NBA Draft Night Likely to Yield Lots of Surprises
The NBA draft looms Thursday night, yet there still seems to be much that remains in the air.
The only thing that seems certain is there will be plenty of edge-of-your-seat drama in the hours leading up to the draft and once it commences.
At the top of the list of uncertainty is who the Cleveland Cavaliers will take with the No.1 pick. Duke’s Kyrie Irving or Arizona’s Derrick Williams? Both are dynamic young players and either will undoubtedly help the franchise still reeling from the stunning loss of star LeBron James last summer.
All signs point to the Cavs taking Irving as their point guard of the future, despite the fact we only have 11 games' worth of college tape on the one-and-done prospect. About the only thing we know for sure when it comes to what the Cavs will do tonight is that they are committed to keeping both their No. 1 and No. 4 picks. We think.
How the rest of the night might go is perplexing. Most teams are convinced the Cavs will nab Irving with the first pick. And it has been interesting to see offers the Minnesota Timberwolves have received to give up their No. 2 pick so that teams can draft Williams.
First the Phoenix Suns tried to offer an aging Steve Nash for the chance to move up into the lottery. Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are dangling sixth man Lamar Odom as trade bait, though it appears the Timberwolves aren’t biting.
The day is almost certain to get more interesting as it progresses. With young teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls poised to take over, it appears some of the more veteran teams are looking to get younger. That's why Wednesday word was leaked that the San Antonio Spurs, the team with the best regular season record this past season, are looking to deal all-star point guard Tony Parker for the chance to move up into the lottery.
So let’s hold on for what could be a wild and radical day in the NBA as the draft approaches in hours.
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
