Tonight in the NBA Draft, Isaac Okoro has a chance to go to several different franchises. Today Fly War Eagle discusses how the former Auburn basketball star fits on each.
Fomer Auburn basketball star Isaac Okoro will live out his dream tonight when he is selected for the NBA Draft. What will be the setting for his first season in the Association? That’s the (multi) million-dollar question.
Either way, the War Eagle wants to see Okoro spread his wings and fly. What teams will best enable him to do so?
We rank the teams most likely to:
10. Atlanta Hawks
Just last year, the Atlanta Hawks used two lottery picks on bringing on scoring-first swingmen in Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter. It’d be somewhat surprising for them to make a move for Okoro, considering their reported interest in Gordon Hayward.
9. Chicago Bulls
Chicago seems like another odd fit even though they–like the Hawks–should probably just go for the best fit and figure out the rest later. Unfortunately, Otto Porter and Zack LaVine will directly limit the ceiling of the former Auburn basketball star.
8. Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets were far more respectable than both the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls in 2019-20, but their small forward of the future still appears to be Miles Bridges. Things could change, but Charlotte isn’t a place to grow into a superstar.
7. Detriot Pistons
The Detroit Pistons already feature a similar athlete to Okoro in Sekuo Doumboya, but Okoro would be another versatile athlete that can help Detroit maintain credibility if they can ever bring in topline talent around them.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
As much as Okoro makes sense from a lineup-fit perspective, the reality is that the Wolves are not going to reach that much for a first overall pick. End of story.
5. Phoenix Suns
The Suns became a far superior squad Monday when they acquired Chris Paul in a blockbuster deal. There are still holes on their roster, but as long as they have Paul and Devin Booker in the backcourt, Phoenix is a great place to get buckets at the rim. Okoro could be a high-flying lob threat.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland does have Kevin Porter Jr. on the roster, but upgrading to Isaac Okoro would more than likely help keep the team in a closer playoff position. Okoro’s raw abilities can translate to a ready-made role in the Cavs’ starting lineup.
3. Washington Wizards
John Wall, Bradley Beal, and (more than likely) Davis Bertans could use a versatile wing to supplement a starting lineup that could include Rui Hachimara and Thomas Bryant (for now).
2. New York Knicks
With R.J. Barrett, Kevin Knox, and Frank Ntilikina, the New York Knicks have a solid core that can use a versatile wing like Okoro. With Tom Thibodeau as the new head honcho in the Mecca, Okoro could see big minutes if he can earn a starting forward role.
1. Golden State Warriors
There is not a single better possible destination in the NBA lottery than the Golden State Warriors. That goes for anyone, but it especially goes for Okoro. He can conceivably start on day one if Steve Kerr downsized his lineups and went small with Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins in the frontcourt alongside the former Auburn basketball star.