2017 NBA Draft: 5 possible draft-day trades we want to see
5. The least sexy swap of the 2017 NBA Draft
This trade isn’t going to dominate the headlines on draft day, but it makes too much sense for both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Brooklyn Nets to not happen.
Rip City enters this year’s draft with three first-rounders, and if packaging them to move up in the pecking order isn’t an option, general manager Neil Olshey has no need for the salaries of three additional rookies on a young roster that’s already miles above the salary cap.
Sporting News‘ Sean Deveney has reported the Blazers were looking to attach first round picks if it means shedding some of the team’s unwanted contracts, which makes sense for a roster that only won 41 games despite having so much long-term money on the books.
What team would happily accept unwanted salary if it meant adding a pick or two? The asset-starved Nets. As laid out by HoopsHabit’s own Michael Walton II, one potential avenue could look something like this:
Meyers Leonard is owed nearly $32 million over the next three seasons, and Brooklyn would have no problem adding a young player — even a frustratingly inconsistent one like this — if Portland threw in the No. 15 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
As compensation, the Nets would cash in on Sean Kilpatrick‘s good season and send his meager $1.5 million, non-guaranteed salary to Rip City. The Blazers get an ugly contract off the books, avoid a rookie contract they have no room for and could either use Kilpatrick off the bench or let him go.
Another variation of a Blazers-Nets swap could look something like this:
Evan Turner‘s contract is far worse than Leonard’s, with the king of the midrange being owed $53.6 million over the next three seasons. But the Nets don’t have the luxury of operating on a short-term timeline, and if they were able to squeeze two first-rounders out of Rip City to take on his ugly deal, it’d be worth it, especially since he could add a veteran presence.
The Blazers get Turner’s regrettable deal off the books, and though they lose two picks in the process, they still get to keep their No. 20 selection and avoid cluttering the roster with too much youth.
In return, they (somewhat) address an area of need with an established 4 like Trevor Booker. He’s not the sexiest of trade prizes, but he averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last year on 51.6 percent shooting and would give the Trail Blazers some experience at power forward.