What is krack lacking? Bellow every nuclear as I am Dan Valley coming at
you with my certified fantagulist pH host Grant twos. This is the last of
our trade deadline primers. We were onto the Southeast division in the interest of
time, since this is the third one we're recording on the same day.
We're gonna be doing each team in five to six minutes, which is our
goal every single time. We just failed, but we're gonna stick by it
this time very quickly. Subscribe to us YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Stitcher,
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preview and February ninth at five pm Eastern Time Eastern time of the first one
as well for our winners and losers of the trade deadline. Follow us on
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Grant, how the heck are you doing? Doing great? Ready to
hit these Southeast teams and somehow some way manage to be briefer than we always
attempt to be and always fail to be. As a quick reminder, before
we get to the Atlanta Hawks, we're just going through our sort of biggest
themes. We will have a trade for each team, We'll have most likely
players to be traded. We're just talking about needs, what we could see
this team doing. And with that, we are on to the Atlanta Hawks,
which are or no, we're under the Miami Heat. Excuse me,
they are my team. They are very clearly buyers. I have their most
likely player to be traded as Dwayne Deadman, which basically means that, no,
the Heat are not going to do anything big. Probably they need I
don't want to say they need a whole bunch, but like they need to.
They could probably fill all their needs in one player where it's like they
really need to upgrade that sort of forcepot and they also need some more shooting
and someone who can open up the half court offense, maybe not necessarily as
a ball handler, because you have Jimmy Butler, you have Tyler Hero,
you have Bam out of Baio, you have Victor Oldipo, you have whatever
the hell Kyle Lowry is at this point, but someone who's going to open
up the floor with like functional shooting or just be able to pump and go
and maybe take you know, lower not like low complicated shots, but be
able to take them at at high volume. And so the player that gets
mentioned constantly is like Boyan mcdonovich. But do they have the assets to go
out and get that type of player. They can trade this year's first round
pick, and they can trade first round picks in twenty seven and twenty nine,
but are they going to be my I guess one of the questions is
that I have for them. And you know, there's the like the easier
questions, can they upgrade the forward rotation and overall complmentary offerings? But the
second question is how big of a swing are they willing to take here?
Because if they wait until the off season, there might be more starrier players
that become available. And that's when you make the godfather offer of you know,
I don't know if they're including Tyler Hero at that point when his extension
kicks in, but you have Kyle Lowry is an expiring contract, another year
is ticked off Nan Robinson's deal. Can you make the picks plus money offer
and get someone better than the best player you could get right now? Who
let's just be realistic and say that the Heat could trade for Boyan Bogdanovitch or
maybe Kyle Kuzma, Like is it worth them going the not even the all
in route, but like sort of splitting the baby and having to give up
a first round pick and Nikola Yovich or two first round picks. Now,
are they willing to do that mid season? I think they kind I don't
know whether they should. I think they kind of might be, just because
I think I think there is some justifiable faith internally that didn't look the Heat
just they seem to have a history. They don't seem to they have a
history of overachieving in the postseason. And if you have Butler and Autobio and
you get one more piece in there, Tyler heroes leveled up. Like yeah,
I mean they're not afraid of anybody they're going to see in the East
playoffs. Cutting against that, though, is what we keep talking about.
Like, if you're a buyer right now, it's a real bad time to
be a buyer, so you may not what few assets you have are just
not going to go as far. So I think a lot of it,
as far as their plan goes, has everything to do with, like how
good do they think or do they really think they're one piece away from being
on the same level as Boston and Milwaukee? And they might think that,
and then you're yeah, put Yovich and all the picks on the table,
and you know, you got a bunch of salary you could mix together between
you know, Martin and Oladipo or six and eight million Duncan Robinson's bad money
you could throw in there with enough picks, Like there's ways for them to
do a lot, But it's just a question of those those those two factors,
like is it smart to be a buyer now? And do they think
it's worth it, you know, relative to what their ceiling would be if
they filled that four spot or just added another big wing. Yeah, I
mean, like they're not even mentioning the o G had a OBI sweep stakes
because I guess people aren't sure Toronto's rebuilding. And so even if you went
all the picks route, would that even interest them? Duncan Robinson and a
ship ton of picks, I don't think that would interest Toronto. And then
I could talk to myself and saying, well, they could go out and
get zach Lavine if he becomes vullable, like is that he's not necessarily the
player that they need. That's just so not I mean, he's kind of
redundant. With Tyler Hero we're being unfortunately for him and the salary differences,
he is a little bit. The trade I have for them though, is
did Heat get Eric Gordon and kJ Martin the Rockets get Dwayne Deadman, Nikolayovich,
Duncan Robinson twenty twenty three first round pick, top eight protection. I
like what that does for their books. Moving Robinson off, I mean,
you're basically paying the first because I don't know what Gordon's future is going to
be. But Gordon makes them better now. I thank kJ Martin. Doesn't
kJ Martin feel like a guy that would get to Miami and suddenly everybody's like,
God, they did it again. They got this athletic guy that they
know. He's been like kind of good in Houston for the past few years.
