Mock Draft: GM Picks 9 Through 12

Dallas at No. 9 might be the most fascinating kind of draft problem: not bad enough to reset cleanly, not stable enough to draft for a single, obvious need. We talk through what the Mavericks actually are right now, a post-Luka roster pivoting toward Cooper Flagg while still carrying big-money questions like Kyrie Irving’s health and fit, plus veterans whose value ranges from “useful” to “hard to move.” From trade exceptions to the mid-level outlook, we map the constraints first, then get specific with the prospects who can survive multiple future versions of Dallas.

From there, the stakes spike in Milwaukee. With Giannis Antetokounmpo still in place and the cap sheet tight, the Bucks can’t afford a slow burn at Pick 10. We dig into why youth and athleticism matter so much for this roster, which archetypes can actually help right away, and why a trade might be the most realistic path to restocking assets while staying competitive.

Then we hit two contenders with opposite leverage. Golden State at Pick 11 has to navigate an aging, expensive core and decide whether the best move is drafting for immediate impact or flipping the pick for flexibility. Oklahoma City at Pick 12 has the luxury of choice: elite talent, a mountain of picks, and a looming payroll squeeze that turns every rookie contract into a strategic weapon.

If you’re into NBA Draft strategy, mock drafts with real cap context, and team-building conversations that go deeper than “best player available,” you’ll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe, share the show with a draft-obsessed friend, and leave a review with the player you’d take at 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Finals Note

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Welcome back to the Dramatic and Stash podcast. I'm your host, Andrew. It is June 4th, 2026, and on today's episode, we are continuing our mock GM series with picks 9 through 12. We gotta hit that intro.

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One of the most exciting brands I can remember. And in the years I've been doing this, I think this brand is the best.

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What is up, everybody? If you're coming in today, then this is after game one of the NBA finals. Super exciting. The Knicks, man, for all the reasons why I had picked them originally, they really showed out in that first game. I think that they have a lot of really good tools that can slow down the Spurs. But it should be a really fun series going forward. But we're not here for that. We're here to talk draft stuff. Earlier, we had done picks basically one through eight and uh kind of going through cap sheets, rosters, and things like that. On today, we're going to start off with the Dallas Mavericks at pick nine, and we're just

Dallas At No. 9 Reality Check

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going to get into it. The current reality is Dallas is no longer a Luca team. They're trying to move forward, obviously around Cooper Flag, maybe Kyrie Irving, maybe Klay Thompson, Daniel uh Daniel Gafford, Max Christie, Najee Marshall, Derek Lively. And this is also the post-Anthony Davis fallout. After that awful trade of sending Luca to LA for basically now nothing, and then Anthony Davis Washington for basically nothing. They are I don't know. It's a very weird spot. I know that Dallas fans wanted them to kind of move up. It was always going to kind of be like a long shot to a certain degree. They actually moved back from eight to nine. Uh, looking at their current, you know, salary cap sheet and roster here, right? So they've still got, you know, Kyrie, PJ Washington, Klay Thompson, Gafford, Flag, Caleb Martin, Najee Marshall, Max Christie, Derek Lively, AJ, and Ryan Neemhart. So some of these guys are really good. And I don't know what direction they're going to kind of move towards here. Uh, they're currently not over the tax, so they should be able to use their like MLE, but Kyrie is at $40 million. He's also coming off of a pretty bad injury. And I think he's what, 32 at this point. So I wonder if they will try to, you know, maybe you know, move him to a certain degree. I I would, you know, I would assume that there's a couple of people out there that would, you know, want to use his services. You know, there's, I'm sure, a few teams that could, you know, really, I don't say like a big deal, but they they could, you know, put forth some assets to getting uh you know Kyrie if they're they're feeling kind of close. Like maybe somebody like you know Toronto or something. But I don't know. PJ Washington also has good value. He's been one of their more consistent players. He's right around 19 million, or like I guess closer to 20 than 19. Uh Klay Thompson really just even when they got Klay Thompson after his injury and and after Golden State was in like a great year, I don't know. He just I feel like he he's definitely on the decline. They they might just be stuck with that 17 million. Daniel Gafford has been good for them. You know, Derek Lively, when when healthy, has been good for them, but that's been kind of like you know, his issue throughout his entire career. You know, so at pick nine, uh, you know, where are they gonna go? Because currently they're around 160 million or so, which is still well under the apron. And they have you know some obvious cap holds and everything coming off. You know, the the you know, Chris Middleton's giant deal at $50 million is coming off, you know, Dwight Powell. So they they should be able to use probably their non-payer mid-level, but right around that like $15 million if they wanted to. They also have a really big trade exception in the Anthony Davis deal, right around like $21 million or so. I would assume that they keep Ryan. Uh, you know, he was a really solid play for them, and he's very cheap, which is gonna be you know huge going forward. As we look at their draft picks, they're gonna have nine over the next seven years. They're have basically the one from this year. Uh yeah, so they're picking right around nine, and then they have they don't have a pick for 2027, they have uh theirs for I think either theirs or the Thunder, like 2028, 2029. So that they have a couple picks in 2030 and then basically just their own picks. So, you know, kind of just like looking here at what maybe could be, right? I mean, like there's been some buzz here recently where I think a lot of Mavericks fans want to guard. I don't know if they're gonna go that way or not. I think it just really matters on what this current regime is thinking. They added in Mike Schmidt, who, you know, has been he's kind of like a legend at this point in terms of he started off as like a draft guy and now he's a GM, which is absolutely crazy. You know, and they basically him and Ujiri have to undo all the terrible things that were done by Nico Harrison. So, you know, who you know fumbled Luca, he fumbled Jalen Brunson, you know, it just it just goes on and on in terms of just what he did wrong. They'll probably be able to teach, you know, classes on it.

