2024 NBA DRAFT THREAD 3

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Still, the best strategy for #31 is to trade it or trade down unless the Raps are nearing the end of the 1st praying some guy falls that they really like and who ultimately happens to be there on the 2nd day.

If there are like 3 guys they like near equally they can probably feel comfortable trading down 7-8 spots.

Last thing they should be doing is trading the pick. This is an easy opportunity to add some cheap quality players and there should be some potential rotation guys down there.

This draft, more than others, is going to be unpredictable. Keep #31, pick the guy you like and be done with it instead of trading down and then maybe he's gone.

All options are on the table. I am merely suggesting that since in most professional sports the 1st pick of another day of selections typically is coveted by other teams who recognize a desirable player, there will quite possibly be an opportunity to trade the pick to such a team who will be more likely to overpay for it after engaging in a bidding war.

Masai has some leverage with #31.

[Potential]

Imagine sending Scottie there just to watch us give away our draft pick

[grant101]

Imagine sending Scottie there just to watch us give away our draft pick

This is the most likely scenario and, unless we get a top 4 pick, the most desirable one IMO . I just hope this board doesn't devolve into bitching and moaning over spillt milk if we lose the pick. It's so annoying. Yes, the Poeltl trade sucked. It's a sunk cost at this point.

[Thaddy]

Imagine sending Scottie there just to watch us give away our draft pick

This is the most likely scenario and, unless we get a top 4 pick, the most desirable one IMO . I just hope this board doesn't devolve into bitching and moaning over spillt milk if we lose the pick. It's so annoying. Yes, the Poeltl trade sucked. It's a sunk cost at this point.

Losing the pick would be the best option for us. The gap between last year and making the playoffs is too big to figure out in a single move. It's also pretty evident a IQ, Barnes, and Barrett core isn't championship caliber.

Ideally we lose this pick, trade for more picks, add 2-3 prospects through the draft and undrafted pool. Then develop our assets for another year to increase their value while securing a top 10 pick in a much stronger draft. The 10th picks and onward next year could be better than anyone picked in the lottery of the upcoming draft. The discrepancy is fairly large.

[LoveMyRaps]

Did my final lottery sim.

We landed the 4th overall pick.

Would be very fitting given that Scottie is representing us.

[billy_hoyle]

Imagine sending Scottie there just to watch us give away our draft pick

This is the most likely scenario and, unless we get a top 4 pick, the most desirable one IMO . I just hope this board doesn't devolve into bitching and moaning over spillt milk if we lose the pick. It's so annoying. Yes, the Poeltl trade sucked. It's a sunk cost at this point.

Losing the pick would be the best option for us. The gap between last year and making the playoffs is too big to figure out in a single move. It's also pretty evident a IQ, Barnes, and Barrett core isn't championship caliber.

Ideally we lose this pick, trade for more picks, add 2-3 prospects through the draft and undrafted pool. Then develop our assets for another year to increase their value while securing a top 10 pick in a much stronger draft. The 10th picks and onward next year could be better than anyone picked in the lottery of the upcoming draft. The discrepancy is fairly large.

I'd be surprised if next year's 10-20 draft picks are a tier better than the top 10 players this year.

That would basically be unprecedented. Wouldn't it?

[HumbleRen]

Well, atleast we’ll get memes out of Scottie if we lose the pick.

Still would have preferred seeing Bobby squirm as they hand a pick over to the Spurs.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

As boring as it will be, everyone should actively be rooting for us to convey the selection to SA. Giving up a mid to late lotto pick to SA next year would be a nightmare as there are athletic 3 level scorers to be had and tons of very high upside players.

[CazOnReal]

Ideally we lose this pick, trade for more picks, add 2-3 prospects through the draft and undrafted pool. Then develop our assets for another year to increase their value while securing a top 10 pick in a much stronger draft. The 10th picks and onward next year could be better than anyone picked in the lottery of the upcoming draft. The discrepancy is fairly large.

I love when people say this sh*t without even mentioning who they think the 10th pick next year will be and what they'd bring to the team.

Real talk: We have no clue what the 2025 draft will be like outside of the top-end talent like Flagg and Bailey this early on, and from what i've read a lot of people are hyping up 2026 over 2025 due to the latter being seen as top-heavy.

Also, and I feel like this needs to be mentioned every time the pick debate comes up: We can just trade it. It is an asset we can make use of to either draft a player or acquire a player via trade. Draft trades happen all the time and this year will be no different.

[tdotrep2]

Well, atleast we’ll get memes out of Scottie if we lose the pick.

