NBA trade deadline: The most important draft assets we're watching

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The NBA draft is seven months away, but the league is already watching a handful of picks and protections.

For example: Though the Washington Wizards probably will select toward the end of the first round -- a result of having the Oklahoma City Thunder's pick -- there is no guarantee the Wizards will keep their own. The New York Knicks will get Washington's first-rounder if it falls outside of the top 8.

The Wizards aren't alone though. In total, 13 teams have either traded or swapped their 2026 first-round pick. That fluidity, plus the fact that nearly half of the league's franchises don't control their pick, will also play a major role as the…