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REPORT: Do Pacers Want Trey Lyles More than Willie Cauley-Stein and Cameron Payne?

By Jared Wade

Mar 15, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trey Lyles (41) holds up the SEC sign after the second half of the SEC Conference championship game at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky Wildcats defeated Arkansas Razorbacks 78-63. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Trey Lyles (41) holds up the SEC sign after the second half of the SEC Conference championship game at Bridgestone Arena. Kentucky Wildcats defeated Arkansas Razorbacks 78-63. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports /
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I’m not college basketball watcher, but based on the two games I saw this season I would have to believe that Willie Cauley-Stein is going to be an All-Star some day. Larry Bird seems to agree, saying that he was “a $100 million player” a few weeks ago.

It’s odd, then, that some teams think that the Pacers top official would select Trey Lyles ahead of Cauley-Stein, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.

It seems as though a lot of this information is misaligned, but Draft Express is arguably the most credible outlet around when it comes to the draft. Could the reports of Cauley-Stein’s injury potential be affecting things?

Larry Bird recently highlighted how much credence he puts into medical evaluation in an article by Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

"“You find out things and we do MRIs and we do different things and somebody says, ‘How in the heck could they ever pass him?’ Because our medical staff says you shouldn’t take him,” Bird said. “A lot of that happens and we’ve done that over the years. It’ll say something about (how) Player A in three years could have a major issue with this problem. And we pass him. We can’t afford to take a player who’s just going to be with us a couple years.“One thing I do listen to more than anybody else is my medical staff.”"

Given this — and if the teams that Givony is hearing from are correct — are we moving towards the Pacers taking Lyles 11th overall tomorrow night? That would seem like a reach to some.

DraftExpress’ mock draft have him going 13th, for example, and three CBS analysts have him falling to 15th, 17th, and 20th.

Although Chad Ford of ESPN currently has Lyles 9th on his “big board” while Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated slots him 12th.

In conclusion … I dunno. Make of this what you care to.

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