Pick Three: 2018 NBA Draft

[Chinook]

First, a quick aside: I'm getting ready to turn the TT over toward next off-season, and I'll be looking to make some changes with DraftExpress dead and NBAdraft.net still awful. Any suggestions on how we should do prospect threads and other sources for prospect info would be welcome.


Anyway, all the talk about tanking and trading Kawhi has caused me to look at potential trades for various players on the team. If a scenario where the team looks to move Kawhi and/or Aldrdige, they could get picks all over the first round. I thought it would be interesting to see whom the folks on ST would want in each of the following scenarios:


Spurs have only the 25th pick (Spurs stick with status quo):

Spurs have 5th and 25th picks (Spurs trade Leonard to Cavs for Brooklyn pick and fillers):

Spurs have 15th and 25th picks (Spurs trade Aldridge to Phoenix for Miami pick and fillers):

Spurs have 5th, 15th and 25th picks (Spurs clean house, making both of the above deals):

[Chinook]

Yes, there are a billion other potential trades and scenarios, including a number of them in which the Spurs are buyers instead of sellers. I do think it would interesting to see if people's views on prospects change in the different situations. Someone earlier mentioned that the Spurs should go for a big if they get a top-10 pick, and I'd disagree. You can use late-firsts to fill holes, especially if it's your second or third pick, but you use your first pick on BPA. There are some scenarios where the team can pivot into a bottom-bracket playoff team if not just be a better version of this year's team. So you don't want to waste what could be your only high pick for a while drafting for need when you can use the MLE to fill that spot.

[cd021]

I have thought about moving Kawhi to the Cavs for the Nets Pick; if the Spurs were to consider moving him, and and Kawhi was willing commit to a non L.A team, that pick is enough to at least get a the Spurs to the table.

Kawhi for Kevin Love, Osman, and the Nets Pick

isn't a bad trade if the Spurs don't want to bottom out but still want to add a top prospect during the post Kawhi years.

[Nathan89]

If we trade Kawhi we better bottom out. So no to Love tbh. Unless we could flip him for other assets.

[Nathan89]

Does draftexpress not have current info at the moment? So many difficulties come with ending your season at the all-star game I guess.

[Chinook]

I have thought about moving Kawhi to the Cavs for the Nets Pick; if the Spurs were to consider moving him, and and Kawhi was willing commit to a non L.A team, that pick is enough to at least get a the Spurs to the table.

Kawhi for Kevin Love, Osman, and the Nets Pick

isn't a bad trade if the Spurs don't want to bottom out but still want to add a top prospect during the post Kawhi years.

I'd actually be a fan of Hill, Osman, Zizic and the pick for Kawhi and Patty. Cavs get to keep Love (probably important to them to have a Big Three, seeing as they won't have any way to get another star if they move Love AND the pick in one transaction), and SA gets rid of Patty's deal, two overhyped by decent prospects and a nice pick. Saves them like $4 Million next year and a ton more going forward. The team could bottom out next year if they wanted by moving Aldridge, but they could also keep him and have a clean cap in 2019 to continue building.

I do like Love though and think he and Aldridge could be a good fit. I'd just rather not have three bigs making so much money and nothing on the perimeter. It pretty much forces SA to use the Brooklyn pick on a guard.

[Chinook]

If we trade Kawhi we better bottom out. So no to Love tbh. Unless we could flip him for other assets.

I'm not a fan of bottoming out. One, the Spurs would have a hard time keeping fan interest. Second, if they can get an elite prospect without bottoming out, what's the point of doing so?

Does draftexpress not have current info at the moment? So many difficulties come with ending your season at the all-star game I guess.

ESPN took DX over. So it's dead for good. All of those guy's work is theoretically behind ESPN's pay wall. Even if you could guarantee me that it's exactly like the old DX site there, I wouldn't become an insider to view it.

[SAGirl]

It's too early for me. I really don't look at stuff like this until the season is over and Kiwi news notwithstanding, it's not.

[cd021]

First, a quick aside: I'm getting ready to turn the TT over toward next off-season, and I'll be looking to make some changes with DraftExpress dead and NBAdraft.net still awful. Any suggestions on how we should do prospect threads and other sources for prospect info would be welcome.


