The 2022 NBA Draft is one day away, and rumors are surfacing
left and right.
Which teams have been the most aggressive in trade talks? Will
any notable players be on the move? Which draft picks could be
dealt? BasketballNews has compiled all of the biggest rumors:
Malcolm Brogdon
“significantly likely” to be traded
All signs point to the Indiana Pacers trading Malcolm Brogdon
this week. Not only has Brogdon surfaced in trade rumors more than
any other player, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently reported that
teams like the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks are expected
to pivot to Brogdon trade negotiations if they can’t move up to No.
4 for Purdue’s Jaden Ivey.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported that the Pacers were
throwing the veteran guard into every trade discussion they were
having.
On The Lowe Post, ESPN’s Jonathan
Givony mentioned that the Los Angeles Lakers offered the following
package for Brogdon: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker and a
future first-round pick in 2027. Givony said that the Pacers
immediately declined the Lakers’ offer. Lowe also threw in that
he’s heard Brogdon and Myles Turner are “coveted” around the
league.
During ESPN’s NBA Mock Draft Special on Tuesday night,
Wojnarowski reiterated that it’s “significantly likely” that
Brogdon is moved before the 2022 NBA Draft begins.
Hornets shopping Gordon
Hayward
The Charlotte Hornets are prioritizing salary-cap flexibility in
order to re-sign Miles Bridges, according to ESPN's Brian
Windhorst. The Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons are also worth
monitoring as potential suitors for Bridges, per Bleacher Report's Jake
Fischer.
With the Hornets prioritizing Bridges, Gordon Hayward’s future
in Charlotte is certainly in flux. Windhorst said that the Hornets
are looking to find a team that's willing to take on the final two
years of Hayward’s contract. As an incentive, Charlotte is
reportedly willing to throw in one of their first-round picks (No.
13 or No. 15). We'll see if any teams pounce at the opportunity to
land Hayward and a lottery pick.
Fischer notes that Charlotte is also gauging the trade market on
Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre Jr., PJ Washington and Mason Plumlee.
With the hope of shedding salary to keep Bridges alongside
LaMelo Ball, the Hornets seem poised to make a big move this
week.
Hawks have been
aggressive
There have been a ton of Hawks-related rumors of late. On Monday
night, Wojnarowski appeared on SportsCenter and said that Atlanta
has been aggressive in trying to find a star to pair with Trae
Young.
John Collins has surfaced in a number of trade rumors as well.
The Hawks have had talks with the Sacramento Kings about a
potential Collins deal, according to The Athletic's Shams
Charania.
Versatile wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is also drawing interest from
teams, per Windhorst. Atlanta has offers on the table for
Collins and Bogdanovic.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer also shared an interesting Hawks
nugget during his live podcast on Tuesday: Atlanta
is trying to move up from No. 16 overall into the lottery, with
their primary target being G League Ignite playmaker Dyson Daniels.
Fischer said that the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7 could be a
potential team to monitor as Atlanta continues to pursue
Daniels.
It's possible we could see an explosive draft night from the
Hawks. They are weighing multiple moves, and the front office views
Young and De’Andre Hunter as the only untouchable assets, per
Woj.
Tucker, Gordon reuniting
with Harden on 76ers?
The Philadelphia 76ers could be a team to watch this offseason.
Not only do they have an important long-term decision to
make on James Harden, they also have a number of players who
could be viewed as available. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia
Inquirer dropped multiple tidbits on the
Sixers’ plans.
After PJ Tucker declined his player option with the Miami Heat,
Philadelphia and the veteran forward have mutual interest. In order
to create cap space, the Sixers are looking to deal Matisse
Thybulle and the No. 23 pick in a three-team deal.
Pompey added that Philadelphia is
trying their best to offload Tobias Harris’ large contract, but
it's been tough to find any potential suitors.
Finally, there's another Houston Rocket who could potentially
reunite with Harden in Philadelphia. The Sixers and Phoenix Suns
have expressed interest in Eric Gordon, per Windhorst on NBA
Today.
It sounds like Daryl Morey is trying to get the band back
together, with Gordon and Tucker running it back with Harden in the
Eastern Conference.
Knicks have been very
active
As previously mentioned, the New York Knicks are showing
interest in Brogdon. In addition to Wojnarowski's report, we've
seen similar intel from The Athletic’s Shams Charania and SNY’s Ian
Begley. Outside of Brogdon, are there any other targets on the
board?
Begley reported on KnicksFanTV that New
York recently offered the Sacramento Kings multiple future
first-round picks to move up to No. 4 for Jaden Ivey. The Knicks
view Ivey in a high regard, and are willing to pay a steep price to
move up seven spots in the draft.
The Knicks have also had talks with the Detroit Pistons about
acquiring the No. 5 overall pick, and Cam Reddish was included in
those discussions, per Begley.
It certainly seems like New York is trying to make a splash.
Hawks, Pistons are top
suitors for Deandre Ayton
According to O’Connor on The Mismatch, the
Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks are the main teams to monitor as
it relates to Deandre Ayton’s upcoming restricted free agency.
Ayton could still stay with Phoenix, but Detroit and Atlanta will
be among the teams pursuing the 23-year-old center.
Do the Suns actually view Ayton as a max-level player? If not,
perhaps the Suns will try to get creative and explore
sign-and-trade packages revolving around Ayton. Detroit and Atlanta
have some intriguing assets that could make a deal worth it from
the Suns’ perspective (although the Pistons could also try to sign
Ayton using their cap space).
