Information is power in the NBA.
The job of front offices — from president of basketball operations all the way down to the scouts — is to collect information. They have to gather as much intelligence as they can on upcoming players in the draft, personnel around the league and each other. All looking for that little bit of an edge to help them make their teams better.
The league is a zero-sum game at the end of the day. Only one team will win the championship just as only one team can win every game. There are no ties in the NBA.