NBA Draft 2015: Hottest Rumors, Discussion Ahead of Thursday Night

The closer we get to the 2015 NBA draft, the harder it becomes to distinguish fact from fiction, rumors from truth and smoke from fire.

We know Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and foreign phenom Kristaps Porzingis are among those whose names will be called early, though the exact order remains uncertain because secrecy preserves leverage.

And everybody loves leverage—especially in the lead-up to draft night, when deals are on the table and negotiating flexibility is so valuable.

Here, we've put together some of the latest rumblings on which way teams are leaning, who might be looking to swing a deal and what they might be willing to give up to get in the game.

The draft officially kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Keep your browser set to Bleacher Report for live updates, highlights, reaction and analysis throughout the night.

Cody Zeller Move Clearing Room for Frank Kaminsky?

The Charlotte Hornets hold the No. 9 pick in Thursday's draft, and according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, their willingness to move forward Cody Zeller might be a hint they're targeting Wisconsin big man Frank Kaminsky.

Kaminsky is one of the better shooters in the draft, and he also happens to play center, which opens up a ton of offensive options for any team considering him with their pick. The key for Charlotte, though, is that its three-point marksmanship was the very worst in the league last season: 31.8 percent.

Snagging Kaminsky makes a lot of sense, and an openness to moving Zeller would seem to indicate the Hornets intend to give their potential first-rounder plenty of playing time in the frontcourt.

The trade that sent Noah Vonleh to the Portland Trail Blazers for Nicolas Batum, executed Wednesday, freed up more minutes up front and only makes Kaminsky's selection more likely.

Lakers' Potential Package for DeMarcus Cousins

The ongoing fiasco involving the Sacramento Kings, George Karl and DeMarcus Cousins looks like it will linger into and beyond the draft this year.

According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Cousins continues to be a point of interest for the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the second overall pick. Bresnahan cited a source who was familiar with the particulars of what the Lakers might be willing to give up to land the All-Star center:

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The Lakers' offer includes the second overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft and 'might be the best offer the Kings can get' at this point, according to the person, although the Kings have publicly stated they are not interested in trading Cousins.

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Julius Randle could also be part of a possible exchange.

It's still hard to envision a deal coming together, but the Lakers have found a way to be opportunistic like this before. Maybe they'll do it again.

Thunder Looking for a Pick

James Herbert of CBSSports.com reports the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to move some role players for a pick in the draft.

OKC has plans to ship Jeremy Lamb to the Charlotte Hornets, per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, and both Steve Novak and Perry Jones III could also be changing addresses.

There's a basic financial component at play here as well. The Thunder seem committed to retaining free agent Enes Kanter, and they'll need to free up some money to make sure his new contract (likely coming in at eight figures per season) won't be a cap-crippler.

Knicks Looking Abroad

The New York Knicks have plenty of options at No. 4, and there's a good chance they'll take long looks at prospects from parts foreign and domestic.

Jonathan Givony of Draft Express reports both Kristaps Porzingis and Mario Hezonja are in play for Phil Jackson's club.

Porzingis is a workout phenom, a 7'1" shooter with smooth offensive moves. It's not all that surprising he's getting consideration from the Knicks, as his mixture of promise and mystery have drawn interest from just about every team in the high lottery.

Hezonja is a 6'8" wing with a total offensive game, but ESPN's Chad Ford has him going fifth to the Orlando Magic in his latest mock draft. The talent is there, but if Porzingis or D'Angelo Russell is available at No. 4, it's hard to see the Knicks passing on either of them.

Bucks Dangling Henson, Carter-Williams and a Pick?

Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times reports the Milwaukee Bucks are looking for ways to move up in Thursday's draft, and that they're willing to give up some of their young talent to do it:

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The Bucks are definitely exploring ways to move up. John Henson could be dangled as trade bait, as well as a 2016 first-round pick obtained from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rumors also persist the Bucks would depart with Michael Carter-Williams as part of a package to acquire a top 10 pick.

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Both Henson and Carter-Williams fit nicely into the Bucks' emerging defensive scheme; their length and athleticism would be hard to replace.

But credit Milwaukee for aggressively looking to build out its talent base without sacrificing its key pieces: Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Pacers Open to Moving No. 11 Pick

General manager Kevin Pritchard said the Indiana Pacers were "not afraid" to trade their No. 11 pick in a radio appearance on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis.

Pritchard offered plenty of qualifiers and was careful to make the point that the draft is unpredictable, meaning every option should be on the table. We should believe what he says about his willingness to trade the Pacers' selection, but it feels a little like a team saying it would move Player X if the right deal came along.

We hear that all the time, and it doesn't mean much.

Still, with Indy watching David West opt out of the final year of his deal and wondering what Roy Hibbert will do with his option, there's a broad range of scenarios in play.

Pritchard's flexible attitude should serve Indiana well.