What to Look for Heading Into the NBA Draft Tonight
The time has finally come, the NBA Draft is tonight. With all of the trades, rumors, and speculation this past week, it made it feel like we’d never get here. Here are a few of the biggest headlines heading into the night.
Phil Jackson, ladies and gentlemen. pic.twitter.com/E6Ey5a0ynw
— Leading NBA (@LeadingNBA_)
June 22, 2017
Phil Jackson is an idiot
This video made me cringe. Phil Jackson amazes me sometimes, his level of petty is unmatchable. He really thinks that getting rid of Kristaps is something that could end up being what’s “best for the club.” How is getting rid of the only good thing you’ve brought to New York beneficial to your team? I really don’t get it. But anyways, ‘Staps appears to be on the trade market, and teams like Boston and Phoenix are the ones who appear to have the best chances of landing the Latvian Unicorn. Only problem is that the Knicks are demanding a god father offer. According to NY Daily Mail, they asked the Celtics for the #3 pick, next years Brooklyn pick, Jaylen Brown, and Jae Crowder. They also asked the Suns for Devin Booker and the #4 pick. I can’t say I see a deal for KP6 happening tonight, but we’ll see.
Is Jimmy Butler on the Move?
While there hasn’t been much talk on the Celtics front regarding Jimmy Butler in the last couple days, another team has got their name in the mix. We already know Cleveland is out, but all of a sudden Minnesota is in on Butler. Sounds pretty similar to last year when the Timberwolves were trying to land Butler for their #5 overall pick, until the deal ultimately fell apart. This year, they have been trying to use their #7 overall pick to entice the Bulls into making a trade. It makes sense why they would try to get Butler, outside of his 2-way star power, he played for the Wolves head coach Tom Thibedeu during his time in Chicago. This is another deal I see falling apart tonight, but again, anything can happen.
The Blazers and Lakers each have 3+ first round picks
Given the fact that these teams might run out of roster spots if they make all of their picks, I feel like they are two of the most likely trade candidates. They could package their picks to either move up to get somebody with more value, or add a quality vet to their young locker rooms. I’m going to bank on at least one of them moving up or down on the draft board beofre the night ends.
At the end of the day, the Celtics are the most likely to make a big move
Danny Ainge and the Celtics have the most assets out of any team heading into tonight’s draft. I feel like if a superstar-caliber player is going to be moved, it’ll be to Boston. If not, then I can’t say I see a big move happening. All of the players whose names are being thrown around have really big price tags, and the C’s are the only team who appear capable to meet high demands. The Celtics also have the ability to move down the board again if need be. They’ve been linked to Sacramento and Minnesota, who might be looking to move up and to try taking Josh Jackson. He is reportedly the one player who teams are coveting outside of Fultz and Ball. Odds are whatever Ainge does end up doing tonight, everybody is going to hate it.
Stay tuned to the @couchguysports twitter tonight, as I’ll be tweeting LIVE from the draft in Brooklyn.
Written By: Nick Cherico (@NickCherico2)