I was thinking about this on my walk today.
With the NBA Draft lottery and the beginning of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight, I was wondering what you guys think would be the best fits for Ohio State's likely two first-round draft picks. Here's what I came up with.
Malaki Branham
Atlanta Hawks — Teams up with Trae Young, gives them more length at the two-guard spot with a young team to develop with, can serve as more of the slasher to Young's shooting ability, giving him more of an ability to become a playmaker and dish out when he needs to.
Charlotte Hornets — Kind of the same scenario with the Hawks, but with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, gives Charlotte more of a young trio to build off of, no pressure to lead right away.
Cleveland Cavaliers — What a pick this would be for the Ohio native. With Collin Sexton in the final year of his contract, the Cavs could have an open spot in that two-guard spot next to Darius Garland. Instead of going after a Bradley Beal or a Zach Lavine, Cleveland could still continue to develop talent from within with Branham.
Chicago Bulls — Speaking of Lavine, the Bulls need another ballhandler. If DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball continue to get better, Branham can develop his playmaking while being a ferocious scorer from Day 1.
E.J. Liddell
Dallas Mavericks — Luka Doncic has shown that he can win by himself. But why not give him an oversized three/undersized four that that can dominate the boards and block shots if necessary or step out and take a dish from 3. He's already experienced and an older body and could be a plug-and-play immediately.
Chicago Bulls — As we already established, Lavine is a free agent heading into this offseason. But Liddell could fit right in with Ball and DeRozan, even though they may be looking for a big to replace Nikola Vucevic.
Houston Rockets — The Rockets are going to get a lot of attention for who they get at the op of the board, whether it's Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith. But the Rockets could use a bigger wing at No. 17 too. While they could also go for a guy like Duke C Mark Williams, I think Liddell could fit right into the lineup next to Jalen Green.
With the NBA Draft lottery and the beginning of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight, I was wondering what you guys think would be the best fits for Ohio State's likely two first-round draft picks. Here's what I came up with.
Malaki Branham
Atlanta Hawks — Teams up with Trae Young, gives them more length at the two-guard spot with a young team to develop with, can serve as more of the slasher to Young's shooting ability, giving him more of an ability to become a playmaker and dish out when he needs to.
Charlotte Hornets — Kind of the same scenario with the Hawks, but with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, gives Charlotte more of a young trio to build off of, no pressure to lead right away.
Cleveland Cavaliers — What a pick this would be for the Ohio native. With Collin Sexton in the final year of his contract, the Cavs could have an open spot in that two-guard spot next to Darius Garland. Instead of going after a Bradley Beal or a Zach Lavine, Cleveland could still continue to develop talent from within with Branham.
Chicago Bulls — Speaking of Lavine, the Bulls need another ballhandler. If DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball continue to get better, Branham can develop his playmaking while being a ferocious scorer from Day 1.
E.J. Liddell
Dallas Mavericks — Luka Doncic has shown that he can win by himself. But why not give him an oversized three/undersized four that that can dominate the boards and block shots if necessary or step out and take a dish from 3. He's already experienced and an older body and could be a plug-and-play immediately.
Chicago Bulls — As we already established, Lavine is a free agent heading into this offseason. But Liddell could fit right in with Ball and DeRozan, even though they may be looking for a big to replace Nikola Vucevic.
Houston Rockets — The Rockets are going to get a lot of attention for who they get at the op of the board, whether it's Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith. But the Rockets could use a bigger wing at No. 17 too. While they could also go for a guy like Duke C Mark Williams, I think Liddell could fit right into the lineup next to Jalen Green.
