Alabama Basketball: How NBA Lottery results impact Kira Lewis’s future
By Dakota Cox
One Alabama basketball player was watching the NBA Lottery results closely.
For the first time since Collin Sexton, there is a chance for an Alabama basketball player to be drafted in the NBA Lottery. As soon as Kira Lewis declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, many said that he was likely going to be a first-round pick. With the results of the lottery official, what are Kira’s odds of being drafted in the first fourteen picks?
There was significant movement in the NBA draft order, so the likelihood of Kira being drafted early went up. A few specific moves impact his future the most, including what happened to the New York Knicks.
The Knicks slid down to the eighth overall selection. This is the absolute ceiling for Kira Lewis. He likely will go later, but there is a minuscule chance that he lands in New York.
Chicago and Charlotte slid up into the first four picks, making it highly unlikely that either team will draft Lewis. For all intents and purposes, you can knock them off the list of potential destinations.
The most likely destination in the lottery for Kira Lewis is the Boston Celtics at pick No. 14. Since Memphis lost the lottery, this pick was traded to Boston. The Celtics have a lot of money invested in the point guard position, but he would be a great fit in their offense.
Another sneaky team is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs aren’t known for building through the NBA Draft Lottery, but they will be picking in the teens in 2020. Kira could be the future in San Antonio.
What if Alabama basketball’s Kira Lewis falls out of the lottery?
If he’s still available, look for the Orlando Magic to draft Kira Lewis at pick No. 15. Point guard is a position of need for the Magic in the future, and they are young at just about every other position. He could play a depth role early in his NBA career before becoming a starter.
Outside of that, it just depends on who values Kira Lewis the most. You usually don’t draft late in the first round for need. You take the player who is most likely to contribute in some level. If you need a role player, you can address it in free agency.
Waiting for a player to be drafted will hopefully become the norm for Alabama basketball fans. Nate Oats and Bryan Hodgson are a powerful recruiting duo, and they develop the talent as well.
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Some team is going to snatch up Alabama basketball’s child star. Kira is young enough to have a lot of upside, and he has experience as a primary ball handler. It will be interesting to see where he goes.