The 2019 NBA Draft is quickly approaching and there is plenty to discuss around the league, particularly on the trade market.
The Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to be in the market for second round picks, the Boston Celtics are losing Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, and Harrison Barnes shocked everyone with his decision to not pick up his player option that would have paid him $25 million for the 2019-20 NBA season.
On the relaunch of the NBA Front Office Show, hosts Trevor Lane and salary cap expert Keith Smith break down all the latest happenings around the league and explain what it means for teams working within the NBA’s salary cap.
The Lakers find themselves in a bit of a tricky situation as they attempt to clear enough cap room to chase max-level free agents while still executing the trade for Anthony Davis. Was the team’s front office — led by general manager Rob Pelinka — aware of the massive importance of the execution date of the Davis trade and just wanted to get the deal done, or was this a colossal oversight?
They are also rumored to be in the market for second round picks and will have a nice chunk of change at their disposal to purchase them from other teams. We dig into why the specifically would target second rounders and what type of player they could be looking at.
Plus, the Celtics appear to be on the verge of losing both Irving and Horford. After missing on Davis, where does this leave the Celtics moving forward? For better or for worse, are they now officially Jayson Tatum’s team? And what can Danny Ainge do with the cap space that he will surprisingly have available, not to mention three first round picks?
All that and tons more on the debut episode of the NBA Front Office Show.