6. Which veterans could move on draft night?
The draft usually revolves around the young rookies hearing their names called by their new franchises, but occasionally veterans crash the party and a trade is the big story of the day. With every front office on high alert and making constant phone calls, there will be tons of rumors bouncing around this week.
Draft picks lose value once a player is actually selected (and that player’s value plummets once he takes the court as a rookie). Picks derive their value from the hope and promise of the unknown. Teams looking to unload veterans could be enticed to move on in favor of picks and packages of young talent.
Jimmy Butler and Paul George will dominate the conversation, as they did at the trade deadline, though we’ll also hear plenty about Kevin Love, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Eric Bledsoe, Jordan Clarkson, Jahlil Okafor, and even Kristaps Porzingis. Dwight Howard, D’Angelo Russell, and Brook Lopez are already on the move and won’t be alone.
7. Will Phil Jackson make Knicks fans happy?
New York crowds are notoriously tough to please, and Phil Jackson has not quite endeared himself to the fans in the Big Apple in his time at the helm. Porzingis is disgruntled, Carmelo Anthony has always been difficult, and the rest of the roster is full of holes and question marks.
The Knicks should be positioned to land a strong player with the 8th pick, particularly a guard to pair with Porzingis. Reports out of New York’s recent draft workouts have centered around prospects learning or being tested on the triangle offense, causing serious concerns about the team’s motivations. Even scarier, reports say the Knicks are at least listening to trade offers for Porzingis. Nothing at Madison Square Garden seems out of the realm of possibility.
Thursday night Phil Jackson could shake-up the entire league with a trade or simply pick the best player available when on the clock. We won’t know until the commissioner reads the 8th pick, but all eyes will be glued to that selection.
8. Can Sacramento successfully move past the DeMarcus Cousins era?
The Kings are still suffering from years of incompetence in the front office, though Sacramento has a real chance to make noise this week. The Kings own two top ten selections, thanks to the DeMarcus Cousins trade during the season.
Those picks will be crucial for the Kings, without a first round pick in 2019 due to the Stauskas trade with Philadelphia. A core built around Buddy Hield, Skal Labissiere, Willie Cauley-Stein, and these two picks doesn’t seem like the beginnings of a contender, yet it is at least a plan and a path to a better situation than the team has been stuck in for the last decade.
This draft is the first major moment in the post-Cousins era for Sacramento, with a chance to really re-direct the franchise.
9. How much will we see from the Ball family?
As much as dedicated NBA fans want to shake off the effects of Lavar Ball as a sideshow, the Ball family will be front and center Thursday night. We could see Lonzo Ball selected as the second pick to his hometown team and the next chapter in a bizarre storybook unfolds. The Lakers are still wheeling and dealing, with Paul George, not Lonzo Ball, seemingly as their main target. There’s a healthy chance the pick is moved or taken for another team, leaving Ball’s future uncertain.
Teams near the top could be scared off by Ball’s strange jump shot, non-existent defense, and the circus that comes along with Lonzo’s skills. If Ball somehow passes by Phoenix at the fourth pick and Sacramento at fifth, we could be treated to the Knicks on the clock in New York City with Lonzo Ball available at number eight.
That’s the dream for NBA Twitter diehards, but no matter where Ball is selected, everyone is expecting quite the show.
10. Will a college senior be drafted in the first round?
In a bit of a quirk, this year’s first 30 picks may all be underclassmen or international prospects. Each of the last 10 drafts have included a senior chosen in the first round. The latest we’ve seen the first senior off the board in the last 10 years was Trevor Booker as the 23rd pick in 2009.
This year either Villanova’s Josh Hart or Colorado’s Derrick White will likely be the first senior taken, and both are considered fringe first rounders. It is completely conceivable that neither player, or any other four year collegian, is taken before Adam Silver passes over pick announcing to Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum for the second round.
Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.
