Unlike @Aruba77, I agree with Iko this time. Since we showed big improvement last season, now's the time to stay the course and let the kids show who deserves to be part of the team going forward. Don't rush things by bringing in someone who will cost significant assets and take minutes away from the guys who were already at .500 last year. The only thing I disagree with is bringing in Derozan, who'll be 35 near year and will still want significant minutes. Basically: Hit singles and doubles this summer and save the home-run swing for next summer.
The Rockets prettybwell gave away EXACTLY who they were taking the last 3 drafts with their top picks. Not one was a surprise. If the media leans toward Clingan being the pick, it's probably Clingan. This isn't Daryl Morey running the ship anymore. What would be surprising is if they made a trade for a second pick and got someone they were targeting and we were unaware of. I think we'll know a week in advance exactly who pick 3 is.
I don't get the Clingan buzz from Feigen and Iko So we're going to have Sengun, Adams, Landale, and Clingan all on the roster? How many damn centers do we need? I get taking the BPA and all but I just don't see "clear BPA" when I look at Donovan. Maybe they're smokescreening to try and get teams to trade up? Or maybe they have another trade up their sleeves to free up rotation minutes for Clingan?
Picking Clingan would be stupid. We do not need another 3rd to 4th string center. Center is our strongest and deepest position. We need someone who can shoot the 3 ball and play defense. Coincidentally Reed Sheppard should be available who does both VERY well.
I can sorta understand the argument that you don't know if Adams will stick around, and maybe you want to flip Jock for....something. So long-term, having Clingan might be nice. But as I've tried to point out a few different times, you can probably just draft another big that's more suited to a back-up role in the next draft or 2. It is a bit of "mystery box center," but I'm actually fairly optimistic you can find a decent big man during that time frame if that's all you really wanted.
So what exactly would be the plan with Brown or KCP without moving a wing? And what are we doing with our cap space in 2025 blowing a full MLE this year?
I feel they are thinking of trading the pick and want other teams to feel like they are taking Clingan otherwise. Who knows, the Rockets may take him anyhow as best available (which is weird for a #3 pick) but may be able to utilize him for a year and flip him then.
Or even just an MLE or room exception or vet min or whatever--if Sengun ends up being our best player, for which he has a big head start right now, any backup center we have is probably going to be lucky to even get 20 minutes per game. It's certainly nice to have a quality backup, but surely there are better ways to spend a top 3 pick.
Yeah you can go that route too, though I was throwing out the draft for people who want a prospect with unique traits that you maybe can't find on the (cheap) FA market. Regardless, I don't think it would be that difficult to find a serviceable back-up big, possibly one that offers things the roster currently lacks. Clingan would likely be better than any of those options, but like you said, if that player is only getting 20 MPG (and even less in playoffs), not sure it *really* matters. Now if you want to trade Sengun and/or have doubts about him, then of course the calculus changes. Though depending on who you get back, not sure a Clingan per se would work well (e.g., Zion and Clingan probably don't fit? Especially with Amen?).
I like how all the chatter on NBA Draft Twitter this past week has been about how Ron Holland might fall out of the lottery altogether due to his completely broken jump shot along with his character concerns, and suddenly this random mock has him catapulting up to the 2nd Overall Pick lol. It's 100% not happening, but I admire SB Nation's absurdly contrarian attitude none the less tbh.
