2026 NBA draft thread

[DanSchwartzgan]

If we pick 8 or 9, provided these teams don't move up in the lottery but OKC right now has projected picks 13 and 18, plus a bunch of future 1sts, Charlotte has 12 and 22 plus our first next year. I don't know what the trade value chart is to move to pick 8 or 9 but it's certainly a possibility to trade back.

Another one to keep an eye on is Chicago.  They have their own pick (currently #9) and Portland's which is Top 14 protected.  Portland is currently 13 (10th in the west).  So, whether the pick conveys or not will come down to the play-in.  Are we going to see teams 'tank' their play-in games to stay in the lottery?  The Portland pick rolls over for two more seasons and then becomes a 2028 second.  

I'm not a fan of moving down to 12 or 13 to get an extra pick.  9 might be too far.  I only think these scenarios come into play if Dallas and Chicago (15th) or Dallas and Memphis (17th) both move up and you are moving from 3 to 4 and picking up the extra mid first.  I'm not sure these teams will give up a mid-first to go from 8th/9th to 7th.

BTW, we always point it out when Acuff or Brown has a big game.  So, I'll point out that Ament had a strong 29 point game Wednesday against OU.  Tennessee is 7-1 in its last 8 games and Ament has 29 point games against Alabama, Kentucky and OU during that span and a 28 point game against Ole Miss.  One of the things I like about him is the skinny little dude gets to the line.  In 13 SEC games he's averaging 8.6 FTA's per game.