Right, But it's like this is a Derrick Jones junior situation all over,
like that guy yeah kind of thing. Yeah, I think that's that
might feel a little low, especially if you like Yovich a lot. But
I think I'm I think if I'm the Heat, I'd probably do that,
or I mean, you proposed it, how do you you I'd ever turned
it back on you? Do you like the trade you made up? So
actually, I'm not sure if i'd do it if I'm Miami, but if
I'm Houston, because I don't view Eric Gordon is worth a first round pick
on his own anymore, and you're not getting a first round pick for kJ
Martin on his own to just take on Duncan Robinson's money for two more years
Like here, I know you think unique cap space and you have your pick.
Oh too, Okay, see starting next year, you one still have
some cap space if you take on Duncan robinson soul. Just get the pick
and then you have Yovich to sort of evaluate as well. I understand that
maybe you run into some like roster crunch issues at that point, but like
you have some other veterans that you should be getting rid of or will come
off the books after this season. So I would do it if I'm actually
liked this most for Houston because it's like, let's just get another draft pick
bye at the Apple and we could see what Yovich is with the Heat.
I think I would do it just because Eric Gordon, it's so complimentary.
I just don't know if I love kJ Martin at the four for them?
Does he do enough offensively aside from putting pressure on the rim, which maybe
that's all they want out of that position. But they're spacings iffy enough that
I don't know if, like kJ Martin, you slide him in with Jimmy
Butler and bam at a bio, how that necessarily works out. Yeah,
he's still the second best Martin on the team, so that's not great,
all right, if you're ready to move on. I got the Hawks next
to our second place team in the division. The question for me is,
as I was looking at them, surprised myself, like, are we sure
there's a real problem here, like in a gotta make a trade kind of
way, because I know, I'm sure within the last month we've talked about
like, well, they ought to start thinking about moving Trey Young. The
optics are bad. This just feels like it's headed for a disaster. But
like the starting five is plus eleven point seven over, you know, which
is basically next to Denver, the best net rating for any five man group
that's played a ton, you know, over eight hundred possessions, like as
a starting point, if your first unit is outscoring teams by twelve points per
hundred, basically like you're not that far away, like you So, But
the obvious question we've touched on talking about fifty other teams is is this,
are they going to trade John Collins? What are they going to get for
him? So, for me, and he has to be the most likely
player to be traded, Bugdamognanovich, it should be desirable. Just don't think
there's as much momentum to move him as there is for Collins, because we
got like two plus years of momentum really for him. So I guess I'll
throw it to you. But for me, I think if I'm the Hawks,
I'm not gonna trade Collins unless I'm getting back at least a really good
first minimum, no bad money coming back. And I need to also have
a guy that is gonna be in my rotation at like a reasonable salary that's
like my bare minimum. I'm not giving up picks to move him. I'm
not attaching yeah right, sorry, not attaching you know the name it Griffin
A kong Wo Jalen Johnson maybe, but that's like a different level, like
I need real value coming back, or I'm just not going to trade him
because I just I don't think this is someone that you should have to give
something up to move. I just I just don't I agree, and I
think John Collins is probably more important to them than any of the other teams
that are necessarily interested in him. I will also say though, that if
they do have to sell low on John Collins, it's their own fucking fault
because the way that they sort of just marginalized to him and didn't figure that
out. And I understand that was kind of the risk of having Murray and
then also having like traded Clink Coppella in the first place. The fact that
John Collins was as good as he was last year playing alongside Clink Koppela,
like being able to adapt, and it just felt like they were making forcing
him to make one too many adjustments this year, and he's played a little
bit better recently. I'm with you, though, that you need actual value
for him, and so it's what is like the move outside of dealing him,
though, if you have your first round pick this year, and then
if you wanted to, like you have Clean Capella and if you're gonna keep
John Collins, you put on Yaka Kungu on the table, and what do
you even need is that's like the the question is, okay, will they
move John Collins? But I think they're I think their biggest need and you'll
have to I'm throwing this back to you right away. Is it just like
they need to shore up the three in the four spots, whether you think
it's behind Collins or in front of that, Like that's what I look at
and say they need to do, which like and I think that's right,
But that's a problem because between between Collins and DeAndre Hunter, who they just
extended, that's like, what's what's Collins was like five for one twenty five?
