Briggs... thats what I always thought. Now I'm confused because the part about future picks is pretty clear.

According to this link. http://www.nbadraft.net/draftnotes.asp#2atl021504

Phoenix and Utah has a slew of draft picks coming. Both 1st and 2nd rounders.

Posted by BRIGGS:

the rule is pretty easy to interpret, You CANNOT trade 1st round picks in consecutive years UNLESS you have an additional pick in the 1st round for that year. since Houston traded away their 2004 pick, and subsuquently have no additional 1st rounder for 2005, they are obligated to make that pick. they can trade it right after they make it, but nonetheless they cant trade it beforehand.

Briggs...read the statement again....specifically:

For example, if this is the 99-00 season, then teams can trade their 2000 first round pick without regard to whether they had a 1999 pick, since their 1999 pick is no longer a future pick. But they can't trade away both their 2000 and 2001 picks, since both are future picks. Teams sometimes work around this rule by trading first round picks in alternate years.

IM sure you can trade after you maket the pick. The idea is if you fall on your face, and have a top pick, you at least are getting compensation for that top pick, and player. But if you trade it two-three years in advance, while logic may dictate you made your team better, and thus would not have a bad team, injury or other unforseen circumstance may lead you to suck, thus no chance to rebuild.

So yes you can trade the Player you just picked, but at least you now what your trading away!

Bring back fatspoon! Man, I read that and laughed, then nearly cried, and now I'm thinking, hey, that's not bad. If we're going for the top (bottom) 5, bring on the old, incompetent Knicks.

Could you imagine actually having to watch him get his shot swatted while in a Knick uni again though?