NASCAR returns to Daytona for the second and final time in 2015, as the Coke Zero 400 tries to land a few more drivers in this year’s Sprint Cup Chase. Joe Lagano stole the first race on this track earlier in the year, Tony Stewart has dominated the event (four wins) and Kyle Busch won the last big race. With potential contenders coming from every angle, Sunday’s Coke Zero 400 is arguably the perfect race for this point of the auto racing year, as well as the Fourth of July weekend.

With all that said, there are some clear favorites and some interesting sleepers to track if you’re planning on doing any racing betting. Let’s break the Coke Zero 400 down and see who might be the best bet to win it all:

The Odds

Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the way with the best Coke Zero 400 odds (8/1 odds to win it all), as he’s been crushing it on this track and even won a race here in 2014. Earnhardt Jr. also won the pole and will start ahead of the other drivers. Earnhardt Jr. only has one win on the year, but the starting point and his success at this track make him a really solid bet. He’s not alone at the top, though, as Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon (10/1) have the next best odds, while Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Martin Treux Jr are all packed in with 12/1 odds.

Johnson is one of the top favorites, as he narrowly lost his last race and historically bounces back after tough losses. He’s also one of the best drivers in the pool and is on a track that plays to speed. That naturally makes him a great pick, as well as teammate Jeff Gordon. Logano is another favorite, as his lone 2015 victory came at this track earlier in the year and he’s steadily been on the rise. Busch just finished second place behind his brother in the most recent race, too, so he’s another guy NASCAR bettors will be considering when conducting betting this weekend.

The Sleepers

Casey Mears is the top sleeper for the Coke Zero 400 this year, and it’s not even close. He has the second best average finish (roughly 12th place) on this track (behind only Earnhardt Jr.) and also has awesome odds (75/1) if you’re chasing a steep return on your bet. If you’re looking for someone with better odds per the sports books, though, you’ll want to consider other sleepers like Austin Dillon (40/1 odds), Greg Biffle (40/1) and Ryan Newman (40/1 odds).

The Pick: Jeff Gordon

While all eyes are going to be on Jimmie Johnson rebounding or Dale Earnhardt Jr’s positioning (and average) pushing him to success, I’m taking Gordon. He has the most active wins on this track (six) and with this year being his career swan song, I think he’s a sneaky pick anytime there is enough logic to support him. The odds don’t hate that logic, either, since he’s right behind Earnhardt Jr. with 10/1 odds.

In an NBA era where many teams still choose not to develop talent and just land the best, big name free agents they possibly can, the Orlando Magic are opting to go their own way. The Golden State Warriors did that and it got them an NBA title, so with a little hard work, perhaps it can work for Orlando, too.

The Magic took another step towards improving this week by keeping on with a guy they already knew, when they signed forward Tobias Harris to a new four-year, $64 million contract. Harris entered free agency as a restricted free agency and was thought by many to be on his way out of town. Part of that reasoning was Harris not necessarily being a good fit with new head coach Scott Skiles, who previously worked with him with the Milwaukee Bucks. Skiles was still with the Bucks when the team traded him to the Magic in 2012.

That rift has been or will have to be mended, as Harris is now a big piece of what the Magic are going to try to build as they move forward. A solid (albeit inconsistent) offense and porous defense keeps a versatile forward that can play out on the wing or bang down low on either side of the court. Harris is an underrated piece to the puzzle, and while his return clouds the future of second-year big man Aaron Gordon, his presence undoubtedly helps the Magic stay the course.

The question, of course, is where do the Magic go from here?

Well, it sounds as if the Skiles vs. Harris narrative was a tad over-played, as Harris admitted his relationship with his former and current head coach is actually “great”. That obviously bodes extremely well for all parties involved, as the Magic now have an extremely young (but also extremely talented) core of players. Harris should slide right back into the starting lineup, likely at the three spot, with Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo, Channing Frye and Nikola Vucevic rounding out the starting five.

While Orlando has been an inconsistent bunch in the past, Harris provides solid scoring (17 points per game a year ago), can stretch the floor as a shooter and rebounds and passes well. Harris hasn’t really been the problem, though. The team as a whole lacks a killer instinct on offense at times and defensively has zero discipline. That’s where defensive mastermind Skiles comes in, and with Harris back in town he has one more capable body to work with.

