2018 NBA Mock Draft: The lottery is done and the order is set

As I mentioned in the last section about the Clippers, their versatility is their biggest strength right now, in the checkbook as well as on the court and in the locker room. There is no leader in place, no albatross contract (outside Danilo Gallinari’s movable deal), no hierarchy on the court. Bridges helps in that regard as well.

But the bigger question for Los Angeles’ future is what they can do with their extra first-rounder with so many free agents who have L.A. connections on the market this summer. If they can use their draft assets to coax a player to join the organization, or acquire the player who coaxes that star himself, they have to do it. With Doc Rivers, Steve Ballmer, Jerry West and Lawrence Frank calling the shots, the team is engineered to compete in the short-term.

Trading Blake Griffin made it easier for the Clippers to free enough cap space to pay a star such as Paul George, Kawhi Leonard or LeBron James. It also gifted them another lottery pick to cash in for talent. Those reporting on James’ decision-making believe he will be more enticed to move to a new team if there is a player like George or Leonard waiting to join him. Tobias Harris and Patrick Beverley aren’t doing it, but if those guys, along with these picks, can turn into a better player or create a more flexible situation, maybe that’s the difference in the Clippers walking away with a star this July.

And if not, well, there are a lot of solid prospects, including Bridges, who can move the reset another year into the future, when Los Angeles will likely add another lottery pick and this year’s picks could be promising players rather than imaginary assets.