NBA Trade Rumors: Examining Top Draft-Day Buzz for 2016 NBA Draft
While the NBA draft is exciting enough with the drama surrounding who will be picked where, a high number of possible trades will keep fans on the edges of their seats all night.
There were a few shakeups around the league on Wednesday. The Atlanta Hawks acquired the No. 12 pick in a three-way deal that also involved Jeff Teague and George Hill, per ESPN.com. The same source also reported Derrick Rose was traded to the New York Knicks in a move that won't feature any 2016 draft picks but will likely change strategies Thursday night.
These types of noteworthy moves likely won't end anytime soon, either, as we get closer to the start of Thursday's draft. Here is a look at some more teams that could get involved in the action.
Atlanta Hawks
Even after trading away one of its top players in Teague, the Hawks are apparently not done dealing.
ESPN's Marc Stein reported the team is planning on moving its recently acquired lottery pick, as well as its other first-round pick:
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Teague was owed $8 million next season, so trading him away will saves the organization money. With Dennis Schroder ready to take over as the lead guard, this won't be too big of a loss on the court.
However, trading away two draft picks to try to keep a free agent who might not necessarily even want to stay in Atlanta is a relatively risky move. Stein previously reported interest in the center from the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, among others, likely creating a heavy bidding war.
With so many questions about the Hawks going forward, the smart move might be to use the first-round picks to draft high-upside players who could help the team in the future. Otherwise, the group could be putting all its eggs in the wrong basket.
Denver Nuggets
Every team would be smart to at least consider a trade before making its draft pick to see what's out there, but not everyone is actively looking for a deal. The Denver Nuggets are one organization apparently likely to get something done before making their first pick.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News provided the latest buzz:
"Of the teams most often rumored to be involved in a draft-day trade, sources say the Nuggets have emerged as the most likely to pull off a deal, whether ahead of Thursday’s draft or soon thereafter. That’s because the Nuggets enter Thursday’s draft with three first-round picks—as do the Celtics, Sixers and Suns—but also hold the best young-veteran asset, forward Kenneth Faried.
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Kenneth Faried has been a consistent contributor for Denver during his five-year career, averaging 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Unfortunately for the Nuggets, he has three years left on his contract, and it appears the team is at least that far away from contention.
Deveney mentioned the Minnesota Timberwolves as a possible destination for Faried in a trade. Aaron Gleeman of KFAN1003 provided a look at the positives and negatives of such a move:
Perhaps most importantly, Faried would bring some much-needed experience to one of the youngest teams in the NBA. If Karl-Anthony Towns can replicate Faried's motor in the post, the reigning Rookie of the Year could be unstoppable at this level.
Even if this move doesn't go through, the assets the Nuggets have and the apparent need to make a trade make it likely something will happen by Thursday night.
Minnesota Timberwolves
As already noted, the Timberwolves could be involved in a trade for Faried. While there are still questions about the fit, Eric Goodman of Mile High Sports heard a strong indication some sort of move will be done:
ESPN's Ryen Russillo is another who has heard a lot of buzz about a possible trade involving the No. 5 pick:
Faried might be one of Minnesota's veteran targets, but he is clearly not the only one. The team recently showed interest in Jimmy Butler, per Stein and Chad Ford, and will likely do what it can to try to add someone who can help sooner rather than later.
General manager Scott Layden also recently indicated there has been plenty of interest from other teams about a potential trade.
"The amount of attention we’re getting from other teams, for the pick, gives you an indication of how good the pick is," Layden said, per CBS Minnesota. "So we’ll see in the next 48 hours what that means."
The Timberwolves might still be a few years away from contention, but they already have the core pieces needed to win in this league. With a little more help, they could be a serious threat as soon as next season. This would make any deal for an impact veteran understandable.
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