23) Indiana Pacers—Danny Wolf
With the 23rd pick in the NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers should look to go big to solidify their front court. Myles Turner has held down the center spot in Indiana for 10 seasons, and he will be a free agent this summer. While he could very well be re-signed, if another team makes a big offer, then the increasingly expensive Pacers may be forced to walk away from the negotiating table.
That increases the need for them to look at their options in the draft when it comes to big men. Based on that, they should strongly consider drafting Danny Wolf of Michigan.
Wolf has turned heads this season with his size at 7 ft, his terrific rebounding, impressive court vision, and ability to score both inside and out. Having both size and skill is still valuable for big men, and while there are some flaws in his game, namely his turnovers, perimeter defense, and questions surrounding his shooting, there is still enough to like about Wolf.
He displays strong footwork in the post and shows
enough shooting touch to suggest that he can be a stretch five. If he can, then he'd be a solid choice for the Pacers.
24) Orlando Magic (via Grizzlies)—Will Riley
Illinois forward Will Riley flashes significant potential given his ability to fit a potential role in the NBA. At 6-8, his size, length, and defensive versatility give him 3-and-D potential.
His 3-point shot tends to come and go with him being aggressive taking threes, but the results are not always consistent. He got off to a blistering start in his first nine college games, shooting 50% from deep on 5.1 attempts per game, but shot just 32.6% from three on the year on 4.1 attempts.
Riley also showed off more of his playmaking skill as the season wore on. That adds an interesting facet to his game combined with his height at 6-8. It's unclear how much he will play with the ball in the NBA, with him projected to play more off-ball given his ability as a cutter and hopefully more consistent 3-point shooting.
However, it hints at more untapped potential for Riley. The Brooklyn Nets should certainly hope so, with them projected to select him in this scenario. They probably won't use all four of their first-round picks in this year's draft, but if they do, then don't be surprised if Riley ends up becoming a Net.