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Salary Cap Research: Why So Few 2026 First-Round Picks Have Been Traded -- and Why It May Stay That Way

Salary Cap Research: Why So Few 2026 First-Round Picks Have Been Traded -- and Why It May Stay That Way

Teams have traded more first-round picks than ever over the past six seasons. But for several reasons, which I'll explain, 2026 first-round picks have been mostly untouched.

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Yossi Gozlan
Dec 30, 2024
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Salary Cap Research: Why So Few 2026 First-Round Picks Have Been Traded -- and Why It May Stay That Way
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Before the Brooklyn Nets sent Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers yesterday, there were reports throughout the week of a deal sending him to the Grizzlies. On Saturday night we got a report by NetsDaily of a framework that would’ve sent Finney-Smith to Memphis for Luke Kennard, John Konchar, and a protected 2026 first-round pick1.

That report got me thinking: It feels like it’s been a while since a team traded a 2026 first-round pick. When was the last time a 2026 first-round pick got traded? And how many 2026 first-round picks have been traded already?

So I took a look at RealGM’s future draft pages and my suspicions rang true.

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