Looking at the lottery

So, after that draft lottery, we finally have a set order. Enes Kanter could go 2-5, although the fourth pick seems to be the early favorite. Brandon Knight could go as high as three, although going to the in the 5+ range seems likelier.

Here’s my ultimate thoughts, before we go any further: there’s still over a month to go before teams actually make a decision. Enough can change, from player rankings (Derrick Williams seems to be rated higher than Kanter right now, but that could flip, and the Kemba/Knight decision seems to be a difficult one right now but could be solidified after workouts) to trades if a team feels the need to move up. With that said, here’s a look at some possible destinations for Kanter and Knight.

1) Cleveland – Kyrie Irving seems to be locked in here.

2) Minnesota – Probably Derrick Williams, with a very outside shot of Enes Kanter. They have Kevin Love at the center spot, but he’s not guaranteed to be their long-term big man.

3) Utah – Could they go Kanter? Maybe, even though they already have Derrick Favors. Sam Amick of SI says they should be looking to find a point guard of the future because Devin Harris won’t be that, meaning Brandon Knight could, theoretically, jump here. No. 3 seems high, but two of the five ESPN writers in a recent draft article said Knight is the third-best prospect in the draft, and Chad Ford said today on Bill Simmons’ podcast that Knight is one of those guys a couple teams feel is a “big-time prospect” and worth going after. (UPDATE: Chad Ford’s Mock 2.0 does indeed have Knight going here.)

4) Cleveland – Probably the likeliest destination for Kanter if he isn’t off the board, assuming they don’t try and swap this pick for some immediate help. (UPDATE: Ford’s Mock also has Kanter here.)

5) Toronto – Definitely a place Kanter could end up, and I see this as the farthest Kanter would fall down the board. Their front court still needs to replace Chris Bosh, although point guard is also a need, making this a possible landing spot for Knight.

6) Washington – This was a team that could have really used a high pick for Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter (plus the added joy of seeing Wall/Kanter paired up and trying to figure out just how much we can consider them ex-teammates, because that’s what it would have seemed to be). They probably won’t end up with a UK product for a second consecutive year, however, as Kanter figures to be off the board and Knight won’t be replacing John Wall.

7) Sacramento – The Kings are looking for a point guard to help get an offense featuring Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins flowing. Could be a landing spot for Brandon Knight — if that happens, three-fifths of the lineup could be Calipari-produced.

8) Detroit – They have Rodney Stuckey, but he may be moving to an off-ball position, meaning Knight could go here.

9) Charlotte – Nope.

Knight should be gone by that point, considering he got a top-10 guarantee.

Me, personally? The word Cleveland makes you shudder, but considering he could be paired with Kyrie, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kanter go there. As for Knight, I would like a Sacremento destination, if only to see how Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus and Knight meld together.