Timberwolves inquired
about Rudy Gobert, Clint Capela
During Tuesday’s episode of The
Mismatch, O'Connor also mentioned that the Minnesota
Timberwolves have registered interest in Rudy Gobert and Clint
Capela. This lines up with a previous report from Charania that
Minnesota had inquired about Capela.
Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. So, are the
Timberwolves really about to make Karl-Anthony Towns a full-time
power forward? If the plan is to make a big move for a veteran
center, moving one of the best shooting bigs of all-time further to
the perimeter is an interesting thought.
According to Basketball Reference, Towns
played 100% of his minutes at center last season. In fact, the only
time he has played power forward throughout his NBA career was
during his rookie season in 2015-16, when 2% of his minutes came at
the 4.
The more you think about it, the more a Towns-Gobert frontcourt
is certainly intriguing though.
John Wall expected to get
bought out?
The Houston Rockets and John Wall will work toward finalizing a
buyout before free agency begins, according to Fischer on his
latest podcast.
After Wall opted in to his $47.3 million player option, there
were questions about what's next for the point guard. This is the
final year of Wall's contract, which could make it easier for the
two sides to reach a buyout agreement.
If Wall hits the open market, could regain his form on a
contender (potentially signing for the mid-level exception or
less)? Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists for Houston during
the 2020-21 season, but he hasn't set foot on an NBA court since
April of 2021.
Cavaliers open to trading
No. 14 pick
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the
Cleveland Cavaliers are open to trading back from the final slot in
the lottery at No. 14 overall. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis
Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks are among the teams who have already
called the Cavs about the pick, per Scotto.
It's interesting that the Grizzlies and Bucks — two legitimate
contenders — trying to move up 10-plus spots on Thursday night.
It's unclear who these teams are targeting, but our Senior NBA
Draft Analyst Matt Babcock currently has Ousmane Dieng projected at
No. 14 overall. Rumors have been flying that Dieng has a guarantee,
per Babcock, and he did receive an invite to the green room.
Heat expressing interest
in Jerami Grant
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Miami Heat have checked in on
the availability of Jerami Grant. The Detroit Pistons have been
openly shopping Grant for a while, so perhaps a deal will finally
go down this week.
Does Miami make sense as a potential trade partner for the
Pistons? It's unclear what the Heat would be giving up in return
for Grant, who averaged 19.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.9
threes, 1.0 block and 0.9 steals this season, while shooting 42.6%
from the field, 35.8% from three-point range and 83.8% from the
free-throw line.
Grizzlies attempting to
move up
Reaffirming the Grizzlies’ desires of trading up on Thursday,
Zach Lowe mentioned on The Lowe Post that Memphis' executives are
“calling in every direction.”
If that’s not a sign that the Grizzlies are expected to be very
active on Thursday, I don’t know what to tell you. Memphis has a
history of being active on draft night, and it seems this year
won’t be any different.
Are the Suns willing to
pay the luxury tax?
Recently, many national pundits have suggested that the Phoenix
Suns are hesitant to go deep into the luxury tax. However, Suns
owner Robert Sarver recently told BasketballNews that Phoenix has
no qualms about paying up in order to keep this team together
long-term.
“My position for a market like us with the tax is, if you get
yourself where you can compete at the highest level, then you pay
it and you go for it,” Sarver said.
“I’m not saying we’re in a market that can be in it 10 years in
a row," Sarver added. "But when you get to a certain level where
you have a chance to compete and you’re a top-four, top-six,
top-eight team, if you’re at the level where you have a legitimate
chance to compete — get to your Conference Finals and maybe win a
championship — then I think you go in the tax, you pay and you do
what you gotta do."
Sarver knows that the Suns’ championship window is in the here
and now. Barring a change of heart, it seems that he's willing to
spend to keep this core together.
“You just can’t take success for grant,” Sarver said. “It can
come and go.”
Also, keep an eye on the Suns trying to add a pick in Thursday's
draft. While they have no picks at the moment, Phoenix is making
calls and trying to buy a second-round selection, according to 98.7
FM’s John Gambadoro. Gambadoro said that the Orlando Magic,
Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State
Warriors are teams who are open to trading their
second-rounders.
Dyson Daniels rising up
draft boards?
Dyson Daniels has one of the biggest risers during the NBA
pre-draft process. On BasketballNews' latest mock draft, Babcock
has Daniels being selected No. 8 overall by the New Orleans
Pelicans.
“After being at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia,
Dyson Daniels had a terrific season for the G League Ignite,"
Babcock said of Daniels. "The 6-foot-7 positionless Swiss army
knife, Daniels excels at getting downhill and attacking the basket,
relying on his athleticism and body control for finishing while
occasionally employing a floater. Daniels’ outside shooting is
still a work in progress, but he is a disruptive defender with
quick feet and instincts. Daniels’ progression as a playmaker was
also notable during the G League season. He seems to have a bright
future ahead of him.”
According to The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz,
Daniels blew away the Indiana Pacers’ front office in his recent
workout in Indianapolis.
“I was told Dyson Daniels had one of the greatest workouts a lot
of people in the Indiana organization have ever seen,” Kravitz said
on ESPN 107.5 FM on Tuesday.
With the Pacers selecting at No. 6 overall, their hope is that
somehow one of Jaden Ivey or Keegan Murray slips. If not, Kravitz
said the Pacers will be deciding between Daniels and Arizona wing
Bennedict Mathurin.
Stay tuned to BasketballNews.com for all the latest NBA news
and rumors during what could be a crazy offseason. Also, check out
our 2022 NBA Draft page for all of our
in-depth draft coverage.
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