The NBA Draft almost never unfolds according to expectations with surprise selections and trades shaking things up more often than not. There will be a ton of talk over the next couple of weeks about the potential moves that could dramatically change the outlook for the NBA Draft and we have done our best to project some of the moves we could see over the next couple of weeks. Here is a look at four potential scenarios that could shake up the NBA Draft.
76ers Select Kris Dunn First Overall
The city of Philadelphia rejoiced when the 76ers landed another first-overall pick and unlike in past years it seems this team is finally ready to take a significant step forward. Their complete deconstruction and rebuild has put new general manager Bryan Colangelo in position to be a major player this offseason with a wealth of young talent, the most cap space in the NBA by far and the No. 1 overall pick. Philadelphia is expected to take Ben Simmons at No. 1 but it wouldn’t be a major shock if they elected to trade out of the pick in order to add a veteran star. The 76ers could also very well take Simmons and then move one of Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid in order to acquire a veteran point guard. Either of those trades would be a significant shakeup but what if Philadelphia stayed put and reached for Kris Dunn with the first-overall pick? Dunn is the best pure point guard in this year’s raft with elite ball handling skills, great athleticism and a good shot so the 76ers could be tempted to take him at No. 1. Regardless of what happens, Philadelphia will be a major player this offseason.
Dragan Bender Shoots Up Draft Board
Ben Simmons is still the consensus projected first-overall pick with Dunn, Brandon Ingram and Jamal Murray expected to follow him but the potential is there for a team to shake things up dramatically if they feel that Dragan Bender is worth taking a chance on. Bender has skyrocketed up big boards thanks to the combination of his elite 7’1’’ size, excellent ball handling skills and ability to stretch the floor by shooting the three-ball. Bender has developed his skill set playing overseas in Croatia and he is ready to step in and make an immediate impact in the NBA. The 18-year-old is oozing with potential so it won’t be a surprise if a team shake things up and follows in the footsteps of the New York Knicks drafting Kristaps Porzingis with the selection of Bender.
Celtics Trade The No. 3 Pick
The Boston Celtics have been in the market for a star player over the last couple of years and after missing out on several big names, they could get bold with their No. 3 overall pick. Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Buddy Hield will be hard to pass on but the Celtics could be intrigued by Bender’s potential or choose to trade the No. 3 pick in exchange for a veteran player. Remember, this is a team that has a ton of young assets too, so they have all the pieces required to get their hands on a superstar…if they can find a trade partner.
Boston will certainly have plenty of options to consider in this spot and it would really shake things up if they packaged that pick in a deal that landed the veteran star they have been chasing for some time now.
Denver Makes A Splash
The Denver Nuggets own the No. 7, 15 and 19 picks in the first round and they could use those selections to make a major jump in to the top-five or acquire a veteran player. There has been a lot of talk over the last couple of weeks about the Nuggets being interested in Jimmy Butler and Paul George and it would be interesting to see if they could acquire one of those players in exchange for a package built around draft picks. The Nuggets finished eight games out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference this past season and while they showed signs of improvement throughout this past year and they have a ton of picks but they are going to have to add some veteran help if they want to contend for a playoff spot anytime soon.
