Coulda Shoulda Woulda: Why the Clippers Didn't Protect Their 2011 Draft Pick

The Clippers traded Baron Davis and a first round pick to Cleveland for Mo Williams in February. On Tuesday at the NBA Draft Lottery, that pick became the first overall pick in the draft.

2011 NBA Draft Order: Clippers, Lakers Don't Pick Until Second Round

Now that the draft lottery has concluded, with the Cavaliers' winning the first overall pick with their 2.8% chance selection from the Clippers in the Baron Davis trade, the 2011 NBA Draft order is fully set. Cleveland has the top pick as well as the fourth pick, and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz pick second and third, respectively. For the local teams, however, this year's NBA draft doesn't figure to provide any impact talent. Both the Clippers and Lakers are without first round picks.

The Clippers don't select until the 37th pick, the seventh pick of the second round. They also pick 47th overall. The Clippers received contributions last season from 2010 first-round picks Eric Bledsoe and Al-Farouq Aminu, and second-round pick Willie Warren even saw time in 21 games.

The Lakers don't pick until the 41st selection, but they have four total second-round picks. They also pick 46th, 56th, and 58th. In the 2010 draft, the Lakers selected Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks in the second round, and both saw time with the two-time defending champions, though the rookies combined for only 333 minutes in purple and gold.

The 2011 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23 in New Jersey.

For more local NBA news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs for both the Clippers (Clips Nation) and Lakers (Silver Screen and Roll). Be sure to follow the SB Nation 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage of the annual affair.

2011 NBA Draft Lottery: Clippers' Pick, Traded To Cleveland In Baron Davis Deal, Ends Up As No. 1 Overall Pick

The Clippers took a calculated gamble, essentially selling their 2011 first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for salary cap relief in February in the Baron Davis trade, and that pick ended up as the number one overall draft pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. With the eighth-worst record in the NBA, the Clippers' pick had a 2.8% chance of being drawn number one in Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery. The Cavaliers will likely select Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with their top pick.

While it's easy to paint this as classic Clippers' bad luck, that's all that it is: luck. The Clippers made a good choice in trading Davis and their first-round pick for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon at February's trade deadline. The Clippers added $11.8 million of cap space over the next two seasons, as Williams will make $8.5 million in each of the next two years, compared to $13.95 million in 2011-2012 and $14.85 million in 2012-2013 due to Davis.

The Clippers sold their draft pick in a weak draft, and while Irving may indeed be an impact player it's hard to fault the Clippers for not taking the 2.8% chance. The Clippers' first pick is the number 37 overall pick, the seventh selection of the second round. The NBA draft will be held on June 23 in New Jersey.

Be sure to follow the SB Nation 2011 NBA Draft hub for full coverage of the annual affair. For more Clippers news and information, be sure to follow the SB Nation blog Clips Nation.