NBA Mock Draft Pick #10 -- Rudy Gobert, Center, France
We have a trade to announce:
SUNS TRADE:
MARCIN GORTAT
TRAILBLAZERS TRADE:
DRAFT SELECTION #10
JOEL FREELAND
Contributors from both SB Nation's Suns blog Bright Side of the Side and Blazers blog BlazersEdge explain the pick and the trade:
Dave King from Bright Side of the Sun explains why Phoenix wants this pick:
Phoenix needs to get younger - a lot younger - at every position. It's truly time to reboot, and you can't do that with a 29-year old center on the final year of his contract. So, Phoenix replaces Gortat with the longest guy in the history of "length". NBA Draft Insider Kris Habbas has Gobert ranked in the top 10 with a potential to defend the paint like the great Dikembe Mutombo once did. Gobert is a prospect, but the Suns have to try for the highest potential at a position so tough to fill on the basketball court: the center position.
Why Blazers did trade via BlazersEdge:
The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, need a veteran starting center. All the guys in this draft are too young and shaky to help immediately. This year's free agent market brings centers that are either old, unsuitable, or not affordable. The best of them are restricted free agents with their current teams likely to match. The Blazers don't have assets to trade for an established center either.
Marcin Gortat is the Applebee's of starting centers, doing a wide variety of things, none of them distinguished. But hey, he's moderately priced and you won't starve. Since the Blazers are starving at center, he fits the bill. Gortat played better when surrounded by good players, which he would be in Portland's starting lineup. The Blazers should be able to make more of him than the Suns did last year.
Just as importantly, the 2013-14 cap hit for Freeland and the 10th pick totals $4.8 million. Gortat's salary is $7.7 million. The Blazers get a capable starting center losing less than $3 million in cap space, keeping all of their core players in the process. Factoring in cap holds, this leaves the Blazers right around $50 million. They still have room for an $8+ million offer to a 6th man this summer. Adding a legit starting center and a legit 6th man using only $13 million total cap space isn't just a smart move, it's damn near wizardry. That's well worth the 10th pick in a flat draft.
Updated 2013 NBA Mock Draft Board:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: NERLENS NOEL2. Orlando Magic BEN MCLEMORE3. Washington Wizards OTTO PORTER4. Charlotte Hornets ALEX LEN5. Phoenix Suns VICTOR OLADIPO6. New Orleans Pelicans TREY BURKE7. Sacramento Kings ANTHONY BENNETT (for Philly)8. Detroit Pistons C.J. MCCOLLUM9. Minnesota Timberwolves KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE10. Portland Trail Blazers11. Philadelphia 76ers12. Oklahoma City Thunder13. Dallas Mavericks 14. Utah Jazz 15. Milwaukee Bucks 16. Boston Celtics 17. Atlanta Hawks 18. Atlanta Hawks 19. Cleveland Cavaliers 20. Chicago Bulls 21. Utah Jazz 22. Brooklyn Nets 23. Indiana Pacers 24. New York Knicks25. Los Angeles Clippers 26. Minnesota Timberwolves 27. Denver Nuggets 28. San Antonio Spurs 29. Oklahoma City Thunder30. Phoenix Suns