NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, More
On Wednesday night, some of the NBA's future stars found out where they were heading to begin their careers during the 2020 draft.
Some of the league's current stars may also be on the move before the end of the offseason, as trade rumors have been swirling ahead of the start of the free-agency period on Friday.
With little more than a month until the 2020-21 season begins on Dec. 22, there isn't much time for the Association's 30 teams to finalize their rosters for the upcoming campaign. So, there could be a bunch of moves on the horizon over the next few weeks, some of which could be trades involving top players.
Here's some of the latest trade buzz from around the NBA.
Will Houston Find Trade Partner for Westbrook?
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It could end up being an eventful few weeks for the Houston Rockets: The future of shooting guard James Harden appears uncertain, and point guard Russell Westbrook has reportedly requested a trade.
And while we don't know whether either or both could be moved, there are sure to be plenty of rumors regarding potential deals.
There has already been buzz surrounding Westbrook, who has only spent one season in Houston.
Since the 32-year-old's trade request, the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks have shown the "most substantive trade interest," according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, although he noted both teams "expressed conditional rather than aggressive interest."
Perhaps it's possible the Hornets' interest will drift after they used the No. 3 overall pick on LaMelo Ball in Wednesday night's draft. However, the Knicks didn't draft a point guard, so maybe they could still pursue a Westbrook trade.
Another potential deal being reported is one that would send Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in exchange for point guard John Wall, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, who added that Washington would want "assets in addition to Wall," in a trade.
There's some uncertainty surrounding the 30-year-old Wall, who hasn't played in a game since December 2018 due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Westbrook is a former NBA MVP, a nine-time All-Star and a two-time league scoring champion, so it makes sense that the Rockets would want a decent return for him. This past season, he averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 57 games for Houston.
Beal, LaVine Among 'Hot Names Around the League'
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Just because players' names are showing up in trade rumors doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be moved. That could be the case for Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal and Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine, who "have been hot names around the league," according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
While it's not clear all of the teams that have expressed interest in potentially trading for Beal and/or LaVine, Goodwill reported that the Philadelphia 76ers have been "one among many" to do so. However, he also noted that the Wizards and Bulls have "rebuffed overtures" for their respective stars.
Beal's name has been mentioned frequently in trade rumors, which the Wizards continue to shut down. General manager Tommy Sheppard said earlier this week that the 27-year-old is "not going anywhere," per The Athletic's Fred Katz. So it appears the Wizards will continue to build around the two-time All-Star.
LaVine is only 25 and entering his seventh NBA season (his fourth in Chicago). It would make sense that the Bulls would want to keep him as a key member of their core, so perhaps there won't be a trade there.
Either way, it's worth noting that these guards continue to draw interest in case the Wizards or Bulls become more open to a potential trade down the line.
A Different Sign-and-Trade for Bogdanovic?
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Earlier this week, it appeared Bogdan Bogdanovic was heading to the Milwaukee Bucks. Not so fast, though. That sign-and-trade deal by the Sacramento Kings is no longer happening.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 28-year-old is now planning to become a restricted free agent on Friday and will "move into the marketplace to find an offer sheet or seek out other sign-and-trade scenarios." The Serb never agreed to the deal, per The Athletic's Sam Amick, which became a "major issue."
If Sacramento and Milwaukee had completed the deal, Bogdanovic and Justin James would have been going to the Bucks, while Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova would have joined the Kings.
It had already been a busy week for Milwaukee, as it reportedly agreed to acquire point guard Jrue Holiday in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Bucks tried to add another standout player next to two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the hopes of better postseason success next year.
Bogdanovic has spent his first three NBA seasons in Sacramento, but it's now unclear where he'll be when the 2020-21 season gets underway next month.
