Memphis Grizzlies – Jonathan Kuminga
The Memphis Grizzlies made a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans in the days leading up to the draft. Memphis sent the No. 17 overall pick, the No. 51 overall pick, and Jonas Valanciunas in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick, the No. 40 overall pick, Steven Adams, and Eric Bledsoe.
Obviously, the Grizzlies made the move with a prospect in mind, and most people believe it is Josh Giddey out of Australia. But with Memphis looking to find guys that can develop into premier players, not many players have the ceiling of Jonathan Kuminga.
The floor is extremely low for Kuminga, but if the Grizzlies can help him evolve as an offensive player, he has the tools to be exactly what they are looking for in a forward. While I expect Giddey to ultimately be the choice, if Kuminga falls to them, Memphis may have a difficult decision to make.
READ MORE: 7 bold predictions for the 2021 NBA Draft
Charlotte Hornets – Alperen Sengun
It’s no secret that the Charlotte Hornets are in need of a center this offseason. This season, the Hornets deployed Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo as their starting center, leaving much to be desired at the position. Charlotte has been rumored as a potential landing spot for Richaun Holmes and the other notable centers in free agency.
At the same time, the Hornets could address the position in the draft by taking Alperen Sengun, a Turkish center that plays overseas. Sengun won the Turkish league MVP at just 18 years old, showing why some teams are excited about his potential in the NBA. Even though Sengun will definitely need to add an outside shot to his arsenal, the Hornets could use his ability to score in the paint to upgrade for the future.
San Antonio Spurs – Alperen Sengun
Selecting international players can sometimes be a major risk as some international players never make the move to the NBA. One team that has never shied away from selecting international players is the San Antonio Spurs. Greg Popovich has made a living off of taking chances on guys overseas and Sengun could be the next in line to end up on the Spurs.
San Antonio needs to continue building toward the future and it remains to be seen if Jakob Poeltl fits their long-term plans. With Poeltl on the roster though, Sengun could take some time to refine his game before seeing prominent minutes for the Spurs. Out of all of the teams that could select Sengun, San Antonio seems like the perfect landing spot as he possibly makes the leap to the NBA at 19 years old.
READ MORE: 7 bold predictions for the 2021 NBA Draft
Indiana Pacers – Corey Kispert
The Indiana Pacers are among the teams who have been extremely active on the trade market. Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon have been discussed as potential trade pieces. Regardless of what the Pacers elect to do this summer, they could definitely use more shooting around Caris LeVert and Domantas Sabonis.
Corey Kispert is arguably the best perimeter shooter available in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga. In his four years in college, Kispert flashed his efficient shooting from outside, making 40.8 percent of his threes. Given the trend in today’s league of hoisting threes at a high clip, having a player like Kispert that can knock down outside shots in bunches seems like a valuable asset for the Pacers to have moving forward.