Announcement and NBA News

Welcome to The Truda Report everybody. After two weeks of final exams, I have my life back, so now I'll be able to write again. Expect an article about every two days. Today I'll be hitting on some of the biggest news in the NBA recently. With the draft approaching, there is a lot going on so I'll try and cover as much as I can.

Celtics Trade Back to 3:
This trade between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers has a major impact on a lot of the recent NBA news. One of those things is the value of Markelle Fultz. Danny Ainge, the Celtics General Manager, said that the person Boston wants to draft will very likely be there at the third pick, meaning Markelle Fultz may not be what he was made out to be. Philadelphia is clearly in love with him, but if the Celtics don't like him over one of the lower ranked players, it raises questions about what they saw as red flags. Personally, I think that Boston has bigger needs than guard, and their end goal is to pass the Cavs, which I don't think Fultz could help them do. 

This trade also brought up questions about what the Celtics were doing in the trade market. By moving back Boston acquired either the Lakers first round pick next year (if it falls between 2-5), or the Kings first round pick two years from now. That can definitely be used in a trade package for a player the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler, or Paul George. Speaking of Jimmy Butler, he was part of the reason the Celtics were willing to trade back. There were reports saying that the Chicago Bulls were trying to trade up to the third overall pick with the 76ers, and they were willing to deal Butler. Not only does this mean the Celtics and Bulls could enter serious conversation about a trade, but it brings up more questions about Markelle Fultz. The Bulls know that Boston wants Butler, but Chicago clearly didn't feel like they needed the number one pick to have a chance at their preferred prospect. Once again, it brings up questions of whats wrong with Markelle.

Jimmy Butler:
I already started talking about him, but there is more than just rumors involving Butler and the Celtics. Jimmy G Buckets has been involved in rumors with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Suns could provide the Bulls with a top 4 draft pick which would be huge for the Bulls, but the Cavs can offer an established player in Kevin Love. In the Cavs case, they also know that if the Bulls trade Butler they will want draft picks too, so there was talk about Cleveland wanting to do a multi team trade. This could send either Love or picks to the Bulls. As a Bulls fan I would much rather see them acquire as many draft picks as possible rather than players, but it has yet to be seen what Chicago wants to do.

Note: It has yet to be verified, but The Chicago Times has said Jimmy Butler is pushing for the Bulls to trade him to the Cavs.

Paul George:
Early on Monday a report came out saying Paul George told the Pacers he is going to leave them next year in free agency. In response the Pacers are actively shopping him, but there is a lot of risk involved for a team receiving PG13. George's contract runs out after next season and he has made it very clear he wants to go to the Lakers next summer. That means anyone receiving him basically has him as a one year rental. Due to this a lot of talk started about a possible acquisition on PG13 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He would give them a much better chance against the Warriors, and there would also be the hope that winning would convince him to stay in Cleveland rather than head to L.A. Of course, it's not just the Cavs interested in Paul George though. Many reports have come out from all over the league saying their team wants to acquire George. So far, over 6 teams have reportedly expressed interest. 

David Griffin Gone:
Today David Griffin, the Cleveland Cavaliers GM, is officially stepping down. His contract was up, and he didn't want to resign. Reports have come out saying that Dan Gilbert, the Cavs owner, is part of the reason he is leaving. Gilbert is notoriously hard to deal with, so this shouldn't be much of a surprise. There is a lot to get into here (possibly an article about this tomorrow), but for now I want to focus on how this impacts Paul George and Jimmy Butler. Now that Griffin isn't there to help make decisions, the fate of a Cavs trade will fall into the hands of Dan Gilbert. Gilbert, being a greedy owner, reportedly prefers Jimmy Butler over Paul George because he has a longer and cheaper contract. I'm a huge Butler fan and I would take him over Paul George any day, but to be fair, PG13 makes more sense for the Cavs needs. If you live in Cleveland, no matter who the Cavs acquire (if they get anyone) you should be happy, but just hope Gilbert doesn't make his decision based on money. The Cavs need rings right now, not spare change.

Tomorrow:
I want to get into the emerging Kristaps Porzingis trade rumors tomorrow, so expect another article. Make sure to share this with your friends, and follow my Instagram @thetrudareport for updates on when I post new articles.