Speaker 1: What is up, fellow Siko's I am Dana Valley coming
at you with the first solo podcast in quite some time.
But we've had some delays and trying to pin down
the final three twenty five NBA season look Aheads rest ashore.
They will be up by opening night as of now,
at least that's how it's scheduled. But since it's been
like four or five days since we put up a
full episode, I figured that it would make some sense
to just do a reaction here. So we're gonna go
through a Bleacher Report article by Andy Bailey where he
listed one ambitious trade target for every team. Interesting time
of year to do this, pretty shocking too. We're never
asked to really write trade stuff at bleacher Report, so
that's a nice little departure from the typical content requests
that we have the right to refuse, of course, so
we're gonna go through it. I have not looked at it,
some very interested to see who he listed for which teams,
and I think with that, the only thing that I
can remind you is go check out all our season
previews look Aheads. We've done twenty seven of them so far,
with the final three to come, and if you've not
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show us some love as we continue to grow with that.
If you're new around these parts, you've made it through
the first ninety seconds. Let's get to me reacting to
one ambitious trade target for every NBA team entering the
twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five regular season. Okay,
here we are, so as a reminder, I've not gone
through these in advance. I did see the cover though,
and it had Rob Polinka and JJ Reddick on it,
So I assume this is bold that the Lakers are
going to be on this list of every NBA team.
A little bit surprised, but I guess that's how it's
just going to shake out. We begin alphabetically, that's onto
the Atlanta Hawks. Michael Porter Junior. This is interesting right
out of the gate, I see the fit. Someone with
size who's gonna space the floor. And aside from they
have Trey Young, they have Bogies, so they have some
capslock shooters. But when you look at the front court,
Jalen Johnson a little bit of a shaky shooter, they're bigs.
I mean Yakakungu's dabbled in it, Clin Copella not really,
Larry Dance Junior, kind of lower volume. I could see
it them wanting him his skill set in terms of
ambitious He's owed three years and one hundred plus million
left on his deal. I find it hard to believe
that the Hawks would pay him and Jalen Johnson with
his extension coming up, and Trey Young, who has I
think two more three years left on his deal, two
of which will come before his player option. I don't
I mean, what does the package look like at that point?
Denver might want to shed that payroll, and I'm sure
they'd be interested in something built around I guess DeAndre
Hunter and Bogdanovich. Is that a trade that makes the
Hawks better? Though, don't hate the fit, just find it
implausible when you're looking at the finances of it all.
The Boston Celtics, Kevin Love. Anyone's kind of ambitious for
the Celtics their second apron team, So for I don't
want to get too into the weeds with it, but
they just can't take back more money than they receive
and they can't aggregate players, and so basically anyone is
going to be a inambitious trade Tarker for them. I
like Kevin Love's fit, like he preserves the five out.
And if you're worried that Chris hops Persings isn't gonna
be healthy, you can use Jayden Springer's salary. I think
we'll match up with his fairly nicely. But at that
point it's sort of like, oh so you just don't
I guess, KP. Do you think he's gonna miss more time?
As Al Horford regrets at the age of thirty eight,
I think I'd rather see them if they're going to
trade for anyone, and if it's just gonna cost you
Jayden Springer, Yeah, you don't care, But is this then
an indictment of how you feel about name he is
Kada or Lou Cornett, Xavier Tillman. You just have all
those guys on the roster already. I'd probably rather see
you go with like a secondary playmaker off the bench,
or just another type of wing if you're going to
do anything at all. But again, any target for the
Celtics is pretty You can use Peyton Pritchard, I guess,
to get Love as well. But who else is Miami
sending back in that deal? They have their own Apron
concerns too, so that makes it like this would have
to be a three team scenario, most likely just to
get Kevin Loved to Boston. So definitely ambitious. The Brooklyn
Nets Fred van Fleet. Okay, okay, all right, what is
going on? What's the logic here? So he's making a
bunch of money, He's basically an expiring contracts because of
his team options, so I don't necessarily think Houston would
be looking to move him, even if they believe in
Aman Thompson and Sheng Goon and Reed Shepherd as the
drivers of their offense. Jellen Green there, of course, I
don't see the logic for Brooklyn to get someone this
good when they've opened a two year window in which
they should be really bad. You have Ben Simmons' expiring salary,
you have some other money you can include in there.
To make the math work if you need to, and
you might not need to, they probably come pretty close.
I just I mean, as a long term value play
for Brooklyn, if you don't believe he's going to ruin
your tank and chance at having one of those top
four top four lottery odds ones, sure, just have that
asset preserved. But like, what are you giving Houston like
back for this? I mean, do they have I don't know,
and they don't have an They don't care now if
you're good, because they gave up your first round pick.
So there is that. But they have these grand cap
space plans in twenty twenty five and as of right now,
unless you really believe that, and Thompson reed, Shepherd and
Shangoon are kind of the faces of the offense moving forward,
they might prefer to have the option of bringing van
Fleet back or getting off his numbers that they can
have a ton of flexibility over the summer. Again, NETS
can send back the requisite number of expiring contracts if
Houston wants. I just don't. I don't love the fit there,
very interesting though, I like the I like the boldness
of that. Charlotte Hornet's Jared Allen so we're just out
of the Mark Williams business at that point. From Cleveland's perspective,
you could see a situation where they break up the
Mobley Allen pairing his extension that he signed will allow
him to be traded January thirty first, so he could
be moved a package. What does that package look like? Though?
I guess we're talking Miles Bridges as a starter, and
I mean like that could just be like that's the
basis of the package. Or giving up Mark Williams in
that scenario and Cleveland's doing him as a backup to
Evan Mobley, That's something that could potentially work. I don't
know why, Charlotte, if it's really only gonna cost you,
If it I'll frame it this way. If it's gonna
cost you Miles Bridges, I might just consider it because
I would believe that Jared Allen could be more of
a mainstay alongside Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball moving forward,
and even t Jon Salon then Miles Bridges. But if
it's going to cost you first round equity, I don't know.
