The NBA Pre-Draft Trade Frenzy Has Officially Begun

Photo: Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

- Troy Ballard
It didn't take long, and it was two teams that would be expected to make a move, with the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets orchestrating a multi-player and pick trade before the start of the NBA Draft next week.
In what will likely go down as the greatest miracle of all-time in basketball (or quite possibly any sport), the Wizards were able to shed themselves of the worst contract known to man with Rashard Lewis, whilst at the same time getting decent value back with another center in Emeka Okafor and a young forward in Trevor Ariza.
The final deal is: Lewis and Washington's second-round draft selection (no. 46 overall) for Okafor and Ariza.
Overall, it was a solid deal for both sides, as New Orleans was able to clear the way for The Brow at center, make a move to free-up some bogged down minutes by dealing away Ariza and also adding to a solid collection of draft picks.
For the Wizards, adding another big man in Okafor for depth and an athletic player to flank John Wall certainly helps an otherwise flat roster. The only one who really loses-out in this deal (if it could be considered that) is Lewis -- who will be having his contract bought-out by the two sides.
This move may not shatter anyone's season, but it did mark the beginning of something wild -- the pre-draft NBA trade frenzy.
This is arguably is our favorite time of the NBA off-season. The brief five or six-day stretch where lottery teams make move after move to clear cap, address issues and jump up or down the draft board in hopes of landing the perfect prospect.
Teams can see radical changes with the blink of an eye, and as I already stated, this last move is hardly anything earth-shattering. But the possibility of franchise players being moved (namely Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers, among others), boasts a very real chance of finding new homes for next season.
With the NBA Draft being a total question mark behind Anthony Davis first overall, there is a good chance that teams will be jumping all around on draft day. There are more than a handful of teams that would be interested in trading-up, and even more that will be looking to move down.
In other words -- it's going to be wild.
As draft day inches closer and closer, expect more and more moves. I would imagine that with the status of some teams in the NBA (nothing to lose) there will be some massive gambles and some huge pay-offs. But of course, as any good gambler knows, the house has a tendency to win.
Our pick for the team that will make the most radical moves -- the Los Angeles Lakers. Stay tuned, as we will continue to break down the biggest moves and trades throughout the off-season!
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