Bleacher Report held a mock draft with a five-year sampling of talent from 2019-2023.
They ranked Toronto Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes as the 9th best player in this time period. They had the Atlanta Hawks drafting him.
Each franchise got one pick and the team order was determined by regular-season winning percentage over the last five years.
Barnes was ranked just behind Oklahoma City Thunder’s big man Chet Holmgren, but he was ranked ahead of Houston Rockets young star Alperen Sengun and Thunder’s Jalen Williams.
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report talked about why he had Barnes taken with the No. 9 pick:
“Sticklers for perfect fits won’t love the Atlanta Hawks pairing Trae Young with Scottie Barnes. Tough noogies.
Barnes attempted (3.9 per game) and made (38.5 percent) enough of his catch-and-shoot threes this past season to provide real stretch in the frontcourt away from the ball. Classifying him as plug-and-play goes a bridge or county too far. But he’s more malleable as a complementary option than often credited. This team will have him screen for Trae.
Independent of roster fit, Barnes feels the player on the board with the highest ceiling. LaMelo Ball, Evan Mobley, Alperen Şengün and Jalen Williams all received consideration. Each of them might wind up having a more elite signature skill.
But Scottie checks more all-at-once boxes. His defense has improved under head coach Darko Rajaković, he’s reading and reacting to coverages much better as a passer, and his on-ball floor navigation allows him to attack in various ways and score from different levels.
If you believe in the jumper, as I do, this pick makes you feel pretty good.”
Given the amount of talent Barnes has and his tremendous upside, this ranking makes a lot of sense.
Barnes had a big third year with the Raptors showcasing that he’s just getting started when it comes to his long-term potential in the league.
Sasha Vezenkov signs five-year contract with Olympiacos Piraeus
After some negotiation, the Toronto Raptors and Sasha Vezenkov came to terms on a buyout, allowing him to return overseas.
Vezenkov has now inked a five-year, €18.5 million contract with Olympiacos Piraeus that could go up to €20.5 million with bonuses. This makes him one of the highest-paid athletes in EuroLeague, per BasketNews.
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