NBA Draft Rumors: Latest Trade Rumblings on Potential 2015 Picks and Prospects

The countdown to the 2015 NBA draft is on. As the annual event rapidly approaches, there has inevitably been a lot of chatter surrounding potential wheeling and dealing.

Many teams have been mentioned as willing to move up or down from their current draft positions. One of those teams is the Sacramento Kings. 

Currently pegged to pick sixth in the draft, the Kings are open to trade out of that spot and go back if offered the right veteran in a deal, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. 

The Kings have been inconsistent as members of the front office and coaching staff discuss their plans for the No. 6 pick.

Over the weekend, general manager Vlade Divac told Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee that he’s “very protective about the pick” and that he did not want to give it up.

However, Divac cautioned that a trade remains a possibility so long as the team can receive a good return for it.

Sacramento head coach George Karl has also expressed his thoughts on the No. 6 pick, telling reporters that it is doubtful any player selected in that draft slot can log valuable minutes in his rookie season. 

That gives credence to Mannix’s report the Kings may be more interested in acquiring a proven player instead of slowly working in a rookie. 

Cavaliers Dangling Haywood, First-Round Pick

After falling to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers realized what their biggest weakness was.

Out to address it this offseason, the Cavs could be on the verge of making a major splash leading up to the NBA draft.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, the Cavaliers are aiming to improve their backcourt by offering a deal including Brendan Haywood and the No. 24 pick in the draft.

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The Cavs have tested the market in swapping Haywood either for a player or a future draft pick, sources said. On their wish list is a facilitating guard they can bring in to either back up or play alongside Kyrie Irving. The Cavs have a number of free agents, including backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova and starting shooting guard Iman Shumpert.

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While Haywood doesn’t sound like a sexy trade commodity, his contract can be especially valuable. The $10.5 million the center is due in 2015-16 is not guaranteed if Cleveland waives him by Aug. 2. Whichever team lands the player can clear up a lot of salary-cap space in time for free agency, which begins on July 1. 

After receiving inconsistent production out of Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert in Kyrie Irving’s Finals absence, it makes sense that the Cavs are looking to improve their backcourt.

Filling in for Irving as the Cavs’ starting point guard through five games of the Finals, Dellavedova was wildly unpredictable.

After dropping 29 points in Games 2 and 3, including 20 in the team’s 96-91 triumph at home, Dellavedova totaled 16 points over the final three games of the series. Not surprisingly, Cleveland lost all three of those games.

Shumpert sparked the Cavs offense after he was acquired in a trade from the New York Knicks. However, that production did not translate into the NBA Finals. 

After averaging 7.2 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field in the regular season with Cleveland, Shumpert averaged 12.7 points in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Chicago Bulls and 9.5 points per game in the conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks.

In the NBA Finals, however, Shumpert averaged only 6.5 points and shot 26 percent from the field.

Hornets, Celtics Could Swap First-Round Picks

After making a trade to send Lance Stephenson to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Charlotte Hornets could be changing their draft strategy.

According to Chad Ford of ESPN, the Hornets plan on drafting a shooting guard to replace Stephenson. Among the players the team is high on, Kelly Oubre and R.J. Hunter could be available later in the first round, opening the door for the Hornets to trade out of the No. 9 spot:

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The Hornets also really like both Kelly Oubre and R.J. Hunter. I'm told they'll explore options to trade back into the mid to late teens if they can land a valuable veteran as well for the No. 9 pick. One team to watch in that scenario? Boston. They've been exploring moving up for a while and would especially be thrilled if Willie Cauley-Stein was still on the board.

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Clearly, this situation is fluid. The Hornets must not only be willing to pass on former Kentucky sharpshooter Devin Booker at No. 9, but Willie Cauley-Stein will likely have to be available for the Celtics to want to make a deal and move up.

This notion makes a lot of sense for Charlotte, particularly if it considers Hunter or Oubre as a player it can insert into the lineup as a rookie. In addition, there’s a chance that even if the team moves out of the No. 9 spot that Booker could still fall to it somewhere in the mid-to-late portion of the first round. 

The Boston Celtics have shown an interest in Cauley-Stein for the last couple of weeks leading up to Thursday’s draft. A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reported the Celtics had made the former Kentucky big man one of their top targets and the team would need to maneuver into the top 10 in order to land him.

If the Celtics’ interest in Cauley-Stein is genuine and he is around when Charlotte is on the clock, this could be one of the big splashes made on draft night.