In the latest NBA Draft rumors, three contenders are trying to get back into the first round, the Mavs want out and Ausar Thompson cancels on the Pacers.
NBA Draft rumors: 3. Dallas Mavericks want to trade first-round pick
According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Dallas Mavs want to trade their first-round pick. They are currently looking at options where they trade down in the draft or trade out of it completely. It seems the goal of this is to add multiple rotation players to their core of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. At the end of the day, the Mavs might need multiple 3-and-D wings that can surround the core creators. With Doncic and Irving, the defense will be questioned.
Adding a player who can do that would help this team tremendously even if Irving leaves in free agency this offseason. The Mavs most likely won't gonna get a star or package this pick for a star in the next week or two. With that in mind, picking a player who can be positive and help limit the weaknesses of Doncic (sometimes not the best defense) would be very huge for the team.
With the fact that Irving is seriously defensively challenged, taking a guard is still an option for this team even though he will not start. If the rookie/trade return is the sixth or seventh man in the rotation, it makes a lot of sense to trade for him due to the fact that he will help the defensive end when it is Irving's and the player's lineup minutes (when Luka Doncic is out).
NBA Draft rumors: 2. Ausar Thompson cancels workout with the Pacers
According to Tony East, the Pacers were hosting Ausar Thompson for a draft workout but he dropped out. Most likely, he dropped out of the workout because he has a draft promise from a different team. Analyzing this, it most likely means that Ausar Thompson is expected to be drafted in the No. 4 – No. 6 range.
While draft promises are made without 100 percent certainty that they will happen, this often shows where a player's stock is at. Considering the fact that he will not be drafted top three in this draft (Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller), it seems like he will be selected by either Houston, Detroit, or Orlando. With Houston reportedly set on his twin, it seems likely it will be Detroit or Orlando.
Based on the evidence presented, it seems like Ausar Thompson will either be drafted right after or one spot after his brother gets selected in this year's draft. Things could change and trades by the Trail Blazers and others will certainly flip the draft order around but right now Ausar seems to like his options.
NBA Draft rumors: Bucks, Suns, and Cavs interested in trading back into the first rund
According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Suns, Bucks and Cavs are all looking to trade back into the first round. None of these teams have first-round picks and would need a trade in order to get a chance at adding a young, low-cost rotation player.
Again this is hard for all of these teams due to the fact that they have traded some of their picks for All-NBA talent. This makes a lot of the picks that they have left not tradable due to the Stepien rule — (first-round picks can't be traded in consecutive drafts). Still, it would not be shocking for any of these teams to use one of the picks that they have left to make a move.
The Bucks are a team with an aging core and could use a rookie rotational player. The Suns are trying to win now after trading for Kevin Durant and could use a cheap rotational player because of the new luxury tax rules. The Cavs are in a similar situation that the Suns are in. (Obviously, Kevin Durant is a lot better than Donovan Mitchell but still a similar situation where both teams trying to win now)
Of these teams, the Suns are the least likely to make a move due to the fact that they could only offer swaps. This is due to just trading all of their tradable picks at the trade deadline. The Cavs are somewhat in the same spot but have a bit more creativity. Of these teams, the Bucks are the most likely to make a move due to the fact that they have trade flexibility in the later years of their first-round picks.
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