Labaron Philon has been traveling all over during the pre-draft process to work out for teams left and right. With just two weeks to go until the NBA Draft, there's still not a great consensus on where the star Alabama guard is going to end up. He could go as high as the Top 10 with the Dallas Mavericks at No. 9 likely being his ceiling. He could also slide out of the lottery to around No. 19 to the Toronto Raptors.
Two of the most likely suitors for Philon have been the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10 and the Miami Heat at No. 13. But those picks are in flux at the moment because of the potential for a blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
Most believe the Bucks will trade their superstar forward between now and the NBA Draft, which could ultimately have a major impact on Philon. That was noted by CBS Sports expert Adam Finkelstein in his latest mock draft.
Labaron Philon's NBA landing spot could be impacted by a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
Finkelstein's draft projection has Philon going 13th to the Heat, but he's quick to note how the pick works on multiple fronts:
"Philon has been linked to both Miami and Milwaukee, so this works on multiple levels. If Miami keeps the pick, he helps them address their uncertainty in the backcourt. If it gets moved to Milwaukee in a potential Giannis deal, the Bucks seem plenty interested as well," Finkelstein writes.
Most experts believe that if Giannis gets dealt to Miami, part of the trade would include the No. 13 pick. That could mean Philon is destined to end up in Milwaukee regardless of whether the Bucks take him at No. 10 or if the Heat make the pick on behalf of the Bucks at No. 13.
Philon has worked out for the Bucks in the pre-draft process. The appeal to going there would certainly be higher with Giannis there, but regardless of whether it's the Heat that ultimately acquire him, it seems likely that he's played his last game with Milwaukee.
That could mean Philon is one of the faces of the Bucks' rebuild, though they will undoubtedly acquire a couple of talented players along with draft picks in any potential Giannis deal.
Before Philon even hears his name called, he could already be being used as a bargaining chip for what would be the biggest trade of the offseason.
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