Three Trades That Could Shake Up The NBA Prior To NBA Draft

You never know what to expect in the NBA offseason and this summer, we could end up seeing some crazy trades with All-Star talents on the move.

While two teams are fighting it out in the NBA Finals right now, 28 other teams around the league are beginning to put together their plans for what they would like to achieve in the offseason.

Whether it be in the draft, during free agency or on the trade market, teams are always searching for ways during the offseason to get better. In regards to the trade market, this offseason could present many different scenarios in which current or former All-Star talent could be on the move.

It has become more and more common for high-level, All-Star-like talents to pair up with one another across the league and when you look at some of the past championship-esce teams over the last several years, the one thing they all have in common is having multiple star-like players.

The 2022 NBA Draft is rapidly approaching and with it, plenty of trade chatter continues to circulate around league circles. You never know what to expect ahead of the NBA Draft and this year, with many teams looking to put the pieces together to win right now, there could be several impactful trades made either before, during or after this year’s draft.

With plenty of big names being brought up in NBA trade rumors right now, let’s take a look at some scenarios that could play out prior to or during the NBA Draft this year, shaking up the league as we know it.

Miami Goes All-In On Winning A Championship

Miami Heat Receive: G Donovan Mitchell, F Rudy Gay

Utah Jazz Receive: G/F Duncan Robinson, G Tyler Herro, F P.J. Tucker, MIA 2022 1st Round Pick (Pick #27), MIA 2023 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), MIA 2026 1st Round Pick (Pick Swap, More Favorable to UTA)

NOTE: This trade would be made on draft night with the Heat making their first-round selection for the Jazz and completing the trade afterwards due to the Stepien Rule.

The Miami Heat were close to reaching the NBA Finals for the second time in the last three seasons, but they lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Boston Celtics.

Now, heading into the offseason, Pat Riley and this front-office are going to stay aggressive in their pursuit for more talent. Every offseason, the Heat are linked to at least one All-Star-level talent and this season, that player is Donovan Mitchell.

While he is said to be “untouchable” in Utah, this has not stopped teams from reaching out to the Utah Jazz about a possible trade involving the young All-Star guard. Miami does not have the best assets to barter with, but Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro and a slew of draft assets could be a compelling offer.

Sources have told SI Fastbreak that if he was to want to leave the Jazz, that Mitchell would have interest in the Miami Heat given their successful playoff history over the last decade, but this trade is not too easy for the Heat to do.

Not only is the package the Jazz get in return for Mitchell weak compared to what other teams can offer them, but the Heat are really tied up financially at the moment.

With Kyle Lowry, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo making a combined $96.2 million next season, Miami is projected early on to be well over the salary cap and making a move for Donovan Mitchell could push them above the tax threshold for the 2022-23 season.

Plus, the Heat do not have a great interest in giving up Tyler Herro unless they can receive a ton of “win-now” assets in return and the Heat have zero interest in giving up veteran P.J. Tucker. Depth played a huge part in the success of Miami this season and by making this move for Donovan Mitchell, the Heat would be getting rid of a large chunk of their valuable depth.

From Utah’s point of view, Herro and Robinson give them some solid offensive contributors on the perimeter, but they would basically be hitting the “reset button,” something their front-office is not wanting to do.

While the Miami Heat are certainly a potential landing spot both now and in the future for Donovan Mitchell, trading for him this offseason just does not seem logical nor feasible given their financial situation.

Damian Lillard Gets Some Help In Portland

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F OG Anunoby

Toronto Raptors Receive: G Keon Johnson, POR 2022 1st Round Pick (Pick #7), POR 2022 2nd Round Pick (Pick #36)

NOTE: This trade would be made on draft night with the Trail Blazers making their first-round selection for the Raptors and completing the trade afterwards due to the Stepien Rule.

After being big “sellers” at the trade deadline this past season, giving up the likes of CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington, the Portland Trail Blazers are heading into the offseason with the mentality of getting back to the playoffs and being a competitive team in the Western Conference.

Talk surrounding Damian Lillard and his future continue to be an ongoing discussion topic around the NBA, but the Blazers have no intentions of moving their All-Star guard and Lillard himself has stated multiple times that he wants to be in and win in Portland.

Getting him the help he needs is imperative this offseason for the Trail Blazers, which is why many believe that they will be trading their seventh overall selection in this year’s draft.

Detroit Pistons’ forward Jerami Grant has been linked to the Blazers as a possible trade target, as has Toronto Raptors wing OG Anunoby. 

The Raptors find themselves in a very intriguing situation this offseason because while they have a really solid core in place, their bench unit is one of the worst in the league and they are still far off from being on the same level as championship contenders in the Eastern Conference like the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.

Shedding some cap space and continuing to build for the future could be something that interests Masai Ujiri and Toronto’s front-office, hence why they could explore opportunities to move Anunoby for the seventh overall selection in this year’s draft.

The Trail Blazers need to surround Lillard with capable, winning talent and with them likely to bring back Anfernee Simons in free agency, addressing their depth at both forward positions and on the wing is key.

Anunoby is coming off a year in which he averaged a career-high 17.1 points per game and he has shot 37.2% from three-point range through five seasons in the league. Being a versatile defender as well, the Raptors’ wing would be the perfect complimentary type player next to Damian Lillard, giving the Blazers a certain level of attractiveness to bring in another All-Star-like talent in the near future.

Jerami Grant Goes To Atlanta

Atlanta Hawks Receive: F Jerami Grant

Detroit Pistons Receive: F Danilo Gallinari, ATL 2022 1st Round Pick (Pick #16), ATL 2022 2nd Round Pick (Pick #44)

This offseason, Jerami Grant continues to be one of the hottest names discussed on the trade market.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Atlanta Hawks are the latest team to show interest in Grant and this move does make a little bit of sense for the Hawks given that they are coming off a very disappointing season.

Trae Young has elevated himself to being a Top-5 point guard in the NBA and with him only being 23-years-old, the future is very bright for Atlanta. However, this front-office led by GM Travis Schlenk is looking to get back to where they were during the 2020-21 season when they were in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is why this roster is expected to see some turnover in the offseason.

Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic are both said to be “available” in trade talks this summer and the idea of trading John Collins has come up at times for the Hawks as well. Ultimately, it would make the most sense for them to try and get something out of the one year left one Gallinari's $21.4 million deal, especially since he is not a long-term building block for the franchise.

Giving up their first-round pick this year's draft may not make the most sense for the Hawks since they do have other needs to address, but bringing in Jerami Grant gives them a clear-cut No. 2 scoring option, as well as a high-level perimeter defender.

Already having a young, two-way potential wing in De’Andre Hunter out on the wing, the Hawks could suddenly have two very versatile forwards to put around Trae Young.

The Pistons are a young team continuing to look for ways to grow and with them bringing in another high-level prospect with the fifth overall selection in this year’s draft, Detroit could continue to build their young core around last year’s No. 1 overall pick in Cade Cunningham by adding yet another first-round pick later in this year’s draft.

Gallinari gives the Pistons a veteran to lean on for mentorship, as well as a potential trade asset heading into the 2022-23 season’s trade deadline. Leveraging Jerami Grant now while his value is at an all-time high is something the Pistons must do and if they can get a handful of immediate draft assets for him from Atlanta, this is a deal that may just be worth pursuing. 

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