Bored Silly - How About The Draft?!?

[60WinTim]

I have no clue who to take or who any of these people are! That's a good thing because I used to be a draftnik as a byproduct of the Wolves being a perennial lottery team....would watch a lot of college ball and spend many hours on Draft Express (Jonathan Givony's draft site until he sold out to ESPN, sigh).

But now that the Wolves have been good for a few years, it just isn't worth the time for me to investigate and track. And Finch doesn't even play them until Year 2 or 3 usually!

In Connelly we trust! (and rapsuperstar31!).

I wish I watched more college ball but I don't even get around to watching all the Wolves games which I am more invested in.

The other thing is that it's become apparent to me that there really is opportunities up and down the draft board to get talent. Connelly isn't just gonna hang out and pick at whatever spot you really have no idea where the Wolves will be picking with him running things. In general I've tried to dial back on speculation for sports and see what comes and that definitely includes the draft especially the NFL draft. For the NBA draft I still like finding a few guys I really like and go from there. This year the Wolves could be in a spot to select a pretty wide swath of draft selections. Could they move up from 17? Move back? Move up from 31? Move back in the 2nd? Who the fuck knows?! Thats kinda fun! Lol

I also wouldn't be surprised if he makes a move for future draft capital as the cupboard is kinda bare...

[Phenom]

I've listened to a few Sam Vecenie podcasts where he does mock drafts. It's interesting because he hasnt really considered bigs for the Wolves and has put Nique Clifford in our spot. 6'6" 2 way wing. Supposedly a better pull up shooter vs off the catch. I think he is a 4 year guy, which we know isn't a deal breaker for the Wolves.

Wolves are in a really nice spot with the 2 picks this year and having our own next year as well assuming it's not swapped with Utah.

[Q-is-here]

I have no clue who to take or who any of these people are! That's a good thing because I used to be a draftnik as a byproduct of the Wolves being a perennial lottery team....would watch a lot of college ball and spend many hours on Draft Express (Jonathan Givony's draft site until he sold out to ESPN, sigh).

But now that the Wolves have been good for a few years, it just isn't worth the time for me to investigate and track. And Finch doesn't even play them until Year 2 or 3 usually!

In Connelly we trust! (and rapsuperstar31!).

I wish I watched more college ball but I don't even get around to watching all the Wolves games which I am more invested in.

The other thing is that it's become apparent to me that there really is opportunities up and down the draft board to get talent. Connelly isn't just gonna hang out and pick at whatever spot you really have no idea where the Wolves will be picking with him running things. In general I've tried to dial back on speculation for sports and see what comes and that definitely includes the draft especially the NFL draft. For the NBA draft I still like finding a few guys I really like and go from there. This year the Wolves could be in a spot to select a pretty wide swath of draft selections. Could they move up from 17? Move back? Move up from 31? Move back in the 2nd? Who the fuck knows?! Thats kinda fun! Lol

I also wouldn't be surprised if he makes a move for future draft capital as the cupboard is kinda bare...

That might make sense, especially since we have three pretty bright prospects that I believe are NBA ready (and proved it to varying degrees) in Shannon, Clark, and Dillingham. Adding two potentially "ready-now" rookies will only make the logjam worse. May be we keep one of our picks and the other one gets swapped for a pick or two in future years where we don't have our own pick.

[Lipoli390]

I wish I watched more college ball but I don't even get around to watching all the Wolves games which I am more invested in.

The other thing is that it's become apparent to me that there really is opportunities up and down the draft board to get talent. Connelly isn't just gonna hang out and pick at whatever spot you really have no idea where the Wolves will be picking with him running things. In general I've tried to dial back on speculation for sports and see what comes and that definitely includes the draft especially the NFL draft. For the NBA draft I still like finding a few guys I really like and go from there. This year the Wolves could be in a spot to select a pretty wide swath of draft selections. Could they move up from 17? Move back? Move up from 31? Move back in the 2nd? Who the fuck knows?! Thats kinda fun! Lol

I also wouldn't be surprised if he makes a move for future draft capital as the cupboard is kinda bare...

That might make sense, especially since we have three pretty bright prospects that I believe are NBA ready (and proved it to varying degrees) in Shannon, Clark, and Dillingham. Adding two potentially "ready-now" rookies will only make the logjam worse. May be we keep one of our picks and the other one gets swapped for a pick or two in future years where we don't have our own pick.

That’s my thinking, Q. As much as I love the NBA draft and like to see the Wolves make picks, I think the best course is probably trading out for future picks. I’d like to see more of TSJ, Clark and Dilly next season. And don’t forget Miller. We have a lot of young talent that needs to be tested. We have no first or second round picks in 2027 likely no first round pick in 2029 and no first rounder in 2031. I’d like to see us swap both of our picks for some picks in 2027 and 2029.

[FNG]

I've listened to a few Sam Vecenie podcasts where he does mock drafts. It's interesting because he hasnt really considered bigs for the Wolves and has put Nique Clifford in our spot. 6'6" 2 way wing. Supposedly a better pull up shooter vs off the catch. I think he is a 4 year guy, which we know isn't a deal breaker for the Wolves.

Wolves are in a really nice spot with the 2 picks this year and having our own next year as well assuming it's not swapped with Utah.

The consensus mock at nbadraft.net also has Cliiford going to the Wolves. Seems like a Shannon clone to me, but maybe they are looking for depth at the wing if NAW is gone. His college coach of course is coming to town to coach the Gophers, so there's a connection there.

