Draft Lotto Thread (2025 edition)

[pdxKingsFan]

I’m not sure if Fox FINALLY getting hand surgery counts as them sitting him though. Dude hurt his hand in preseason and decided to keep trying to play through it for the first four months of the NBA season anyways

But I am sure if Wemby were healthy and team was good they'd have tried for the playoffs and he'd have waited until offseason.

Anyhow don't care. Sure seems like we're doomed to finish bottom 12 in the West for eternity now. Hope Perry is good.

 

[Tetsujin]

Mavs fans suffer, but not for long. It's a rule. Dirk ages out, get Luka, trade Luka, get Flagg. Very strange, not.

Adam Silver just doing the Adelsons a huuuge favor so they can get him in with the White House is all haha

 

[Tetsujin]

But I am sure if Wemby were healthy and team was good they'd have tried for the playoffs and he'd have waited until offseason.

Anyhow don't care. Sure seems like we're doomed to finish bottom 12 in the West for eternity now. Hope Perry is good.

Sure but on that note I’m not sure Mitch Johnson was going to get them there anyways haha

 

[Joshyjosh31]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1922077374109131262

That pick is still two years out, which as we’ve seen with how the Mavs went from lotto team to finals team to TEAM WITH FIRST OVERALL PICK is an eternity in NBA time lol

Come on man Spurs aren’t trading Wemby for this to happen and with Fox and hat pick they’ll be good if Wemby gets hurt

When it comes to drama, there is no league like the NBA haha

Gotta make up for the crap product they have from October-April

 

[pdxKingsFan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1922077374109131262

That pick is still two years out, which as we’ve seen with how the Mavs went from lotto team to finals team to TEAM WITH THE FIRST OVERALL PICK is an eternity in NBA time lol

If they traded for Giannis and then Wemby got hurt in that season it could totally happen.

Matt George just likes drama.

 

[Kingz19]

as far as I’m concerned the final Luka trade is

Anthony Davis
Cooper Flagg
Max Christie
2029 1st rounder
$55,000

For

Luka Doncic
Markieff Morris
Maxi Kleber

Not a terrible trade in the end unless Flagg busts. Which I don’t think he will.

I’m not hearing that crap wasn’t rigged lol

 

[whitechocolate]

Maybe we should buy low on 1st round draft picks in the 2030s. Those guys might still be in their primes when Wembanyama is finished breaking basketball.

I don't know if I'm joking or not.

 

[Tetsujin]

If I’m the Grizzlies, I’m probably going to edge closer to blowing it up because even if Ja is fully healthy again, I’m not sure the “most exciting young core in the league” from two seasons ago is good enough to stay in the playin chase anymore haha

 

[Jdbraver137]

So glad I opted out of tickets next year.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Sure but on that note I’m not sure Mitch Johnson was going to get them there anyways haha

Arguably that is also part of the "how hard were they trying?" question?

If they do want to trade the pick and win right now, I do wonder if they already signed the ink on his big boy contract?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

If I’m the Grizzlies, I’m probably going to edge closer to blowing it up because even if Ja is fully healthy again, I’m not sure the “most exciting young core in the league” from two seasons ago is good enough to stay in the playin chase anymore haha

Grizzlies and Kings both hopeless, Nugs probably a perpetual second round exit after this season, and the Warriors somehow will stay relevant. Bet the Lakers find a center too.

 

[Tetsujin]

Maybe we should buy low on 1st round draft picks in the 2030s. Those guys might still be in their primes when Wembanyama is finished breaking basketball.

I don't know if I'm joking or not.

7’3” dudes generally have an extremely short shelf life before the fact that they’re bigger than the human body is meant to be catches up to them.

Yao was pretty much done by the time he turned 28. Papa Sabonis blew out both Achilles by around that age too. Ralph Sampson was pretty much cooked by his age 27 season.

Wemby is 21 so that gives him another six years maybe?

 

[iowamcnabb]

I don’t mean to derail the thread but are other people getting the ads on this site now, the drag down tab at the top? Didn’t know if it was the new reality or if I’ve got something going on with my phone.

 

[Tetsujin]

Grizzlies and Kings both hopeless, Nugs probably a perpetual second round exit after this season, and the Warriors somehow will stay relevant. Bet the Lakers find a center too.

If I’m Nico, I’m trying to toss the Lakers Gafford for a pick and Austin Reaves.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I don’t mean to derail the thread but are other people getting the ads on this site now, the drag down tab at the top? Didn’t know if it was the new reality or if I’ve got something going on with my phone.

