PORTLAND, OREGON – DECEMBER 12: Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves. … [+]
The NBA, like all sports leagues, can fall victim to the copycat mentality. Someone pioneers something, and then, something that hasn’t happened in the last fifty years becomes somewhat normal.
In this regard, a new trend has emerged in NBA roster construction over the past few years, in which teams trade for star players to bypass what is known as the Ted Stepin Rule, offering many future first-round draft picks. Selects qualifying periods, and offers unconditional exchange swaps during gap years.
The Stepien Rule, which prohibits NBA teams from releasing themselves without a first-round draft pick in future years, is named for former Cleveland Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien, whose short, tumultuous tenure included reserving the future for snaps. This was especially true in February 1980 when injured reliever Butch Lee traded a 1982 first-round pick for uninjured reliever Don Ford, who later became James Worthy. The rule, then, is basically there to protect Stepian-esque owners from themselves.
Stepien’s Law only applies to this. in the future First round selections: In simple terms, a team can change its 2023 and 2025 first-rounders today, regardless of whether or not they retain their 2022 pick. What they can’t do today is trade the 2023, 2024 and 2025 first rounders. So teams have started working around this rule over the years by selling the right to trade picks. between The transferred chooses, and by doing as much as possible.
Trading franchise rights isn’t a particularly recent innovation, but the most common way to trade stars is to use both multiple first-round picks and first-round picks to leverage maximum draft capital. Where not long ago it was an unprecedented commodity, it is now “the package”, intended and/or demanded return for a star or superstar player and used increasingly regularly.
It’s hard to measure exactly which deals might qualify as such, and exact measurements aren’t particularly useful in an inexact science. Although it seems indisputable that the following is an example of such “bundle” transactions.
Cleveland Transactions: Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, their 2025 first-round pick, the right to exchange 2026 first-round picks, their 2027 first-round pick, the right to exchange 2028 first-round picks and their 2029 first-round draft pick.
Cleveland receives: Donovan Mitchell
Minnesota Transactions: Rights to Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Jared Vanderbilt, Walker Kessler, their 2023 first-round pick, their 2025 first-round pick, the right to exchange 2026 first-round picks, their 2027 first-round pick and their pick in 2018. 2029 first-round pick (five reserved, another second-round pick)
Minnesota accepts: Rudy Gobert.
Atlanta business Danilo Gallinari, their 2023 first-round pick, their 2025 first-round pick, the right to trade their 2026 first-round pick and their 2027 first-round pick.
Atlanta accepts. Dejounte Murray
Brooklyn Business; Jarrett Allen, Rodion Kuruk, Karis LeVert, Taurean Prince, Alexander Vezenkov rights, cash, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 early-draft pick, 2025 first-round pick , a 2026 first-round draft pick and the right to trade 2027 first-round picks
Brooklyn welcomes- James Harden
Milwaukee Shopping: Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, RJ Hampton rights, 2024 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, and 2027 first-round pick.
Milwaukee welcomes: Jrue Holiday, rights to Sam Merrill
Houston transactions Chris Paul, the right to swap 2021 first-round picks, their 2024 first-round pick (top four protected), the right to swap 2025 first-round picks and their 2026 first-round pick (top four protected)
Houston accepts. Russell Westbrook
LA Clippers Trade: Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their 2021 first-round pick, their 2022 first-round pick, Miami’s 2023 first-round pick, the right to trade their 2023 first-round pick, their 2024 first-round pick, the right to acquire their 2025 first-round pick and their 2026 first-round pick.
The LA Clippers receive: Paul George
LA Lakers trade Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Isaac Bonga, Jamerio Jones, Moritz Wagner, cash, rights to their 2019 first-round pick De’Andre Hunter, unexpected 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, and 2024 or 2025 Right to change first-round pick (at Pelicans’ discretion)
The LA Lakers receive: Anthony Davis
Brooklyn Business; Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Marshawn Brooks, Chris Joseph, Keith Bogans, 2014 first-round pick, 2016 first-round pick, 2017 first-round pick and right to trade 2018 first-round pick
Brooklyn welcomes- Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, DJ White, 2017 second round pick
How many of the nine trades can confidently say that the team trading “the pack” decisively won?
Certainly, there’s no disputing that the Brooklyn Nets, the pioneers of this type of trade, missed out heavily on their deal. The picks and trades in that deal yielded James Young, Collin Sexton, Jaylen Brown and, after one more trade, Jayson Tatum, but the immediate benefits of the returning veterans were minimal.
Likewise, there’s no arguing that Houston’s trade for Russell Westbrook wasn’t incredibly successful. Chris Paul’s renaissance has seen him become a superior player regardless of any draft assets.
For some, it’s too early to tell, although early indicators are strong. While the huge return the Utah Jazz received in the Donovan Mitchell trade was a key part of their impressive season and positive future, Mitchell brought the Cavaliers into contention in return. In contrast, while the Jazz received similar benefits from the Gobert deal, the Timberwolves did not. And so far, the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray pairing hasn’t worked out as expected either.
Perhaps the most telling convention is Anthony Davies’ Convention for Shippers.
In making that deal, the Lakers were pretty sure of two things:
- They traded almost every piece of “future” they had, and
- They do this to make themselves title favorites.
Because of point number two, point number one can be reconciled. If the business you are doing is not only a dispute of ownership, but also of title FavoritesWhat’s wrong with how desperate you are for your draft capital and future prospects? After all, the future belongs to those who don’t have “now”.
And for that he succeeded. Despite the struggles since then, pairing Davis with LeBron James has seen the Lakers win a title, as was indeed the point. After buying their own version of the “package” for Juru Holiday, they also bucked. In both cases, the teams involved doubled down and offered the perfect gift for that “second man” who would bring them the championship. And they were right; you did.
But what happens if they don’t?
If such a trade doesn’t instantly make the franchise a championship favorite or near-favorite, history suggests that team rarely breaks even for long. When those picks are unpredictable, as they always are, the cupboard will be empty, and the rainy season won’t be followed by another. There’s no second shot if it doesn’t work, the Nets, their own bare cupboard and seriously long build, attests.
When lining up to trade a veteran star, rest assured that the result is probably a legitimate shot at the NBA Finals. It’s not a toy race.