I think originally a Hunter is four for was it like ninety? It
was ninety. It was more than mchael It was more than Michael Bridges.
For some reason, you're talking like, you know, not that far short
of like a quarter billion dollars for two positions that we're saying are the problem,
Like that's not great. I want to do with that. I was
kind of referring to just like you could look at as backup where it's like
justin Holliday has been bad. John Johnson minutes have been all over the place,
and so you could look at as can they go out and get a
backup rather than it's the starters that are because as you said, the starting
lineup is killing it. So it's not necessarily issue. It just feels like
they need, like you know, they need the depth at the three in
the four and they just don't have it. And I would say they probably
need more optionality at the four, specifically to where it's they don't Well,
I guess you could say the three to because you don't, okay, let's
slide Hunter up and it's like, well, then fuck, who's playing small
forward? So that's where Then who's behind Collins if we can't slide Hunter up?
And I think that's where the real issue is. So my trade it
is a John Collins trade, just because I don't think John Collins wants to
be in Atlanta. No, I don't like And the Hawks, by the
way, they're only one point seven million with a little luxury tax, so
that went into this trade idea. The Hawks receive a mere coffee Marcus Morris,
a twenty twenty eight first round pick, and then I'm going to change
this up. It's a twenty twenty eight first round pick and then a twenty
twenty nine first round swap from the Clippers. So that twenty twenty first round
pick, let's say it's top four protected, and then it extinguishes, and
then they get to twenty twenty night swap as well, because they can't swap
in two twenty eight, because I believe they're already doing so with San Antonio
unless I'm mistaken there, but off the don't no, wait, that's Boston
that does that, so please don't listen to me this. They're twenty twenty
seven, that's going to San Antonio. Yeah, who can mix all these
picks up? I can't imagine how that'd be possible. Okay, So,
based on what I said initially about what I want back for Collins, this
feels a little light. But the upside here is I don't know how much
of a drop off, if any, Morris would be from Collins in terms
of just like this year, based on how Collins has been used, if
at all, which is like speaks to how Collins has been used in a
negative light, and you're getting the first coffee doesn't quite rise to the level
of like the young capable, like high end piece, but like he's been
here too, you know that I like him, but he's been pretty bad.
Yeah well you I mean, but you know still like you were.
You were in on him early, so you get credit for that. But
yeah, so we're talking about the three and the four. There's Coffee and
Morris could that could play the three and the four. The more I look
at this roster though, I know this is a trade deadline thing, but
like behind the starting five, you still have Bogdanovich, A kong Wu and
Griffin Like that's I mean, you're taking a lot of boxes with those three
guys as your six, seventh, and eighth guys. So the summation here
is the Hawks are just like doing it wrong because they have enough good players
that enough different positions for this to work and it should work, and it
isn't. I don't. I don't quite understand it. So, I mean,
they're playing better now, so is it has they just turned that corner?
Maybe, but it's still nowhere near what they thought expected. Hope.
Yeah, I don't think. And maybe this is just like maybe the answer
to every Hawks question, which has been the case all years, like Hey,
Trey Young make more than three out of ten threes, like make yeah,
okay, let's keep it up. I still see thirty one point whatever
sent on there. That's just like that's rough. Yeah, trade John Collins.
Let's end this. I don't know where he goes. It's just like,
did you do you like the Utah deal that was floated out? Let's
say if you don't have to give the Jazz a pick, because that was
just like, well what was that? Because all I remembered was the Utah
wanted to pick and I tuned out. Was it just Malik Beasley and Jared
Vanderbilt? Wasn't that the framework of it? I mean, that's a lot
of salary relief, although you're gonna have to pay Vanderbilt sooner than later.
