NBA Draft Rumors: Latest Buzz on 2023 Lottery Trades and Potential Picks
With the 2023 NBA draft kicking off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday—and Victor Wembanyama presumably going to the San Antonio Spurs shortly thereafter—there is no shortage of intrigue in the basketball landscape.
The French superstar is the prize of this draft class and one of the most anticipated prospects in recent memory.
"He's just a breathtaking prospect," one executive said, per The Athletic's David Aldridge. "Even if he never becomes as good as all the hype, he's still going to end up being a top-10 player in the league.
After the top pick, however, things are far less certain. Other blue-chip prospects exist, but the order in which they'll go isn't entirely clear. Meanwhile, teams will be working to maneuver up and down the draft board by trading, which will generate plenty of drama before and during the draft.
The action started on Wednesday, with the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers agreeing to a draft trade, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
What else might transpire in the coming hours? Let's dive into some of the latest buzz.
Hornets Preparing to Take Brandon Miller at No. 2
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There's been some debate about who is the second-best prospect in this class after Wembanyama. The pre-draft process has certainly played a role in sorting things out.
On his pre-combine draft board, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman had G-League standout Scoot Henderson as the No. 2 prospect. Based on his physical upside and potential to be a top-tier distributor at point guard, several teams likely agree.
However, the Charlotte Hornets hold the No. 2 selection and appear to have zeroed in on Alabama's Brandon Miller. That's the word from Wojnarowski.
"Alabama's Brandon Miller further solidified his standing as Charlotte's choice at No. 2 with a workout and meetings he had in Charlotte," he told SportsCenter.
Per Wojnarowski, Miller was more impressive in his second workout with the team than in his first. He also noted that the Hornets already believe they have a "franchise-level" point guard in LaMelo Ball.
Assuming Ball does become the player Charlotte hopes he can be, Miller does make sense from a positional standpoint. That doesn't diminish Henderson's value, though, and the Portland Trail Blazers could be in position to snag the 19-year-old if they don't trade the selection.
Trail Blazers Likely to Stay Put at No. 3, Keep Damian Lillard
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The unknown with Portland is whether the franchise will take a prospect like Henderson at No. 3 or flip the pick for a veteran to pair with Damian Lillard.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the 32-year-old would prefer to see the Trail Blazers take the latter approach.
"I checked in on the Lillard side of things, about whether or not there had been a change of heart there, and I was told, unequivocally, 'No.' Dame does not want a youth movement, he wants to play with veterans," he told Get Up on Tuesday (h/t Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari).
However, Windhorst also noted that the No. 3 pick isn't Portland's only path to adding veteran talent.
And, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Trail Blazers won't trade the selection unless they receive an overwhelming trade offer.
"Barring a team unexpectedly emerging on draft night with an offer they simply can't refuse, sources told ESPN the Trail Blazers are planning on keeping the pick and adding the type of talent to the roster they would be hard pressed to bring to Portland if not through the draft," Givony wrote.
It doesn't seem like the Trail Blazers will be drafting to replace Lillard, either. On Wednesday, Wojnarowski told The Pat McAfee Show that they have "shut down" trade calls regarding the seven-time All-Star.
Could something change before the draft? Of course, but for now, it seems likely that Portland will keep Lillard, add a prospect like Henderson—or perhaps Amen Thompson—to its rotation and focus on adding veteran talent later in the offseason.
Lakers Likely to Deal No. 17 Selection
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While the 17th pick in the draft won't generate as much interest as the second or third picks, it seems the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to move the selection.
According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, Los Angeles is "more likely than not" to trade its first-round pick. What's interesting is that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and the front office could be looking to move up, down or out of the round entirely.
Buha reported that Los Angeles has been linked to five names—Kobe Bufkin, Dereck Lively II, Jett Howard, Nick Smith Jr. and Noah Clowney—in recent weeks. According to Wasserman's board, those are the 13th, 21st, 17th, 15th and 24th-ranked prospects, respectively.
The range of those prospects adds credence to the idea that L.A. might be willing to move in either direction. If the Lakers select in the first round at all, they're likely to remain fluid.
However, as Buha also noted, Los Angeles might package the pick with players such as Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley to try to add a veteran to its rotation. That move would likely hinge on who is available, but assuming that LeBron James is back for the coming season, adding a player who can contribute immediately would make some sense.
In other words, Los Angeles should be considered a bit of a wild card through the early stages of draft night.
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