Month: August 2022

We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second round pick for 2023, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first round picks for 2023 can be found right here.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its second round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2024 if it doesn’t change hands in 2023.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2023 second-round pick:

Atlantic

• Boston Celtics: Traded to Hornets or Wizards.
  • The Hornets will receive this pick if it lands between 31-45; the Wizards will get it if it lands between 46-60. Whichever team doesn’t receive this pick will instead receive the Celtics’ 2024 second-round pick.
• Brooklyn Nets: Traded swap rights to Trail Blazers.
  • The Hornets will receive either their own 2023 second round pick, the Hawks’ pick, or the Nets’ pick (whichever is most favorable). The Trail Blazers will receive the second-most favorable of the three, and the Nets will receive the least favorable.
• New York Knicks: Traded to Timberwolves.
• Philadelphia 76ers: Own pick.
  • Note: The Sixers will forfeit this pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
• Toronto Raptors: Traded to Spurs.

Central

• Chicago Bulls: Traded to Wizards.
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Own pick.
  • The Cavaliers have the right to swap their own 2023 second-round pick for the Warriors’ pick.
• Detroit Pistons: Own pick.
• Indiana Pacers: Traded to Kings or Spurs.
  • The Kings will receive this pick if it lands between 31-55; the Spurs will get it if it lands between 56-60. The Pacers’ obligation to whichever team doesn’t receive this pick will be extinguished.
• Milwaukee Bucks: Traded swap rights to Pacers.
  • The Bucks will receive the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Warriors’ 2023 second round picks. The Pacers will then receive either that pick or the Bucks’ own pick (whichever is more favorable).

Southeast

• Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Hornets, Trail Blazers, or Nets.
  • The Hornets will receive either their own 2023 second round pick, the Hawks’ pick, or the Nets’ pick (whichever is most favorable). The Trail Blazers will receive the second-most favorable of the three, and the Nets will receive the least favorable.
• Charlotte Hornets: Own pick.
  • The Hornets have the right to swap their second round pick for the Hawks’ or Nets’ pick.
    
• Miami Heat: Traded to Thunder, Celtics, Pacers, Nuggets, or Hornets.
  • Details outlined at bottom of story.
• Orlando Magic: Traded to Celtics (top-55 protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Magic’s obligation to the Celtics would be extinguished.
• Washington Wizards: Traded to Thunder, Nuggets, or Hornets.
  • Details outlined at bottom of story.

Northwest

• Denver Nuggets: Traded to Bulls (top-46 protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Nuggets’ obligation to the Bulls would be extinguished; if it changes hands, it will be forfeited due to the Bulls’ free agency gun-jumping penalty.
• Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Grizzlies.
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
  • The Thunder have the ability to swap their own 2023 second-rounder for a more favorable pick. Details outlined at bottom of story.
• Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Celtics or Thunder.
  • Details outlined at bottom of story.
• Utah Jazz: Traded to Hornets.

Pacific

• Golden State Warriors: Traded to Cavaliers, Bucks, or Pacers.
  • The Cavaliers have the right to swap their own 2023 second round pick for the Warriors’ pick. The Bucks will receive the least favorable of the two picks. If the least favorable of the Cavaliers’ and Warriors’ picks is more favorable than the Bucks’ pick, Milwaukee will send it to the Pacers.
    
• Los Angeles Clippers: Own pick.
• Los Angeles Lakers: Own pick.
• Phoenix Suns: Own pick.
• Sacramento Kings: Own pick.

Southwest

• Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Thunder, Celtics, Pacers, Nuggets, or Hornets.
  • Details outlined at bottom of story.
• Houston Rockets: Traded to Thunder, Celtics, or Pacers.
  • Details outlined at bottom of story.
• Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
• New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Hawks (top-45 protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pelicans’ obligation to the Hawks would be extinguished.
• San Antonio Spurs: Traded to Pacers (top-55 protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Spurs’ obligation to the Pacers would be extinguished.

While the conditions that apply to the majority of this year’s traded second round picks are relatively straightforward, there’s one quagmire involving the Mavs’, Heat’s, Wizards’, Thunder’s, Trail Blazers’, and Rockets’ selections.

The Celtics, Pacers, Nuggets, and Hornets will each receive one of those picks, while the Thunder will receive two, but the protections and swap rights are extremely complicated. Here’s our best attempt at breaking it all down:

The Thunder will receive the most favorable of the following 2023 second round picks:

1. Their own pick
2. The Wizards’ pick.
3. The Mavericks’ pick.
4. The Heat’s pick.

The Nuggets will get the second-most favorable of the following 2023 second round picks, while the Hornets will get the least favorable:

1. The Thunder’s pick.
2. The Wizards’ pick.
3. The most favorable of the Heat’s and Mavericks’ picks.

The Celtics will get the most favorable of the following 2023 second round picks:

1. The Rockets’ pick (top-32 protected).
2. The Trail Blazers’ pick.
3. The least favorable of the Heat’s and Mavericks’ picks.

The Pacers will get the least favorable of the following 2023 second round picks:

1. The Rockets’ pick (top-32 protected).
2. The least favorable of the Heat’s and Mavericks’ picks.

Note: If the Rockets’ pick is No. 31 or No. 32, that would be the pick the Pacers receive instead.

The Thunder will get the leftover pick not claimed by the Celtics or Pacers. It could be one of the following three:

1. The Rockets’ pick (top-32 protected).
2. The Trail Blazers’ pick.
3. The least favorable of the Heat’s and Mavericks’ picks.

Got all that?

Just to be sure, let’s apply all those conditions to a hypothetical draft order based roughly on current projections for the 2022/23 season. Let’s say the Rockets’ pick comes in at No. 33, the Thunder’s is No. 39, the Wizards’ is No. 40, the Trail Blazers’ is No. 42, the Mavericks’ pick is No. 49, and the Heat’s is No. 51.

In that scenario, based on the scenarios described above, the Celtics would receive Houston’s pick, the Thunder would keep their own pick and acquire Portland’s, the Nuggets would get Washington’s pick, the Hornets would get Dallas’ pick, and the Pacers would get Miami’s pick.

However, if we hypothetically bump Houston’s pick up to No. 31, it would be Indiana receiving that pick, while the Celtics would get the Blazers’ pick 11 spots later and the Thunder would get Miami’s pick (in addition to their own). In other words, the Pacers will be rooting for the hard for Houston to be a bottom-two team this season, while Boston and Oklahoma City will want to see the Rockets avoid that fate.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.