The NBA draft is fast approaching on Thursday and is gets closer teams will be looking for trades and options with their picks and the more rumors that come out, the less is clear about what teams will do at the top, including the Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Bobcats.
There has been news reported that all four teams have considered trades, but so far no team has made a move and that leaves many questions with two days left to go. The Cavaliers have not kept quiet about wanting to trade the pick, while their options if they stay are down to Nerlens Noel or Alex Len, two players who appear to be the best in the draft, but are also injured. The rest of the league will be waiting to see what the Cavs do, while others will be trying to decide who they like better out of Ben McLemore, Otto Porter and Victor Oladipo.
Noel is coming off of a serious injury, while McLemore appears to have the biggest upside in the draft out of anyone. The Bobcats need help at tons of positions, as do the Wizards and the Magic. Here is a look at some of SWR's mock options.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers - Nerlens Noel
2. Orlando Magic - Otto Porter
3. Washington Wizards - Victor Oladipo
4. Charlotte Bobcats - Ben McLemore
5. Phoenix Suns - Alex Len
From NBA.com, a look at a first round mock:
First Round
1. Cavaliers, Nerlens Noel, Kentucky, PF, 6-11, 220
The medical reports are the great unknown. If team doctors say the recovery from knee surgery in March is going according to schedule -- for Noel to debut around Christmas -- that's one thing. If there are red flags in the comeback, that's definitely another.
2. Magic, Ben McLemore, Kansas, SG, 6-4, 195
Trey Burke as the No. 2 pick for need at point guard? Some teams rate Burke as the No. 2 player at his position. The Magic have Arron Afflalo at shooting guard, but McLemore is regarded as the second-best prospect on the board. Take him, gather assets, make a trade later.
3. Wizards, Otto Porter, Georgetown, SF, 6-8, 200
Porter is a position need and coming off a season as the Big East Player of the Year that moved the versatile small forward into the top five, and it doesn't hurt that he is a local product. Teams don't see star, but Porter does a lot of things well.
4. Bobcats, Alex Len, Maryland, C, 7-1 255
The ankle problem has hardly hurt his stock. If anything, the injury that sidelined Len for team auditions and will also cost him summer league has been beneficial in avoiding additional scrutiny. There is also the other key for his climbing stock since the end of the regular season: He is the best true center available by a significant margin.
5. Suns, Anthony Bennett, UNLV, PF, 6-7, 240
An undersized power forward who can play some small forward (though while likely struggling there on defense), Bennett is a positive step in the Suns' attempts to return to respectability. Some teams rate him as the third-best prospect.
6. Pelicans, Victor Oladipo, Indiana, SG, 6-5, 210
With his defensive abilities previously established, Oladipo shot up Draft boards by expanding his offense and becoming a dependable shooter. Imagine pairing one of the best two-way players available alongside young defender Anthony Davis.
7. Kings, Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse, PG, 6-5, 175
He has stayed in contention for the top 10 despite shooting 39.3 percent, thanks to the lure of being a point guard with size and vision who can handle. Hoping to address the obvious problem, Carter-Williams has been working on his perimeter game since the end of the season.
8. Pistons, Trey Burke, Michigan, PG, 6-1, 175
Teams love the intangibles -- leadership, toughness, the experience in big games -- of the college Player of the Year. But questions remain about small guards who lack the special level of athleticism usually needed to compensate for small stature.
9. Timberwolves, C.J. McCollum, Lehigh, PG-SG, 6-3, 190
Minnesota wants to add scoring and shooting, and McCollum can do both. But it's an especially tough call because Minnesota wants to shed, not add, point guards. McCollum can become a combo guard if he can play alongside a big point.
10. Trail Blazers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia, SG, 6-5, 205
Several teams are convinced this is the Portland call in the attempt to add depth as one of the final steps to a playoff push. Caldwell-Pope is an offensive threat who has spent two seasons in a system that created a lot of shooting opportunities for him.
11. 76ers, Cody Zeller, Indiana, PF-C, 7-0, 240
The call may come down to how much the Sixers trust in Andrew Bynum's recovery, not to mention the commitment to the recovery process. If they decide to go big, there will be no shortage of options: Zeller, Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee and Stephen Adams are all projected in this range.
12. Thunder, Steven Adams, Pittsburgh, C, 6-11, 235
Adams continues to use team and group workouts to show more of an offensive game than most saw in the one season at Pitt. He is relatively inexperienced against top competition after growing up in New Zealand, but the aggressive, high-energy style of play coupled with the upward trajectory in his game is very appealing.
13. Mavericks, Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA, SG, 6-6, 225
O.J. Mayo could be gone soon and Vince Carter isn't far behind, so Dallas needs to add wing scoring. Muhammad has been the focus of harsh criticism from teams most of the season, especially since late in his freshman campaign, but he remains a possibility for the top 10.
