Seemingly as soon as the Finals ended, the NBA dove right into silly season, with rumors, breaking news, and questions popping up all over the basketball landscape. With the draft quickly approaching, the entire league feels in flux, grasping at ways to compete with the Warriors or make a leap for the future.
Big names like Jimmy Butler and Paul George are rumored to be available, the Cavaliers mutually agreed to part ways with general manager David Griffin, and the Celtics already traded away the top pick in Thursday’s draft.
With still tons of time for moves, schemes, and unexpected changes, this could be one of the wildest draft nights in recent memory. Here are some key questions surrounding the draft.
1. Are the Celtics done dealing?
Boston reaped another major score from the highway-robbery trade that sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and others to Brooklyn, and a host of draft assets to the Celtics. After winning the top seed in the East and reaching the conference finals, the Celtics won the lottery and sat atop the draft, on the clock with their pick of the litter.
For most evaluators, the choice was pretty simple: Markelle Fultz is the consensus top prospect and would certainly be able to find a place in Boston’s lineup.
Danny Ainge saw things differently, choosing to send the top pick to Philadelphia for an extra first round pick (either in 2018 or 2019, depending on protections). Logically, the reward doesn’t seem like enough to pass on the chance to take Fultz. In essence, it feels like the Celtics traded a quarter for two dimes.
Perhaps the best reason to have made the trade is in an effort to stockpile pieces to swing another trade. The Celtics may be interested in building a package for George, Butler, or another star. More assets might look better on paper, but Fultz would have been a more attractive trade chip than the two picks Boston swapped for him. If the Celtics do try to make a trade, they might be interested in hanging on to one of the pieces they received from the Sixers to build their ever-evolving roster.
2. Is “The Process” over in Philly?
The Sixers will take Markelle Fultz with the first pick on Thursday and add their third generational talent under the age of 23. After surviving four seasons near the bottom of the league, Philadelphia is poised to grow into one of the most exciting young cores the NBA has seen in recent years.
Amazingly, the Sixers were able to move up to take Fultz without sacrificing any of the foundational pieces of their roster. Trading two marginal European stashed prospects (likely never to play in the NBA) for Nik Stauskas, some dead money, and tons of draft capital lesd the Sixers to swap the 5th pick for the 3rd pick in this year’s draft. The pick they’ll send to Boston in the future came to Philly either via that trade (from Sacramento) or in exchange for lowly Michael Carter-Williams (from the Lakers via Phoenix).
The wheeling and dealing of former GM Sam Hinkie gave the current front office the tools to acquire the perfect guard to fit with their budding young stars in the frontcourt.
3. What direction are the Lakers going?
Philadelphia will certainly take Fultz first, after the Washington guard visited team headquarters to meet the team and run through some physical and medical tests. After that, the Lakers are on the clock and could drastically change the course of the rest of the draft.
The most likely scenario probably ends up with local product Lonzo Ball staying close to home – convenient given the amount of baggage that will accompany Ball to his pro career. The Lakers didn’t need a point guard, until they shipped D’Angelo Russell in a trade to Brooklyn.
Now Ball’s path to his hometown team seemed perfectly paved for his arrival. TNT’s David Aldridge, however, reported that the Lakers discussed trading the second pick to the Kings for both of Sacramento’s top ten picks.
Dwight Howard heads to Hornets after one season with hometown Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade center Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets, a source tells The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.
Charlotte is sending Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli and the 41st pick in Thursday's NBA draft to Atlanta for Howard and the 31st pick, the source said.
Howard signed a three-year, $70.5 million deal with his hometown Hawks in July but had a disappointing homecoming. He averaged 13.5 points -- his lowest average since his rookie season with the Orlando Magic in 2004-05 -- and 12.7 rebounds per game in his lone season in Atlanta. And he sat out the fourth quarter in two of six playoff games in the Hawks' first-round loss to the Washington Wizards.
Sources: Cavaliers told Jimmy Butler wants to stay with Bulls
The Cleveland Cavaliers remain seriously interested in trading for Chicago's Jimmy Butler or Indiana's Paul George, but have encountered significant obstacles on both fronts, according to league sources.
Sources said on Tuesday that the Cavaliers have been notified that Butler hopes to stay with the Bulls and would be reluctant to commit his long-term future to Cleveland. Butler, sources said, remains intent on trying to lead the Bulls back to Eastern Conference prominence.
When it comes to George, meanwhile, ESPN reported earlier Tuesday that the Indiana Pacers have commenced trade talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, who overwhelmingly rank as George's preferred destination as his own free agency looms in the summer of 2018.
One option for the Lakers, sources say, is trying to sell the Pacers on a trade package headlined by the 27th pick -- acquired as part of an agreed-to deal with the Nets on Tuesday -- and the 28th pick in Thursday night's draft in addition to players such as forward Julius Randle and guard Jordan Clarkson. Indiana, meanwhile, continues to try to pry away Thursday's No. 2 overall pick despite L.A.'s well-chronicled determination to keep it off limits.
Sources say that David Griffin, in his final few days as Cavaliers general manager, aggressively pursued trades for both Butler and George, seeking to acquire an elite two-way player in the wake of Cleveland's 4-1 NBA Finals defeat inflicted by the Golden State Warriors.
Nets to acquire D'Angelo Russell, Timofey Mozgov; Brook Lopez, 27th pick to Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are trading D'Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
The cap-clearing deal for Los Angeles, which sets the team up for a run at at least one max free agent next summer, was first reported by The Vertical.
New Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson decided to let go of the 21-year-old Russell, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft who averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 assists this past season. The Lakers have the No. 2 pick in Thursday's draft and are in line to take former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, which would give second-year coach Luke Walton a leader for his up-tempo offense.
Clippers gauge interest in DeAndre Jordan trade, sources say
The LA Clippers have gauged the market on potentially trading All-Star defensive stalwart center DeAndre Jordan, league sources told ESPN.
Sources say the Clippers, in an exploratory fashion, have spoken to a few teams regarding the nine-year veteran.
One of the teams contacted was the Phoenix Suns, sources told ESPN. A proposal of Jordan in exchange for veteran center Tyson Chandler and the Suns' No. 4 pick in the 2017 NBA draft was discussed, sources said.
The Suns, however, are believed to have balked at the overture.
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