NBA Trade Rumors: Examining Top Draft-Day Buzz for 2018 NBA Draft
The NBA draft world is buzzing, even though the actual selection process won't start until Thursday night (7 p.m. ET on ESPN).
Stocks remain as fluid as ever, and we're already seeing teams jump around the draft board.
Two clubs have obtained second-round selections. The Los Angeles Lakers acquired the 39th pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Charlotte Hornets landed the 45th pick in their Dwight Howard-Timofey Mozgov exchange with the Brooklyn Nets, per Wojnarowksi.
Let's get to the latest buzz about what else could transpire Thursday evening.
Cavs Keeping Kevin Love?
It wouldn't be an NBA offseason without some type of Kevin Love trade chatter.
Only this year's version suggests the five-time All-Star's future with the Cleveland Cavaliers could be more certain than expected.
"The Cavaliers are not actively shopping All-Star forward Kevin Love heading into Thursday's NBA draft, multiple sources told ESPN on Wednesday," Dave McMenamin reported. "Furthermore, regardless of what decision LeBron James makes about his future in Cleveland, the Cavs have interest in keeping Love next season, sources said."
That latter portion might be the most revealing aspect.
Cleveland could feel motivated to cut costs if James leaves town, which presumably would pull this organization away from any realistic roads to title contention. Love not only has the Cavs' highest non-LeBron salary ($24.1 million), he also theoretically has the most trade value given his track record (career 18.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game).
But we've heard Cavs owner Dan Gilbert thinks he could construct a contender without James, so perhaps remaining competitive is a bigger priority than we think. To that end, McMenamin reported the Cavs are "entering into the draft with the intention of making a selection [at No. 8] that they will keep on their team next season."
The Cavs could still opt for a post-LeBron teardown if it comes to that, but it doesn't sound like there is a fire sale imminent.
Grizzlies Moving Down From No. 4?
The Memphis Grizzlies don't have the makeup of a typical lottery team.
Their top talents are aging and expensive—and proved recently capable of success before injuries ripped through their rotation this past season.
That gives them an interesting dilemma with the No. 4 pick since their core might need more immediate help than a young prospect could offer.
So, it might make sense for Memphis to move this pick, which is reportedly something the franchise is considering, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony:
"The Memphis Grizzlies are in discussions with a number of teams to trade the No. 4 pick in the draft, league sources tell ESPN. Any such trade would likely include Memphis forward Chandler Parsons whose contract is considered an albatross because of his knee problems.
"The Grizzlies have several potential trade partners, as the Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets Boston Celtics and LA Clippers have shown varying degrees of interest in a deal, a source told ESPN."
Parsons, who has two years and $49.2 million left on his contract, has been limited to 70 games over the past two seasons due to injury. He's averaged just 19.5 minutes and shot only 40.1 percent from the field with the Grizzlies.
Memphis hopes to move down a few spots and not vacate the lottery entirely, sources told Givony. Big man Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke) is reportedly "a favorite of the Memphis front office and especially the coaching staff," according to Givony's sources.
Hawks Moving Back, Eyeing Trae Young?
The Atlanta Hawks are armed with three first-rounders, including the third overall selection. But they might not hold such a prominent place on the draft board come Thursday night.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix reported Atlanta has "explored moving back" and has interest in Trae Young:
SI.com's Jeremy Woo previously reported this possibility, including the interest in Young, who led the country in points (27.4) and assists (8.7) during his lone season at Oklahoma. Woo also heard the Hawks are "said to be conflicted about Luka Doncic."
Considering the Hawks just finished 26th in offensive efficiency, it makes sense they might view Young as capable of establishing an identity at that end. But adding him might necessitate another move, since Atlanta's leading scorer and distributor—and second-highest-paid player—is fellow floor general Dennis Schroder.
League sources told Woo that Schroder has been "made available in trade talks," but also that the 24-year-old "has been difficult for the Hawks to deal due to concerns about his attitude and the $46 million remaining on his contract through 2021."
Given the number of teams trying to move up—the Knicks and Bulls have both been linked to Mohamed Bamba—it's at least feasible that the right deal surfaces at some point for the Hawks.
Statistics used courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.
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