In the modern NBA, first-round draft picks are the preferred currency. More often than not, a team acquiring a superstar will be parting with a bundle of them in order to do so.
It makes sense. Draft picks allow teams to control their own destiny. Every team’s goal is to acquire talent, but doing so through the draft allows the league’s general managers to handpick their roster of the future.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are well aware of this fact. In fact, they’ve amassed the most draft capital in NBA history. Realistically, you could take two average teams, combine their draft capital, and still not have as much as the Thunder have at their disposal.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets boast a solid collection of draft capital as well. Much of it will come by way of the Brooklyn Nets.
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The Rockets traded them James Harden at the beginning of the 2020-21 season in exchange for four first-round picks and three swaps.
What if they used those picks to acquire a current star, instead of trying to draft one?