Dallas Prospect Fits And Upside Swings

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So uh, you know, kind of looking at a few of these mocks, they have Braden Burries, who I am a huge fan of Braden Burries. I think he would be great in Dallas. You know, he is you know 6'4, 6'5 in shoes, he's got good size, he he's got like a really good bulk to him. He's a three-level scorer. He shows well on the defensive end, he's a good rebounder, he's a very he's an above-average athlete. He does kind of he can tend to fade if his jump shot is not hitting at the level where it needs to be. You know, he he kind of um his scoring can kind of fade. So, but I think as he goes along, he'll be able to add other things going forward to really help out. You know, I I kind of view him almost as like an Eric Gordon, you know, type in terms of that body style and his scoring, except like a little bit bigger. I think uh Eric Gordon was like maybe 6'3, but you know, that or or or maybe like a CJ McCollum or in that like in Devin Booker frame, I I think like Burries to me is gonna go down as like probably the fifth best player in this draft. I I think he is he's being slept on, and it it's it's you know, kind of like a combination of things. You know, his he's a little bit older as a freshman. I think he'll be he'll he'll turn 21 by the end of the NBA of his first NBA season. I mean, I personally don't care about that, but some people you know tend to feel that way. But I I think Burries would be a really, really great pick for them. But beyond that, let's look at some other players that could also be there that um you know could be really good. You know, I I think depending on how they feel, maybe Yaxel Lineaborg could be here as well. He's a guy that could come in and be another, you know, gadget guy that could do it all for them as well. So it's not all on Cooper. Like, you know, you could put the ball in Yaxel, you know, he could, you know, play on defense, you know, switching from like one to four basically. You know, he's a good rebounder. His shot got better. Hopefully it's real. I hopefully there, you know, because it's one of the things that when he went into the the draft cycle last year, a lot of the GMs and stuff told him that he needed to work on his ability on the ball and being able to shoot. He did both of the things. So I I think he'll be you know relatively solid. You know, he's a little bit older, so your your your window with this group would kind of like shrink a little bit, but I I think he would be you know also a really strong pick here. If they're not feeling that way, maybe they maybe take a swing on somebody like a Cameron Carr. I'm you know, he is moving up boards. This might be a little too high for that, but I man, I mean, you put Cameron Carr at the two next to Cooper, you know, he's uh you know 6'6 wing with a seven foot, you know, one wingspan. He showed that he can bulk up to a certain degree. I think he's around like 190. So maybe he could put on like another five to ten pounds, which would be fine. He was a really great, it's strange, but he was really good at like blocking shots in college. He had a really good block rate, but you know, he is a straight gunner from outside, he is crazy athletic. I think he had like 46 dunks, super fast in transition. I think he would be like a really good future running mate, also for like Cooper. If we're not thinking this, I don't think Keaton Wagner would fall to them, but obviously I think that could be like really, really good for them as well. A lot of people like Kingston Flemings here. You know, you you pair uh a really strong defensive point guard who's also athletic, who shows the ability to get to you know hit his spaces, and you know, he he's he's not very shot dependent. So like, you know, he can really you know create for himself. He shows a really great uh uh to create for others. You know, him and Cooper could be also really good together. I I think there's just like such a small amount of failure here. Nine is a really good spot to find, like, there's no pressure to draft that next star, but there's so many great role players here in this range, also, that I think that they have a lot of really good options. You know, you could go Morez Johnson here. I think he would be awesome. Uh, you know, next Cooper Flag. I would hate to see Morez here because Morez is one of my favorite, you know, overall, you know, just players in general in this draft. You know, him next to Lively. I mean, I mean, like that would let lively, you know, kind of be able to like, you know, you know, move a little bit out of the paint and play more of that like off-ball, you know, like just set like blind sight blocker, getting every rebound. Morez can can box out two guys. He's got incredible reach also. I think he was at like seven foot four reach, around six, nine, six, ten in shoes, two fifty, straight, you know, massive muscle athlete. He can score like crazy in the paint. You know, he can guard probably like the one through five in I would say like most matchups. I think that would be like a really great fit for them. There's so many options here. You know, I mean, I don't know if you go a Dimar here, if he's if he's on the board, you know what you have. I mean, maybe if you wanted to move off of Gafford, Mara could be, you know, another player here with his offensive connectivity. He's also great in the paint as a rim deterrent. You know, so I think all these options are very, very good for them. And then just going forward, I mean, I feel like Dallas, uh, man, it's it's gonna be tough. They they have a little bit of ammo to maybe try to move up here and there. And if they can get off a couple of these contracts, or they want to move, you know, uh, you know, Kyrie, I think that that could you give them some stuff as well. Like it's unfortunate that Brooklyn would be a really great person, but I don't think they would do that again after that entire fallout. But you know, Brooklyn's definitely a team that has a lot of assets that could take in the salary and give a whole bunch of stuff back. Uh so I was thinking like maybe like you know, Toronto, even though you know quickly had a good year, he's getting way overpaid. You know, if Toronto would be able to, you know, maybe send quickly and maybe you know yak a purdle, that could be a thing. I don't know. So I like with a brand new GM and this like you know, this whole group, I feel like there's gonna be a lot of really smart moves, which you know, being a fan of other teams in their division is kind of scary, but it should be very exciting for Mavericks fans. Let's

