The NBA Draft Combine in Chicago has come and gone. Next up will be more individual workouts and the fun part: rumors.
We found out during the Combine that the Bobcats are shopping the number two pick and there are several suitors. The Toronto Raptors are apparently shopping the number eight pick AND making a promise to Dion Waiters at the same time. The New Orleans Hornets may or may not be shopping the number 10 pick.
The latest rumor from HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy is that the Portland Trailblazers and Cleveland Cavaliers are discussing swapping four first round picks.
“Cleveland and Portland have talked about swapping draft picks, according to source. Cavs would get #6 and #11, Blazers would get #4 and #24.”
Depending on who’s mock draft you are looking at, this centers around Bradley Beal, Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond. ESPN’s Chad Ford has Cleveland slated to take North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes with the fourth pick and Draft Express has them taking Bradley Beal. Portland would take either Andre Drummond (ESPN) or Jared Sullinger (Draft Express).
There are a couple different ways to look at this. Either Portland wants Beal or Drummond and wants to make sure they get one or the other (Draft Express has Drummond linked to Sacramento). Cleveland is a little more puzzling unless they are sure Harrison Barnes will be available at number six (ESPN also links them to Drummond).
Stepien Rules’ Brendan Bower broke down what the trade could mean for the Cavs if they moved up to pick eleven.
“There are an unlimited amount of options the Cavaliers could then explore at pick number 11. You could go Barnes at 6 then Jeremy Lamb at 11. There is your two and three of the future, alongside Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. You can take a big there too, maybe [John] Henson or [Tyler] Zeller if you think they can play center, or even maybe Perry Jones III if you want to roll him out on the wings with Harrison Barnes opposite. You just would not be able to Draft MKG (Micahel Kidd-Gilchrist) or Beal.”
I think Cleveland would love to do this swap and if Portland has a guy (most likely Bradley Beal) that they are targeting, it makes sense for them to do it too. It is a win-win situation. If this deal happens, I do not imagine it being made official until Portland knows it can get one of the guys it wants at number four.
