by Sam Riches / @sam_riches
With the NBA draft positions now locked in, the trade rumors are beginning to swirl. The Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested earlier today that the Milawakuee Bucks are open to trading Brandon Jennings. Jonathan Givony from Draft Express tweeted that the Cavaliers offered the Memphis Grizzlies the number four overall pick for Rudy Gay, who has also been rumoured to be on the trading block for Andre Iguodala. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal Constitution proposed that it’s time for Josh Smith to pack up his bags. So what does it all mean?
Probably nothing.
There will surely be trades on Draft night and the days surrounding the event, but until the selections are made, it’s all hypothetical. This year, the speculation is muddled even further with the possibility of a lockout. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Ricky Rubio are currently facing that scenario, as the Pioneer Press reports:
“Rickey Rubio would prefer to know if there will be a lockout before committing to joining the Minnesota Timberwolves for next season. The NBA’s labor agreement expires June 30.
The Timberwolves would prefer to know before the draft whether the 20-year-old point guard, their top pick from 2009, will buy out his contract in Spain. The draft is June 23.
‘That is the question,’ Wolves owner Glen Taylor said this morning. ‘He’s asking how that (lockout) might affect him, if we don’t play or if we will play. And our answer is, ‘We won’t know the answer to that question. You’re going to have to make your decision before that.’
‘We (NBA owners) are negotiating with the players right now. We’re hopeful we’ll play. But I don’t want to guarantee him that because there’s no way that I know that.’”
The lockout itself remains a debated issue, as the players and owners continue to offer divergent opinions about the possibility. Only a handful players are truly untouchable and as the draft approaches, expect the rumblings to get louder and louder.
