With Chad Ford coming out with two new articles today, Latest draft rumors and and his Big Board 11.0, I took all of the useful information from those since they are insider and took the useful information for his last two chats from the past two weeks and compiled it all up here. None of this below is my information, it is all Chad Ford's.
It's highly likely that the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz are all holding onto their picks.
Although picks No. 5-14 don't hold the same value as top-4 picks in this draft (which explains why so many anonymous GMs are suddenly praising the middle of the lottery and questioning whether there is a top tier of four players), there still is a lot of talent at this point in the draft, and a number of bad teams would love to get their hands on a second pick.
Indiana's Noah Vonleh continues to make the case that he's the best power forward prospect in the class. He held a workout for NBA execs in Long Island last weekend and wowed many of the people there.
"Vonleh was good," an NBA exec texted me. "Didn't shoot it well, but everything else was very good to ridiculously good."
Another exec was even more complimentary: "Vonleh's got elite physical tools and is very skilled. He should be in the same group with Wiggins, Embiid, Parker and Exum."
I think Smart still has the lead over the other two and is most likely to be the second point guard taken, after Dante Exum. Depending on where Exum goes, Smart could go as high as No. 4 to the Magic.
On the Jazz trading for the #1 pick, "Derrick Favors could tempt them I'm told. The Cavs would need another piece -- perhaps the 5th pick?"
Several team sources said Elfrid Payton in the mix for No. 8 in Sacramento after a terrific workout there.
Sources say Porzingis has received a promise from the Thunder to draft him in the first round. There's no way he'll be around at 29, so the Thunder's pick at No. 21 is the target.
Regarding Marcus Smart, "I don't think the Jazz are particularly high on Smart. At least they haven't been the past two years."
Regarding Dante Exum, "I don't think he slides past the Jazz at No. 5."
Regarding Aaron Gordon, "The Jazz at No. 5 are probably his draft ceiling."
It's highly likely that the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz are all holding onto their picks.
Although picks No. 5-14 don't hold the same value as top-4 picks in this draft (which explains why so many anonymous GMs are suddenly praising the middle of the lottery and questioning whether there is a top tier of four players), there still is a lot of talent at this point in the draft, and a number of bad teams would love to get their hands on a second pick.
Indiana's Noah Vonleh continues to make the case that he's the best power forward prospect in the class. He held a workout for NBA execs in Long Island last weekend and wowed many of the people there.
"Vonleh was good," an NBA exec texted me. "Didn't shoot it well, but everything else was very good to ridiculously good."
Another exec was even more complimentary: "Vonleh's got elite physical tools and is very skilled. He should be in the same group with Wiggins, Embiid, Parker and Exum."
I think Smart still has the lead over the other two and is most likely to be the second point guard taken, after Dante Exum. Depending on where Exum goes, Smart could go as high as No. 4 to the Magic.
On the Jazz trading for the #1 pick, "Derrick Favors could tempt them I'm told. The Cavs would need another piece -- perhaps the 5th pick?"
Several team sources said Elfrid Payton in the mix for No. 8 in Sacramento after a terrific workout there.
Sources say Porzingis has received a promise from the Thunder to draft him in the first round. There's no way he'll be around at 29, so the Thunder's pick at No. 21 is the target.
Regarding Marcus Smart, "I don't think the Jazz are particularly high on Smart. At least they haven't been the past two years."
Regarding Dante Exum, "I don't think he slides past the Jazz at No. 5."
Regarding Aaron Gordon, "The Jazz at No. 5 are probably his draft ceiling."