If I get Queasy's. If it's Miles Bridges and Mark Williams,
I might do it. If I'm Charlotte. But it's also
it would be a weird move if they're not hell
bent on winning this season. But again, Allen's under contract,
and he's young enough that you could view him as Okay,
he comes in, We're still not going to be great.
We had another lottery pick to Salon and LaMelo, Ball
and bren and Miller really get things humming. I like
this one. I just it's all about cost, as it
is with everybody else. The Bulls, Ruey Hachimora, I don't
I mean, I don't know what the Bulls are doing. Sure?
What is like? Are we just assuming will come at
from this perspective? And I don't know what he wrote
to justify it that they want to get rid of
Zack Lavine, And so it's what's the best return you
can get for Zack Lavine? In that case, I probably
list like a Lakers, like distant first round pick, the
you know, the ones far out that they could trade,
or maybe I'd want expiring money. But Ruy, sure, I
mean you would have him and Patrick Williams on the roster,
maybe have some nice size on on the perimeter. I
don't hate it if this is more about just hey,
let's get off of Zack Lavine's money, and we have
more needs to fill in kind of the three four
five area than the one and two right now. I
totally completely get that not inspiring, but the polls direction
is not inspired. I understand the logic here. I like
this one too. That's a really good suggestion. The woo
the Calves, Trey Murphy, shit Pelkin's hands are gonna be
pissed if they haven't seen this already. Yes for the Calves, Yes,
who do you want? I might even if if we're
talking do you want Darius Garland? You wouldn't if you're
New Orleans because you have de Jonta Murray. I assume
this is kind of a Jared Allen centric proposal, where
it's what other money are you taking back? Though from
New Orleans? That gets weird because New Orleans, when you're
talking about throwing money, they only have basically mega deals
like Trey Murphy and Jordan Hawkins. Is not going to
get you to the money necessary to bring back Jared Allen.
You have to include one of CJ. McCullum or Brandon
Ingram in that. The idea of them giving up now
and if you're gonna trade Trey Murphy for a big
My assumption would then be because Allen's relatively effective moving
forward thirty million dollars a year, but again it's relatively
cap going up. Not a bad deal at all. If
you're going to trade Trey Murphy for Jared Allen, who
is more important to you moving forward? Is it CJ McCollum,
or is it brandon Ingram just the youth and the
overall upside. Youth, but just the age and the overall upside.
It's probably brandon Ingram, but you're losing CJ. McCollum, who
at this point is probably your second highest volume three
point shooter behind Murphy. So there has to be a
bunch of moving parts to this deal where I think
you would have to look at Jared Allen. I'm off
cuff right now. It'd have to be Jared Allen max
Struss for Trey Murphy plus big salary X. And I
don't know that Cleveland's gonna want I don't even know
if they would want brandon Ingram if we're being honest,
And then you still run into the problem of paying
Murphy and brandon Ingram, which is the problem that New
Orleans is currently grappling with that's tough. I mean, if
you're the Calves and you can trade a I mean,
you're probably the team that we need to give up.
I don't know. But if it's Jared Allen and Struce
is kind of the basis, and then you're you probably
have to throw some filler salary in there. Maybe is
there Jalen tight Like does Jalen Tyson need to go
out to New Orleans in this? But if the basis
of the packages you have Trey Murphy and Brandon Ingram,
because I honestly, how else are you getting there? Like
New Orleans isn't just gonna trade Trey Murphy for a
pick and Jalen Tyson. So if you're bringing back Murphy
and Ingram because I don't see why the Cavs would
want McCollum when you have Garland and Mitchell, that's a tough.
I love Trey Murphy's fit in Cleveland. I just struggle.
I can't even come with a package to get him there.
It'd be Jared Allen centric, but even fleshing that out
becomes a little difficult. The Dallas Mavericks Ken Rich Williams
build the statue outside of OKC for Kenrich Williams. This
one's interesting too. I like it a lot. It's fairly
ambitious in the sense that the MAVs don't have a
ton of stuff with which they could trade. But Williams
probably is not as important to OKAC. He was banged
up last year, not as big a part of the rotation.
But if you're the MAVs, you're kind I'm just looking
to add that, you know, continue with the versatile front
court element, and to have him and PJ. Washington and
Naji Marshall in the same front court together. If you
want to downsize, like play without a big, without Gafford,
without Lively, without a Kliba, that's a look you could
go to. Williams can also be moved around the positional
spectrum some four, some three stuff. I liked that. For
the Mavericks, that's a good one. I'd be curious see
what the packages. But okase he might be willing to
move him now more than ever, just given the makeup
of its roster. The Denver Nuggets have Cody Martin. Anyone
who listens to this podcast knows I've been trying to
get Cody Martin one healthy and I haven't been doing
a very good job of that apparently, and two onto
a really good team. I will settle for him just
playing a crap ton of minutes for the Charlotte Hornets.
At this point, I would just like to remind everyone
that before there was the Caleb Martin, there was Cody Martin,
and it's the reason that Caleb Martin was the one
that ended up outside of Charlotte. So I still value
Cody Martin as a potential gap filler if there are
questions with the shooting, but the connective passing moving up
and down, like the positional spectrum on defense, and he
can handle some really tough assignments there do some things
inside the arc as well. When he's healthy, and he
hasn't really been healthy in two or three years. How
do we get him to Denver because that is a
fantastic fit man him alongside Nikola Jokich. Holy crap, it
would have to be with Zeke Naji's salary, basically. I mean,
you could get into some bigger numbers if you were
gonna move one of your core players, but you're not
doing that to get Cody Martin. The Nuggets have no
second round picks, though, and you're not, like, are you
gonna attach your twenty thirty one first to NAJ to
get Cody Martin? No? So would you do if you're
Denver a hunter? Like a hunter Tyson and NAJ for
Cody Martin. Does Charlotte have interest in Jaye and Pickett
when Trey Mann is there? I don't know. Is there
something you could fold in there with Trey Mann coming
back to Denver two and maybe that's where they give
up their first That seems a little steep. I might
consider it if it's a Tyson or Picket plus nausey
for Martin. I probably do it for Denver. But Cody
Martin needs to be healthy, and that's a that's a
big flippant. If at this point the Detroit Pistons brandon
Ingram we solved how to get to Trey Murphy to Cleveland,
is that we just rope in uh the Pistons. I
was looking at it as strictly a two team scenario
and it didn't need to be that. I understand the
logic here, but I'm not giving up Asar Thompson for
brandon Ingram. Maybe I would give up Ron Holland if
brandon Ingram's coming back, But are you really gonna give
up another a top five pick for the right to
pay brandon Ingram. Probably not. The Pelicans don't have a
need for Jade and Ivy. This is a tough fit.
