Traded Second-Round Picks For 2021 NBA Draft
We’re using the space below to keep tabs on each NBA team’s second-round pick for 2021, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year. Our list of traded first-round picks for 2021 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 2022 if it doesn’t change hands in 2021.
Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2021 second-round pick:
Atlantic
- Boston Celtics: Own pick
- Brooklyn Nets: Traded to Hornets (unprotected).
- New York Knicks: Traded to Sixers (unprotected).
- Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Knicks (unprotected).
- Toronto Raptors: Traded to Pistons (unprotected).
Central
- Chicago Bulls: Own pick (or Pelicans’ pick).
- The Bulls have the right to swap second-round picks with the Pelicans.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Traded to Pelicans (unprotected).
- Detroit Pistons: Traded to Knicks (unprotected).
- Indiana Pacers: Traded to Nets (45-60 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pacers would keep it and would instead owe the Nets their 2022 second-round pick (45-60 protected).
- Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Pacers (unprotected).
Southeast
- Atlanta Hawks: Traded to Nets (unprotected).
- Charlotte Hornets: Traded to Pistons (unprotected).
- Miami Heat: Traded to Hawks (unprotected).
- Orlando Magic: Own pick.
- Washington Wizards: Traded to Pelicans (unprotected).
Northwest
- Denver Nuggets: Traded to Thunder (unprotected).
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Warriors or Thunder.
- If the top-20 protected first-round pick the Warriors owe the Thunder lands in its protected range, the Warriors would instead send the Timberwolves’ second-round pick (unprotected) to the Thunder.
- If the top-20 protected first-round pick the Warriors owe the Thunder lands in its protected range, the Warriors would instead send the Timberwolves’ second-round pick (unprotected) to the Thunder.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Traded to Celtics (top-55 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Thunder would keep it and their obligation to the Celtics would be extinguished.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Grizzlies (unprotected).
- Utah Jazz: Traded to Pacers (unprotected).
Pacific
- Golden State Warriors: Traded to Raptors (unprotected).
- Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Hornets (unprotected).
- Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Pistons (unprotected).
- Phoenix Suns: Traded to Grizzlies or Nets.
- The Suns will send their second-round pick to the Grizzlies if it lands in the 31-35 range or to the Nets if it lands in the 36-60 range.
- The Suns will send their second-round pick to the Grizzlies if it lands in the 31-35 range or to the Nets if it lands in the 36-60 range.
- Sacramento Kings: Own pick.
Southwest
- Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Pelicans (unprotected).
- Houston Rockets: Traded to Bucks.
- The Rockets have the right to swap their 2021 second-round pick with the Bucks’ 2021 first-round pick.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Traded to Raptors (unprotected).
- New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick (or Bulls’ pick).
- The Bulls have the right to swap second-round picks with the Pelicans.
- San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Markelle Fultz Undergoes Surgery To Repair Torn ACL
Magic guard Markelle Fultz, who suffered a torn left ACL earlier this month, underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair that tear, the team announced in a press release.
The Magic confirmed in their announcement that Fultz will miss the remainder of the 2020/21 season, as expected. His return next season will depend on how he responds to treatment and rehabilitation, per the club. If the ’21/22 regular season tips off in October, it’s possible the former No. 1 pick won’t be ready, since it often takes upwards of a year for players to return from major ACL injuries.
Fultz, 22, averaged a career-best 14.3 PPG and 6.1 APG in his seven healthy games this season, though his shooting percentages in the early going (.396 FG%, .250 3PT%) were well below his modest career rates.
Although Fultz faces a long recovery timeline, he at least won’t have to worry about dealing with restricted free agency during the summer of 2021, since he signed a three-year contract extension in December. That new deal will pay him a guaranteed $16.5MM salary both next season and in 2022/23.
[RELATED: 2020/21 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]
The Magic will also play the rest of the 2020/21 season without young cornerstone forward Jonathan Isaac, who suffered a torn ACL of his own. The team was granted a disabled player exception following Isaac’s injury and has applied for one to replace Fultz as well. Now that the point guard has undergone surgery and his recovery outlook is clearer, that application will likely be approved soon.
NBA Postpones Friday’s Wizards/Bucks Game
The game between the Wizards and Bucks that was scheduled to be played on Friday in Milwaukee has been postponed, the NBA announced tonight (Twitter link).
It’s the sixth consecutive postponement for the Wizards, who haven’t played since January 11. The team was cleared to return to the court to practice on Wednesday, but remains significantly shorthanded.
Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans, Troy Brown, Rui Hachimura, Ish Smith, and Moritz Wagner are out due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols, while Thomas Bryant (ACL) and Russell Westbrook (quad) are sidelined due to injuries, leaving just eight available players on the roster (Twitter link).
According to the NBA’s announcement, the game is being postponed due to the number of unavailable players for the Wizards, contact tracing affecting players on the roster, and the club’s lengthy layoff from practicing.
As Fred Katz of The Athletic wrote earlier tonight, Bradley Beal and the Wizards had been planning to lobby for a postponement of Friday’s game, since they felt that potentially playing with the league-mandated minimum of eight players after not practicing for the last week would result in a high risk of injury for the active players.
The next game on Washington’s schedule is Sunday in San Antonio. The hope is that the Wizards will have enough available players – and enough practice time between now and then – to be ready to play that game.
The NBA has now postponed 17 contests this season. The full list is here.
And-Ones: Expansion, Draft Picks, COVID-19 Protocols
There has been plenty of speculation about the possibility of NBA expansion since commissioner Adam Silver opened the door to the possibility during a preseason press conference.
However, Silver said at the time that the issue isn’t on the “front burner” for the league, and stressed again this week in a Sportico event that he doesn’t believe the time is right to focus on expansion, with the NBA still trying to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
Interestingly, in an apparent reference to a recent report which suggested that league officials have floated a potential $2.5 billion expansion fee, Silver told Sportico that he thought “some of the reported numbers are very low in terms of the value at which we would expand.” While we want to be careful not to read too much into Silver’s comments, especially since expansion is likely still a ways off, the implication there is that the NBA would seek an expansion fee that exceeds $2.5 billion.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Stepien Rule, which prevents NBA teams from leaving themselves without any first-round picks in two consecutive future drafts, and the Seven-Year Rule, which prohibits teams from trading picks more than seven years in the future, are significantly limiting the ability of certain clubs to trade draft picks right now. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link) examines what that means, speculating that it might make it more challenging for some clubs to bid on the next star player who becomes available via trade.
- After recently tightening its health and safety protocols related to the coronavirus, the NBA will increase its efforts to enforce the rules prohibiting pregame and postgame hugs and handshakes between players, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who says the league will have team security at the midcourt area to discourage those interactions.
- As our JD Shaw relays (via Twitter), the NBA has changed the tip-off times for a number of upcoming games on the scheduled from January 23-31.
NBA Postponing Wednesday’s Blazers/Grizzlies Game
The game between the Trail Blazers and Grizzlies scheduled to be played in Portland on Wednesday is being postponed due to COVID-19 contact tracing, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
The Grizzlies, who last played on Monday night vs. Phoenix, are the team being affected by the contact tracing protocols, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The NBA, in officially announcing the postponement, confirmed that Memphis doesn’t have the league-mandated minimum of eight players available.
As of Monday, Jonas Valanciunas was the only Grizzlies player who was ruled out due to the league’s health and safety protocols — it’s not clear if today’s contact tracing is related to the veteran center, or if members of the team have had possible close contact with someone else who tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Blazers and Grizzlies are scheduled to play again in Portland on Friday, so unless the NBA’s contact tracing investigation resolves quickly, that game may be in danger of being pushed back as well.
This is the 16th NBA game so far during the 2020/21 season to be postponed. The full list can be found right here.
Health Updates: Satoransky, Hutchison, Tatum, Fournier, More
A handful of NBA players who reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this season are close to returning to action, including Bulls veterans Tomas Satoransky and Chandler Hutchison. Head coach Billy Donovan said today that both players practiced and are on track to being available for Friday’s game vs. Charlotte (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, Celtics star Jayson Tatum will remain sidelined for Wednesday’s game vs. Philadelphia, but has a chance to get back on the court for Friday’s rematch vs. the 76ers after clearing the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Head coach Brad Stevens said during an appearance on Zolak & Bertand in Boston today that Tatum has about a 50/50 chance of playing on Friday, per Brian Robb of Boston Sports Journal (Twitter link).
Finally, Sixers guard Seth Curry is out of the league’s COVID-19 protocols, but isn’t quite ready to suit up for Wednesday’s game. Although he wasn’t listed on the club’s initial injury report, he’ll sit out tonight due to “post health and safety protocols reconditioning,” says Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Here are a few more health updates from around the NBA:
- Magic guard Evan Fournier, who has been on the shelf for the team’s last nine games due to back spasms, will be available for Wednesday’s game vs. Minnesota, the team announced (via Twitter). Orlando was 4-0 with Fournier healthy to start the season, but lost the game in which he was injured and has slumped badly since then. Fournier’s return will be a welcome sight for the 6-8 club.
