4 months agoWith the 13th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat have selected Kentucky guard Tyler Herro. Herro’s NBA role should be as an off-ball shooter, as he can shoot from three and from the midrange. While his long range shooting wasn’t actually that stellar in his one season as a Wildcat, he has the potential to be a
Joe Harris-type player, a guy who can get to the basket at times but will mainly be used out on the perimeter. Herro isn’t a hugely intriguing prospect, but Miami can use shooting, so he should be able to carve out a role off the bench as a rookie, making him worthy of a late round fantasy pick if you need shooting. He doesn’t have a very tall ceiling, though.
--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 months agoTexas Longhorns center Jaxson Hayes was taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Hayes averaged ten points and two blocks a game last season for the Longhorns. The size and athleticism of Hayes are tremendous as he is six foot eleven inches with solid lateral quickness. Hayes will be used as the rim protector in the Pelicans defensive scheme to allow power forward Zion Williamson to play more of a free safety roll on defense. This should translate to Hayes being a guy that gives fantasy players a solid amount of blocks. In addition, Hayes shot 74 percent from the free-throw line last season so he won't hurt fantasy players in that category like many shot-blockers do. Going into the draft one of the Pelicans bigger holes was the center position so fantasy players especially those in dynasty leagues should expect Hayes to get plenty of chances to shine.
--Matt Sparkington - RotoBallerSource: Matt Sparkington
4 months agoThe Atlanta Hawks selected Duke forward Cam Reddish with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Arguably a top-five pick, the former Blue Devil averaged 13.5 points and nearly two steals per game throughout 36 games on a team that was loaded with talent. Maturity is an issue at the moment as well as a lack of efficient shooting from beyond the arc, but he will have a chance to develop (and start) on a Hawks team that will be rebuilding for the foreseeable future. Keep an eye on him, especially in dynasty formats and if he is floating around towards the later rounds of drafts this fall.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Brian Lewis
4 months agoThe Phoenix Suns have selected Cameron Johnson with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Suns were originally projected to pick a point guard at six overall, but felt the need to trade back after sending their pick to Minnesota for
Darioread more...
4 months agoWith the ninth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards have drafted Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura. With Gonzaga, Hachimura was a strong offensive option near the basket and in the mid-range, but there are questions about if he can do more offensively, especially in terms of stretching his game out to the perimeter. His defense is a bigger question mark, and it’ll be interesting to see where he fits onto an NBA team. He has a great wingspan, but was mainly a three in college, while he’ll have to play the four as a professional due to his lack of shooting range. Hachimura has room to develop, but he’s not a great fantasy option right off the bat next season on a Wizards team whose outlook is really difficult to understand. Take a wait and see approach with Hachimura until we see how the Wizards will use him.
--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
4 months agoThe Chicago Bulls have selected UNC point guard Coby White with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The freshman thrived as North Carolina’s top facilitator, leading the team to a number one seed in the March Madness tournament. Coming in at 6’5”, White has great size for his position and has a quick step off the dribble which makes him a threat to get to the basket, especially in transition. White is one of the most complete point guards in this draft, yet has an immense amount of potential under the surface once he starts playing with higher level teammates. The Bulls are not an ideal landing spot for White, but they do give him the opportunity to prove himself as they have seen, essentially, the peak of
Kris Dunn. White should pair up well with high-flying guard
Zach LaVine in a run-and-gun offense. White’s fantasy value is limited due to a potential timeshare, but is worth a late-round flier in season-long leagues.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 months agoThe Minnesota Timberwolves selected Texas Tech guard Jarrett Culver with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Timberwolves acquired this pick on Thursday from the Suns in exchange for the 11th overall selection and forward
Dario Saric. The sophomore was impressive throughout his two seasons in college, averaging 14.9 points over 75 games. He is a very capable scorer, especially in isolation situations and can defend multiple positions while on the floor. His shooting will need to improve, which could hinder his fantasy appeal in category leagues, but he will have the chance to gain significant minutes for a Minnesota team that is looking to go younger this upcoming season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Brian Lewis
4 months agoThe Cleveland Cavaliers have drafted Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland with the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. This is the second year in a row that the Cavaliers have gone point guard, but expect Cleveland to play both Garland and last year’s pick,
Collin Sexton, together in the backcourt. Garland played in just five games for Vanderbilt before a knee injury ended his college career, but in that time he averaged 16.2 points per game while attempting 4.6 threes and making 47.8 percent of them. Garland can play both on and off the ball, and his long term outlook should see him be the main offensive option for Cleveland, though he’s likely to cede a lot of ball-handling duties to Sexton early on, hurting his value in fantasy re-draft leagues. Garland’s small college sample also makes projecting a lot of things a mystery. Will he keep up the shooting efficiency? Will he display more aptitude as a passer? There are definite risks here, but a lot of upside.
