As the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks battle it out for the right to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions, the rest of the league has set its sights on the upcoming NBA Draft and what it could mean for each organization. .
For some, it means acquiring young stars from collegiate and international leagues that will set them up for future success and, hopefully, their own opportunity to play for professional basketball’s most coveted prize.
For others, the draft represents the opportunity to trade picks for superstar players who could be the missing piece in their championship quest.
Ahead of the June 26-27 draft, find out which teams are which with these rumors, reports and rumors from across the Association.
Jonathan Bachman//Keynote USA/Getty Images
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie reported that the Los Angeles Lakers are unlikely to make a 17th overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. “This pick is another that many believe is ready to be moved as the Lakers explore the trade market for immediate upgrades around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”
KeynoteUSA’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on his Woj Pod that the Lakers also have no intention of taking Bronny James with the 17th pick, mainly because it’s not necessary, with the idea that he will potentially be there in the second round at the pick. No. 55 if they want to incorporate him to play with his father.
That the Lakers would look to move the pick in hopes of finding a win-now piece to add James and Davis is not surprising.
LeBron has fewer years left as an active player than he doesn’t at this point, and the team’s championship window is closing as the league gets younger and faster, something that will be on full display in the NBA Finals. this year.
Taking advantage of having one of the greatest of all time and a dominant big man on the same team and winning another NBA title should be of utmost importance for the Lakers. If that means passing up younger talent by giving up the pick in hopes of acquiring other assets, the team can then pursue a superstar free agent, so be it.
As for Bronny, Woj previously reported that playing on the same team as his son is no longer a priority for LeBron, so the latest information that the Lakers have no intention of taking him in the first round is also not surprising.
Paul Kane//Keynote USA/Getty Images
KeynoteUSA’s Jeremy Woo reported that Australian Alex Sarr will hear his name called early in the upcoming NBA Draft.
While the Hawks are doing their due diligence on the first overall pick and have him as their potential option there, Woo wrote: “If Atlanta passes on Sarr, Washington looms large as a landing spot, and opposing teams “They think the Wizards at number 2 to be their floor.”
Sarr is a player whose physical attributes and potential make him so attractive to both the Hawks and the Wizards.
At seven feet one inch, he is deceptively fast and a solid defender at the rim. Players who possess those skills don’t appear in every draft.
Sarr played 17.2 minutes per game in the 2023-24 season, averaging 9.7 points and shooting 52 percent from the paint and 29.8 from beyond the arc. He tallied 4.4 total rebounds and blocked 1.3 shots.
Those numbers may not jump off the page, but that’s where the potential comes into play. If a coach can fine-tune Sarr’s game, there is plenty of opportunity for those numbers to increase and for the Perth Wildcats star to become even more dominant on the court.
Both teams, looking to improve after disappointing campaigns this season, will look to the Australian, hoping the talented big man will give them an athletic presence that can grab rebounds and establish dominance at the net.
If he lives up to his tape, the Hawks or Wizards could very well find themselves drafting a game-changing player in a class that doesn’t have many of them.
Mitchell Layton//Keynote USA/Getty Images
Connecticut center Donovan Clingan is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing players to watch in this year’s NBA Draft, thanks to the number of teams he could be in play for.
The two-time national champion with the Huskies has enormous upside and showed it at the end of last season when he averaged 13 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in the final 18 games of his season.
It was an emphatic performance that showed Clingan could rise to the occasion when his team, the defending champions, needed him most.
It’s no surprise, then, that the talented young big could go as high as No. 1 overall to Atlanta or as low as No. 7 to Portland, with teams like the Bulls and Thunder potentially making moves to jump in the order. and select him, according to The Athletic’s Vecenie and KeynoteUSA’s Jonathan Givony.
Clingan’s size, defense, and intensity make him a coveted player who could potentially step in and benefit a young, rebuilding team right away.
The fact that he has experience playing in big, high-profile games for the NCAA Men’s National Championship on two different occasions makes him even more attractive to teams hoping to get back into playoff contention sooner rather than later.
The Trailblazers, where both Vecenie and Givony have him potentially landing, already have Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III at center, but what Clingan has already shown on the court, in key situations, may make him too valuable to pass up.
Don’t expect him to fall below seventh place and even then, that may be too far away given the reported interest in one of Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley’s star students.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.