If Fox is Gone at #5...

I would trade quite a bit for #1 pick but I am not sure Boston does it. They have plenty of young talent. Hell some of their picks had to play in Europe this year because Boston didn't have roster spots available. I think they are after a proven all-star or they just draft Fultz which keeps them relevant even when LeBron retires and the hierarchy in the East shifts a bit!

For me I think it's got to be Isaac or Smith Jr. I think Isaac is the safer pick but DSJ has star potential.

I'm coming around to the idea of gambling on star potential.

What's the deal with the Kings social media posting multiple times about Fultz? Do they feel they have a decent chance of delivering a trade with Boston for #1?

No, they just have a daily look at the top picks prior to the draft. They're probably gonna have all Lonzo tomorrow, Jackson or whoever the following day, etc.

I kinda figured that

Here is a trade idea that may be a win-win for both teams.

If Fox is not available at #5 and the Kings pick BPA, SF Jayson Tatum at 5, the Kings will still need a point guard of the future.

If at 10, both DSJ and Frank N and Issac are off the board and the Kings are left with Markarren and Collins, etc. I could see Vlade swing a deal for the #10 pick for the Lakers D'Angelo Russell, who was the 2nd overall pick just 2 years ago.

Why the Kings do it? The Kings still need their point guard of the future and if Fox is gone at 5 and the DSJ and Frank N. is gone at 10, they have few options to fill that need. So, they trade the #10 for D'Angelo Russell and get a young point guard with a proven track record as an NBA talent with upside. He is still only 21 years old and averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 assists per game, shot 40.5 FG% and 35 % on 3 pts. He is young, big PG at 6'5" and he still has upside.

Why the Lakers do it? With the #2 pick, the Lakers pick Lonzo Ball and they have Jordan Clarkson at SG. Russel needs the ball to be effective and with Ball there, he is not touching the ball nearly as much as he will want and his stats and trade value go down next year. The Lakers may be looking to deal Russel for a top 10 draft pick to get Markaren to be their stretch 4 or Collins to be their center of the future or they can use the #10 and their #28 pick in a trade for Paul George.

I know people don't like dealing with the Lakers, but this would help us fill two needs in one draft, Tatum at SF and Russel at PG. The Kings will be young and athletic and exciting to watch.

Our new Lineup:

PF: Skal / Tolliver
SF: Tatum/ Temple/ Richardson
C: WCS/ Papa G / KK
SG: Heild / Bogdan
PG: Russell/ (re-signed DC or Lawson) / Galloway

Idk. I have serious questions about Russell's decision making. He forces so many bad passes and routinely makes the wrong play. Last year he turned the ball over 3 times a game compared to only 5 assists. He also couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from anywhere on the court. The only reason why id consider it is because I think a big issue with his development was that he was given the burden and expectations of being the lakers savior before he even stepped off the draft podium. No doubt all that pressure got to him in some way. Hed mosy likely benefit strongly from a fresh start. Even still, I'm not sure id do it.

I think Russell may be best as a playmaking SG rather than a fulltime PG. So I don't see any reason he can't work next to Ball other than that neither of them can guard speedy PGs.

In that situation Clarkson becomes a valuable 3rd guard who can play alongside Ball or Russell.

I think the Lakers have their center of the future in Zubac.

IMO, I don't think Russell would be able to co-exist with Lonzo Ball in the same backcourt. IMO, He would be the one that would be coming off the bench with Ball and Clarkson starting.

Russell needs the ball to be effective. He is not really a catch and shoot type player. With lonzo, he needs the ball too.

The lakers can use the pick for Markkaren or Collins or deal the pick for Paul George.

I think Russell could develop into a very solid point guard in the league.

Two interesting statistics with Lonzo Ball backup what the eye test told me. One is that Lonzo Ball was assisted on over half of his baskets at the rim. The other is that Ball has the lowest usage rate of not only all the top PGs in this draft, but of all PGs taken in the lottery over the last 10 years. Only Mike Conley is even close (21 .8% to Ball's 20.1%). For an elite playmaker Lonzo Ball is NOT very ball dominant. In contrast, Fox had a 27.8% usage rate and less than 20% of his shots at the rim were assisted. Ball can catch and shoot, cut off the ball and generally be effective when the ball isn't in his hands.

Russell does need the ball in his hands but I'm still not convinced he's a PG. He seems to me like a SG with great passing vision and instincts but not a guy I want running a team full time. For that matter, he started playing better when the Lakers told him to stop trying so hard to get everyone else involved and to look for his own shot. Russell is a tweener in an odd way. He has the size of a two and the playmaking ability of a PG but he doesn't quite fit in either spot comfortably.

If we get Fox with our 5th pick, then I want Isaac with our next pick. However, odds are, he'll be gone before we pick at ten. So we would have to move up to get him, and the most likely spots are at six or seven. Don't know if they would bite, and not sure how much they value cap space, but I would offer the 10th pick, the 34th pick, and we would take back the 7th pick, and the one year left on Pekovic's contract, which pays him 12 mil a year. Based on what I've read, it's unlikely Pekovic will ever play another game for the T Wolves, or even another game in the NBA.. If the 34th isn't enough, I'd throw in either Malachi, or Koufos without the 34th pick.

That would give Thibs the money to go after a big free agent target or make smaller moves such as resigning Muhammad and maybe grabbing an old favorite in Taj Gibson while still letting him draft Markkanen to help spread the floor.

If Minnesota would do that deal I would definitely be willing to offer #10, #34, & Richardson (or Kosta w/o #34) for #7 and Pekovic.

I could see Thibodeau liking Isaac but not wanting to wait on yet another young talent to figure it out. Markkanen is young, but he's pretty much NBA ready for the role he'll play. I think that could hold some appeal for an impatient coach who wants to win now.