Spinning the Wheel: Craziest Things That Could Happen on Draft Night
Today I am touching on the most insane possible outcomes that could occur on Wednesday in the NBA Draft.
Every year we remember that one crazy moment from the draft. We all remember the Bill Simmons “WOAH!” when the Cavs took Bennett in 2013, the “Tingus Pingus” moment, or how Kobe, Dirk, and Ray Allen were traded on draft night. Funnily enough Ray Allen is a part of two of these moments, as he was then later traded to the Boston Celtics on draft night, so Ray Allen has his fingerprints all over the history of the NBA Draft. While obviously, I can’t predict what teams are going to do, today I am going to take a look at things that could happen, with their chances being high enough for me to conceive of them, but also not being likely.
The Phoenix Suns Take Bronny James at 22:
Look, we all know how unserious the Phoenix Suns organization is about the NBA draft as a whole. The Suns haven’t made a selection and kept a player on their roster before the season started since they took Jalen Smith in 2020. The now Pacer was then shipped off within 18 months for Torrey Craig in a move that ultimately did not do much to improve the Suns’ title hopes.
I also have to take into account Matt Ishbia’s obsession with acquiring the most possible high-end talent. It is no secret that Ishbia wants a title for his newly acquired team, and the possibility of luring LeBron James to Phoenix to play with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. All of this is despite superagent Rich Paul saying that LeBron James will not play for the minimum in Phoenix. Still, the trial of Bronny only having workouts with Phoenix and his father’s team in Los Angeles is something to note, and I can see a world where under Ishbia’s interference Phoenix decides to throw the playbook out the window and decide to take Bronny at 22. If they do decide to make a play for Bronny, I would be less surprised if they attempted to nab him in the mid-40s, and then hope that LeBron leaves LA to come to Phoenix.
While this would be one of the most insane things to happen in draft history, it is more likely that this pick ends up getting traded for a rotational player, or that Phoenix’s board ends up falling to where they have a player who they think can contribute from day 1 available at 22, that player will get taken. Bronny and the accompanying LeBron James factor is probably the biggest X-Factor in this draft, and it will be the only possibility I will go over today, but there are plenty of other locations that could look to acquire LeBron’s services via Bronny.
Isaiah Collier Falls Outside the First Round:
Let’s stay with USC products this season and move on to an outcome for Bronny’s college teammate Isaiah Collier. Of all the projected players to go inside the top 20, I think Collier could be the most likely of all these players to drop out of the first round. Collier most fits this profile. The lack of shooting and turnover-prone nature of his game means teams who are looking for a role player who can contribute from day 1 later in the first round may pass on his skillset, and opt for an older player who can space the floor and play off the ball.
While it wouldn’t be historic for a former number 1 recruit to fall outside the lottery, as Nick Smith Jr. “accomplished” this feat last season, getting all the way to pick 27, it would still be noteworthy. If this does happen to Collier, I don’t think it changes any of my outlook for him as an NBA player, as his ability to get downhill is still unquestioned, and his flaws of shooting, defense, and turnovers would still be there.
I do think it is unlikely any player of Collier’s level of potential gets past Washington at pick 26 or the Jazz at pick 29. Both franchises are currently in long-scale rebuilds, and they can take a project player with a low floor.
The Rockets Trade Pick 3 for Mikal Bridges
Mikal to Houston is a trade that has been in talks for a long time. I think the best version of this trade for both parties would involve Houston’s number 3 overall pick. The Brooklyn front office has shown a desire to star hunt, but seeing the lack of success in that area, I believe now is the time to pull the trigger on Bridges, and trade him for the number 3 pick, among other assets. These would likely include the 2026 pick Brooklyn owes Houston, so they can then go a new direction and tank for the future.
This would be one of the biggest draft night trades in recent memory, and it would certainly be an exciting thing for the league. Who Brooklyn selects with pick 3 would likely be their highest non-big on the board, as it is within their best interests to extend Nicolas Claxton.