Noel is still the best possible pick for us I think. He's the best individual defender in the draft and pairing him up with a DeMarcus Cousins contract extension locks in an elite frontcourt for the next 4 years. You can get away with a lot of mistakes elsewhere when you've got a frontcourt like that. If we're discussing trading up I hope that's what Pete and co. are looking at. I like Porter but you can trade for a SF a whole lot easier than you can trade for a defensive difference-maker in the post. I don't know what Cleveland would want. Tyreke is off the table obviously as a free agent (and should be regardless) and there's no way Cousins is being swapped for a #1 pick in this year's draft. But everyone else should be available -- IT, Marcus, JT, Patterson.
The more realistic plan B is to go for talent with our #7 pick and I like either Oladipo or McLemore as next best talent picks here followed by Porter and Bennett. I like Oladipo a little more than McLemore because he's got a sure-fire calling card skill with his perimeter D and he's also the best athlete in the draft I'd say which is a heck of a combination. He's got a lot of Russell Westbrook in him with his energy and knack for making exciting plays -- not a playmaker on the same level, but a better shooter and so a better compliment for Tyreke. If McLemore is the one to fall though, that still gives us a pretty intimidating backcourt. He doesn't have the nonstop motor that Oladipo has, but I think he's a better defender than people give him credit for. And he's nearly his equal in the athleticism department. I think it's fair to question whether he's got the personality to become a star in the NBA or not, but I don't think that's really a big drawback for us, particularly if we're drafting out of the #7 spot. So yeah, if he falls to us I would draft him in a second. Porter and Bennett both seem like longshots to slip at this point, but they would round out my top 5. I have no concerns with Porter, he seems like an ideal glue guy. Bennett worries me a bit because he's another high-usage offensive player and his defense has a long way to go, but talent-wise he belongs in the discussion.
Len and Burke round out the consensus top 7 picks but I'm not sure they would be that high for me. Or at least I don't think of them as highly as most scouts seem to. I think there's better talent out there, though I'm not committed yet to anyone in particular. I would think about trading the pick though if there's no one else I felt strongly about. And I really didn't like Shabazz at UCLA, he just seemed like a selfish stat-oriented player who didn't get along with his teammates, but I can see why he would generate interest for us as a big guard who can shoot and defend. Take away the mountain of off-court red-flags and he's maybe not the top level talent he was initially projected as, but at that #7 spot he's got as good a shot as anyone to be a solid starter.