NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Rumblings Following 2021 Draft Lottery
The 2020-21 NBA season isn't over yet, with four teams still battling it out for a championship. But with 26 franchises already looking ahead to the offseason, there's plenty of buzz regarding what could happen over the next few months.
That's especially the case after Tuesday's NBA draft lottery took place. Now the order for the draft is set, teams can better prepare for what they may do to improve their rosters ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
Many teams will be looking to make trades, some of which could affect the draft order. There will surely be some deals made on draft night, and some could potentially even get completed before then.
Here's some of the latest trade buzz from around the NBA as the offseason gets closer.
Multiple Teams Considering Trading Top Draft Picks?
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When a team gets lucky at the draft lottery and lands one of the top picks, it usually goes on to use that selection to acquire a top prospect. But there are always other options to consider, such as potentially trading the pick to add other assets.
Several teams may be considering that now, and perhaps one (or multiple) will end up trading its first-round pick. Shortly before the draft lottery, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on the broadcast (h/t RealGM) that the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers were among the teams that would be "very aggressive" in potentially seeking out trades.
Wojnarowski added that these teams would be looking to "bring back young veteran players or All-Star-caliber players to accelerate their rebuilds."
The Rockets landed the No. 2 overall pick, while the Cavaliers got the No. 3 selection. If either decides they want to trade their pick, there will be plenty of interest.
It will be interesting to see what potential offers emerge and what these teams decide to do.
Plenty of Teams Showing Interest in Simmons
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Since the Philadelphia 76ers' disappointing exit in the second round of the playoffs, there's been speculation that Ben Simmons' time with the team may be nearing an end. The 24-year-old point guard had some struggles this season, and the 76ers still haven't made a deep postseason run with their current core.
Simmons is under contract for four more seasons, so if Philadelphia wants to part ways now, it would have to trade him. And if that's what it decides to do, it shouldn't have any trouble finding suitors for the three-time All-Star.
"In talking to executives around the league, there's a lot of interest in Ben Simmons. If he was made available on the market today, there would be maybe up to a dozen teams that would make offers," ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported recently on SportsCenter.
In 58 games this season, Simmons averaged career lows in points (14.3), rebounds (7.2) and assists (6.9) per contest. Still, he's young and has proved to be a top player in the past, and perhaps a fresh start with a new team is what he needs to produce at an even higher level.
Could Bulls Trade Up into 1st Round of Draft?
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The Chicago Bulls needed to land a top-four pick in the draft lottery to prevent it going to the Orlando Magic. Luck ended up not being on Chicago's side, as it got the No. 8 selection, which now belongs to Orlando.
That leaves the Bulls with only one draft pick (the No. 38 overall selection in the second round) and no opportunities to get any of the top prospects in this year's class. But there's always a chance Chicago could add some draft capital before the event.
The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry wrote to not rule out the Bulls trading back into the first round of the draft. In order to do so, they'd have to give up somebody from their current roster, though.
"Chicago has several veteran contracts to play with or assemble as a package for potential draft capital," Mayberry wrote. "Thaddeus Young, Tomas Satoransky and Al-Farouq Aminu all have reasonable expiring contracts that, depending on the deal and what else the Bulls are willing to take back, could entice a team to relinquish a first-rounder."
The Bulls have missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, but their 31 wins this year were their most since they won 41 and reached the postseason in 2016-17. By acquiring a first-round pick, Chicago may add a player who will help it continue to move in the right direction.
