It's been fun watching 3-on-3 and other Olympics basketball action, but time now to watch the moves that will tip off the 2021-2022 NBA season.
Detroit Pistons - No. 1, a No-brainer
Not going to see any major waves on this one: Closing the deal with Cade Cunningham is "imminent".
Houston Rockets - They've Got Options
Houston's firmly in a rebuilding phase, coming off the departure of James Harden. They're well positioned in this draft to accelerate that process, the question is how:
Will they stick with the status quo and pick up better-ranked Evan Mobley despite that they recently snagged Christian Wood? Realistically, Jalen Green looks like the right position-fit, but passing up Mobley will not be an easy choice.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Diversification Nomination
The Cavs are coming into this draft with a lot of guards on the roster, having used their three past top 8 draft picks to nab Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and Isaac Okoro.
It's likely that they'll want to make a play for Mobley to round out their young team but with the uncertainty of how Houston will move, there's also a chance we could see some negotiations to get them positioned later in the draft so they can maximize their opportunity to pick up the positions they need.
Toronto Raptors - A Perfect Fit?
The Raps could have a big hole to fill in Kyle Lowry, who is up for free agency. This is the key that makes the Suggs-to-Toronto pairing look increasingly likely, given that Suggs's style of play and pro-readiness position him well to step into the potential Lowry void.
Top Shelf Picks:
This year, there are four players who stand above the rest. They are expected to go in the first five picks.
Cade Cunningham - the number 1-favourited guard from Oklahoma State
Evan Mobley - a big 7ft defenseman with a host of other skills to match
Jalen Green - an elite scorer, the best shooting guard of the 2020 class
Jalen Suggs - famous for the buzzer-beating NCAA moment
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