NBA Draft Rumors: Last-Minute 2017 Draft Whispers Around the League

The NBA rumor mill couldn't make up something fans wouldn't believe right now. 

This is one of the oddest possible timelines for the Association and its fans. The Boston Celtics traded the draft's top pick to the Philadelphia 76ers, first reported by TNT's David Aldridge.

In perhaps an even more stunning move—because we expect Boston general manager Danny Ainge to be conservative no matter what—the Los Angeles Lakers sacrificed former No. 2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets so they could dump a guy they signed all of one year ago, Timofey Mozgov, reported by The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.

So no hyperbole here—little could catch fans off guard right now. Good thing, too, because the latest batch of rumors features names such as Kristaps Porzingis, Paul George and beyond.

The Sudden Kristaps Porzingis Drama

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

It's apparently a terrible time to be a fan of the New York Knicks.

President Phil Jackson has seemingly led the franchise in quite the odd direction. Forget the miserable Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah experiments. Heck, it's even somewhat easy to forgive the fact he might want to move on from the aging Carmelo Anthony while rebuilding.

But trading Porzingis? There's a line, Phil, and this might just be it for fans.

Alas, Wojnarowski dropped one of his patented bombs Tuesday:

Now, it's important to note that B/R's Howard Beck followed later with a note saying the Knicks are simply doing due diligence. To be fair to Jackson and the front office, picking up the phone and listening to any and all offers that come in is part of the gig. There's a big, big difference between shopping a player and simply listening.

But the Knicks had to do something to make teams think the 21-year-old star is available after a sophomore campaign in which he averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 boards and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the floor.

And indeed, this might be it, again per Wojnarowski:

Jackson and the front office meeting with a prospect wouldn't normally be a problem, yet Lauri Markkanen might as well be named Kristaps Porzingis 2.0. The Arizona freshman, standing 7'0" and 230 pounds, struggles at times underneath the basket but can stretch the floor with great shooting from range.

Combine the open flirtation with Markkanen, New York taking calls and the fact a disgruntled Porzingis skipped closing meetings after the season and it's not too hard to see where this rumbling originates.

Lakers on the Hunt for PG13

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

It seemed easy enough to think the Lakers would sit on their hands when it comes to George.

After all, why give up assets such as this year's second pick, Russell, Brandon Ingram or even Julius Randle when George himself has made it rather clear he wants to play for the Lakers, the team he mentioned recently when telling the Indiana Pacers he's gone in 2018, per Wojnarowski.

Alas, here we are. And to be fair, the above Russell trade was smart in that it cut Mozgov's massive contract from the books, which could open the Lakers up for a pair of max players in 2018 and fueling speculation the team wouldn't mind taking a stab at both George and LeBron James.

But what about a trade for George now? According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Lakers might hope draft ammunition is enough to sway the Pacers:

Look, when we say crazier things have happened, it's not even close to an exaggeration right now.

Maybe the Lakers might've been patient with the George pursuit in a different timeline, but rumors that the Cavaliers will try to trade for him, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, might've forced their hand. It doesn't help that backup play Jimmy Butler is telling teams he wants to stick with his Chicago Bulls, according to Stein (other than pride, Butler's looking at a $205 million "super max" soon that only the Bulls can offer).

The Lakers have been this route quite often lately, where the front office clears room and nothing happens. Snagging George via trade right now prevents this in a big way, but only if president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and Co. can win a potential bidding war.

Josh Jackson's Role in Massive Trades

On his lonesome, Kansas' Josh Jackson is the best two-way player in the draft in the minds of most.

Standing at 6'8" and 207 pounds with quality baseline defense and a budding offensive repertoire, Jackson would be the No. 1 pick in many draft classes except this one, where the quality of the point guards and the importance of the position shove him aside.

But Jackson is much more than a simple draft pick—he could be an avenue taken by a few teams in a blockbuster trade.

According to ESPN.com, both the Knicks and the Bulls have an interest in Jackson. This seems harmless because these franchises hold the No. 8 and No. 16 picks in the first round, respectively.

But think about trades. The write-up notes the Phoenix Suns, owners of the No. 4 pick, could be the third team in a potential Bulls-Cavaliers deal involving Butler. The star forward says he doesn't want to leave, yet Chicago might find it easier to do if it can get a prospect like Jackson with the fourth pick.

Or look here—the write-up also hints at the Celtics as a team interested in a Porzingis deal with New York, which would move the Knicks into striking distance for Jackson.

This is the beauty of frantic rumor season ahead of the draft. One rumbling pairs with another in a complicated puzzle to depict rather interesting scenarios. Maybe these don't unfold, but fans at least have a good all-encompassing look at a wide range of situations capable of unfolding.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.