NBA Draft 2020: Analyzing Latest Obi Toppin, Hawks Trade Rumors

The 2020 NBA draft presents more unknowns than the process did a year ago. 

For starters, the No. 1 overall pick is not set in stone, and whomever Minnesota selects at No. 1 could affect how teams approach their selections or trade negotiations. 

If LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman are the top three picks as expected, there may be a rush up the draft board to land players like Obi Toppin, who may not be on the board for long after. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a decent spot to land Toppin at No. 5, and they are reportedly working out the Dayton product in the coming days. 

The team beneath Cleveland in the draft order has been busy as well, but in a different aspect, as the Atlanta Hawks are open to trade negotiations.

The Dallas Mavericks may be the team that takes the Hawks' spot—or the spot of another team in the top 10—since they are reportedly looking to move up from No. 18. 

Obi Toppin Scheduled to Meet with Cleveland

Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press

According to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers will send personnel to New Jersey to meet with Toppin.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor added to that report by stating "there's belief in league circles they're high" on Toppin. 

Based on Cleveland's recent roster construction, it would make sense for it to go after a young frontcourt prospect. It selected guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in the last two first rounds. 

The Cavs have Andre Drummond and Kevin Love in place down low, and Toppin could be a nice complement to the pair on the wing, or as a second frontcourt starter. 

Love's three-point-shooting ability may open up a spot closer to the basket for Toppin since he flashed strong rebounding ability in his sophomore season at Dayton. 

Toppin's extra year of experience in college could make him a more intriguing instant fit than a one-and-done player who needs to refine multiple parts of his game.

Toppin is not a perfect prospect, but if he performs well on the glass and improves his defensive ability, he could work his way into the starting five wherever he lands. 

Cleveland could go after a traditional wing player in Deni Avdija, if the Chicago Bulls do not scoop him up at No. 4, or look to improve its defense through Auburn's Isaac Okoro. 

There is a scenario in which the Cavs land USC center Onyeka Okongwu to give him a year to learn under Drummond and then let the experienced center go in free agency in 2021. 

But if the Cavs come away impressed with Toppin this week, he could move ahead of the other potential No. 5 picks on their draft board. 

Atlanta Hawks Shopping No. 6 Pick

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

According to O'Connor, the Hawks "are shopping their first-round pick and intend to push for the playoffs." 

A year ago, the Phoenix Suns shipped the No. 6 pick to Minnesota in exchange for the No. 11 selection and Dario Saric. 

Atlanta could look for a similar return for its No. 6 selection in order to add a veteran to its young core headlined by Trae Young. 

Including Young, the Hawks have six players on their roster 23 years old or younger. De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, John Collins, Kevin Huerter and Bruno Fernando are the others. 

Clint Capela and Dewayne Dedmon are the most experienced players on the roster, but they do not carry as much postseason experience as the veterans on other rosters in the Eastern Conference.

If the Hawks trade their best draft asset for a veteran playmaker, they could close the gap between them and the No. 8 seed. 

Last season, there was a three-game gap in the win column between Charlotte in 10th and Atlanta in 14th. If the Hawks vault the Hornets, Chicago, New York and Detroit, they have a chance to compete with Orlando and Washington for the No. 8 seed. 

Orlando will not have Jonathan Isaac for the 2020-21 season, and Washington's John Wall is working back from an Achilles injury. 

If Atlanta makes the right adjustments to its roster, it could capitalize on the situation and compete for the No. 8 seed in its best-case scenario for the upcoming campaign.

Dallas Mavericks "Have Desire" to Move into Lottery

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, one of the Dallas Mavericks' offseason objectives is to pursue the acquisition of a lottery pick. 

"Though they currently own the 18th and 31st picks in the Nov. 18 draft, the Mavericks have a strong desire to trade into the lottery (picks 1-14)," Townsend wrote. 

Townsend also noted that general manager Donnie Nelson has made everyone on the roster available for a trade with the exception of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in the team's quest to land a third superstar. 

The potential superstars in the draft class reside at the top, but there is always a chance one of the other lottery selections turns into a marquee player. 

Tyler Herro, Michael Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo are the most-recent examples of late lottery selections blossoming into superstars.

At the moment, Dallas holds the No. 18 and No. 31 picks, which could be packaged to move up into the lottery. It also possesses some intriguing pieces on its roster in Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith and Seth Curry who could be added to sweeten any trade negotiations. 

A trade into the back end of the lottery, or second half of the top 10, would seem like the most ideal moves since surging into the top five could come at a high price. 

A realistic deal could be something similar to Minnesota's 2017 deal with Chicago that sent Jimmy Butler to the Wolves and the No. 7 overall pick plus Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine back to the Bulls.