The Clippers appear likely to keep their pick at No. 5 in tonight’s draft and decide between Illinois guard Keaton Wagler and Louisville guard Mikel Brown, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Although there’s been speculation since the lottery that L.A. might be willing to part with the selection in exchange for veteran help, Siegel states that there wasn’t “an ounce of chatter” over the weekend about the Clippers making a deal.
Siegel notes that Wagler could develop into an elite shooter alongside Darius Garland and can handle some play-making responsibilities as well. Brown offers a unique mix of size and athleticism for a guard and could become the team’s top scorer in the future.
Siegel states that Brown is virtually locked into being the fifth or sixth pick because the Nets are targeting him as well. Their opinion on Wagler is less clear, Siegel adds, and they’ve been listening to trade offers over the past few days in case Brown is off the board. Siegel suggests that Brooklyn might be willing to move down into the 8-12 range and target Nate Ament, Aday Mara or Morez Johnson.
There’s also a chance that the Nets could stay at No. 6 and take Ament, with multiple sources telling Siegel that they have “real interest” in the Tennessee forward. If that happens, it’s possible that Sacramento selects Darius Acuff with the seventh pick and Wagler falls all the way to Atlanta at No. 8. However, Siegel is skeptical of that scenario, saying that multiple teams outside the top 10 would like to trade up for Wagler and will become more motivated to make offers if he slips past the fifth pick.
Siegel has more on tonight’s first round:
- The Thunder have expressed interest in Ament if they’re able to package the 12th and 17th picks to move into the top 10, Siegel states. The Mavericks at No. 9 and the Bucks at No. 10 are also eyeing Ament if he’s still on the board.
- Siegel hears that the Hawks are listening to offers for their picks at No. 8 and No. 23. He considers it unlikely that Atlanta parts with the eighth pick, but says multiple teams have inquired about it, including the Thunder before the clubs agreed to the Aaron Wiggins trade.
- The Pelicans are trying to trade into the lottery, and Siegel states that the Warriors, Mavericks, Thunder and Hornets have been listening to their offers. All those teams are hoping to acquire Trey Murphy III, but Siegel says New Orleans is still seeking “multiple valuable assets” to part with Murphy. If the Pelicans are able to obtain a lottery pick, Siegel hears that they like Ament and Cameron Carr.
- Sources tell Siegel that the Mavericks have been shopping center Daniel Gafford and their 30th pick over the past week in hopes of moving into the top 20. Siegel cites the Raptors (No. 19) and Hornets (No. 14 and 18) as teams that might be interested and points to Carr and Labaron Philon as players that Dallas may target. He also states that the Mavs recently worked out Hannes Steinbach, who could be a long-term replacement for Gafford.
