Some positives that I came away with from last night:
- The Celtics dodged a bullet with Memphis jumping to #2. Because the Lakers had jumped, otherwise Memphis would have conveyed their pick to us at #9. Now, they'll get a chance at a great guard prospect, which might nudge them to trade Conley and invest in the youth movement. I don't expect them to be good, regardless. Gotta be excited about that Memphis pick either next year or the year after.
- Don't mind the Pelicans landing #1. If you're AD, are you really changing your mind about leaving because of the opportunity to play with a 19-year-old phenom? Those two are on two different timelines. Not saying Griffin can't pull it off, but the odds are stacked against him. The Pelicans now have a chance to take Zion and whatever else they can get from an AD and instantly reboot their franchise. This was a "get of AD free" card, in that they're guaranteed to put butts in seats next season no matter what.
- Are you scared of the Lakers packaging #4 and whatever else to land AD? I'm not. That Ingram medical issue is huge from my perspective. And never underestimate the power of a spurned owner. No matter who the GM is, they'll search far and wide before dealing with the Lakers after last season's fiasco.
- Similarly, do you think the Knicks #3 plus Kevin Knox beats whatever the Celtics can put together? Yeah, me neither.
I still think the most likely outcome of this summer is that Kyrie re-signs and the Celtics trade for AD.