AirAlamo’s Live 2014 NBA Draft Diary!

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses for a photo with draft prospects in attendance before the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Finally the 2014 NBA Draft is here! Fresh of winning the NBA title (again), the San Antonio Spurs are looking to retool and make a run at back-to-back titles. One of the downsides to being such a successful franchise is never having a high first round pick. #Champion’sWorldProblems

The last time the Spurs had a lottery pick (that was theirs), was way back when Timmy was drafted in 1997. That tradition continues this year, as San Antonio has the 30th pick of the draft – the last in the first round.

According to Twitter and mock drafts we might see one of: The other Greek Freak, Bogdan squared, Mitch McGary, Nikola Jokic, or Cleanthony Early. On the other hand, we could see some random euro-prospect that no one knows who R.C. Buford will stash and then become an all-star in three years time. Thats the beauty of the draft: No One Knows!

Follow this article throughout the draft as we update you on who goes where, what trades go on, and most importantly, what it means for San Antonio. We will live update the post throughout the night, so keep checking back!

6:14 CT – Apparently the Cavs know who they are going to take – IF they keep the pick. Cavs GM David Griffin is still looking to maybe trade the pick, so we’ll see what happens here

6:26 – Were now treated to a few draftee selfies. I love the draft.

Response to getting drafted by the Cavs RT @outsidethenba: excellent pic.twitter.com/RnhBoJw9XH

— Tyler Remmert (@TylerGotSports) June 26, 2014

6:34 – Cavs are official on the clock! Sounds like everyone is saying they’re leaning towards Wiggins, but we’ve got to wait to see!

Pick 1: Cleveland Cavaliers – Andrew Wiggins

6:43 – Last year, Anthony Bennett made history by being the first Canadian player to be picked number 1. Streak continues here with Wiggins. Cavs now have three Canadians (Wiggins, Bennett, Tristan Thompson), so times to load up on the maple syrup!

6:45 – Great fit for the team really. He can defend and get out in transition, while Kyrie and Waiters worry about scoring, and Thompson/Varajao rebound. No other player really fit the team so well at this point. Not to say that Wiggins will be the best player long term, but right now he does everything the team needs him to do. Internal improvement plus offseason additions (not LeBron) should get the Cavs back in the playoffs, especially in the weak Eastern Conference

Pick 2: Milwaukee Bucks – Jabari Parker

6:49 – Another pick that follows the script. The Bucks need everything after their sorry performance last year – including fans. Jabari is a relatively local kid and is an exciting scorer, which are two things that help draw fans. ESPN is saying he compares favourably to Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley. Is there any more broad a range to be put into? He’s also being compared to Paul Pierce which is probably a more accurate prediction. With the Greek Freak and Jabari, the Bucks might actually be exciting to watch for the first time in… Forever?

Pick 3: Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid

6:58 – Unfortunate position for the Sixers. They were hoping Embiid would go first, meaning one of Wiggins or Parker would fall to them. Essentially they had this draft ranked with a three man top tier, and Embiid fell out of that tier with his injury. Despite the various surgeries and medical concerns, they still bring in the 7 foot Cameroonian to pair with Nerlens Noel when they are both healthy. The lack of shooting between these two could cause some problems offensively, but defensively we are going to see a BLOCK PARTY. 7:00 – Keep in mind that Philadelphia’s GM, Sam Hinkie, loves to collect assets and then trade them if he thinks he can get a better return. Look for one (or both) of these big men to get traded before the Sixers are competitive again.

Pick 4: Orlando Magic – Aaron Gordon

7:03 – Gordon has been described by some as Shawn Marion 2.0. Incredible athlete, excellent defender but limited shooter. He might be a “tweener” forward as he will struggle to score from the perimeter, but will be more effective defensively away from the hoop. He’s a great fit for the Magic as he can alternate with Tobias Harris at the forward position, with Oladipo on the wing and Vucevic under the rim.

7:06 – Players with this type of athleticism and skill usually work things out regardless of any perceived issues.

Like @BillSimmons said, the Magic going for a stud athlete in Gordon similar to the Thunder doing the same at No. 4 for Russell Westbrook. — Royce Young (@royceyoung) June 27, 2014

Pick 5: Utah Jazz – Dante Exum

7:10 – A year after taking a point guard who finished third in ROTY voting, the Jazz take…. A point guard? Well to be fair, Exum is more of a point guard in a 2-guard’s body. He’s very similar to Michael Carter Williams, but significantly younger in terms of age and basketball experience. If he can learn to shoot, look for Exum to be a perennial all-star and a max contract type of guy.