Milwaukee At No. 10 Win Now Pressure

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move on to the Milwaukee Bucks. The reality currently is Milwaukee is still built around Giannis, but the roster is you know changed a great deal. The current core is Giannis, Miles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter, Gary Trent, uh Ryan Rollins. Milwaukee is currently over the cap. Milwaukee really cannot afford a slow burn project. They need a player who can help Giannis immediately and who gives them some youth and athleticism badly. Looking at their team, obviously Giannis is at the at the top hand with salary here at almost 60 million. And then you got Miles Turner next, who they actually you know did the uh wave and stretch on Damian Lillard, which was a mistake. I think just trading for Damian Lillard in general was a mistake. Uh, I was a big fan of of like in Drew Holiday. That group won it won a title together. I I thought that was you, you like already had a good fish on the line and you threw it back for like a bigger one, and you know, it ended up you know just just not working out. I mean, I I I get the process. I don't agree with it, but because you know, Drew then went on to win a title with Boston, looked really good, and then he went to Portland after that, and he still looks to have had juice. So I think that was a really short-sighted move, and it did not pay off. And uh so it but basically they you know signed Miles Turner. Uh Kyle Kuzma has been pretty much bad since he left LA. Bobby Portis, I've I've you know I've liked Bobby Hortis since he played you know ball in college. Super tough guy. You know, he's a fan favorite over there. You got AJ Green, who who's been pretty solid for them. He is getting paid around 10 million now. This pick is gonna be over 6 million. Then you have a couple of player options with guys like you know, Kevin Porter, uh Gary Trent, Gary Harris, Torian Prince, Draco Sims. So they've got some stuff that can come off the books. Ryan Rollins is on a great deal right now, especially because he was their starter. He was up for most improved player. So, you know, looking at that, let's see, they're right around 165 million, which is gonna be over, but they have you know, it's basically they could move off a little bit of this, and they could maybe get to their non-payer mid-level. Otherwise, they would only have access to their biannual. So kind of like, man, just Giannis is in such a weird spot because it's like, is he does he want to be there? Does he not want to be there? It goes back and forth, I think, every other week. I I feel bad for the people trying to run this team. They had a really good roster, and then they just made so many bad draft picks in a row, and this team has just been going downward over and over, and now there's so many teams ahead of them. And you're in this weird, it feels almost like when Kobe O'Bryant was left alone with LA before he got you know Paco Sall, where he was just trying to literally do it. It was like him and like Sasha Fuyuchic and just like other guys that just were not good. And then eventually, you know, they they're able to get him you know more talent. I kind of feel like that's where this is right now is that it's just Giannis and friends, and the friends are not very good. And they're in such a top end, but their salaries that you know it's you know, you they they need to be able to like shop a couple of these into you know twos, you know. So so for instance, if they get like Trey Miles Turner and get two guys around like you know, 14 million, I think that would be really they need a way to further diversify their talent. They they just they have so much money in like four guys, it's just it's really, really hindering them here. But they do have you know, pick 10 that they unfortunately also moved back. If we look at you know a few of these, you know, like mock drafts here, uh, you know, Kingston Flemings has been a very popular name for them, you know, which is I I think makes sense. You know, he he he's another I just mentioned like like you know, Drew Holiday, and I you know he's also in that mold. You know, he's not as physically strong as Drew. Drew was, you know, really, really great out of college. You know, his days in Philly, like, you know, he looked great. So, you know, I mean, like unfortunately, Kingston has moved down my board with his measurements just not being where we