Now that we know the draft order, who do we draft? (New thread)

The only way this can go awry in my mind is if Magic takes Fox at #2 and Ball slides to #5. I do not want Ball, his shoddy defense, weak frame, poor lateral quickness, corkscrew jumper and nuisance father anywhere near my team! Otherwise we get our SF for next decade (Tatum or Jackson) or our PG (Fox). I am comfortable with any of these guys.

I think temptation to pick local kid with the "flash" to his game and return Showtime to LA will be too difficult for Magic to pass up. The parallels between Magic and Ball are compelling in regards to bigger unselfish PG who had (has) awkward shooting motion. Just like Vlade drafted a player that reminded him of himself (Papa G), I can see Magic inclined similarly.

If Lakers are committed to keep D'Angelo then Ball makes sense over Fox. D'Angelo has struggled to run an offense and a lot of observers think he's more of a natural SG. I am one of them. The Lakers have scorers who need to be fed too in Ingraham and Randle. So even if Magic concludes (reasonably) Fox is the better player, Ball is the better fit for the players on that roster as more of a pass first PG.

The 76ers are in tough spot if sold on Malik Monk. They have to choose likely between him and Jackson. My understanding is that they are 100% committed to playing Ben Simmons as a 6'10" PG. Monk would be perfect as a running mate to guard the opposing PG and be a target on offense for Simmons dimes. Jackson made his 3s at a good rate but he's more of a slasher with shot he puts in front of his face. That's not a good mechanic to have against NBA defenders.

Then you have the Suns at#4 who deserved 100% to fall two places for their EPIC TANKING JOB! They did not try at all as bad as any team I have seen in recent memory. Karma is a beeyatch. Anyway I can see them targeting Tatum. Devin Booker is a low efficiency scorer. They need another scorer who can reduce his usage and increase his efficiency. Tatum is very polished and will provide a low post threat while Chriss and Bender develop.

So right now my projection of Top 5 is:

(1) Multz - Celts
(2) Ball - Lakers
(3) Monk - 76ers
(4) Tatum - Suns
(5) Fox or Jackson - Kings!!

How great is this to potentially choose between best SF and best PG prospect when less than 24 hours ago we were looking at Ntlinka, Smith or Isaac with our first pick!?! I can see the 76ers trading down to nab Monk and try to get more assets from the Kings. Another swap with the 76ers? The 76ers would probably ask for something outrageous like the #10 or Skal and swap rights again in 2018 for Kings to move up two places to get their PG. Obviously we hang up. This is the other beauty of our luck. We don't have to sell the farm to go from #8 to #5 ... or #8 to #3 ....we can pretty much sit where we are in position of strength.

Tatum has a 6'11" wingspan. He's not exactly smallish.

It's an apples to submarines comparison. Ball is not the drama queen - it's his father. When Ball is drafted his father is going to recede into the background. This isn't high school or college anymore, it's the pros, and there are ways to diminish the pub from those attaching themselves to players in this league; otherwise you sure as hell would have seen all kinds of drama with the "associates" of other players in this league. It's not like every player in the league only associates with the priesthood.

Draft Day Trade
Arron Afflalo
Kosta Koufos
Anthony Tolliver
Langston Galloway

for

#15
#20
Allen Crabbe
Evan Turner
Meyers Leonard
Maurice Harkless
Al-Farouq Aminu

Draft
Take De'Aaron Fox with #5
Trade #10 & #15 for #7 and take Jonathan Isaac
Take OJ Anunoby with #20
Take Joanathan Motley with #34

Free Agency
Rudy Gay opts out
Release Ben McLemore

2017-18 Roster:
PG - Fox / Temple / I. Cousins
SG - Hield / Bogdanovic / Richardson
SF - Aminu / Crabbe/ Isaac / Turner / Anunoby*
PF - Labissiere / Harkless / Motley*
C - Cauley-Stein / Papagiannis / Leonard
*would be in Reno

My head is spinning, but explain why we should get 3 first round picks + other assets for our trash?

Or even if Portland agreed to give away all those picks just to reduce salary, why the Kings would want 5 more rookies?

well heck yeah sign me up? 3 1st rounders crabbe for 3 throw aways and a backup center.

We shouldn't do that trade. At some point we would have to pay these young guys. There is no rush to take on salary we should wait for the right deal .

I have this odd feeling were going to trade up for Fultz.

Let's say you're right, what do you think it costs us? Keep in mind we can only pick swap the 2018 pick and swap the 2020 pick.

I took out #26 and added Aminu in my edit.

