With the NBA draft tipping off in four days and a flurry of potential major trades in the works between now and then, the league’s seemingly endless rumour mill is churning at full speed.
Where will Kawhi Leonard move? How will Sacramento screw up the draft? Any updates on LeBron’ Decision 3.0? Will the Toronto Raptors make any noise this week? Let’s dive right in:
KAWHI TRADE BUZZ
On Friday it was heavily reported that San Antonio Spurs superstar Leonard has officially requested a trade.
Over the weekend, and in the immediate aftermath of the news, it seems virtually every team in the NBA has been linked to Leonard in potential trade talks. Leonard is eligible to sign an extension with the Spurs this summer, but his current contract expires next summer, which could affect the calibre of offers San Antonio receives for what could amount to a one-year rental player.
Here’s a roundup of some of the latest reports and possible destinations for the 26 year-old two-time Finals MVP:
Lakers
Leonard’s relationship with the Spurs brain trust eroded throughout the season due to complications, mixed messages, and perceived mistreatment relating to the hip injury that cost him all but nine games. But a part of his trade demand reportedly stems from his desire to play in a bigger market, with Los Angeles being atop his wish list.
The Lakers enter the off-season with several trade assets, including Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball (a Ball-for-Leonard rumour was quickly shot down), present and future draft picks, as well as cap space to absorb large contracts. However, they only draft 25th this year and don’t have established players to return to San Antonio in a deal, meaning the Spurs would have to be willing to embark on a full-on rebuild should they do a deal with the Lakers that doesn’t involve a third team.
Clippers
The Clippers are considered a Plan B for Leonard and his group, and on Monday it was reported that the team is preparing a trade offer centred around Tobias Harris — acquired from Detroit in the Blake Griffin trade last season — and the 12th overall pick.
The Clips own both the 12th and 13th picks in this year’s draft, and also have a good amount of cap space to be darkhorse contenders in both trade and free-agency talks this summer.
One wrinkle: It’s been reported that both L.A. teams are wary of going all-in on a deal for Leonard because of questions as to the long-term severity of his injury.
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Suns/Kings
The teams drafting first and second overall, respectively, in Thursday’s draft could both be dangling their top picks as part of a deal for San Antonio’s disgruntled star.
When news of the Leonard trade demand broke, The Ringer ran a story that suggested the Suns could be preparing to offer the first overall pick — but a more recent report from NBA.com suggests that Phoenix would prefer to hang on to the pick and draft top-rated centre DeAndre Ayton, thank you very much.
Sacramento seems poised to pass on EuroLeague phenom Luka Doncic at No.2 overall — which feels like a mistake — and could reportedly be trying to move the pick altogether for an “established star.”
Cavaliers
It’s hard to imagine Cleveland has the trade assets to compete with practically any of the other clubs in contention for Leonard — a list that also includes Eastern Conference teams like the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks — but that reportedly hasn’t stopped them from contacting San Antonio. The Cavaliers’ best trade assets include the eighth overall pick in Thursday’s draft and Kevin Love.
Acquiring Leonard — which is a pipe dream, logic dictates — would not only keep the team in contention status in the East, but also be the type of move that would go a long way to seeing LeBron James return to Cleveland next season.
WHAT ABOUT LEBRON?
The Decision 3.0 buzz quieted down over the weekend as Leonard’s trade demand captured headlines. There is no indication that James is any closer to nearing a decision on where he’ll play next season, but a report out of Cleveland indicates that if he does leave the Cavaliers the team doesn’t plan to hit the reset button and ‘blow up’ the team.
But make no mistake — the Leonard trade could impact LeBron’s decision and influence his options going forward. The same mix of teams potentially in the running for James — namely the Lakers, Celtics, Clippers, and Knicks — will also likely be sending offers for Leonard. There is even a belief that the Lakers could also push to acquire Leonard as a means to entice James to sign with them in free agency.
James has made it clear that his biggest motivating factors in his free agency decision will be family – just last week there were reports that his eldest son, LeBron Jr., is enrolling in L.A.-area Sierra Canyon high school — and competing for an NBA title. Obviously a team featuring two of the league’s top five players would be well on its way for the latter.
DONCIC FALLING?
Despite being widely considered the top prospect in this year’s draft, most recent mock drafts ahead of Thursday’s event have Doncic falling down draft boards.
As his fellow draft-eligible prospects go through private workouts with NBA teams in the weeks and days leading up to the draft, Doncic is leading his team toward a Spanish League title after having already secured a EuroLeague title with Real Madrid, during which he earned MVP honours.
On Sunday, Doncic scored 20 points and grabbed nine boards for Real Madrid, but his unprecedented performance in the top leagues outside of the NBA hasn’t seemed to boost his draft stock.
The folks at CBS, ESPN, and NBAdraft.net all currently project Doncic to be drafted between third and fifth on Thursday.
RAPTORS WANT IN
The Toronto Raptors do not have any picks in Thursday’s draft, but GM Bobby Webster says that the team is actively looking to obtain a pick somewhere in the draft.
The Raptors held several pre-draft workouts with prospects considered long-shots or on the bubble and, even if they aren’t able to acquire a pick will be active in reaching out to undrafted players on their radar to offer deals to join their Summer League club in Las Vegas.