None of this means the Magic are the new Warriors and a title is probably still years down the road. However, with one of their top scorers back and the rest of their young team learning under a coach that won’t tolerate laziness on either end, this Magic squad could finally threaten for a playoff spot again.

The NBA still waits for LaMarcus Aldridge’s decisions, but one other huge name is ready to end his run in free agency. Per reports, big man DeAndre Jordan is ready to announce that he’ll be leaving the Los Angeles Clippers to play for the Dallas Mavericks. The deal is expected to be a four-year pact worth roughly $80 million.

Jordan sat through a 4.5 hour meeting with the Mavs yesterday and clearly liked what Mark Cuban and co. had to say, and it looks like he’ll be joining the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons in Dallas. For a team that finished seventh and made the NBA playoffs last year, landing Chandler is a solid get that could launch them into title contention. Jordan isn’t a total lock to seal the deal in their bid for another championship run, though, and Dallas can’t be done working on their roster if they want to get there.

Chandler Out, DJ In

This was a big move for two reasons. Jordan is obviously a heck of a talent and at 26 years old represents a fantastic long-term investment at one of the most crucial positions in the NBA. Jordan has his issues with free throws and won’t be sinking mid-range jumpers, but he’s an alley-oop and put-back machine and could be a terror with the pick-and-roll. Just as important, he’s a menace on defense, as he can clean the glass, block and alter shots and lay a body when he has to. The second part is just as key, as the Mavs let the older and less reliable Tyson Chandler walk (he signed with the Phoenix Suns), firmly putting all of their eggs in the DJ basket. It worked out in the end, and instead of having a huge hole to fill, the Mavericks can feel great about their post game and start improving the roster elsewhere.

The Kicker

So, why Dallas? Los Angeles could have offered Jordan more money and it’s a place he knows and loves, but there were two big things he wasn’t a fan of. One was an apparent rift with star point guard Chris Paul. Paul supposedly questioned his work ethic and drive when it came to improving his awful free throw shooting. DJ took that personal and playing with the ultra competitive CP3 may have taken it’s toll in general. Even bigger may have been the fact that the Clippers have tons of offensive weapons and Jordan’s offensive role was basically limited to alley-oops and put-backs. In Dallas, he’ll supposedly have a much larger role.

Impact in Dallas

It’s fair to wonder what an expanded offensive role means for Jordan. At 26, he still has a high ceiling and it’s entirely possible more attempts at the rim end up showing him to be a fantastic offensive player. Then again, he can’t shoot very well and is even worse at the charity stripe, so this could go, oh, so horribly. The floor isn’t that low, though, especially because there is a ton of good he brings to the table – especially if he actually puts in the work to cure his free throw problem.

The big question, though, beyond Jordan’s statistical impact or exact role, is if his presence hypothetically dramatically changes the Mavs’ playoff and/or title odds. Considering we saw a banged up Thunder squad barely miss out on the playoffs last year, I’m not sure anyone in a super stacked Western Conference is ever going to be “guaranteed” anything. One thing we do know, though, is that Dallas was a terrific offense a year ago that paired it’s up-tempo game with a horrific defense. Jordan can help keep that offense flowing, while giving the defense a mean streak that Tyson Chandler maybe offered at a less consistent rate.

But Jordan can’t be the final piece in free agency. He’s an upgrade on Chandler for 2015 and beyond, but if he’s their last big move, they’re not going to ascend much higher than the 7th spot from a year ago. Nowitzki can score still but he’s aging fast and Chandler Parsons is more of a solid role player than a superstar. This team still needs a true point guard and they lost a ton of offense with Monta Ellis going to Indiana. They need another legit scoring presence (unless they truly believe DJ is a 20+ ppg guy) and they need a reliable point guard (Devin Harris and Raymond Felton aren’t it).

Cuban and the Mavs are turning down the right path and this is a great move, as it cripples the Clippers and bolsters their own front line. With Wesley Matthews also likely in the fold, the Mavs creep closer to becoming the team they were trying to be when free agency starter. They could now be one more big move from leaping out in front of the entire Western Conference.

