As NYK and UTA's records bounce around from being a play-off team to lottery contention, I was giving some thought to the extra protections on the UTA pick - most notably he line that we get the worse of the UTA and NYK pick. It struck me that while the UTA pick is protected, the NYK pick is not. In my little mind, I came up with a scenario where UTA and NYK both end up in the lottery (not an unlikely proposition), and UTA wins the #1 spot, and NYK the #2 (extremely unlikely). The lesser of the picks was unprotected, so maybe this low value pick could be extremely valuable if we could get the #2 pick in the draft?
Embiggened (lol), I went to find the exact language for the protected pick we own from Utah
Utah conveys to Philadelphia Utah’s own first round draft pick in the first Draft, commencing with the 2009 Draft, in which such pick is not a “Protected Pick” (as defined below). However, if: (i) Utah would be required to convey to Philadelphia its own 2009 first round draft pick pursuant to the foregoing, and (ii) Utah is entitled to receive New York’s own 2009 first round draft pick pursuant to the terms of the February 19, 2004 trade between Utah and Phoenix and the January 5, 2004 trade between Phoenix and New York (the “Utah/Phoenix and Phoenix/New York Trades”), then Utah shall convey to Philadelphia the more favorable of its own 2009 first round draft pick and New York’s 2009 first round draft pick. Further, if: (x) Utah has not previously conveyed a first round draft pick to Philadelphia pursuant to the terms of this trade, (y) Utah would be required to convey to Philadelphia its own 2010 first round draft pick pursuant to the terms of this trade, and (z) Utah is entitled to receive New York’s own 2010 first round draft pick pursuant to the terms of the Utah/Phoenix and Phoenix/New York Trades, then Utah shall convey to Philadelphia the least favorable of its own 2010 first round draft pick and New York’s 2010 first round draft pick. If Philadelphia does not receive a first round draft pick from Utah pursuant to the foregoing in any of the Drafts from 2009 through 2013, then Utah’s obligation to send a first round draft pick to Philadelphia shall be extinguished and Utah shall instead convey to Philadelphia Utah’s own 2014 second round draft pick and pay to Philadelphia the sum of $1,150,000 in cash on or before July 15, 2014. (Korver – Giricek, 12/29/07)
The following first round picks are “Protected Picks”:
Draft Picks
2009 1 – 22
2010 1 – 15
2011 1 – 17
2012 1 – 16
2013 1 – 16
Blech. Its easier to wade through when you erase the first 40% (since no pick was conveyed in 2009) and insert "Minnesota" in for every "Philadelphia."
Unfortunately, the lawyers two years ago saw my eventuality. In Section (ii), Part (y), we'd only get the lesser pick if UTA had to give us a pick.
Anyway, for people who don't enjoy reading all the legalese, I posted because this because it things, now that both UTA and NYK are both teams that may, or may not fall into the lottery.
1. We only get a pick if the UTA pick is #16 or worse (regardless of NYK's position)
2. If UTA is 16 or lower, they might be able to send us an even worse pick, if NYK's pick is even lower.
I should also point out that for the Western Conference, we'd probably get a pick if UTA makes the play-offs. Granted picks 15 and 16 will go to play-off teams, but with a weaker Eastern Conference, the West's #8 seed will most likely have a better record than the East's 7 or 8 seed. Right now, the West's 8 seed is 19-15, which would make them the 5th seed in the East. That would be the #18 pick - unprotected.
So if you'd like that pick, cheer for NYK if you can, and cheer for #9 seed UTA, one game out.
