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What Does A Protected Pick Mean In The NBA?
Being a sports fan is fun. You know how things work, what the players are doing, what is the player's signature move.
11:27 08 March 2021
We all know that in the US, everyone has played basketball at least once in their lifetime. Even if they are musicians now or doctors, at one point in high school, everyone was playing basketball.
The National Basketball Association has over 30 teams, plays often. But to understand how these teams work you must know about basics such as their drafts and picks.
What is the NBA?
The National Basketball Association started off as two rivals, The National Basketball League and The Basketball Association of America. Soon enough, two more teams were added to form this prestigious association.
Later on, the NBA had to be divided into two conferences that had three further divisions.
1- Eastern Conference
- Atlantic Division
- Central Division
- Southeast Division
2- Western conference
- Southwest Division
- Northwest Division
- Pacific Division
There are a total of 30 teams.
What are pick drafts?
To keep several teams intact to the NBA, a sort of contract has been developed for them. These drafts are either an unprotected draft on a protected draft, depending on the demands and needs of the team and that of the association.
It is a lot more complicated than said. The fate of a game can be seen through these drafts. Who knows what the NBA picks for today.
How do these drafts work?
To make this easy to understand, know that nothing comes free or without a consequence. The protected picks are drafted for teams for over a period of seven years. They have the liberty to trade, keep, pick and even swap.
When it comes to unprotected picks, they can do the same, but when a protected team makes a trade, they get to keep it. At the same time, the unprotected pick has to take a chance and be ready for any kind of situation.
How does protected pick work?
The protected picks are for the teams who obviously opted to be protected by the NBA but protected against what? To have a better understanding of how it works, let's suppose the first three rounds that are announced on the board are NBA-protected. If a protected team is below the third pick for the round, they can trade their way up and take place in any of the first, second, or third rounds.
These protected picks are usually for seven years but usually are observed year to year. There are other reservations to these picks as well;
1- You can swap and trade your round, and even your team members
2- If it is a lottery pick, you get to choose, trade, and keep the top three members.
3- If a trade is made, you will have to keep it.
4- Teams are sent to pick lands protected by the NBA.
Are these drafts worth it?
Well, yes. It is a way the franchise can foresee the future of its teams, players, and success. And for the teams, it brings success, spotlights, and a higher chance to win.
Conclusion
The NBA has seen all the ups and downs, and with a careful eye, they drafted these picks to keep the game interesting and provide a little edge to the players. Protected picks are not being unfair or illegal. It is an open choice given to the players.