A rebuilding team in the NBA is less likely to trade for a player.
By contrast, they’re more likely to trade for first-round picks. Acquiring a player who’s already on a significant contract is risky. It limits the flexibility you’ll want to have as you move forward.
At the same time, trading for a young player is a viable option. No team wants its rebuild to last forever.
As long as that player is still roughly on your team’s timeline, he could help you when you’re ready to compete – hopefully, sooner rather than later.
For example, take the Houston Rockets. They’re not widely expected to trade for a young player this season. At the same time, if the right one was on the market, they could.
Is John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks the right player for this team?
