Rebuilding Teams Should Be Aggressive in Trading For Draft Picks

With the new CBA firmly in place, the value of draft picks has increased, but they're still worth trading for.

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; DaRon Holmes ll poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Phoenix Suns in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Given that the 2025 NBA Draft appears to be much stronger than the 2024 class -- which isn't necessarily a tough bar to clear -- teams that find themselves in unclear situations should proceed with extreme caution as they approach the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Today's NBA climate has turned into short cycles of competitiveness. Most teams contend for a couple of seasons on the heels of having given up years of team control in regard to draft picks. 

If it results in a championship, both the organization and the fan base are fine sacrificing five years of not being in control of draft picks. But given that 29 out of 30 teams walk away empty-handed every year, there are plenty of examples of franchises that never make it to the promised land and still pay a premium. 

With the new CBA being more punitive than ever, the value of draft picks has increased. They've always been valuable, but we're about to see a significant leap. 

Now the question becomes: When faced with a strong draft class, should those picks become extra costly? 

The clear answer is yes, and you'd have to hope most teams are aware of that. 

Some, inevitably, won't share that sentiment. Probably for a variety of reasons such as timing, preferring known commodities over the unknown, or due to them flat-out disagreeing about the quality of the class.

For teams that do recognize the value in 2025 picks, their mission before the deadline is to squeeze the most out of the organizations that have their eyes turned elsewhere. 

Here, I'm referring to franchises that have known commodities to offer, but who are going nowhere.

Teams that find themselves utterly stuck have to seek out any type of available 2025 selection they can. Strong draft classes often allow teams to find considerable talent all the way down in the 'twenties, and even in the second round. Essentially, hitting in the margins, and also having four years of team control, assuming it's a first-round selection, is an NBA salary cap cheat code.

But to hit in the margins, you have to play around in the margins in the first place. Teams can't do that if they're not in possession of a pick, or disinterested in acquiring one. 

So, for teams stuck, it's all about identifying the other teams that seem to drastically downplay the quality of the 2025 draft class to optimize their own chances of hitting a home run. 

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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