After Wednesday's reported news of Harrison Barnes most likely falling to Cleveland at No. 4, it does change a lot of things in the draft, especially for the Sacramento Kings.
Although our mock draft conducted by Evan Sidery indicated the Kings getting Thomas Robinson and Cleveland getting Andre Drummond, it looks like with the Barnes' news could mean the Kings could get Drummond instead, right?
Nope.
Although the belief is the Kings getting a big man in this draft to pair with DeMarcus Cousins, ESPN Insider indicates that Sactown could be looking at other options instead to help at the perimeter. Tyreke Evans could be dealt this off-season, so Sacramento looks to pair someone with Jimmer Fredette.
The Kings have rumored interest in guys like Barnes, Bradley Beal, and Darius Johnson-Odom, according to Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones. However, with Barnes and Beal most likely gone before the Kings can nab at them with the fifth pick, they may trade up.
The Kings could be willing to trade up to the second pick held by the Charlotte Bobcats or third held by the Washington Wizards to get Beal, who is believed to be that Ray Allen-type sharpshooting guard in the draft. He is the best-rated guard and some scouts say he is the best player behind Anthony Davis.
If the Kings want the second or third pick, they could throw in Evans in there. This also means that Sacramento could be having a lot of faith in Fredette, who didn't have such a good rookie campaign. However, with two solid shooters in the backcourt with him and Beal, it could be deadly.
Then again, there is a chance the Kings can have Barnes fall to them, which is why they met up with Johnson-Odom Thursday morning. ESPN Insider has a theory:
So what's all this mean? For one, it could be the Kings getting a better look at Barnes in the event that he drops to them. They would then have to decide if he's worth taking ahead of someone like a top-rated big man like Thomas Robinson or Andre Drummond. Secondly, it could be a sign that the Kings have interest in Johnson-Odom with their pick early in the second round (No. 36).
If Sacramento is unable to get a trade done, and Barnes and Beal are off the board, I expect Sacramento most likely selecting Drummond then.
According to Shaun Powell of NBA.com and ESPN New York, the Hornets are willing to deal the 10th pick along with Emeka Okafor or Trevor Ariza.
Okafor has been dealing with knee problems all last season and it could continue into next season. He also had a big contract, with about $28 million left over two years. The Hornets also got Trevor Ariza, who hasn't been so great either, who has about $15 million left over two years.
If New Orleans can deal one of those two, it can really take off a lot of stress for them as they are looking to move on from the Chris Paul era and looking anew with Eric Gordon and Davis leading the way.
But the question is, who would take Okafor or Ariza? Many teams would be willing to take the risk, as long as they get the 10th pick with it.
I believe one team that can take a chance are the Los Angeles Lakers, who had been in trade talks with New Orleans before during the vetoed CP3 trade. However, in order for Los Angeles to get Okafor or Ariza, they will need the Hornets to take Pau Gasol in return.
The Lakers look like they can be fine with either guy. Ariza used to play for the Lakers and he made huge impact, especially in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. He can help the need at small forward as well and can help take the load off of Kobe Bryant.
Okafor wouldn't be a bad of an option, either, although the money says otherwise. However, if he is able to stay healthy, him and Andrew Bynum could be dominant in the post down-low. Along with that, Los Angeles gets the 10th pick! Getting a guy like Perry Jones III or a guard like either Jeremy Lamb, Damina Lillard, or Austin Rivers could fill a void as well.
It's going to be a crazy NBA Draft with such a deep class of players, as the rumors keep piling on!
Josh Dhani is the founder of FootBasket. He also contributes at Hoops Authority and Eight Points Nine Seconds. You can read more about him at his website. Follow him on Twitter @joshdhani.
