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With the NBA draft last week and free agency starting today, NBA off-season will be underway so hopefully there will be excitement to get us through those dog days of summer. So here are my winners and losers from last week’s draft (Excluding the obvious winner in the Spurs) along with 5 interesting scenarios for free agency.
NBA Draft Winners
Scoot Henderson: Regardless of what is going to happen in Portland the future is bright for phenom Scoot Henderson. With the Dame Lillard situation looming whether he stays or leaves Henderson is in a win-win situation where he’s the face of a rebuild or he’s Damian Lillard’s sidekick until it’s time for him to lead the franchise. Blazer fans may be unsure right now, but they have a lot to look forward to in Henderson.
Indiana Pacers: Very quietly as always, the Indiana Pacers had another solid draft and continue to build a possible contender in the Hoosier state. Tyrese Haliburton now an energetic, versatile, athletic big man to attack the rim in Houston’s Jarace Walker. Some are saying this was mistake drafting Walker but it’s actually a great move adding Walker to the young core of Haliburton, Mathurin, and Turner should make the Pacers a sleeper team to look out for next season.
Jordan Poole: After a rather disappointing season last year in the Bay Area for potential young star Jordan Poole that began after an altercation with Draymond Green leading to a punch in the face that absolutely effected the team more than was led on to believe. So, in a shocking move the Warriors send Poole to Wizards for Chris Paul who was in the Bradley Beal trade to make this possible. Poole now has a fresh start in a new place where he will have a chance to be the lead guy on a team with no real pressure or expectations that should lead to some improvement statistically for Poole and other Wizards.
Houston Rockets: The last winner is a shocker, but the Houston Rockets actually had an exceptional draft landing Amen Thompson with the 4th pick and in possible the steal of this draft selecting Cam Whitmore who was a top 5 or 10 prospect fell to the Rockets at 20 adding to an already exciting high ceiling core that may turn the bad luck in Houston around sooner than later.
NBA Draft Losers
Charlotte Hornets/New Orleans Pelicans: Let’s get to it and begin with the biggest losers from last week’s draft the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans who could have helped each other out by making a potential blockbuster that helped both teams. The Hornets could have acquired Zion Williamson to pair with LaMelo Ball in exchange for that number 2 pick that the Pelicans would have selected Scoot Henderson and have fresher start while getting out of the Zion business that seems to only be picking up negatively off court but gave Williamson a clean slate in a different city playing for Michael Jordan could have done some good.
Superstar Trades: Going into last week’s draft the possibility of multiple big time superstar trades happening in the draft have everyone interested until nothing happened. Lillard, Williamson, and Siakam ended up staying put at least for another week but definitely was a letdown if you were a viewer and a fan of one of the teams that could have potentially made some major move with some possible trades.
Teams Passing on Cam Whitmore: Only time will tell if the teams that passed Villanova’s Cam Whitmore were right or live with regret some teams passing on Whitmore twice (Magic and Jazz). Maybe a bad physical or intel could be behind the drop, but the athleticism and explosiveness of Whitmore should have made it worth the risk and been selected, so expect Whitmore to get some revenge on those teams that passed him up in this draft.
5 Interesting Free Agency Scenarios
Draymond Green- Chances are Draymond Green returns to the Warriors but the possibility of Green leaving is legitimate. Either the Kings, Mavericks or Pistons would be ideal, realistic places for Green to show how good of a complete player he is away from Stephen Curry and the Warriors system. A bitter Draymond against the Warriors would be interesting and I’m not a fan of Green’s but the possibility of him leaving is higher than people are thinking about.
Houston Rockets- Again the Rockets came up but this time as an interesting scenario for free agency. With major cap space and the urge or need to speed that money could be beneficial to the Rockets with targeting Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet, Austin Reaves or do what they are desperately trying to do and bring back an aging James Harden to spite their young talent and grow possibility some major guys to Philadelphia in order to bring Harden home to Houston if that does happen.
Austin Reaves & Bruce Brown- Two guys from the western conference that certainly set themselves up for a well deserve massive payday on the market. Reaves is a restricted free agent so any offer a team gives to Reaves the Lakers must match or let him go. The Spurs, Magic, and Kings could make a play for him. Bruce Brown is unrestricted free agent and after his incredible performance throughout the playoffs makes Brown more than deserving of close to if not spot on max deal. Brown also could take the pay cut stay in Denver and run it back since he was a big part of the team’s success this season. Picking either talent will automatically increase the opportunity to be in the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers: The always polarizing 76ers have an interesting summer ahead of them from James Harden opting in to basically demand to be traded to what does this mean for Joel Embiid going forward. If Harden does stay for the foreseeable future, then it may be business as usual where hopefully Nick Nurse can change that horrible culture, but if Harden is shipped out then expect the face of the Process to start forcing his way out particularly to the Knicks where he is very coveted and would be loved immediately.
Just a tough couple of the months for the sixers but this summer has to be a start of a new direction that is needed from the Process era or smarten up and go all in to make a major run for title contention with this small window of opportunity with Embiid before it is too late.
The Kyrie Business: Our last scenario involves who else Kyrie Irving. With these alleged meeting with the Suns and other teams ended up being a large extension with the Mavericks where the Kyrie era starts in Dallas where we can begin a countdown to when Luka Doncic ask to leave setting the franchise back in ways it may not recover with doubling down on Irving that can blow up at any point but hopefully can get out this if things sour.