thought they were. Uh, you know, uh, so I'm not as high on him as I once was, but I can see him working here as well. I've always said that Kingston is reminds me a lot of you know Mike Conley. You know, I I think he'll be a player that is quasi-all-star for most of his career. Maybe he makes a team here and there. I think Cameron Carr is another name here. Uh, you can maybe say uh Corey, I think also could work here. He he is explosive guard. He gets in the paint almost at will, super fast. He is a high-level scorer. I don't know in terms of his ability to really facilitate as well as Kingston. So I it would kind of just be in terms of what you're you're kind of like wanting there overall. But uh I think that could be good. You know, maybe a you know, Christian Anderson also here uh is probably you could argue is the best shooter in this entire you know draft. He is smaller, so you know he would be really limited. Uh you know, him and like a Corey actually will be really limited to just playing at that one. You know, I don't know. Maybe they go like Hannes Steinbach here, and they just go with like a five, and that lets them maybe move off of Miles Turner, even though a lot of us question if Hannes can actually play the five. Maybe a die falls to them here. That that's also you know something that could be pretty, you know, interesting. Maybe they go Morez Johnson. I think he would be really good here. You know, it's you know, or you know, Braden Burries falls to them here. You know, Burry's man, playing off of Giannis as their new, like, you know, basically their like off guard would be super killer, you know. But they they they need to get a person who's gonna be able to fill multiple roles here because they're they're just so thin on talent overall. And then you know, beyond that, maybe maybe they trade this pick. You know, it's it's really gonna be difficult to wonder where they're gonna go. We look at their future assets, and they've only got they have no first round. Okay, there we go. They have six first round picks over the next eight drafts. So they they have none in 2027, none in 2029. They're gonna have their own starting in 2031. I'm sorry, in like 2030. So uh, you know, it's it's gonna be really tough sledding for them, you know, going over a lot of those are the least favorables as well because of all the deals that they've made. You know, going into the second round picks, they have two over the next seven, which is this year, and they do not have one again until 2033. You know, it's just they they need a way to refill the treasure chest. You know, I could see them maybe sending Miles Turner to Brooklyn because Brooklyn has 22 second-round picks, they have 14 first round picks, they could absorb his talent as well. You know, maybe this is something where they can, you know, send him off somewhere, maybe get back, you know, like I don't know, maybe I was saying Nick Claxton, but I'm maybe there's another player there that could kind of fit, you know, maybe like Danny Wolfe and some other guys, you know, but which is kind of like selling low, but getting off this contract would be huge. I think that also opens up things. Plus, if you could get maybe like three second-round picks and a future first or something, that would be really big for for you know the Bucs, you know, and for Miles, like you know, he got paid, which is what he wanted to do. I think he's happy at that. And he gets to get out of Milwaukee, which you know could be really bad going forward. But you know, all these are just kind of options in general, man. It's it's I feel bad for Bucs fans. They are, you know, really great, super passionate, and and them, like like Memphis, have been getting hit by all of these like older players talking about how bad the the the hotels are and the city is, and it's just my god. So they they also have to deal with these, you know, these really bad, like you know, media bullets from like ESP and other things. So I'm hoping that they turn around. I I like Giannis, you know, hopefully they they figure out a way to solve this, but it could be too far down the road for them maybe trying to keep him. Going on to pick 11. We have the Golden State Warriors. I think a lot of us that were conspiracy theorists thought that Golden State was going to actually move up in this. Golden State is still centered still around Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Brendan Bonzimski,

