2012 NBA Draft Order: Teams That Need to Trade Up
Trading up in the NBA draft takes serious guts. It is costly, and draft picks—no matter how highly touted—can be busts. This is the kind of decision that can costs jobs or be the foundation to a championship.
With the risks in mind, here are teams that must take the bold step of trading up.
Cleveland Cavaliers
If the Cavaliers do trade up, it is not going to come as a surprise to anyone following pre-draft chatter. The Cavs want the No. 2 pick to ensure they can draft Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal.
Personally, I'm not sold on Beal as being worthy of the No. 2 selection, but a lot of people are, and the Cavs nailed it with Kyrie Irving last draft. So let's give them the benefit of the doubt.
They are sold on Beal, and they should use this opportunity to grab him. If Beal is as good as they think he is, the Cavs will be set to have an absolutely dominant backcourt for the next decade or so.
Yes, it will be costly to move up just two spots in the draft but well worth it to land the guy they want.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are at a serious crossroads. They have an aging roster and a host of free agents. They also have two first-round picks at Nos. 21 and 22. They could hold onto these picks and add two youthful players, which the roster needs, or they can make a splash and move up.
I say they have to move up. Drafting at that spot in the first round, the chances are they find two bench players. While this is certainly has value, it is not the way to reshape the identity of a team.
With the two picks, the Celtics shouldn't have too hard a time moving up. They could even decide to throw in a player and make a strong push for a top-10 selection. There they would have a chance to find a real impact player, someone they can pair with Rajon Rondo and build around.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have just the one first-round pick at No. 20. They can sit there and make their pick, but what good is this going to do? The Nuggets already have an incredibly deep roster. They don't need to draft a rookie that is going to have a hard time finding any playing time.
What they need is someone that can make a difference in the starting lineup. They have some decently valuable players and can package one or two of them and their draft pick, allowing them to make a big jump up the draft board.
| 1. New Orleans Hornets |
| 2. Charlotte Bobcats |
| 3. Washington Wizards |
| 4. Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 5. Sacramento Kings |
| 6. Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn Nets) |
| 7. Golden State Warriors |
| 8. Toronto Raptors |
| 9. Detroit Pistons |
| 10. New Orleans Hornets (from Minnesota Timberwolves) |
| 11. Portland Trail Blazers |
| 12. Milwaukee Bucks |
| 13. Phoenix Suns |
| 14. Houston Rockets |
| 15. Philadelphia 76ers |
| 16. Houston Rockets (from New York Knicks) |
| 17. Dallas Mavericks |
| 18. Houston Rockets (from Minnesota, via Utah Jazz) |
| 19. Orlando Magic |
| 20. Denver Nuggets |
| 21. Boston Celtics |
22. Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers) |
| 23. Atlanta Hawks |
| 24. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles Lakers) |
| 25. Memphis Grizzlies |
| 26. Indiana Pacers |
| 27. Miami Heat |
| 28. Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 29. Chicago Bulls |
| 30. Golden State Warriors (from San Antonio Spurs) |
