Building through the draft is the most common way to land an All-Star in the NBA, according to research by HoopsHype.
The draft is how the Warriors ended up with a core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. But if there is one thing that we learned about the NBA this offseason, it is this: enough draft picks can put you in the conversation to get almost any player in a trade.
New York’s reluctance to surrender many unprotected first-round picks is the reason why Donovan Mitchell is on the Cavs and not the Knicks. It’s also the main reason why the Spurs were willing to move Dejounte Murray.
Draft picks are at a premium among front offices in the NBA, especially because there are a few young teams (eg Pelicans, Thunder, Jazz, Spurs) that have prioritized gaining as much draft capital as possible.
Below, you can find a list of the teams with the most and least amount of picks to their name. Some picks may not be delivered in the year they are listed because of protections. Others cannot be traded due to The Stepien Rule.
However, the next time a disgruntled star demands a trade, use this as a resource to determine which teams may be able to jump in to make a godfather offer — and which teams may be hard-pressed to do as much because they simply lack the assets.
Note that we will continue to update this post as more trades are made throughout the season.
30 Cleveland Cavaliers – 3
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2024: Own
2026: Own (UTA can swap)
2028: Own (UTA can swap)
Potential pick swaps: 2
29 Minnesota Timberwolves – 3
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2024: Own
2026: Own (UTA can swap)
2028: Own
Potential pick swaps: 1
Note: 2029 pick (to UTA) is protected 1-5
28 Milwaukee Bucks – 4
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2024: Own (NOP can swap)
2026: Own (NOP can swap)
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 2
27 Philadelphia 76ers – 4
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2024: Own
2026: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2025 pick (to OKC) is protected 1-6; 2027 pick (to BKN) is protected 1-8
26 Denver Nuggets – 4
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2024: Own
2026: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to CHA) is protected 1-14; 2025 pick (to ORL) is protected 1-5; 2027 pick (to OKC) is protected 1-5
25 LA Clippers – 5
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Own (OKC can swap)
2025: Own (OKC can swap)
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 2
24 Brooklyn Nets – 6
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
2023: Second-most favorable of BKN/HOU/PHI
2025: Own (HOU can swap)
2027: Own (HOU can swap)
2027: via PHI (protected 1-8)
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 3
23 Los Angeles Lakers – 6
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Own (NOP can swap)
2025: Own (if NOP did not defer in 2024)
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 1
22 Atlanta Hawks – 6
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Own
2024: Own
2024: via SAC (protected 1-14)
2026: Own (SAS can swap)
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 1
21 Boston Celtics – 6
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own (SAS can swap)
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 1
Note: 2023 pick (to IND) is protected 1-12
20 Miami Heat – 6
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2024: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2025 pick (to OKC) is protected 1-14
19 Dallas Mavericks – 6
(AP Photo/Matt Strasen)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to NYK) is protected 1-10
18 Golden State Warriors – 6
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2025 pick (to MEM) is protected 1-4
17 Washington Wizards – 6
(Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to NYK) is protected 1-14
16 Chicago Bulls – 6
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: via POR (protected 15-30)
2024: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to ORL) is protected 1-4; 2025 pick (to SAS) is protected 1-10
15 Portland Trail Blazers – 6
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to CHI) is protected 1-14
14 Detroit Pistons – 6
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to NYK) is protected 1-18
13 Sacramento Kings – 6
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2024 pick (to ATL) is protected 1-14
12 Toronto Raptors – 7
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
11 Phoenix Suns – 7
Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
10 Charlotte Hornets – 7
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
2023: via DEN (protected 1-14)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Note: 2023 pick (to SAS) is protected 1-16
9 Memphis Grizzlies – 8
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2024: Own
2024: via GSW (protected 1-4)
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
8 Houston Rockets – 8
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Most favorable of HOU, OKC, BKN
2023: via MIL
2024: via BKN
2025: Own (can swap w BKN)
2026: via BKN
2027: Own (can swap w/ BKN)
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 3
Note: 2024 pick (to OKC) is protected 1-4; 2026 pick (to OKC) is protected 1-4
7 Indiana Pacers – 9
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
2023: Own
2023: via BOS (protected 1-12)
2023: via CLE (protected 1-14)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
6 Orlando Magic – 9
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2023: via CHI (protected 1-4)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2025: via DEN (protected 1-5)
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
5 New Orleans Pelicans – 9
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
2023: Own (can swap w/ LAL)
2024: Own (can swap w/ MIL)
2024: LAL (can defer to 2025)
2025: Own
2026: Own (can swap w/ MIL)
2027: Own
2027: MIL
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 3
Note: New Orleans gets MIL pick in 2025 if it falls 1-4
4 New York Knicks – 11
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2023: Own
2023: via WAS (protected 1-14)
2023: via DAL (protected 1-10)
2023: via DET (protected 1-18)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2025: via MIL (protected 1-4 or NOP)
2026: Own
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
3 San Antonio Spurs – 11
(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
2023: Own
2023: via CHA (protected 1-16)
2024: Own
2025: Own
2025: via ATL
2025: via CHI (protected 1-10)
2026: Own (can swap w/ ATL)
2027: Own
2027: via ATL
2028: Own (can swap w/ BOS)
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 1
2 Utah Jazz – 14
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Own
2023: Least favorable of BKN, HOU, PHI
2023: via MIN
2025: Own
2025: via CLE
2025: via MIN
2026: Best of UTA, MIN, CLE
2027: Own
2027: via MIN
2027: via CLE
2028: Own (can swap w/ CLE)
2029: Own
2029: via CLE
2029: via MIN (protected 1-5)
Potential pick swaps: 3
Note: 2024 pick (to OKC) is protected 1-10
1 Oklahoma City Thunder – 15
(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
2023: Own (can swap w/ LAC)
2024: Own
2024: via HOU (protected 1-4)
2024: via UTA (protected 1-10)
2024: via LAC
2025: Own (can swap w/ HOU if 11-30 or LAC)
2025: via MIA (protected 1-14)
2025: via PHI (protected 1-6)
2026: via HOU (protected 1-4)
2026: Own
2026: via LAC
2027: via DEN 1-5
2027: Own
2028: Own
2029: Own
Potential pick swaps: 2
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