Golden State At No. 11 Cost Crunch

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Moses Moody got injured. You know, they they traded John the Kaminga for Christopher Superzingus, and that didn't work out. They are still incredibly expensive, which is rough, but they they they've been a taxpayer for, you know, in the past. So just even currently, they've only got you know 10 players if they keep all of the player options and they're still at like 187 million, right? So that they have Steph Curry, who's at 62, Jimmy Butler, who's at 57, which I'm still shocked that they traded for him and gave him this extension at his advanced age, is just I mean, like, man, that's gonna be a tough, a tough contract, like like just going forward. I wonder if Draymond opts into this. I mean, like 27, I think is more than he would probably get on the open market. Maybe he doesn't opt. I don't know. Uh Moses Moody unfortunately got injured. He was really playing well. Um, he's a little over 12. This pick at 11 is gonna be a little over six million. Uh Horford's on a player option. I I would assume he takes that. I don't know if he gets like he didn't play very well. I don't know if he gets more than six million. He may be a team gives him that like by I don't know, I don't know. Maybe like around like seven or eight, he could maybe get on the open market. G. Santos played well for them. He's a little over four. Uh D'Anthony Melton had had injuries and stuff again. You know, he's over three, and then Will Richard. So with all that, that they're at 187. They have a bunch of cap holds right now, with you know, Chris Ops at 46, and then like 10 other guys all around that like you know, two and a half million or so range. So see here, they can get to right around like uh 160 something. So if they can maybe get off of one other player, they would maybe have access to their you know, taxpayer mid-level. But currently it would only be at that like six million range. So they're gonna have to get off of something if they want to use their entire full around that like 15 million. In terms of draft picks, they're gonna have eight over the next eight. So they pretty much have all of their picks over over the next eight years. We go into second-round picks, they only have four over the next seven. So they will have one this year from the Lakers, and then they don't have uh well one again until 2030. So it's gonna be, you know, they're very limited on the optionality that they can currently do. And this is another thing where I'm wondering, like, okay, so Steph's old, Jimmy's old, Draymond's old. Do they make a trade here and get off of the 11th pick? I know that there will be suitors. I imagine that Memphis might be a team that that would maybe you know want to move up. Maybe the Hornets would, you know, try to move up as well. You know, they have, I believe, picks what, 14 and 18. You know, maybe you package 14 and 18 to move up to 11. That would give Golden State a couple of other cheap contracts that they could use, you know, kind of. I don't know. Like there is they're gonna have to be creative. They have you know tripled down with Steph Curry, basically. And and I get it, like, you know, he won a random. And you you want him to just be able to finish his entire career here. But with Draymond Green openly attacking Steve Kerr at times and Jimmy Butler being injured with his serious injury, man, it's just going to be really, really tough. We go into their mock drafts here. Some people think Adai Mara, which makes sense, you know, for all the reasons that we've said in the past, you know, he is incredibly creative with in terms of being like a passer. You know, he's awesome at the rim and they they desperately need size. You know, that they didn't really have anybody. I mean, Al Horford is not very big. G. Santos is very limited in terms of talent. Adai could give them a really, you know, big, I'm saying super athletic, but you know, for for his size, he he moves