14. Jazz, Dennis Schroeder, Germany, PG, 6-1, 180
A breakout performance for the international team playing against the top U.S. college-bound stars at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland in April moved the jet-like point guard from the second round to legitimate lottery possibility.
15. Bucks, Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga, C, 7-0, 240
The Bucks could have pressing issues in the backcourt once free agency begins, but there are few choices among guards at this point. Olynyk's advanced offensive game will be a nice complement to the defensive presence of Larry Sanders and John Henson.
16. Celtics, Sergey Karasev, Russia, SF, 6-7, 205
While Mason Plumlee would be more NBA-ready, the Celtics have Jared Sullinger and Brandon Bass at power forward. Meanwhile, they also have Paul Pierce a year away from free agency, if he's not gone sooner, at small forward. Karasev has shown potential while playing big minutes in a good league in Russia as a 19-year-old.
17. Hawks, Mason Plumlee, Duke, PF, 6-11, 245
How much longer can Atlanta go nowhere fast with Josh Smith? Plumlee has the combination of a developing offensive game and already-there elite athleticism for a big man. He could go as high as late-lottery, in that Philadelphia-Oklahoma City range.
18. Hawks, Lucas Nogueira, Brazil, PF-C, 7-0, 220
The NBA has been waiting for years for the athletic 7-footer to add toughness. That it hasn't happened is a bad sign. That teams are still very interested is a good sign. He could spend another year overseas in the continued development as a shot blocker or come now as part of the big-man rotation with Al Horford.
19. Cavaliers, Giannis Adetokunbo, Greece, SF, 6-9, 215
He has a long way to go -- like Athens-to-Cleveland long -- but Adetokunbo has unique qualities that make him a worthwhile investment in the late-teens or 20s. In time, he can be a point-forward distributor and nice complementary piece to a team that also has a position need.
20. Bulls, Gorgui Dieng, Louisville, C, 6-11, 245
Dieng's size and mobility translate into a future as a shot blocker, with signs of a respectable offense. Being 23 gives him fewer years to develop and play. But it should also make him more mature and able to better fit with a team in win-now mode.
21. Jazz, Jeff Withey, Kansas, C, 7-0 235
The Jazz have hard decisions to make on free agents Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Withey would be a move to address that, could back up Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors and is an interior defender with four years experience at a major program.
22. Nets, Rudy Gobert, France, PF-C, 7-1, 235
Gobert had an underwhelming 2012-13 in France, but front offices see real defensive potential with his size and wingspan. They were also impressed he participated in the Chicago pre-Draft combine when a lot of others with a chance for mid-first usually bail. But not being in great shape for the early individual workouts could hurt.
23. Pacers, Glen Rice Jr., D-League, SG, 6-6, 210
The long road back for the son of the former All-Star small forward includes playing for the Rio Grande Vipers after being kicked off the team at Georgia Tech. But he's a shooter and the Pacers need people who can make baskets, especially from the perimeter.
24. Knicks, Shane Larkin, Miami, PG, 6-0, 170
The son of baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin would be a nice dose of athleticism at point guard, even as the backup. The size is an obvious concern, but it's not hard to find players with long careers despite going to the pros with the same doubts.
25. Clippers, Jamaal Franklin, San Diego St, SG, 6-5, 205
The Clippers started Willie Green and Chauncey Billups this season, so Franklin will have the chance to make an immediate impact with explosiveness that will fit in Lob City. The key will be how fast the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year handles the transition from college small forward to the NBA backcourt.
26. Timberwolves, Tony Mitchell, North Texas, PF, 6-8, 235
Mitchell had a disappointing sophomore season and admits he did not play hard all the time, with a lot of NBA people also willing to say it for him. But it's easy to see teams falling back in like with his athleticism and toughness, and Minnesota is open to using its second first-rounder on a player who needs developing.
27. Nuggets, Allen Crabbe, California, SG, 6-6, 205
Denver needs help from behind the arc. Though he needs to get stronger, Crabbe has the size, accuracy and decent 3-point range to fit the shooting-guard mold and be an ideal role player for a team that already knows how to run.
28. Spurs, Isaiah Canaan, Murray State, PG, 6-0, 188
He is one of the most NBA-ready players of the Draft, after four years in college and particular praise from Chris Paul. A lot of teams are looking at Canaan late in the first round and early in the second as a dependable backup point guard.
29. Thunder, Alex Abrines, Spain, SG, 6-5, 190
Oklahoma City is in win-now mode, had two rookies this season and will be adding another player in this lottery, barring a trade. The last thing it needs is another first-year player. Abrines can develop overseas for at least one more season.
30. Suns, Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan, SF-SG, 6-6, 200
No killer crossover like his father, but the next generation can score, pass and is a competitor. He needs to get stronger, but will have a chance to stick as a long-term solution in Phoenix.
