So after the trade by the Washington Wizards to acquire a pair of front court veterans, it's a slam dunk that they will draft Florida Gators guard Bradley Beal with the No. 3 overall pick right? Not so fast, there is always the possibility that the Charlotte Bobcats could snatch Beal right out from their grasp. That is what Sports Illustrated NBA writer Sam Amick is projecting in his latest mock draft.
If Beal goes at No. 2 to the Bobcats, who would the Wizards take? Amick predicts that if that happens, the Wizards will select Kansas Jayhawks forward and Washington, D.C. native Thomas Robinson with the No. 3 pick.
3. Thomas Robinson, Kansas, Jr., 6-9, 244
The Wizards made a major move on Wednesday, acquiring small forward Trevor Ariza and center Emeka Okafor from New Orleans in exchange for small forward Rashard Lewis and a second-round pick. It's a win-now type of trade that could have a ripple effect on the draft. With Ariza now in town as a potential starter, the Wizards could pass up Kentucky small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who was slotted here before the trade. Ariza, like Kidd-Gilchrist, is a very good defender, so the Wizards might opt for Robinson's two-way impact. I was told early in this process that the Wizards were big fans of the D.C. native, and he could wind up being the guy despite some duplication here as well. Washington drafted a forward last year in 22-year-old Jan Vesely, but he's a very different player from Robinson. He'd have to share time and touches with Okafor and center Nene, but it could work.
While selecting Robinson with the pick is a decent enough idea, it causes a log jam in the front court with players like Ariza, Okafor and Nene, so there is the question about whether or not the Wizards would want to draft another forward when they just traded for a pair of them.
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