well. You know, it's just gonna be does the hack a shack happen to him? You know, like like is he able to score, you know, by himself? Is he gonna have to get set up nonstop? So I don't know. The those questions are are are gonna be real throughout the entire draft for him. But you know, at this point at 11, I think that would be a pretty safe floor if they're not thinking something like that. You know, where else could they maybe go? You know, I think this could maybe be a pretty good spot for like a Dalen Swain, you know, a guy that's you know six foot five, six foot six, who can play that two three, maybe, you know, be a Jimmy Butler replacement, even though he is getting paid a lot. You know, he can come in, he he plays on the ball. I think he would be maybe what they hoped Jonathan Camingo would be, or what Jonathan Camingo thinks he is, you know. So just like uh I think I think Swain shows a lot of offensive creativity. He might be one of the best one-on-one players in ISO in the entire you know draft. He's got good size. His shot is definitely from a a catch and shoot is very good. He's pretty solid off the dribble as well, but you know, it just I don't know, that system was also kind of built around that as well. You know, he's not a bad rebounder. I I think it would be a person that that would be a really good spot for him as well, because you would have so much just veteran, you know, like just presence to like really help him out. So that that could be a really good spot for him as well. I wonder if they would swing on a guy like an Alan Graves. This might be a little too high, but you know, they did it with you know Brad and Pomzinski. I I could see somebody like that, you know, he could fit maybe the four, the five, or the three to some degree as well, which could be really helpful for them. You know, if it's not somebody like that, maybe Merez Johnson here. Uh, you know, I think he is obviously very good. You know, they don't really have a lot of you know size. So I mean, like, so this would let Draymond maybe you know not have to play the five and the four so much. You know, you would have you would have, you know, Merez, who could also do four and five. You know, he would get to learn from Draymond Green and from like you know, Jimmy Butler, which would be pretty killer. You know, so there's a lot of pretty solid options here for them as well. And if they're not thinking that, then you know, maybe like uh a Christian Anderson also here could be pretty cool. You know, maybe so I don't, I don't know, I don't think Kings of Flemings would fall this far, you know, but Cameron Carr would also be pretty good. A Cory would be pretty good here as well. If we're going a little bit deeper, maybe a Bennett Sturts, you know. I don't know if uh maybe guard is not as big if they think that uh you know pods can play that, but it it's definitely a thought. Maybe they swing for the fences on like a Jaden Quaintance, you know, as like as like maybe that would be their best chance to get a potential super, you know, I don't say superstar, but a potential all-star, you know, caliber big. I don't know, LeBron Phylon's also in this range. Maybe that's somebody, but I feel like if you're going guard, I would rather go with you know a Christian Anderson or a Bennett Sturts. I don't think Fleming's false as far, but I'd rather go in that direction, somebody that can do a little bit more than what Phylon currently does. I mean, Isaiah Evans, this is a way, way too high for him. I'd rather go Cameron Carr if you're thinking like a wing who can really really shoot. But you know, Golden States, another team. Uh, unfortunately, you know, they they did not move up, so they're gonna have to be really creative as well, you know. So, but let's move on to the team that has everything. And I know what do you get? The team for the the the person for Christmas that that literally can buy everything and already owns everything. They're already elite with Shea

