NBA Trade Rumors: Examining Top Draft-Day Buzz for 2017 NBA Draft
The NBA has looked more like NBA 2K recently after a flurry of moves ahead of Thursday's 2017 NBA draft.
Life has mimicked the digital version in ways most fans wouldn't dare predict, with the Boston Celtics trading the draft's top selection to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers giving away D'Angelo Russell in a deal with the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, as reported by The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The video game would only increase the flurry of moves before the 76ers waltz to the podium—and based on incessant rumblings from the rumor mill, real life might again follow suit.
Below, let's compile some of the most noteworthy rumblings to keep an eye on ahead of the draft, as nothing seems too unrealistic at this point.
Paul Millsap on the Block
Technically speaking, Atlanta Hawks veteran forward Paul Millsap will hit the open market this summer—unless the Hawks do something brash with an offer they receive.
It's rather clear the Hawks want to smash the reset button repeatedly this offseason, the first slam was a Tuesday night surprise in the form of shipping Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets, which was first reported by The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.
The smart move, of course, is agreeing to a sign-and-trade situation with a team wanting to lock down Millsap. This ensures the Hawks get something of value in return for his departure as opposed to nothing at all.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently said on air a few teams have already approached the Hawks about a deal (h/t Ryne Nelson of Slam Online): "There are three or four teams out there that are willing to give Millsap a max contract, and sources have told me that the Hawks have begun getting some feelers on sign-and-trades."
The report goes on to name-drop the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets.
None of those Western Conference teams is a shock. The Suns have a top pick Thursday and figure to address the backcourt, meaning Millsap's arrival only bolsters the roster around Devin Booker. Denver wants to continue blossoming around Nikola Jokic, and the Kings have two top-10 selections on the way and can distance themselves from the DeMarcus Cousins era by slapping Millsap next to Willie Cauley-Stein.
Millsap is worth the attention. He's 32 years old, yet he's coming off a season in which he averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 boards next to D12. Perhaps more importantly, he's an obvious veteran leader for rebuilding teams hoping young stars can propel the process.
Ricky Rubio's Name Comes Up Again
With the Nets dishing Brook Lopez, Ricky Rubio is now the MVP of having his name appear in the most trade rumors without actually being dealt.
It's a dubious honor, of course, but teams around the league see how terribly Rubio has fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that later drafted Kris Dunn as the future long-term starter. It's only natural, then, teams put feelers out often.
According to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon, the latest to put out such feelers were the Dallas Mavericks: "Sources say Mavs and Timberwolves discussed swapping Wesley Matthews and the No. 9 pick for Ricky Rubio and No. 7. However, a source described those talks as 'dead' at this point. Dallas does not feel urgency to move up from No. 9."
This development is, in a word, predictable. Dallas holds the ninth pick in the draft and readers would be hard-pressed to find a mock draft in which the Mavericks don't take a point guard like Dennis Smith Jr. or Malik Monk.
Dallas' backcourt need is quite real given the imbalance of the current roster, with big free-agent add Harrison Barnes at the 4 and Dirk Nowitzki slowly handing things off to Nerlens Noel next to him.
Rubio, a pass-first guard in the utmost sense, just averaged career highs of 11.1 points and 9.1 assists last season on a career-best 40.2 percent shooting from the floor. He's still only 26 years old, so the Mavericks getting and committing to him would open up the draft.
The other side of the equation here is the 30-year-old Wesley Matthews, who averaged 13.5 points per game on 34.2 minutes last year.
All Things Paul George
Most would agree the buzz around Paul George and the Indiana Pacers has gotten out of hand.
We've essentially known for a long time the Pacers were in danger of losing a superstar like George if they couldn't surround him with a title-caliber squad. Commonsense said the California kid sure wouldn't mind going to play for his Lakers at some point.
Alas, Wojnarowski recently reported George informed the Pacers he'll indeed hit the market in 2018, bringing up the Lakers in the process.
Rumblings since then suggest recent moves by the Lakers are perhaps a way for the team to strike a deal for George as soon as possible.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported the Lakers hope the pair of first-round picks outside of the second selection will be enough.
What gets lost in all this chaos, though, is rather simple—the Pacers aren't in a hurry to dump a superstar.
Yes, having draft picks to start the rebuild as soon as Thursday might be nice. But according to USA Today's Nate Taylor, the front office might wait it out: "The Pacers, according to multiple league sources, are considering several trade offers for George, but the team doesn't feel pressure to get a deal done by Thursday."
It's important to note, though, the report also says the front office is "optimistic that other teams' offers for George will become more enticing Thursday afternoon before the draft that night."
Even if nothing materializes Thursday night, the Pacers have plenty of time to make something happen. It's a miserable position for the franchise to find itself in, though the saving grace might be George's talent outweighs his current rental status.
It isn't the end of the world if George remains on Indiana's roster by Friday morning. The Pacers can play the market against itself to create the best possible deal, especially if near the trade deadline a team fancying itself as a contender is willing to mortgage its future on renting George for half a season.
In hindsight, George will probably end up with the Lakers. It is Indiana's approach to the situation and how the front office secures the mid-market franchise's future that history will view more critically than anything else.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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