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the worst offensive teams for the past several years. On Thursday afternoon, Larry Bird and co. took a positive step toward making sure that is a thing of the past.

Per reports, former Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Monta Ellis has agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth roughly $44 million. The deal reportedly has a player option for the fourth year.

Ellis is a potential bargain buy for an anemic Indiana offense that struggled even when star forward Paul George was healthy. In a bit of a transition, the Pacers appear to be moving away from their bigs (David West and Roy Hibbert) and attempting to work toward a faster, more up-tempo offense. Landing Ellis is a terrific start, and the former Mavs star should slide into the starting lineup as the top shooting guard.

Ellis averaging over 18 points per game in each of his two seasons in Dallas, but his 2014-15 numbers were even more impressive due to a fairly crowded Mavericks roster. Despite having to share the ball with the likes of Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki, Ellis still excelled as a key offensive piece.

Indiana will be hoping the 29-year old can do precisely that and more, as Ellis will be leaned on heavily to score the ball and possibly even lead the offense at times. A quality combo guard, Ellis is more than capable of directing an offense as a lead point guard, and could spell starting point guard George Hill at times. The addition of Ellis also helps Indiana from a depth perspective, as C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey (if re-signed) can operate comfortably from the bench. If all goes well, the Pacers would then have two offensive gunners off the bench and could have a more well-rounded offensive attack.

Ellis has never had any trouble getting to the rim and he has arguably some of the best mid-range game in the league, but the Pacers may have to wonder what they’ll get out of him as a perimeter shooter and defender. Ellis is not an elite three-point shooter, and though he has the athleticism to defend, has never consistently defended at a high level. Of course, with the Pacers coaching and Paul George helping out, that could change as more is asked out of Ellis.

For now, Pacers fans don’t have to worry about the negatives of adding Ellis, as his offensive talent far out-weighs any problem areas he may have. Indiana badly needed to get quicker and more explosive on offense and they did just that by bringing in Ellis. They can’t stop there, though, as Roy Hibbert no longer looks like a fit in their system and they’ll need to replace West in some manner. Considering the Pacers missed out on the NBA playoffs a year ago, they could still be a ways away from making it back. A healthy Paul George and Monta Ellis are a good first step, but Larry Bird and co. can’t be done yet.

For one day, the Milwaukee Bucks’ front office powers were better than the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. Making a move they had to make to keep up with an active Eastern Conference, Milwaukee landing stud big man Greg Monroe, formerly of the rival Detroit Pistons.

No longer feeling welcome in Detroit, “Moose” was a lock to leave the state of Michigan in free agency and decided to take his talents to Mil-town, rather than make a bigger splash in a bigger city. It’s an odd choice to some, but is arguably the right one, considering the Lakers and Knicks are oddly much further away from competing than the Bucks are. Milwaukee actually has a somewhat formidable starting five (especially now with Monroe in tow), and a three-year, $50 million contract certainly didn’t hurt matters.

This deal is even better considering the Bucks locked Monroe to a max deal before the new CBA kicks in, which means in two years this deal will look amazing. Monroe figure to slide in and start at center, giving the Bucks a huge upgrade over the mediocre Zaza Pachulia. If Pachulia sticks in town, though, he suddenly gives Milwaukee awesome depth behind Monroe and a Bucks team that made the playoffs a year ago looks a heck of a lot stronger.

Does Monroe push the Bucks into title contender range? No, but he’s a start. Milwaukee also appears largely content with grooming their in-house talent, as they have several young players that could get markedly better in the next two to three years. That doesn’t mean they’re untouchable, though, as point guard Michael  Carter-Williams may still be available to land the right player. MCW could also be the answer at the lead guard spot, too, and with Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and Moose joining him in the starting unit, this Milwaukee squad looks extremely dangerous on the surface.

