NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz Heading Toward 2015 NBA Draft
Stand back—someone might pull the lever on the NBA trade floodgates.
With the excruciating wait for the 2015 NBA draft almost complete, now is the crunch time in which trade deals come to fruition. Whether it's a contender looking for a final piece or a rebuilder hosting a sale—or even somewhere in between—predraft trades are almost a sure thing.
Granted, in-draft trades will go down as sure as the sun will rise on draft day. Prospects fall, some teams want to move up or down, others don't want the financial commitment of a rookie, etc.
The point is, right now, it should feel borderline impossible to keep up with the rumblings centered on the Association's trade market. For a moment, let's slow things down and break down the most notable.
Eric Bledsoe on the Block
It was just a year ago that the Phoenix Suns were the hottest name on the trade block thanks to the wild amount of talented point guards on the roster.
Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic are gone, but it seems the front office may want away from Eric Bledsoe too, with Sean Deveney of Sporting News reporting the team continues to shop the veteran point guard:
"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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An alleged trade chatter with the New York Knicks makes some sense, as president Phil Jackson perhaps wouldn't mind grabbing a solid floor general. At the same time, though, it's hard to see the Knicks parting with a top-five selection.
That leaves the Suns in an odd position. It's clear the team wants out of his contract, which features a cap hit at or north of $13.5 million over the next four seasons, per Spotrac.
Make no mistake—some team will think Bledsoe is worth the cash. Last year, he shot 45 percent from the floor on an average of 17.0 points per game and posted a career-high 6.1 assists. Just 25 years old, there may be an improvement down the road too.
For the Suns, it's a tough spot. Now the globe knows the team may want to dump its star point, perhaps reducing the price the front office can demand via trade. It's a new, riveting storyline to watch on the path to the draft and as it unfolds.
Anthony Bennett on the Move Again?
So far, the NBA continues to be quite the wild ride for UNLV product Anthony Bennett.
The surprise No. 1 pick in 2013 never found a role with the Cleveland Cavaliers before getting shipped to Minnesota. With the Timberwolves last season, Bennett saw the floor an average of just 15.7 minutes per night and posted 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds on 42 percent shooting.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Timberwolves don't sound as if they want to wait for Bennett to develop:
If the front office doesn't see a future role for Bennett, now is as good a time as any to pull the plug and ship him away.
It's not hard to see why. Minnesota figures to grab either Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor at the top of the draft. Gorgui Dieng and Kevin Garnett are still around, and the promising Adreian Payne could use more playing time.
Best of all, Bennett is still just 22 years old. Granted, he's shooting less than 40 percent on his career and struggles as a defender, but the Timberwolves might be able to sell him as a high-upside project, which wouldn't be too far off from the truth. There's also the team option for 2016-17 to consider, making Bennett something of a way to save cap space.
So long as the Timberwolves can promote a deal right and find value they like, it seems a safe bet Bennett will once again pack his bags.
The DeMarcus Cousins Divide
Not all is well in Sacramento.
DeMarcus Cousins, one of the league's most polarizing players thanks to his elite skill and on-off antics, remains one of the top trade candidates of the offseason.
One problem—the front office doesn't seem to think moving one of the league's best big men is a great idea, whereas coach George Karl seems to think the opposite.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports provides the details:
"Despite Sacramento Kings management's public insistence that DeMarcus Cousins is unavailable in deals, coach George Karl's intense desire to trade the All-Star center has made it increasingly unlikely this coach-star partnership can peacefully co-exist next season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
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Wow, right?
It's a near-impossible spot for the franchise. Here's Cousins, just 24 years old, one season removed from averaging 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game with a 25.29 player efficiency rating.
Not impressed? Let ESPN Stats & Info put the young center into historical perspective:
These aren't just numbers amassed on a bad team—Cousins is a franchise centerpiece a team builds around. His productivity won't diminish on a better team.
It's an odd situation. The above means the Kings could, in theory, demand the world in return for the Kentucky product. It also makes a strong argument for the front office to put its foot down and tell the coach and star player to get along or iron out whatever the issues are.
Either way, there's a reason contenders and rebuilding teams alike are licking their chops and scrambling to put together trade packages on the chance Karl's desires come to fruition and he receives the green light.
If he does, the NBA will change in dramatic fashion.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
