cbarrier90

Winslow would have come off the bench and anchored the 2nd unit defense. Also would have allowed us to have a future without having to overpay Batum. The idea of this is just making me more angry as I type it out.

Still in shock.

Kris is a stick. Gonna need at least a year of development before he makes a serious contribution.

Getting rid of Vonleh makes no sense if we just turn around and take Porzingis.

At that point I take Mudiay. Porzingis is a need but a project and another point guard is much more important especially if Kemba is included in the deal.

if anything, Russell's stock is rising. Okafor has a better chance of falling unless these are huge smokescreens.

What if this is actually our worst nightmare and we are going up to 4 to take Kaminsky?

I'd trust Sully following us and the small time reporter over the national media that just this morning had us taking Kaminsky as a concensus. They don't know any more than we do.

Also Potato is on here, too, albeit under a different name.

The good news is Sully, while not perfect, allows us to move on from Al in the future. Theoretically you can give Biz his QO and move Hawes around and all of a sudden Al is expendable.

#16? Prime Jerian Grant territory.

All of a sudden you've got depth, flexibility and a good mix of youth and experience.

Jared Sullinger of the Celtics just followed the Hornets on Twitter...

Rumor is the Lakers are considering Russell at 2 which completely screws the Sixers who (I guess) are still hitching their wagon to the Embiid project and it would make sense that the alleged Celtics - Okafor rumor comes into play and wow this draft could get wild.

I believe it means "just another guy" meaning he's nothing special. 

Gut feeling: We don't like being at 9, and the Kaminsky "interest" is being used as a ploy to get the attention of the Knicks who don't like being at 4.

The Knicks and Suns are rumored to be discussing a deal surrounding Bledsoe. Kaminsky makes more sense at 13 than he does at 4, obviously.

However, by throwing our interest out there, now New York has to get to 9, not 13, to take Frank, leaving us to get 4. They also want to move Calderon, and Mo is a free agent.

Kemba + Zeller + 9 = 4 + Calderon

At 4, anything is possible, especially if Cousins gets moved or Philly or LA shock folks and go against the chalk picks and take Porzingis. Assuming Russell doesn't fall, that leaves Porzingis (a higher ceiling Vonleh) or Mudiay as your new direction at point guard. Aside from that you now have the pick of the litter of Mario, Winslow, WCS, or any other guy you wanted but weren't sure he'd fall to 9.

Get it done.

Yes, and the same can be said for the frontcourt, although we still have to make a decision on what to do with Biz. With the Hawes acquisition it would make sense if a small trade was in the works, especially if WCS is the pick.

The thing is, what made PJ so enticing is that physically the tools are there, but there are legitimate concerns about what's going on between the ears. I would love it if he allowed us to move on from Gerald permanently next season, but I'm not expecting much.

Aside from Kemba in 2011, we have not drafted a backcourt player in the lottery since drafting Henderson in 2009 despite the perpetual need, and Booker advocates suggest that is why Henderson  (and Kemba for that matter) haven't been unseated as starters. I don't subscribe to this as I'm not a Booker fan, but it makes sense.

I thought I was the only one! 

My top 3 "wants:"

1. Mario

2. WCS

3. Booker

My top 3 "avoids"

1. Turner

2. Oubre

3. Kaminsky

Would be disappointing for a couple of reasons:

Rumors are there are teams that want to trade up to get "their" guy. We have hosted WCS and Myles Turner who make more sense in the top 10 than Booker who is a reach at best all the way at 9. If we like Booker that much we should look to trade down at all possible.

Also, Booker screams another project SG who wouldn't get minutes over Henderson. At least with a guy like WCS you know you would get defensive impact immediately and a guy who can guard multiple positions as well as avoiding having to overpay Biz and being able to move on from Al next season.

If we are trading 9 and an expiring we better be moving up or getting a decent player in return. 

The sad thing is I think we could put a package together to try and fleece NY out of 4, but nothing this administration has done indicates that they're willing to make big moves like that.

Dang. I should have made an avi bet or something. 

There's an alternate universe where Shaun Livingston is the Hornets backup point guard while Mcbob comes back and Hayward isn't matched by Utah.

Yeesh what a nightmare off season that turned out to be. On the one hand I want Cleveland to win. On the other hand I'm ready to get to the draft ASAP.

Barnes strikes me as that guy Golden State lets walk and he gets some ridiculous contract offer from somewhere like Minnesota and is never heard from again.

If we intend to use Shaq in the Haruki role, why did we give him a linebacker's number instead of the 40s, which now can be used at both safety and linebacker?

That's the hangup on the Shaq excitement. In theory he fits the Colin Jones role you have described perfectly, but everything Rivera and Gettleman have said suggests he is a Klein/Glanton/Blackburn replacement.

I'd give it to Curry or Iguodala, who is having the series Kawhi had last year, before LeBron.

Poor Cleveland. They missed LeBron's peak years and ran into a juggernaut short-handed.

On the other hand, they did nothing to "earn" him back, and they made the same mistakes as last time: going all in for a one year rental of Kevin love instead of focusing on their bench, which, barring a miracle, will be their undoing in this series. 

(On an additional hand I am a Hornets fan and therefore under no obligation to feel sorry for any other fans.)

Just what we need!

I wish Kemba and 9 would be enough to get to 4, but even then, one of the Lakers or Sixers has to fall in love with Winslow or Mudiay and take either instead.

How brilliant does Hinkie look? Got the Lakers pick from Phoenix for sending MCW to Milwaukee, and now he can get a huge upgrade in Russell. I wish we thought two steps ahead like that...