Anyway, all the talk about tanking and trading Kawhi has caused me to look at potential trades for various players on the team. If a scenario where the team looks to move Kawhi and/or Aldrdige, they could get picks all over the first round. I thought it would be interesting to see whom the folks on ST would want in each of the following scenarios:


Spurs have only the 25th pick (Spurs stick with status quo):

Spurs have 5th and 25th picks (Spurs trade Leonard to Cavs for Brooklyn pick and fillers):

Spurs have 15th and 25th picks (Spurs trade Aldridge to Phoenix for Miami pick and fillers):

Spurs have 5th, 15th and 25th picks (Spurs clean house, making both of the above deals):

Option 4 is obviously intriguing if Kawhi really wants out, moving Aldridge to Phoenix for a mid 1st round pick is actually good return on a 32 year old (turns 33 early in the off season) all-star. I don't know if PATFO would do something that radical, but it would jump start the rebuild process

[Nathan89]

I'm too committed to a future with Kawhi to really entertain any trade talk involving him tbh. Trade speculation is usually fun. It's not so fun when it includes your franchise player tbh.

[Chinook]

It's too early for me. I really don't look at stuff like this until the season is over and Kiwi news notwithstanding, it's not.

(It's also to help me decide what threads to make in the TT.)

[Nathan89]

I'm not a fan of bottoming out. One, the Spurs would have a hard time keeping fan interest. Second, if they can get an elite prospect without bottoming out, what's the point of doing so?



ESPN took DX over. So it's dead for good. All of those guy's work is theoretically behind ESPN's pay wall. Even if you could guarantee me that it's exactly like the old DX site there, I wouldn't become an insider to view it.

Keeping fan interest is a risk I'm willing to take. The goal would be to get multiple elite prospects.

"DraftExpress.com will remain on the web with all of our existing archive, but will not be publishing any new content moving forward. All articles, rankings, mock drafts and event recaps moving forward will be published on ESPN.com. "

Damn I didn't realize that happened.

[Chinook]

Option 4 is obviously intriguing if Kawhi really wants out, moving Aldridge to Phoenix for a mid 1st round pick is actually good return on a 32 year old (turns 33 early in the off season) all-star. I don't know if PATFO would do something that radical, but it would jump start the rebuild process

I'm not sure LMA would be traded at all unless SA explicitly wanted to tank. I'd assume with Kawhi gone, LMA would keep getting his touches, so he'd probably prefer staying home rather than moving across the country to an equivalent situation. I think Phoenix may also not want him, but it would be kind of weird if they didn't. They will already have one or two more firsts, including a top-five pick. With those and the guys they already have, they aren't hurting for prospects. Getting LMA with three years left on his deal would seem like a strong move going forward.

[SAGirl]

(It's also to help me decide what threads to make in the TT.)

I didn't even know about DExpress ... Thanks for the update.

I check tweets and YouTube... There's a few guys I follow who do analytics for college prospects and such. It's really just too early for me to look at stuff like that and I don't pay attention to these guys yet. If the team falls out from playoff contention however, by going on a losing streak, I am sure I will look into it earlier and contribute. Good thread to start.

[objective]

The Stepian and it's associated acts like the Ode to Oden podcast are useful resources

[Chinook]

Keeping fan interest is a risk I'm willing to take. The goal would be to get multiple elite prospects.

"DraftExpress.com will remain on the web with all of our existing archive, but will not be publishing any new content moving forward. All articles, rankings, mock drafts and event recaps moving forward will be published on ESPN.com. "

Damn I didn't realize that happened.

Of course it's a risk YOU'RE willing to take. The downside is you don't want Spurs games. It's a much bigger risk for the owners, though. Having multiple elite prospects may sound great, but being bad enough to get them usually means being so bad that it takes years to recover. Philly may not make the playoffs yet again, five years after tanking. The Magic haven't been since the lockout season. The Kings...

Yeah, I'm not bottoming out if I can help it. Even if they trade Aldridge and Kawhi, I hope they pivot to trying to build the best team they can rather than tanking.

[objective]

Anyways, Jaren Jackson Jr is very interesting as a high pick.

