NBA Trade Rumors: Rounding Up Latest Reports Before 2018 NBA Draft
With trade rumors starting to heat up around the NBA in anticipation of Thursday's draft, there are some signs leading to a wild night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
While it doesn't look like a ton of big names will be moved, there's potential for a few teams to be busy on the trade market if the prospects they covet are available at the right price.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the radar of everyone who follows the league because of the uncertainty surrounding LeBron James' situation.
It doesn't look like Cleveland will have an answer from James before Thursday, which means it could bolster its roster in order to coerce the superstar into staying in Ohio.
One move the Cavaliers are looking into involves the acquisition of Charlotte point guard Kemba Walker, who the Cavaliers have inquired about, per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon.
If the Cavaliers were to go after Walker, they'd most likely have to give up the No. 8 overall pick to the Hornets, who select 11th in the first round.
Cleveland could always play it safe by drafting someone like Michael Porter Jr. or Wendell Carter Jr., or it could trade down to collect assets just in case James decides to depart the franchise for the second time.
The Chicago Bulls sit directly in front of the Cavaliers in the draft order at No. 7, but Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago noted a few sources have hinted at the Bulls trading up with Porter as the target.
Chicago team sources said there was no truth to the rumors of moving up, per Goodwill's report, and if that's the case the Bulls could have Porter fall to them at No. 7 given how much his draft stock fluctuated recently due to injury concerns.
The Bulls, Cavaliers and a few other teams in the lottery will be forced to wait and see what the teams at the top of the draft do before making their final moves.
Atlanta, who holds three first-round selections, including the No. 3 overall pick, could be a player in the trade market throughout the night.
The Hawks have the capability of trading up by packaging their plethora of picks together, or they could use a player as trade bait.
According to Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo, the Hawks have made Dennis Schroder available in trade talks, but he could be difficult to move because of his contract, as he has $46 million left on his current deal.
A combination of Schroder and picks could be enough to entice a team into doing a deal with the Hawks, but that's a situation that could unfold more on draft night as the first round plays out and certain players remain available.
The Toronto Raptors don't have a pick in the first round, but that could change if they like a prospect enough.
The Raptors, who have a new head coach in Nick Nurse and whose natural selection belongs to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 29, could use Norman Powell as a trade piece to move into the first round, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg.
Powell's value could be at its highest in the next week, as he has an extension to his contract that doesn't kick in until July 1. After that date, teams would have to match his salary of $9.4 million. If a team trades for Powell before June ends, it would only have to match or absorb $1.5 million, per Lewenberg.
Which team Toronto could potentially make a deal with remains to be seen, and a trade might not develop until Thursday night.
The Philadelphia 76ers could be in the trade market later Thursday night, as they possess four second-round picks in addition to No. 10 and No. 26 in the first round.
Since the team knows it can't sign all of its second-round selections, it could look for something in return, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted:
Although no deals have been set in stone yet, plenty more information will materialize as the draft inches closer, and if the selection process falls a certain way, madness could ensue across the league.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
