“Let’s just say there was a team that had the fifth or sixth or seventh pick, and they wanted to go to No. 2,” Kupchak told SiriusXM NBA Radio. “In that area of the draft, just to move up two or three or four slots, normally, it’s hard to do. And the price that that team would pay would be high, because they’ve targeted a player that they really want. Obviously the other team would know that, and they would have to pay for that.”

smackeddog wrote:Looks like either Sacramento or Denver are after the lakers pick (I suspect Sacramento):

“Let’s just say there was a team that had the fifth or sixth or seventh pick, and they wanted to go to No. 2,” Kupchak told SiriusXM NBA Radio. “In that area of the draft, just to move up two or three or four slots, normally, it’s hard to do. And the price that that team would pay would be high, because they’ve targeted a player that they really want. Obviously the other team would know that, and they would have to pay for that.”

That seems like it'd be pretty silly to discuss active discussions like that... though I'm sure the Lakers would be interested in Cousins.

The Lakers are a team that is rumored to be getting Kevin Love... it'd be silly for them to have Okafor and Love. I wonder if the Lakers covet Willie Cauley Stein as well. Stein is the perfect fit next to a lot of offensive minded big men.

Knicks1969 wrote:Carmelo's style of basketball is not good enough to run a deep playoffs or championship. If you can't play at both ends of the court and are not willing to get in guys face As the main man on that team, you will never go far. Teams will never trade for Carmelo with his loaded contract and two bad knees and shoulders

Unless they already have a vocal leader and a longtime friend in Kobe. Not to mention the relationship between the two GM's. Other than the lakers as a potential trading partner, I would agree with you.

The New York Knicks have the number four overall draft pick in the NBA draft this year and players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor are potential targets and this comes as the Boston Celtics may look at a trade up to get Willie Cauley-Stein if Phil Jackson considers trading the pick for NY.

While Jackson may not pull a fast turnaround, he needs to keep making progress and adding a pick that ends up a bust would be terrible for the rebuilding program. According to CSN New England, the Celtics are considering trading up in the first round this year, as they like Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein and they have the ammunition to make a deal. The Celtics have two first round picks and other picks to use in deals and they could look at the Knicks as a potential option for trading up

If I'm the Lakers, I'm pretending we're taking Russell, in the hope of squeezing something out of the 76ers

crzymdups wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

If I'm the Lakers, I'm pretending we're taking Russell, in the hope of squeezing something out of the 76ers

Is that Mudiay? Interesting...

Lakers were rumoured to be high on Mudiay. Also it's said they put a lot more stock into their individual workouts than most teams. So if he has a blazing workout with them, they could take him. However, they do have Clarkson at PG who just had a great rookie season- not sure it makes sense to take another PG (Russell they could play at SG).

Like I said though, if they are after Mudiay or OK4, they need to start pretending to be high on Russell- see what they can get out of the 76ers

Hmm, looks good:

FistOfOakley wrote:he also looks good according to some analytics models:

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Analytics-Models-and-the-NBA-Draft-5021/

From what I can gather, the thing holding him back is conditioning/stamina issues- he looks tired as the game goes on, and faded the second half of the season. Is there an underlying issue? Not sure, but if it's correctable he could be an absolute steal. If not, it's a huge worry- if he can't manage the college season, how will he cope with the NBA grind?

Briggs, can you tell us a bit more about him?

VCoug wrote:Good article on Knickerblogger about Porzingis: http://knickerblogger.net/what-if-with-the-4th-pick-the-knicks-draft-kristaps-porzingis/

Sums up my feelings much better than I can. Strong stay away for me.

+1

May 19, 2015 Mock

1. Towns

2. Okafor

3. Mudiay
An elite level PG with the dynamic talent to to be in the category of PGs such as Derrick Rose, John Wall and Damian Lillard. He has a terrific feel for the game, and will just need to learn to become more composed with his decision-making and shot selection. His decision to bypass college and play in China where very few scouts and GMs saw him adds an unfamiliarity that will be tough to overcome. Teams have a much smaller sample size to work with, and that could ultimately make him slide (to 4 or 5) and become the steal of the draft. Dante Exum was an even greater unknown going into last year's draft, but that leap of faith appears to be working out for Utah, which helps Mudiay's cause. He stood out in the showcase events that scouts were allowed to attend at the end of his high school career. And many viewed him, us included, as the top prospect in the class. Although he missed a good portion of the season in China due to an ankle injury, when he did play he was impressive. Some aspects of his skill set are nearly impossible to discern from his games there, including defense, but he has good defensive ability and potential. What makes him such an intriguing prospect is his fiery and competitive nature. Mudiay has great confidence, communicates well and loves to compete. Comparison John Wall.

4. Russell - NYK
Russell was the most productive and exciting freshman in the country. His feel for the game and readiness is extremely advanced. He generally doesn't blow by opponents off the dribble with sheer speed, though at times he did, but his craftiness to rock opponents off balance to create space is very good. He's proven to be an excellent three-point shooter, showing the ability to get shots off very quickly as well. While he's not an elite athlete, his excellent length and potential to play either guard position gives him a great deal of intrigue. He'll need to focus more attention on his defensive intensity. With Stephen Curry taking the world by storm in his MVP level season, players with less athleticism like Russell receive a boost. Twitter: Comparison: Position Ranking: Salary: Twitter: @Dloading Comparison: Brandon Roy

5. Porzingis - Orl
Comparison: Andrea Bargnani

6. Winslow - SAC
Comparison: James Harden

7. Stanley Johnson - DEN
Comparison: Kawhi Leonard

WCS is at 11
Kaminsky is at 17