I think I can't remember the year left on his deal at four million,
so you don't. I don't like his fit with Capella. I mean,
Olnic might have been in there too. It might have been Malik Beasley and
Olink who's aspiring. Yeah, that's that's okay, that's just not enough.
I Yeah, I don't know. I guess maybe the last guy out there
that's just overvaluing Collins at this point, but that that doesn't feel like enough
to me. No, I'm with you there. Our next team that we
will be moving on to here is my team, and it's the Orlando Magic.
They are. My questions for them is like will they do like will
they actually sell or could they buy for next season and beyond? And if
they are going to go out there and try to get something, will they
find shooting? Do they kind of strengthen their wing rotation just because like we
don't know what Chumo Kekey is, you know, we don't really know what
like Jonathan Isaac isn't even a wing, has barely been playing for a while,
Gary Harris kind of an undersize wing, Terrence Ross coming off the books
after this year. Are they going to reroute Mo Bamba or Gary Harris or
Terrence Ross for that matter, if they are sellers, So I have all
sorts of questions for them. I do think they're in this unique situation where
like you could buy with an eye on the future or to next season.
Maybe you take on some money because yeah, you have cap space this summer,
maybe you want to make a run at Fred van Vleet, but outside
of van Vleet, like what's the free agent like you need to go after.
So unless you think you have the inside track on him, do you
really need to think in those terms? And so could you if it's if
you're getting money where it's no, you're not gonna make the playoffs this season,
but you're getting a shooter, just a catslock shooter who's really going to
open up things for your ball handlers and Powell Bank, Caro and Franz Wagner,
Mark el Folts, even Joe and Suggs, Like, do you just
go out and make that deal? Do you just sort of stamp pat like
because you want to keep Gary Harrison the next season? You could buy out
Terrence Ross to do him a solid. I just like this team is they
could do stuff. I just feel like they're gonna be you know, do
they just move Argi Hampton because he's gonna leave after this year? It feels
like that's the scale of the move that they'll make. Yeah, it's it's
a situation where I mean, a shooter would be great. I think that's
probably the most realistic thing to go after, but it's the second it's the
thing they need second most because they just need sorry, like Mark every time
we talk about the magic I harp on this, like Mark el Folts is
fine, but like you just need a you need a someone at the guard
spot. You know. The playmaking isn't even really that important relative to other
teams because of bank Caro and because of Wagner. I think you could survive
with your with your forwards and wings being your you know, shock creators essentially,
So it'd be nice if it were a point guard type that could be
a secondary creator or tertiary depending on how those two guys develop. He's got
to be able to shoot. But the next best thing, because those guys
aren't out there, like van Fleet, is sort of like and then who
after that? Like I just I don't know who that other guy is.
Like, it's not you don't go after John Wall, you don't go after
Mike Conley. Those are just like crazy, you know, trade targets that
would not be helpful. So if you're gonna go another direction, just go
get a shooter. Then the problem is, like, well, is there
a better one out there than Gary Harris? You know that is at the
right cost, Like Terrence Ross, I guess I'd be happy to move him.
He just in exploited. He's kind of like the like John Collins wishes
he'd been on the trade blocker as long as Terrence Ross, like that,
he's the goat of trade trade block guys that never get traded. But yeah,
I don't know what they're gonna do either, other than probably look to
move Mo Bamba just because he's totally superfluous. Now, yeah, who is
Is he their most likely player to be traded? I mean I would say
Terrence Ross, but since he's clearly immovable, I think it probably is Bomba
because he's got that he's got that partial guarantee on next year's salary, and
it's only ten point three this year, so you know it does he's a
fraction of that for the balance of the year. He could get you someone
at a similar number at another position that you could try to develop, I
think, But like they just don't need another center, I don't think,
especially with Isaac Back. I imagine you want him to play some center minutes
if he stays healthy. Yeah, he's not even guaranteed anything next year Mobamba,
so like you could functionally asn't expiring. And speaking of that, although
is this the is this the trade I propose. I don't know if it
was yes. So I have the Orlando Magic, get Joe Harris, the
Nets, get Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross. If I'm the Nets, I'm
in love with the not having to pay either of those guys cheer. And
I think probably it sucks for Joe Harris that Terrence Ross is a downgrade for
sure from Joe Harris, even if we've talked about before how Joe Harris isn't
great anymore. But I guess that hinges on Bomba is Bomba a big value
add for the Nets. They need a big He's gonna hit more of his
free throws than Ben Zimmons and Nick Claxton. Well, and we we we
also have said that if you're going to get a backup big behind Clackson,
he better be able to shoot. And that is the other thing Bomba can
do. If he's gonna play next to Ben Simmons, he's gonna space the
floor a little bit on offense. Like That's that is a real that's a
real thing that the Nets should care about in this kind of trait. Harris
is just so clearly the best player in that deal that it gives me some
pausitives. It's the money for him where it's like, are the nets gonna
keep Seth Curry? It's just like I for the Nets, I feel like
he could be spous and just like, but he's still really good. But
he's also playing a fewer minutes per game than Seth Curry moment, and so
are you going to be more invested in keeping Seth card because maybe he's cheaper
than nineteen million of pop. That's what makes this tough because in a vacuum,
I don't know that the nets should want to do this at the same
time, like it does kind of even out the rotation a little bit.
