Sixers GM Sam Hinkie has drawn plenty of attention for his frequent acquisitions of second-round picks since he took his job in Philadelphia, but his former employers in Houston have a claim to just as many 2015 second-rounders as the Sixers do. The Rockets and Sixers may wind up with as many as four second-round picks apiece next year, including their own. Of course, they probably won’t have that many come draft night, and that’s not necessarily because they’re likely to trade some of those selections. The protection on those picks makes some of them unlikely to change hands, but such protection is becoming increasingly complicated as teams seek to maximize their flexibility.
Philly’s own second-round pick is involved in one such set of convoluted scenarios. The Thunder would wind up with it if the Sixers finish with one of the league’s top five records, which is a pipe dream. The Cavs have a claim if the Sixers’ second-round pick ends up anywhere between 51st and 55th overall, which is almost as unlikely to happen. The Sixers will probably miss the playoffs this year, and as long as they do, their second-rounder goes to the Celtics.
There are 16 teams with some sort of debt attached to their second-round picks. I’ve attempted to explain the strings attached as simply as possible in each case below. For a similar look at 2015 first-round picks that may change hands, check out the post linked here.
- Bulls — Chicago’s pick goes to the Magic if it’s better than Portland’s pick. Otherwise, it goes to the Nuggets.
- Cavaliers — They owe their pick to the Jazz.
- Celtics — If Boston’s pick falls in the bottom five selections, it goes to the Cavaliers.
- Clippers — If the pick falls from No. 51 through No. 55, it goes to the Lakers. If the pick falls in the bottom five selections, it goes to the Nuggets.
- Kings — They owe their pick to the Rockets if it falls from No. 31 through No. 49, to the Heat if it falls from No. 50 through No. 55, and to the Cavaliers if it falls in the bottom five selections.
- Knicks — They owe their pick to the Rockets.
- Lakers — If the pick falls in the bottom 20 selections, it goes to the Magic.
- Magic — They owe their pick to the Sixers.
- Nuggets — Denver’s pick goes to the Timberwolves if it’s better than Minnesota’s pick. Otherwise, it goes to the Rockets.
- Pelicans — They owe their pick to the Sixers.
- Raptors — They owe their pick to the Hawks.
- Sixers — They owe their pick to the Celtics if they miss the playoffs. If the pick falls from No. 51 through No. 55, if goes to the Cavaliers. If the pick falls in the bottom five selections, it goes to the Thunder.
- Timberwolves — If Minnesota’s pick is inferior to Denver’s pick, Minnesota’s pick goes to the Rockets.
- Trail Blazers — Portland’s pick goes to the Magic if it’s better than Chicago’s pick. Otherwise, it goes to the Nuggets.
- Warriors — They owe their pick to the Sixers.
- Wizards — They owe their pick to the Celtics if it falls in the bottom 11 selections.
RealGM was used in the creation of this post.