NBA Draft 2018: Cavaliers, 76ers, Clippers Could Try To Trade Picks For Star Players

The NBA offseason is expected to be a crazy one with the potential for multiple superstars to change teams. The player movement could start Thursday night during the 2018 draft when a few teams have a real opportunity to turn their picks into established players.

The teams with the first few picks are so far away from winning that they aren’t likely to make any deals. The Phoenix Suns are expected to take Arizona big man Deandre Ayton with the first overall selection. The Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies should hold onto their picks in the top four. The same goes for the Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls, who have the No.5-No.7 picks, respectively, after underwhelming seasons.

Then, some of the league’s better teams will be on the clock, and things will start to get interesting. The Cleveland Cavaliers have the No.8 overall pick after reaching the NBA Finals. The Philadelphia 76ers have the 10th pick on the heels of a second-round playoff appearance. The Los Angeles Clippers missed the postseason, but they had a winning record last season and will pick 12th and 13th in the first round.

All three of those teams could potentially package their first-round picks in a deal for an All-Star caliber player. Kawhi Leonard’s desire to be traded makes him a logical candidate to change teams on draft day.

The Los Angeles Times’ Tania Ganguli has reported that the Clippers would be willing to send the San Antonio Spurs a package centered around Tobias Harris and one of their lottery picks. Cleveland has reportedly inquired about Leonard’s availability, and they would presumably include the No.8 pick in a potential deal. Philadelphia could probably put together a more desirable trade package than either the Cavs or Clippers, and San Antonio might prefer to send Leonard to an Eastern Conference team.

The Spurs might not be in a rush to trade an NBA Finals MVP who is also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, though other big names could be available. The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to trade for Jimmy Butler on the day of last year’s draft, even though the All-Star had two years remaining on his contract.

Cleveland is looking to give LeBron James a reason to stay. Philadelphia wants to add at least one more star and become a legitimate title contender. Los Angeles has a lot of options with two lottery picks and some notable players that have expiring contracts.

Watch out for those three teams as Thursday’s draft gets closer.