The 2015 NBA draft is quickly approaching, and there are a ton of rumors flying around that should only add to the drama.
Those teams choosing at the top of the draft figure to be coming to a crystallized consensus as to who to choose, but the possibility of trades could change the draft's entire complexion. Any deals made could either shake up personnel or drastically alter the first-round order.
Check out a breakdown of some of the latest rumors below before the draft opens Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Philadelphia 76ers Zeroing In on D'Angelo Russell
With the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly prepared to take Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns first overall, only one selection stands between the Sixers and their apparent player of choice.
Jonathan Givony reported late Wednesday on Twitter, "Growing consensus among teams that Philadelphia will pick D'Angelo Russell at #3. Strong workout cemented his status. Porzingis didn't visit."
Russell has been thought to be the logical fit in Philly for quite some time. The dynamic scorer played the 2 at Ohio State but can also run the point, and he has tremendous passing ability, not to mention plenty of swagger and confidence to thrive in the NBA.
Being a floor general is something Russell is still growing accustomed to, as ESPN's Jeff Goodman points out in his analysis:
What other direction could 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie go in his master rebuilding project? Hinkie traded away former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael-Carter Williams this last season, the only considerable talent in the backcourt.
The past two high first-rounders have been invested in Nerlens Noel—through a trade—and Joel Embiid, so it wouldn't make much sense to go to the frontcourt again. Philadelphia needs an offensive catalyst, which is Russell's specialty whether he's filling it up or dishing out dimes.
With Embiid and Noel hopefully there to form a dynamic duo on defense, any lag by Russell on that end can be compensated for while he focuses on galvanizing the Association's 29th-ranked offense from 2014-15.
Possible Framework for DeMarcus Cousins Trade to Lakers in Place
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has the fascinating details on the potential trade between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers involving Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.
A hypothetical trade involves LA's No. 2 overall draft pick and both of the Lakers' promising draft choices from 2014 in Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson going to Sacramento. The Kings would give up Cousins and Carl Landry. However, L.A. doesn't want to include Randle in the package and is hesitant to deal away Clarkson as well.
CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie weighed in on the possibility of Sacramento swiping Russell from Philadelphia by moving up in the draft:
And Wojnarowski says if a Cousins trade can't be worked out, Los Angeles will choose between Jahlil Okafor and Russell. Either way, the Sixers could miss out on their man.
But Okafor isn't as proven of an NBA commodity as Cousins is. In addition to being a force on offense after averaging 24.1 points last season, Cousins is a menace in the paint as a defender, per ESPN Stats & Info:
As reported previously by Wojnarowski, Kings head coach George Karl is reportedly pushing to trade Cousins. Karl addressed that particular rumor on Wednesday, per the New York Post's Zach Braziller:
It's just a lot of crazy, crazy fibs and lies. It's just a situation where we won 29 games last year. For us as a basketball organization we want to get better. [Cousins] is our best player we know that, we want him committed and dedicated to being in Sacramento and playing and leading us to the first playoffs in Sacramento in [10] years.
Those comments aren't very conclusive or clear as to whether Karl truly wants Cousins to stick around in Sacramento. Karl is Cousins' fifth coach in as many years as a pro, so a less turbulent, fresh start may be what he needs.
It's hard to imagine what type of trade the Lakers could pull off if they don't feature at least Randle or Clarkson in the deal. Valuable as the second pick is, they will have to part with one of their rookies from last year if it means landing Cousins, who could well become the league's best center.
Buzz on Paul Pierce's Future
According to Wojnarowski, two destinations seem feasible for Pierce if he decides not to return to a rather promising Washington Wizards team.
"The Truth" could be in line for either a return to Boston or a homecoming to Los Angeles to play for his old Celtics head coach and current Clippers boss Doc Rivers:
As can be discerned from the information above, though, not all of Pierce's decision hinges on his own desires. It seems the Clippers are trying to clear out enough space to fit Pierce in under the salary cap, while the Celtics' pursuit depends on multiple moving parts.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Wednesday Kevin Love opted out of his final contract year with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This was expected due to the increased money Love can receive, and Cleveland can lock him into a long-term extension with the longest commitment and the biggest salary.
This gives the Cavs the inside track to retain Love, yet the pitch from Boston could be one Love is interested in, since he'd certainly play a more prominent role. The only problem with that is it was Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk who dislocated Love's shoulder in the opening round of this year's playoffs.
Pierce would have to strongly consider a reunion with Boston if he could play with Love. Plus, Celtics coach Brad Stevens defied what could have been viewed as an attempt to deplete the roster last season by guiding his squad to a shocking playoff appearance.
With a veteran leader like Pierce and a star like Love joining the fold, along with whoever else Boston can lure, Stevens could conceivably fare better with that cast to work with.
Then there's the familiarity factor with Rivers in Los Angeles, the area where Pierce is originally from to boot. A proven, exceptional tandem of All-Stars in Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are there, albeit in the far tougher Western Conference.
The East has to have appeal to Pierce, because a championship is about all he has left to play for at this stage of his career. Depending on what the Celtics do, they could surge even further next year, while the Wizards have a tremendous young backcourt featuring John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Among all the proposed destinations, Pierce can almost do no wrong. The Truth will have the final word in the end, but the amount of moving parts involved in both Boston and L.A. make it tough to forecast his future just yet.