With the NBA Draft just around the corner, rumors are swirling on potential trades that could occur.
Up to this point, there has only been one trade this offseason.
This involved the New Orleans Pelicans sending Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams to the Memphis Grizzlies in return for Jonas Valanciunas.
It is likely that there will be much bigger deals to come on draft night.
There are three major mock deals that stand out compared to the rest.
3. Bradley Beal To The Golden State Warriors
Bradley Beal has arguably been the biggest name seriously in the NBA trade market the past two years.
Since the Washington Wizards dealt John Wall to the Houston Rockets, Beal’s name has been involved in trade rumors.
While a deal has not yet been made for Beal, it appears that he will be moved from the team soon and a rebuild will begin in Washington.
Currently, the Golden State Warriors are the front-runners in the Beal sweepstakes.
Along with this, Beal was reportedly on the top of the Warriors list this offseason.
If Bradley Beal were to leave the Wizards, he will be at the top of the Warriors' wish list, per @ThompsonScribe pic.twitter.com/MSqTwYcJWV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 23, 2021
It would cost the Warriors a lot to acquire Beal, however, if they manage to make a trade for him, they could once again be NBA championship contenders.
A package of the No. 7 pick, the No. 14 pick, James Wiseman, and Andrew Wiggins could be enough to add Beal to the roster.
This would be a deal that works out for both sides.
While the Warriors are giving up their entire future, they are getting one of the best scorers on the league in a last ditch effort to capitalize on the Stephen Curry era in Golden State.
In return, the Wizards are getting a jumpstart on their rebuild and if they could combine their draft picks to move up further in the lottery to get a top five pick.
2. Ben Simmons To The Cleveland Cavaliers
Ben Simmons was a non-factor in some of the most important games of the Philadelphia 76ers season.
As a result of this, his trade value is at an all time low and he is being shopped around this offseason.
A potential suitor is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs have been trying to deal forward Kevin Love for years, however, they have been unable to find a team willing to take on his contract.
Along with this, the franchise is for some reason unwilling to fork up the money to give Collin Sexton a long-term extension.
This has led to him being shopped as well.
A package of Sexton, Love, and a 2022 top-three protected pick would likely be enough to add Simmons to the roster.
For the Cavs, they would be finally getting rid of Love, they would not have to pay Sexton, and they would be getting a great young player in return.
If Simmons is able to find the confidence to even start shooting jumpers in games, his jump shot will begin to develop and really improve.
Once he gets a jumper, he will be one of the most unstoppable players in the NBA.
The Cavaliers will be betting a lot on themselves in only making their pick top-three protected, however, with Simmons along with a top five pick in this draft, they should be able to make the playoffs.
The 76ers would get the perfect package to begin building their roster around Joel Embiid.
Both Sexton and Love are capable of spacing the floor.
Along with this, Sexton is beginning to become a quality playmaker and could play point guard for the 76ers.
1. Cade Cunningham To The Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent the past two seasons accumulating a mind-numbing amount of NBA draft picks.
It is unclear what they will do with all of these picks, however, this potential trade could be only the beginning.
This potential deal sends Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the No. 6, No. 16, and No. 18 overall picks, along with the Los Angeles Clippers 2022 first-round pick to the Detroit Pistons for the first overall pick and Killian Hayes.
Adding Cunningham would jumpstart the Thunder’s rebuild.
With all of the picks they still have, they could either draft teammates to put alongside Cunningham or they could package them together for stars.
While it would be perfect if they could add more picks rather than giving up Gilgeous-Alexander, this would still be a great deal for the Thunder.
This leads me all the way to DET for the #1 pick
If the Thunder have #3, they could definitely bypass giving up SGA and instead offer something like
#3, 2 futures for #1
DET aren't sold on Cade Cunningham yet and they've shown interest in Mobley in the past.
Food for thought pic.twitter.com/krpz4F8yxH
— Thunder Moneyball (@geola388) July 27, 2021
For the Pistons, while they lost the number one overall pick, they are getting a plethora of picks in return.
They will still have a high lottery pick that they could package with their two other first-round picks to move up in the lottery.
Along with this, they are getting a potential franchise player in Gilgeous-Alexander.
While Cunningham is likely to be a future Hall of Famer, it is not guaranteed and this package could be enough for the Pistons to avoid keeping the number one pick to draft him.
