Jake Fischer's latest NBA Draft intel is heavy on teams trying to control the board before draft night.
The Pacers are looking for a pick in the 30s, according to Fischer. That would put Indiana back into the early second round after its top selection was conveyed to the LA Clippers through the Ivica Zubac trade. The hard part is that the pick landed at No. 5 in the lottery.
Brooklyn is dealing with a different kind of uncertainty. The Nets are hosting the draft at Barclays Center, and there has been belief in some league corners that they could move their pick. Fischer reported that their actions also point toward genuine interest in Brown. The Nets visited Central Florida to work him out, then hosted him last Thursday.
The Clippers also had a notable workout. Wagler and Flemings competed head-to-head at LA's facility last week, with word circulating that Wagler looked like the better prospect in that setting.
Utah's guard picture is the piece that could ripple near the top. Keyonte George is already headed toward rookie-scale extension talks after a breakout third season, and Fischer reported that the Jazz prize him as an absolute cornerstone. Bailey is viewed as a scoring guard in Will Hardy's system with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen in the frontcourt.
That makes Darryn Peterson's situation more delicate. Fischer wrote that Peterson's camp has as much motivation to avoid positional overlap with George on the team holding the No. 2 pick as it does to chase No. 1 ahead of AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer.
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