The Bucks already took a good Chicago Bulls team to six games a year ago and still have solid depth behind their starting unit in the aforementioned Pachulia, John Henson, Jerryd Bayless, O.J. Mayo, recently acquire Greivis Vasquez and Jared Dudley. Milwaukee even added prospect Rashad Vaughn in the draft, and all of these moves come together to make the Bucks solid winners this summer. They probably need one more big move to vault them into championship discussion, but the moves Jason Kidd and co. are making suggest a slow, methodic build. That suggests Milwaukee fans won’t see a huge return right away in the 2015-16 NBA season, but that the progress has already begun and fans should like what they see from here. No one should be betting on the Bucks to win it all just yet, but they’re becoming more dangerous and should be a safe bet to return to the playoffs next year.

The New Orleans Pelicans made sure their future wasn’t going anywhere. Per reports, the Pelicans and superstar big man Anthony Davis have agreed to a massive five-year, $145 million contract extension. The total number is the highest in NBA history, while The Brow’s $29 million yearly salary makes him the highest paid NBA star right now.

New Orleans was quick to jump on their best player (and one of the best players in the entire league), as the fourth-year player was set to become a free agent next season. The Pelicans wanted to make sure Davis never set foot in free agency and this deal locks him up for at least the next four years, while The Brow will have an option on his fifth season of the deal.

This was a terrific (and fast) move by a Pelicans franchise that knows where the future of their team lies, as they now have the 22-year old Davis locked up into his prime years. Davis has already established himself as one of the game’s brightest young stars, after averaging career highs across the board during the 2014-15 NBA season. Davis made a solid impact as a rookie two years ago, but turned into a top shelf scorer (24.4 points per game) while also improving on the boards (10.2 per game) and in blocks (2.9 per game).

The crazy thing is Davis still has an incredible roof when it comes to his potential, as he has the size and length to rack up even more rebounds and blocks per game going into just his fourth season. Davis is said to be working on his already stellar shooting range, too, as he aims to push back a very fluid mid-range jumper to three-point range. New head coach Alvin Gentry could be a huge part in that development, as the Pelicans are expected to work through Davis more than ever and also run with a very up-temp offensive attack.

Davis hasn’t reached his full potential yet, and the money the Pelicans are handing him shows they love what they’re seeing right now and can’t wait to see what else Davis can do in the years to come. Even better? Davis and these Pelicans already wormed their way into the NBA playoffs this past season and should only be getting better. That should mean a return to the playoffs this coming season, while each passing year could increase New Orleans’ shot at chasing down a title.

For now, the Pelicans are just another team trying to compete for a playoff spot in the always tough Western Conference. The only difference is now they have one of the best young players for another five years.

*photo from thesportspost.com

The 2015 NBA Draft is finally over and after a ton of scouting and hype surrounding the top college prospects, we actually now know where they’ll be playing during the 2015-16 NBA season. Now that the player selection is out of the way, we can start focusing on how certain players fit with their teams, what roles they might have and who might end up paying off the quickest.

Players that crush it in year one don’t always turn into superstars with longevity, but early success is usually a good indicator of long-term production, as well. That’s why teams and players pay attention to NBA rookie rankings and Rookie of the Year odds. No official odds for the 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year are out just yet, but we thought it’d be fun to take a look at the top candidates and analyze precisely why they’re a solid bet. There aren’t many, but keep these guys in mind as the season draws near and the second Rookie of the Year odds come out, you’ll be ready to place your bet:

Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Probably the best, most complete player in this draft that can play at a high level right now, it’s easy to see why Towns could potentially have the best Rookie of the Year odds. Minnesota definitely has a lot of talent to mix and match in the paint, but no one they have is better than Towns, who can score easily from inside 10 feet and also defends well. Towns should start from day one and see 25-30 minutes. That should put him within striking range of the ROY award and he could even dominate en route to it.

D’Angelo Russell, G, Los Angeles Lakers

Russell is a scorer who is going to be asked to ball as a rookie. Kobe Bryant and whoever the Lakers bring in during free agency should also shoulder a lot of the scoring, but Russell is a versatile guard that can really fill it up offensively and the Lakers would be silly not to ask a lot of him early on. They drafted him #2 overall to be a key cog now and for the future, so he should be in the running for ROY in year one.

