3 Trades that could happen during the nba draft

John Minchillo/Associated Press

The NBA Draft takes place tomorrow night and with it, rumors are spreading of star players who could potentially be on the move. Draft Day almost always has at least one blockbuster trade go down, and this year will be no exception. With players like Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson, Chris Paul, Zach LaVine, and others all in trade rumors, one or more of these players will likely be on a different team when the draft is over. Here are three potential deals that could go down during the draft.

Zion Williamson to Portland

Reports have come out recently that the Charlotte Hornets are pretty set on taking Brandon Miller with the second overall pick. If this is true, it would mean that Scoot Henderson would be available with the third pick. The Pelicans have made it clear that they are interested in trading up to acquire Scoot Henderson and have deemed Zion Williamson as not untouchable. If Portland were to pair Lillard with Zion, the duo could bring Portland back into the playoff mix, if Zion stays healthy. The trade could look like this.

Pelicans receive: the number three pick in the 2023 draft and Anfernee Simons

Trail Blazers receive: Damian Lillard

Zach LaVine to Toronto

The Raptors have a very talented starting lineup but, for whatever reason, have not lived up to their current potential. The Raptors have hired Darko Rajakovic to replace Nick Nurse as head coach, and they may need one more move to go back to competing in the playoffs. Going after an all-star player in Zach LaVine would do just that. As for the Bulls, the core of DeMar DeRozan, LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic has not gone according to plan, and a rebuild may need to be in the cards for the Bulls. The trade could look like this.

Bulls receive: Gary Trent Jr., Chris Boucher, D.J. Wilson, the number 13 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and a future second-round pick

Raptors receive: Zach LaVine

John Collins to Indiana

The Indiana Pacers had a great start to their 2022-2023 season before Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury that caused him to miss some time. Before the injury, the Pacers were the number six seed in the east and were proving that they were a solid young team who could compete for a playoff spot. The Pacers could trade one of their first-round picks to get talent this offseason to help bolster their roster. The trade could look like this.

Hawks receive: Buddy Hield and the #26 pick in the 2023 draft (Via Cleveland)

Pacers receive: John Collins