Pick 6: Boston Celtics – Marcus Smart

7:17 – Marcus Smart is tough. Every scouting report of Smart begins with that sort of sentiment, along wight he concerns about his character and shooting ability. He’s also an excellent, long on ball defender, has great vision and is an excellent rebounder for his size. It seems that the Celtics have a type – his most similar comparison is Celtic’s PG Rajon Rondo. This pick will allow the Celtics to trade their star point man, and go into a total rebuild around Smart and whatever the return on Rondo is.

7:19 – Another option is to bundle Smart and something else for another star to pair with Rondo. The options are myriad for Boston.

Pick 7: Los Angeles Lakers – Julius Randle

7:20 – One of the most NBA ready players in this draft along with Marcus Smart and Jabari Parker. He fills a huge void in the Lakers’ empty front court, and he will put up huge point and rebound totals alongside Kobe Bryant. The Lakers don’t appear to have any defenders on the roster, and nothing changes with this pick. I understand that with the Kobe contract and persona you have to go in a win-now mode, but I don’t like this pick at all. Unless they get a star free agent, there is no way the Lakers can compete in the Western Conference next season or anytime in the foreseeable future.

Pick 8: Sacramento Kings – Nik Stauskas

7:25 – The first mini surprise of the draft! Noah Vonleh is falling along way, as Woj reported pre-draft:

Noah Vonleh is on the slide in this draft, front office sources tell Yahoo Sports. Best first chance to be picked: Lakers.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 26, 2014

7:26 – Stauskas is an excellent shooter and will help spread the floor around “Boogie”, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas. This pick could definitely be traded, and the Kings’ owner even suggested that they might be shopping it pre-draft. No news of a trade yet and he seems to fit the team well, so maybe they will keep him and trade McLemore instead?

Pick 9: Charlotte Hornets (Bobcats) – Noah Vonleh

7:32 – The slide ends! The man with the second biggest hands ever recorded in the NBA Draft (bigger than Kawhi!) goes ninth to a playoff team.

“@fullcourtprez: Noah Vonleh’s hands pic.twitter.com/tTY1JVMDBG” — . (@noloveandbball) June 27, 2014

This is a great fit for him, as the Hornets have a good defensive coach and also two players who can create their own shots in Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson. He can clean up scraps from them and also help spread the floor around Big Al down low, while making an impact defensively. His length and athleticism will help him become a rim presence on the defensive end – something the Hornets/Bobcats didn’t have last year.

Pick 10: Philadelphia 76ers – Elfrid Payton

7:38 – Okay, so the Sixers use their 10th pick on a point guard who can’t shoot, to pair with their point guard who can’t shoot. With their two top ten picks, they’ve basically picked identical players to what they picked last year – PGs who do everything but shoot and injured big men who slid. If all four of their young guys reach their potential and are able to play together, this team will be unstoppable. Most likely this won’t happen and we’ll see some trades.

Pick 11: Denver Nuggets – Doug McDermott (Traded to Chicago)

7:44 – McBuckets! Denver selects one of the most well rounded offensive players in the draft in McDermott and he has a ready made nickname. An underrated defensive player, McDermott will be able to score at the NBA level immediately, and he could be a dangerous player coming off the bench against second units. I would not be surprised to see him win a Sixth Man of the Year award at some point in his career. There is a lot of crossover in Doug’s, Danilo Gallinari’s and Wilson Chandler’s skill sets, so there could be another trade coming here.

7:51 – OUR FIRST TRADE!!!!!! McBuckets to Chicago for the 16th and 19th picks. Chicago needs some scoring punch to complement Derrick Rose, and you know Coach Thibs will fit him in defensively. This trade also increases the Bulls’ cap space to use on Carmelo Anthony if it comes to it.