And so if you're gonna bring even if you let's
just say there's a bunch of moving parts, a bunch
of different teams here involved three or four teams, you're
probably bringing brandon Ingram in. You're gonna have to pay
him after paying Cake Cunningham. And I would say at
least two of Asar Thompson, Ron Holland and Jade and
Ivy are still in town. And that's not kind of
the best functional fit. That's a lot of guys who
prefer to operate on the ball. I trust to star
Thompson knew the right things off the ball, just because
we saw enough of him last year. So that's a
guy you prioritize keeping. But I would weirdly think that
even if you're gonna rope in other teams, So are
you just not giving up any of your young players
at this point? Is it kind of just like Okay,
Isaiah Stewart's headed to New Orleans and we're gonna build
out the package that way. Is that how low New
Orleans is on paying Brandon Ingram moving them coward? Perhaps
it gets to that point. I'm not giving up any
first round picks as Detroit, that's for sure, especially for
brandon Ingram. But in general, I don't love this one.
But when you're looking at teams that maybe could talk
themselves into getting Brendan Ingram and could feasibly have the
flexibility to help New Orleans out there, Detroit certainly pops
up on that list. The Golden State Warriors. Jimmy Butler,
sign me up. Him and Draymond might kill each other.
That's fine, I'd watch it. That's pretty cool. How do
you get him there? I guess we're building a package
like this is what's tough when you're dealing with these
teams is that there's probably gonna need to be a
third team in there, because Miami can't take back more
money than it is sending out as of right now.
So but if you're gonna build something around picks, are
you sending out Jonathan Kaminga in this deal? I guess
that depends on whether he signs an extension. If but
Jimmy Butler has a player option. He's thirty five. What
type of value does it take to get him out
of Miami? Is this just a okay, it's a first
round pick, or it's Moses Moody and Salary. I like
the fit, though, I don't know what the package looks like.
But the Warriors need a second best offensive player that
is in line with other second best offensive players on contenders.
Maybe Jonathan Kaminga or Brandon Pajemski gets there in time.
I struggle to see them doing it in time enough
for Steph's current window, let alone this season. Jimmy Butler
certainly does that. He does, however, complicate your spacing, and
your spacing's already it's not super complicated. You have Buddy Healed,
the Anthony Melton can hit threes, Brandon Pajenski can hit threes,
but you're gonna want more vue from him. You're gonna
want more volume from Jonathan Kaminga and better efficiency as well.
So you throw Jimmy Butler into that equation. You do
it anyway for the talent play, but you almost invariably
are gonna lose shooting in this deal. Because I'm assuming
weird to say this about Andrew Wiggins, but he is.
He could be an off ball spacer. Defense probably don't
care too much about leaving him open anymore. But he
can knock down those shots and he will take them.
I would still do it. I want to make that clear.
But you're then you know, between Buddy Heal and Steph
and who's remaining what does that requisite spacing look like?
The sheer talent though, I mean, if you're if you're
the Warriors, you're probably I don't think the Heat would
necessarily want Kaminga. If they're trading Butler, I'm sure they
would take him, and maybe they would push for pods.
They have to pay Kaminga after this year. So if
you're keeping Kaminga Draymond and Steph and you have Butler,
and then you're keeping pods as I mean, you just
do it for this sheer talent play and Jimmy can
create his own shot and when he gets downhill that
room pressure, it will open up threes that are so
wide open. Draymond Green would hit them. Cavon Looney Canna
hit We're shooting threes now. Apparently I favor it. I
like Jimmy Butler on Golden State. I really just want
to see STEP's title with Hope. Oh, Kevin Durant to Houston.
I favor this one as well. They have at me
a dooka, who's a coach. We know Katie's always wanted
to play for. I do think Wode sort of tipped
his hand over the summer when he mentioned when the
Rockets were acquiring Phoenix picks, they had their eye on
Durant and he sprinkles in Devin Booker, I oddly don't.
I mean for the Suns. If you can get back
some of your own draft picks into the future from Phoenix,
Hell yeah, you do it. I don't know if I
love this for Houston, Like how good? How good does
Houston have to be to have a thirty five, thirty
six year old Kevin Durant on their roster. He's gonna
come up on a new deal soon. He fits anywhere.
I want to make that clear. But are you going
to be contender worthy after that? Is that how you
want to cash in all of your chips? I mean
maybe if it's just two of the fiel let's just
say it's two Phoenix picks, and who are you sending
out what type of money. That gets calm implicated because
the Rockets aren't sitting on a ton of these mega salaries.
They're gonna have to step ladder their way to get
to Kevin Durant. I guess if you want to use
I mean, Phoenix doesn't need another guard. So you have
Dylan Brooks who can qualify as a wing and you
send him out with other salaries Jalen Green a part
of that, and then pick so you could probably get
there using two or three players, so that's not ridiculous.
I just don't know if I'm Houston, if this is
the guy I want to go all in on. Katie
is one of the fifteen best players in NBA history,
if not better than that, still in credit, still a
top ten player for sure, someone who will pop up
on MVP ballots if he's healthy. That's tough. It's ambitious
for sure, though I think it depends on how many
picks you have to include for me, because if it's
just the two firsts and kind of the salaries I named,
you do have people to pick up Dylan Brooks's slack,
so I don't hate it, but if you have to
give up more than two first round picks for him,
and I'm Houston. I don't know that I would do it.