--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 months agoVirginia Cavaliers small forward De'Andre Hunter was taken with the fourth pick in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter will provide the Hawks with a solid spot-up shooter to compliment their star point guard
Trae Young. Last year Hunter averaged 15.2 points and five rebounds a game while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. The main strength of Hunter and an added benefit to the Hawks is his stellar defensive play. Last season Hunter won ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The Hawks had the third worst defensive rating last season so Hunter is filling a big need for them. Also, the Hawks had the fastest pace of play so Hunter should get plenty of opportunities to produce for fantasy players especially in the counting stats. Hunter could be a solid late round value in redraft leagues. If you are drafting in dynasty leagues Hunter should be taken very early as the Hawks view him as a cornerstone of their franchise for the foreseeable future.
--Matt Sparkington - RotoBallerSource: Matt Sparkington
4 months agoThe New York Knicks have selected Duke freshman guard R.J. Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Barrett, the top recruit in the 2018 high school class, thrived in the shadow of Zion Williamson at Duke. The Canadian-born freshman received ACC All-freshman and All-ACC first team honors in his only year at school. Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and drew comparisons to former NBA player Michael Redd. Barring the Knicks acquiring a max player via free agency, Barrett will immediately step into a major role in New York's offense. Barrett will need to increase his outside efficiency in order to increase his fantasy value, but he should be prioritized in the mid-to-late rounds unless the Knicks shake up free agency.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
4 months agoBy trading away
Mike Conley, the Memphis Grizzlies opened the door to make Murray State point guard Ja Morant their point guard of the future, selecting him with the second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Morant dazzled NBA scouts and fans with a triple-double
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4 months agoOn Thursday, the New Orleans Pelicans made official what had been expected since the lottery, taking Duke forward Zion Williamson with the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He’ll join a revamped Pelicans team that no longer features their former star,
Anthony Davis, and
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4 months agoThe Phoenix Suns have traded
T.J. Warren and the 32nd pick in this year's NBA Draft to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for cash considerations. In Warren, the Pacers add a young player who averaged 18 points per game last year while shooting 42.8 percent on 4.2 three-point attempts per game. Warren can be a solid role player for the Pacers, and with rumors swirling that
Bojan Bogdanovic might not be back in a Pacers uniform next year, Warren can slide into the starting lineup if necessary to provide the team with a solid wing option. His fantasy value should be on the rise, as he's now looking at a solid role on a good team instead of an uncertain role on a Suns team that seems to be in flux right now.
--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 months agoThe Memphis Grizzlies have finally traded their long-time point guard,
Mike Conley, sending him to Utah in exchange for
Grayson Allen,
Jae Crowder,
Kyle Korver and a pair of first-round picks. Allen is the big headliner of the deal for the Grizzlies, as the other two players are likely to play smaller roles or, in Korver's case, possibly no role in Memphis. But Allen, a first round pick last year, was a strong college player at Duke, and while he struggled from deep last year, shooting just 32.3 percent from three on 2.6 attempts per game, he was a strong shooter coming into the league. Memphis will hope he regains that, and as the team enters a full rebuild, Allen should get plenty of run off the bench to prove it. He's a rising fantasy option, though that's mostly because he had virtually no value on a Jazz team that was looking to win now.
--Justin Carter - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 months agoOn Wednesday, the Utah Jazz acquired point guard
Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for
Grayson Allen,
Jae Crowder,
Kyle Korver and a pair of first-round draft picks. While Conley's never made an All-Star team,
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