26. Dallas Mavericks: Trey Thompkins, PF, Georgia, Junior: The Mavericks need one thing, and one thing only: youth. Yes, their veterans and wealth of experience is what propelled them into the NBA finals, but in order to maintain their position as a Western Conference power house, they will need some fresh legs. Lucky for them, they can’t mess that up with essentially any pick in the draft, and with no real back up to Dirk Nowitzki, Trey Thompkins will bring them the perfect combination of youth and rest for their superstar. His ability to stretch the floor with his shooting range will also fit in very nicely with the Mavericks’ offensive system.
27. New Jersey Nets: JaJuan Johnson, F, Purdue, Senior: As first team All-American, Johnson is definitely an NBA ready player. He may never be an all-star or a big minutes type player, but in terms of his value at 27, he’s definitely worth the “risk.” His ability to play both forward positions makes him appealing for any NBA team, and his 6-foot-10-inch frame, paired with his athleticism will make him a matchup nightmare for most defenders, even at the NBA level.
28. Chicago Bulls: Kyle Singler, F, Duke, Junior:
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJWPASQZqLc
29. San Antonio Spurs: Jeremy Tyler, PF, USA, 1991: I think that Tyler ends up going much higher than this, as NBA scouts and GMs are beginning to remember why this kid went pro after his junior year of high school. He may have some character issues, but with how talented and skilled he is, they shouldn’t be anything too difficult for the best coach in the NBA, Gregg Poppovich to work out of his personality.
30. Chicago Bulls: Nolan Smith, G, Duke, Senior: