ESPN Says Gary Harris a likely lottery pick after declaring

gHost Spartan wrote:IT seems like there are 50 underclassmen declaring.

Those talks could be revived, sources say. They present a thorny dilemma for Denver. The Nuggets have made Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray untouchable, and they are out of surplus future first-round picks, though they still have their own. That leaves Gary Harris and some intriguing, but unproven, young guys: Juancho Hernangomez, Malik Beasley, Trey Lyles, Will Barton (not so young at 26) and Tyler Lydon.

You'd assume the Pacers would want Harris and a lightly protected Nuggets pick. Harris is eligible for an extension now, and most executives expect him to command about $20 million per year -- only $4 million less than Love's average salary. Love is better than Harris, and he's under contract for at least two more years; he has a $25.5 million player option for the third year, 2019-20, and given his age and injury history, it's not crazy to imagine Love picking it up -- and for the Nuggets to be fine with that. Very few player options hit that sweet spot. (I'd still wager on Love cashing in on a long-term deal at that point.)

But Harris is six years younger than Love, at a position where talent -- and especially two-way talent -- is scarce. This is not an easy choice, given the defensive limitations of a ground-bound Love-Jokic frontline and the gap between that version of Denver and the Warriors.

If the Nuggets yank Harris out, it's hard to find a deal that satisfies the Pacers unless Denver throws in two picks. If Denver bows out, it's hard to find a realistic third team for Cleveland.

SeeRockCity wrote:

gHost Spartan wrote:IT seems like there are 50 underclassmen declaring.

One and done system is stupid. Needs to change. But hey, Europe is getting a lot of free coaching out of the deal.

SawGreen wrote:

SeeRockCity wrote:

One and done system is stupid. Needs to change. But hey, Europe is getting a lot of free coaching out of the deal.

Which direction would you like to see it change?

aualum06 wrote:

SawGreen wrote:

Which direction would you like to see it change?

Either go or 3 years of college

SawGreen wrote:

aualum06 wrote:

Either go or 3 years of college

Not everybody goes or can go to college. Seems like an age limit is more appropriate (prolly, in which case, parents will hold their kids back in high-school even more).

aualum06 wrote:

SawGreen wrote:

Not everybody goes or can go to college. Seems like an age limit is more appropriate (prolly, in which case, parents will hold their kids back in high-school even more).

So give them the option to go pro straight out of high school. If they choose college have to stay at least two years

aualum06 wrote:

SawGreen wrote:

Not everybody goes or can go to college. Seems like an age limit is more appropriate (prolly, in which case, parents will hold their kids back in high-school even more).

So give them the option to go pro straight out of high school. If they choose college have to stay at least two years

SawGreen wrote:

aualum06 wrote:

So give them the option to go pro straight out of high school. If they choose college have to stay at least two years

aualum06 wrote:

So give them the option to go pro straight out of high school. If they choose college have to stay at least two years

Unless they flunk out. I'm considering your position, but you haven't made one. Should a person in a "free" economy pay consequences because they chose to attend an institution of higher education when they didn't have the skills to succeed there?

I can't see any equitable options other than age limits or no age limits.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:You can declare for the draft once you graduate HS, or you can elect to go to college and not declare. If you do not declare, you are not eligible to re-enter the draft until your HS graduating class is 3 years removed OR if you graduate college early. Boom.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:You can declare for the draft once you graduate HS, or you can elect to go to college and not declare. If you do not declare, you are not eligible to re-enter the draft until your HS graduating class is 3 years removed OR if you graduate college early. Boom.

SawGreen wrote:

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:You can declare for the draft once you graduate HS, or you can elect to go to college and not declare. If you do not declare, you are not eligible to re-enter the draft until your HS graduating class is 3 years removed OR if you graduate college early. Boom.

I'm listening. What is the rationale for the 3 years?

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:

SawGreen wrote:

I'm listening. What is the rationale for the 3 years?

Ask the NFL.

I just think if a player wants to go to college, they should go to college. I'm sick of college basketball being a minor league for the NBA. If they don't want to go to college they should not have to. They can play in the NBADL (if they get drafted), or train on their own if they're not good enough, or play overseas if they're not good enough. If they're not good enough to get drafted but don't want to go to college, let them train and try again the next year.

And just like the Warriors, the Nuggets built an offensive juggernaut largely through the draft without needing a top-five pick. Like Draymond Green, Jokic was a gem found in the second round back in 2014. Talented guard Jamal Murray was the No. 7 selection in 2016, and Gary Harris was a sweet-shooting steal at No. 19 in 2014. Kenneth Faried was the No. 22 pick in 2011 during the Masai Ujiri regime.

It’s incredibly difficult to draw the types of defensive assignments that Harris typically gets without committing a lot of fouls. But just like Leonard did in his fourth season, Harris has collected more steals than fouls so far this year, a feat that only elite defensive shooting guards and small forwards generally manage.