NBA Trade Rumors: Analyzing Top Reports Before 2015 NBA Draft
Every NBA team will be welcoming some new faces after Thursday's draft in Brooklyn, but while the league prepares to welcome its newest players, some established ones might be changing colors, too.
Some teams will be going to the trade market to rebuild while others are looking for the last piece of a championship puzzle. Either way, it is going to be a busy offseason.
Here is a look at some of the top players that could be on the move.
DeMarcus Cousins
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Sacramento Kings ownership has dispelled any rumors that All-Star forward DeMarcus Cousins is on the move. But head coach George Karl has other plans in mind.
"Karl has been recruiting Kings vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac and multiple players on the Kings' roster to unite with him in making the case to owner Vivek Ranadive that Cousins needs to be traded, league sources said.
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Cousins took to Twitter early on Tuesday morning, using a more picturesque example comparing Karl to a snake in the grass.
The longer this saga rolls on, the less likely Cousins will be able to stay in Sacramento. A poisonous player-to-coach relationship will further mire a Kings team that has been toward the bottom of the Western Conference since 2006.
Karl, however, spoke with the Sacramento Bee on Tuesday about Cousins' situation, saying the rumors of wanting his departure were "fibs and lies."
Cousins averaged career-highs with 24.1 points per game and 12.7 rebounds last season and, according to ESPN's Marc Stein, is receiving major attention from another California-based team.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported that Lakers forward Julius Randle "is in play" as well as the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday's draft.
The Lakers have an incredibly thin frontcourt that was anchored by 33-year-old Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill, who is unlikely to return, according to Sports Illustrated.
Cousins could be the crown prize of the Lakers, who will be pursuing plenty other options this offseason to restore one of the most successful NBA franchises back to its normal state. Michael Cronin of the L.A. Sun Times has reported that, according to an ESPN analyst, the Lakers will be also acquiring Kevin Love.
If the Kings were to go through with such a transaction and deal their top man, they would most likely be taking Jahlil Okafor with the second pick from the Lakers, who would slide in and replace Cousins.
It's unlikely this deal would happen, though. Acquiring Randle and (for speculation's sake) Okafor, the Kings would have to commit even more time rebuilding a franchise that has not made the playoffs in nine seasons.
NBC Sports' Dan Feldman writes:
"I’m not sure Sacramento would go for it, though. Not only might not that be enough value in a vacuum, the Kings appear bent on winning now. A rookie and someone with one game of NBA experience might not appeal to them.
But if the Lakers are willing to surrender fair value, that gets the ball rolling – perhaps for a three-way trade with No. 2 and Randle going to a team thinking more long-term and that team sending veterans to Sacramento.
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It seems the best option for Cousins would be to make peace with Karl, prove that he is a mature star that could fit in the coach's system and try to build the Kings around him.
Eric Bledsoe
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports that the Phoenix Suns are "dangling" point guard Eric Bledsoe to teams, but mostly the New York Knicks.
The Suns have looked for the Knicks' fourth-overall pick in Thurday's draft, and in return, the Knicks would get Bledsoe and the No. 13 pick.
New York has been interested in Wisconsin center Frank Kaminsky, who met with the Knicks for dinner and a workout, according to Deveney. While it is not guaranteed Kaminsky would be there at 13, the Knicks would have a chance to acquire a point guard to groom in Bledsoe and a big-man "whose versatility makes him a natural fit in the triangle offense," according to Deveney.
Bledsoe averaged 17.0 points per game and 6.1 assists last season with Phoenix as the Suns would be willing to part with one of their best players, something that confuses Matt Moore of CBS Sports.
"Are the Suns insane? Bledsoe is an All-Star caliber player, their only All-Star caliber player, and pulling off the trade for him was a major coup for their front office. Now they're looking at breaking up a combo of [Goran] Dragic and Bledsoe not just in half, but completely tearing it down?
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Dealt at the trade deadline from the Suns to the Miami Heat, Dragic will be opting out of his contract, according to Sports Illustrated, and testing free agency.
Deveney reports that Kaminsky is also one of Phoenix's targets. But trading Bledsoe to the Knicks for the fourth-overall pick to draft Kaminsky that high seems rash when there's the possibility of keeping your best player and having one of your draft targets falling into your laps. The Suns would be in a lot better shape if that was the case.
If a deal of that caliber falls through for the Knicks, there will be consolation if Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell falls to the fourth spot.
Ty Lawson
George Karl is already a busy man.
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix states "the Kings are also eyeing Denver point guard Ty Lawson, according to sources, who thrived under head coach George Karl in Denver."
In his final two seasons with Karl from 2011-13, Lawson averaged 16.6 points per game and 6.8 assists. There has not been a dip in his numbers since then, they've remained constant with a spike in his distribution. In the two years since Karl's departure, Lawson has averaged 16.4 points per game and 9.2 assists.
While the Nuggets and Kings have been linked in a deal for DeMarcus Cousins due to Karl's desires, according to ESPN, sources told Chris Broussard that "Karl would consider trading forward Rudy Gay for Lawson."
In his first full season with the Kings in 2014-15, Gay averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Entering his 10th season next year, Gay's three-year, $40 million extension will be kicking in, according to Scott Ridge of the Sporting News.
The Nuggets would be losing their star guard, however, and a floor general is not necessarily easy to come by. The deal could gain a lot more traction if the Kings were to draft a point guard with the sixth-overall pick on Thursday and possibly restructure a deal without Gay. Basketball Insider's Steve Kyler is hearing of a possible scenario that could send Lawson to Sacramento.
That way, Denver will have an opportunity to mold a point guard with plenty of potential and scoring ability.
*Stats courtesy of ESPN.com