I guess, like if you're getting Bomba or maybe you just want to get
out of Joe Harris's money and you're viewing this is getting too expiring Storm without
having to give up any equity Joe Harris's trade values where there's a lot of
teams that I would like that I think he would just be super useful for
the Magic would be one of them, by the way, I think he'd
be a great fit. And yeah, I agree, like we said,
like if if they can't get a you know, a real bit like I
don't Harris isn't someone I feel comfortable with like starting well, I guess he
could start at the two. I guess he sort of has started at the
two. I just yeah, I don't know. I want I'm selfishly want
a little more like playmaking there. But that's what a point guard's for,
so I mean in theory, although the Magic you know, have struggled with
that. All right, you're ready to hit Charlotte. This is a weird
team. Yeah, so I don't want to throw it to you immediately.
But like, am I wrong for thinking, as like sad sack as the
season has been for the Hornets, that they actually kind of have some good
options right now, Like they're not it doesn't feel like they're in I mean,
we probably called them one of the most helpless franchises, but at least
in the immediate they have some stuff that they could get up to here and
like throw Hayward out. I don't know what to do with Hayward. I
don't think he's movable. Maybe next year when he's expiring, that's fine,
but like we can worry about where he should go after that, But then
like go down the list like PJ. Washington, the restricted free agency of
their sellers. They should be selling obviously, Like I don't feel like we
need to say that, but PJ. Washington should have like a significant amount
of interest. Just the team that gets him would need to be sure that
it was willing to pay what another team's offer sheet was, Like, I
don't know what we're looking at for him. Twenty million a year doesn't seem
like insane given the market. Maybe more, I don't know. So you
have him available. Kelly Ubrey and Mason Plumley are both expiring twelve point six
million for Ubre, nine point one for Plumy. Book Night could be somebody's
second draft candidate if you wanted to just cut bait now, Cody Martin,
we've talked about several times, you know, average of like seven and a
half million over the next three years, Like that small stuff that the Hornets
could move, could look to get back younger players, could maybe get some
picks possibly depending on you know, the Washington situation. Even even Terry Rogier,
Like it makes a lot. You know, it's twenty one, twenty
three, twenty five, twenty seven million over the next three It's it's a
decent amount. Have you are you aware there's a tangent of like the weirdness
of his of the partial guarantee in his last year of that deal. It's
basically it's just like it's, isn't it twenty five of twenty seven millions guaranteed
or something like just yeah, and he gets do you know what it will
take to get that extra two million to get up to the It's so he
needs to play seventy games in a season, and that Charlotte also sees the
second round of the playoffs and at some point during the life of the contract
before that year, so he just he's written that off as a loss.
I wish I could have seen that negotiation where it's like, no, no,
sixty five games first round, No, no, no eighty games,
gotta win, gotta make it to game six of the conference, Like,
like, what a weird. I don't know, maybe that's more common than
it seems like, but that's such a bizarre partial anyway, Yeah, the
Charlotte, the Charlotte Hornets are sellers. They're really bad. LaMelo ball is
just about the only piece I think that is. You know, I'd be
saying hands off no matter what, and they got I mean, we didn't
even talk about Jayalen McDaniels. Every time Jaden McDaniels comes up, as like
everybody wanted him last year and over the summer, Jalen is kind of right
there, as like the lesser option, so lots of pieces to move.
