With only a few weeks to go until the 2023 NBA Draft, teams are reportedly gearing up for some chaos.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, a handful of executives expect the first round on June 22 to be full of trades.
“Many executives around the league are anticipating quite a bit of movement throughout the first round, beginning at the No. 3 selection ever since Portland leaped to that spot during the Draft Lottery in Chicago,” Fischer wrote.
We already know that the Portland Trail Blazers are open to moving out of the No. 3 spot. With Damian Lillard still performing at an elite level, the franchise is seemingly committed to building a title contender around the guard ASAP. Whether they can move that pick prior to draft night, however, seems to remain up in the air, per Fischer. Instead, it might take the pressure of the clock to finally get a deal done.
While the Blazers’ top-3 pick is likely to be the most valuable asset on the market, it certainly will not be the only one. The Rockets at No. 4 have reportedly started to receive interest in their pick. Even before hiring Ime Udoka, the common story around the NBA has been that Houston will look to re-enter the competitive spotlight this summer. So not only have there been rumors galore about a James Harden reunion, but we now have reason to believe they could send this No. 4 pick out in favor of more veteran players.
Detroit, Orlando, Indiana, Washington, Utah, and Dallas make up the remainder of the top 10, respectively, and Fischer mentioned that each has a reason to look for a draft-night move up or down the draft board. The Magic, in particular, could be a team to watch for a move-up, as they possess both the No. 6 and No. 11 pick (courtesy of the Bulls … yippie!).
For what it’s worth, we’ve already discussed several of these teams as possible trade partners for the Bulls. It’s especially hard not to view teams like the Trail Blazers and Mavericks as organizations that could have interest in veteran All-Stars like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. We might also have to throw Houston – depending on how big of a jump they’re hoping to make – into that conversation.
Hey Bulls, Several Teams Are Rumored to Already Have Their Draft Picks Up for Grabs
To be clear, I’m not at all suggesting that I expect the Bulls to make a big move with one of these lottery teams. The much better bet would be that they remain out of the draft altogether. But the fact of the matter is that there are potentially several paths the Bulls could take to drastically shake up this roster. And we do know that a handful of teams are seemingly interested in what they have to offer.
I feel like there is this overarching idea that the franchise is stuck. And, in a sense, I get that. But it’s not like there aren’t any teams out there who want to talk business. What has seemed clear from the moment the lottery balls dropped is that no pick outside the No. 1-overall selection is a lock in this draft.
Will that lead to so much chaos that ultimately nothing gets done during the 2023 NBA Draft? It’s certainly possible. We’ve seen it during plenty of past drafts. But it could also lead to multiple doors opening for a team that is in desperate need of a change. Let’s hope the Bulls have learned from their mistake of sitting out three-straight transactional periods and can keep an open mind.
