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With the 2021 NBA draft just days away, most teams would have earmarked the players they would want to use their picks for. It is not every day that a potentially developed 24-year old who can jump straight into a team’s rotation and make an impact becomes available via the NBA draft. According to statistics and the overall season that Chris Duarte had for Oregon Ducks along with his finish to the NCAA tournament, Duarte might be better off in a championship-contending team in need of a reliable shooter and has everything it takes to develop into an elite NBA sharpshooter.
In this article, we look at three teams that he might be a perfect fit at, for the 2021-22 NBA season.
2021 NBA Draft: Three teams that can be perfect fits for Chris Duarte
In recent weeks, Duarte has most notably been linked with the likes of the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks. Both teams have well-placed picks that they might be able to use for Chris Duarte, with the Warriors expected to use multiple players to trade assets to rope in established stars, according to coach Steve Kerr. This includes the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr., which might as well leave them short on shooting options to back up Stephen Curry and returning star Klay Thompson.
In this article, we look at the three teams that are good fits for Chris Duarte:
#3 LA Lakers
The LA Lakers are another team expected to shuffle their roster in the coming offseason. They have been linked to multiple shooters, most notably the free agents such as Kyle Lowry and Chris Paul to form a “big 3.” The overall no. 22 pick might not be enough to rope in Duarte, but a potential draft day deal might be on the cards for him.
Chris Duarte will add immediate quality to the Lakers roster and is a decent ball handler who could potentially step up at the time of injuries, something that hurt the LA Lakers last season. Duarte shot at over 42% from the 3-point zone for Oregon last year and has an exceptionally high overall efficiency (more than 53%) as well.
#2 New York Knicks
An injury-prone Derrick Rose took the mantle of being the starting shooting-guard for the Knicks through the second half of last season. Rose was exceptional off the bench and the Knicks could add a potentially elite player in Chris Duarte to their rotation alongside Immanuel Quickley at the SG position.
The New York Knicks have a young roster that is looking to get to the next level and Duarte should be able to add immediate value. The New York Knicks have the no. 19, 21st, 32nd, and 58th picks in their possession and will be able to fashion a move in case they decide that they like the player. Duarte recently underwent an individual workout with the Knicks and is reportedly being seen as the ideal “two-way player” that they will be looking to add on draft day.
#1 Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors will be looking to be championship contenders again next year, and Chris Duarte’s rising stock in recent months has led to him training with them multiple times in recent weeks. Duarte is a strong 24-year old with good ball handling skills and enough potential to develop into an elite NBA shooter.
The Warriors have also be said to be looking to use multiple assets to acquire players, and should be able to add Duarte in rotation alongside the Splash brothers. The Golden State Warriors have been reported to be interested, have the 7th and the 14th overall picks and might as well be in the best position among the three teams to acquire him.
