CLEVELAND — The 2022 NBA Draft is just days away and trade buzz has picked up steam following the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Whether it’s an aging veteran on an expiring contract or a highly sought after lottery pick here are three trades that could happen by the NBA Draft on Thursday:
1. 76ers package the No. 23 pick and Danny Green
Danny Green is set to make $10 million next season, the final year of his contract. But after the 35-year old tore his left ACL and LCL in May, the Sixers began looking to package Green and the No. 23 pick, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.
Moving the two makes sense with Philly in win-now mode. If they want to contend for a title, waiting for an aging Green to recover, or trying to develop the No. 23 pick, likely will not offer as much help as bringing in a talented, experienced player.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey notes that the team is also seeing what kind of market there is for Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz.
Pompey explains that one scenario for the Sixers is to find a team willing to trade for the pick, agree on a trade before the draft and make a selection on the other team’s behalf. Philly could then trade the player and use Green’s contract to make the salaries match. Then the other team could waive Green before his non-guaranteed salary becomes fully guaranteed on July 1.
2. Thunder get a second top-10 pick
Just days after a deal with the Nuggets brought JaMychal Green to OKC and sent the No. 30 pick to Denver, the Thunder are back in the rumor mill. This time, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, it’s because the Thunder are “aggressively” looking to move up from their spot at No.12.
“The Thunder are said to be aggressively pursuing trade conversations for this pick,” according to Givony. “Seeking to package it with future assets or existing OKC players in order to move into the mid-lottery, with players including Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe believed to be among the potential prospects they covet.”
Sharpe’s draft range has fluctuated between early to late lottery, with Portland at No. 7 being his most frequent landing in several mock drafts. Ivey is widely seen as the fourth-best player available, potentially going either No. 4 to Sacramento or No. 5 to Detroit.
Fortunately for the Thunder, the Kings and Trail Blazers have both been talked about as teams willing to trade their top-10 picks, according to NBA writer Marc Stein.
“Both Sacramento and Portland are widely expected to give serious consideration to trading the No. 4 and No. 7 overall picks, respectively, if they can concoct appealing win-now swaps,” writes Stein at Substack.
OKC already has the No. 2 pick, but with three total picks this year and 35 future picks, as well as trade targets like Luguentz Dort, the Thunder have the assets to make a move.
3. Wizards part ways with the No. 10 pick
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported it was “widely assumed” that Washington would be willing to part ways with the No. 10 pick in exchange for a “proven backcourt player.”
D’Angelo Russell, Mike Conley and Derrick Rose have been in trade speculation this offseason, so the Wizards have options, but it seems they may also be in the mix for Sacramento’s No. 4 selection. According to Wizards insider Quinton Mayo, the team could be in hot pursuit of Purdue guard Jaden Ivey.
“They’ve spent a significant amount of time discussing possible trade packages to acquire the No. 4 overall pick from Sacramento, Ivey’s assumed draft position,” Mayo writes.
Bradley Beal’s status is till up in the air, but whether he returns or not, the Wizards need to add backcourt talent. Ivey may not be the proven veteran guard Washington first wanted, but he has star potential and can be another dynamic playmaker for a team in need of backcourt help.
