NBA Draft Rumors: Latest Buzz on 2018 Lottery Trades and Potential Picks
Given the amount of trade speculation that's been swirling over the last few days, the 2018 NBA draft could be highlighted by a whirlwind of trades featuring teams moving up for coveted prospects.
The only sure thing at the moment appears to be the Phoenix Suns holding on to the No. 1 overall pick, with which they are likely to select Arizona center Deandre Ayton.
After the Suns go off the clock, a free-for-all could ensue with the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies unsure of the direction they'll take Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The trade rumor mill is focused on the Hawks at No. 3 and the Grizzlies at No. 4 for different reasons. Atlanta can afford a drop in the first round because of the amount of picks it contains, while Memphis is under pressure to get its decision right while attempting to dump a big contract in a deal.
Memphis' pick is receiving the most interest, as ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported seven teams have shown some type of interest in the No. 4 pick.
Dallas and Orlando, who select directly beneath Memphis, were mentioned along with New York, the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston, Chicago and Denver.
However, any potential deal for the No. 4 pick involves two complications, with one being Memphis' want to get rid of Chandler Parsons' contract. The other is the availability of certain prospects at No. 4, where there's a chance Ayton, Marvin Bagley and Luka Doncic are all gone.
The decision-making process at No. 4 will be determined by what the Kings and Hawks do with their respective selections.
Sacramento could set the tone for the rest of the draft by taking either Bagley or Doncic, two players it is still deciding between, per Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated:
The Hawks sit in an intriguing situation, as they can field trade offers without feeling the pressure of having to draft a franchise-changing player at No. 3.
Since they possess three first-round picks, the Hawks should have the most flexibility of any team Thursday night, and because of that, they aren't afraid of trading down.
Yahoo's Chris Mannix reported the Hawks have fielded multiple calls for No. 3 and have eyes on moving down to pick Trae Young:
Orlando, who holds the No. 6 selection, could be one of the suitors for the No. 3 pick, as Sports Illustrated's Jake Fischer reported the Magic are in aggressive trade talks with their divisional rival:
One surprise team that could be involved in the trade market Thursday is Boston, who is no stranger to draft-day deals.
The Celtics are in possession of the No. 27 pick, but they've expressed interest in Atlanta's and Memphis' selections, with Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Mohamed Bamba being the target and Terry Rozier as a potential trade piece, per The Athletic's Jared Weiss.
While the Knicks have been mentioned throughout the draft buildup as a franchise interested in moving up, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski believes they won't.
"That's a steep price to move up that high in the draft (from No. 9 to No. 4)," Wojnarowski said. "You're going to have to give up a lot. You're going to have to give up a future first (round pick). I think New York, in my conversations last night, I think they're very comfortable at No. 9."
As for players who could be available for the Knicks at No. 9, Young and Michael Porter are dropping down draft boards, while Wendell Carter Jr. might not be available since he is rising, per Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman:
More speculation will come in anticipation of the draft, but with so many variables in play, the actual deals might not appear until the first round begins.
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