The thought is that Portland is tied up right now from a cap persepctive. As a sub 500 team who has two solid building blocks entering their prime, that's an issue. This trade would mean they would have $55.7 mil in guranteed money in the 2018-19 season with only Lillard & McCollum. That flexibility gives them another shot to add a big piece next to those two while also being able to resign Nurkic & Vonleh if they'd like. If they don't want to keep either, they could add two big pieces next to those guys. Guys like P. George (UFA), R. Hood (RFA), A. Wiggins (RFA), A. Gordon (RFA), J. Parker (RFA), J. Randle (RFA), D. Favors (UFA), D. Cousins (UFA), J. Embiid (RFA), & D. Jordan (UFA) will all be free agents that year. Considering they could have around $50-54 mil in cap space, they would have a shot at maybe signing a George/Cousins pairing next to Lillard/McCollum. That's definitely a pipe dream but that flexibility gives them a lot of different options

Because picks, youth, & potential have value. We're in the business of accumulating value.

True, there is no immediate need for someone to contribute day one, but if I'm given a choice between Smith and Ntilikina, or Markkanen and Isaac, I would take Smith and Markkanen. Now that's not to say Isaac or Ntilikina aren't good prospects or won't become really good players, rather it's simply the case that I prefer Markkanen's and Smith's skill sets, fit, and the greater likelihood of them contributing next season. I also feel they offer a better floor in the event they don't reach their upside.

I don't have an issue with Ntilikina or Isaac as such and wouldn't complain if we selected them, however they do come with question marks next to the names. Isaac is a tweener and with his frame it could be a difficult transition, especially if he doesn't add bulk and become more physical. Same thing goes for Ntilikina, he needs to bulk up and become more physical, he also needs to smarten up and become more consistent offensively and defensively. They are the typical high risk high reward players. Does our coaching staff and front office have the patience to develop them? I'm not sure. I'd like to think they'll be patient, but we all know how this team has been run in recent years.

Who says you have to pay them? That decision is down the road. And if a lot of them pan out, you can always move them before they need to get paid for other picks/players.

Nobody said there was a rush to take on salary, but we should be taking on salary to try and bring in extra youth/value. We're not in a position to compete. Maintaining cap flexibility for the next couple years is not going to be crucial especially for a small market team that has always had difficulty signing good FAs. Let's start building correctly...through the draft.

The beautiful thing about picking #5 is that the consensus top 5 0r 6 players (Fultz, Ball, Jackson, Tatum, Fox and Smith) all play a position of need for us, Point Guard or Small Forward.

So, as long as we pick BPA at #5, we will not only fill a position of great need, but we would also get the BPA.

I don't think we've seen any NbA player's parent like Lavar Ball before. Be prepared for some drama if you draft him. Best place for him is LA.

yes that's why moving up to #5 was so huge for us.

It's pure cap relief. Portland is actually about to be in the lux tax range for a team that barely made the playoffs. All those contracts back are completely toxic, but it's absolutely a trade that makes a ton of sense. They don't have roster space or $ for three first rounders. They will have to draft and stash or trade away those picks. We should definitely try to get any of those picks that are available for cap relief. Cap space is totally worthless to the Kings except to get assets from other teams for it.

Have a feeling that Monk and Ball will be the biggest busts from this class.

http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/...ot-a-lead-guard-nba-draft-2017-passing-vision
http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/...aft-2017-driving-handle-pick-and-roll-offense
http://www.libertyballers.com/2017/...-lonzo-ball-is-not-a-lead-guard-part-the-last

Some guys lower that I think will be good/great are Jarrett Allen from Texas (very good skills for a big guy, Kings don't need a big guy though unless a trade happens), Giles from Duke (injury concerns, similar hype from high school as Skal so can see him shock people), Evans from Okie St. (fast scoring PG, defense is weak though and weak passer), Adebayo from Kentucky (similar to WCS though), Swannigan from Purdue (hard worker, good shooter for his size, similar to Boogie in how he plays, would like to see him picked because I think he can be a star player)

We're definitely going to try. Weren't we the first team to schedule an interview with him? And this was before the lotto, when we thought we were sitting at 8 and 10. No reason to even talk to a consensus #1 pick unless you're planning on making a move.

I don't really know if we have the goods though. 5 + 10 + ???.

Would probably cost 5+10+WCS+Bogdanovic. I'd be ok with giving up that package for Fultz. WCS and Bogdanovic would be instant contributors for a playoff team. Having Willie come off the bench as an energy big would be huge in the playoffs. Bogdanovic's ability to create his own shots is something that the Celtics have desperately missed, and it showed in the Washington series.

I think the Kings would be giving up a TON more than the #1 is worth, but the Celts are in no rush to trade Fultz. You'd have to give up a luxurious offer.

