The NBA Draft is right around the corner and FortyEightMinutes conducted a Mock Draft with a trade for every pick, including several Donovan Mitchell deals, multiple scenarios where teams trade up into the top-10, and at least one scenario that sees Ben Simmons, LeBron James, and D’Angelo Russell each finding a new team.
Below is an excerpt from the piece which is set to be released later today:
No. 20 – San Antonio Spurs
Spurs, Jazz Agree to Swap Centers
- Spurs get: Rudy Gobert
- Jazz get: No. 20, Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson
The Jazz don’t have a selection in this draft but they move Rudy Gobert in this scenario to get in on the action. The franchise add the No. 20 overall pick with retooling the roster around Donovan Mitchell in mind. Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), Jalen Williams (Santa Clara), and Blake Wesley (Notre Dame) are some possibilities for the franchise.
For the Spurs, losing Johnson and Poeltl hurts given the progress each has made while under Gregg Popovich’s tutelage. Gobert significantly raises the ceiling, however. Pairing him with Murray provides San Antonio with a path to rise up the standings in the Western Conference without mortgaging the future of the franchise.
