In the latest NBA Draft rumors, the Pistons and Mavs are talking, and both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandon Ingram could be dangled for the Warriors and Pelicans to move up.
NBA Draft rumors: Pistons-Mavs trade could be in the works
According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Pistons may explore trading Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway and the No. 10 overall pick. This is one of the many options that the Pistons could be looking at if they choose to trade the 31st overall pick (first pick in the second round) in this draft.
What is most interesting about this is that it shows how the Mavs may look to improve their roster. In this scenario, the Mavs would be locking themselves further into Kyrie Irving as Luka Doncic's partner in crime. While that is all well in good, betting most of your shot with Luka with a player who has seemed to have a problem every season seems not so smart.
For the Pistons, this move would make a lot of sense. Although Hardaway has a semi-bad contract, they could package this for a first-round pick down the line. They would also be able to add another impactful rookie player to the Cade Cunnigham and Jaden Ivey core. This trade would be a major win for the Pistons and would allow the Mavs to put a more competitive roster around their core.
Still, this is one of the many options that the Pistons have. When you are rebuilding, it is very easy to make trades. Often it is the selection of those players that make or breaks whether you are able to break out of the bottom of the league.
NBA Draft rumors: Pelicans looking to move up?
As mentioned in a previous NBA draft rumors roundup, the Pelicans are reportedly heavily interested in Scoot Henderson, so much so that they might be willing to give up franchise cornerstone, Brandon Ingram. According to Givony, the Pelicans may offer Ingram in a trade to get Henderson. He said it was a bit of an unlikely scenario but the mere suggestion shows how this team feels about its future.
It seemed finally the Pelicans were on their way to at the very least being one of the better teams in the West last season. They were able to make the playoffs in 2022 and lost to the Suns in a hard-fought six-game series. This season they took a step back and weren't even able to finish in the top eight after losing in the play-in.
Zion Williamson once again only played 29 games and there are serious doubts about whether he will stay in a Pelicans jersey after this offseason. This is with good reason and as the star has never been able to stay healthy.
It is shocking that the Pelicans would offer Ingram in any trade due to the fact that he has been an All-Star for the Pelicans. Yes, he did miss a lot of games with injury this season but the player isn't horribly injury prone like Williamson is.
The Pelicans are at a crossroads. With the talent they have stocked up, New Orleans is trying to win now. The C.J. McCollum trade proved that. Still, it would not be shocking to see them try to trade for a future star who needs time to develop in the league.
NBA Draft rumors: Warriors could Jonathan Kuminga to move up
In the final piece of news from Jonathan Givony's article, he cites that the Warriors are looking to trade Jonathan Kuminga for a high lotto pick this year.
Kuminga had a very nice rookie season and then fell out of the rotation in year two. This caused him to dip in production and let Warriors fans loosen their expectations of the player. You could make the argument that Steve Kerr didn't play him enough or that he had a sophomore slump, still at the end of the day he didn't showcase the potential that he had in year one.
The Warriors who are deep in the luxury tax and may have to pay out big extensions to Draymond Green and Klay Thompson this summer or next may decide to reset the rookie contract clock by trading Kuminga to a team with a high lotto pick. This would follow what the Warriors have done in recent years when it comes to the luxury tax. They have often paid the penalties on the more notable players while letting less notable players leave.
Givony mentions that the Warriors will be looking for more complete players rather than projects due to the fact that they want to win now. They could do this and also have a good long-term outlook by moving Kuminga for a lottery pick.
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