Valley of the Suns Mock Draft 3.0
By Andrew Clark
Picks 25-21
Orlando Magic (Via Toronto Raptors). ike anigobogu. 25. player. 38. . Center
The Magic have way too many centers and too few they like. Ike is an interesting prospect to help when they inevitably sell the farm. He has a ridiculous 7’6″ wingspan. He’s raw and will need a year or two to develop, but he’s much more of the kind of center Frank Vogel values. The Magic need to take risks this low and Ike has a considerable ceiling.
24. player. 118. . Shooting Guard. Utah Jazz. luke kennard
Luke Kennard is the closest thing to competition that Monk has for title of best shooter in this draft. Too many times this year the Jazz ended up depending on Hood three-pointers to change the tide of the game and it just didn’t work. Kennard can come in and instantly fill that void as a considerable upgrade. The Jazz are a young and big team. Kennard doesn’t fit that mold, but he does give them the outside shooting they desperately need. Someone might reach for him higher than this, but he belongs down in the 20’s.
. Small Forward. Toronto Raptors (via the LA Clippers). justin jackson. 23. player. 81
The Raptors have too many free agents to believe they can retain them all. They’re likely to lose either Patrick Patterson or P.J. Tucker, which means they’ll have a hole at small forward. Justin Jackson would be a nice fit on the team. He’s tall and has the ability to stretch the floor. He’s got good vision and overall maturity to his game. He doesn’t have the high ceiling that other Raptor picks have had over the years, but he can contribute right away. The window of opportunity isn’t endless in Toronto and he’d be a valuable contributor from day one.
player. 147. . Power Forward. Brooklyn Nets (Via Washington Wizards). edrice adebayo. 22
Brooklyn’s whole team is one giant lack of talent. Bam is the best player they can take to start filling that void. He’s an absolute bruiser who has a surprisingly fluid touch. He needs a lot of playing time to develop his offensive game, but he will immediately provide elite defense and rebounding. Brooklyn is a great fit for him and will give him the playing time he needs to achieve his potential. I love the fit here.
Oklahoma City Thunder. ivan rabb. 21. player. 149. . Power Forward
I keep holding onto my Ivan Rabb to OKC thought. He’s too skilled of a player to go this low, but he’s undervalued by most teams. I think this is a steal and if it’s not OKC, it’ll be San Antonio that gets him. He may not be the 20/10 star that teams thought he could be when he flirted with coming out last year, but he’s got the skills to be a 15 and 8 guy. On a team with Westbrook, that’ll do just fine.