Sam Presti Calls The Top of 2022 draft "Special."

[bucknut]

If Presti is correct about drafts getting better, then first round picks should be experiencing an increase in trade value. First round picks IMO seem to be decreasing in trade value since the Clippers traded for Paul George.

well only win now teams are trading picks and we saw several teams that want to improve keeping their picks in this draft (Portland/NOLA).Also some rebuilding teams are looking at picks instead of young players (Gobert trade, Murray trade) so Presti might not be totally wrong.

If drafts are getting stronger and the people who recognize this value first round picks more, then the Spurs and Danny Ainge/Utah are ahead of the curve. They have teams overpaying by simply trading seemingly an increasing amount of first round picks, but these same picks are individually worth more than in the recent past to people who view the drafts as improving. From a monetary perspective, picks should be experiencing deflation, but they are in fact experiencing inflation.

I remember when first round picks were like gold and it was 2 first rounders max for a star. What changed ? Teams don't have confidence to draft good players?

[SelfishPlayer]

well only win now teams are trading picks and we saw several teams that want to improve keeping their picks in this draft (Portland/NOLA).Also some rebuilding teams are looking at picks instead of young players (Gobert trade, Murray trade) so Presti might not be totally wrong.

If drafts are getting stronger and the people who recognize this value first round picks more, then the Spurs and Danny Ainge/Utah are ahead of the curve. They have teams overpaying by simply trading seemingly an increasing amount of first round picks, but these same picks are individually worth more than in the recent past to people who view the drafts as improving. From a monetary perspective, picks should be experiencing deflation, but they are in fact experiencing inflation.

I remember when first round picks were like gold and it was 2 first rounders max for a star. What changed ? Teams don't have confidence to draft good players?

I'm with you. As I think about this while I type, General managers used to be given 5 years, now they have maybe 3 years. That could be it. If the trade works out, they keep a job, if it doesn't, they traded away future assets that cant benefit them while no longer employed by the team. It does make sense in a way to maintain a position.