NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential 2015 Draft-Day Picks and Trades
The drama surrounding the 2015 NBA draft continues to grow as we get closer to the first overall pick, and fans should be ready for plenty of surprises.
No matter where a team is slotted to pick Thursday, it better be ready to adjust because trades and surprise picks can throw everything off. While we won't know exactly what anyone's plan is until the start of the draft, various rumors from around the league provide insight into the minds of the decision-makers.
Here is a look at the latest buzz surrounding potential draft picks and trades that can affect the upcoming first round.
Lakers Grabbing the Top Center Available
The most heavily argued topic this draft season has been whether Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor is truly the best prospect in the class. Despite the positive qualities of Kristaps Porzingis and D'Angelo Russell, most believe the two centers are clearly the top options in 2015.
While the Minnesota Timberwolves will have to make the tough choice at No. 1, the Los Angeles Lakers will simply get to sit back and choose whichever is still available, according to Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated:
"From league sources, the Lakers were always going to select whoever of Towns/Okafor was available at 2. LA worked out guards to smokescreen.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 22, 2015"
Considering the skill set of each player, this is a great situation to be in for Los Angeles.
Okafor represents a safer option thanks to his impressive interior scoring and advanced technique. If he goes to the Lakers, he could be one of the team's leading scorers in the hurry. On the other hand, Towns represents more upside and is apparently the top choice for the organization if available, according to ESPN's Chad Ford:
In either case, the Lakers can fill a glaring need at center while also bringing in a marketable athlete to excite fans for the future. As long as they stick with this plan, they will be in good shape going forward.
Celtics Moving Up?
The Boston Celtics were ahead of schedule in their rebuilding process with coach Brad Stevens leading the squad to the playoffs last season. Despite this, the organization is willing to make dramatic moves to add more high-upside talent.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported in his latest mock draft the Celtics' intent to move up in the first round:
"Celtics GM Danny Ainge is one of the most aggressive executives during the draft process. Boston would love to move up, and they have engaged at least one top-10 team, per a source. One GM said the Celtics “are one of the few teams thinking big.” How big? Two executives who have spoken to Boston's front office say no one is untouchable on the roster.
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Boston has two first-round picks (No. 16 and No. 28), so it wouldn't be surprising to see the organization package the pair to move into the lottery if possible. However, they took it a step further recently and reportedly offered point guard Marcus Smart in a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
"There’s no such thing as untouchables," Ainge recently admitted, per ESPN's Chris Forsberg.
This draft does feature a deep group of high-upside prospects, which makes moving into the top 10 an attractive option. However, it can backfire in a hurry if they give up multiple assets to get one prospect who ends up being a bust.
With a young core of talented players, any deals would be a major risk.
DeMarcus Cousins Staying But Kings Still Dealing
The biggest story coming from the Sacramento Kings this week was the potential trade of DeMarcus Cousins to the Lakers, reported by ESPN's Marc Stein. Considering the All-Star averaged 24.1 points and 12.7 rebounds this past season, a potential trade would represent a blockbuster deal for the league.
The problem is team owner Vivek Ranadive as well as vice president Vlade both stated they have no intention of trading the 24-year-old center, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
Of course, this doesn't mean the phones have been silent in Sacramento. There is a good chance the Kings will be active leading up to the draft to move other players and possibly their first-round pick.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports provided a look at the latest buzz coming out of Sacramento:
"Sacramento officials believe it will be difficult to find a trade partner that can give the Kings the value it wants for Cousins – and has a better chance to find a deal for [Rudy] Gay, sources said. [...]
Most teams trying to trade into the lottery believe the Kings are determined to package the sixth overall pick to bring back veteran talent.
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With the Kings having gone nine years without making the playoffs, they want to find established players who can help turn things around in a hurry. With so many squads hoping to get younger while building through the draft, it shouldn't be hard to find a trade partner.
Still, Sacramento has to be careful to find someone who can actually make a difference, rather than getting just another big name like Rudy Gay.
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