Never said he should.. Someone had asked about him. I actually have him going late 20s. I do think
his stock will rise after the combine though.
Yeah, unless his stock shoots up real high, we really can't grab Thompson with the #12. If it turns out that Petrie thinks Thompson is the best available, we'd probably be best off to:
1. Draft NBA consensus BPA (possibly Randolph, Batum, Augustin, Westbrook...?) Take a guy we can live with if we can't deal him.
2. Hope Thompson is around for Seattle's #24 (pretty likely as of now). In that case, offer whoever we got at #12 to Seattle along with our #45 for their #24, #32, and a future second rounder.
We get the guy we want, a high-second this year, and a high second in the future (because Seattle will be bad for a few years anyhow) - and we pay our pick less money than if we took him at #12. Seattle gets somebody more highly coveted.
I'm not saying that Seattle would be the only possible trade partner, just that we might be able to get best value out of them if they bit. I guess my point is that if you're really confident that your BPA is going to drop another ten slots (first round only), you've got to think "trade down". Pry something of value away from somebody else, get the player you wanted anyway, and pay them less money. Obviously it's a risk but it's one you have to take. I mean, imagine Petrie taking Brooks with #10 last year when Phoenix SOLD their #24. That would have been a disaster.