NBA Draft: Should Spurs Trade Up From No. 38?
The San Antonio Spurs hold the No. 9 pick in the NBA Draft as well as the No. 25 pick, acquired from the Boston Celtics in the Derrick White trade this past February.
However, the team also has the No. 38 pick, which holds a lot of uncertainty.
The team could stay where it is and take a player at the top of the second round, trade back to acquire more assets, or dip their toes back in the first round.
All three are legitimate options, but the most intriguing one is definitely finding a way to trade back into the first round.
A standard rookie contract for a first-round pick is typically a four-year deal with the third and fourth years being team options. That's why Indiana Pacers second-year player Jalen Smith, the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is an unrestricted free agent this coming season. The Phoenix Suns drafted him in the lottery, but once they saw no path for Smith to get minutes on a contending team, they declined his team option, making him an unrestricted free agent.
In the case of a player like Mo Bamba, the Orlando Magic's 2018 first-round draft pick, he played four years on his rookie deal but now faces restricted free agency. This means that the Magic could match any offer he signs in free agency this year.
Second-round picks aren't given the luxury of restricted free agency.
For a player like Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, a second-round selection in 2018, he enters unrestricted free agency instead of restricted because he was a second-round pick. This means that he will get to choose any team to sign with.
The second-round picks also get less guaranteed money than their first-round colleagues.
The rules favor players who come into the league with higher draft stock, but reward second-round picks who can find a way to make it work.
That's why trading back into the first round benefits the Spurs, as it gives more control over its selection. And the team doesn't have to risk not drafting the player it wants.
But any trade in the NBA Draft is a risk. Just make sure the risk warrants the reward.
