Here’s How The Suns Traded For A Draft Pick They Already Owned

ByJoey Heldon June 28, 2018inArticles›Sports News

Draft picks exchange hands in the NBA all the time. If a trade appears to be favoring one side, that team might throw in a future pick to even things out. Sometimes the trades have protection – it may need to fall outside the lottery to convert, for example – or maybe the pick won’t happen until several years down the line. With picks moving constantly, it can be tough to keep up.

And sometimes, you just may trade for a pick you already owned.

During this year’s NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns traded Zhaire Smith (the 16th pick) and a future first-round pick in 2021 to the Philadelphia 76ers for Mikal Bridges (the 10th pick).

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But to fully understand the comedy of that trade, let’s jump back to the 2015 trade deadline. The 76ers traded Brandon Knight (a player they had just acquired in a trade with the Bucks earlier that day) to the Suns for a future Lakers draft pick. The Suns had obtained that pick when Steve Nash went to the Lakers during the 2012 offseason.

The Lakers pick had protections on it through 2017. Those protections were met each of the past three years, so it finally converted to the 76ers this year.

That same day the Suns traded Goran Dragic to the Miami Heat for two future first-rounders. One was an unprotected pick in 2021 while the other had protections on it in 2017, so it also converted this year.

That means the Suns essentially made a trade for a pick they already owned. They dealt Goran Dragic and two first-round picks – in the form of Smith and the upcoming Heat pick in 2021 – to secure a player (Bridges) drafted with the Lakers pick they dealt in 2015.

If Bridges turns out to be a superstar, Suns fans will forgive this poor asset management. But this is a franchise that sold its first-round draft pick on multiple occasions to avoid paying the luxury tax. It doesn’t have a great track record.

Meanwhile, the Sixers made out like bandits, getting two first-round draft picks for Brandon Knight, who’s played in just 117 games since that trade and is currently recovering from ACL surgery. The NBA sure is strange sometimes.

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Who Will Make The Most Money On The Lakers Next Year: Russell Westbrook Or LeBron James?

ByJoey Heldon August 2, 2021inArticles›Sports News

The NBA Draft last week had plenty of buzz around it. The Detroit Pistons took Cade Cunningham number one overall with hopes he can revitalize their franchise. The Orlando Magic snagged Jalen Suggs, who fell to fifth, which is actually a good thing for him . The San Antonio Spurs selected Josh Primo with the 12th pick, a move several analysts called a reach. It’s hard to argue with the Spurs’ track record, though, so we won’t cast judgment.

But all of that was overshadowed by a major trade. As Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski first reported just before the draft started, the Washington Wizards sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers.

In return, the Wizards will receive Kyle Kuzma , Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the 22nd pick of the 2021 draft. That pick was used on Kentucky’s Isaiah Jackson, though Jackson is on his way to Indiana in another trade.

The Wizards will also send the Lakers second-round picks in 2024 and 2028. The trade can’t be officially announced until August 6, when next year’s salary cap becomes official and teams can start making moves.

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However, the Lakers already know they’re going to have to pay a ton of money. Thanks to the 2019 trade that brought Anthony Davis to the Lakers, the team now has three players earning at least $35 million next year.

Westbrook will lead the way with a $44.2 million salary in 2021-22. LeBron James is close behind, with a $41.2 million salary. Davis will make $35.3 million this upcoming season.

Westbrook only spent one season with the Wizards, but he made it a productive one. He averaged a triple-double with 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 11.7 assists. He’s currently got two seasons left on this deal and will hit free agency in the summer of 2023.

Together, James, Westbrook, and Davis have 34 All-Star appearances. After an injury-riddled season in 2020-21, the trio will look to get the team back to championship contention.

Since 2019, Westbrook has moved from Oklahoma City to Houston to Washington and now Los Angeles. But all that hopping around will be worth it if he can get his first title.

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