IRRC, the deal with the Nets was Wallace for their top-3 protected 1st round pick that got us Lillard, Memo, & Shawne Williams. I'm pretty sure the Blazers didn't include a pick.
I believe we have our pick as long as it's between 1-12. If it's 13-30, it goes to Charlotte, as part of the Gerald Wallace trade.
And if the pick is a top 5 we have to trade it to the Lakers for Steve Blake. Some sort of a secret order from Stern.
I found this link regarding the Blazers' future draft pick status: http://www.prosportstransactions.com/basketball/DraftTrades/Future/Blazers.htm The Blazers' record would currently put them in the 13th spot in the draft, but you've got to figure that the Lakers and Mavs will eventually put things together as their rosters get healthy.
You're not considering the all-important Babbitt variable. He's getting better too as the season goes on!
I think, all other things equal, I'd like to see us get a lotto pick this year (even if it's only 8-12 range) and spend our cap space on lopsided trades, w/free agents as a Plan B. Then next year, when we'd presumably be one year of LMA/Lillard/Batum/Leonard, another lotto pick and a couple of new FA's (or tradees) better, then we could send the 20th or so pick to CHA and trade for one if there was a reason to. That said, I wouldn't be crushed if we made the playoffs and sent the 15th or so pick to CHA.
We lose it for one year. Then we get it in 2014, top 12 protected. If we're again not in the bottom 12, we get it in 2015, same protection. If we're still too good for our britches, in 2016 we get it period, without protection. This thread was saying that we lose it permanently if we finish outside the bottom 12 this season.
Actually, I just made that up. I figured, if it's wrong, some crackazz will correzt me. We cool guys use the z's.
We get it next year if below 12, over that we get a GI JOE With the Kong Fu Grip. In 2014 we get a bowl of melted Cherry Garcia if in the lottery and if we stand on our fingers we get broken fingers. In 2015 we get grape flavored herpes, but only if Gerald Wallace is still in the league. If he is not in the league but his aura is, we get Justin Beiber's still attached testicles. In 2016 HCP gets to the front of the line with his wife. I hope that explains everything.