This NBA Draft Trade Rumor Could Shake Up The Top Ten In A Big Way

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The NBA Draft is rapidly approaching, with June 22 just over two weeks away, and that means draft rumors are heating up. There are reports about workouts and who will or won’t workout for what teams. There are reports about players who teams are wary of or falling in love with, and, of course, there are rumors about teams looking to move up or down from their draft position.

We’ve already heard that the Detroit Pistons are among those teams looking to trade their pick (No. 12 overall) in order to add some veteran help to their roster. Now, there are rumors that the Kings and Sixers could be working their way towards a deal that would shake up the top 10 significantly.

The Kings own the Nos. 5 and 10 picks, while the Sixers hold the No. 3 pick. With Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball expected to go in the first two picks, the Sixers are the team that many point to as the key to the rest of the draft. What they do at No. 3 may very well determine who falls, who rises, and what teams earn a steal that fills a need or has to decide between reaching for a need or taking the best player available at a crowded position.

That is the dilemma facing the Sixers at No. 3, as they could look to Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox or Duke forward Jason Tatum, but neither is an incredibly inspiring choice considering the Sixers’ needs. Philadelphia needs shooting around Ben Simmons — who is expected to be the primary ball-handler — Joel Embiid, and Dario Saric. Fox’s weakness is shooting, so he doesn’t seem like a great fit alongside Simmons, and Tatum isn’t a very consistent shooter as a wing and might feel like a reach at that spot.

The Kings, however, reportedly love Fox — next to a shooter like Buddy Hield the Kings don’t need him to be a knockdown threat — and want to take him, but know that he won’t likely get past the Suns at No. 4, so according to ESPN’s Chad Ford (via Liberty Ballers), they are considering moving their two top 10 picks (5 and 10) for No. 3 in order to guarantee they get Fox. The key will be whether the Sixers could be enticed into dropping down to pick up two top 10 picks in place of the third-overall selection.

According to Philly.com, the Sixers are very much considering those possibilities seriously.

Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo hasn’t ruled out trading the draft pick. He also revealed the team is considering six or seven players for the pick, assuming the team keeps the selection.

If the Sixers could drop to No. 5, then they could still get one of the players they are seriously considering for the third pick if this report is true and, potentially, land another of their favorites at No. 10 depending on how the rest of the top 10 shakes out after the shake up. Either Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum would still be available at No. 5 with the Kings taking Fox, so the Sixers could still land wing help, and a number of guard options that could potentially be available at No. 10 — from Malik Monk to Dennis Smith Jr. to Luke Kennard — who could help at the one or two guard spots.

The NBA Draft is always good for a few trades — and some confusion since the NBA continues to insist on not announcing trades until after the selections are made — and if this goes down on June 22, it will have a ripple effect across the rest of the lottery and potentially force some teams (like the Suns) to look at Plan B for their pick.

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