7:15 p.m.: The 2017 NBA Draft is just minutes away, and you can see a running list of picks, as well as trade rumors, on our live blog here.
7 p.m.: OK, so it’s been a pretty busy three hours on the rumor front.
The rumor mill has been pretty busy when it comes to Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler, Paul George and LaMarcus Alrdidge. Here are some of the latest updates from NESN.com.
4:48 p.m.:Â CSN New England’s A. Sherrod Blakely also is hearing that the Celtics are eyeing the No. 7 pick currently owned by the Timberwolves. According to Blakely, the C’s then could flip that pick to the Knicks, presumably in a trade involving Kristaps Porzingis.
3:55 p.m.:Â A couple of other updates regarding the Kristaps Porzingis sweepstakes:
Perhaps the most intriguing report, however, comes from ESPN’s Ian Begley, who laid out what the Celtics offered the Knicks in exchange for Porzingis. This reported proposal seemingly would involve Boston making another trade to acquire an additional lottery pick.
Perhaps this is where it’ll come from:
2:35 p.m.: The Knicks’ asking price for Kristaps Porzingis understandably is high. Like, really high.
A Knicks source told the New York Daily News that team president Phil Jackson is asking the Boston Celtics for the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s draft and next year’s Brooklyn pick owned by the C’s along with Jaylen Brown and Jae Crowder.
The Celtics reportedly feel the asking price is too high but are open to tweaking the deal to include just one draft pick, either this year’s No. 3 pick or next year’s Brooklyn pick.
1:48 p.m.:Â Could the Minnesota Timberwolves make a push for Jimmy Butler?
According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, opposing executives believe the T-Wolves are considering using their No. 7 pick as part of a package to try to re-engage the Bulls on a trade for Butler.
1:43 p.m.:Â The relationship between LaMarcus Aldridge and the Spurs doesn’t appear to be strong at the moment.
Not only are the Spurs reportedly shopping Aldridge for a top-10 pick. The All-Star big man also wants to be traded, according to Stephen A. Smith.
“He feels the Spurs have compromised him, his productivity. They have hurt his game,” Smith said Thursday, per RealGM. “As a result, he wants out and he wants out in the worst way. He wants to be gone.”
Here’s another interesting question regarding Aldridge’s potential departure, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
12:22 p.m.: Want to know how important the NBA draft is to New York Knicks owner James Dolan? Here you go …
That’s right: Dolan and his band, JD and the Straight Shot, will play a concert in New York while his team either trades Kristaps Porzingis, picks someone at No. 8 — or both.
12:15 p.m.: The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly have pursued Paul George and Jimmy Butler, but using Kevin Love as the main trade chip hasn’t worked, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported.
Love’s stock really has plummeted in recent seasons.
11:02 a.m.: As mentioned, the draft really will get interesting when the Celtics jump on the clock at No. 3. ESPN’s Chad Ford predicted in his Thursday morning mock draft that Boston will select Duke’s Jayson Tatum, although it sounds like Kansas’ Josh Jackson still is a consideration, too.
Here’s more from Ford: “This pick seems to come down to Tatum versus Josh Jackson. The Celtics love them both, and one source in Boston said they’ve been going back and forth on the two about every six hours.”
10:57 a.m.: While there’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the trade market for Paul George, especially when it comes to how much the Pacers could land in a deal, it sure sounds like there’s plenty of interest in the four-time All-Star.
10:08 a.m.: Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical just dropped some news that could bode well for the Boston Celtics, who own the No. 3 overall pick and love to make trades.
You’d have to think Danny Ainge is licking his chops right now.
9:47 a.m.: Tired of NBA trade rumors yet? Good, because they’re not done.
The NBA draft will be held tonight in Brooklyn, and teams will maneuver for position with picks or for a big splash with some stars on the block. Kristaps Porzingis could be on the move, as Knicks president Phil Jackson admitted he’s taking calls on the 21-year-old Latvian. The price could be high and potentially league-altering, depending on the destination.
Stay in this live blog and on NESN.com for the latest rumors and reports from around the league.
WEDNESDAY
9:24 p.m.: The New York Knicks allegedly hope to draft Josh Jackson, and reports indicate they’re willing to trade Kristaps Porzingis in order to get into the top four in Thursday’s draft.
