again end up with a nice looking line up that might challenge for the 7th or 8th seed. The Bobcats went from one of the worst to an above .500 team. So maybe the Magic have their eyes on doing the same thing. Grab another two lottery picks, and grab a borderline all star in free agency to give the team a boost. That being said, I admire the OKC and Spurs way of building. Draft your stars, keep your stars. It would be nice to see us develop a contender through a line up of players we've mainly drafted, and underrated talent we've acquired via trades.

Last nights action might have made things interesting. They now have two first round picks #9 and #24, plus a second round pick. I wonder if they'll look to grab a rookie and use their cap space for another big name free agent, or whether they'd be interested in a deal with us involving Afflalo + whatever for #9 + whatever?

Obviously I'd love to see us win the lottery and get the first pick. Wouldn't be the first time we've won the lottery. That said, my head is going with 4.

They hold the #6 pick in the draft. If purely draft picks they could send their pick this year, plus their 2016 first round draft pick (2015 first round is going to Phoenix, 2017 to Orlando). In terms of players they are a bit thin. They could throw Nick Young our way if he's under contract, he played well as a sixth man for them this season. Kendall Marshall did ok in spurts at PG, decent passer, not a got much offense. I think they also have Robert Sacre under contract, but he's not much to brag about. For us to move up I suppose Afflalo and #12 for #6 and Nick Young could be a fair deal, especially if their pick lands higher and gives us the chance of another top talent.

In our case we already have Oladipo and Vuc, two players that have borderline to all star potential. Oladipo averaged almost 14 ppg, that could/should improve as he continues to develop the offensive side of his game, and perhaps could thrive if moved back to shooting guard. Vuc has been producing double doubles for fun. Again, there's a guy that can still develop offensively. We can then look towards Harkless and Harris, two guys that are capable contributors. Depending on how we draft, if we go point guard like Exum, then Harkless and Harris would be a good rotation. If we won the lottery, or got lucky, and landed Wiggins then Harkless can rotate at SF and Harris at PF, again giving the team a good rotation. At the end of the draft we could find ourselves with three core players with all star potential (Exum/Wiggins/Parker, Oladipo, Vuc). We then have two talented forwards in Harkless and Harris. If we then add Love to the mix we have a current all star. So the reality is we would have a well built, well rounded starting line up with some good options off the bench. We could have a big three.

I think the deal could make sense for them. Nelson behind Walker, and perhaps Afflalo starting at SG or SF, depending on whether or not they can afford to grab a SF like Deng as well. The problem with this would be what we could get in return? Their first round pick is #24, which could get us a useful player. Not sure what talent they'd likely try to send our way, but it could be MKG, Zeller or Biyombo - none of whom are upgrades on our existing players. I suppose an intriguing possibility could be #24 and Gerald Henderson, who could turn into a decent sixth man. But overall I'm not sure what Afflalo and Nelson's return would be, and what the Bobcats could offer us.

Kevin Love is an elite player. He is the type of guy that could arguably step into this team and make us a borderline play off team next season. So if Love signs a long term extension, I don't think the price you mention is too much. Obviously we would be giving up the #12 pick in this year's draft, but the second first round pick could potentially be outside the lottery if we make the play offs. Afflalo is a talented player, but one would assume that this team is looking at Oladipo as its future SG, and Maxiel is a veteran with an expiring contract. So I wouldn't be against giving that up as long as Love signs a long term deal. After all, the line up could be something like: PG: Exum SG: Oladipo SF: Harkless or Harris PF: Love C: Vuc I like the look of that line up. It is young, and very talented. We could potentially find ourselves as the 7th or 8th seed in next season, and with further strengthening and play development, that team could contend if all the players develop to their ceiling. That being said, I don't see us being in the Kevin love sweepstakes.

I think the Lakers would have the balls to do it. Getting Exum would give them a talented PG to pair with Kobe. He'd also get mentored by Nash. The Lakers also have their eyes on Melo and LeBron. So grabbing a guard like Exum would give them a long term piece in what will probably be yet another great Lakers team.

Not strictly true. It is possible that Parker could be left for us at #4. For example: #1 Embiid, Bucks #2 Wiggins, 76ers #3 Exum, Lakers If we fall to #4, and the Lakers or a team rises to #3, and that team coverts Exum, Wiggins or Embiid - then we may still end up with Parker. There's no guarantee what order the top four guys go.