First-round picks are the currency of the modern NBA. It feels like every major trade these days is informed by them.
You know the template. Team X receives: Star Player X. Team Y receives: an unthinkable number of first-round picks. The days of the star-for-star trade are dead and gone.
Perhaps that’s due to the player empowerment era. When player movement was more static, teams needed to trade for fit. Today, star players are more likely to outright dictate their place of employment.
For that reason, teams are less inclined to trade for stars until they know they want to play for them.
Still, this model doesn’t have to determine every major NBA trade. In theory, a team could trade a young star for a more experienced one.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New Updates On Donovan Mitchell, Philadelphia 76ers & Utah Jazz
The league may be trending differently, but the rules remain the same.
If the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz want to buck the trend, here’s a deal that sends Donovan Mitchell to Philly.
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