I would be in the hunt for every pick, every second draft guy,
I could get you know, all that stuff. Yeah, I don't disagree
with anything you said. You like painted it as a rosier. I think
then I would have. I just are they going to have the guts to
do it? Like we saw that they were reportedly want a first round pick
for Mason Plumbly and it's like, what are guys, what are we doing
here? I've always been playing better, but he's on an expiring contract.
He's Mason plumber You're not getting a first round pick for him. But PARENT
like the point there is like you don't actually need to do anything to continue
sucking, like you're still going to be right in the thick of the women
Yama sweepstakes. And so I don't like, if you want to see if
you can bring back Plumby or Kelly Bridge juniors at Worth keeping them on your
books, I don't know. I'd be a little bit worried about what PJ.
Washington could command. I think we saw that he turned down like a
fifty three million dollars extension whatever it was. Is he gonna cost? Like
is he gonna get eighteen or nineteen a year? Because you risk losing him
for nothing? That's the name that if I'm them, I'm focused on,
just because that's the highest stakes that I think they faced leading into this offseason,
where it's a right if you lose Jale McDaniels just kind of whatever.
His offense is just filled with misadventure, too much of it for me.
But I just like sort of wonder like is this a team? Like what
is the edict here? Is it Okay, we're gonna sell this season,
but it's with the obligation to turn around and we have to try and win
next season with our high draft pick and Mamelou. There's I think the Miles
Bridges felony domestic violence, felony domestic violence charges they factor into this in the
sense of are they going to bring him back next year? Like what happens
with him and how does that impact their view of PJ. Washington. I
just can't get this is another team I don't have a great feel for they're
clearly sellers and they have players to sell, but Kelly Ridge juniors injury,
I think that complicates things a little bit for them. And then do you
want to move Terry rosiear like we sort of mentioned that where it's like do
you kind of need his shooting? And he's having a down year, but
he's had a play too, like his role has just been overstretched. That
points They're just in a very bizarre situation and they're Clarity's gonna come over the
off season, I would think more so than it's gonna come met to trade
dead Vine? Yeah, I think I think Plumbly is probably the most likely
guy to move because of that nine million expiring. And we've covered several teams
that need a backup center or want a backup center. I don't know if
I agree that they need one. Well, like, let's just say it
doesn't get them under the tax by by like hundreds of thousands of dollars,
just barely doesn't do it, I think would So if I'm the if I'm
the Hornets, or if you're the Hornets, are you interested in tywooll and
cork moths for Plumbly, like is that. I would think the Flyers have
tyboll getting him into restrict to free agency scene what you could do with an
actual wing defender on your team. Yeah, I would do it. Yeah,
I think I would too. And I think if the problem for the
Sixers is then you got to do something else to just shave off a few
hundred grand more and maybe you're giving up Springers somewhere else or something like that.
But yeah, Like so Plumbly is the most likely guy to move,
but it's like it's not that easy, Like the number on his salary is
like high enough to where it's not that easy to do it. You know
that you're you're talking about Denver take him into their traded player exception, or
that's not someone you're drumming your tax bill up for. Well, I mean
Denver's Yeah, I mean that's always been an issue for them. Am I
just gonna pay a bunch of money for Plumbly? I don't know, that's
the When I phrase it that way, it's a tough sell. I'm not
sure I can get there. So he's gonna play like five minutes a game
in the playoffs, too, So, like I don't know. So for
my Horne's trade idea, I wanted to frame it in what if they kind
of didn't do anything to impede how much they sucked this season, but they're
taking a higher end swing for the seasons to come. Now. This trade
was talked about on No Dumb Sinc. Podcast. They gave it an F.
They were they were basically disgusted by it, but I had so the
Hornets received Ben Simmons and Joe Harris and the Nets receive Mason Plumley, jail
And McDaniels and Gordon Hayward. This is a This is no worse than a
D minus F is really harsh. I don't know how so wait, I
think, first of all, I'm a little surprised at myself that I kind
of perked up and got excited when you said Ben Simmons, even though he's
such a terrible contract. But for Charlotte, it's like fuck it, who
cares? Like why not just take take this? Take a shot. But
the thing I actually was like, is this too bad for the Nets?