[MaNu4Tres]

There could be a lot of scenarios that play out. But in regards to prospects that I like a lot, here's my short list:

Prospects I like that should be available in 15-25 range:

Zhaire Smith, DeAndre Hunter, and Mitc Robinson.

If Spurs get lucky and get 9th-14th picks, hope 1 of these falls.

Mo Bamba, Mikal Bridges, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Kevin Knox.

This draft doesn't have a lot of great talent from 12 on down. It's nothing like last years draft tbh..

[Chinook]

I didn't even know about DExpress ... Thanks for the update.

I check tweets and YouTube... There's a few guys I follow who do analytics for college prospects and such. It's really just too early for me to look at stuff like that and I don't pay attention to these guys yet. If the team falls out from playoff contention however, by going on a losing streak, I am sure I will look into it earlier and contribute. Good thread to start.

The Stepian and it's associated acts like the Ode to Oden podcast are useful resources

Thanks. I will probably have a format ready to go in a week or so. I've been mainly following in Bruno's footsteps, but that's likely not going to be possible going forward. DX being gone isn't the only thing outdated about the old template.

[sasaint]

Option 4 is obviously intriguing if Kawhi really wants out, moving Aldridge to Phoenix for a mid 1st round pick is actually good return on a 32 year old (turns 33 early in the off season) all-star. I don't know if PATFO would do something that radical, but it would jump start the rebuild process

I do not believe PATFO would do option 4. In fact, I doubt Pop, at his age, would relish that kind of overhaul. He IS the king of continuity - cultcha, you know. Moreover, if the ownership group (whoever they are) were in favor of such a re-boot, they might be inclined to clean house at the top. Get a younger coach, more in touch with younger players, to actually coach those younger guys.

[Chinook]

I do not believe PATFO would do option 4. In fact, I doubt Pop, at his age, would relish that kind of overhaul. He IS the king of continuity - cultcha, you know. Moreover, if the ownership group (whoever they are) were in favor of such a re-boot, they might be inclined to clean house at the top. Get a younger coach, more in touch with younger players, to actually coach those younger guys.

It's important to remember that Pop is an executive as well as a coach. They can bottom out and change coaches while still being "PATFO". Just let Udoka or Borrego be the next Spoelstra to Pop's Pat Riley. I do think Pop is going to have to find an extra reserve to make it two more years, though. I really can't see him going passed his Olympics run. But then again, if he moves up to the front office, that could let him focus on the USANT even more.

[NASpurs]

Anyways, Jaren Jackson Jr is very interesting as a high pick.

He was born in ’99 when I remember watching his dad play to help bring the first championship. I thought you were joking with that name. Holy I’m getting old.

[objective]

He was born in ’99 when I remember watching his dad play to help bring the first championship. I thought you were joking with that name. Holy I’m getting old.

He's not fat like his old man either. He can be there Steph to Dell. Hopefully that and not Seth to Dell.

Defensive big man who shoots threes like the old man.

People might not remember, but Jackson Sr made and stayed in the league for so long before he was ever with the Spurs because of his defense. His game flipped with the Spurs, but he was a proto Bowen.

Be a nice story after such a bad year to bring in a son of a Spurs champ.

[MaNu4Tres]

He's not fat like his old man either. He can be there Steph to Dell. Hopefully that and not Seth to Dell.

Defensive big man who shoots threes like the old man.

People might not remember, but Jackson Sr made and stayed in the league for so long before he was ever with the Spurs because of his defense. His game flipped with the Spurs, but he was a proto Bowen.

Be a nice story after such a bad year to bring in a son of a Spurs champ.

99' was such a great year. His daggers and head wobble vs. Lakers and Blazers I will always remember.

It's a shame he preceded to gain 30 lbs once Spurs re-signed him for 10 mil over 3 years. I honestly always thought that experience with Jaren is what made the Spurs reluctant with Stephen Jackson.

So Jaren essentially ed the Spurs not just by letting himself go after the contract, but making the Spurs hesitant with Stephen Jackson.

His son can ball though and I'd love to have him.

Can't believe it's been nearly 20 years since the first le -- where does time go?

[cd021]

For those trying to familiar themselves with the top 10 picks in the draft, I highly recommend this podcast:

https://leveragethechat.com/talk-hoo...s-sam-vecenie/