NBA Trade Rumors: Winners,Losers of Proposed 3-Team Cavs, T-Wolves, Pistons Deal
There are going to be a lot of tantalizing 2011 NBA Draft rumors as we approach the June 23 event.
With all of the different possibilities for each club that's drafting in the top ten, there are a number of different ways that the clubs could prepare in order to come out of the draft with an improved roster.
With the rumored three-team deal between Cleveland, Detroit and Minnesota serving as the headline of all draft rumors at the current juncture, we're here to discuss which club would potentially benefit the most.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Winners
1 of 7
This trade benefits Cleveland more than it does either of the other two clubs involved.
Not only would the team be able to nab the second overall pick and draft both PG Kyrie Irving and SF Derrick Williams, they would also land veteran SG Richard Hamilton, who the team attempted to acquire at the deadline last season.
The Cavs would come out of the draft with a projected starting lineup of Irving, Hamilton, Williams, Hickson and Varejao, and that's a much more imposing lineup than anything that they rolled out last season.
Detroit Pistons: Losers
2 of 7
Although the Pistons don't receive anything in return for Hamilton, the team has been looking to shed the $25 million owed to him over the next two seasons for quite some time.
However, the team would have to give up the no. 8 overall selection as well and that's a critical pick that they need to retain in order to re-build a franchise that desperately needs an overhaul.
It may prove to be too steep of a price to pay for Detroit, because they could really land an impact player in that draft slot.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Losers
3 of 7
While stockpiling draft picks can be seen as a good thing, the T-Wolves need proven production on a roster that's filled with youth and inexperience.
If the club is serious about keeping Kevin Love for the long-term, they need to acquire some proven NBA talent to play alongside him rather than keep bringing in rookies who will have to acclimate to the game at the next level.
If Minnesota decides to deal the second overall pick, they better get a lot more than just two draft picks in the top ten, and frankly would be even better off shopping for a different offer.
Richard Hamilton: Winner
4 of 7
It might not be a major improvement, but Hamilton escaping Detroit and going to play with a promising group of young talent in Cleveland would be a lot better than remaining with the Pistons.
If the deal does eventually come to fruition, Rip would slide in the starting five for a team that actually wants him there and he showed at the end of last season that he's got plenty left in the tank.
It'd be interesting to see if a new team would re-kindle the fire in Hamilton's game because it certainly seems like he was just sort of going through the motions at certain points last season.
No. 2 Pick for Cavaliers: Derrick Williams
5 of 7
Talk about a no-brainer selection.
The entire reason that the Cavs would be open to this deal and absorbing Hamilton's salary into the trade exception that they received from the LeBron to Miami fiasco is so that they can draft both Irving and Williams in back-to-back slots.
He would be an excellent fit along a youthful and athletic front line alongside J.J. Hickson, and he's already said that the Cavs should take him since they need a franchise player and that's exactly what he describes himself to be.
No. 4 Pick for Timberwolves: Enes Kanter
6 of 7
It's pretty obvious that the T-Wolves are considering Enes Kanter strongly atop their draft board, and the team feels that they can move back a couple of selections and still nab their man.
Kanter would provide a legitimate center to give Kevin Love some help down low but he certainly won't step into success overnight. He does have professional experience playing in Turkey but that's a very different game than the one played in the NBA.
There is a lot of risk associated with selecting Kanter as the franchise's center for the long-term, but he's already leaps and bounds better than any player at the position on the team's roster.
No. 8 Pick for Timberwolves: Alec Burks
7 of 7
Minnesota already has a number of talented players at the small forward and power forward positions, so that's a major reason they're shopping the second pick.
Where the club could use help desperately is at shooting guard, because they don't have a capable player at the position right now. The experiment of placing Wes Johnson in the position failed miserably and it's clear that they are still looking for someone to step up and assert himself as a starter.
Burks might be a slight reach at no. 8 but David Kahn hasn't been hesitant to pull the trigger before and it's about time he started drafting players that actually fit on his team.
