NBA Draft Rumors: Latest Trade Rumblings on Potential 2017 Picks and Prospects
We're now at the point in the NBA offseason where fans will be behind on the latest news and rumors unless they refresh Twitter every two minutes or keep NBA TV on constantly.
The rumors also involve some of the NBA's best players, and if those reports come to fruition, the league's landscape could undergo a seismic shift.
One of the reasons for the potential player movement is the amount of elite talent and depth in this year's NBA draft. Picks have become great commodities this offseason, which wasn't the case in previous years.
Here's a look at three players in trade rumors involving those prized picks.
The Chicago Bulls star forward has been the subject of trade rumors for a few years, but the smoke may finally turn into fire as numerous sources report that teams are making concerted efforts to trade for Butler.
Per Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, the Boston Celtics (no surprise there) and Phoenix Suns are in the mix:
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical noted that the Minnesota Timberwolves, who own the seventh pick in the draft, are also vying for Butler.
If three teams aren't enough, Marc Stein of ESPN.com notes that the Cleveland Cavaliers are also looking to obtain the former Marquette star:
Two questions to ponder: Which team has the best package to offer Chicago, and which team is the best fit for Butler?
The answer to the first question is the Boston Celtics. If the Bulls want to start a new era, a complete rebuild is the best option. They have the No. 3 pick in this year's draft and a boatload of other picks in future years, as you can see from RealGM here.
Minnesota could offer a package involving the No. 7 pick and one of their young players, such as Andrew Wiggins (Karl-Anthony Towns is undoubtedly off the table), but the idea of acquiring a higher pick from the Celtics and at least a few others might be too enticing to pass up.
The answer to the second question is also the Celtics, who need another elite scorer to compete with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference crown. Butler could seamlessly slot into the small forward position right away, giving the C's one of the best two-way players in the league.
We'll see what happens, but if Butler goes anywhere, Boston seems like the most plausible destination.
Wojnarowski dropped yet another Woj Bomb over the weekend when he reported that Paul George told the Indiana Pacers that he intends to leave the team when his contract expires, with his destination likely being the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Pacers obviously don't want to lose George for nothing in free agency, so a trade is their No. 1 option at this point. Per Wojnarowski, "Indiana is asking for a substantial package of talent and draft picks for George."
Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported "the Pacers would like to pull two first-round picks for George, as well as a rotational player." Deveney also mentioned that the Los Angeles Clippers could be in the mix to acquire George.
Although PG-13 is a fantastic player, is it worth trading off a ton of assets for someone who could bolt after just one year for the Lakers? Even if a team wins a championship with George, it is damaging its future (unless George is convinced to stick around, which is certainly no guarantee).
It doesn't even make sense for the Lakers to acquire George now, especially if they can just get him in the 2018 offseason without giving away anything (aside from a long-term deal, of course).
The Pacers could find themselves in a position where they have to settle for a lesser deal for George in order to get at least something in return, but again, any team acquiring George is taking a big risk.
D'Angelo Russell
If recent rumors are any indication, Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka are moving at warp speed to try to rebuild a team that hasn't made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season.
Per Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Lakers are looking to acquire a top-12 selection and are willing to part ways with one of their former top draft picks:
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com also noted that the Lakers were looking to pick up an extra first-round selection as well.
Those rumors imply that Los Angeles would look to pick up a point guard with the second selection in the NBA draft to replace D'Angelo Russell, the incumbent floor general.
Per Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the Lakers are nearing closer to a final decision on their No. 2 pick, and it looks like former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball will be the selection.
As Ford noted before, if the Lakers pull off a deal for an additional top-12 pick, they will be looking at former Duke shooting guard Luke Kennard and former Gonzaga big man Zach Collins.
Kennard makes the most sense. If you pair him with Ball in the backcourt, the Lakers would then have a starting five with a dynamite future in Ball, Kennard, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac. The average age of those players right now is just 20 years old, with Randle being the oldest at 22.
Obviously, there would be some growing pains with such a young lineup, but if they stick together and develop under head coach Luke Walton, the Lakers could begin another dynasty.
