Rockets acquire Suns picks, return Nets picks to Brooklyn

Again this is with the dumb assumption Nets would have the same record whether they were tanking or not, which is dumb af considering their capspace and 5 picks in the 2025 draft

 

Isnt 2025 talented? You got guys like Maxime Raynaud and Kalkabrenner all the way in the 2nd round.

 

That was part of the sentiment at this point last year.
https://share.google/EA67L0x10oFibE9Xt

 

Pelicans are in the West and dealing with injuries, Nets are in the East which artificially boosts their record. Rox for example have a 27-7 record vs East which is on pace for no 1 record in the East.

Nets had almost their full capspace as well as 5 picks they can use to get better. They may not build a contender but they would be a lot more competitive if they didnt have their pick.

 

I wasn't commenting on the 2025 draft at all

 

Then maybe you should read the post that you replied to saying "this is massive coping".

 

sorry if i missed it...wasn't trying to be a jerk...i was reading it in the broader context of the discussion of this thread

 

My point is I know 2026 is talented but its hard for me to think it will surpass the impact 2025 rookei class had.

The hype is too insane reminds me of Wemby class. I remember people were going crazy over that too but now only Wemby is the superstar in his class.

 

I love college hoops more than I love the NBA at this point...and follow it and recruiting closely. What I saw from freshmen this year was unlike anything I've ever seen from any one class. Does that mean it will all pan out??? Of course not...but this isn't just 1 or 2 big names that could make a big difference. I wish like hell the Rockets had a pick high in this draft in particular.

 

I mean ya there was a small amount of trolling/joking about that i guess but Flagg is light years beyond any prospect this year

 

Do you think the 2026 class will leave 2025 in the dust?

 

This was before his rookie NBA season. Most people thought Flagg would still go first in his class but very few would say he was light years ahead the entire 2026 class in fact I never heard anyone say that before he blew up in the NBA.

 

I wanted to give up 5 frps for him. Flagg was even more can’t miss than Wemby, because of body type. No one in this draft will come close.

 

Weird naysayers tried to have hot takes that Wemby won't have an impact or that Flagg isn't all that good. But these are laughable conclusions. I mean, Flagg was leading the Olympic prep team as a 17-year-old. Anyone who thought he wasn't going to be a cornerstone is fooling themselves. And Wemby fell into a perfect situation with a front office that knows how to develop and celebrate international talent.

I've purposely stayed away from this year's historic draft class since our front office made the weird decision to keep the players we drafted rather than continue adding talent. Our bench is now quite short, bereft of scoring, and our hopes for a new talent infusion hinge on landing a second-round steal or two.

 

I'd give them the 27 swap for #6 (but that's all) .... I'm a big believer in Acuff jr.

 

I do think this draft is a much better one than next years.

Some of the guys going 5-6-7-8 would probably go top 3 in next years draft.

What I don't really see in this one is a "franchise player". I think those top 4 are all going to be productive players but not MVP candidates that we so often associate with top 5 or top 10 guys.

The next tier of guys, all point guards who can do it all. Shoot, pass, distribute and defend. If you ask me - That's the strength of this draft. From 5-11.

Of the projected top 30, 14 of them are point guards .... (or combo guards).

 

There's definitely a franchise guy in there but I'm not with the whole "Top 3" "Caleb Wilson" "The PGs" "Ament-Wagler" tier structure. I think theres 7 guys in this draft that could be franchise altering. Just depends on who.

Then you have Mara and Cenac who's measurements are basically basketball p*rn.

 

Max, what is your take on Acuff, Wagler, and Brown? Flemings measurables yesterday soured me a lot on him. At least Acuff has a 6’7” wingspan.

 

I mean, if we can get a pick in the 5-11 range then, and potentially get a solid PG (huge need for the team) for the future, we need to kick all the tires and check all the options then imo.

 

I think just the overall talent level of college and international hoops has improved.

There will be another strong draft as sure as the sun is going to come up. What if 2029 surpasses 2026 and we have two lottery picks?

All this crying over a draft is just cope because we, as well as the Pacers, Kings, and Nets, know it comes down to chance once the regular season is over.