But ultimately I agree with Tim, Q and Lip. We already have two many "possible ready" young players who aren't seeing the court...where's the room for more? Current picks always have more value then future picks, so I think we could get a terrific return swapping our two 2025 picks for future considerations. Not an exciting move and it wouldn't be popular with the typical rube fan, but it makes sense to me.

[60WinTim]

Whoa!!! Hold your horses!

This thread started with the idea the Wolves could come out of the draft with 2 bigs. At one point I suggested TC might make a move to garner future draft assets. And now we are talking about getting out of this year's draft altogether?!? No way!

This seems like one of the deeper drafts we have seen for bigs (PFs/Cs) in quite some time. And here we are, a Finals team, having the unusual circumstance of picking #17, and a second unusual circumstance of having the 1st pick in the 2nd round -- a pick that once netted Nikola Pekovic!

The Wolves are super-stocked with young talent from PG to SF. But there are HUGE question marks at PF and C. The only rotational player under contract is Rudy. TC does not control Randle or NAZ heading into the offseason. Garza ain't a rotational player, and with a team option will likely not be back if we do draft two bigs. Miller is the only other big-body and we just don't know what his trajectory will be. I will be mildly surprised if we don't come out of the draft with two new bigs that we have control over for the foreseeable future. Maybe one is a Euro-stash.

Knowing how much TC loves to make deals, MAYBE he makes a move to trade down on one of the picks, which gets him a future pick. It will all depend on how his draft board plays out and where the players he values fall.

[Monster]

Whoa!!! Hold your horses!

This thread started with the idea the Wolves could come out of the draft with 2 bigs. At one point I suggested TC might make a move to garner future draft assets. And now we are talking about getting out of this year's draft altogether?!? No way!

This seems like one of the deeper drafts we have seen for bigs (PFs/Cs) in quite some time. And here we are, a Finals team, having the unusual circumstance of picking #17, and a second unusual circumstance of having the 1st pick in the 2nd round -- a pick that once netted Nikola Pekovic!

The Wolves are super-stocked with young talent from PG to SF. But there are HUGE question marks at PF and C. The only rotational player under contract is Rudy. TC does not control Randle or NAZ heading into the offseason. Garza ain't a rotational player, and with a team option will likely not be back if we do draft two bigs. Miller is the only other big-body and we just don't know what his trajectory will be. I will be mildly surprised if we don't come out of the draft with two new bigs that we have control over for the foreseeable future. Maybe one is a Euro-stash.

Knowing how much TC loves to make deals, MAYBE he makes a move to trade down on one of the picks, which gets him a future pick. It will all depend on how his draft board plays out and where the players he values fall.

It's also worth noting that there are multiple teams with multiple first and or higher 2nds so those teams probably will be open for business to some extent willing to move a pick in one way shape or form. We could see lots of trades which could lead to the Wolves getting a future pick maybe even from one of those franchises that has all those picks.

It would be kinda funny for example if the Jazz decided they wanted to move up from 21 to 17 and they gave up 43 this year or a future 2nd or two to make it happen. Of course with 43 and 31 maybe the Wolves could move up and make sure they get someone they like late in the first round. The Wolves don't project to have a lot of roster spots and if NAW leaves I think it would make sense to sign some sort of experienced NBA guard for depth. Maybe they could get something like that with a 2-way player.

I think it's very unlikely that Connelly ducks out of the draft altogether because he seems to like finding various upside play guys. Even if he got great offers for the 17 and 31 I wouldn't be surprised to see him trade back into the 2nd and grab someone.

Also I was thinking about how with NIL money college basketball will shape up different. More talent will stay in college basketball that could mean an overall higher talent level in college. It might lead to some more guys being more ready to play. It may also lead to players more ready for the business side of playing professionally. You may also have a better indication of where a guy is going to be able to handle themselves once they get to be a professional. Of course for some players the NIL money at a younger age might be a bad thing. It will be interesting to see how it plays out the next few years.

[rapsuperstar31]

With NIL money getting up into the 3 million dollar range, there are going to be some fringe late first early 2nd round players that decide to stay in school and get that guaranteed 3 million. These next two drafts are going to be a bit weaker in the late first round early 2nd round range because of it, but the 2027/2028ish drafts are going to be stacked because of it as some players start to get more college experience coming in. That being said I wonder if we might be able to talk Utah into giving one of our picks back. Something like trading our 17 and 31 for 21 and our 2027 first back. There would still be a good player to get at 21, and Utah gets a higher pick this year and another pick to build now while we restock a future pick.

[60WinTim]

With NIL money getting up into the 3 million dollar range, there are going to be some fringe late first early 2nd round players that decide to stay in school and get that guaranteed 3 million. These next two drafts are going to be a bit weaker in the late first round early 2nd round range because of it, but the 2027/2028ish drafts are going to be stacked because of it as some players start to get more college experience coming in. That being said I wonder if we might be able to talk Utah into giving one of our picks back. Something like trading our 17 and 31 for 21 and our 2027 first back. There would still be a good player to get at 21, and Utah gets a higher pick this year and another pick to build now while we restock a future pick.

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who all withdraws from the draft by May 25th...

The idea of trading for future assets is appealing, but I don't know about trading for OUR pick. I mean, just how valuable will the #30 pick be?!?

It's been many years since I have taken a deep dive on draft prospects, so maybe that's why I am finding myself enamored with so many of the bigs available in this draft, especially with our need in that area down the road. The idea of drafting a big in the 1st round who will be on the roster next year, and then using #31 on the best available Euro-stash seems quite appealing. Again, it will all come down to who's on TC's draft board.