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5 PM Eastern Update:

Golden State Targeting Cam Oliver

The Warriors struck gold in buying 38th pick in last year’s draft to acquire rotation guard Patrick McCaw. With no picks, they are said to be very active in this year’s draft looking to buy another low contract with a pick in the 31-45 range. Word is they are targeting Oakland native, explosive Nevada power forward Cam Oliver. Oliver was featured in our Top 5 Underrated Prospect report. If Cam is available at 40, there’s a good chance that the Warriors will acquire that pick as word has it New Orleans wants to move out of the pick. Boston at 37 is another possibility.

Frank Mason Possible in Late First/Early Second

The NCAA player of the year, Kansas point guard Frank Mason may be moving up in the draft. His agent is supposedly telling teams he’s in the 28-35 range. Orlando has picks 33 and 35 and could use some point guard help.

Caleb Swanigan Rumors

There are two rumors floating around about Caleb Swanigan. One positive and one negative. The negative being that he’s rumored to have an undetected heart murmur. The positive is that he will be taken by Portland if there at 26.

Iwundu floor is 35 to Orlando

Wesley Iwundu, who we rate as the top senior available, is said to have a floor at 35 to Orlando. He’s a guy that could slide into the last few picks of the first and should be gobbled up at one of Orlando’s two picks, if not earlier.


Seniors Dotson, Brown &Allen Likely mid-2nd Rounders

Word is that senior guards, combine invites Kadeem Allen, Damyean Dotson and Sterling Brown are likely to hear their names called somewhere in the mid-second, possible in the 40s.

Knee Concerns

Harry Giles was conspicuously absent from the green room invites and word came out that his representation opted to not share his medical results with teams. There was a rumor that he did share his medicals with Miami, however that was never confirmed. Some are speculating that Giles could slide into the second round, although he becomes an intriguing gamble in the 20s, despite a lot of fears about his ability to play on his reconstructed knee, and regain his athleticism.

*Jeff Goodman of ESPN has reported that Giles’ medicals have been sent out to specific teams and the feedback has been positive. So there’s always the chance that a team bites. Giles is one of the draft’s biggest wildcards, and his supreme upside should warrant a first round selection.

OG – Official Greenroom

OG Anunoby was the final green room invite, but could be a player with a long wait to hear his name called. He’s in the mix with Denver at 13 according to contacts and high on Portland’s list giving him a shot at spots 15, 20 and 26. But there’s a chance he falls into the second round, similar to Michigan State freshman Deyonta Davis last year. Medical reports have caused certain teams drafting in the late teens to red flag him as too big an injury risk with lingering knee concerns, following surgery.

Green Room Invites

Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)
Jarrett Allen (Texas)
OG Anunoby (Indiana)
Lonzo Ball (UCLA)
John Collins (Wake Forest)
Zach Collins (Gonzaga)
De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)
Markelle Fultz (Washington)
Jonathan Isaac (Florida State)
Josh Jackson (Kansas)
Justin Jackson (North Carolina)
Luke Kennard (Duke)
TJ Leaf (UCLA)
Lauri Markkanen (Arizona)
Donovan Mitchell (Louisville)
Malik Monk (Kentucky)
Frank Ntilikina (France)
Justin Patton (Creighton)
Dennis Smith (N.C. State)
Jayson Tatum (Duke)

Boston 3 Party

Danny Ainge seems to hold the keys to the draft. With Fultz and Ball the presumed top two picks. Lonzo Ball has supposedly been told by the Lakers that barring anything crazy happening, he will be their pick. Boston is fielding offers at 3 and apparently would like to add more picks and an established player, or move down to the 5-6 range, with players such as Jonathan Issac and Dennis Smith as possible targets. There’s a lot of speculation that Boston will select Jayson Tatum at three if they hold onto the pick. Tatum would make sense as he fits Boston’s conservative drafting philosophy. He also worked out twice for the team and his shooting would fit in well along with Jaylen Brown and on a team that lacks outside shooters.

Word is that agent BJ Armstrong does not want his client Josh Jackson in Boston due to them having Jaylen Brown and has kept him out of workouts there. Jackson refused to workout for Boston, but backed off any talk that he wasn’t willing to play there, saying there were scheduling conflicts. If the pick is used in a package deal for Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler or Paul George, look for a team to move into the 3rd pick targeting Josh Jackson. While those trades all seem unlikely, they’re all being discussed. The cap being lowered and the Warriors dominance seems to have added pressure throughout the league to make something happen, not only in Cleveland.

Frank Ntilikina Workout Day

Yesterday French point guard Frank Ntilikina "Nee-Lee-Kee-Na" finally worked out for NBA teams. The workouts supposedly went well and he’s said to be firmly in the mix with both New York and Dallas, at picks 8 and 9. He’s got the size that would make him a natural fit in the triangle, and Dallas has a track record and a Euro-centric GM in Donnie Nelson. He’s seen as a possibility in the 7-9 range, with a floor of 15-17. With Ricky Rubio likely being dealt, there’s even a chance he gets taken by Minnesota at 7.

Atlanta Pick at 19

The Hawks have long been linked to Justin Jackson at 19. But after moving Dwight Howard, they could look to address the PF/C spot with a number of options potentially available. The Howard trade is viewed laregely as an addition by subtraction, and to officially hand the keys over to Dennis Schroeder, whom apparently did not get along with Howard. John Collins is a player that could be there at 19. He’s been discussed in the late lottery at 13 and 14, but has supposedly been sliding some of late. if he were to fall to them, Bam Adebayo would also be an interesting option as a Dwight Howard-lite prospect, and longterm replacement. But Bam is seen as a strong possibility to Milwaukee at 17.

Rescue Me: Spurs Targeting a Top 10 Pick with LaMarcus Aldridge

This one was reported earlier in the week by ESPN. Aldridge could work for a losing organization looking to add a big name for "respectability", but Aldridge has been exposed as a player that fades in big situations, and should not command a top 10 pick as his value no longer equals his contract. Hold firm Mr. Divac!

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1 Comment

  1. Funny that I read that
    Funny that I read that paragraph about Giles the same time I get a notification saying Jeff Goodman reports his medical info came back more favorable than teams anticipated

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