Young players are a valuable commodity in the NBA. That’s not strictly true because of their potential. Of course, that’s a factor.
A young player has trade value if teams see some upside in him. More broadly, young players are cheap.
If they’re still on rookie deals, that makes them very valuable. Meanwhile, even young players on max rookie extensions are less expensive than older superstars.
Of course, they are pricier. Sometimes, a team will move a player in a sign-and-trade rather than extend their rookie contract.
They simply can’t afford them anymore.
Could the Boston Celtics trade Grant Williams to the Indiana Pacers with that logic in mind this summer?
