Barring some unforeseen cir*****stance, it appears Kentucky freshman
point guard John Wall will become the NBA's next No. 1 draft pick.
But Wall will be entering the NBA a season after many of the 12 point guards taken in the first round of the 2009 draft have already made an impact. Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Stephen Curry are the top players in the class, and Ty Lawson, Jonny Flynn and Darren Collison, among others, are also getting high marks.
Combine that with a look at the projected lottery teams, and, with a few exceptions, a personnel shuffling will be needed no matter where Wall goes.
"You are getting a very valuable asset," one NBA executive said of Wall. "So regardless of what happens, you are going to come out ahead. Either you keep Wall and trade your existing point guard, or you keep what you have and you fill in your roster with what you can get by trading Wall."
Sure, a team could do that. But since the draft lottery began in 1985, only twice has a team traded away the top pick. (Cleveland chose Brad Daugherty No. 1 in 1986 after acquiring the pick from Philadelphia for Roy Hinson and cash. In 1993, the Magic selected Chris Webber first, then immediately traded him to the Warriors for Anfernee Hardaway and three future first-rounders.)
Holding the top pick in the draft brings an emotional attachment, for both the organization and its fans. For teams whose previous season was bad enough to land them in the lottery, the draft is their hope for the future. Their selections do not always turn out to be the saviors they had hoped for, but the draft is nonetheless a transformative moment, when the thought of acquiring one talented player is enough to rejuvenate a team's outlook and eventual climb back to respectability. (Think LeBron James.) Besides, the last thing a fan wants to hear is that a team is acquiring an asset that can be used to obtain other assets.
In Wall's situation, however, there likely will have to be some sort of maneuvering by the team that drafts him in order to make things work.
Carmelo could force trade to Knicks this season: report
It seems more and more likely Carmelo Anthony will not sign a contract
extension with the Nuggets, which likely will force the team to trade
him, perhaps to the Knicks.
ESPN.com reported last night that Anthony is "going to make it real
clear that he's not coming back" to Denver, according to an NBA source.
"Both Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke and Anthony already are well aware that
they don't have a future together, sources say. That became clear to
Kroenke at a reception after Anthony's July 11 (wedding) to La La
Vasquez in Manhattan," the report says.
Not only does Carmelo Anthony apparently have his heart set on playing
in New York, but a close confidant of the NBA superstar told The Post
yesterday that he is a better fit for the Big Apple than LeBron James.
"Nothing would bother him," the confidant said of Anthony playing here.
"The media wouldn't bother him because he really likes people. The
pressure wouldn't bother him because he loves to have the game in his
hands. Nothing bothers him."
Ellsbury could be done for the season Jacoby Ellsbury is scheduled to return to Boston today and could be shut down for the season after his exam in Los Angeles with Dr. Lewis Yo***** revealed a possible rib fracture, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Wigginton, Scott won't be traded this season The Orioles are virtually finished running their 25-man roster through nontrade waivers, and several players, including potential trade chips Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott, did not clear and cannot be traded for the remainder of this season.
