NBA Mock Draft Pick #22 -- Erick Green, Guard, Virginia Tech
We have a trade to announce:
The Orlando Magic have traded Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, and Andrew Nicholson for to the Brooklyn Nets in echange for Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and the 22nd pick.
SB Nation's Magic blog Orlando Pinstriped Post explains the pick:
With the 22nd pick in the 2013 SB Nation NBA Mock Draft, the Orlando Magic select Erick Green from Virginia Tech University.
Green helps the Magic in a number of ways: he'll improve the offense from the get-go, and he can play either guard position. Orlando needs a young point guard whom it can develop over the course of its rebuilding project, and Green is the best fit of any still left on the board.
In his final two years at Virginia Tech, Green really filled it up, averaging 20.4 points per game and shooting 38.3 percent on three-pointers. As a senior, he averaged nearly one free-throw attempt for every two field-goal attempts. In other words, he's a versatile and creative scorer.
Green also provides playmaking, with an assist rate of 27 percent as a senior. He'll need to cut his turnovers at the NBA level, and he doesn't project as a future star, but he's nonetheless capable of giving the Magic stability for years to come at what is now their weakest position.
Orlando also considered North Texas forward Tony Mitchell with this selection. Assistant General Manager / Director of College Scouting Tyler Lashbrook provided invaluable sight.
SB Nation's Magic blog Orlando Pinstriped Post explains the trade:
Trading Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, and Andrew Nicholson for Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and the 22nd pick in the Mock Draft was an easy call for the Orlando Magic to make. While Davis and Afflalo are valuable in their own ways--in addition to their scoring, they're both veteran leaders on a young, rebuilding team, and Davis even serves as a co-captain--they are owed approximately $36 million over the next three seasons. Orlando need not commit so much long-term money to players who, even when at their best, are only slightly above-average. Humphries offers great production, particularly as a rebounder, but he won't clog Orlando's long-term cap sheet.
Meanwhile, Brooks can take on a larger role with Orlando than he had with the Nets--even if he's coming off the bench in relief of Ben McLemore, the second overall pick in this Mock Draft--and the Magic will certainly need his shot-getting ability as they brace for another losing season.
Parting with Andrew Nicholson wasn't easy after a sneakily productive rookie campaign, one in which he led his team in points per minute. However, there are questions about how much he'll improve--he's already 23--and how his slight frame and awkward gait will affect his development at the NBA level. The emergence of Tobias Harris at power forward after February's trade with the Milwaukee Bucks made Nicholson less essential to the Magic's rebuilding effort. The benefits of clearing long-term salary and obtaining the 22nd pick in this Mock Draft outweighed the cost of losing, in Nicholson, a productive and efficient young player.
As a result of this trade, the only salary on the Magic's books for the 2014/15 season is the $2 million guarantee for Jameer Nelson, plus whatever amount for which they buy out Al Harrington. All of Orlando's other players will be on rookie contracts with options which the team can exercise as it pleases. The Magic can then use their gobs of cap space to seek free-agent signings or big-name trades. The key to building a team is finding a superstar, and with none available in this Mock Draft, the Magic elected to make a money-saving deal so that they'll be ready to strike when the right superstar opportunity presents itself.
SB Nation's Nets blog NetsDaily explains the trade:
The main reason this trade works for the Nets is because they are
built to win-ish now, with Johnson, Williams, Lopez and Wallace on the
books for three more seasons. They have no cap space and no young
assets, which makes a major blockbuster trade difficult to pull off.
They can't trade Wallace or Johnson, and they won't trade Williams or
Lopez. What my thinking was, improve the bench by adding Davis and
Affllalo, who can provide the offense in the second unit that Hump and
Brooks couldn't. In fact, the Nets get two players who started last
season for the Orlando Magic and scored 15-plus points per game, and
Nicholson, a young player with plenty of ability -- who arguably could
turn out to be better than anyone available at No. 22 in this year's
draft.Once Gorgui Dieng went off the board, there didn't seem to be a player
who fits the Nets needs -- a big who can come in and play right away.
It's not a perfect trade for the Nets, but given their window and need
to upgrade the bench, it worked for me. Does it work for the NetsDaily
readers? Well... #FireLorenzo.
More: Full NBA Draft Coverage
SB Nation Scouting Report: Erick Green
Updated 2013 NBA Mock Draft Board:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: NERLENS NOEL
2. Orlando Magic BEN MCLEMORE
3. Washington Wizards OTTO PORTER
4. Charlotte Hornets ALEX LEN
5. Phoenix Suns VICTOR OLADIPO
6. New Orleans Pelicans TREY BURKE
7. Sacramento Kings ANTHONY BENNETT (for Philly)
8. Detroit Pistons C.J. MCCOLLUM
9. Minnesota Timberwolves KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE
10. Portland Trail Blazers RUDY GOBERT (For Phoenix)
11. Philadelphia 76ers MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (For Sacramento)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder CODY ZELLER
13. Dallas Mavericks SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD
14. Utah Jazz DENNIS SCHROEDER
15. Milwaukee Bucks SHANE LARKIN
16. Boston Celtics GORGUI DIENG
17. Atlanta Hawks GIANNIS ADETOKUNBO
18. Atlanta Hawks MASON PLUMLEE
19. Cleveland Cavaliers SERGEY KARASEV
20. Chicago Bulls (for Phoenix) JAMAAL FRANKLIN
21. Utah Jazz KELLY OLYNYK
22. Brooklyn Nets (For Orlando) ERICK GREEN
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns
2. Orlando Magic BEN MCLEMORE
3. Washington Wizards OTTO PORTER
4. Charlotte Hornets ALEX LEN
5. Phoenix Suns VICTOR OLADIPO
6. New Orleans Pelicans TREY BURKE
7. Sacramento Kings ANTHONY BENNETT (for Philly)
8. Detroit Pistons C.J. MCCOLLUM
9. Minnesota Timberwolves KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE
10. Portland Trail Blazers RUDY GOBERT (For Phoenix)
11. Philadelphia 76ers MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS (For Sacramento)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder CODY ZELLER
13. Dallas Mavericks SHABAZZ MUHAMMAD
14. Utah Jazz DENNIS SCHROEDER
15. Milwaukee Bucks SHANE LARKIN
16. Boston Celtics GORGUI DIENG
17. Atlanta Hawks GIANNIS ADETOKUNBO
18. Atlanta Hawks MASON PLUMLEE
19. Cleveland Cavaliers SERGEY KARASEV
20. Chicago Bulls (for Phoenix) JAMAAL FRANKLIN
21. Utah Jazz KELLY OLYNYK
22. Brooklyn Nets (For Orlando) ERICK GREEN
23. Indiana Pacers
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Minnesota Timberwolves
27. Denver Nuggets
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Oklahoma City Thunder
30. Phoenix Suns
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