- Hornets center Cody Zeller, who suffered a broken hand on opening night, returned to practice today, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, who notes (via Twitter) that the big man’s recovery timeline has him on track for an early-February return.
- In case you missed it, the Trail Blazers announced this week that CJ McCollum (foot) and Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) will be out for at least four weeks and six weeks, respectively.
Nearly Half Of NBA’s Teams Have Open Roster Spots
After the NBA’s transactions wire remained relatively quiet for the first few weeks of the 2020/21 season, teams have begun making moves with a little more frequency as of late.
While one recent transaction – the four-team trade that sent James Harden to Brooklyn – was clearly a higher-impact move than the rest, a number of clubs have made smaller changes to their rosters by waiving players this week. The Raptors and Wizards cut big men Alex Len and Anzejs Pasecniks from their 15-man rosters, while the Sixers opened up a two-way slot by releasing Dakota Mathias.
As a result, there are now 12 teams across the NBA that have at least one open 15-man roster spot. One of those teams – the Trail Blazers – also has an open two-way contract slot, as do two others, leaving just 16 clubs who are carrying the maximum of 17 players.
With so many clubs facing roster shortages recently and the NBA and NBPA discussing the possibility of adding a third two-way slot to rosters for the rest of the season, it’s a little surprising that more teams aren’t making use of all 17 available spots, but it will likely just be a matter of time before those many of those openings get filled.
Here’s the current breakdown of teams with open roster spots:
Teams with an open 15-man roster spot:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Note: The Nets have three open roster spots and will need to fill at least two of them within two weeks of completing the Harden trade.
- Charlotte Hornets
- Los Angeles Clippers *
- Los Angeles Lakers *
- Milwaukee Bucks *
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
Note: An asterisk (*) denotes that the team can’t currently sign a 15th man due to the hard cap.
Teams with an open two-way slot:
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
Traded First-Round Picks For 2021 NBA Draft
The 2021 NBA draft is still about six months away, but a number of teams have already traded their first-round picks for that night, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.
We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first round pick for 2021, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.
We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2022 if it doesn’t change hands in 2021.
Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2021 first round pick:
Atlantic
- Boston Celtics: Traded to Thunder.
- Brooklyn Nets: Own pick (or another team’s pick).
- Details at bottom of story.
- New York Knicks: Own pick (or Clippers’ pick).
- The Knicks have the right to swap first-round picks with the Clippers if the Clippers’ pick falls outside of the top four.
- Philadelphia 76ers: Own pick.
- Toronto Raptors: Own pick.
Central
- Chicago Bulls: Traded to Magic (top-four protected).
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Own pick.
- Detroit Pistons: Traded to Rockets or Nets (top-16 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would owe the Rockets their 2022 first-rounder (top-16 protected). More details at bottom of story.
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pistons would owe the Rockets their 2022 first-rounder (top-16 protected). More details at bottom of story.
- Indiana Pacers: Own pick.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Traded to Rockets (top-nine protected).
- The Rockets will have the right to swap their own 2021 second-round pick for the Bucks’ first-round pick.
Southeast
- Atlanta Hawks: Own pick.
- Charlotte Hornets: Own pick.
- Miami Heat: Traded to Rockets or Thunder or Nets (unprotected).
- Details at bottom of story.
- Orlando Magic: Own pick.
- Washington Wizards: Own pick.
Northwest
- Denver Nuggets: Own pick.
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Traded to Warriors (top-three protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Timberwolves would owe the Warriors their 2022 first-rounder (unprotected).
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick (or Rockets’ pick).
- Details at bottom of story.
- Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Rockets or Nets (top-14 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would owe the Rockets their 2022 first-rounder (top-14 protected). More details at bottom of story.
- Utah Jazz: Traded to Grizzlies (top-seven and 15-30 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz would owe the Grizzlies their 2022 first-rounder (top-six protected).
Pacific
- Golden State Warriors: Traded to Thunder (top-20 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Warriors would send the Thunder a 2021 second-rounder (Minnesota’s pick; unprotected).
- Los Angeles Clippers: Own pick (or Knicks’ pick).
- The Knicks have the right to swap first-round picks with the Clippers if the Clippers’ pick falls outside of the top four.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Traded to Pelicans (8-30 protected).
- If this pick lands in its protected range, the Lakers would owe the Pelicans their 2022 first-rounder (unprotected).
- Phoenix Suns: Own pick.
