According to Fortyeightminutes, Cam Boozer may be higher on boards than people expect. Here’s what they said about AJ Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards. It looks like he may be more or less a lock to go #1.
Some NBA Teams are seeing little gap between AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, which form a clear top-4. Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com writes that rival teams don’t see Dybantsa as a lock to go No. 1 and Woo writes that all four are expected to receive consideration by the Wizards.
Our intel tells a slightly different story. While the Wizards have done extensive research on all the top prospects, sources connected to ownership expect Dybantsa to be the selection with the No. 1 pick. Washington is always evaluating trade offers, though the franchise is likely to keep the pick.
First off, I don’t know how reputable this outlet is, so this comes with a grain of salt. That said, this appears to align with all the reports we’ve seen that the Wizards are focused on Dybantsa, and if they do have connections to ownership, it would appear to be a lock for #1.
They also go on to talk about the #2 pick and the Utah Jazz:
Our intel suggest that Boozer is strongly in the mix for the No. 2 pick.
The recent clip of new Mavs GM Mike Schmitz explaining how athleticism is no longer seen as something that dictated upside but rather is a mindset that several evaluators around the league align with. “Positional size, skill, and feel for the game” are the metrics that determine greatness or upside, Schmitz explains. It’s easy to understand why Boozer could be the preference of many teams over Wilson, for example.
It’s not much of a report, other than that the Jazz have Boozer “strongly in the mix.”
It’s far from a guarantee, but it’s more of a sign that the Jazz are doing their due diligence. But there’s a lot more here than meets the eye. If this report is accurate, it suggests some potential for trades.
Consider this. If the Grizzlies are really high on Cam Boozer, and the Jazz and Wizards know it, that gives them reason to put out the smokescreens that they’re interested in drafting Boozer.
What’s very clear for the Jazz, with a majority of the reporting going on, is that they’re high on both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, and likely higher on Peterson. Knowing that, it makes a lot of sense for the Jazz to put out there that they’re considering Boozer at #2. If the Grizzlies are super high on Boozer and lower on Peterson, it might be a move by Utah to get a move done with the Grizzlies. Utah could get some sort of draft capital from the Grizzlies and swap spots so they take Boozer and the Jazz get their guy, Darryn Peterson, at #3.
But it goes beyond that. Let’s say the Wizards have AJ Dybantsa as their untouchable #1. If they know that Utah is taking Peterson regardless of who’s there at #2, including if Dybantsa is there, that opens up a potential trade with the Grizzlies. There’s a scenario where the Wizards have Dybantsa at #1, the Jazz have Peterson at #1, and the Grizzlies have Boozer at #1. It’s what makes this draft pretty remarkable that a scenario like that isn’t out of the question. If this were the case, and Utah creates enough uncertainty with the Grizzlies, the Grizzlies could also end up making a move with the Wizards, and the Wizards could fall to #3 and still take Dybantsa.
This is all a bit of tinfoil-hat stuff, but it makes sense if this report is true. It looks like there’s a chance we’ll see some movement at the top, like we don’t normally see. NBA draft night can’t come soon enough!
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