I don't see anyway a trade between the Kings and Celtics for the #1 pick works. Celtics will be adding 3 rookies from last years draft and one this year. Its hard to make room for those guys when you are already in the ECF. Celtics need a star and according to most "experts" Fultz has the best shot and is the clear cut 1st pick.

honestly like many have said, i dont see a huge difference between 3 and 5. Hell, 2 either ... cuz im not a Ball fan

I completely agree. Don't see how a trade for #1 happens. It'd have to be a 3 team trade, but then why wouldn't that 3rd team just cut the Kings out and take the #1 for themselves?

EDIT: The only extremely slight chance we have would have to be something like this:

Boston Gets: Star player
Boston Gives: #1

Team X Gets: #5, #10, future picks/young talent
Team X Gives: Star player and horrible contracts

Kings Get: #1 pick & horrible contracts
Kings Give: #5, #10, & future picks/young talent

The only problem is that there is really no team out there that would fit where Team X needs to go. I can't find a team that is rumored to be open to moving their star while also having players with horrible, long term contracts.

I think Boston should just go all in and trade for both Davis & Cousins . #1, '18 BKN Swap, Brown, Smart, '19 LAC 1st, '19 MEM 1st, & Horford (redirected to a 3rd team with picks/young talent going to NOP). It'd never happen but it would be pretty intimidating having to go up against a starting lineup of...

PG - Thomas
SG - Bradley
SF - Crowder
PF - Davis
C - Cousins

It won't happen but it'd be fun to watch

From Portland's perspective it is a big gamble on rebuilding through free agency. I can see them making a minor deal for some cap relief but for a team bumping up against the cap draft picks are a chance to add talent on the cheap. I don't see them dealing three first rounders to clear their books. Turner for Afflalo and #26 - that seems reasonable.

For the Kings your scenario would also only leave a little over $4 M to sign Bogdanovic which may not get it done. And if it does the Kings would have to either waive two of the guys on your roster or waive one and not sign Cousins and live with one rookie PG and Temple as the only backup. Sending guys to the D-League doesn't open up slots on the 15 man roster.

The Kings would also be in the same position as the Blazers of having no cap room for three straight seasons. Doesn't seem worth it to move up three slots from #10 to #7 and add a #20 pick. It leaves the team with no flexibility to take on salary in other trades or sign free agents beyond the MLE and minimum to fill holes.

And again I don't think Portland does such an extreme salary dump either.

A few observations.
I think it highly unlikely Jackson is there at 5. PHX will grab him at 4 if he's there. I also do not forsee us using Bogdan in any trade scenarios for two reasons. Firstly the connections with Vlade and possibly even Milos. Vlade wants one or both of them in Kings jerseys . Secondly, if it is a draft day trade, your still trading rights. Not a player under contract. Making whoever your trading with the third team to hold his rights before he even commits to transitioning to the NBA.

Giles hs to first show he's recovered physically and then he has to show he's got an NBA level skill. He and Adebayo will get drafted solely on physical tools but at least Bam has some good tape from this season. Both are very raw with Low basketball IQs and very little offensive skill.

I agree on Evans being underrated but disagree on him being a weak passer. He had the highest assist percentage this year of all guys likely to get drafted and had a better than 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio despite not having a ton of talent around him. He's undersized and struggles to score inside though.

I changed the idea to two picks and also added Aminu.

The potential to not only sign 1 big time free agent but two while keeping both Lillard & McCollum is the type of risk you make to try and become a title contender. Waiting around for some mid to late draft picks to develop while your stars are in their prime is not a viable strategy. If they wiff in free agency, they wiff. Move Lillard & McCollum for some young assets.

Let's face it. portland is in a tough spot. They need a couple things to happen if they want to become a contender. They need Nurkic & Vonleh to become great players, they need to get lucky enough to draft a great player with their mid to late 1sts, or they need to create cap space with the hope that a couple of stars/great players would want to come team up with Lillard & McCollum. My strategy not only allows them to see what they have in Nurkic & Vonleh but it also gives them the flexibility to sign some big time FAs.

Having a rookie PG & Temple as the only PGs is really not that much of a concern to me. In a way, it can be seen as an indirect tank which we should be doing this next year to add yet another excellent prospect.

I've heard that they are opening up the roster to 17 with 2 of them being able to be in the D-League, so this plan would coincide with that.

I don't care that cap flexibility would be limited. It's a pipe dream to think we would be signing anyone of significance to come here. You might as well take the extra value/talent now and have these contracts come off the books when your team should be starting to come together. Then at that point, we hopefully are a more competitive team, culture has been changed, the reputation has been forgotten, and we look much more attractive in FA.

This is where I'm at... Stand Pat and we'll get one of dsj or Fox for sure. I could see us moving up for Jackson with the glaring need at sf but aside from that I'm very content with where we're at.

I don't think that's enough for Fultz man.