NBA Rumors: Rounding Up Latest Trade, 2016 Draft and Free-Agent Chatter
It's silly season in the NBA, and not just because the Toronto Raptors are in the Eastern Conference Finals or because the Oklahoma City Thunder took down the San Antonio Spurs and then took the first game against the Golden State Warriors.
Said oddities help, of course. But this time of year classifies as much on its own thanks to the numerous rumors making the rounds. Whether it's which prospects teams want in the draft, potential blockbuster trades or possible free-agent destinations, this year's run to the draft and summer has matched the postseason blow for blow.
The below qualifies as a case in point. Teams like the Houston Rockets have big plans, and some of the draft's biggest names could end up in various interesting locales.
Before the lottery gets underway and the postseason continues, here's a look at the top nuggets to know.
Rockets Looking at Life Without Dwight Howard?
The above seems rather premature because Dwight Howard hasn't gone out of his way to reveal his plans for the summer yet.
Still, this hasn't stopped the Rockets from forming something of a contingency plan in case he does leave. Funnily enough, it might not help Howard wanting to stay around much.
According to Sean Deveney of SportingNews.com, the Rockets have an eye for Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks, along with one other notable name.
"A person familiar with the organization told Sporting News that landing Hawks star Al Horford is the Rockets' top-line goal in free agency, and Ryan Anderson also would be a possibility," Deveney wrote.
Horford joining the Rockets is a fit that makes sense on many levels. He's 29 years old and coming off a season in which he averaged 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. While Horford seems like one of those players who sticks with his original team for life, the Hawks look ready for a giant blowup.
Should Howard leave, Horford is more than an adequate replacement, especially as a player with a sterling reputation and leadership presence.
Anderson isn't a part of the nugget to ignore, either. Now 28 years old, Anderson is one of the best stretch forwards in the game and carries a 38 percent conversion clip from deep into free agency.
The line of thinking here is simple—somebody has to replace Howard, and the spot next to center must do a better job spacing the floor moving forward.
Rockets and the Elusive Sign-and-Trade
Look, the Rockets are the team willing to pull off surprise after surprise to get an edge in the Western Conference and contend.
It shouldn't be a surprise, then, to hear the team's name come up with guys like Blake Griffin, Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony.
An eyebrow-raiser, right? Deveney provided the rumor: "Also, expect [Rockets general manager Daryl] Morey to be creative when pursuing sign-and-trade deals involving star players like Blake Griffin, Jimmy Butler or Carmelo Anthony, should they become available."
The fun part of this? Two out of the three don't seem too wild. Anthony isn't leaving the New York Knicks unless team president Phil Jackson messes up the coaching situation in historic fashion.
But the Los Angeles Clippers moving on from Griffin isn't unrealistic, not after it's been clear for a few years the team is inferior compared to the top threats in the conference. After injuries and an odd in-house incident, Griffin is on the wrong side of age (27), which is bad news for a player who leans on his athleticism so much.
Butler in Chicago? Maybe the likeliest move of the three after the Bulls missed the postseason and might blow things up as Pau Gasol heads to free agency.
These aren't the best fits in Houston, but star power is star power, and the Rockets don't seem wary after Howard's odd fit with James Harden. At the least, it sure makes this summer interesting.
Celtics Covet Top Draft Name
The Boston Celtics are the most interesting team in the draft this year thanks to team president Danny Ainge's incredible ability to hoard assets, namely draft picks.
Not only did Boston make the playoffs with an upstart young core, but the franchise also has something like eight draft picks in this class (seriously, it's easy to lose count) and could land the top overall pick.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford recently touched on how the Celtics would act if a top pick doesn't come to fruition:
"If they fall outside the top two, look for them to address the backcourt. The Celtics love Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas in their current backcourt, but [Jamal] Murray's shooting and versatility would be too much to pass up -- though sources say they're tempted by Buddy Hield, an even better shooter and more ready to step in and play right now.
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The backcourt is the strength for the Celtics thanks to the guys Ford mentions, but this is a guard-heavy draft, and it's the way Boston will have to go near the top, should the team land there.
A Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons would be ideal, but it's hard to go wrong with Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, a four-year starter who just posted averages of 25 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
A pro-ready player who could complement the growing playoff core well, the Celtics could then turn around and use the rest of their picks to nab a suitable power forward and center of the future when the value is better farther down the board.
This is just one scenario for a team capable of literally moving wherever it wants thanks to the building job by the front office over the years. For now, it's hard to associate Hield with any other team.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
