NBA Execs Reportedly Feel ‘5, 6 or 7’ Picks Could Be Traded in 1st Round of NBA Draft

Wednesday’s NBA draft could potentially feature a flurry of trades.

“Two first-round picks have already been traded, and when you talk to league executives, they think there’s five, six or seven or more in play,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during Saturday’s episode of The Hoop Collective (54:55 mark). “That doesn’t mean they’ll be traded, but there’s several in play, including one or two [picks] in the top 10, which you don’t often see top-10 picks moved.”

While the first two picks appear set in stone, with Dallas in line to take Duke’s Cooper Flagg and the San Antonio Spurs expected to select Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, the wheeling and dealing could begin as soon as No. 3, when the Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock.

With no real consensus regarding who is the No. 3 prospect on the board—the group of Ace Bailey (who hasn’t worked out with any teams), VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel, among others, appear to all be in the running—there could be movement in the top 10 as teams look to move either up or down the board.

There are also expected to be plenty of trades in general this offseason, with most teams lacking cap space, which could impact the draft as well. So it may end up being a fun, frantic event.