By virtue of their win against the Phoenix Suns in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers have advanced to the 2026 NBA Playoffs. By definition, that means they will not participate in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and their first-round draft pick this year will not fall in the 1-14 range.
That brings with it some news. Back in 2021, the Blazers traded Derrick Jones, Jr. and a 2022 first-round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls (as part of a three-team deal with the Cleveland
Cavaliers) for forward Larry Nance, Jr.
That sounds mildly complex, but the real kicker came after. The pick owed to Chicago was protected. If it fell in the Draft Lottery range, it would not convey to the Bulls. Instead Portland would keep the pick and the trade obligation would move to the next season…and the next season…and the next season for as many years as Portland stayed in the lottery, up to the year 2028.
Nance only played 37 games for the Blazers. They moved him to the New Orleans Pelicans the next season after they got him. But since Portland has been in the lottery every year since, the obligation has never gone away. The Blazers still owed Chicago that pick up until this very moment.
Having made the playoffs this year, Portland will now send their 2026 First-Round Pick to the Bulls to satisfy the long-expired Larry Nance, Jr. trade. This takes away their pick this year, of course. Unless they trade into the order, the Blazers won’t have a first-rounder in 2026. But it also takes away the rolling obligation, making certain that Portland can keep, use, or trade all of their future first-round picks if they wish.
This is particularly significant since the Blazers have the chance to swap picks with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2028, (the residuals of the trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee in 2023). The Bulls obligation could have rendered that benefit useless. Now Portland is free and clear to exercise that swap on their own behalf if desirable.
