11. Indiana Pacers – Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
The decision is down to Payne, Johnson, and Trey Lyles here, according to sources. With Johnson off the board it’s a no-brainer for Indy. The Pacers lack a dominant point guard, and with Paul George returning next season, having a dynamic lead guard to handle the ball and put George in easier scoring positions makes sense.
Payne is lethal off the pick-and-roll, and is a solid shooter with great court vision who doesn’t ignore getting his teammates involved. One scout I spoke to thought Payne was the most complete pure PG in this draft. Oklahoma City is very interested in Payne a few spots later.
12. Utah Jazz – Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
According to my sources the Jazz are considering Johnson, Myles Turner, and Sam Dekker along with Lyles. Lyles is a better fit with Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert and the Jazz aren’t opposed to having multiple bigs, especially since Lyles has face up ability.
Lyles is a very intriguing prospect who seems to be rising as we approach the draft. With great size, good athleticism, and nice touch and range, Lyles has some teams convinced he could be a steal in the late lottery and I’m told he won’t fall past Atlanta at 15.
13. Phoenix Suns – Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
The slide for Cauley-Stein ends here. I’m told Phoenix will gladly take a gamble on the talented big, who could be one of the top five players in this draft. With his elite defensive skills and athleticism, Cauley-Stein is a great compliment to the stable of bigs the Suns currently feature with Alex Len and the Morris twins.
There also have been rumblings that the Knicks are interested in acquiring point guard Eric Bledsoe, but that is unlikely. With the Suns building around Bledsoe, they need more shooting but the value of Cauley-Stein is too great to pass on.
14. Oklahoma City Thunder – Myles Turner, F-C, Texas
The Thunder are a team to watch next season with a healthy Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka returning to join Russell Westbrook. While I loved the addition of Kanter, the Thunder could be looking for insurance or someone who has tremendous upside. Turner also does something better than Ibaka, Kanter, and Stephen Adams, which is stretching the court.
Payne is said to be a target, but chances seem slim he lasts this long, The versatile Turner would be a great pick that could blossom for OKC a few seasons from now. The Thunder are exploring deals to add an additional pick so they can dump salary, but any pick they acquire later in the draft would likely be for an international stash player.Hearing the Thunder might have interest in Tyus Jones as well but this seems a bit to high for him.
15. Atlanta Hawks (from Brooklyn) – Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
The Hawks just announced a mutual parting with former GM Danny Ferry and the permanent promotion of coach Mike Budenholzer to president of operations. With starting forwards Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll set to be free agents, the Hawks may be looking for insurance.
Oubre is very intriguing because of his tremendous size and athleticism in spite of his poor shooting. He recently declined an invitation to workout for Milwaukee (17th), so there is a feeling he will be off the board by then.
The Hawks might be a team to keep an eye on with Sam Dekker or Bobby Portis as well.
16. Boston Celtics – Sam Dekker, SF-PF, Wisconsin
The Celtics are seen as a team aggressively looking to move up, perhaps as high as third. With that in mind, this pick will probably belong to another team. Sources around the league have said that the Knicks, Kings, Nuggets and Hornets are all teams in the top 10 that have indicated an interest in moving down.
With that said Dekker is a guy that Danny Ainge really likes and according to a source is on the short list at 16.
Also, hearing Lyles and Oubre’s name linked with Boston, but with both off the board look for Ainge to pull the trigger on Dekker, who is an active and long forward that doesn’t quite shoot it well enough to be a true wing but can defensively cover multiple positions. If Dekker improves his shooting, he is a steal.
17. Milwaukee Bucks – Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
I’m hearing the Bucks are locking in on Portis, R.J. Hunter and Dekker. While missing on Dekker, who has strong ties in Wisconsin, could disappoint some fans, Portis will more than impress with his motor.
Fresh off a playoff appearance and loaded with young talent, the Bucks can go in any number of directions. Portis is one of the more impressive prospects, and playoff teams in particular have been very impressed with him. It’s hard not to look at Portis and see the potential.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, Khris Middleton and Michael Carter-Williams, the Bucks have plenty of young pieces. Drafting a versatile big like Portis, who can play power forward or center, would be a great addition.
Milwaukee is rumored to have interest in Blake Lopez this summer.
18. Houston Rockets (from New Orleans) – Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
Sources say the Rockets are focusing on wings and points as the draft approaches. While Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant might be higher on some boards, it sounds like Daryl Morey is enamored with Jones.
Jones is the “ice water in his veins” type of point guard who isn’t afraid of taking a big shot and proved that in his incredible NCAA Tournament performance. He is very reminiscent of Chris Paul in that he is not a great athlete but very heady. Playing alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard should help Jones’s development and as a rookie should ease some of the ballhandling burden on Harden.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is heavily invested in analytical data and could throw us all for a curve. Jones is an upgrade over the PGs the Rockets were left with in the playoffs.
19. Washington Wizards – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
The good news is that Paul Pierce will play next season, but the bad news is that it may not be in Washington. While the Wizards are hopeful for Pierce’s return, Otto Porter played well last season alongside Pierce and can slide down to small forward at times.
Hollis-Jefferson is a gritty, versatile defender capable of guarding three or four positions and can contribute immediately. With the Wizards, Hollis-Jefferson could be a Draymond Green type of forward and really allow Washington to play small. Must improve as a shooter.
The Wizards could also be looking for a player like Dekker if he slips, or for point guard depth behind John Wall.
20. Toronto Raptors – Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
With the Raptors entraining offers on their entire roster, they can look for the best value. Grant could potentially go in as early as 14 so this is a great value pick for GM Masai Ujiri.
Grant demonstrated in college he is a very talented scorer and facilitator with good athleticism for the position. Also, due to his size he is versatile enough to play either PG or SG, which gives the Raptors flexibility.
R.J. Hunter, Montrezl Harrell, Hollis-Jefferson, Kevon Looney are also in play here.
CONTINUE READING: PICKS 21-30