I'd want someone more in line with my timeline, under
contract for longer, but mostly the age thing. Indiana, Jeremy
Grant done, favorit. Do this. I don't know how you
do it? Though? Is like this is the void that
Indy has. They have a path to a couple of
lineups that could be really good defensively, but they still
need that capslock wing defender. No one on the roster
profiles as that certainly not Jaris Walker at the moment.
Getting to Jeremy Grant's money is tough. Would they be
willing to take him on too? When they just paid
Siakam Sarry's Haliburton's on a max deal. Miles Turner's contract
is going to be up after the season. You just
extended nemhard that'll kick in next year. I do it
and figure it out later. Getting to the money's a
little bit complicated. You'd have to use toppin Do you
have to use Naysmith in there? I'm assuming one of
Jaris Walker. Ben mcmatherns included, I'm trying to keep Naysmith
to be clear, at all costs, because you would still
he's still valuable to that team. I would do it though,
if they're willing to pay and you can make the
contracts work, that's an excellent fit the Clippers. Zach Lavine.
Here we are in with Dome is open and James
Harden is the only healthy star on the Clippers. Paul
George is gone, Kwhi Leonard is injured. Who could have
predicted this? Maybe you could have predicted Paul George and
Kwhi Leonard not being healthy enough, but James Harden being
on the roster for this and one of those other
two not eighteen months ago. I don't think anyone would
have predicted that. Zack Lavine on the Clippers. I think
at this point you're getting into they're just sending out
money for him. I'm not giving up. They can trade
a first round pick. I'm not giving up a first
round pick if I'm the Clippers, just because of how
shaky the future is. I'd probably do it though, because
the offense could be a little rickety. You still have
James Harden, he's thirty five, Kuhi is injured. Zack Levine
can do more on the ball than Norman Powell getting
the math to work. You have Norman Powell salary of PJ.
Tucker's expiring contract that could certainly help. You have to
you can't take back more money than you're sending out,
but that shouldn't be too much of an issue. They
could get there. I'd probably do it as long as
there's no first round pick involved, And if I'm the Clippers,
I'm probably doing this. Los Angeles Lakers Trey Young. This
has been a name that doesn't really surprise me. Been
floating on the Lakers lore for a while. This is
tough because the basis of the Lakers' best package. I'm
saying they give up all this, but it would be
Dalton Connect, Bronni James, just kidding, Dalton Connect, two first
round picks, three first round swaps, and Austin Reeves. You
flesh out the money from there. If I'm getting Trey Young,
I'm still trying to hold on to Austin Reeves. I
think even if you believe they're redundant, I'd rather look
at sending out the other salary filler types. D'Angelo Russell
for sure, maybe even Ruy Hachima. Can you make it work?
Jared Vanderbilt gave Vincent a lot of different options that
you have to keep Anthony Davis and Lebron James in
place and even Austin Reeves and kind of shuffle the
pieces around them. I still think i'd probably want Ruey
on the team after that, just because this the squad
would still be barren of a real wing depth. But
I would do it. I mean, if they're gonna if
it's just the tube first and the swaps and then
it's plus money and even Dalton connect, I'm doing it
if I'm the Lakers. The question is is that enough
for the Hawks to pull the trigger when they don't
own or they don't control their next three first round picks.
I don't know if that's enough. There's merit to just saying, well,
if you think he's gonna leave, but he has two
more years left on his deal before that player option,
if he asks her out, maybe it's a different story.
Is this what Trey Young's value is right now? Does
he get as much does Michel Bridges got for Brooklyn
from the Knicks? I don't know. I ultimately don't think
the Lakers' best package. You throw Reeves in there. Let's
say Reeves salary connect two first three swaps. Is that
enough for the Hawks to part with Trey Young? I
probably do it if I'm a Lakers, because Trey Young
is still really good. Does the resulting Los Angeles Lakers
product insulate him enough defensively? I don't really know. I
would do it, though that he elevates Lakers ceiling with
Lebron and Ad for sure, the Memphis Grizzlies Cam Johnson,
I don't. I don't hate it, but so we're viewing
him as their three? Or is he gonna play a
lot of four with Jared Jackson Junior at the five
with Zach e ede verret imagine not. I don't love that. Specifically,
do have the money without giving up one of their
core players to make it work? Maybe smart is involved there.
You could step ladder your way with Lukenard and Brandon
Clark of course in some draft equity. So just to
get some shooting, and like functional shooting, even if you're
not happy with Cam Johnson's percentages, He's a functional shooter,
can be moved around the court a little bit better
defensively than you think as well. I like this one.
I would prefer more of a wing, but Cam Johnson
at least comes close. He's to me have you him
is a combo forward, skewing more towards the four than
someone who's kind of like a two three four positionally,
but that's not a He certainly helps Memphis, especially their
half court offense. Yes, some creation to him, but just
the way he would open up the floor I think
would be a big deal for them. The Miami Heat
another Trey Young team, So I guess you're giving up
in this. So if you have Jimmy Butler, Bamannebayo, and
Trey Young as your resulting corps done, But we run
into the same issue we did with the Lakers. You
don't have a ton of first round picks to Trey.
I think they can give up to two and they
have some swaps and even if you can go up
to three, but I don't think they can. So you're
looking at that. Plus, what what's the salary you have?
Terry Rozier, Tyler hero Duncan Robinson is your primary matching tools.
If you get out of this deal without giving up,
how may Hawk is done? I won't. We don't even
talk about it any further. For the Heat, I think
Trey Young. He's a good fit next to Jimmy Butler,
who can work off the ball, but they do compliment
each other nicely, and also just with Butler potentially aging out. However,
I just don't know if the Heat's best package is
enough for the Hawks to say, we have no real
incentive to get worse with our picks headed to San
Antonio over the next three years, but the Heater giving
us so much that we're gonna make this deal anyway.
