NBA Draft Rumors: Latest Reports Surrounding 2015 NBA Draft
Smokescreen season is upon us, which means the NBA rumor mill is more interesting than just about anything going on in professional sports.
Talks of pick swaps, veterans wanting to move on and vast internal strife (hello, Sacramento!) have dominated the conversation for the last few days.
Luckily, we only have another day before the questions begin getting answered. Or unfortunately. It really just depends on how many more Frank Kaminsky-to-New York jokes you have remaining in your Twitter drafts. (I have six.) But even as the top of the draft is starting to coalesce, those behind the first few teams are doing their best to make it unpredictable.
With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the rumors floating around the league.
Knicks Want 'Immediate Help' at No. 4
The Knicks' pick has been rumored to be going in so many directions it's almost annoying. One minute they're trading it; the next they're not. The next they've created a new basketball league in a dimension only inhabited by Phil Jackson wherein the three-point shot is abolished and everything is #goink just fine, thank you.
Jackson spoke to the media Tuesday, where he answered questions without really offering much of substance. He characterized the team as "listening" rather than "soliciting" offers at No. 4 and perhaps offered the most insight when he commented on the type of player the team is targeting.
“We’re looking for mature kids who have a reasonable understanding of their skills and have had some success in the past because of it,’’ Jackson said, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We’re looking for a player who physically and socially can grow and develop and do it in fast order as quickly as possible.’’
A source close to the situation expanded on Jackson's point, saying: "There are some times you can take that gamble on a project, but the team needs immediate help.’’
That sound you hear is Frank Kaminsky busting through the Madison Square Garden doors with his Captain America shield. Jokes aside, I think the Knicks are trading the pick. They will move back a bit in the first round, grab someone like Kaminsky, Trey Lyles or Cameron Payne and hope the multi-player package turns out better than whoever is available at No. 4.
Sixers Willing to Trade Up From No. 3 to Land Russell
One from the weird pile here. By all accounts, the first two picks Thursday night are set. The Timberwolves grabbing Karl-Anthony Towns has been the NBA's worst-kept secret for a month, and ESPN's Chad Ford reported the Lakers were settling in on Jahlil Okafor at No. 2.
Philadelphia would then be free to take the top player on the board, likely choosing between Kristaps Porzingis and D'Angelo Russell. The Ohio State guard has been the most logical selection from the beginning of the process given the Sixers' dearth of guard talent after trading Michael Carter-Williams. The Porzingis narrative really only came about once news broke of Joel Embiid's slow healing from his foot injury.
Pretty self-explanatory, right? Welllllllll...not so much. Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported the Sixers are actually willing to move up from No. 3, presumably to No. 2, to ensure they land Russell.
There are two options here: The Lakers floated a nonsensical rumor in hopes Philly would call them about moving up, or Sam Hinkie has bought into the series of smokescreens L.A. has been puffing into the sky about taking a guard.
There really is no middle ground here. It doesn't make an iota of sense for the Sixers to trade up, especially if the price involves altering protections to the Lakers pick that Philly owns. We're talking about two teams that have formulated plans here. Neither side is going to engage in a weird game of chicken, which would accomplish little other than frustrating Russell's camp.
This feels like something that should pass over without much attention.
Warriors Won't Offer 2 Picks to Dump David Lee
When ESPN's Marc Stein reported the Warriors and David Lee mutually agreed to part ways this summer, it made a ton of sense. Lee will be a free agent next summer and will need a full season to recoup his value after being forced into a secondary role in 2015. The Warriors would really prefer to avoid a massive luxury-tax bill, which they'd be stuck with after they max out Draymond Green.
The biggest issue is pretty simple: Who in the world wants to pay David Lee $15.5 million next season? Lee is a fine offensive player when he gets extended minutes, but his contract was an overpay even before a team won a title with him tethered to the bench.
That the Warriors would offer their first-round pick to entice teams into taking Lee was a given. Unfortunately, so was the idea that a team would essentially agree to pay $15.5 million for the last pick in the first round. Draft picks are more valuable than ever in today's NBA, but that's a price that goes well beyond reason.
So, what would the price point be? Two picks? Three? It doesn't look like the Warriors are willing to let us find out. Grantland's Zach Lowe reported Tuesday that Golden State has no plans on offering two first-round picks in discussions. The team is also hesitant to pair valuable backup center Festus Ezeli in Lee discussions.
The most likely scenario at this point involves Lee and Golden State reaching a buyout settlement with offset language that can save the Warriors some cash. Look for negotiations to work fast here if a trade isn't agreed upon by draft night. Both sides here recognize it's time to move on.
Around the League
- Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported the Sixers may acquire the No. 23 pick from Portland in exchange for Nos. 35 and 37. Philly has five second-round picks, so it's going to be actively looking to package them for more high-ceiling stuff. The No. 23 range would allow the Sixers to land a point guard like Tyus Jones or Delon Wright, or possibly wind up with a Bobby Portis type. Portland gets the luxury of adding two non-guaranteed players and hoping one hits.
- Kennedy also reported the Hawks (No. 15) and Pacers (No. 11) have had talks about swapping picks. Not sure what this would accomplish for either team. Indiana might luck its way into Willie Cauley-Stein if the board falls a certain way. Atlanta doesn't really have much incentive to move up four spots; the roster doesn't have any obvious flaws that will be filled by a player in that range.
- Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times reported the Bucks are looking to move up and might dangle John Henson as bait. I'd be really shocked if Milwaukee wasn't attempting to move up for Cauley-Stein. He's the platonic ideal big man for the defensive system Jason Kidd runs.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
