NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential 2016 Draft-Day Moves

The 2016 NBA draft begins Thursday, and it appears the draftees will not be the only players joining new teams.

There are numerous trade rumors surrounding prominent players, which could add a lot of intrigue to a draft that is already uncertain after the first two picks.

Here is a look at some of the trade talk percolating around the league.

Lakers Looking to Deal D'Angelo Russell?

This time last year, it appeared Los Angeles picked up its point guard of the future in D'Angelo Russell.

He was sensational as a freshman at Ohio State, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors thanks to his dazzling passing and ball-handling. Now, Russell could be shipped out of Los Angeles.

He had a tumultuous relationship with then-coach Byron Scott, plus he alienated the locker room after a video surfaced of him talking about Nick Young's infidelity with then-fiancee Iggy Azalea.

This, along with a pedestrian rookie season, has Russell in danger of being traded, per ESPN's Chad Ford. The Lakers may not be totally sold on Brandon Ingram at No. 2 overall, which could propel them to offer Russell to drop back into the top five (via CBS Sports' James Herbert):

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I think the concern with Ingram is his lack of strength and how NBA-ready he's going to be because of that, Ford said. I think more likely the Lakers are trying to pick up another pick in this draft in the top five and the guy that they have that they can shop is D'Angelo Russell, a guy who was their No. 2 pick in the draft last year but burned some bridges in the locker room.

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Russell averaged 13.2 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 turnovers per game while shooting 41 percent from the field.

Any team willing to make this trade with the Lakers would presumably value Russell over Kris Dunn, who many view as the top point guard in the 2016 class. However, all three teams after the Lakers in the top five are already set at point guard.

This seems to be a pipe dream for Los Angeles, as it would need to give away a valuable piece at a bargain price. The team is better off hoping Russell can repair his relationship with his teammates while growing in a new system under incoming head coach Luke Walton that fits his skill set.

San Antonio Trying to Move Up

The San Antonio Spurs, being arguably the most successful NBA franchise now for more than decade, routinely pick near the end of the first round. Yet they appear to be eying one or more prospects who are expected to go earlier in the draft.

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported the news June 9:

The team has had recent success with this tactic, as it traded with Indiana at No. 15 to snag Kawhi Leonard at the 2011 draft.

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein noted the Spurs have looked hard at one particular prospect:

Tyler Ulis would be a great pickup with Tony Parker getting older and more injury-prone. If these two pieces of information were to be put together, the Spurs could be trying to move up to secure Ulis, who could be a stretch to fall all the way to No. 29.

However, the team could be targeting someone else, as it still has needs despite winning 66 games last season.

San Antonio was exposed by a long, athletic Oklahoma City team in the playoffs, so there are numerous players that could fit with the Spurs as they try to get faster. Vanderbilt's Wade Baldwin IV and Kansas' Cheick Diallo come to mind in that regard.

Timberwolves Inquire About Jimmy Butler

Following a disappointing season in which they failed to make the playoffs, the Chicago Bulls seem willing to shake up their roster. With this in mind, the Minnesota Timberwolves have targeted Jimmy Butler.

ESPN's Marc Stein, along with Ford, reported June 13 the Timberwolves have expressed interest in packaging their No. 5 pick for Butler.

The report indicated the Bulls are not shopping Butler, but they have listened to offers for the two-way star. Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN later noted it would take much more for the Timberwolves to complete such a trade:

Minnesota would be foolish to trade away a budding superstar like Andrew Wiggins, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns looking like a dominant force up front for the foreseeable future. However, these reports reveal the team is not totally sold on any prospect at fifth overall.

If a player like Dunn, Buddy Hield or Jamal Murray had convinced Minnesota he is a can't-miss prospect, the team would not make this pick available. While it seems likely at this point the Timberwolves will use their selection, look out for a possible blockbuster deal should they find a way to acquire a veteran player of Butler's caliber.

Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.