Jahlil Okafor, F/C, Philadelphia 76ers

Many people (including myself) felt the Lakers should have taken Okafor, but he lands in a situation with the 76ers that could have him playing monster minutes and crushing from day one. The ugly truth is the Sixers don’t have many proven scorers and Joel Embiid continues to struggle with his health. That’s almost certainly going to put Okafor in as a starter from day one and due to his high offensive ability, he’ll likely see a ton of shots coming his way. Philly can still expect to lose a lot, but Okafor is a strong Rookie of the Year candidate due to how much might be asked of him when it’s all said and done.

Justise Winslow, G/F, Miami Heat

Winslow is my favorite sleeper for the ROY award, but it’s ultimately going to depend on his role and how much the Heat ask of him. If Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic and/or Luol Deng leave, he’ll start right away and should get enough work to be a viable ROY candidate. Even if they all stay, he could still be an offensive spark off the bench and have a huge impact. Winslow has an NBA-ready skill-set and he was a beast in just one year at Duke. He has the makings of a solid starter and could even be a star. Whether that’s good enough to make him the 2015-16 Rookie of the Year, of course, remains to be determined.

Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Charlotte Hornets

I’m not entirely sold on Frank “The Tank” but the Hornets seem to be after taking him at the 9th overall spot. Al Jefferson can’t stay healthy, the team dumped Noah Vonleh and they are rumored to be wanting to cut ties with the disappointing Cody Zeller. All of that could lead to a massive role for Kaminsky, who isn’t an athletic freak but is one of the most fundamentally sound players in this draft.

Stanley Johnson, SF, Detroit Pistons

Johnson fell to the 8th overall pick and considering he’s an arguable top-five talent, a small forward-starved Pistons team may have gotten one of the top steals in the draft. Detroit needs his offense and ability to defend, while their need for SF is so great that he could start right away. If that ends up happening, he could be one of the top names to watch in the ROY race.

Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Denver Nuggets

Mudiay is a highlight reel waiting to happen, but we can’t know anything about his immediate future until the Nuggets trade Ty Lawson. If Lawson stays in town, it’s possible we don’t see much of Mudiay at all in his rookie year. That’s doubtful, though, since the Nuggets were reportedly “giddy” to land him seventh overall and will want to begin their rebuilding process as quickly as possible. He has shaky shot selection and needs to work on his jumper, but is otherwise lightning quick and provides flashy passing and excellent penetration skills. If the leading gig is his in year one, he’ll without a doubt be a ROY candidate to keep an eye on.

Kristaps Porzingis, PF, New York Knicks

Porzingis is a tremendous talent but he’s arguably 2-3 years from developing into a true NBA stud. That’s if he even pans out. For his rookie year, the Knicks will ask him to knock down open shots, hand in some big plays with his athleticism and simply work on his game. He’s a dark horse ROY candidate simply because he plays for a bad team that could need him more than we think in his first year. If that happens, he’d have a shot to make a huge impact, but as it stands, fellow Knicks rookie Jerian Grant (although his odds can’t be great) might even be the better pick.

Our Pick: Okafor

It’s tentative with the Rookie of the Year odds not being out yet, but he’s going to start and be asked to do a ton. Other players are in better situations from a pure winning perspective, but he could go out and chase 20 and 10 as a rookie.

The whispers about Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins possibly getting traded are growing louder. With one day before the 2015 NBA Draft, reports are now surfacing that new head coach George Karl is emphatically trying to convince Sacramento ownership that Cousins simply cannot be coached. Karl has a slight argument, given Cousins’ issues with authority in the past, but it did appear that Cousins and the rest of the Kings had begun to turn a corner early during the 2014-15 NBA season.

Things went south once Cousins fell ill heading into December last year, and a sinking Kings squad ended up spelling the end of the line for former head coach Michael Malone. Unhappy with the firing of Malone, Cousins appeared to have soured on the franchise and never established the same trust with Karl that he had with Malone.

Because of that, Karl isn’t backing Cousins and it’s opened a can of worms that Sacramento may not be able to contain much longer. That could lead to shipping ‘Boogie’ out of town.

