NBA Trade Rumors: Rounding Up Latest Reports Before 2015 NBA Draft
The NBA draft is the busiest day on the league calendar, as teams generally shuffle players around at warp speed in order to solidify depth charts and free up cap space prior to the start of free agency.
This year will be no different.
As fans anxiously await the start of Thursday's draft, teams are reportedly making calls to gauge interest in first-round picks and established veterans in hopes of making big splashes.
Monta Ellis on the Block
The Dallas Mavericks have a meager $32 million in guaranteed salaries on their books for next season, according to BasketballInsiders.com, and they'd like to keep it that way.
However, shooting guard Monta Ellis could complicate things by exercising his $8.7 million player option for the 2015-16 campaign.
But even if he does, Dallas may have other plans, according to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon:
After the Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs in April, MacMahon reported on Dallas' conflicted feelings, writing, "the Dallas decision-makers have to determine whether the moody Ellis, who often tested the team’s soul this season, is worth the headaches he presents and the hefty price they would have to pay to have any hope of keeping him happy."
At $8.7 million, Ellis' contract is hardly burdensome. And considering it's set to expire at the end of next season, the Mavericks won't be strapped long-term if they can't find a trade partner.
These are the Mavericks, though, and they tend to have grand aspirations.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Dallas has been linked to impending unrestricted free agents LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, each of whom could solidify the franchise's status as a contender well into the future.
Since the Mavericks' desire to trade Ellis—who averaged 18.9 points on 44.5 percent shooting last season—is public knowledge, it may require some crafty maneuvering to offload the streaky shooting guard.
Even if his salary is relatively team-friendly.
Sweetening the deal with a future draft pick or two could do the trick, but then again, it remains to be seen what the market for Ellis' services looks like.
Philadelphia Targeting Another First-Round Pick
Could the Philadelphia 76ers finally be on the verge of packaging a couple of their second-round picks in exchange for a more valuable first-round selection?
According to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, general manager Sam Hinkie is looking to do just that:
From all angles, this theoretical deal makes sense.
Not only do the Sixers need to pad their roster with as many viable prospects as possible, but the Portland Trail Blazers could clear a salary-cap slot by parting with their first-round pick. Second-round picks are drafted without monetary guarantees for the upcoming season, and Portland could then draft two players and ultimately not sign them. It could also opt to draft and stash European prospects.
And since the Blazers are entering a summer littered with financial question marks, playing things safe is the most logical route to take.
For starters, Portland needs to address the unrestricted free agencies of Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez. Add in Damian Lillard's impending five-year extension—as Stein pointed out—and retaining a late first-round pick just doesn't seem worth it.
According to RealGM.com, the 23rd pick in this year's draft will be due a rookie salary of $1.075 million before that number increases to $1.1 million the following year.
With the Blazers pursuing a title, adding a prospect who will need time devoted to his development at that cost doesn't jibe with the franchise's goals.
Boston Wants to Move Up
Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is among the NBA's most aggressive front-office decision-makers, so don't be surprised if his club shoots up the draft board Thursday night.
"We're having discussions to move up with both of our picks in the first round," Ainge told reporters Tuesday, according to ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg. "We're trying to move up with at least one of them. I think there will be some movement."
Entering the big day, Boston owns picks No. 16 and No. 28 in the first round, along with the 33rd and 45th selections in Round 2.
"Ainge said he believes the strength of the draft lies with the big men expected to be among the first names called Thursday night," Forsberg wrote.
If Boston is able to package its first-round picks and move into the mid-to-late portion of the lottery, it would have a feasible chance to snag a big like Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein or Texas' Myles Turner, each of whom would represent an upgrade from a rim-protecting perspective.
The Celtics ranked last in blocks last season (3.6 per game), and Cauley-Stein (1.7 per game) and Turner (2.6 per game) both excelled in that area at the collegiate level. While Turner isn't in the same athletic universe as Cauley-Stein, he does offer a rugged presence on the glass and around the restricted area.
After Boston's leading shot-blocker last season was the plodding Jared Sullinger (0.7 per game), either prospect would be a welcome addition to Brad Stevens' thin frontcourt.
