With the recent transfer of Rudy Gobert, Dejounte Murray and Donovan Mitchell, it is not only the face of certain franchises that has changed, but also the future of the NBA Draft. Because yes, many first-round picks have just changed ownership through the various blockbuster trades that animated the summer of 2022. Who has the biggest draft capital to bounce back? We make a small point.
This is Bobby Marks fromESPN who came up with this crazy stat: Over the next seven years, 85 first-round draft picks are held by just eight NBA franchises. 85 out of 210 (30 X 7), which roughly corresponds to 40% of the available picks. As you can imagine, the Jazz are part of the lot following dropping their duo Rudy Gobert – Donovan Mitchell during the summer to start a whole new process of reconstruction. The Thunder franchise has meanwhile become specialists in boosting its draft capital, Sam Presti truly collecting first-round picks since the transfers of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, while the Spurs have decided to press the full rebuild button in notably dealing Dejounte Murray to the Hawks for three first-round picks and a swap pick. In this Elite Eight Draft NBA version, we also find the Rockets following James Harden’s mega-trade in 2021, the Pelicans who transferred Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis, as well as the Knicks, the Magic and the Pacers.
NBA franchises with the most first-round draft picks between 2023 and 2029
- Le Thunder with 14 first-round picks, including 7 picks picked up via transfers (2 Clippers in 2024 and 2026 / 2 Rockets Top-4 protected in 2024 and 2026 / 1 Jazz Top-10 protected in 2024 and 2025, Top 8 in 2026 / 1 Heat Top-14 protected in 2025, unprotected in 2026 / 1 of the Sixers Top-6 protected in 2025, Top-4 in 2026 and 2027)
- Jazz with 14 first-round picks, 8 of which were picked up via transfers (3 from Wolves in 2023, 2025 and 2027 / 1 from Wolves Top-5 protected in 2029 / 3 from Cavs in 2025, 2027, 2029 / 1 pick from Nets, Rockets or Sixers in 2023)
- Spurs with 11 first-round picks, including 4 picked up via transfers (2 of the Hawks in 2025 and 2027 / 1 of the Hornets Top-16 protected in 2023, Top-14 in 2024 and 2025 / 1 of the Bulls Top-10 protected in 2025, Top-8 in 2026 and 2027)
- Les Knicks with 11 first-round picks, including 4 picked up via transfers (1 of the Mavs Top-10 protected in 2023, 2024 and 2025 / 1 of the Pistons Top-19 protected in 2023, Top-18 in 2024, Top-13 in 2025, Top-11 in 2026, Top-9 in 2027 / 1 of the Wizards Top-14 protected in 2023, Top-12 in 2024, Top-10 in 2025, Top-8 in 2026 / 1 of the Bucks Top-4 protected in 2025)
- The Pelicans with 9 first-round picks, including 2 picked up via transfers (1 from the Lakers in 2024 or 2025 / 1 from the Bucks in 2027)
- Le Magic with 9 first-round picks, including 2 picked up via transfers (1 of Bulls Top-4 protected in 2023, Top-3 in 2024 / 1 of Nuggets Top-5 protected in 2025, 2026 and 2027)
- Les Pacers with 9 first-round picks, including 2 picked up via transfers (1 of Cavs Top-14 protected in 2023 / 1 of Celtics Top-12 protected in 2023)
- The Rockets with 8 first-round picks, 3 of which were picked up via transfers (1 from the Bucks in 2023 / 2 from the Nets in 2024 and 2026)
So much for the long term vision. Obviously, the draft choices recovered via transfers are not all equal since some are protected and also depend on the results of the other franchises concerned. And then a lot of things can happen by 2029. Nevertheless, such draft capital gives these teams a lot of flexibility, not only for the number of youngsters they can select and then develop, but also because who says choice of draft says potential counterparty in transfers. When a team is shielded in picks, it can put itself on trade files or then exchange some of them to go up on the evening of the Draft. All that to say that this ranking is clearly not set in stone, and that the Thunder or the Jazz will probably not choose 14 prospects in the first round between 2023 and 2029. But at least it gives a real idea of the franchises that will dominate the Draft for years to come.
The presence of a certain Frenchie named Victor Wembanyama – considered a generational prospect – at the 2023 Draft probably caused the Jazz and the Spurs to break everything to recover as many draft picks as possible and try to nab the first choice. Because in the end, it’s all very well to have such capital, but you still have to use it correctly.
Source texte : ESPN
In the past 3 years, these players have all been traded:
Davis, George, Paul, Westbrook, Holiday, Harden, DeRozan, Murray, Vucevic, Gobert and Mitchell.
As a result, 8 teams control 85 1st rd. picks in the next 7 years.
Here is how each team ranks:https://t.co/g8pQmKh4rG
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 7, 2022