The next tentpole event on the NBA calendar, the draft should provide fans with plenty of entertainment to hold them over now that the season is over.
And it makes sense — the sharpshooter is a more natural fit alongside franchise point guard LaMelo Ball and fills a need for scoring on the wing.
The Trail Blazers will be at the center of the draft with the No.
If the Rockets are fixed on bringing All-Star guard James Harden back to Houston in free agency to expedite their rebuild, then they won’t need Amen Thompson.
The Pistons have their backcourt of the future in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, and they should be confident in developing their center rotation of the future in Jalen Duren and James Wiseman.
Even though Amen doesn’t fill their void for perimeter shooting, Orlando should gladly select a playmaker, athlete and pesky perimeter defender of his caliber.
The jumbo playmaker already plays with the poise of a seasoned veteran and he’s an intelligent defender who can check any perimeter player, giving Washington a boost in areas of need.
The Jazz could use a true point guard and Wallace is among the most reliable in this draft class.
Even though Gradey Dick makes a lot of sense here, it appears that the Mavericks are targeting more physically prepared prospects.
Dick knocked down over 40 percent of his 3s during his freshman season and would give the Magic an instant-impact sharpshooter to space the floor.
This may feel like somewhat of a reach for Hawkins, but the Thunder have so many draft assets that they can get aggressive when targeting areas of need.
Hood-Schifino could give Toronto insurance as a fluid pick-and-roll ball handler and developing scorer to run their offense if VanVleet goes elsewhere in free agency.
The Pelicans could use some additional playmaking and perimeter shooting from the guard spot, and George kills two birds with one stone there.
When sharing the floor with those two stars, he can knock down catch-and-shoot 3s in the corner or get open looks off of screens and handoffs.
The Michigan sophomore would excel next to Wallace and could learn the ropes from a veteran like Jordan Clarkson or a scorer like Collin Sexton.
The Lakers don’t have much frontcourt depth behind Anthony Davis, and a rim protector and lob threat of Lively’s caliber would be the perfect player to emulate in the eight-time All-Star.
Once projected to be the first college prospect off the board before a lingering knee injury derailed his freshman season, Smith Jr.
The Duke freshman has dealt with a variety of injuries over the past year and just recently underwent a second foot surgery during the pre-draft process, but he could develop into a three-level scoring threat in Golden State’s system.
Coulibaly is the type of versatile defender, impactful cutter and budding playmaker who could develop into a hidden gem during Houston’s rebuild.
The Nets have back-to-back picks in the first round, giving them a chance to fill two separate needs as a re-tooling franchise.
With their second pick, the Nets should look to replace some of the scoring and shooting they lost when they traded Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
The Trail Blazers’ second first-round pick will largely be determined by the direction they choose with their first pick, but let’s pretend they’re selecting Henderson and holding on to Lillard.
After snapping the longest playoff drought among the four major North American sports, the Kings will look to add an instant-impact player to take another step forward.
The Grizzlies are trying to get over the hump in the Western Conference but most of their rotational roles are filled.
Podziemski helped his draft stock at the NBA Combine, flashing passing and rebounding skills in addition to his biggest strength as a sharpshooter who knocked down 43.8 percent of his 3-pointers this past season.
The Hornets will be looking to acquire as much upside and potential as possible, and Jackson would give them a raw shot creator on the wing with NBA size and tools.
The Jazz can afford to be patient and Rupert would have a fantastic opportunity to develop in Utah.
With their third first-round pick, the Pacers should look to add a more experienced player who could enter their rotation immediately.
He brings unlimited energy on defense, can score as a cutter on offense and he showed some promising growth as a 3-point shooter this past season.