NBA Trade Rumors: 8 Teams That Should Trade for Draft Picks

Players are not the only assets that exchange hands leading up to the NBA trade deadline.

While many teams search for an improved rotational presence, there are others who are better suited to come away with draft picks in any completed deal.

Rebuilding a roster can be done through free agency and trades, but having the right balance of home-grown talent is also just as important. Promising young assets not only give a team hope for the future, but also render them a more appealing destination to outside players.

It's never easy to pursue an addition that cannot be immediately measured, but in some cases, it's necessary. 

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats have two bright spots in Bismack Biyombo and Kemba Walker, but aside from them, the rest of the roster is a wash.

Boris Diaw's tenure with Charlotte seems to be nearing a conclusion and there have even been rumblings that D.J. Augustin is available.

Biyombo and Walker must be considered untouchable, but as for the rest of the team, Michael Jordan is better off holding a fire sale.

The Bobcats do not have a wealth of appealing assets, but they also don't need to be selective in what they get in return. Obtaining any additional draft pick that allows them to scour this summer's draft class for valuable talent would be a win.

Charlotte has its point guard and center of the future, but everything in between must still be filled in. 

New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets became owners of a highly coveted Timberwolves' draft pick when they traded Chris Paul, but they must not stop there.

New Orleans is at a clear disadvantage because it is not known what the team actually has in Eric Gordon. Consequently, the Hornets do not have that one franchise player they know they can build around, so they must take to the draft to find him.

Chris Kaman continues to draw interest and New Orleans has also made Emeka Okafor available as well. And any players the team can parlay into draft picks is beneficial to their future.

The Hornets are not currently built to win. How fast they can assemble a roster that is though, depends on how proactive they are at hoarding draft selections.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards have reportedly made anyone on the roster, except John Wall, available to the rest of the league.

Washington cannot expect to get much of tangible value in return for question marks like Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, but would welcome any additional draft picks.

The Wizards are a mess. Wall is the only player that seems interested on a daily basis and is the only pillar Washington possesses that is worth building around.

And if the team wants to keep Wall interested, they must ensure him that help is on the way. Both this year's and next year's NBA draft class will be laden with talent, providing the Wizards with an opportunity to grab some young and promising talent to place alongside their cornerstone.

Washington has a future superstar in Wall, but now must take to the draft to find another one. Or more. 

Utah Jazz

Despite a strong start to the season, the Jazz are clearly not a playoff team.

Utah has an abundance of talent in the paint, but are anything but well endowed on the perimeter. 

The team has made Devin Harris and C.J. Miles available, but nothing is imminent. After blowing up the roster by trading Deron Williams to the Nets last season, the Jazz were essentially forced to embark on a long-term rebuilding plan, and it's time they committed to it.

While Utah feels no pressure to break up their low post quartet, the team must do whatever it takes to add some more draft picks to their arsenal.

The Jazz will not be built into contenders overnight, but they can improve the outlook of their future in such a time-frame. 

Boston Celtics

The Celtics continue to dominate trade rumor headlines as they toil with the task of rebuilding an aging roster.

While bringing in another superstar would be ideal, Boston's assets, aside from Rajon Rondo, are far from fountains of youth. 

The Celtics seem to have finally disengaged from Rondo trade talks, leaving them free to begin to build their future around him. And there's no better way to do that than through a combination of free agency and the NBA draft.

It will undoubtedly be difficult to part with the likes of impact veterans like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but it will be much more difficult to endure a restrictive future.

Boston's window for title contention has closed, but the window for properly rebuilding has officially opened.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving has instilled life into a dying franchise, but the Cavaliers must continue to position themselves for the future.

Antawn Jamison wishes to remain in Cleveland, and the team seems poised to oblige, but his expiring contract and automatic scoring could be turned into a much needed draft pick. And while the market for Ramon Sessions has cooled, he is also a player who could be dealt for draft picks.

Irving has given the Cavaliers a future star to build around, and Tristian Thompson represents the beginning of a strong supporting cast, but there is still work to be done.

If Cleveland truly wishes to build toward the future, players who don't factor into it must be shopped for draft picks that potentially will.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are willing to find a new home for center Andrew Bogut, and must do so on the condition that they receive some draft picks in return.

Milwaukee is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race essentially without both Bogut and Stephen Jackson, and additional picks in this year's draft allows them to bring in some much needed depth for the future. The kind that may convince Brandon Jennings to stay in Milwaukee long term.

The Bucks have a solid core to build around with Jennings and the emergence of Larry Sanders and Ersan Ilyasova, but are in need of more pieces. Making the playoffs would be a huge victory for the team, but they must continue to add young talent that can be developed.

Playoffs or not, Milwaukee is rebuilding, and should be in the hunt for draft picks as we near March 15.

Phoenix Suns

Steve Nash has kept the Suns competitive in the talent-laden Western Conference, but it's time Phoenix committed to rebuilding.

Nash has no intention of requesting a trade, and the Suns have no plans to deal him unless he does, but holding onto him only delays the inevitable.

Even with Nash, Phoenix is still a mediocre team. He makes everyone around him better, but the Suns do not have the right mix of talent to make a playoff push.

Nash is 38, and will not be with the team much longer, perhaps as soon as next season. Not trading him while his value is still high is simply foolish.

The Suns must not waste a golden opportunity to deal a veteran who will, at the very least, yield one first-round draft pick in return.

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