Still would have preferred seeing Bobby squirm as they hand a pick over to the Spurs.

Bobby needs to never be in the same room with a spurs exec again

[CazOnReal]

Imagine sending Scottie there just to watch us give away our draft pick

[TNRaps4life]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C612PU-OIbg/?igsh=MmJkeWoxNWhzaDJz

[GoRapstheoriginal]

3 pm ET on Sportsnet One

[Grew]

I'm leaning towards wanting to keep this pick. Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush kind of logic. We don't know where we will be next year, is the 14th pick in next years draft better than the 4th in this years? By how much? Is it worth waiting another year to add a player to this core?

There was a thread about how close we are to the magic. I think we are close talent wise, we are missing their continuity. I think we add a few pieces out of this draft, continue to gel as a team and allow player roles to come into focus.

[metafisical]

As boring as it will be, everyone should actively be rooting for us to convey the selection to SA. Giving up a mid to late lotto pick to SA next year would be a nightmare as there are athletic 3 level scorers to be had and tons of very high upside players.

I support keeping our pick this draft and not conveying our pick next season as well. Realistic? Probably not. But you never know what will happen during the year -- e.g., one major injury or multiple injuries, unexpected trade by Masai that breaks up our current core.

I want to convey 2 2nds to SA.

[C_Money]

As boring as it will be, everyone should actively be rooting for us to convey the selection to SA. Giving up a mid to late lotto pick to SA next year would be a nightmare as there are athletic 3 level scorers to be had and tons of very high upside players.

I support keeping our pick this draft and not conveying our pick next season as well. Realistic? Probably not. But you never know what will happen during the year -- e.g., one major injury or multiple injuries, unexpected trade by Masai that breaks up our current core.

I want to convey 2 2nds to SA.

It’s actually 3 years before it goes to 2 2nds. So either way San Antonio is getting a 1st rounder from us.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Xaivian Lee looked good at the G-League scrimmage, keeping my eye on him. I know a few guys who graded him as a guy to be taken late teens. If Masai is serious about hoarding African and Canadian players can't put it past him to possibly target Lee at 31.

I liked what I saw from him earlier in the year but will need to do a deeper dive.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

For the record I've seen enough of Lee to know for certain I'd draft him before AJ Johnson. Much better basketball brain and skill.

[mtcan]

Xaivian Lee looked good at the G-League scrimmage, keeping my eye on him. I know a few guys who graded him as a guy to be taken late teens. If Masai is serious about hoarding African and Canadian players can't put it past him to possibly target Lee at 31.

I liked what I saw from him earlier in the year but will need to do a deeper dive.

Take both Xavian Lee and Zach Edey...c'mon Masai, do it for the Asian-Canadian fans!!!

[PhilBlackson]

This is the most likely scenario and, unless we get a top 4 pick, the most desirable one IMO . I just hope this board doesn't devolve into bitching and moaning over spillt milk if we lose the pick. It's so annoying. Yes, the Poeltl trade sucked. It's a sunk cost at this point.

Losing the pick would be the best option for us. The gap between last year and making the playoffs is too big to figure out in a single move. It's also pretty evident a IQ, Barnes, and Barrett core isn't championship caliber.

Ideally we lose this pick, trade for more picks, add 2-3 prospects through the draft and undrafted pool. Then develop our assets for another year to increase their value while securing a top 10 pick in a much stronger draft. The 10th picks and onward next year could be better than anyone picked in the lottery of the upcoming draft. The discrepancy is fairly large.

I'd be surprised if next year's 10-20 draft picks are a tier better than the top 10 players this year.

That would basically be unprecedented. Wouldn't it?

Yes it would be! Obv lol but everyone that talks about next year's draft continues to overhype it because the top 3-5 are (potentially) substantially better players than these ones but ofc we're protected from missing out on them either way.

The Victor (Gradey) draft was supposed to be every bit as good, if not better (and not just based on Vic being THE best prospect). The reality is we'd probably be looking at prospects more comparable to Gradey again and I'm sorry I'd prefer most of the top 6-8 prospects in this year's draft at the same age to GD.

Thaddy is also talking like there's any chance in hell we're replicating this season's record despite it requiring 2 huge mid-season trades with no training camp for these players to build any chemistry (who are developing/getting better) THEN requiring our entire starting line up being out with injury or personal tragedies to cause a 15+L streak just to stay in 6th. There's no chance in hell that happens again and it's almost guaranteed that ATL & CHI will be worse when they try to trade their best players yet again (outside chance CHA is a bit better - they were a PlayIn team both years LaMelo was healthy).