The Nuggets acquire 16th and 19th picks from Chicago for draft rights to McDermott. — Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) June 27, 2014

Pick 12: Orlando Magic – Dario Saric

7:53 – Another combo forward for the Magic to pair with Tobias Harris and Aaron Gordon. He was the MVP of the Adriatic League in Europe last season, but has signed a contract to play two more seasons in Europe before he comes over to the US. In classic Euro fashion, Saric is a point forward type player with limited athleticism. He is 6’10” with excellent passing skills and basketball IQ, and will be a match-up nightmare in the NBA. After seeing the success Boris Diaw had in the NBA Finals this season for our San Antonio Spurs, Saric could definitely make an impact for a title winner in the NBA.

Pick 13: Minnesota Timberwolves – Zach LaVine

7:57 – An excellent athelete, and with the potential to be an excellent defender, LaVine seems a strange pick for the T-Wolves. They signed Ricky Rubio to their designated player extension, at the cost of an extra year of Kevin Love, and now bring in a project point guard? I know Minnesota has a love affair with PGs, but this does’t really make any sense.

8:02 – Reports of a trade coming through. Elfrid Payton for Dario Saric straight up? That makes no sense. Waiting for confirmation from somewhere. Maybe I’m just being dumb, but I can’t see anything official yet.

8:03 – Here we go. Tentatively Philly will get the right to swap picks in the future, get their 2017 first round pick back from the Bynum/Howard/Iggy/Afflalo trade and also pick up a second. Nothing confirmed but thats what Twitter says.

Pick 14: Phoenix Suns – TJ Warren

8:05 – TJ goes to the Suns and has the strangest highlight video. All of the shots are terrible decisions, and stupid shots but they seem to go in. Im not sure thats an ideal attribute to have (tough shot taker and maker), but Phoenix seem to be trying to put together the most exciting team possible. Warren has been described as the “Best player you never heard of”. That’s pretty accurate since I know nothing about him, despite pouring over mock drafts for the past week. Forgettable pick, but other than Dragic and Bledsoe, most of the Suns are forgettable right now. Didn’t stop them from almost making the playoffs though. Keep an eye on this pick.

8:09 – Side note on 76ers: Both players they have picked up now (Embiid and Saric) are not expected to play in the NBA next season, but they will have Nerlens Noel coming back from injury as their rookie. Probably a good idea, as you don’t want three rookies all getting into the team at once. Great work from Sam Hinkie.

Pick 15: Atlanta Hawks – Adreian Payne

8:13 – As Bill Simmons said immediately: classic stretch four. The Hawks now have 4 legitimate stretch fours in Pero Antic, Al Horford, Paul Milsapp and now Payne. All three can step out to at least 18 feet, and only Horford doesn’t shoot threes. The Hawks value shooting right now, and Payne can shoot. Surprising not to see Gary Harris go yet, as he fits a few teams, including this one, very well.

8:15 – Finals updates on Philly/Orlando trade:

In the Saric-Payton Jr., deal, Sixers also get back the first-round pick sent to Magic in Dwight Howard deal — likely 2017, source said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2014

Along with Dario Saric, Orlando will send a 2015 second-round pick to the Sixers, league source said.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2014

8:18 – Classy moment from Adam Silver. He announces that the “NBA selects Isaiah Austin” to honour and support him after he discovered he cannot play competitive basketball anymore in his life due to a genetic medical condition. He was expected to be a first round pick, but now will have to give up his dream of playing in the NBA because of Marfan syndrome which was only discovered a few days ago in his NBA medicals. Heartbreaking story, but a kid with the strength to get through something like this will undoubtedly be successful in whatever he does in the future.

Pick 16: Chicago Bulls- Jusuf Nurkic (Traded to Denver)

8:23 – In classic NBA fashion, they refuse to acknowledge any trades until they go through, so Nurkic has to act like he’s going to Chicago and wear the hat even though everyone knows he’s headed to Denver. Nurkic is an upside pick, with the potential to be an excellent NBA starter in the future when he arrives in the US. Interestingly, his father is apparently a 7’1″, 400 pound riot policeman. My daddy’s bigger than your daddy.

Pick 17: Boston Celtics – James Young

8:30 – An exciting prospect for the Celtics, he seems to have slipped down here, but Boston will be ecstatic to pick him up at 17. He’s a good outside shooter who can space the floor, but his ability to drive to the rim when being closed out opens up the whole offensive side of the court for him. He also has the potential to be an excellent defender in the future, he just needs the chance to practice and improve on that end, but the tools are all there. Very similar to Jeff Green, and along with Marcus Smart will bring an excellent winning attitude to the Celtics (not that they desperately need it).

