NBA Draft rumors: Mavs and Cavs discussed Jarrett Allen trade
The Cleveland Cavaliers are receiving trade calls regarding All-Star center Jarrett Allen, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. While no teams have met Cleveland's asking price yet, the Dallas Mavericks are one of the teams allegedly interested in Allen's services.
Allen made his first All-Star appearance for the Cavs in 2022 before seeing a slight dip in production last season, which can be attributed to Evan Mobley's increased role and the arrival of ball-dominant, score-first guard Donovan Mitchell. Allen's true value has never been his scoring, however. He's a monster rebounder and elite rim protector who can single-handedly alter the opposing offense's approach on paint touches.
The Mavs' interest in Allen makes sense. In many ways, he is Dallas' dream center. The Mavs' lack of size and rim protection was persistently problematic last season. The frontcourt conglomerate of Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood simply could not deter opposing players from slicing right down the lane and finishing inside.
Dallas has Tim Hardaway Jr. who, as Fedor notes, drew interest from Cleveland at the trade deadline. With Mobley continuing to look like a future All-Star in the middle, the Cavs could look to flip Allen for some much-needed wing depth while clearing the frontcourt (and the salary books) for Mobley long term.
That said, is Hardaway plus the No. 10 pick really enough to tempt Cleveland? Clearly not. The Mavs are short on trade assets after the Kyrie Irving acquisition in February and one has to imagine other teams can outbid Dallas if Allen truly hits the market.
NBA Draft rumors: Nets asking too much for Mikal Bridges
The Brooklyn Nets are clinging tightly to Mikal Bridges, who was the centerpiece of the Kevin Durant trade return last February. Bridges excelled in his initial stint with Brooklyn, averaging career-best numbers across the board: 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 34.2 minutes per game.
With the Nets not being well positioned to contend, 26-year-old Bridges has been fodder in the trade rumor mill. And, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Portland Trail Blazers are eagerly pursuing the wing.
Per Lowe, the Blazers offered the No. 3 pick in Thursday night's draft as well as ascendant guard Anfernee Simons for Bridges, but Brooklyn declined. That has evidently led other teams to believe that Brooklyn is overvaluing Bridges.
For Sean Marks and the Nets front office, this is tricky territory. On one hand, the odds of Brooklyn competing for a championship before Bridges hits unrestricted free agency in 2026 are extremely slim. On the other hand, the Nets have no real incentive to pursue a full-tilt rebuild after trading all their picks to acquire James Harden and Kevin Durant. If Brooklyn bottoms out, they won't even get those top picks.
The No. 3 pick and Simons is a juicy offer; Simons provides All-Star upside in his own right and is three years younger. Meanwhile, the No. 3 pick's value is contingent on who's available. The Nets should be far more interested in Scoot Henderson than Brandon Miller, for example. Either way, it's hard to blame the Nets for placing significant stock in Bridges, a DPOY finalist who showed the ability to operate efficiently as the team's No. 1 scoring option last season.
NBA Draft rumors: Lakers have list of preferred targets at No. 17
The Los Angeles Lakers are considering multiple options with the No. 17 pick in the NBA Draft, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic (subscription required). Rob Pelinka and the front office could go in any direction: keep the pick, trade the pick, move up or down the board — it's all possible.
While the Lakers would likely prefer to add more veteran talent for another postseason run, the team has a list of preferences if the No. 17 pick is ultimately kept in-house. Per Buha, the names most frequently linked to Los Angeles are: Michigan's Kobe Bufkin, Duke's Dereck Lively II, Michigan's Jett Howard, Arkansas' Nick Smith Jr., and Alabama's Noah Clowney.
There's a nice variety there, with the Lakers clearly weighing the advantages and disadvantages of multiple different skill sets. Bufkin and Smith are talented off-guard slashers with defensive upside. Lively is a hulking 7-foot rim protector, while Clowney is a slightly more mobile switch-friendly big. Howard is the elite, full-stop shooter with positional size on the wing.
Howard is the Lakers' pick in the FanSided mock draft. His ability to space the floor and his advanced offensive instincts make him an easy fit for a team looking to build around Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Plus, Howard is the son of Juwan Howard, LeBron's former teammate in Miami.
NBA Draft rumors: Pascal Siakam trade is unlikely
The Toronto Raptors have been the focal point of trade rumors leading up to the draft after last season's disappointing finish. After firing Nick Nurse, however, it appears more likely than not that Toronto will simply run it back with largely the same roster. That all starts, of course, with Pascal Siakam, who reportedly wants to stay in Toronto long term.
According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, NBA teams are getting the sense that Siakam would not re-sign with a team he is traded to, as he wants to remain with the Raptors. Siakam's contract expires at the end of next season and he's eligible for an extension with Toronto.
Masai Ujiri received a ton of well-deserved credit for building the Raptors' championship roster in 2019. In the years since, however, he has been remarkably stubborn when it comes to keeping his team together. The Raptors finished last season at .500 despite rostering multiple former All-Stars. There's no immediate path to upgrading the roster to championship quality, and yet Ujiri and the front office remain borderline unwilling to listen to offers on Siakam, OG Anunoby, and others.
The Raptors have an important free agency period ahead, starting with Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl. If both re-sign, Toronto will have the exact same starting five with only a new head coach to guide them away from the perilously bad vibes of last season. Siakam is a top-30 player and the Raptors should be thrilled with his loyalty, but at some point the front office will have to face the music and consider a significant restructuring.