NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Lottery Teams
As we get closer and closer to crowning a champion of the 2014-15 NBA season, the biggest losers are still in the news.
How come? Who cares about the Philadelphia 76ers when we’ve got Stephen Curry vs. LeBron James to talk about?
The draft, set for the quickly approaching date of June 25, is the reason.
These teams need help, so they’re willing to travel down any roads necessary to get there. That means trades.
Let’s get caught up on some of the juiciest rumors on the grapevine.
Mock Draft and Big Board
Rumors
Boston Wants Cauley-Stein
According to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet New England, the Boston Celtics are interested in trading up from the No. 16 spot in an attempt to snag Kentucky big man Willie Trill Cauley-Stein.
Blakely wrote that WCS was one of the first players interviewed by Boston at the predraft combine and that he said he's familiar with the organization: “The organization, the way they’re running, they’re on a tight ship. They got a lot of young guys, but a lot of young talented guys. To be that young and to be where they’re at is really amazing. You can tell that begins with the coaching staff. The players have to buy into it.”
Boston earned a playoff berth, but that same accomplishment led to a beatdown by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have since railroaded two more teams and advanced to the NBA Finals.
This season is just the beginning of what this team can accomplish. Cauley-Stein, a Naismith Player of the Year finalist, has a bright future at the pro level as an offensive garbage man/finisher and a defensive stopper.
Despite his lack of gaudy numbers—8.9 points (57.2 percent), 6.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks—the 7-footer has garnered some serious buzz among NBA scouts and execs. Here’s Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star with an example:
Cauley-Stein is not the kind of player a team builds around, but his ceiling as an elite role player—think a more agile Tyson Chandler—is enormously high.
Boston would be a great landing spot for the former Kentucky Wildcat, who is a near lock for the top 10 names called on draft night. He’d bring some much needed athleticism and rim protection to a winning culture on the precipice of contention.
If the Celtics climb the ladder, Cauley-Stein should be their guy. It’s an ideal fit for both parties.
Lawson, Faried Giving Nuggets Ultimatum?
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried want out of Denver if the Nuggets don’t make some sort of substantial move: "Sources close to the process say Lawson and Faried have kept no secret of their discontent and unless the Nuggets can pull off something major on the coaching front or make a significant trade, both have indicated they’d rather see a trade instead of sticking around for a long rebuild."
The Nuggets showed their character when they quit on coach Brian Shaw during the season, so it’s not surprising to see some turmoil going on with the roster.
Denver, just two years removed from the tail end of a 10-year playoff appearance streak, has been awful these past two years. Injuries have played a role, but the overarching problem has been the players.
At this rate, it’s going to be a long time before the team gets back to being any semblance of the contender it just recently was. Maybe it’s best to part ways with Lawson, sending him to a talent-deprived team like the New York Knicks to add another pick.
The same goes for Faried, who wasn’t overly impressive with 12.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 2014-15. His stock isn’t as high as it was heading into this year, following his explosion with Team USA, but he’s still valuable. Freak athletes and hark workers are treasured in this league.
It’s hard not to sympathize with the players at least a little bit, but if they want to stamp their feet then Denver is probably better off without them in the long run.
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