Yes, I do realize that the Denver Nuggets took Emmanuel Mudiay in the lottery of last year’s draft and I also realize that Wade Baldwin out of Vanderbilt plays the same position. However, you can never have too much quality depth and Baldwin could be the steal of the draft.
Baldwin showed in college that he can be a dynamic scorer and playmaker, though he may not be a guy that’s going to single-handedly carry an NBA team. As such, slotting him into a sixth man-ish role off of the bench in Denver is highly intriguing and something that I think the Nuggets would be wise to pursue if he’s there at No. 19.
One of the European prospects who might not be getting as much love as he should as of right now is Furkan Korkmaz out of Turkey. The shooting guard has the look of a player that many teams should be jumping at during this time of the pre-draft process, but most of the league seems pretty mum about him. That probably shouldn’t be the case, though, and the Pacers would be wise to nab him if he’s there at No. 20.
The 18-year-old wing has great size for his position at 6-7, but has also shown that he can shoot the ball from the perimeter with solid effectiveness when he’s been on the floor overseas. For an Indiana team in need of outside shooting throughout the roster, they could develop Korkmaz and he could be a real asset moving forward in the organization.
Next: No. 21 Hawks, No. 22 Hornets