5 burning questions about the NBA Draft

With the NBA draft set for Thursday night in New York and a plethora of storylines to follow going in, Joseph Casciaro and Blake Murphy tackle five burning questions.

1. What should the Cleveland Cavaliers do?

Casciaro: Draft Andrew Wiggins

A healthy and concern-free Joel Embiid would have been impossible to pass on, but with the injured big man seemingly out of the equation, Wiggins has to be the guy. The Canadian swingman may not be the can’t-miss phenom everyone hoped for coming out of high school, but he’s still a freak athlete with immediate NBA defensive ability and tremendous all around upside. Jabari Parker is considered the most NBA-ready but has a lower ceiling than Wiggins - and reportedly tanked his Cleveland workout to get to Milwaukee, for God’s sake - Dante Exum is tantalizing but ultimately too much of an unknown to take No. 1 in such a loaded draft, and other big names like Vonleh, Gordon, Randle and Smart aren’t quite in the Wiggins/Parker/Embiid tier.

Murphy: Trade the pick

Look, Joel Embiid was their guy. They don't feel they can take him at No. 1 anymore, and they continue to sound split between Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins, with an owner mandate to win in the near-term. Passing on Parker and/or Wiggins is obviously tough, but if they really aren't in love with either guy, there have reportedly been some substantial offers for the pick, ones that would allow the Cavs to add a helpful piece for right now while only sliding a few spots, perhaps letting them nab Embiid later. That's a best-case scenario, but trading the pick may allow David Griffin to have some cake while Dan Gilbert gorges himself.

2. What shouldn't the Cleveland Cavaliers do?

Casciaro: Draft Parker just because he’s more NBA-ready

First of all, Parker may be the most offensively NBA-ready prospect at the top of the board, but Wiggins’ defense is just as ready for prime time. Nevertheless, even if Parker is the most all-around NBA-ready player in the Draft, the Cavaliers are in the dicey situation they find themselves in right now because of short-sighted moves like drafting for immediate impact over long-term impact. If Parker is actually the player they feel will be the best pro long-term then so be it, but drafting the Duke product simply because they feel he can make the greatest impact in years one and two would be an oh-so Cleveland mistake.

Murphy: Draft someone for any reason other than “He's the best player”

Parker is more NBA-ready and can fill holes on offense this year? Wiggins can defend right now and is a trade-off between Embiid and Parker? Stop. If you keep the pick, you take the player who you feel will be the best player, full stop. Save for point guard - and even then, Kyrie Irving has played in two-guard lineups - the team isn't set at any one position. It's the No. 1 pick. Take the No. 1 player.

3. Which prospect faces the largest potential draft range?

Casciaro: Dario Saric

The dynamic 20-year-old Croatian forward was probably the most likely prospect to crash the Embiid-Wiggins-Parker-Exum-Vonleh-Gordon-Randle-Smart party, but with news that he’s signed a new three-year deal with Anadolu Efes in Turkey that won’t see him join the NBA until at least the 2016-17 season, his range is unpredictable. On one hand, if a general manager believes Saric is the best player available, then he should select the 6-10 forward and be happy to come away with a valuable asset for the future, which could even be used as an intriguing trade chip over the next couple of years. On the other hand, not many GMs of lottery teams and middle of the pack teams have the kind of leeway that can see them waiting around for a couple of years just to get an NBA look at their 2014 pick. He could conceivably go as high as No. 10 to Philly if the Sixers decide two top-10 picks gives them some room for risk with a draft-and-stash type, or he could fall out of the top-20 all together.

Murphy: Kyle Anderson

Saric is probably the right call, but for conversation's sake, Anderson is surely the type to endear some scouts and drive others crazy. He does so many things well - score, penetrate, read the floor, create for teammates - but is limited defensively and, most importantly, has to be used correctly. As a hypothetical, is a team with Mike Brown as a coach going to get 10 percent of his value out of Anderson? Of course not. Given that he'll only fit certain systems and organizations, and that he's an odd positional fit and such a difficult player to project, it seems teams would be polarized on him, which significantly widens his draft range.

4. Which team is most likely to trade up?

Casciaro: Orlando

The Celtics, Suns, Bulls and Sixers - basically any teams with multiple first round picks - are all options here, but I’ll go with the Magic, who not only have a chance to move up, but might have the best chance to trade into the No. 1 pick. A Magic offer of the No. 4 pick, No. 12 pick and Arron Afflalo reportedly interests the Cavs, who would get a solid, two-way veteran in the deal while still having two lottery picks in a loaded draft class. If Cleveland thinks along the same lines as Blake does about trading the No. 1 pick being its best option, then Orlando might be the best bet.

Murphy: Chicago

The Bulls want a star, or they want a top shooter, or they want a more attractive trade chip. All of those things are true to varying degrees, and the Nos. 16 and 19, while appreciable in a draft this deep, are probably better leveraged as, say, a top-12 pick. That gets them into the mix for the draft's elite shooters, lets them boast a lottery pick to sell and, failing either of those, slightly limits the cap hold on the books, keeping a few extra ducats open in free agency.

5. What is your "bold prediction" for the night?

Casciaro: The Suns make a big move

When the Suns were expected the tank the season, the 2014 draft was supposed to be the night it all became worth it as they stole the show with one of the top picks and three first-rounders in total. A 48-win campaign promptly negated the possibility of a top pick, but they do still own three first rounders this year at Nos. 14, 18 and 27, additional future first rounders from the Lakers and Timberwolves (The Minnesota pick could become two second-rounders instead of a first), big time trade assets in Goran Dragic and restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, and a boatload of cap space beginning this summer. In other words, sunny Phoenix appears primed to initiate a blockbuster trade involving a star name, so if we’re getting bold, let’s say the Suns make a big splash on draft night - just not the kind they envisioned they’d be making at the beginning of the season.

Murphy: Rajon Rondo gets traded

The Boston Celtics want Kevin Love badly, but if they can't get that done - and all indications are they can't, right now - Danny Ainge isn't the type to accept another year of mediocrity. This team has a few bad contracts left on the books, their prospects aren't game-changers and their picks in this draft (Nos. 6 and 17), while nice, may not be franchise-altering alone. My guess, and again we were asked for something bold, is that failing to get Love pushes the C's the other way, and they move Rondo on draft night.