If Imai Hawks is involved, it becomes a conversation, but
I don't know if it's one that the Hawks would
jump on board with Trey up to Miami does make
some sense, though. The Milwaukee Bucks Jordan Clarkson ambitious because
the Bucks are a second Apron team and they can't
send out more than one player, they can't aggregate salaries,
and they can't take back more money than they receive.
So I don't even know, off rip, if Bobby Portis
makes more than Jordan Clarkson, he might, and if he does,
so you're looking at kind of a straight up deal there.
I don't know why Utah is doing that. You could
include some seconds, I suppose, but like really greasing the
wheels of this package becomes kind of a chore, which
is to go through all those hoops just to wind
up with Jordan Clarkson. Probably he's so he's at thirteen
point four million this year, and Jordan Clarkson, I know
he's on that the declining contract. What is he actually
on though for this season? Fourteen point two? So that's
you can't even get him for Bobby Portis. Straight up,
you can't aggregate salaries unless you're going to wind up
below the apron. That's ambitious, because we're talking at that
point that you're gonna have to give a wait, No,
he's at fourteen point one, are we there? We're still
not there. Bobby Portis is at twelve point six with
a player, Yeah, no, So this is ambitious. So you're
gonna get Jordan Clarkson is kind of like a Brook
for compensation for Brook Lopez or Chris Middleton and part
of this bigger deal. I get what you're doing here
by giving the Bucks more shot creation. I probably the
hoops they would have to jump through though to make
this work. I'm not I'm not doing it. I don't
I don't love it anymore. That easier path there last
season Timberwolves, Jeremy Grant. That's interesting Jeremy Grant as what
I'm assuming you're using Randall. But then again, you can't
aggregate salaries here, so who is the does Andy mention
who he would be sending out? That's okay, Randall's ball down.
It's a tricky fit, but you can't. That's not gonna
work straight up though, and the Timbers are still a
second apron team, so unless you're trading, you know, and
the Edwards or Rudy Gobert. At that point, I don't
see a path to making this work, specifically because Julius
Randall's a sub thirty million and Jeremy Grant's north of
thirty million, So just a straight up swap isn't gonna work.
So a little too ambitious here the fit overall, if
it was just instead of Julius Randall, Let's say Julius
still has He's a better passer by far, the better rebounder.
Two has more on bow, gravity, on drives, grants, more
plug and play. If you trust in Rob Dillingham, I
just don't know. If I like you have Jade McDaniels there,
I think you need someone with more ball skills, especially
if you're gonna pay him that number the Pelicans DeAndre eight.
I don't hate the premise. I reject the idea that
this is ambitious. I think Ayton's trade value has fallen
through the floor, and while he had a very strong
close to last season, and I think you could envision
him being better in New Orleans where he will have
better playmakers to tee things up for him in de
Jonte Murray, Zion william Since specifically, and then also I
don't know if I'll have more room to work. But
the fact that he doesn't provide a ton of rim
pressure for a big is not something that will hinder
the Pelicans as much because he's a good mid range
shooter and Zion Linson is going to get to the
basket anyway. So I think the fit is okay, but
I don't think it's ambitious. If anything, there needs to
be kind of a larger package here where. What else
are you getting from Portland if you're giving up brandon
ingram as part of this deal because you don't want
eight and to be the primary compensation there. Although a
lot of Pelicans fans have jumped aboard the let's trade
brandon Ingram for Walker Kessler, John Collins Bandwagon. So maybe
maybe this does do it for them, The New York
Knicks Marcus Smart. This is per report, This has been reported.
Excuse me that they're interested. Someone told me yours truly,
that the interest is serious. I don't get it. I
am a Douce McBride optimist, and so I could simply say,
you have Marcus Smart at home as a better shooter,
not as talented as a passer, for a fifth of
the cost or whatever. We don't need to go in
that territory. I just what hole is he filling on
this team that I think needs secondary playmaking. They could
use some properly sized wings coming off the bench. Smart
does defend like a wing slash big, so I understand
the thought process there. But to get him at that point,
you're gonna have to use now right now. You could
do Mitchell Robinson deuce and then all these other like
like you have Pocom Dottie you could throw in there
so you can get there. But I'm assuming this is
post trade deadline precious Robinson and then a smaller salary
for Smart in a vacuum. That's not the worst, but
what are you doing to your big man situation? At
that point, you have Karl, Anthony Towns, and Jericho Simms left.
Are you getting back Santi Aldama? Can you work it
so that that pans out here? Maybe I like it
a little bit more. I still think i'd rather the Knicks.
If you're gonna trade Mitch and Precious in the same package,
you need to make sure that you're getting back a
big and I would prefer this. A lot of teams
can say this probably more of a wing type and
someone who will not even improved, but perhaps not jeopardize
your spacing and smart will make more sense in five
out lineups if you're substituting him in for Josh Hart
because he gets those threes up there. But is he
as talented of a shooter as just Duce McBride. Let's
say you probably trust Duce McBride's jumper spot up jumper
a little bit more. At this point, I get it,
and it's ambitious. I don't I don't love it, but
I don't necessarily have alternatives for the Knicks unless you
want to. You know, I'm a big Tomani Kamara guy,
and I'd like to see him go get him Oklahoma
City Thunder Trey Murphy again. Yeah, So Oklahoma City's potential
two weaknesses would be do they have enough shot creation
because they're shay and then you're still kind of waiting
on all right, we have Isaiah Hart and Stein adds
another dynamic there. We assume Chet and Jay will j
Dubb excuse me, will improve and then you have Aaron
Wiggins off the bench can kind of do some of it,
but like that's like, that's not Alex Caruso's game either,
or it would just be motion shooting to where it's
you have a guy like Isaiah Joe, and you have
guys who will get shots up. But Isaiah Joe's really
the only one on the team, especially now that Lindy
Waters is gone, will fly around and take those threes.
And I think he works on defense, like works hard,
but he could compromise your defense at points. Trey Murphy
won't necessarily do that. And there's the fact of the
matter is that Trey murf just is a higher ceiling
than a lot of the players I just mentioned. There's
also some on ball exploration that Oklahoma City could tap into,
and in their spacing environment, he might be filthy. I
just what are you overloading New Orleans with at that point?
