NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Reports Prior to 2015 NBA Draft
It feels like the season just ended with the Golden State Warriors emerging victorious in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it’s still draft season, which means there is plenty more to talk about in regards to basketball.
With the draft scheduled for this Thursday night, the rumor mill is starting to heat up. While no one quite knows who is going where in the draft itself, there are a number of picks being shopped around with teams interested in moving up into the lottery and finding their franchise player for the future.
In one of the deeper draft classes in recent years—not to mention the number of players being shopped around by teams looking to bolster their hopes for next season—there are no shortage of rumors
Here is a look at some of the biggest trade rumors heading into the draft Thursday.
Los Angeles Lakers looking at a trade for DeMarcus Cousins
For a franchise as storied as the Los Angeles Lakers, there is no doubt they would like to forget the abysmal play that has taken place for the past couple of seasons.
With an injured and aging Kobe Bryant, the team also heads into a transitional period where it will likely be looking for its next big superstar to build a contender around.
Every big free agent has been rumored to have caught the Lakers' eye this year, but according to reports from ESPN’s Marc Stein, it is DeMarcus Cousins who has most recently piqued the interest of the front office.
"Sources told ESPN that the Lakers have been actively pursuing trade scenarios in recent weeks in attempt to construct a deal that would convince the Kings to part with Cousins."
The Sacramento brass has been adamant that Cousins will not be leaving, with owner Vivek Ranadive denying any interest in a trade when asked about Stein’s report, per Sam Amick of USA Today.
"We have zero interest in moving Cousins, so I don’t know where that’s coming from. But if you like, you should talk to (Kings vice president of basketball and franchise operations) Vlade (Divac), because I know Vlade feels the same way. And I’m deferring to Vlade on everything. We have no interest in moving him. From my perspective, it’s really simple: we feel that he’s a one-of-a-kind player, and we have a group of players right now and we’re going to build on it.
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The Lakers have a lot to offer should a deal come to fruition, with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, which would provide a possible replacement for Cousins in Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns if the pick is dealt.
A trade for Cousins makes sense for Los Angeles, who needs to find an identity and building a team around a player who averaged 24.1 points and 12.7 rebounds in 2014-15 would be a strong start:
Denver looking to deal Ty Lawson
But while the Lakers might be interested in DeMarcus Cousins, the Kings have stuck to their guns about holding on to him, which also means rumors are swirling about players heading the opposite direction and coming into Sacramento.
One of the biggest rumors of the summer involves the Denver Nuggets swapping Ty Lawson for the Kings' No. 6 overall pick, giving Sacramento the point guard play it so desperately needs:
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that, while things haven’t taken off yet, there have been discussions between the two teams regarding the trade.
"Though the talks have yet to gain traction, Sacramento and Denver have discussed a deal involving point guard Ty Lawson, league sources say.
Kings coach George Karl is desperate to find a starting point guard, and pressure is coming from owner Vivek Ranadive to make the playoffs this season. A deal sending the Kings’ No. 6 pick to Denver for Lawson would give the Nuggets the sixth and seventh picks to include in discussions with the Knicks for the fourth pick—or simple jumpstart their ever-evolving youth movement with two top-10 players in a talented draft.
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Lawson spent the season with the struggling Nuggets and was rumored to be unhappy for a while now, so the trade makes sense for both of the teams involved.
Although Denver might be losing an elite player, it would get a high lottery pick in return that could help to turn the franchise around.
For Sacramento the move works even better. With one of the best centers in the league in Cousins on the roster, and a big need for a player who can contribute from the point guard position, Lawson fits the mold perfectly. A history with George Karl doesn’t hurt either and could make the Kings a dark horse to make the playoffs in the Western Conference next season:
Phoenix and New York possibly swapping picks
Much like the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks remain one of the hottest free-agent destinations in the league, but after finishing with the second-worst record in the league last season, Phil Jackson and company desperately need some help.
There have been a number of rumors about what the Knicks plan on doing with the No. 4 pick in the draft, but one rumor that has become exceedingly popular is New York possibly trading the pick away.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Knicks and Suns have had talks about swapping the No. 4 pick for the No. 13 pick and Eric Bledsoe, although Phoenix is shopping the same package with a number of other teams as well.
"The Suns had talks with the Knicks about dealing the fourth pick for point guard Eric Bledsoe and the No. 13 pick, but Phoenix has not been limited to the Knicks in that regard. The Suns have been dangling Bledsoe in trade offers this offseason and are likely to continue to do so after the draft if Bledsoe is not moved this week, sources confirmed.
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Bledsoe would be an instant starter in New York if he were to move, and at just 25 years old there is still plenty of room for growth left for the point guard. Last season Bledsoe averaged 17 points, 6.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game and would need to improve on those already-impressive numbers if New York were to give up the fourth pick for him:
For the Suns, the trade would be in stark contrast to last year, which saw the team play with three different point guards before trading away Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic at the trade deadline. Without Bledsoe, the Suns have no true point guards on the roster and would likely be looking for one at No. 4, with D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Cameron Payne all possibilities.
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