Well that's the thing, Like, I don't know, I don't know if
like so wait, it's sorry it was Gordon Hayward Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumley
for Ben Simmons was the trade. I don't think the Nets are doing that,
even if it's really tempting to get off of Simmons this contract just because
like Hayward, it was Ben Simmons and Joe Harris by the way, so
it was I hadn't even gotten too yet. I think that makes the Nets
worse, although does it in the playoffs? Probably? I just think Simmons
maybe not be of any use whatsoever, you know, in the second by
the second round of the playoffs, and maybe Hayward is because if Hayward's healthy,
the Nets are better. But that is just like a big, big,
big, big, biggest if of all time. Yeah, that's not
an f trade. I can't give it, Like, that's not a failure.
You're not a failure, Dan. It would be would the Hornets be
a team that you could see, like, you know what, let's roll
the dice on Ben Simmons right now, because what are the teams that would
trade for Ben Simmons right now? I would put the Hornets on the list.
We Oh yeah, how long is that list? Hey? Long?
They can be at the top if they want. I think I think that's
that's that's realistic. Are we ready to move on to the Washington Wizards.
Let's do it. So the Wizards are should be sellers who probably fancy themselves
as buyers. Is how I classified them? Yeah, they have a notable
traded player exception six point three million and expires next January. It was just
created in the Ruey Hatchmore trades, so they probably won't use it. I
have their most likely player to be trade as Will Barton. He's not really
playing and he's expiring. They are three point two million dollars below the luxury
attack, so that has to be factored in Nettie trade they make. What
to watch for? I feel like there's a bunch is do they shop soon
to be free agent Kyle Kuzma? What about soon to be free agent Christops
Perzingis? Both those guys have a player option. If they're not going to
be sellers, what is their ceiling as mid season buyers? Because you've already
trade Ruey Hatchmore, You've got second round picks for him, and you owe
your first round pick to New York. It's protected in two twenty three for
the lottery top twelve and two twenty four top ten and two twenty five top
eight in two thousand and twenty six, and so you theoretically, yes,
you can trade a first allowable draft pick, but you can't technically guarantee a
first round pick it til two and twenty eight, So that would take you
out of it would seem a lot of rosy discussions unless Team X believes,
hey, they'll make the playoffs in twenty twenty four, so we're gonna get
twenty six and twenty eight picks or whatever it is. So I just we
know what the Wizards should do and they're not gonna do it. But like
what so then, like do you just stand pat now? Because I think
a lot of people point out, like, well, maybe they'll still shop
Kyle Kuzma historically when they've not shopped these free agents, Like let's use Davis
Parton's remember that year where they everyone thought they get two first round picks for
him, but they decided decided to keep him. It seemed like they had
good intel that they were going to be able to resign him, And so
it doesn't seem like if they're keeping Kyle Kuzma and you're moving Ruey, it
kind of points to It was never an either or position like proposition. Kuzma
so much better than him, but it short of shows that you are planning
to pay Kyle Kuzma and maybe Christos Porzingis as well, Like what are you
doing at the deadline? And then what is your If this is your core,
what's your biggest need? I have it as just sort of a a
point guard who doesn't necessarily need to be the best playmaker in the world,
but he needs to be the perfect compliment to Bradley Beale, who would argue
that we haven't really seen that point guard yet between John Wall and Russell Westbrook
and Almonte Morris, like there hasn't been that perfect fit in the backcourt with
Beal. Yeah, so the Wizards are gonna do what they've been doing for
a long time, which is just recommitting to a core that just isn't good
enough. Because I think they just fully intend to keep Kuzma. He'll opt
out and then they'll, you know, they'll sign him to a new deal.
I mean, I don't think that's out of the question for Porzingis.
Either if he opts out, I think he I think he might. I
think he's probably get opt out like if he unless he's unhealthy to finish the
season. It's just I don't know, he's not gonna get thirty million a
year, but he'll get more than thirty million over the longer term. I
sure. I mean he might just get you know, or for eighty or
something. Well, I think he could do better. I mean he might
get three for you know, three for eighty or three for three for night
like I I mean, because he's due to make thirty six next year.
So like, but it's crazy that that's even a There was a while there
where it was like that guy's gonna just take every guaranteed dollar you can get
and not risk anything. But so but then there's there's your team basically,
because if you're gonna if you've got Beal on the books for forty almost forty
seven next year in Porzingis will be in the twenty thirty range, and Kuzma
is gonna be probably end of the twenty thirty range too, Like you're set.
