NBA Draft Rumors: Raptors Eye Draft Trade, Nets Keeping Mikal Bridges
A look around at the rumors and drama surrounding the 2024 NBA Draft.
By the time we reach June, usually the NBA draft rumor mill is starting to pick up. However, with very few workouts scheduled so far with lottery picks, and many teams seemingly unsure of who they want to pick, the mill hasn’t spun enough to produce much “draft flour.” Nonetheless, a few murmurs are about, so let’s take a look.
Toronto is ready to deal their second rounder
In their mock draft, The Athletic notes that Toronto may want to trade their 31st pick between rounds. This is the first sign of changes due to the NBA’s new draft scheduling, with each round happening on consecutive nights. Thanks to that whole night between the first and second round, the Raptors may plan to use that time to grab extra value by dangling the “first pick” of the players remaining after round one.
With the Portland Trail Blazers already looking at a roster of young players, this could also be a sign of an opportunity for the team to grab value for their #34 pick, even if just to trade for future picks.
The Nets won’t deal Bridges for a prospect
In not-too-surprising news, the Brooklyn Nets apparently don’t have interest in trading Mikal Bridges to get a high pick. At least, not in the 2024 Draft. With so much doubt clouding this year’s first-round picks, it would make sense that Brooklyn would rather hold onto one of their best players.
However, the rumor also notes that the Nets plan to keep Bridges and hope to attract a star free agent to Brooklyn. Historically, this has been a mixed bag for the team, so we may be back in this same spot next year. But based on current projections, it seems unlikely any team with a high 2025 pick will want to trade it for Bridges.
Devin Carter may have had a draft promise, or not
In today’s edition of “draft report drama,” there was a report that a team had made a draft promise to Providence guard Devin Carter. The son of former NBA player Anthony Carter, he has made the radar as a possible higher-floor prospect than many of the other options, perhaps a useful pick for a team like the Kings or the Bulls. But within hours, the rumor may have been debunked, as Carter still has workouts scheduled, and those are usually canceled when a promise is made. Welcome to the world of NBA draft rumors.
