Re:

[Kim Malo <kmalo19@idt.net>]

At 03:23 PM 5/25/98 -0400, "Thomas J. Titus" <ttitus@mindspring.com> wrote:
>....... i am a little inexpierenced & dense about this draft stuff. would
>someone please explain why a team would trade its best player for draft
>choice(s) when that player would probably be #1  in this year's draft if he
>were in this year's group. thanks for helping me learn this nba stuff...

They might consider it for reasons other than pure talent vs talent. If they
weren't going to be able to re-sign their best player at the end of the year
and wanted to get something for him. Plus cap space issues. They might trade
him for picks as part of a package to dump someone else to clear cap space
and get another player who would only need to be paid rookie scale for 3
years. They might actually like the way a player available inthe draft fits
a need vs the guy they're trading, even if he is their best current player.
The Austin rumor would considerably upgrade a significant need at center and
let them draft another PF or SF to fill the slot emptied with Walker. Might
not be as good as Walker, but they might think the combined positions filled
made the team as a whole better. Bunch of stuff like that, mostly involving
contract and cap issues. I'm not advocating it for the Cs, but you asked why
someone might as a general question.

-Kim
Kim Malo
kmalo19@idt.net