NBA Trade Rumors: Top Reports Surfacing After 2016 Draft Lottery
The NBA draft lottery ended with no movement along the first round, but that doesn't mean the drama is over. Now that the picks are set, the trade market will only heat up.
This draft class features two potential superstars in Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram and then a second tier of talent. There is certainly a lot of depth in this group with players who will make an impact, but the jumbled nature will make any deals difficult to predict.
Still, you can expect a lot of phone calls to be made as teams try to gauge the value of their selections leading up to the June 23 draft. Here is a look at the latest buzz surrounding teams trying to make a deal.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were fortunate to retain their first-round selection. If the pick landed outside of the top three—which was a 44.2 percent chance heading into the lottery—it would have gone to the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the front office can celebrate for a brief moment, the attention now turns to what the team will do with this pick. The easy guess is just for the team to pick whichever player is left of Simmons and Ingram while adding to the young core already on the roster.
Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding hears another option:
"The Lakers will actively explore trading the pick. They want to get better as soon as possible—in part to make sure Philadelphia doesn’t get too good of a pick next year when the Lakers’ first-rounder conveys to the 76ers if it’s outside the top three. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is also seeking a better blend of youth and experience on the roster.
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Kupchak initially denied any such rumors of a trade before the lottery, explaining how he didn't want to get ahead of himself, via Serena Winters of Lakers Nation:
Now that Los Angeles does have the pick, however, it's very possible the organization changes its tune and starts looking for a way to improve the roster.
Heading into next season, the Lakers have a few nice pieces they can count as part of the future, including D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. However, the team also needs a star to not only take over as a go-to scorer on the court, but to also be a face of the franchise off it. With Kobe Bryant gone, there needs to be someone to bring the fans in the arena.
If Los Angeles can trade the No. 2 pick and potentially package in one of these young players for a legitimate All-Star, the squad could expedite its rebuilding process and be back in playoff contention before long.
Utah Jazz
After the Utah Jazz came so close to reaching the postseason this past year, they want to add players who can help right away and get the team over the top.
ESPN's Zach Lowe reported this could mean a potential trade with the No. 12 pick:
"For the second straight year, rival execs expect Utah to quietly gauge the market for its lottery pick in search of veteran help at point guard or on the wing. And for the second straight year, Utah will have trouble finding a player under the right sort of contract, and in the right age range, to make a deal worthwhile.
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Whether the Jazz can find the right fit remains to be seen, but the idea of making a deal definitely makes sense.
The end of the lottery will feature plenty of high-upside, high-risk options who could help out down the line. These types of players are useful for rebuilding squads or those who already have a set roster, yet the Jazz are neither. They need someone who can make an immediate contribution, and those types of players won't necessarily be readily available where they are picking.
Utah especially could use an upgrade at point guard, where there are nothing but question marks between Dante Exum, Trey Burke and Shelvin Mack. Trading for a veteran who could help run the offense as well as possibly mentor this young group of players would be a perfect situation.
All they have to do now is find someone willing to move into the lottery.
Boston Celtics
It seems like if there is going to be a blockbuster trade this offseason, the Boston Celtics will be involved. They currently own the No. 3 overall pick but are potentially willing to add it to a deal that could bring in a superstar.
Chris Mannix of The Vertical explained the situation on The Toucher and Rich Show:
Any of these deals would certainly be exciting for Celtics fans. They already tied for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference without a true superstar, so adding one of these high-profile players could be the extra boost needed to become a real contender.
Boston is also not short on assets. Opposing teams would be interested in young guards Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart as well as Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk, all of whom could be expendable for the right deal. Meanwhile, the team also holds the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick in 2018 as well as the right to swap picks in 2017.
Some assortment of these picks and players in addition to this year's No. 3 could definitely be enough to add a difference-maker like DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler or Paul George, all of whom are on teams that could choose to start over and rebuild.
Adam Kaufman of WBZ News also gets the impression a deal of this nature is coming:
On the other hand, another option for the Celtics could be to trade for a younger player like Jahlil Okafor. The Philadelphia 76ers center was reportedly almost traded to Boston at the deadline and while there is a new administration in town, a similar deal could be made this offseason. Considering the 76ers have a plethora of young big men on the roster already, this type of deal could allow them to instead pick up a guard in the draft.
In any case, the opportunity for a big move is there for Danny Ainge and the Celtics.
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