I don't think the one-year outlook should prevent a team from taking a player with the 18th pick, though I get where you're coming from. The 18th pick almost certainly won't be a consistent rotation player. But I don't view that as a barrier to actually using the pick, though.
I think the hard part of trading No. 18 for a future first is the likelihood that you get diminishing returns. We saw this back in 2022 when CLT traded No. 13 for a pick the following year from the Nuggets (who won the championship just weeks prior).
It's unlikely you'd get a first as good as the 18th pick in a future year, and I think teams are going to be more hesitant on giving up picks under the upcoming lottery/pick protection changes. And that's not factoring in that the 2026 class is one of the deepest in recent memory. In my opinion, the player you'd get at 18 this year goes in the lottery in most drafts.
Will the Hornets even have room in the rotation for two first round picks? Might be better to trade 18 for a future first.
I don't think the one-year outlook should prevent a team from taking a player with the 18th pick, though I get where you're coming from. The 18th pick almost certainly won't be a consistent rotation player. But I don't view that as a barrier to actually using the pick, though.
I think the hard part of trading No. 18 for a future first is the likelihood that you get diminishing returns. We saw this back in 2022 when CLT traded No. 13 for a pick the following year from the Nuggets (who won the championship just weeks prior).
It's unlikely you'd get a first as good as the 18th pick in a future year, and I think teams are going to be more hesitant on giving up picks under the upcoming lottery/pick protection changes. And that's not factoring in that the 2026 class is one of the deepest in recent memory. In my opinion, the player you'd get at 18 this year goes in the lottery in most drafts.