National Basketball Association

Five players who could be traded during the NBA Draft

Published Jun. 21, 2015 4:29 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Vincent Frank

The 2015 NBA draft is less than a week away. That means teams are preparing to put the final touches on their draft boards and potentially looking to hone in on assets on the trade market.

From a valuable reserve in David Lee for the champion Golden State Warriors to a couple upper-echelon guards, here are five players most likely to be dealt during the draft on Thursday.

David Lee, Forward, Golden State Warriors

Now that it’s been made abundantly clear that the Warriors and Lee are going to part ways, both sides are going to want to work out a trade in short order. Considering Lee’s $15.5 million price tag for 2015-16, Golden State may have to throw in its first-round pick (30th overall) to get a deal done. If the Warriors decide they aren’t necessarily going for cap relief, they might look to use Lee as a trade chip to move up a few spots in the draft while taking on a couple substantial contracts. Either way, there is no reason to believe a trade won’t be worked out over the next several days.

In terms of what he brings on the court, Lee still has a nice amount of value. Despite taking a back seat to Draymond Green after a hamstring injury early in the 2014-15 campaign, the former All-Star found himself playing an important role in the team’s NBA Finals win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Remember, he’s just one year removed from averaging 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds for a 51-win Warriors team. Some clubs could definitely use the flexibility Lee brings to the offensive end of the court, especially his ability to step out and hit the jumper.

Eric Bledsoe, Guard, Phoenix Suns

There has been some talk that the New York Knicks could potentially send the fourth pick to Phoenix for Bledsoe and the 13th pick. This fits nicely into other suggestions that the Suns like Brandon Knight to run the offense more than Bledsoe. Though, ESPN’s Marc Stein indicated that any trade between the two teams would have to be conducted after the draft due to salary cap issues.

If the Suns do indeed value Knight more than Bledsoe, it would make sense for them to trade the latter. Bledsoe, 25, is coming off a solid 2014-15 campaign that saw him average 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. He’s also locked up for the next four seasons at a reasonable $57 million. This makes him an extremely valuable asset for a team in need of a starter, meaning the Suns could potentially net a first-rounder in return.

Pure conjecture here, but a team like the Los Angeles Lakers could show some interest. They are said to be looking to move the second of their two first-round picks (27th overall). While that likely wouldn’t be enough, the Lakers could sweeten the pot a bit. The Philadelphia 76ers are also in desperate need of a point guard and possess the necessary cap room to pick up Bledsoe’s contract without matching outgoing contracts. Either way, if the Suns are sold on Knight at point, we should expect to see Bledsoe moved.

Kevin Martin, Guard, Minnesota Timberwolves

Considering Martin is under contract for the next two seasons at an average salary of over $7 million, the Timberwolves would have to add an asset or two in any potential salary cap dump. Martin, 32, is coming off a 2014-15 season that saw him average 20 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. Nothing more than a volume scorer that brings a major liability on defense, there isn’t going to be a strong market for Martin’s services. In order to move Martin, Minnesota would likely have to yield its second-round pick (31st overall) and a decent rotational player like Chase Budinger to get something done. Even then, that might not be enough.

We mentioned David Lee above, and there could be a decent fit here. Golden State is likely going to look for another perimeter scorer off the bench - something that Martin (39 percent from 3-point range last season) brings to the table. Even if Minnesota were to bring Kevin Garnett back for another season, it needs another big man with Nikola Pekovic expected to be sidelined until late November with an Achilles injury. Lee would be a great fit. Maybe a package that includes Martin, the 31st pick and cap fillers for Lee could work. That might enable the Warriors to also move up a few spots in the first round to nab a young front-court player.

Tyreke Evans, Guard, New Orleans Pelicans

Unless new head coach Alvin Gentry decides to go really small by plying Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and Evans in the starting lineup together, one of these players will likely be moved for someone that will fit into Gentry’s system from the three position. We saw how much the Warriors - with the help of Gentry as an assistant - loved to utilize that sharp-shooting small forward in their scheme last season, and Evans’ 30 percent 3-point numbers from a season ago doesn’t necessarily fit into the equation there.

Set to earn about $21 million over the next two seasons, the 25-year-old Evans could be a decent chip on the trade block during the draft. Despite struggling from beyond the arc, Evans did average 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists during a solid all-around 2014-15 campaign. The Cleveland Cavaliers - picking 24th overall - might express interest in someone like Evans. Though, that would require J.R. Smith opting in, and the Pelicans wanting to actually take on his attitude. Either way, it will be interesting to see if the Pelicans look to move Evans in the next few days.

Ty Lawson, Guard, Denver Nuggets

The likeliest player to be dealt on Thursday, Lawson is obviously on the trade block. The issue here is that Denver might be asking a bit too much for a guard that shot just 44 percent from the field and seemed to cause some internal strife with the Nuggets last season. We do know that Denver has reportedly offered Lawson to its former head coach George Karl and the Sacramento Kings for the sixth pick. That’s a “go nowhere fast” trade offer right there.

Unless Denver lowers its demands to potentially a mid first-round pick and cap fillers, there is no way the team is going to be able to move Lawson, who is set to earn $25.6 million over the next two seasons. If the Nuggets do lower their price, teams will likely express interest. After all, he did average a near double-double with 15.2 points and 9.6 assists per game. Lawson would surely be an upgrade for at least 15-20 teams around the league. This is definitely something to keep an eye on during the draft.

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