NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
Giannis for the Bucks. Steph for the Warriors. Jokic for the Nuggets.
The last three NBA championships have been built by finding the diamonds in the rough on draft night. This year, either the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum or the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic will add to that list, but with an added variable: this season’s NBA Finals champion will have been built by the trade that led to drafting a superstar talent.
For the Celtics, the opportunity to draft both Tatum and Jaylen Brown is rooted in a June 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets, in which they sent a package based on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for what was essentially spare parts and significant draft assets. Those assets included three unprotected first-round picks, one of which became Brown in 2016, and a pick swap in 2017 that became the first overall pick in the draft.
In the 2017 draft, Markelle Fultz was the consensus top prospect. Then, Boston GM Danny Ainge traded the first overall pick to the 76ers for the third overall pick, Tatum, and additional draft compensation.
In short, the Celtics wanted Tatum, their intel told them he would still be available at 3, and so they picked up another asset and still got their guy.
For the Mavericks, their franchise-altering draft deal occurred a year later in 2018. They had the fifth pick after finishing the 2017-18 season with a 24-58 record. Atlanta had the third pick. After Phoenix and Sacramento took Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley, respectively, Dallas and Atlanta swapped picks, with the Mavs adding a top-5 protected pick a year later in 2019 to get it done.
In short, the Mavs wanted Luka Doncic and they got him. The Hawks knew they could still get Trae Young at No. 5 and that they’d be adding an additional draft asset.
What are the implications for this year’s draft? They’re twofold.
1. The importance of intel in draft day deals
First and foremost, in a year where there is a lot of perceived parity and potential for transactions, both moves illustrate the importance of each franchise knowing how their board may differ…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/what-teams-picking-early-in-2024-nba-draft-can-learn-from-mavs-celtics-do-your-intel-dont-sweat-narratives/
Author : Adam Finkelstein
Publish date : 2024-06-05 15:28:31
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
