2023 NBA Draft Omega Thread

Yeah Sactownkid has been trying to get me to buy in for the past year lol.

I get it. Leverage our status as a top 3 team, a super fun ball-movement system where everyone is involved with the offense, rising superstar Fox, baby-Jokic in Domas. COY Mike Brown.

This does put us squarely in play for that Cam Johnson/Grant Williams/PJW tier. Could you get two of them? Naz Reid and one of the RFA guys? Bruce Brown and/or Josh Hart?

I think for this to make sense, you have to go get at least two of those guys. 2 starting quality vets that you could plug right away with the core and fit the age timeline.
I don’t think you could get two of them if one of them is Cam Johnson. I think he’ll be in the $25+ range, but you could potentially sign two of the following players (while keeping Lyles)…

PJ Washington
Grant Williams
Kyle Kuzma
Naz Reid
Bruce Brown
Josh Hart
Harrison Barnes

…or we could potentially target just one of…

Khris Middleton
Jerami Grant
Cam Johnson
Draymond Green
 
I don’t get why people are mad. Sure, it’s disappointing we don’t get a draft pick. But we were third in the west last season. Why take a draft pick that will probably take three years before he’s ready when you can go and get two good players in free agency.
Year after year it is still the same. Even though the evidence of many many top 30 lottery picks didn't pan out. So many would still choose the unknown over the proven talent.

Some of the names we just heard will be faded out of the league in the next 2,3 years.
 
You would rather have 2 of these guys instead of 1 and an NBA-proven talent?
It's more about probabilities and risk management for me.

The biggest asset a good team has is rookie scale contributors. Guys like Keegan Murray are worth their weight in gold because you don't have to pay them $30 mil to be a main-stay on a winning basketball team. And eventually, good teams become very very expensive where you're boxed out of the quality vet role players.

If I'm trading a FRP, I want to know what I'm dealing an massively valuable asset for. "Cap Space" is a very broad term that can easily be screwed up and actually hurt your franchise long-term. I.E, giving a massive contract to a Kyle Kuzma/Jerami Grant type.

So yes, I would have taken O-Max or Miller at 24 and gotten one of those prospects at 38. I could still be a player in FA if I want and I'm adding to my teams youth infusion on a dirt-cheap deal. Monte absolutely deserves leeway to finish out his vision, but man this essentially was a "better" version of his infamous Sixers deal that's the worst trade in NBA history.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
It's more about probabilities and risk management for me.

The biggest asset a good team has is rookie scale contributors. Guys like Keegan Murray are worth their weight in gold because you don't have to pay them $30 mil to be a main-stay on a winning basketball team. And eventually, good teams become very very expensive where you're boxed out of the quality vet role players.

If I'm trading a FRP, I want to know what I'm dealing an massively valuable asset for. "Cap Space" is a very broad term that can easily be screwed up and actually hurt your franchise long-term. I.E, giving a massive contract to a Kyle Kuzma/Jerami Grant type.

So yes, I would have taken O-Max or Miller at 24 and gotten one of those prospects at 38. I could still be a player in FA if I want and I'm adding to my teams youth infusion on a dirt-cheap deal. Monte absolutely deserves leeway to finish out his vision, but man this essentially was a "better" version of his infamous Sixers deal that's the worst trade in NBA history.

I think Monte does know what he's dealing for. We just aren't in on it yet.
 

Capt. Factorial

ceterum censeo delendum esse Argentum
Staff member
Colby Jones is a really solid draft pick. High IQ combo guard/wing who can handle the ball and playmake if needed.

Just an all-around skilled basketball player. Really needs to improve his 3pt shot though.
I don't think his shot was broken, so I think he'll improve at the NBA level.
 
Jones softens the blow some. I wish Monte would have bought a pick instead of trading up. We have 2 likely crappy second rounders and likely no first next year. I would have liked a developmental project. It’s not too late but I don’t think that type will be available with our next pick if we even keep it
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
Colby Jones is a really solid draft pick. High IQ combo guard/wing who can handle the ball and playmake if needed.

Just an all-around skilled basketball player. Really needs to improve his 3pt shot though.
He's sorta like a defensive oriented Tyrese. No where near the offensive mind/skillset of Tyrese but his BBIQ is really good and he's a versatile defender. He shot better this season but yeah I'm not quite convinced that's real. Dude's a winner though.

I think the ESPN guys compared him to Josh Hart and that might not be a bad comp (I was barely paying attention when they were talking about the pick).

I was frustrated when he was mocked to us at 24 but at 38, that's a really good deal.
 

hrdboild

Moloch in whom I dream Angels!
Staff member
This happens almost every year. Think about how many lottery picks we hoped would lead us back to the playoffs and where those guys are now. I like a lot of propects still on the board and some of the guys we just missed on but picking at #24 the odds were against us finding even a solid rotation player. Most of these players don't live up to their potential and get replaced with a new set of rookies.

