In recent years it has become in vogue to trade picks in more creative ways. Here is the question I have.
Teams these days do things like "I'll trade you the best (or worst) of the 3 first round picks I hold in 2028." Suppose a team does that. Are they now obligated to hold onto those 3 picks until 2028 to let it resolve and see which is the best/worst? On one hand that seems really limiting. On the other, it would seem pretty broken if you could say, "I'll trade you the best of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st", and then trade away the Brooklyn and Utah picks before the trade resolves.
Fancy trades involving future picks
Fancy trades involving future picks
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Fancy trades involving future picks
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Re: Fancy trades involving future picks
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DBoys
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Re: Fancy trades involving future picks
"Are they now obligated to hold onto those 3 picks until 2028 to let it resolve and see which is the best/worst?"
They just work around that obstacle by the way they word later trades. They do have to be able to deliver what they promised. But a subsequent pick trade can be done that leaves room for the already-traded (but undetermined) pick to still be sent where it's supposed to go.
Using your example, let's say they start with, "I'll trade you the best of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st."
After that, if they want to trade another of those picks, their next trade says "I'll trade you the 2nd best of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st" or "I'll trade you the worst of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st." If any of of those are possible pick swaps, the wording gets even more confusing. But all of those types of things are allowable, and are already being done at times.
For example, here's a description of a pick BKN will get in 2028:
2028 first round draft pick(s) from Philadelphia, Phoenix and / or New York (Brooklyn or Philadelphia outgoing to Phoenix or Washington; Brooklyn or Phoenix outgoing to New York, connects from another incoming pick to Brooklyn)
If (i) Philadelphia's 2028 1st round pick protected for selections 1-8 is conveyed to Brooklyn and is the third most favorable of Philadelphia, Brooklyn's 2028 1st round pick, Phoenix's 2028 1st round pick and New York's 2028 1st round pick and (ii) New York is the most or second most favorable of the four, then Brooklyn will receive the most and third most favorable of the four; in all other scenarios, Brooklyn will receive the most / two most favorable of these; if Philadelphia if conveyed and / or New York is less favorable than Brooklyn and Phoenix, then New York will receive the least favorable of New York, Brooklyn and Phoenix; in all other scenarios, New York will receive the second most favorable of the three; Washington will receive the more favorable of (i) its 2028 1st round pick and (ii) the least / less favorable of Philadelphia if conveyed, Brooklyn and Phoenix and Phoenix will receive the less favorable of (i) and (ii); Washington may swap the pick it receives for Milwaukee or Portland (see Washington Incoming) (via Brooklyn's right to swap Brooklyn or Philadelphia for Phoenix; via Brooklyn's right to swap Brooklyn or Phoenix for New York; via Washington's right to swap for Phoenix, Brooklyn or Philadelphia) [Brooklyn-Philadelphia, 2/10/2022; Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023; Indiana-Phoenix-Washington, 6/23/2023; Brooklyn-New York, 7/6/2024]
They just work around that obstacle by the way they word later trades. They do have to be able to deliver what they promised. But a subsequent pick trade can be done that leaves room for the already-traded (but undetermined) pick to still be sent where it's supposed to go.
Using your example, let's say they start with, "I'll trade you the best of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st."
After that, if they want to trade another of those picks, their next trade says "I'll trade you the 2nd best of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st" or "I'll trade you the worst of Brooklyn's 1st, Utah's 1st, and San Antonio's 1st." If any of of those are possible pick swaps, the wording gets even more confusing. But all of those types of things are allowable, and are already being done at times.
For example, here's a description of a pick BKN will get in 2028:
2028 first round draft pick(s) from Philadelphia, Phoenix and / or New York (Brooklyn or Philadelphia outgoing to Phoenix or Washington; Brooklyn or Phoenix outgoing to New York, connects from another incoming pick to Brooklyn)
If (i) Philadelphia's 2028 1st round pick protected for selections 1-8 is conveyed to Brooklyn and is the third most favorable of Philadelphia, Brooklyn's 2028 1st round pick, Phoenix's 2028 1st round pick and New York's 2028 1st round pick and (ii) New York is the most or second most favorable of the four, then Brooklyn will receive the most and third most favorable of the four; in all other scenarios, Brooklyn will receive the most / two most favorable of these; if Philadelphia if conveyed and / or New York is less favorable than Brooklyn and Phoenix, then New York will receive the least favorable of New York, Brooklyn and Phoenix; in all other scenarios, New York will receive the second most favorable of the three; Washington will receive the more favorable of (i) its 2028 1st round pick and (ii) the least / less favorable of Philadelphia if conveyed, Brooklyn and Phoenix and Phoenix will receive the less favorable of (i) and (ii); Washington may swap the pick it receives for Milwaukee or Portland (see Washington Incoming) (via Brooklyn's right to swap Brooklyn or Philadelphia for Phoenix; via Brooklyn's right to swap Brooklyn or Phoenix for New York; via Washington's right to swap for Phoenix, Brooklyn or Philadelphia) [Brooklyn-Philadelphia, 2/10/2022; Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023; Indiana-Phoenix-Washington, 6/23/2023; Brooklyn-New York, 7/6/2024]