NBA Draft 2016: 5 players who could be traded on draft day
By Tom West
As the 2016 NBA Draft gradually approaches, here is a look at five players who may be traded on draft night.
At this point of the season, with the NBA Finals underway to enjoy before the draft and free agency, there aren’t many stories and rumors about the latter. At least for the time being until the rumor mill starts churning furiously, not a great deal has emerged about the draft from a trade standpoint. The general consensus of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram going as the first two overall picks is common knowledge, but which teams may look to trade or move up is yet to be seen.
Will the Los Angeles Lakers ditch the No. 2 pick to take their rebuilding to the next level? Will the Boston Celtics finally get their hands on a superstar using a trade built around their No. 3 pick? Will anyone attempt to acquire the Philadelphia 76ers’ No. 1 selection?
There are plenty of questions to ask, and those are just some of the talking points for the top three picks.
In fact, as Sean Deveney of Sporting News has reported, there could be a lot of movement in the lottery order, with six of the top 14 teams considering a trade to move up:
"It’s not necessarily a reflection on the quality of this draft — it’s more about the teams involved and where their rosters currently stand — but league sources indicate that six lottery teams could be looking to make a deal with their picks when the draft comes around later this month. No, none of the five are Philadelphia or the Lakers. The consensus around the league is that the teams with slots 1-2 will hold onto their picks. If a blockbuster develops for L.A., that could change, but nothing is imminent on that front."
Not all possible trades on draft night will be solely built on picks, though. To complete such deals and to help teams lower down move up, some current NBA players will be thrown into the mix. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at a few guys who could be on the move.
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