Fansided

2019 NBA Mock Draft: When trades enter the equation

By Brendon Kleen

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 25: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans stands on the court during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Smoothie King Center on February 25, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Philadelphia 76ers won the game 111 - 110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 25: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans stands on the court during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Smoothie King Center on February 25, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Philadelphia 76ers won the game 111 - 110. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 15
Next
Gonzaga Final Four
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 28: Gonzaga forward Brandon Clarke (15) celebrates a dunk during the NCAA Division I Men’s Championship Sweet Sixteen round basketball game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Gonzaga Bulldogs on March 28, 2019 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

86. . F/C. Gonzaga. Brandon Clarke. 10. player

This is a fit we’ve been on a for a while, but (sarcasm font) maybe this here mock draft is growing a little more rapidly than even we believed. Take it from The Athletic draft writer Sam Vecenie:

"“This remains my favorite fit in the entire NBA Draft. In my opinion, Clarke was one of the three best players in college basketball this season, a dominant two-way force who was efficient on offense and a terror defense. Because of that, he complements Karl-Anthony Towns perfectly. He’s a monster coming over from the weak side as a shot-blocker, something Towns has struggled with in his career. His intelligence coming over in help would be of significant value when a team pulls Towns away from the basket. Clarke can legit play away from the basket at the 4 defensively at the NBA level, in addition to potentially the 5 in smaller lineups. On offense, Towns’ elite level shooting ability would complement Clarke’s current development on that side of the floor.”"

And we’ll add this — we don’t know yet what new coach Ryan Saunders’ modus operandi will be on either end of the floor. From the first time we saw Towns on a NBA court, we marveled at his ability to switch on defense. Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden paired Towns with Taj Gibson in the years since, but as new president Gersson Rosas makes his mark on the franchise, you can bet the lessons he learned about small ball in Houston will drive his decision-making.

No player available to Minnesota in this part of the draft or in free agency would help that plan along better than Clarke.

Check out our full scouting report on Brandon Clarke.

Home/Golden State Warriors