NBA Draft Rumors: Celtics, Lakers, Kings most likely teams to trade top ten pick
By Bryan Rose
While there are a handful of teams happy with their draft selection, there are plenty who would be more than happy to move down or completely out of the draft entirely.
More from Boston Celtics
- Predicting NBA’s Christmas Day Schedule: Lakers, Warriors highlight slate of postseason rematches
- Jaylen Brown signs richest contract in NBA history without a left hand
- Boston Celtics projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
- David Griffin thanks rival Celtics for leverage in Anthony Davis trade talks
- NBA rumors: Damian Lillard trade becoming more trouble than it’s worth for Celtics
Three of those teams are the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, all of whom are looking for a potential quick turnaround.
Looking to acquire a veteran in hopes of bringing them back to the postseason, ESPN’s Chad Ford believes the three aforementioned teams are the most likely to trade their top ten selections.
“At least 2. Celtics, Lakers, Kings are the top 3 candidates.”
Ford’s suggestion of ‘at least 2’ was responding to the question of how many teams he actually believes will trade their pick.
It’s an understandable thought given both Boston and Los Angeles want to pair a veteran talent with Rajon Rondo and Kobe Bryant. Bryant of course only has a few years left in the league (at least at a high level) while Rondo can leave the Celtics in free agency if things don’t improve in the win column.
As for Sacramento, they’re looking to add a veteran talent alongside DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas with the intention of returning to the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade.
Only problem? They all own incredibly similar selections (Celtics pick 6th, Lakers 7th, Kings 8th) and there simply aren’t going to be enough available vets for everybody to make a deal, so it’s likely somebody is going to be left out of the party.