Predictions

Lecque definitely goes first round if not extremely close – he’s not going to sit out the 2nd game without anything short of a promise. No way he goes 57 like in the current mock.

Someone bites on Bol in the top 10 (hopefully the Hawks). 

Lakers trade their 4th pick. Lonzo is traded to Chicago.

Kyrie ends up with the Lakers.

Kawhi stays in Toronto.

Jimmy Butler ends up a Clipper.

KD to the Knicks obviously.

Kemba leaves. Klay stays. Harris stays. Cousins ends up staying after KD leaves.

 Ill bite on the Raptors game…A few things I wanted to mention, I just dont feel like flooding the forum with Raps vs. Bucks forums after every game.

Why is it that every game Toronto has at least one guy going 0-10 shooting. I’ve asked this before this postseason but how is this even possible? Last night Danny Green and Fred Van Vleet went 2-20 with their only made shots coming late in the 4th and in OT. Not to mention Ibaka was 2-9.  I wanted to enjoy that game but seriously, they shouldve won that alot easier then they did.

Giannis travelling on his gather is very annoying. Its hard to read for the refs so I cant even blame them because his two steps to the rim are so mind blowing that your kinda not even disputing whether or not he travelled when he goes from half court to the rim in one dribble. But he travelled countless times in the first half and they finally called him on one in the 2nd half.

Another interesting thing that has been thrown around the media is this stat. Teams that go up 2-0 in a 7 game series win it 93% of the time. My question is how often do the teams that went up 2-0 in a 7 game series win that series after it has been tied 2-2? Anyone able to dig up that stat?

 Lakers trade #4 to like PHX or Chicago for there pick and a future first..That team takes Garland. 

Hawks take Bol at #10

I also think Boston take Jalen with the #22 Pick

Free Agents:

Durant-New York (I can’t decide on which team yet)

Kemba-Joins Durant

Kyrie-Lakers

Cousins-Lakers

Kawhi-Clippers

I think this is the rare draft where cap-strapped lottery teams will see the draft pool and see in this climate the benefit to trade back with the teams with multiple first round picks or high seconds (Boston, Brooklyn, San Antonio, and maybe even Philadelphia). Charlotte is in a holding pattern with where its franchise goes, and that is tied entirely on Kemba Walker’s free agency. The constant is that they have a ton of bad contract, most of whom expire in the summer of 2020, though Cody Zeller and Nicolas Batum go for another year. Having multiple rookie scale players would make more sense when factoring in the lack of accomplishment of many of the projected lottery picks. Similarly, Washington is going to be burdened by the John Wall contract. Given the lack of a GM, it is hard to know how much to make of their claim that they are going to prioritize keeping Tomas Satoransky and Thomas Bryant, but that would make them even more expensive. Minnesota has a lot of money owed to Towns, Wiggins, Covington, and Dieng for multiple years, and a new GM. Trading back would get them more cheap players, and they are a team that could realistically deal back and target their favorite from the second group of point guards like Carsen Edwards. Even Miami might benefit by dealing back. The league will probably see couple of them come to fruition.

1. Anthony Davis to NYK for Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, the No. 3 pick, and a signed-and-traded DeAndre Jordan, for salary matching

2. Kyrie Irving signs with the Knicks and they fill out their roster with some affordable vets; Kyrie and AD together make them immediately viable, but no guarantee to contend for a title.

3. Pelicans probably make a number of corresponding moves, but rebuild around DSJ, RJ, Knox, Zion, and Mitch-Rob.

4. KD signs with Brooklyn, who also resigns D’Angelo Russell, and possibly trade for Kevin Love or someone of that ilk.

5. Golden State replaces KD by signing Julius Randle. It requires some shuffling, but Kerr makes it work.

6. Kawhi Leonard signs with the Lakers, to sell more New Balances via the Laker uniform, Ball, LeBron, and Ingram get healthy, and the Lakers become a factor. They also draft DeAndre Hunter so he can learn how to be Kawhi from Kawhi, and when LeBron retires, they get two Kawhis!

7. Jimmy Butler signs with the Clippers. They are a tough, hard-nosed team with a chip on their shoulder; perfect for Jimmy Butler. He’d get along nicely with Doc.

8. Toronto signs Tobias Harris to replace Kawhi; he complements Pascal Siakim nicely, but they don’t sniff the ECF again for awhile.

9. Boston signs Goran Dragic to replace Kyrie Irving, and Miami trades for Mike Conley to replace Dragic.

10. DeMarcus Cousins signs with Dallas, as does Pat Beverley.

Houston aggressively shops Chris Paul to Eastern Conference teams that are in cap hell but can use a talent upgrade and don’t have high lottery picks (Charlotte if Kemba leaves, Miami, maybe even Boston if Kyrie leaves) as a means to get multiple starting level pieces back that keep them competitive and give Harden a break with some of the scoring duties (Ideally a PG and SF/PF who can put up points in the mid-high teens.)

The impatient big market teams that strike out in free agency with their initial targets should be watched too. (Lakers, Knicks)

 Lakers trade #4 to Washington for Bradley Beal…