NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Chatter Following League's Draft
All things considered, the NBA draft passed without significant trade activity. Don't expect the relative calm to continue all summer.
A few deals took place Thursday night, most notably Tim Hardaway Jr. going to the Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers acquiring Mason Plumlee. Yet several discussed names stayed put, and one spurned offer has drawn ample attention in the draft's aftermath.
Fans no longer have the draft to agonize over, but the rumor mill will keep churning away throughout the offseason. Here's a look at some of the hottest post-draft buzz.
Pacers Shopping Roy Hibbert
As Roy Hibbert's baffling downward spiral continues, the Indiana Pacers would have loved their big man to let them off the hook by forgoing his $15.5 million player option for next season. According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, that's not happening:
The once burgeoning All-Star averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, with his 1.6 blocks matching the 7'2" center's lowest output in five years. As a result of his declining production, Indiana will now look to shop him, per ESPN's Marc Stein:
Hibbert won't top anyone's wish list, but Lowe believes he'll draw more interest once the major free-agent dominoes fall:
"And nobody, at least for now, seems to want him. That will change once the musical chairs for free-agent centers leaves someone left out. That is probably the Pacers’ end game here: trading Hibbert into the unused cap space of the Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, Blazers, Celtics, Pelicans, Bucks, or anyone else chasing the centers that have vaulted above Hibbert: DeAndre Jordan, Tyson Chandler, the Lopez twins, and maybe even Brandan Wright and Omer Asik. There will be competition for that leftover cap space, including the Warriors’ dangling of David Lee’s contract, and some of those teams are posturing for now that they have no interest in the Pacers’ defensive linchpin.
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Those mentioned teams may prefer to hoard their salary cap until next offseason, when a star-studded batch of players hit the open market with expected cap increases. If that's the case, Hibbert can serve as a one-year filler who perhaps repairs his value enough for a midseason trade.
For his offensive decay, Hibbert remains a terrific rim protector. Unfortunately for him, immobile big men who clog the offense's spacing have lost their luster.
Boston's Failed Pursuit for Winslow
The Boston Celtics shocked some folks Thursday night be taking point guard Terry Rozier with the No. 16 pick. Not only did they reach for a projected late first-round selection, but they reached for another guard with a subpar shot.
For critics wondering why they didn't package any of their four picks to move up, they tried. According to ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg, they worked desperately to climb into the top 10, ultimately giving the Charlotte Hornets a Godfather offer they still refused.
"The Celtics made a strong final push to multiple teams in spots 4-9 on draft day. It culminated with an all-in effort in attempt to get Charlotte to deliver the No. 9 pick with Boston lusting for Duke forward Justise Winslow (the same player it coveted while trying to shuffle higher).
According to sources, the Celtics' final offer to the Hornets was a package featuring as many as six draft picks, including four potential first-round selections (a combination of picks from this draft and in the future). But the Hornets could not be swayed and turned down multiple offers to select Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky.
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While team president Danny Ainge didn't confirm the specifics, he acknowledged offering a lofty chunk, per Forsberg.
"Maybe we were going too hard at it," he said. "There was a time when I thought, ‘Woah, this is getting a little out of control.’ We’re putting a lot of eggs in one young player’s basket. So I’m not frustrated. In the long run, maybe it’ll be the best."
Winslow would have been a welcome addition for Boston, which needs perimeter help. While six picks seems like an outlandish sum to ascend seven spots, they could hold as many as eight picks next year. The whole point of accumulating assets is to leverage the surplus for upgrades.
As for the Hornets, why wouldn't they take the deal and run? Most were likely second-rounders, but Jay King of MassLive.com said it might have included at least one of the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected first-rounders for 2016 and 2018.
Not only did Charlotte decline, but it didn't even take Winslow. Instead, the club went with Frank Kaminsky, an established big man with a limited ceiling. The difference between Kaminsky and someone such as former Wisconsin teammate Sam Dekker isn't substantial enough to turn down a king's ransom.
Who's King in Sacramento?
The mess in Sacramento continues. First, reports leaked regarding Kings head coach George Karl wanting to trade star DeMarcus Cousins, whom owner Vivek Ranadive has no interest in dealing. Talks shifted from if to when the franchise will exchange its cornerstone, with the Los Angeles Lakers eagerly waiting to take the disgruntled big man.
Yet ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported that Ranadive might instead expel the recently appointed head coach and keep Cousins:
"Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive has considered firing George Karl, who was hired as coach four months ago to help turn around the struggling franchise. Ranadive's displeasure with Karl stems from the coach's desire to trade All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
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Karl signed a four-year, $15 million contract in February to replace Tyrone Corbin, who was relinquished after 28 games. Another change would compel the Kings to hire their sixth different coach in the last five years.
Drafting Willie Cauley-Stein could be read either way regarding Cousins' future. Both played center last year, potentially meaning the Kings are planning ahead. The more likely interpretation, however, is that the front office was trying to appease Boogie by allowing him to move back to power forward and lighten his defensive workload by grabbing a fellow Kentucky alum.
When it comes to choosing a star player or coach, the player almost always wins. The Kings shouldn't rush to trade a guy who averaged 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and the ninth-best 25.29 player efficiency rating (PER), per ESPN.com, last season because a man with a clipboard doesn't like him.
