2016 NBA Draft Needs: Southwest Division

Though it has long been one of the most competitive and trophy-holding divisions in the NBA, the Southwest Division will be undergoing a slight renovation in 2016-17, and that tide change begins in the 2016 NBA Draft. The New Orleans Pelicans have the opportunity to put another young piece next to Anthony Davis. The Memphis Grizzlies have a mid-round selection to stock the cupboard as they dive into rebuilding mode around aging veterans. At the top of the division, the San Antonio Spurs, as trusty as death and taxes, come ready to add another young player to their increasingly-young nucleus.

No team in the division has a particularly strong history of drafting well, and most of the teams have discarded the draft almost completely in building their teams. If you’re looking for trade candidates, the teams of the Southwest Division seem like solid bets to be answering the phones come draft night, with a decent basket of second-rounders at their disposal as well. Fun is what we’re all here for, right?

Dallas Mavericks

Picks: No. 46

Positional Needs: PF, C

Potential Targets: Diamond Stone, PF/C, Maryland; A.J. Hammons, C, Purdue

One of the more natural marriages of player and team appears to be Diamond Stone and the Mavs; at this stage in Dirk Nowitzki’s career, he needs several guys around him willing and able to defend and rebound. Stone will do both right away, and has the tools to improve as a pick and roll threat. Hammons is intriguing in Carlisle’s system because of his experience as four year college player. Perhaps that sort of toolsy, experienced talent is what Carlisle needs to be persuaded into relying on a young guy right away.

Houston Rockets

Picks: No. 37 (from New York), No. 43

Positional Needs: PG, PF, C

Potential Targets:

Pick 37: Ben Bentil, PF, Providence; Dejounte Murray, PG, Washington

Pick 43: Stephen Zimmerman, C, UNLV; Kay Felder, PG, Oakland

While the Rockets will surely have their own set of problems come July (five rotation players are eligible to hit free agency), their roster is tantalizing in its schematic congruency and positional variety. They want efficient shooters and able defenders, but not necessarily both at once. I really like Bentil at No. 37 for Houston; the time they generally give their young guys to develop will be perfect for his defense and body to mature. At No. 43, they’ll have the opportunity to clean up on whichever position they missed out on at No. 37, with the second round obviously built largely around team need and preference. With both picks so close, they’ll be picking from the same pool at each spot.

As a matter of personal preference, I think they should take and keep players at both spots. With decision time looming on both Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones, it makes sense for them to give more time to guys like K.J. McDaniels, Montrezl Harrell and Sam Dekker next year while using this draft to replace them at the end of the bench.

Memphis Grizzlies

Picks: No. 17, No. 57 (from Toronto)

Positional Needs: SG, SF

Potential Targets:

Pick 17: Wade Baldwin IV, PG/SG, Vanderbilt; Timothe Luwawu, SG, Mega Leks

Pick 57: Caris LaVert, SG, Michigan; Perry Ellis, SF/PF, Kansas

With their needs being on the wing for the millionth year in a row, the Memphis Grizzlies actually lucked into two good spots in the draft based on how the prospects fall in line this year. In the middle of the first round, there are several guys who can be two-way players on the wing. You could add Taureen Prince and Malcolm Brogdon to the two guys listed above and have four comparable players to choose from if you’re the Grizzlies staring down the seventeenth pick in a balanced draft.

At No. 57, they’ll have the benefit of picking any number of high-upside guys who fall. Caris LaVert seems a perfect match, considering he’ll likely fall, but his compatibility with what the Grizzlies like to do is impossible to ignore. If he overcomes foot issues and becomes a poor man’s Khris Middleton for them, that definitely moves the needle. Perry Ellis is representative of the kind of safe pick they can fall back on if they decide to try at it a few more times with the current core; he can play right away.

New Orleans Pelicans

Picks: No. 6, No. 39 (from Denver), No. 40 (from Sacramento)

Positional Needs: SG, SF, C

Potential Targets:

Pick 6: Jamal Murray, SG, Kentucky; Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma; Jaylen Brown, SF, Cal

Pick 39: Patrick McCaw, SG, UNLV; Rade Zagorac, SF, Mega Leks

Pick 40: Michael Gbinije, SG, Syracuse; Diamond Stone, PF/C, Maryland

You’ll see a couple trends throughout this list — first, the need for a playmaking wing, which is one that coach Alvin Gentry did not shy away from discussing during his year-end media appearances and second, the need to replace SG Eric Gordon with a more defensively talented player. Along those lines, a player like Buddy Hield makes a lot of sense, and has been praised by Pelicans fans since the moment his ascent and the team’s descent seemed to coalesce perfectly into their potential partnership.

At No. 39, Rade Zagorac makes a lot of sense to inject some youthful talent into the wing rotation. He’s more of a scorer than most of the guys the Pelicans have tried at that spot in recent years, and get covered for defensively by a lot of guys on the roster. They have back to back picks and may very well look to move one of their second rounders.

San Antonio Spurs

Picks: No. 29

Positional Needs: C

Potential Targets: Cheick Diallo, C, Kansas; Chinanu Onuaku, C, Louisville; Thon Maker, C, Athlete Institute

The Spurs’ lack of size and strength down low was made a mockery of during their second round disappearance against the Thunder. They survived the departure of Tiago Splitter during the regular season, but the descent of Tim Duncan into basketball twilight left a frontcourt rotation of Boris Diaw, David West and LaMarcus Aldridge to handle the bludgeoning they took at the hands of Steven Adams and the rest of the Thunder bigs.

This is the time to cash in and spend small on a young player who can revitalize the San Antonio bench. Boban Marjanovic was nice, but his skill set still doesn’t quite fit what San Antonio needs, Pop didn’t play him when it counted, and he’s about to get paid by another team. The guys listed above will need a ton of work, but the Spurs staff have shown themselves capable of teaching raw players. If one of these guys could get polished up in time to contribute while Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard are still at their peaks, the Spurs will be the happiest of campers.