This is terrible news for a Kings team that hasn’t been a consistent winner since the days of Chris Webber and has been mismanaged during that span. Of course, as silly as it may sound to get rid of a player as gifted as Cousins, it’s also possible trading their best player could put the Kings in a better position down the road. That being said, this isn’t just about Karl not liking Cousins. Cousins himself asked out roughly a month ago.

While there will be a litany of teams calling the Kings with offers if Kings ownership approves a trade, the only team to really stand out to this point has been the rival Los Angeles Lakers. It’s unknown exactly how the Kings plan to go about reshaping their team if they unload Cousins, but if they did a deal with the Lakers, they could send Cousins to L.A. for Julius Randle, the #2 overall pick in this year’s draft and possible another player. The Lakers are said to be in hot pursuit of Cousins and could go all in to acquire the talented big man.

The deal may not work with just the Lakers, of course, as Cousins is easily one of the best big men in the entire league and Sacramento will work hard to get appropriate value in return for their superstar player. That may require a third team to enter the mix to finalize a deal. To this point, the Orlando Magic have been rumored to potentially be involved. That deal could involve Magic center Nikola Vucevic and a number of other players.

Everything so far is speculation and part of the guessing game, but the bridge is on fire in Sacramento and getting closer and closer to going down for good. Either Karl and co. need to officially put the fire out, or make a huge deal that will have Kings fans forgetting this was ever a headache in the first place.

The Denver Nuggets recently brought in Mike Malone to operate as their new head coach, making him their third coach in the last four years. Change has been an ongoing notion within the organization, but this summer it might finally get serious. With numerous players linked to other teams via trade rumors, it’s starting to become clear that no Nuggets player is “untouchable”. With the 2015 NBA Draft drawing near, we can probably expect to see many of these Nuggets trade rumors heat up and a deal or three could be coming.

The big question, though, is which players are the greatest risks to be traded and which specific rumors make the most sense? Let’s file through the Denver Nuggets trade rumors that are already out there and also ponder up some new trade scenarios that could unfold at some point this summer:

Eye on the Draft

Denver holds the #7 and #54 picks in the 2015 NBA Draft, so they’ll be looking to get one or more impact players to come in and compete for minutes. That seventh overall selection is the one fans should really get excited about, as the Nuggets could add a potential gem in the form of a Stanley Johnson, Willie Cauley-Stein or Sam Dekker, among others. Denver could also trade for more draft picks or use their current picks to get them in a position to land a more proven NBA veteran.

Ty Lawson Rumors

Lawson is a very steady lead guard that can create, score and defend. He does have limitations at times, as he lacks size or elite athleticism and is also a pretty streaky shooter. He’s also had questionable decision-making off the court and doesn’t always have the best attitude, which is a good reason why Denver may be looking to unload him. He’s probably the most frequently rumored Nuggets player when it comes to trade talk, and there’s a litany of potential suitors for him – largely because he’s still quite good and could be a difference-maker.

While several teams could make a lot of sense for Lawson, the ones that stand out the most are the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings. Dallas is moving on from Rajon Rondo and would have to see Lawson as a huge point guard upgrade, while the Rockets haven’t been shy about their interest in upgrading offensively over Patrick Beverley. The Kings are the only team directly tied to Lawson through NBA trade rumors to this point, though, as he would serve as an upgrade over Darren Collison. It’s worth wondering if the Nuggets would deal with Mike Malone’s former squad, though.

Verdict: Rockets

James Harden handled the rock way too much last year and the Rockets know they need a serious addition at the point to take another big step in the playoffs. Lawson could be the missing link.

Wilson Chandler Rumors

Chandler has been tied to several teams in trade rumors but the one that stands out the most is landing with the Los Angeles Clippers, who are still searching for a starter at small forward. Chandler is the classic role player who knows his limitations, can knock down outside jumpers and is willing to defend. He could be a perfect fit with the Clippers, who also recently acquired Lance Stephenson. L.A. isn’t the only team that could have their sights on Chandler, however. The Detroit Pistons badly need an upgrade over Tayshaun Prince, the Chicago Bulls could use an upgrade over Mike Dunleavy and the Atlanta Hawks could be looking for small forward help if free agent DeMarre Carroll ends up skipping town.