8:31 p.m.:Â It seems as though Paul George being dealt from Indiana is inevitable, but don’t expect the Pacers to rush into a deal. New reports indicate the team does not feel pressure to deal the star forward by Thursday’s NBA draft.
8:05 p.m.: The San Antonio Spurs reportedly are hoping to move up in the draft, and are shopping one of their star players in order to do so.
6:44 p.m.:Â The Boston Celtics already agreed to a big trade earlier this week, but don’t be surprised if Danny Ainge strikes again.
New reports indicate the C’s are very high on Dennis Smith Jr., who Ainge allegedly “would love to find a way to get.”
6:25 p.m.:Â It looks as though the San Antonio Spurs are willing to part with one of their star swingmen.
5:49 p.m.:Â Contrary to an earlier report, the Cleveland Cavaliers still might have their eyes set on Jimmy Butler.
Rumors circulated Wednesday morning that Cavs players informed Butler to avoid Cleveland amid the turmoil going on in the organization. But according to a new report, there is “zero truth” to that, as those rumors allegedly are an “absolute fabrication.”
2:02 p.m.:Â The Houston Rockets reportedly have big plans for this summer.
12:16 p.m.:Â Jimmy Butler reportedly informed the Cavaliers he’d rather stay with the Bulls. Perhaps we now know why.
A Cleveland source close to the situation told the Chicago Sun-Times that several of the Cavaliers players who had been prodding Butler to push for a trade from the Bulls to the Cavs in recent days now are warning the three-time All-Star to stay away from a “suddenly volatile” situation in Cleveland.
The Cavs, of course, fired general manager David Griffin on Monday, prompting an interesting tweet from LeBron James and casting additional uncertainty over his future in Cleveland beyond next season.
12:06 p.m.: Kansas’Â Josh Jackson still hasn’t worked out for the Celtics, which could convince Danny Ainge and Co. to go with Duke’s Jayson Tatum at No. 3 overall.
11:56 a.m.:Â The Hawks could be eyeing a full rebuild now that they’ve traded Dwight Howard.
Atlanta wasn’t expected to offer free agent Paul Millsap a max contract, but according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Hawks now are exploring sign-and-trade deals involving the veteran forward so they can acquire assets in return.
There are three or four teams out there willing to give Millsap a max contract, according to Windhorst. And while it’s unclear who those teams are, the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets are interested in Millsap, per Windhorst.
9:24 a.m.:Â The Los Angeles Clippers have gauged the market on potentially trading All-Star center DeAndre Jordan, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
According to Haynes, citing sources, the Clippers have talked to a few teams about Jordan in an “exploratory fashion.”
The Phoenix Suns were one of the teams contacted, per Haynes, and a proposal of Jordan for center Tyson Chandler and the No. 4 pick in Thursday’s draft reportedly was discussed. It’s unclear how far the talks advanced, but Haynes says the Suns are believed to have “balked at the overture.”
9:02 a.m.:Â Dwyane Wade has informed the Chicago Bulls that he will exercise his $23.8 million contract option for the 2017-18 season, according to ESPN.
8:54 a.m.:Â Greg Monroe is making a sensible business move.
8:45 a.m. ET: The days leading up to the NBA draft typically are eventful, as rumors tend to dominate headlines. But this year has been absolutely insane so far. It’s hard to remember a year in which there were so many rumblings several days before the actual draft.
There were a couple of notable trades reportedly agreed upon Tuesday. The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in Thursday’s draft, and the Atlanta Hawks reportedly agreed to trade Dwight Howard to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that features several players and draft picks. Both deals came on the heels of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers completing a trade Monday in which the teams swapped first-round picks (the C’s moved back to No. 3 while the Sixers moved up to No. 1).
All of this is pretty crazy, right? Well, it’s really just the beginning.
The real fun has been with rumors, as Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kristaps Porzingis and DeAndre Jordan are among the NBA stars being floated around in non-stop trade speculation. Even LeBron James’ future beyond next season hangs in the balance, which could have ramifications for Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers and, by extension, the NBA as a whole.
It’s a lot to consume, obviously, so we decided to hook you all up with a one-stop shop for Wednesday’s latest news, developments, rumblings and everything you passionate hoop heads ever could want a day out from the 2017 NBA Draft. Stick around, why don’t you?
Thumbnail photo via Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports Images
