Batum and . . . draft pick

Would love Batum. Game changer. Hield is a shooter who isn't great on D, so much less excited about him. At least we have a first this year, though!

Yeah, Batum is the top non superstar FA at a postition we've been mostly filling with minimum, barely in the league guys. He'd make a huge difference but he's unlikely to choose the Pels. The only thing that makes me think we have even a 5%-10% chance is Gentry using his PowerPoint magic to sell him on the Grant Hill role. Every other team will be telling Batum how he will help them get better. The Pels can tell Batum what they can do for him and how they see him in a role that got Grant Hill perennial MVP consideration.

If we got Batum, Hield would probably be as good a choice as any, but I'd definitely look at trading back. With Jrue/Batum/AD you've got your core and you need to fill in around them. If you could turn #6 into something like Valentine and Sabonis that would be better than Hield. Turning a trade back into those 2 or a similar level wing and big is also unlikely, but that with signing Batum is probably the most "realistic" ideal offseason.

Another flaw is the draft happens before FA. Although I'd be happy with a first round haul of Valentine and Sabonis, you'd have to do that without assuming we'd get a Batum.

He was interested in Nola before, mainly because of Monty.

Buddy Heild will be a Celtic if they stay at #3. They need a scorer, so it will be him or Murray. Buddy will kill it in GM meetings and the combine.

So this is how I see draft day playing out:

1)Clippers (via trade with Lakers for BG) Ben Simmons
2) Philly- Ingram
3) Celtics- Heild
4) Phx-Bender
5)Minny- Dunn
6)New Orleans - Demps will either draft Sabontis or trade for a package of Rudy Gay and Darren Collison (young vet motto)

Buddy Heild will be a Celtic if they stay at #3. They need a scorer, so it will be him or Murray. Buddy will kill it in GM meetings and the combine.

So this is how I see draft day playing out:

1)Clippers (via trade with Lakers for BG) Ben Simmons
2) Philly- Ingram
3) Celtics- Heild
4) Phx-Bender
5)Minny- Dunn
6)New Orleans - Demps will either draft Sabontis or trade for a package of Rudy Gay and Darren Collison (young vet motto)

man heild just has "great college scorer who can't get his shot in the league" written all over him. I hope I'm wrong because he's likely there at 6

Yeah Hield is going to take time to develop at the NBA level. So will everyone in that range though.

Going to a team where he can just be a third option at best and focus on his immediate strengths of shooting the lights out and drawing fouls is the best spot for him. Boston or NO would work well. A place like Philly where he would be asked to be a star early could be disastrous.

The promising thing with the kid is he has exceeded expectations everywhere he has gone and not just exceeded but shattered them. His work ethic and drive is on another level.

We should target someone who would be willing to come here on a shorter deal (1-3 years) at $10-15 mil a year depending on who it is. Use them as a stop gap wing player and draft someone who you could let develop. Like Jaylen Brown if they believe he'll develop his offense like he would need to. Plenty of players sign prove it deals like I mentioned and it seems to turn out well. I'm thinking similar to what the Mavs got Deron Williams for.