Charlotte Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak views future draft picks as having rising value in the current NBA landscape, and he’s been acquiring and moving second-round picks over his first four months on the job.
Kupchak said Sunday there was a period during part of his 20 years running the Los Angeles Lakers when some draft picks — specifically, late in the first round and the second half of the second round — weren’t worth much. That’s in part because teams are required under the collective bargaining agreement to offer at least two salary-guaranteed seasons to all first-round rookies.