Most team’s offseason starts way ahead Draft night but truth to be told, this ceremony truly marks the very beginning of the NBA season, with all teams trying to do what’s best for them in the short, mid or long term.
More often than not, we tend to see some impressive blockbuster trades during Draft night, with lesser players also changing sides in order to offload salary cap, trade up or down in the NBA Draft or just get more picks.
This year won’t be the exception for sure, as we can already expect a lot of players to be moved during the ceremony and today, we’re going to let you know about the top 10 players that will definitely be traded during the NBA Draft.
10. Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson was really solid during the 2016-17 campaign for the Houston Rockets but piled up a lot of lingering issues into this season and the Rockets pretty much learned how to play without him, so he’s pretty much the team’s odd man out right now.
Houston needs to clear the salary cap as soon as they can in order to try and max Chris Paul, keep Clint Capela and also try to make a run at LeBron James or Paul George, so he’s a no-brainer to be moved.
9. Dennis Schroder
Dennis Schroder has already reportedly demanded to be moved away from the Atlanta Hawks organization, as the German point guard feels his talents are going to waste on a rebuilding squad with no true stars.
As a matter of fact, he’s even stated that he would like the possibility to being traded to the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, but neither team has really taken a stand or shown any signs of interest in his services.
8. Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic is set to head into free agency next season and is quite likely to demand a lucrative contract, and even though he’s been a solid player for the Magic, he’s nowhere near max contract material.
So, they need to get anything they can out of him while he still has some value, as several teams would be thrilled with the opportunity of landing a consistent scoring big man off the bench.
7. Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside was uncomfortable with the Miami Heat for most of the season and truth to be told, the team didn’t look quite thrilled with him either, so getting rid of him would definitely be a win-win scenario here.
Whiteside is definitely going to draw a lot of interest as an athletic rim protector and dominant rebounder, but the Heat aren’t going to get nearly half as the value they could expect because everybody knows they’ve both had it with each other.
6. Kemba Walker
The Charlotte Hornets were reportedly trying to move Kemba Walker prior to this year’s trade deadline but didn’t engage in any serious trade talks as they were hoping at least a couple of first-round picks in return.
Now, that scenario still seems unlikely, but they would love the opportunity to move up in this Draft and are definitely going to consider all options, and Kemba would be a great addition for any team considering how short the league is in starting point guard caliber players.
5. Jaylen Brown or Terry Rozier
The Boston Celtics have a “nice” trouble on their hands right now, as they’re stacked with youth and talent and they’re also going to have both Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward back for the start of the upcoming season.
So, if they intend to move up in this year’s Draft, they could part ways with standout youngster Jaylen Brown, although selling high on Terry Rozier would be the smartest bet here considering he’s unlikely to be able to sustain his production.
4. Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins has been a major letdown for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the team would really like to just move on from him, but that kind of deal is going to be quite difficult to absorb for any interested takers.
The upside is still there for Wiggins but patience has pretty much run out in Minny, not to mention the fact that he creates several spacing problems next to Jimmy Butler. So, we could expect the Timberwolves to pair the Canadian wing with a pick to sweeten the deal and land an All-Star.
3. Mike Conley or Marc Gasol
Mike Conley is still owed a lot of money so moving him is going to be extremely tricky, especially considering he was just able to make a handful of appearances this season with an Achilles injury.
On the other hand, Gasol’s contract is more absorbable and he’s definitely a much interesting asset, but with him wanting out of the team and not getting any younger, he’s not likely to have much value. Still, one of them (or even both) is definitely going to leave the team.
2. Kevin Love
Kevin Love has always been the Cleveland Cavaliers’ scapegoat and actually, he may be way better off elsewhere where his talents are actually valued, and he may bring a lot of good things in return for the Cavs if they manage to pull off this deal.
See, rumors point towards Dan Gilbert pulling the trigger and pairing Kevin Love with their 8th overall pick in order to land a superstar of the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns or Kawhi Leonard, and that would definitely help to convince LeBron James to stay.
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1. CJ McCollum
CJ McCollum was simply outstanding for the Portland Trail Blazers all year long, but the team fell miserably short during the playoffs due to their isolation offense and relying so much on their backcourt, and it proved that they have to choose between him and Damian Lillard.
McCollum is definitely going to draw a lot of interest and value, and with the Blazers needing to either clear the cap or start rebuilding, moving him would likely be their safest bet, so keep an eye on RIP City during Draft night for sure.
