The NBA Draft is Thursday and former Tennessee point guard Kennedy Chandler is set to be the sixth Vol drafted in the past four years.
Chandler is a near-consensus first-round pick. His skills is college were certainly put on display, though there has been concern that his size may be an issue against NBA talent, even at the smallest position on the court.
As of now, only Grant Williams has seen success from the college transition to the NBA. Chandler’s explosiveness could join Williams as a solid rotational player in the years to come.
Below are six projections on where Chandler may end up when all is said and done.
- Yahoo: 24 – Milwaukee Bucks
- Gary Parrish, CBS Sports analyst: 22 – Memphis Grizzlies
- Heat Check CBB: 19 – Minnesota Timberwolves
- NBADraft.Net: 27 – Miami Heat
- HoopsHabit.com: 26 – Houston Rockets
- SI: 29 – Memphis Grizzlies
The average for Chandler is around pick No. 24, which would make Chandler the 13th highest draft pick in Vols history.
The Grizzlies would be an interesting landing spot for Chandler, who is a Memphis native himself. He and current Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant have a relationship off the court and have played against each other before, and would no doubt be a thrilling combination. Were the Grizzlies to draft him, Chandler would likely dwell mostly on the second team as a key role player for a budding young team with enormous potential.
The Grizzlies have gotten solid play out of Tyus Jones as their backup point guard this season, so it’s hard to imagine the Grizzlies as a great fit for Chandler if a future as a potential starter in the league is in question. However, Jones’ three-year contract expired this offseason, leaving him as an unrestricted free agent.
Memphis would also unite Chandler with former Vol Yves Pons, who signed a two-way deal with the Grizzlies last season after being signed as an undrafted free agent.
Another interesting landing spot from the above list is Miami. Current point guard Kyle Lowry is approaching 37 and his days in the league are about to be numbered. If Chandler were to drop this far, his talents could certainly be put on display for a great team in South Beach.
The draft is set for 8 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 23.
