The NBA Finals tipped off on Thursday at long last, but while the eyes of fans and the media will be on the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers for the next little while, the other 28 teams in the league are hard at work preparing for the NBA Draft.
Here’s some of the latest buzz to get you caught up:
Knicks considering Canadian Lyles at No. 4?
The Skinny: New York Knicks president Phil Jackson has reportedly told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that Saskatoon, Sask., native Trey Lyles would be a good fit for the triangle offence.
Analysis: If the Knicks are serious about pulling the trigger on Lyles, this seems like an indication that they are willing to trade down in order to make this selection. The Kentucky product isn’t even listed in the top 10 of most mock drafts, meaning spending a fourth-overall pick on him likely isn’t the smartest of moves. With that said, these are the Knicks and they’re kind of known for their poor personnel moves.
T-Wolves favouring Okafor and Mudiay over Towns?
The Skinny: ESPN’s Chad Ford is saying that Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations and head coach Flip Saunders likes Duke’s Jahlil Okafor over Karl-Anthony Towns. Additionally, Shams Charania of RealGM is reporting that Emmanual Mudiay will be under heavy consideration by the Timberwolves for the No. 1 overall pick and will have a workout with them on June 20.
Analysis: Even though most mock drafts and big boards list Towns as the consensus No. 1, it’s hard to knock Saunders for favouring Okafor. He may not be as athletic, nor have as natural a feel defensively as Towns, but Okafor has the kind of advanced footwork and offensive touch as a teenager that makes you think he could become one of the game’s great post scorers.
The Mudiay report, on the other hand, is a bit of a head-scratcher since the T-Wolves would be drafting another point guard when they already have Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine.
Cameron Payne mania
The Skinny: Lightly-recruited Murray State point guard Cameron Payne went from relative unknown to the top of the conversation that has been dominating discussion around the NBA Draft. A skinny 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore point guard, Murray is leveraging a strong season, which saw him be named Ohio Valley Conference player of the year, into a fast-rising stock that’s reminiscent of Damian Lillard back in 2012.
Whereas before he wasn’t even on the radar, Payne has been connected to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 14 — with, according to ESPN’s Ford, a promise from the team that they’ll take him if he’s still there — the Indiana Pacers at No. 11 and even the Sacramento Kings at No. 6, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Candace Buckner.
Analysis: Payne emerged out of the woodwork mainly because of his winning pedigree. Over the two seasons he spent at Murray State, the Racers won 58 games. Footage of Payne shows a lightning-quick, fearless point guard who boasts a scoring touch.
The Lillard comparisons, while understandable, seem a little unfounded, however Payne is a player coming out after his sophomore year, whereas Lillard stayed for all four years at Weber State and was ready for the NBA immediately. This may not be the case for Payne.