Just picks in salary? Is the deal any bigger? Or
because he makes such a small salary, so you can
make it work like you have. You have Dylan Jones
that you like. You have these smaller salaries that you
could annown, plus a bunch of picks. But I think
New Orleans is going to be looking for bodies and
you don't have any cheap o bigs. I mean Kenrich
Williams Jay will actually consent those out. Is that moving
the needle for New Orleans? Are you expanding this to
when Isaiah hart and Stein is trade eligible and it's
hart and Stein for like CG. McCollum and Trey Murphy
and like picks are attached to there. I don't like
Oklahoma City's not gonna be a brandon Ingram team this to.
I love the fit, so it's right along, It's it's
on the ambitious spectrum properly. I just don't see a
pathway to it happening onto the Orlando Magic Darius Garland yep.
Right type of fit, right level of ambition. They need
to juice up their offense. I don't think KCP does
enough if you what they have right now is definitely
a vote of confidence in Suggs, in Paulo, in Franz Wagner.
I don't know if that's enough. Are you gonna count
Anthony Black to develop into kind of a floor general
type with some diverse shot making from the perimeter? Mate
like Jet Howard gives you some of the diverse shot
making if you're gonna play him, but not enough of
the creation or the passing. Darius Garland is potentially everything,
shaky finisher around the rim, not the best defender, but
Orlando as the personnel to insulate him. Just when you
look at Cleveland and what they would want from Orlando,
what do you really get in? They might want KCP
once he's trade eligible. You could build packages with picks.
Maybe Tristan da Silva is thrown in there, so you
could certainly get there. I don't know Cleveland would have
interest in Jonathan Isaac when Evan Mobley and Jared Allen
are there. I do think Cleveland's more likely to trade,
let's say, break up the Bigs than they are to
break up the Guards. But if Garland shake shakes loose,
Orlando should absolutely be one of the teams that are
first in mind to get him Philadelphia seventy six Yers,
Kevin Herder. I see this. They could use the capslock shooting.
Getting to his money would require multiple salaries once kJ
Martin is ready to be traded. I'm curious why Sacramento
would do this or are they gonna have an interest
in I don't think any team's gonna have an interest
in kJ Martin Junior specifically, but he's an expiring contract. Basically,
who else are you throwing in there? I don't I'm
assume you're not giving up Caleb Martin you do have.
They're not gonna want Jared McCain. Kelly you Bridgejr. Has
the salary for sure at eight million, But do the
Kings need a Kelly Oubridger. They would be doing this
strictly for the picks, or it's a three team trade
where it's picks are going somewhere and then someone else.
Maybe is DFS going to Sacramento. I don't know. And
if Dorrie Finny Smith is on the table, I probably
prefer him for Philly just because I think they need
more front court defensive help right now. They're very reliant
on Paul George and Joel Embiid, both of whom as
we talk right now, folks are injured. So I don't
think this is ambitious enough for Philly. The Sons, Kelly
Olynik get a stretch big in here. We're just saying
that we don't want bootenholes to have any kind of
a plus defenders on the front line get into his money.
Is Is he cheap enough for the Sons to use
their No, he's not cheap enough for the Sons to
use their Josha Kogi been trade exception. That's not gonna
be something that flies. It would have to be Grayson
Allen because he makes more than Royce O'Neil, does he not?
Kelly Linnock is making, like isn't he making? It's under
the mid level, So there's there's that, But I think
he's making like twelve or something like that. This year
He's at twelve point eight million, And so it has
to be a straight up swap, and that means that
you're sending out Grayson Allen or use of Nurkic, which
I would consider doing, but what is that doing to
your defense? Like honestly so? And which team wants Nurkic.
Do you then have to include picks on top of that.
That's tough. It's ambitious. Anyone for the Suns is ambitious,
But if you're gonna skew big, it needs to be
a defensive upgrade, not just someone who's gonna upgrade the
spacing here. So I kind of think at once this
is ambitious, but it's the wrong type. It's the wrong
target for the Suns to be ambitious with. We have
Ruy hot Chimoor. Again for the Portland Trailblazers. I don't
necessarily know why this is ambitious for them. They have
Denni Havia to Monti Kamara, they have Jeremy Grant. Still,
I guess we're assuming for this that they're going to
be trading Jeremy Grant to the Lakers, and so let's
target Ruey Hachimra and picks, and then another salary is compensation.
That's fine. I think I would probably just list the
Lakers first round picks in that equation. Then Ruy would work.
And I mean, he's cheaper than Jeremy Grant. How much
of Jeremy Grant does he replicate as a shot creator
not for others Before himself, maybe more than you think,
But like Jeremy Grant just has years of being on
a couple of bad teams, is proof that he can
generate from scratch. Maybe you don't want to see him
doing that too much there. I think you can argue
that ruy Hachimore's contract is just more valuable than Jeremy Grant,
and so if that's how you want to frame it fair,
Grant is the better player, though, So I'm definitely I
want Lakers first, at least one of them coming out
of that deal. And if you had to identify a
player as that specific package that you would want more
than Dalton connector even Austin, you have Shaydon Sharp and
Anthony Simon's and Scoot Henderson, I probably would pick Ruyacha Mora.
I just wonder is it ambitious enough? Can you go
to a Can we talk about a different team that
has maybe more of a like Jaris Walker from Indy?
Maybe I don't. You don't know. Again, you have Avdia,
you have Kamara, you have some other bigs that don't shoot,
but take the higher end swing on someone like a
Jaris Walker. If you're giving up a Jeremy Glarant I
think that's the proper amount of ambitious. The Sacramento Kings
with Marcus Smart, is that ambitious and is it a
good fit? Let's just say it's ambitious. He's making over
twenty million dollars. You have Kevin Herder as part of
the salary package, and Memphis could definitely talk itself into shooting.
