The Kings (No. 2), Hawks (No. 3), and Grizzlies (No. 4) all consider to explore the possibility of trading down in the draft, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Monday night on the network’s Mock Draft Special (Twitter link via Sagar Trika). According to Wojnarowski, the Clippers are one team looking to move up and so are the Nuggets, who would love to get into the top five or six (Twitter link via Trika).
Although we hear whispers about possible trades in the lottery every year, Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) gets the sense that this year could be a little different. According to Mannix, there’s a “growing sense” among many team executives that there could be some major deals completed early in the draft.
Here are several more draft-related rumors worth relaying, with 2018’s big night just two days away:
- Wojnarowski passed along a few more draft tidbits during ESPN’s Mock Draft Special, per Trika (all Twitter links). According to Woj, the Magic are high on both Trae Young and Collin Sexton, there’s strong mutual interest between Mikal Bridges and the Sixers, and the Warriors will be looking to buy a second-round pick in the 30s.
- Multiple sources, including NBA execs, agents, and scouts, believe that the Cavaliers will select Michael Porter Jr. if he’s on the board at No. 8, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. However, the odds of Porter still being available at that point seem to be dwindling.
- The Wizards are letting teams know that they’re open to trading down from No. 15 if a team is willing to take on one of Washington’s expiring contracts, a league source tells Ben Standig of The Sports Capitol. Marcin Gortat ($13.57MM) and Jason Smith ($5.45MM) look like a couple of the club’s prime trade candidates.
- Jake Fischer and Jeremy Woo of SI.com spoke to 10 anonymous scouts around the NBA to get their thoughts on Luka Doncic, Trae Young, the Cavaliers‘ pick, and several more draft-related topics.
Charlotte should be all over the expiring Washington contracts.
Washington is looking to trade down. So I’m not sure how Charlotte helps them do that given that their pick is ahead of Washington. I’d say Chicago is a prime candidate here. They’re picking 22, have ample cap space, and are unlikely to make a significant free agent signing this summer. I’m not sure if Atlanta’s cap space, but if they have the room, they’d make sense too with the 19 pick.
Chicago makes a lot of sense. Atlanta has a lot of cap space, and even more if they deal Schroeder
Swap Gortat for some defensive help in Kidd-Gilchrist or a stretch four in Marvin Williams
Boston could sign and trade Smart and 27 for Gortat and 15. Not sure how the timing on that would work, but it could be a possibility.
How would that help the Wizards? Their strength is their backcourt, so why would they want Smart?
So the question is why those teams tanked this year? Stinking the place out to then trade the reward of their badness, seems a bit odd to me, in that right? Though having said that it would be great if Philly could pick earlier so they could get MPJ, also Denver, going up would be good for them to add some younger & cheaper talent to that team to help Jokic, as he carries that team all alone.
Yes, tanking then trading down is not a good look. And the pingpong balls have more even distribution next year. Yet will teams NOT tank next year?– I bet not.
I hope CLE takes Porter for his trade value. Seriously I would not mind if the #8 was traded for Josh Hart (possibility: 0%).
I wonder if SGAlexander got a promise, since he is not working out for scouts. Hometown: Toronto, picking #11.
Is Jason Smith even still trying? He was going to be a good 3pt shooter.