5. Cleveland Cavaliers, Obi Toppin, F, Dayton
In search of a dynamic forward to pair alongside their two young guards in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, Dayton’s Obi Toppin could find himself staying in Ohio to start his NBA career.
Cleveland still has Kevin Love in the frontcourt, and Andre Drummond could opt-in to his $28.7 million player option for next season, but that might not matter in deciding whether to select Toppin. If Deni Avdija is off the board, the 2020 National College Player of the Year, Toppin, is the heavy favorite to be selected by the Cavs. John Hollinger of The Athletic recently wrote, “I’ve heard two names with Cleveland: Obi Toppin and Deni Avdija. That’s it.”
6. Atlanta Hawks, Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
After falling two spots in the lottery, the Atlanta Hawks find themselves just outside of the top 5 in this year’s draft. However, they are still in a strong position entering this offseason as one of the few teams with cap space to be aggressive in free agency and trades. With a young core of Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela, Atlanta is looking for complementary pieces to catapult them into the playoffs next season.
Their best bet in the draft – if they don’t trade up/down or for a veteran player – could be to select a polished guard like Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton. With Trae Young playing lead guard, it’s important to find players who can excel without the ball in their hands and Haliburton is one of the better catch-and-shoot prospects in the lottery.
7. Detroit Pistons, Patrick Williams, F, Florida State
The Pistons are under new management. Former Thunder executive Troy Weaver was hired as the new GM over the summer and his first big decision in Detroit will come with the 7th overall pick.
Based on the reporting so far, I expect them to take Florida State’s Patrick Williams. The versatile forward has seen his stock rise over the past several weeks. He’s everything you want from a modern forward, with size, strength, and versatility in matching-up against different positions on defense. He projects to be a 3-and-D player in the NBA. He would be a solid addition for Detroit.