They also need wing defense, though, are you giving up
Devin Carter, the injured Devin Carter for Smart? I wouldn't
are giving up a future first. I probably wouldn't either,
So you're kind of just step laddering salaries there if
that's all it takes, sure, because I think, look, you
have Kean Allison, Keegan Murray, if you had Marcus Smart,
that's a lot of perimeter defense of weaponry to insulate
around DeMar De Rosen and Sabonis. I still just the
King's offense should still be very high powered. But if
you're gonna get rid of her her who has not
been great, you know, dating back to the twenty twenty
twenty three playoffs, I understand that, But now we're starting
to get into you have all this offensive talent, do
you have enough bankuble spacing maybe between Ellis Murray and
Fox and then just the round Sabonis and de Rosen
and Smart does get the shots up. I I semi
like this one as long as you're not giving up
a first round pick or Devin Carter. That's where I
would land on it. The Spurs Jimmy Butler, this is
ambitious times five million, probably do I like the fit
Jimmy Butler and Chris Paul on the same team. That's
a special type of mentality. Those are two that might
try to kill each other. What are you giving up?
They have a bunch of first round picks, they have
salaries to make it work. I'm assuming Kelden Johnson would
be involved, so you're fleshing this out kind of with
Keldon Johnson. I guess the Heat if they're the Heater,
an't gonna want picks some asuming if they're trading Jimmy Butler,
because that it would signal that they're rebuilding. So you're
sending out his forty eight point eight million dollars salary,
that's a lot of that's a lot of ground to
make up. San Antonio does not there's flexibility for them
via trade, but they just used up the rest of
their cap. Space on bringing back Jalen McDaniels. You have
Harrison Barnes's money. If you want to match so Keldon Johnson,
Harrison Barnes, Zach Collins, you can get the money pretty easily. Actually,
now how many picks are you're including to make that
work then would be the question. And like, does Jeremy
Sohan does he have any value to Miami is kind
of a prospect. If he does, doesn't make the matching
any easier, but it does bode well for your your
trade package because you could go Keldon Johnson and Harrison
Barnes brings you to thirty seven plus, so hand like
that probably gets you there money wise, and then just
shower the heat with picks, maybe try and prioritize keep
it like giving up I think if I'm the Spurs,
I'm trying to give up my own picks in this
scenario rather than Atlanta's or Minnesota's. They have that Chicago
one too. I might give that up just because the
Bulls are projected to be so bad. But you ca
catch my drift of all the different kind of first
round picks that San Antonio owns. They have that Boston
distant swap too, I'm probably like I would give up
multiple Spurs picks plus Sohan, Keldon Johnson and Barnes for Butler.
Even that might be too steep, with Butler being thirty
five and headed towards a new contract. But if it's
two first protected first, I'm doing this. Don't necessarily love
the requisite spacing or the resulting spacing, but it could.
I mean, he makes them better. Uh, and but Wemby
plus Vasell plus Jimmy Butler the hell of a three
man combo and you still have I mean, would Stephan
Castle turn into in this scenario? My spicy take would be,
would you consider moving Stephan Castle for a man keeping
all these other picks? You probably wouldn't, So it's ambitious
and I don't hate the fit. I would like someone
who improves the spacing around Wemby a little bit more,
because we know Paul and Trey Jones aren't going to
take or make a ton of threes did over Jimmy Butler.
We're just having all that secondary creation around Wemby and
then just a healthy vasselle. I thought made some strides
defensively last year. Plus Butler plus Wemby, that's defensive hell fire.
It doesn't matter if so Han's there or not. Now
you also could say, if the heater WI want to
take back Zach Collins his money and you can keep
Harrison Barnes that I like to trade a lot better.
You would have to probably include more, you know, if
it's so hand and two first, is that enough to
get them to take on Caldon Johnson and Zach Collins?
Would you include a third first or something smaller or
Malachi Brandnum or what have you to just sweeten the
package a little bit. But that's the route that makes
it more appealing, because I think that the Spurs would
still need some kind of offensive spacing there. Nearing the end, folks,
can you feel it? We're on to the Toronto Raptors.
Goko Batadz. This is the mark of a team that
has no idea which direction it's headed in. And I
think that the Raptors are rebuilding, but they're interesting in
the sense that they've already given out second contracts or
Scottie Barnes's case extension agreements, yaka Pearl's on his third contract. RJ.
Barrett's making a whole lot of money. So they're rebuilding,
but they're about to be an expensive rebuild, and it
feels like they are kind of constructed to react to
where Okay, if they're better than expected, they will stay
the course, maybe even go for upgrades like oh we
need some more center help and we're gonna go after
Gogo Pa Toadse or if they're bad, then they'll just
strip it down around Scottie Barnes. Everyone else can be
moved around. Maybe they view Grady Dick as part of
the core and you kind of start for more square one.
I don't know if I love, like, does that make
go Goo batadzey ambitious? I would say no, He's not
making a ton of money. If your goal is to
as the Raptors, just send out someone that has no
value and get go Goo Batadz or to get him
without giving up a pick. Okay, sure, but like what
is the like you're kind of looking at Gogoaa Toadzasa
and Davion Mitchell territory or you could use Kelly Olynik
slash Chris Bouchet as like starting points, but then you
might need to take back someone else from Orlando in
that scenario, because Gogo Patadz is at Gobata is at
nine million this year. How did I miss? I didn't
realize it was that much money. So yeah, you could
do Chris Bouchet or Kelly Olynik would the magic Well?
I mean, I love Chris Bouchet. He's a floors basing
rim protector at his heart, So sure. I don't know
if it's ambitious though, And I don't know that I
if you trust Patadze's defense and you're worried about Toronto's
rim protection because Yaka Pertle has slipped a little bit,
he can still be a deterrent. Sure. Uh, ambitious though,
I guess for their direction, I understand they're equivocating. It's
ambitious enough. I wouldn't say it's very inspiring, though. The
Jazz with Trey Young, whoo, that's ambitious. They have the
assets to get Inlanta to move him, that's for sure,
independent of where Atlanta's own draft picks are headed. Should
they be going that route? You have Larry Market in
an All Star, You've paid him, maybe, and like so
Trey Young, and is Colin Sexton going out in that deal?
