NBA Trade Rumors: Top Reports Surfacing After 2018 Draft Lottery
With the Phoenix Suns landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft by winning the lottery, the offseason is starting to take shape.
The Suns and the Sacramento Kings, who are picking No. 2 overall, figure to come away from the draft with some combination of Arizona center Deandre Ayton and Slovenian swingman Luka Doncic, but they likely won't be the only top-tier talent wearing different uniforms in 2018-19. In addition to some highly touted free agents potentially switching locales, there are some big names rumored to be on the trading block as well.
As the 2018 offseason continues to approach, here is a look at the hottest trade rumors making the rounds within the Association.
Kawhi Leonard
After missing all but nine games in 2017-18 due to a nagging quadriceps injury, questions regarding Kawhi Leonard's desire to remain with the San Antonio Spurs have surfaced.
According to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright, the Spurs are reportedly concerned that those around Leonard are attempting to force a trade to a bigger market.
If that is the case, Philadelphia is one potential landing spot.
Per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 76ers have expressed interest in Leonard, and he could be a good fit due to his strong relationship with Sixers head coach Brett Brown, a former Spurs assistant.
It would be a logical move on Philly's part. After the Sixers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, Brown said the team needs "help" in the form of a "high-level" acquisition in order to win a championship, according to ESPN.com's Ian Begley.
Leonard would qualify, as he is a two-time All-Star, two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, one-time NBA champion and one-time NBA Finals MVP.
He also finished third in NBA MVP voting in 2016-17 after a career year that saw him average 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
The big issue for Philadelphia would be figuring out what to trade to San Antonio in return for Leonard.
Philly obviously wouldn't give up Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid in the deal, but if it could acquire Leonard for a package involving Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz, then it would be worth considering since a healthy Leonard would immediately vault the Sixers into title contention.
After struggling in the Toronto Raptors' second-round playoff sweep to the Cleveland Cavaliers, DeMar DeRozan's future north of the border is in question.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reported on Tuesday that the Raptors explored trading DeRozan last offseason. Stein added that he expects the Raptors to do the same this offseason.
DeRozan averaged a career-high 27.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 2016-17, but those numbers dipped to 23.0 points and 3.9 rebounds this season, although he did put up a career-high 5.2 assists.
He then averaged 22.7 points in the playoffs, but his defensive deficiencies against LeBron James and the Cavs led to him getting benched for long stretches.
DeRozan is an albatross defensively at times, and while he is an explosive offensive player, he doesn't have much of an outside shot as evidenced by a career three-point percentage of 28.9 percent.
Even so, he is a four-time All-Star, and he has led the Raptors to their most successful stretch in franchise history as one of their go-to guys along with Kyle Lowry.
Toronto has reached the playoffs in five straight seasons, and it won a team-record 59 games in 2017-18. Ownership clearly isn't satisfied with that, though, as evidenced by the decision to fire head coach Dwane Casey.
The fact that the Raptors were willing to do that suggests it will be open to moving DeRozan for the right price in order to shake up the roster.
Doing so could be easier said than done, though, since DeRozan is set to make over $27 million in each of the next two seasons with a player option for 2020-21.
Hassan Whiteside
Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside took a significant step back in 2017-18, and it could potentially lead to a ticket out of town this offseason.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, "numerous people" within the Heat organization support the idea of trading Whiteside.
Whiteside complained often down the stretch about his playing time and usage, which led to team president Pat Riley suggesting an intervention between Whiteside and head coach Erik Spoelstra, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
After setting career highs with 17.0 points and 14.1 rebounds per game in 2016-17, Whiteside wasn't the same player this season.
He was limited to 54 games due to injury and played seven fewer minutes per game. Whiteside also put up 14.0 points and 11.4 rebounds per contest. His 1.7 blocks per game were his lowest mark since 2014-15.
When Whiteside is on his game, he has the makings of a highly sought-after commodity.
He is still fairly young at 28 years of age, and he is a dominant defensive presence in the paint who stands 7'0" tall.
Whiteside has just one year remaining on his contract until he has a player option for 2019-20, meaning it may be difficult for the Heat to get fair value in return for him.