I'm a little disappointed but until we know who the cap space is for, I'm not really for or against the Dallas trade. I like that we have more cap space for the summer of 2024 but I'm also nervous Monte will overspend on one of this year's free agents instead.
 
Yeah Sactownkid has been trying to get me to buy in for the past year lol.

I get it. Leverage our status as a top 3 team, a super fun ball-movement system where everyone is involved with the offense, rising superstar Fox, baby-Jokic in Domas. COY Mike Brown.

This does put us squarely in play for that Cam Johnson/Grant Williams/PJW tier. Could you get two of them? Naz Reid and one of the RFA guys? Bruce Brown and/or Josh Hart?

I think for this to make sense, you have to go get at least two of those guys. 2 starting quality vets that you could plug right away with the core and fit the age timeline.
As you know I don’t love Monte mostly because the person I know who was in the NBA (now in college) hates his moves.

But he cleared cap space for a reason. We shall see if he can pull off a good free agent wing acquisition.
 
Colby Jones was one of the first prospects to catch my eye this year. Just had a Monte selection written all over him. Gives you creation from the big guard/wing slot, good rebounder, gets in your face as a defender. Upped his 3pt shooting to 37.8% on 113 3PA, so at least we have a little something to like at with regards to his shooting. Kind of just good at everything.

My thought with him was like Evan Turner/Denzel Valentine sort of player. Jack of all trades, can do everything on the floor, but needs to establish himself as a consistent shooter to be a starting caliber NBA player.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
This happens almost every year. Think about how many lottery picks we hoped would lead us back to the playoffs and where those guys are now. I like a lot of propects still on the boards and some of the guys we just missed on but picking at #24 the odds were against us finding even a solid Rotation player. Most of these players don't live up to their potential and get replaced with a new set of rookies.

I'm a little disappointed but until we know who the cap space is for, I'm not really for our against the Dallas trade. I like that we have more cap space for the summer of 2024 but I'm also nervous Monte will overspend on one of this year's free agents instead.
Yeah someone posted a history of the #24th overall pick and it was not great.
 
This happens almost every year. Think about how many lottery picks we hoped would lead us back to the playoffs and where those guys are now. I like a lot of propects still on the boards and some of the guys we just missed on but picking at #24 the odds were against us finding even a solid Rotation player. Most of these players don't live up to their potential and get replaced with a new set of rookies.

I'm a little disappointed but until we know who the cap space is for, I'm not really for our against the Dallas trade. I like that we have more cap space for the summer of 2024 but I'm also nervous Monte will overspend on one of this year's free agents instead.
Yea, who's even available?

I mean beyond a Jerami Grant and Kyle Kuzma.

Like a big ticket FA that we could use.

Or is this cap space for next year?
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
Colby Jones was one of the first prospects to catch my eye this year. Just had a Monte selection written all over him. Gives you creation from the big guard/wing slot, good rebounder, gets in your face as a defender. Upped his 3pt shooting to 37.8% on 113 3PA, so at least we have a little something to like at with regards to his shooting. Kind of just good at everything.

My thought with him was like Evan Turner/Denzel Valentine sort of player. Jack of all trades, can do everything on the floor, but needs to establish himself as a consistent shooter to be a starting caliber NBA player.
The good thing is that he doesn't have to be a starter for us (unlike in years past where we would randomly have to hope Tyler Honeycutt would be good enough to start and be in our rotation).
 
It's more about probabilities and risk management for me.

The biggest asset a good team has is rookie scale contributors. Guys like Keegan Murray are worth their weight in gold because you don't have to pay them $30 mil to be a main-stay on a winning basketball team. And eventually, good teams become very very expensive where you're boxed out of the quality vet role players.

If I'm trading a FRP, I want to know what I'm dealing an massively valuable asset for. "Cap Space" is a very broad term that can easily be screwed up and actually hurt your franchise long-term. I.E, giving a massive contract to a Kyle Kuzma/Jerami Grant type.

So yes, I would have taken O-Max or Miller at 24 and gotten one of those prospects at 38. I could still be a player in FA if I want and I'm adding to my teams youth infusion on a dirt-cheap deal. Monte absolutely deserves leeway to finish out his vision, but man this essentially was a "better" version of his infamous Sixers deal that's the worst trade in NBA history.
I can see your point but I don't share it.

Let them manage the budget, we fans should only worry about how good the team is/will be. Especially since we are on the path to becoming a championship contender, if Vivek and the owners aren't ready to pay up, we can't worry about that for them.

I'm not a huge fan of dropping massive contracts to a Kuzma or Grant myself, but none of those you listed you can guarantee to become at least as good as Kuzma or Grant had already proven to be able to do in the league. We'd be lucky to find a serviceable rotation player out of those you listed or they wouldn't have been in the #20-#30 range.