OKC At No. 12 Talent Surplus Problem

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Gilliges, Jalen Williams, Chet Holgram, Luke Dort, Casey Wallace, Isaiah Hartstein, and on and on and on. They won 64 games. They just recently lost game seven to San Antonio, which people think that if if AJ and Jalen had you know been healthy, then they that they most likely win. I mean, I don't know. Like, you know, that's part of what the playoffs are. You know, it's also a war of like attrition, like who can stay healthiest? You know, that that's usually if you look back, you know, through maybe the last 15, 20 years, a lot of the times it's just the team that stays, you know, just healthier. You know, the the issue is uh it's not really talent, obviously. It's just cost is kind of be beginning to you know flare up here as their payroll is beginning to grow. They won their title. I wonder if their owner will get cheap now. He he got cheap years ago when he let Harding go, as opposed to paying him, and he he still calls that you know like a like one of his biggest regrets. And now we're here, but they won the title. So does he then begin to move off of things? Because they are fully loaded. So if they would like to move off of things, um, I don't think it'll be an issue. You've got uh, you know, Chet Holgram's gonna be at 41, Jalen Williams gonna be at 41, Shea Gilders is at 40, Isaiah Hartenstein is at a team option, which they they could, but man, if they keep everything as is, their their payroll is bonkers at like 260. Alex Crusoe is at 20, you know, Dortz is also on a player option, I'm sorry, at a team option at 18. Then you got Isaiah Joe at 11, Aaron Wiggins at 9, Jalen Williams, the the the other Jalen Williams at 7, Casey Wallace is at 7, Kenrich Wilchin, which I I I fully believe that they'll let Kenrick Williams go. Because he just, I don't know, his his role is just nowhere near where it used to be. And now like AJ Williams, I think, I'm sorry, AJ Williams, AJ Mitchell is just I I think a better version. They also traded for Jerry McCain, which was such just man, Sam Preste, uh, the way that he continues to just fleece people is I don't know how it just happens over and over again. Like to go get Jeremy Cain, who was a very good guard in his rookie year, he got injured and then had a slow start. And so, you know, uh Darrell Mori just obviously doesn't have his job anymore, but to give away a player that's a little over four million dollars who is a usable, you know, eight-man rotation guy, is just nuts. And then their their pick at 12 and their pick at 17 are both the one at 12 is under six, the one at 17 is over four. You know, and it's again like you know, I I uh maybe Prescy saw this years ago that you would need to have an this rotating door of top-end picks at cheap contracts that would allow you to to pay your your best guys and then be able to maybe just move in and out guys that have talent here and there. Because that's that's really what he's done. And he's man, he's just he's just crushing it. You know, like you know, you just look at the this team in terms of how it's built, but now the bills come due to a certain degree. People think that they're gonna move off of Heart and Scene, they think that uh they might move off of Dort, they might move off. So even if they move off those guys, though, they're still gonna be around like 220 million, it looks like, which is a lot. That that's in the the you know, the first apron for sure, a little over that. So I don't know, man. I just I I I feel like I hope that there's not like a knee-jerk reaction with which Presley doesn't do that, but uh I I know fans are having this like you know, this knee-jerk reaction where you know Chet Holgramman, you know, did he didn't play well, so so let's just let's just you know go out like and trade him all of a sudden, and it's very much I don't know, these guys are young still, and Chet's gonna get better, right? But to me, you know, there there's been these rumors, uh, you know, of like you know, Kevin O'Connor and then being like, well, you know, you should trade Chet to the Grizzlies for Camera Booser. And it's like, okay, so if you lay out why Camera Boozer is great, why would Memphis take on another $40 million salary for a player that is probably gonna be worse? It just it makes no sense, right? The the Grizzlies, to me, Chet Holgren is a worse version of Jaron Jackson Jr. So why would you just get out of that business because he wasn't able to do enough? So why would you go get a worse version of him when you're trying to build something new, right? So I just it that makes no sense to me at all. I don't think that happens. The Thunder are gonna have 13 first-round picks over the next seven drafts, you know, and this is still like they haven't had Thomas Sorber play because he got injured in his rookie year, and you know, Topic has had all types of injuries in his first two years, which is you know, unfortunate, he had a lot of really you know cool potential. Yeah, I'm I'm he I assume he gets back to some degree of that. Looking forward, they've got two picks in this draft. Then they have got the 2027 pick, which will be favorable of theirs for the Clippers, the 2027 pick for the Nuggets that is top five protected, the 2027 pick of the Spurs that are top 16 protected, you know. 2028 is their only year where they they only have one, and then you got another two in 2029. So, you know, they've just got a whole bunch of picks there, and then they got you know 13 second-round picks, right? So it's crazy because I don't think anybody really wants to deal with the Thunder because they're so afraid of getting fleeced, but they have so many assets, they have so much talent, they have so many picks, it's and and they have such such a wide range of contracts, which is just also done really well. Like they've they've been smart about like have it's hard because when you've got a guy like let's say, like, you know, a John Morant, right? Like he's at $42 million, and trying to put him on teams is tough because not everybody has enough contracts to kind of like match, and you can't really, you know, in most cases, you can't do like that, you know, one for one for talent. But a team like the Thunder, you know, just like you say here, they have a guy at 19, they have a guy in 18, they have a guy at 11, they they