Pick 18: Phoenix Suns – Tyler Ennis

8:34 – Raptors fans all just died a little bit. The only Canadian expected to fall the the Raptors’ pick goes 2 spots earlier, and it looks like he will be an excellent back up guard in Phoenix. His ceiling is probably an average starter, but if he is your first guard off the bench, then you are very happy. He doesn’t turn the ball over, he’s a good distributor and an excellent game manager. Playing alongside one of either Dragic or Bledsoe will allow him to excel as he will be good at everything they struggle with. He’s also an insurance policy incase Eric Bledsoe leaves as a restricted free agent. Phoenix should feel no pressure to match an offer sheet they don’t like for Bledsoe.

Pick 19: Chicago Bulls  – Gary Harris (Traded to Denver)

8:38 -Finally! Denver picks up a 2-guard who is good at lots of things, but not great at anything. The problem is, they just picked up that exact same guy in Aaron Afflalo earlier today. Obviously having a younger (only 19!) cheaper option is preferable, but there is a lot of overlap in the skill set of these two players. I expect Harris to play his career with a HUGE chip on his shoulder, as he was projected to go as early as 9. He is going to kill himself to prove everyone wrong and make all the other teams regret passing on him.  Looks like this trade worked for both teams, as Denver gets better value, but the Bulls fill a huge need while improving their cap condition.

Tim Connelly doing some work today in his first draft as DEN GM.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 27, 2014

Pick 20: Toronto Raptors – Bruno Caboclo

8:48 – WHO?! ESPN’s international prospect expert calls him “the ultimate gamble”, the “Brazilian Kevin Durant” and says he is “two years away from being two years away”. This is a huge upside pick, in the hopes that he can become a superstar, but most likely he flames out. Its probably a little bit early for picks like this, but Toronto loves foreign guys and I guess they feel they need a superstar that they just won’t be able to attract any other way. 8:53 – Please excuse me for not knowing this guy, but then again, not many teams did…

The Toronto Raptors select Bruno Cabocio of Brazil, an intriguing 6-foot- 9 Brazilian forward. Worked out for no teams. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2014

Pick 21: Oklahoma City – Mitch McGary

8:55 – Annoyingly, it seems OKC have nailed this pick. We were hoping for him to fall to the Spurs, but the athletic big man is going to the team who is currently our main rivals to win the Western Conference. McGary is huge and can make an impact off the bench with his hustle, rebounding and athleticism. He’s very similar to Steven Adams, and absolutely will be an impact big off the bench for the Thunder.

8:56 – Final recap for the James Harden trade: Houston receive – Best SG in the league. OKC receive – Steven Adams, Mitch McGary, Jeremy Lamb, and one season of Kevin Martin. LOL.

Pick 22: Memphis Grizzlies – Jordan Adams

9:00 – Shooting guard from UCLA who didn’t test athletically very well, a decent defender, but is a good scorer (note: not a good shooter). This is the most Memphis pick ever. Strong, long, can’t shoot. I don’t know why they don’t just pick a shooter and get the spacing that they desperately crave, but Grizz gonna Grizz. Some people have him as a poor man’s James Harden due to his ability to earn free throws and finish at the rack. It seems to me that the similarities end there, and he is more like a homeless man’s James Harden on a bad day, but what do I know?

Pick 23: Utah Jazz – Rodney Hood

9:05 – One of the biggest fallers. He was invited to the NBA’s Green Room as a projected lottery pick, but he drops at least 8 spots. He is a high character guy who makes good decisions. He won’t win you any games, but he’ll certainly play good minutes and not cost you. Really should have gone at either 21 or 22, but Utah is very happy to grab him at 23.

Pick 24: Charlotte Hornets – Shabazz Napier (Traded to Miami)

9:09 – Rocket and Heat fans’s hearts all just sank about three feet. Napier gets to reunite with his old teammate Kemba, and is the perfect foil to him off the bench. Napier’s court vision, toughness and defense are exactly what Kemba Walker lacks, so excellent fit for Napier.

9:11 – NOOOOOOO. Napier has been traded to Miami, after the heat spent all night trying to move up to grab Shabazz. LeBron is clearly a fan after his tweet earlier this season, so this is both a move to shore up the weak PG position, and a recruiting move to get LeBron back in South Beach. No news what Charlotte is getting back, but I’m upset for them.