It's almost like it's too far gone. There's not so it almost doesn't
matter what they do. If i'm them, I gotta move Barton. I
just don't think he has Like if you could get seconds for Barton. I
think that's probably about us nothing. He's a nothing. You think like you're
taking maybe if you take back, like if you're taking back Evan Fournier's so
bleak. Uh. Yeah, I agree. The point guard is a need
and that Morris is like Morris was with the Nuggets, Like, oh man,
what a luxury as a backup one, you know, and as a
arder. He's just not quite He's just not that guy like he's he'll be
in the league for a long time, you know, he's not. He's
already been in the league. He's twenty seven. But he's not a starter
there. The problem is, like they just don't have what it would take
unless you're gonna trade Kuzma or Danny Avdia or I don't know, that's really
about it, Corey Kisspert. It's only three and a half million unless you're
gonna move those guys for what Van Vleet like, that's you know, we
can get to trades in a minute, but like, I don't Boilers what
you're going for it to get to hit that point guard in need. Well,
you said that they were locked into their core, and I begged to
differ because I came up with a trade that would him into a different core.
So the Wizards would receive Fred van Vleet and Juan Herning Gomez. The
Raptors would get Will Barton, Daniel Gafford, Monte Morris, a twenty twenty
five first round pick, so first allowable pending the obligation to New York,
that would be top seven protected, and then a second first round pick into
twenty seven it'd have to convey two years after the first one. That would
be top ten protection through twenty twenty nine. So basically, let's just say
that the Wizards would make the playoffs in twenty twenty four. That would be
the s that's the I think that's the estimation you're making in this trade.
It would be Will Barton, Daniel Gafford, Monte Morris, a twenty twenty
six first round pick, and a twenty twenty eight first round pick for Fred
van Vleet and Wan Hernagomez. So you're basically locking because you're gonna have to
pay Van Vleet. You're gonna have to say Christoffs and Kuzma, right,
So you're saying Van Vleet, Beale, Porzingis and Kuzma. Yeah, that's
like, that's not nothing, It's I don't hate it. But the problem
is, like the injury concerns with Porzingis and Bill and really Van Vleet are
substantial, and now you're just like, we just don't have picks anymore basically,
so like if we do suck, there's no outs. But you're already
so far down the road, Like if you're the Wizard, you're like,
you might as well, so you have talked me into walking in another core
just because van Fleet is an upgrade over what they have, Like you know
that that's just better, and you're a pot committed as it is, you
might as well just go all the way and see if you can win a
playoff series maybe, and and everybody leaves you along for a while. Yeah,
that's I don't know how I feel about that core. But the four
player the five player core of Avdia, kp Fred VanVleet, Bradley Beal,
and Kyle Kuzma is like it is intriguing. I really know what it is.
But it's like you have a lot of like defensive strength in there between
Van Fleet, what Kuzma has become Porzingis and even Avdia like that's the hell
of a five man unit. Yeah, I mean you would need like like
Corey Kissper has been fine, right, Yeah, that maybe Johnny Davis will
turn into something still probably not. I don't hate it. There's a way,
you can see your way. The problem is what we're talking about is,
well I could I could see my way to a team that I like
their top seven guys uh and they're like a six or seven seed in the
East maybe like and then they have no picks forever. That's what that's tough.
What side do you think it's more likely to say no to that though,
because that's a lot to give up for van Fleet, but you can't
sign him in free agency. I think the Raptors are more likely to say
yes just because they might they I mean, they're probably looking at him as
well. We can do this and get a bunch of picks that might be
pretty darn good or at least one, and we don't know if we're gonna
keep van Fleet at all, so like, well, I mean I think
Toronto would be okay, don't you like if I'm I guess, unless you're
unless you're sure Van Fleet is gonna be worth close to thirty million a year
for at least three more years. Then I'm I'm looking to move him for
something like this. Yeah. I just this is the type of move I
could see watched in making because like your your pot committee, like what is
the path with just this core is? How do you improve up on it?
It would be making a move like this. Yeah. So it's like
sometimes the only way up is down. They just like they just gotta dig
deeper into this plan. Both more likely they make a trade like this,
or they trade Kyle, who's about the deadline something like this, just based
on their track record. I just they don't operate that way. They're trying
to get better, and I think you would say that this trade makes them
better. I mean in the immediate right, Like they're they're totally based on
what they've paid guys and how when they've paid guys. This is just what
they do. So I don't know, I don't know. It's hard to
imagine the alternative, right, are you ready to take us out here?
Yeah? So once again and as always, thanks everybody for listening. Please
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