have a guy at 9 million, they have a guy at 7. So they've got like, you know, eight guys here that have got like a really great range of money that is really cool because they can, you know, mix and match so well in terms of trying to go and find pieces. So, you know, just Presty and those guys have just been doing so much work. I fully imagine that they'll be right back in probably the finals, you know, next year. So, man, you know, just but just looking at their pick at 12 here, because that's that's why we're here, right? Is it's we're not just gonna glaze them the whole time. Kevin O'Connor has him taking Krim Lopez. I'm just gonna be real. I'm not a big Krim uh Lopez guy. Maybe there's something there. I kind of just see a dude. I'm you know, there's nothing I'm I'm not super impressed with anything that he's done overseas. You know, he is young, but so maybe here there's something there. If it's me going with them and that range, I think Merez Johnson makes perfect sense for them. There, who knows if if they go that route. Um, Hannes Steinbeck is a a really talented big man that could be another person that maybe lets you get rid of Hartenstein. Uh, you know, you could probably also put him next to Chet Holgram. He is probably their best rebounder in the entire draft. You know, I man, he just he he's a bully and that he's not great in the paint in terms of defense and rim protection, but I fully think that he can finish a lot of defensive possessions. He he's such a good rebounder as well. So that that could be a range. I don't think they really need a guard here, you know, with with Topich and Kasen Wallace and and AJ Mitchell. I just I don't think they go that route, but you know, Pressey doesn't do that. You know, he doesn't you know draft off of off of you know you know team need. You know, he he kind of just takes the actual best player available. So if that was the case, you know, maybe he goes with like you know, a Cameron Carr or a Accori. Or maybe I I think Bennett Starts here will be, man, just a great match as well. Maybe he falls to them at 17, but you know, Bennett Sturts being a six foot three guard, he has an okay wingspan. He tested more athletic than you know people thought he was going to. He can get his own shots. And I think at the end of the day, that's kind of what came down to it when you have versus Spurs is they were down their other two main on-ball, you know, players with you know Jalen and with AJ. So they had really only Shay to kind of like make things happen. Bennett starts could definitely make things happen. You know, he is I said last last you know uh podcast that he was a very meat and potatoes guy, but it's very good meat and potatoes. You know, I feel like you know, he he really elevates a team, and he would be very strong here for the Thunder. If you know, if they're not thinking something like that, they could take a chance on a guy like Jaden Quaintens, you know, and they they have no no you know, real liking money on the table. It wouldn't be a waste for them at all. You know, that this is the perfect type of of upside player where they can literally just stash him because they've they've got Thomas Sorber also coming up so that they can just you know stash him and let him grow. And then if he is fully healthy and does his thing, then you know they are way ahead of the curve all of a sudden, right? So, you know, they could take a shot on like an Allen Graves. He feels very much like a Sam Presti type of guy, you know, dribble pass shoot. His defense will need work in terms of where he's gonna be playing at positionally. And then there's been some reports where like his versus like higher end competition, some of his disruptive stats weren't as strong versus the you know weaker parts of teams. But I I think he's a player that would also be very good for them. You know, that there's just so many, so many strong options here with with 12 and 17, right? So maybe they they trade up, maybe they trade back, maybe they you know save these for like another day. The Thunder, there there will be like a five-part series in like 10 years on how Presty built this this insane franchise in like Oklahoma City here, you know. I mean, it's not there. Maybe that they do go Krim Lopez. You know, he he kind of bridges that like 3-4. He he's got you know good size. He just he's gonna need work. Um, I I think he could be uh an okay catch and shoot type of player. Beyond that, I don't think his his triple penetration is that good. He doesn't finish with left. There's not as much as explosion in his jumping that there should be. So, you know, but maybe they could again bring him along slowly. But Golden State, I'm sorry, Golden State, uh, Oklahoma City has nothing but options here, as opposed to the the the other three teams in terms of their their overall assets. Like Oklahoma City can let the draft come to them, they can move up if they want to. They they have so much going on. It's it's absolutely crazy, right? OKC's problem is not finding talent, it's deciding which talented players they can afford to keep. So beyond that, you know, I I think Milwaukee is in the biggest danger spot here, uh, just because they they they're so up against it that they

Biggest Stakes And Next Week Tease

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have to get this right. Dallas can afford to swing a little bit, you know. Golden State, I think, could you know, maybe move this pick or do something else with it, you know. But I feel like Golden State has a little bit more runway than the Bucks do. I think the Buck the Bucks have hit the end of the road, you know, so to speak. Well, the Golden State still has Steph Curry, you know, and they could maybe add a little bit more time to that. But let me know what you guys think if if these you know choices are right in terms of where I'm beginning to mock people or the players that I think would be interesting here. And come back next week where we finish it up with picks the Heat at 13, the Hornets at 14, and then we're gonna touch on a bunch of other teams just here and there. I also might have a guest, so that should be very exciting. But as always, remember to watch more basketball. I've been doing this for 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

This is he's two years away from being two years away, and then we'll see.