Verdict: Pistons

Detroit has to get better on the wing – specifically at small forward, and it’s coming in either the draft or free agency. They could just skip both and land a trade with the Nuggets and get a very solid small forward that they know can play right away.

Kenneth Faried Rumors

Faried just signed a massive contract last summer and failed miserably in trying to play up to it. Part of that was Brian Shaw’s awful player and game management, but a huge portion was also Faried supposedly just thinking he’s better than he really is. He is not a supertstar or even a star, as he lacks a remotely consistent jumper or a handle. He plays hard, rebounds well and can get easy buckets, but he has a ways to go as a defender and makes too much for not being a great force on offense. Denver seems to have realized their mistake, so they may want to unload him. The cash is going to be a huge problem, so though numerous teams would love his hustle and heart, I don’t think he gets dealt.

Verdict: Nuggets

The 2015 NBA Finals just ended, yet the NBA off-season is already here as the 2015 NBA Draft comes at us in just a matter of days. Rumors are swirling and we’re hearing more than ever about some of the top names that could rise and fall in the draft. We’ll know for sure when June 25th finally hits us, but until then it’s a guessing game. Anyone betting on the NBA Draft may want all the information they can get, which is precisely why we’re maneuvering through the top five players with the best odds to go #1 overall and decide which is the safest bet to roll with:

Karl-Anthony Towns (1/5)

The Minnesota Timberwolves hold the top pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and by all accounts, they’re going to use it on a talented big man. They do have some solid depth in that department led by the defensive-minded Gorgui Dieng and offensive bruiser Nikola Pekovic, but both have their limitations. Neither have the two-way skill-set or upside that Towns possesses, either. Towns is without a doubt the odds on favorite due to his talent and Minnesota’s main need, so it’d be a marginal surprise if he’s not the first pick off the board.

Jahlil Okafor (11/4)

As locked in as Towns is starting to look, no one could blame the Wolves for taking the other talented big man in this draft. That’s Okafor, who is currently the better offensive player down low, thanks to a more polished game, better footwork and a better jumper. He’s not as good as Towns defensively, but it doesn’t hurt that he has the tools to get better in that department and is also a national champion. If it’s not Towns going #1, the next best bet is Okafor.

Kristaps Porzingis (17/1)

Is anyone ascending draft boards faster than Porzingis? The answer is no, as the multi-talented Latvian is now a near-lock to go inside the top-five and many draft experts see him as the best pure talent in the draft. The funny thing is that the T’Wolves wouldn’t be going that much against the grain here, as the true seven footer still gives them a post player to work with, while he might have the most upside of anyone in this draft class. He also may take the most time to develop, which is why he doesn’t have as great of odds to go #1. If you’re looking for a minor dark horse to chase, though, he just might be it.

D’Angelo Russell (22/1)

Likened to Russell Westbrook by many draft pundits, Russell is flying up draft boards as a big point guard who can really score the ball. He’s not a freak athlete and he comes off a bit one-dimensional as a pure scorer, but he’s still an exceptional talent that could change a franchise. Minnesota already has Andrew Wiggins to rely on at the two or three, while Ricky Rubio and Zach Lavine man the point. Russell remains in the mix to go first overall, but he’s much likelier to go third overall.

Emmanuel Mudiay (30/1)

A more natural fit at the point than Russell, Mudiay is an interesting choice to go #1 overall. Thanks to a big contract and lingering ankle issues, Ricky Rubio has been a hot trade topic. It sounds odd the Timberwolves would trade him after just signing him to a long-term deal, but if the right trade comes, they could unload Rubio and draft his replacement in Mudiay. Mudiay has overseas experience at a professional level, and while his jumper needs work, he’s a human highlight reel waiting to happen thanks to elite athleticism and flashy passing.

Anyone Else (40/1)

It’s arguable that the top spot is somewhat wide open given the depth of top shelf talent this year, but it’s highly unlikely the T’Wolves pass on one of the best players in the draft. They could trade down if they felt a deal was worth it, but they’re not going to randomly pick a weaker prospect that isn’t mentioned above. Ultimately, they probably pick between the two best bigs in the draft and our money is easily on Towns being the top overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.