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The 2022-23 NBA season has just been over, and the league is turning to the upcoming NBA Draft and the off-season. The Draft night will welcome the future NBA stars and, at the same time, will bring a lot of movement within the league, and many players will end up on new teams.
There are plenty of rumors as the NBA Draft is just days away, and we will take a look at the top 5 players that may be traded on Draft night.
Nikola Vucevic
Vucevic has become a regular double-double machine averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds on 52% shooting from the field for the Chicago Bulls last season.
The Bulls underachieved last season, and they may be very active in the off-season. Vucevic is the type of player that any team would want in their lineup.
The Montenegrian center would be a great fit in Phoenix and Dallas. The Suns made center Deandre Ayton available, and that would be a good deal for both teams. As for the Mavs, Vucevic would benefit a lot from playing alongside Luka Doncic, and the Mavs would get the security in the paint they were missing last season.
Chris Paul
Paul is one of the oldest players in the league, but he has a lot of great basketball left in his tank and two more years on his contract with the Phoenix Suns. The team made it clear that they are searching for a trade partner for Paul as they do not see him in their plans for the next season.
At this stage of his career, Paul wants to play for the NBA championship and nothing else, but in order to do that, he may need to accept a bench role.
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers look like possible destinations for Paul. The Bucks are an excellent team, and Paul would be able to play behind Jrue Holiday and have a real chance of winning the championship. The Lakers, where Paul almost ended up back in 2011, are another option where Paul can have a great impact and a chance to win it all.
Bradley Beal
Beal is a player whose name has been constantly in the trade rumors in the past seasons. The three-time NBA All-Star has spent his entire career with the Washington Wizards, and they have only one Playoff appearance in the last five seasons.
Beal has four years left on the contract and will earn more than $46 million in the following season, and there are not many teams that are able to accept that contract.
The Miami Heat is the team that has been mentioned a couple of times in recent years as a possible destination for Beal. The Heat would be happy to land Beal, but the Wizards would probably want Tyler Herro included in the package, who is a player that Miami wants to have long-term.
The Sacramento Kings have emerged as a possible destination for Beal. They had an amazing season getting back to the Playoffs for the first time since 2006. The Kings would be able to offer Harrison Barnes, Malik Monk and Richaun Holmes, which would be a great deal for both teams.
Damian Lillard
Lillard has four years left on his contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, which would bring him more than $45 million in the upcoming season. Still, it seems like it is time for him to go after 11 seasons with the team from Oregon. The Blazers missed the Playoffs in the last two seasons, and they are considering a rebuild.
Lillard has already been linked with many possible trade destinations, and the player himself has stated that Brooklyn and Miami are his preferable options.
The Nets are already in a rebuilding process, and they have no superstar on their team. However, Lillard would probably want to play for the championship at this point of his career, and the Nets are not the team where he can go for it in the next season.
On the other hand, the Heat failed just short of winning the championship this season, and it seems like Lillard may be the missing piece that can make the difference. The package of Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson would be enough to make this trade doable.
Zion Williamson
Williamson was the most hyped player coming into the league since LeBron James. His athleticism, mixed with his body frame, was something never seen before, and Williamson was projected to take over the league very soon.
Four years into his professional career, we have seen only a glimpse of his talent since he has spent more time on the injury list than on the floor. Since Williamson made it to the NBA, has played a total of 114 out of a possible 308, which is only 37 percent.
The Pelicans took a huge gamble signing him to a four-year $231 million last season, but it seems that they might be ready to let him go.
The Pelicans are considering trading Williamson in order to draft Scoot Henderson. Given the fact that Victor Wembanyama is locked at No. 1, Henderson would be available at No. 2. The Charlotte Hornets is the team that has the second pick, and they would be very interested in landing Williamson.
Michael Jordan is thinking about selling his stakes in the Hornets team but having a superstar like Zion, who is, by the way, an Air Jordan athlete, may be just what Jordan and the Hornets were waiting for. They have plenty of assets that can be added to the second pick, which include Lamelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Terry Rozier.
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