NEW YORK – The trade winds are swirling, and the NBA’s top prospects are taking
notice.
This week has dealt a crazy dose of deals and rumors throughout the NBA. It all
began with the Boston Celtics trading the top pick in Thursday’s Draft to
Philadelphia, it continued with D’Angelo Russell, Brook Lopez and Dwight Howard
all changing teams, and eyes are still fixated on Twitter for breaking news
regarding potential megadeals around the league.
There is more star-level chatter leading up to this Draft than maybe ever
before, and now that the league’s top prospects are a day away from being NBA
ballers, they’re viewing the trade landscape from a whole new perspective.
“It’s different actually being in it than looking at it from the outside world,
how I’ve been for 18 years of my life,” said former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball.
“It’s kind of crazy.”
Crazy in the fact that the lives of any of these players can now change at the
drop of a hat.
A week ago, some players likely believed they were on their way to Boston via
the top pick in the Draft. Now those players are eying Philadelphia.
Just a couple of days ago, Los Angeles might not have considered drafting a
point guard with Russell on the team. Now that is no longer an issue.
And as these players not only see movement on the Draft board, but also see
perennial All-Star names on the trade market, they are learning quickly that
this isn’t college anymore. No, this is a billion-dollar industry.
“It’s a business,” said De’Aaron Fox, who entered the Draft out of Kentucky.
“That’s how I looked at it after I went to Kentucky, knowing I was about to be
in the NBA in the next year. I’ve been trying to look at it as a business.”
None of these players have ever been in a situation where they could be traded,
and be forced to uplift their life and move it to a different city based upon
someone else’s decision. Now, that situation is a very realistic possibility.
To the credit of these young and talented top prospects, many of whom are only
19 and 20 years old, they are showcasing incredible levels of maturity in this
regard. As Draft Night approaches and their careers begin, they are taking a
laissez-faire attitude when it comes to the trade front.
“Sometimes it’s just out of your control,” Fox said. “Some players, they don’t
have the no-trade clause and stuff like that, so if it’s out of your control.
For me, I just let it go. I just let it be.”
Added Kansas product Josh Jackson, “Myself, as a player, I can’t really control
anything that happens. I can’t really control who calls my name on Thursday. So
I’ll just deal with the cards I’m dealt and try to make the best of any
situation I’m given.”
Most of these youngsters will be dealt one card Thursday night and be drafted by
the team with which they’ll head to training camp. Others might be dealt
multiple cards by being drafted by one team and then sent to another.
The possibilities are 30-fold when it comes to which city these players might
wind up in. They understand that, and they also understand that the NBA’s
landscape could change in an instant with the push of a proverbial button.
Media Content:
http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/ofseason-062117-draft-prospects-taking-no
tice-of-trade-winds
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Boston Celtics, Boston Celtics
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Taxonomy: offseason, Draft, NBA Draft, Trade, Trades, Summer
Story Link:
http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/sidebar/ofseason-062117-draft-prospects-taking-no
tice-of-trade-winds