Don't know what you're experiencing with the "drag down" but yes, there are some ads now.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1922077532066648277

Depending on who you ask, Patrick Ewing might be a case study in how winning a “generational” draft doesn’t actually mean you’re set for success haha

 

[SacTownKid]

Grizzlies and Kings both hopeless, Nugs probably a perpetual second round exit after this season, and the Warriors somehow will stay relevant. Bet the Lakers find a center too.

Yeah, the universe is speaking and telling certain franchises to be careful how they proceed. Both teams can afford to run it back, but doing anything that involves trading youth/picks to make marginal upgrades was already foolish, now it could indeed be a decade long crippling if they did. The Grizzlies are still closer to the mix at the moment though.

 

[Tetsujin]

Yeah, the universe is speaking and telling certain franchises to be careful how they proceed. Both teams can afford to run it back, but doing anything that involves trading youth/picks to make marginal upgrades was already foolish, now it could indeed be a decade long crippling if they did. The Grizzlies are still closer to the mix at the moment though.

I’m honestly not sure how much closer to the mix the Grizzlies are though. The Kings actually have more draft assets to work with and now that the pick is finally conveying, they can move their own picks a full summer earlier than the Grizzlies can.

 

[Tetsujin]

Danny Ainge realizing the difference between Boston pingpong balls and Utah pingpong balls haha

https://twitter.com/x/status/1922069455149896122

 

[SacTownKid]

I’m honestly not sure how much closer to the mix the Grizzlies are though. The Kings actually have more draft assets to work with and now that the pick is finally conveying, they can move their own picks a full summer earlier than the Grizzlies can.

I'm talking next season. Either team moving any picks now would be flat out the stupidest thing possible but that said they are more proven. The Grizz might not be better even next season if the Kings pieces start gelling but they certainly have a more proven track record.

 

[Krunker]

I think the top 8 is set OKC, Denver, Houston, Lakers, Spurs, GSW, and Minnesota won’t miss the playoffs.

Yeah the west is stacked and a good argument for just biting the bullet and doing the rebuild

 

[Tetsujin]

Yeah the west is stacked and a good argument for just biting the bullet and doing the rebuild

If the odds over the last couple of lottos are to be believed, the best option might be to just half ass a rebuild, end up in the play-in and then randomly move all the way up to first overall anyways.

 

[SacTownKid]

If the odds over the last couple of lottos is to be believed, the best option might be to just half ass a rebuild, end up in the play-in and then randomly move all the way up to first overall anyways.

The Kings nearly got there doing it the last couple of times, haha. Just made the wrong decisions afterward.

 

[SacTownKid]

Yeah the west is stacked and a good argument for just biting the bullet and doing the rebuild

As long as the Kings don't revisit the marginal sidestep philosophy that got them into the death spiral they were in for two decades it's fine. Run it back, then see. Maybe one of the Mavs wings can be had for cheap now that Flaggs coming in? Other than that, no picks, no youth, no taking on horrendous contracts. That should have already been the rule but it really better be now. Trying to sneak in another play in before the Spurs/Mavs start rolling and using rebuild assets to do it would be beyond Kangz now.

 

[Tetsujin]

As long as the Kings don't revisit the marginal sidestep philosophy that got them into the death spiral they were in for two decades it's fine. Run it back, then see. Maybe one of the Mavs wings can be had for cheap now that Flaggs coming in? Other than that, no picks, no youth, no taking on horrendous contracts. That should have already been the rule but it really better be now. Trying to sneak in another play in before the Spurs/Mavs start rolling and using rebuild assets to do it would be beyond Kangz now.

The Mavs could lowkey really use DeRozan since Kyrie is going to be out for most of the season.

 

[SacTownKid]

The Mavs could lowkey really use DeRozan since Kyrie is going to be out for most of the season.

And he'd be a great mentor for Cooper. PJ for DeMar, done, lol.

 

[Tetsujin]

 

[Joshyjosh31]

Yeah the west is stacked and a good argument for just biting the bullet and doing the rebuild

Makes no sense trying to compete the only teams were better than is Utah, Pheonix, NO, and maybe Portland. We have close to zero chance of getting a top 8 seed so dumbass vevik will probably have us go for the tenth seed just to get waxed in the play ins again

 

[Joshyjosh31]

And he'd be a great mentor for Cooper. PJ for DeMar, done, lol.

They need perimeter defenders they’re not trading the best one they have for Derozan to run iso plays when they have AD/Flagg

 

[est.1999]

The nba is in shambles. What kind of f***ery is this? Lotteries are rigged, multiple teams tanking, no defense, regular season is a mess, no element of surprise, no rivalries. What is the point?