The NBA Finals don’t start until next Thursday, but that doesn’t mean the league is on standby waiting for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors to square off.
For the remaining 28 teams who failed to play for basketball’s greatest prize, roster evaluation is taking place and the draft is as good a starting point as any.
Less than a month away now, the 2015 NBA Draft, while not as highly-touted as last year’s, has a few potentially big-impact prospects and as such the rumour mill is churning.
Here’s some of the latest buzz to get you up to speed.
T-Wolves open to trading first-overall pick
The Skinny: Awarded the first-overall pick after a dreadful, league-worst 16-66 record, Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor openly stated the possibility of trading the pick to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger.
Analysis: With four names that could potentially go No. 1 in Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay and no clear-cut favourite between them, making a decision on one would certainly be a lot easier if the Timberwolves were to trade down or not even make a choice should they decide to trade out of the draft.
Lakers not as open to trading second-overall pick
The Skinny: Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has told the Orange County Register that in order for him to consider dealing the second-overall pick, “it would have to be a heck of an opportunity for us to consider doing something like that.”
Analysis: Just like with the Timberwolves, unless the Lakers are landing a true franchise player via trade, why would they deal the No. 2 pick?
Even though the Lakers will be getting Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle back next season, does that mean they’re in any position to actually contend? Absolutely not. Kupchak has it right, keep the pick and then try to make a splash in free agency – Kevin Love, anyone?
Knicks looking at Cauley-Stein with No. 4 pick
The Skinny: In need of a defensive upgrade, the New York Knicks are looking at Willie Trill Cauley-Stein, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford in a recent online chat with fans.
Analysis: Cauley-Stein isn’t part of that “Big Four” list of prospects, but that doesn’t mean the Knicks possibly taking him at No. 4 is a sign of them going way off the board. Sportsnet’s Dave Zarum has him going No. 5 and reputable NBA draft website DraftExpress.com has the seven-footer at No. 6.
In a lot of ways, taking a player like Cauley-Stein makes a lot of sense since the Knicks do desperately need defensive help, and drafting a potential Tyson Chandler-esque anchor is a very good idea.
On the flipside, the irony of drafting a Chandler-type player when just last off-season Phil Jackson opted to trade the real Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks seems like a little revisionist history. Not to mention, with one of the two guards, Russell and Mudiay, projected to be at No. 4 and New York’s horrific backcourt situation, the safer bet is to go small over big.
