The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to trade either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor this offseason.

Noel was selected in the 2013 NBA Draft out of Kentucky while Okafor was picked in 2015 out of Duke. They struggled when sharing the floor at the same time in 15-16 and Philadelphia also has Joel Embiid coming back from injury.

Noel is eligible for a rookie contract extension this offseason.

"I think that there's a very high likelihood, that whether it's to move up in the draft or use them to grab a free agent in a sign and trade or just to a trade, that you will not see the Nerlens Noel-Jahlil Okafor pairing at the start of next season," said ESPN's Chad Ford. "I think that they'll gauge the interest of both players. I think that there might be a slight preference for Noel, to keep him around with the Sixers, and I think you might be right, there might be a slight, better value for Okafor out on the market, but I think everyone agrees that that combination of those two players doesn't necessarily work.

"The Sixers needs to pick up assets, especially if they're gonna go ahead and do a Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram with the first pick in the draft. Then they're gonna need those assets to start to fill out their backcourt, because the 24th pick and [the 26th pick], you're not finding starters. I'm not even sure that you're necessarily finding rotation players at that back end of the draft that are gonna make big impact, so they're gonna have to do that via free agency or via trade, and I think either Okafor or Noel — I don't think they'll trade both — but one of those two is probably their best trade chip."

The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to attempt to trade the third overall pick in the draft should they wind up in that position.

The Lakers will convey their pick to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls outside the top-3.

Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are the presumptive top-2 players in the draft.

Stan Van Gundy and the Detroit Pistons traded for Tobias Harris, essentially considering him their 2016 free agent signing.

The Pistons acquired Harris from the Orlando Magic in February.

"A lot of teams wanted that maximum cap space," said Van Gundy. "We looked it and said, "OK, there are gonna be 28 teams with money, there are only so many great players, and you're gonna end up overpaying for people." And we're not at the top of everybody's list.

"The question for us was: He's 23 years old with a contract that is descending over the next couple years, and can we do better than that in free agency? And for us, the answer was, "Not even close."

"It's a bird in the hand. We're not desperate to get a player, and we don't have to overpay to just meet the [salary floor]. We got a good, young player locked in for the next three years. A lot of people want shorter contracts. For us, young players on longer contracts is a good way to go."

Van Gundy was also surprised the Pistons could acquire Harris without sending a pick back to the Magic.

"Yes. Very, very surprised. Ersan Ilyasova played well for us, but he only had one more year on his contract. Again: A lot of people think that's good, but we want guys on longer contracts. And Brandon Jennings was a free agent we were gonna lose anyway. It was an easy deal to say yes to."

The Philadelphia 76ers may look to trade a top-five pick in the draft if they end up also acquiring one from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers' pick will convey to the 76ers if it falls outside the top-5.

"We'll certainly be open for business," said Bryan Colangelo.

The 76ers also own the 24th and 26th overall picks.

"It's hard to put a number or a value on degree of aggressiveness, but we'll certainly be open for business and listening to whatever is there," Colangelo said at the draft combine here, about five weeks after being hired. "I think any time you have certain assets on the table in front of you, you need to determine what your best strategic move is, and some of that is yet to be determined. To what degree we'll be aggressive, it's too early to say."

The lottery will be Tuesday.

"I think you should always be a little proactive, just in determining what your best course of action is," Colangelo said. "You don't want to leave anything on the table. If there was an opportunity to do something and you didn't know that or realize it because you didn't make a phone call then that's your fault. But I think we'll explore everything in every regard and that's the good news about having the kind of flexibility and the number of assets that we have.

"It really just comes from the conversation following the lottery results. That's the one thing about the lottery. Once it's completed we'll know exactly what we have. Before anything else happens, that's the first domino that's got to fall. Tuesday's a big day for us in a whole host of ways."

Second round picks could be sold for the maximum $3.4 million amount allowed on draft night.

In the past, second round picks could be acquired for a relatively cheap amount. The most a pick was acquired for was $1.5 million last season when the New York Knicks acquired the 35th overall pick to select Willy Hernangomez.

Buying second round gives teams short on selections a chance to buy their way back into the process.

The most ever paid for a second-round pick is $3 million, which Oklahoma City paid Atlanta to acquire 31st overall pick Tibor Pleiss in 2010.

Carmelo Anthony confirmed he won't waive his no-trade clause this offseason and will remain with the New York Knicks.

“You’ll see me here,” Anthony said. “For the Knicks, absolutely.”

Anthony has three seasons remaining on the contract he signed with the Knicks in 2014.

The Knicks have yet to hire a head coach and Anthony has lobbied Phil Jackson to consider candidates beyond Kurt Rambis.

Jackson only appears to be seriously considering David Blatt beyond Rambis.

The Sacramento Kings have apparently ruled out trading DeMarcus Cousins this offseason.

"He's not going to be traded - this year for sure," said Vlade Divac.

Cousins will be a free agent in 2018, which gives the Kings three more trade windows in the 2017 trade deadline, 2017 offseason and 2018 trade deadline in case they want to move on from him.

The Kings will be opening a new arena for the 16-17 season.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping their lottery pick remains in the top-3 so it won't automatically be conveyed to the Philadelphia 76ers.

But there is some doubt as to whether the Lakers would like to keep the pick or trade it away for a proven player.

“Right now, I think our young guys are the perfect number and we will add solid veterans,” said Jim Buss.

The Lakers' young core consists of D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson.

With significant cap space, the Lakers can conceivably sign a free agent and trade for another top level player.

Doc Rivers insists he will not break up the Los Angeles Clippers' big three of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

"I like our core and I like our bench, which was really good this year," Rivers said.

"I think they all want to come back, and we're going to make a strong effort to bring all our guys back. The good news about the free-agent guys who are opting out on their contracts - as they should because everyone knows what we can spend and what we can't spend - I can't find one who doesn't want to be here."

The Clippers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers.

"We're close, and we know that," Rivers said. "We have a priority of trying to just keep making our team better. Obviously because of the injuries - Blake's in particular - we literally don't know what we could have done. Even during the playoffs, he still wasn't a hundred percent."

The Denver Nuggets were perhaps the team who advanced furthest with the Los Angeles Clippers in exploring a trade for Blake Griffin before the trade deadline.

The offer of the Nuggets and what the Clippers were seeking for Griffin were not close and talks gained no traction.

The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics also inquired with the Clippers on Griffin.

Griffin's injuries have played a factor in how rival teams perceive his value.