I'm assuming maybe both Sexton and Clarkston. They're not gonna
take Colins back, so you need some kind of salary
matching tools. He here and Trey Young is one of
the like more difficult trade pieces to move because he's
making over forty million. He's at about forty three million.
And so if you're utah, the basis of just matching
up the money, I mean, it's pretty you get to
Clarkson and Sexton, that's thirty two million right there, So
it's not that hard. So you're giving up both of them,
which young players? Then are you giving up Keyante George?
Is that what it takes plus picks? I don't. I
don't know if I hate it. I just you have
to believe that. Okay, you know you're not. I would
assume you have to keep Cody Williams as part of
this deal. That would They just don't have a ton
of defense on this team perimeter wise, to begin with.
You're keeping Walker Kessler because they have onyekakung Wu and
Clin Capella, and again you want you need that baseline
rim protection. I'm probably fighting to keep Taylor Hendricks as well,
again just for the defense. So if you're telling me
that you have Walker Kessler, Taylor Hendrix, Cody Williams, and
Trey Young and Larry Marketing is kind of your base.
That's an interesting team, and you've probably cut you if
you want to. You could probably keep Keyante George too.
You have enough picks to make it happen. But I'm
assuming the basis of a package would be the Hawksters
loading up on guards that are making a ton of money.
Or there's maybe a three team scenario where John Collins
is headed out because he takes up a bulk of
the salary matching. But a lineup of Trey Young, Larry
market In, Cody Williams, Taylor Hendrix, and Walker Kessler. I mean, like,
that's a lot of size around Trey Young. But who
do you view as your two? I guess it's it's
Lowry in that instance, So maybe that's not a lineup
you're running out, But I don't hate it. You still
just feel a little light. Then when it comes to
perimeter players, you could probably work it so that you're
keeping Sextonner Clarkson. But do you want to play either
of them next to Trey Young. This is ambitious, not
in the sense it's it's oddly ambitious in the sense
not that they can't get him, and it'll take a
lot to get him. It will, but they just have
so many assets it doesn't matter. It's ambitious in the
sense of should the jazz fucking do it? I honestly,
I'd like to see what happens after they do. But
my my prerequisite for all of this, they're probably they won't.
They probably wouldn't do it. If you are going to
do it, though, I need Taylor Hendrix, Walker Castler, and
Cody Williams all still in a Utah uniform just for
the defensive optionality there. That's where I'm at. And those
three plus marketing plus Young it's a nice little base there.
I don't know if it's the skeleton of a future contender,
but ooh, the Wizards with Jay and Ivy. I don't
think they need to go this route because you have
bub Carrington, who I'm a big believer in. But you'll
probably want a number of guys to go do things
on the ball. If we assume that Kyle Kuzma's not
long for Washington, that need will increase. Here's an interesting question.
Not giving up any first round picks. Is Washington for
j and Ivy? It just doesn't make any sense. So
if you're Detroit, just as the basis of a package.
Are you considering you're not punting on Jay and Ivy
for Malcolm Brogden, are you? I'm assuming not if there's
first round picks involved, maybe so, I guess you're looking at.
Is Kyle Kuzma kind of like the outline of an offer?
Maybe there Washington's want to include Keshawn George. I wouldn't
if I were them. I kind of like him, had
Tim Matt Maderno for turning me on to him before
we recorded our Our look Ahead. But then there's more
moving parts that need to be involved. So, but you
have Kyle Kuzma at twenty three and a half. Don't know.
If I love his fit in Detroit, it could work,
But him and Tobias Harris is a little weird. I
don't think Washington has the juice, like it would have
to be something like Corey Kisbert for Jay and Ivy.
Basically that's the basis of an offer, and maybe you
include someone or something else in there. I do like
where the ambition is at here though, where it's we
want someone who projects as a long term floor general.
Maybe we don't believe that Bob Carrington is it. We
know Jordan Poole, is not it? Malcolm Brogden certainly, isn't it.
I'm just if you're moving Jay n Ivy as the Pistons,
that's the I'm assuming you would want a first or
a prospect equivalent of it is even worth that right now?
His just based off what he's done in the NBA.
Maybe it's not all his fault because he's playing for
Monnie Williams in Minnie Williams's doghouse last year. He has
one of the more complicated trade values in the NBA
right now. I don't know what I would give up
for it, because if you're telling me Washington needs to
give up a first, I'm not doing it because I
think that's too much. If it's a top twenty, if
it's that Warriors top twenty protected first, sure go ahead
have at it. But like beyond that, I don't. I don't.
If I'm would you give Corey Kisbert? I guess for
a flyer and kiss Bert's about to be paid, so
I would consider it, and he's certainly someone who could
work in Detroit. But it was a kiss Bert in
seconds and are you're just throwing in a hey, like
have a Jared Butler here or something. I don't know, Man,
that is fascinating. That is fascinating, though, I like I
think when we're looking at the ambitious scale, your head's
in the right place. Andy, I just don't see a
pathway for it. But that's kind of the point. These
are ambitious is supposed to make me think like this. Well, folks,
that was an incredibly interesting exercise, especially to do it
this time of year. Loved a lot of these suggestions.
Wasn't crazy about all of them. Hope you enjoyed the content, though,
we will have look ats continuing to roll out along
with our awards predictions. I've also set up just as
a spoiler alert, I've been asking all of our experts
what their biggest storyline is for these teams. And I'm
gonna cobble those answers together and it'll be one big episode.
And so if you've listened to all the episodes, it's
not new content, But did you remember all their answers?
How do they kind of square away now that we're
weeks removed from some of those being recorded. I also
have a lineups one that I've been asking them, so
it'll be about crunch time units and lineups they should try.
That'll be a fun one. And then Grant and I, well,
we'll hammer out sort of what the publishing schedule will
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