9:16 – STOP HELPING MIAMI EVERYONE

Miami will send Charlotte the 26th pick and a second rounder for Shabazz Napier, league source tells Yahoo.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) June 27, 2014

 Pick 25: Houston Rockets – Clint Capela

9:18 – Houston grab a Euro guy to stash, so they can preserve their cap space this year. Cappella had one of the worst highlight tapes I’ve ever seen, so this is probably a throw away pick. On the other hand, Houston and Daryl Morey always seem to grab useful players with late picks that no one else valued (Budinger, Landry, Parsons, Beverley, etc.). Spurs fans had best hope that none of the big name free agents chose to go to Houston this summer, because Harden + Howard + AllStar is a dangerous combination for the rest of the league.

9:21 – Trade Update! Denver also trades Anthony Randolph to Chicago along with McBuckets (11) for Nurkic (16), Harris (19) and a future second round pick.

Pick 26: Miami Heat – P.J. Hairston (Traded to Charlotte)

9:22 – Charlotte pick the D-League player from the D-League through Miami. Hairston has some character issues after being suspended from NCAA play which forced him to go to the D-League instead of the conventional route to the NBA. Had he played in the NCAA, many experts expected him to go closer to the lottery, so this is a high risk high reward pick for Charlotte. He’s an excellent scorer AND shooter which is a great combination for this defensive team. Expect him to get a lot of open shots around Walker and Jefferson.

9:25 – Interesting Subplot: Jalen Rose constantly trying to get a one-liner in before the commercial break in ESPN’s broadcast of the draft on TV. He was firing off the slogans for tanking teams earlier (Riggin’ for Wiggins, Sorry for Jabari, etc.) and now he’s going for NBA cliches (NBA: Where Dreams are Made). Excited to see what else he comes up with. Another underrated reason to love the NBA.

Pick 27: Phoenix Suns – Bogdan Bogdanovic

9:29 – “Bogdan Squared” is a scoring guard from Serbia, and will probably be stashed in Europe for a year or two. He is probably capable of playing in the NBA right now, but the Suns have no need at the moment. He might be a trade prospect in the future, which seems to be exactly the type of player Phoenix likes right now. Also, this:

Whoops. We showed Bojan Bogdanovic video instead of Bogdan. Oversight.

— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) June 27, 2014

Pick 28: Los Angeles Clippers – CJ Wilcox

9:36 – An excellent shooter, and he’ll fit in well with the Clips. The problem is, the Clips don’t need an offensive shooting wing, what they need is either a big man, or a defensive wing. Cleanthony Early was available, and he is a 3&D prospect so that makes no sense. I like it that the Clips don’t make the obviously right move. Helps Spurs’ directly (opponents are worse) and indirectly (Better players available at Spurs’ pick).Clippers gonna Clip…

9:37 – One pick away from the Spurs, and Cleanthony Early AND Kyle Anderson are available. Basically Kawhi Leonard 2.0 and Boris Diaw 2.0 respectively. VERY EXCITED. Buford, please don’t take a random Euro guy, we have enough.

Pick 29: Oklahoma City – Josh Huestis

9:41- Another Pre-Commercial Jalen Rose outburst. No idea what he said, but something about young men in a draft. Thanks Jalen.

9:42 – Why do teams go off board so much? It makes me feel dumb, and I don’t like it. WHO IS JOSH HUESTIS?! Apparently he is a good defender, but is everyone unaware that CLEANTHONY EARLY IS AVAILABLE?! Huestis hasn’t done much offensively (unless WIDE open), but he is projected to hit open shots.

9:45 – Yay Spurs highlights! Yay two players I like available at the Spurs pick. Yay more CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS!

Pick 30: San Antonio Spurs – Kyle Anderson

9:49 – So excited. Easily my favourite player in the draft. Not saying he’s the best, but if you don’t think he’s the best, then you are wrong. Anderson is basically a mal-nutrioned Boris Diaw, and I’m pretty excited about him. He can pass, he can rebound, he can even score a little. His defence leaves a lot to be desired, but the Spurs’ system should cover that up, while his versatility on offense will provide matchup problems for opponents.

9:54 – Okay, end of the first round, and I’m going to bed because it is 3:54 here! Happy with the draft, and excited for the offseason!

#GoSpursGo