- Sacramento Kings: Own pick.
Southwest
- Dallas Mavericks: Traded to Knicks (unprotected).
- Houston Rockets: Own pick (or Thunder’s or Nets’ pick).
- Details at bottom of story.
- Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
- New Orleans Pelicans: Own pick.
- San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.
The complicated series of agreements involving the Rockets, Thunder, Heat, and Nets – which also involve the Pistons’ and Trail Blazers’ first-round picks – requires its own section for a more in-depth explanation. Essentially, the process consists of two key points:
- The Thunder will have the right to swap either their first-round pick or the Heat’s first-round pick for the Rockets‘ first-round pick, but only if Houston’s pick doesn’t fall in the top four. In other words, if Houston gets a top-four pick, the Rockets will keep their own first-rounder; if not, the Thunder will get the two most favorable picks of their own, the Heat’s, and the Rockets’, and Houston will get the least favorable.
- After the first step is complete, the Rockets will be left with at least one first-round pick, and possibly as many as three, since they’re also owed the Trail Blazers‘ first-rounder (top-14 protected) and the Pistons‘ first-rounder (top-16 protected). They would then have the right to swap any of those picks with the Nets‘ first-rounder (unprotected).
Here’s how this complex arrangement would work in practical terms: Based on the standings as of today (January 20), the Pistons are projected to have the No. 1 overall pick, followed by the Rockets at No. 4, the Heat at No. 8, the Thunder at No. 12 or 13, the Trail Blazers at No. 20 or 21, and the Nets at No. 23.
The Thunder wouldn’t be able to swap picks with Houston in this scenario, since the Rockets’ pick is protected at No. 4, so Houston would retain that pick and Oklahoma City would keep its own first-rounder, along with the Heat’s.
The Pistons would keep their protected pick, since it’s comfortably in the top 16, but the Rockets would get Portland’s pick, which is outside of the top 14. Because Houston’s picks would then be at No. 4 and No. 20/21, there would be no need to swap with the Nets, who are at No. 23.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Central Notes: LeVert, Allen, Pistons, White
Caris LeVert won’t be taking the court for the Pacers anytime soon, but the team’s newly-acquired guard was in attendance at Tuesday’s practice and spoke to reporters for the first time since being traded from Brooklyn to Indiana.
As Eric Woodyard of ESPN details, LeVert said on Tuesday that he’d been feeling “100% healthy” this season and was surprised when an MRI conducted as part of his physical revealed a small mass on his left kidney.
“In a way, this trade definitely showed and revealed what was going on in my body,” LeVert said. “So I’m definitely looking at it from that side and definitely humbled to know that this trade could’ve possibly saved me in the long run.”
According to LeVert, he and the Pacers are still waiting on some testing results and don’t know yet if the mass is cancerous. The 26-year-old added that while he wants to return to action as soon as possible, he understands it’s important to prioritize his health and to “make sure I live a long life,” so he isn’t yet thinking about when he might be able to play again.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- While Jarrett Allen admitted he was “disappointed” by not getting the chance to continue his career in Brooklyn, he’s excited to be part of the Cavaliers, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com relays. “It’s good that they want to invest in me, invest in my improvement and have me be a part of their organization,” Allen said. “I love what the front office is doing. I love how the coaches are teaching us. I can’t wait to play with them.”
- The Pistons won’t have a G League affiliate of their own participating in the revamped 2020/21 season, but they’ll consider using the flexible assignment option to get some of their young players some regular playing time at a lower level, head coach Dwane Casey said on Tuesday, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “Right now they’re playing (NBA) games when they should be learning the G League, making mistakes and learning from them in the G League instead of our games,” Casey said of the team’s inexperienced youngsters.
- The jury’s still out on whether Coby White can be the Bulls‘ long-term answer at point guard, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times.
Kyle O’Quinn Signs With Fenerbahce
Free agent center Kyle O’Quinn will resume his career in Europe, having signed a contract with Turkish club Fenerbahce, the team announced today in a press release.
An eight-year NBA veteran, O’Quinn began his career in 2012 after being selected 49th overall by Orlando. He spent three seasons with the Magic, three more with the Knicks, then played for the Pacers and Sixers over the last two years.
In 472 career regular season NBA games, O’Quinn has averaged 5.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 14.2 minutes per contest.
O’Quinn will join a Fenerbahce squad that ranks in the middle of the EuroLeague pack with a 10-10 record. The team has been enjoying a hot streak as of late, with five consecutive victories, and will look to build on that run by adding an experienced NBA vet to its roster.