Speaker 1: What is up?
Speaker 2: Fellasiko's I am Nana Valley coming at you with the
one the Only mister Moriensen of NBA podcast, fame of
Yahoo Sports, fame of HBO, Max fame and of course
only fans celebrity. We're onto another NBA trade deadline primer.
We're I think we're inside the final five. This might
be one of the final three that are coming up.
It's New Orleans Pelicans time. Mort How the heck are
you doing? Are you excited to talk about the Pelicans
who will not be trading Derek Queen?
Speaker 1: So stop asking?
Speaker 3: Right? That is smart? That is smart to not trade. Uh.
Speaker 2: I would like to know who asked though, because I
respect the boldness of calling and asking about about him.
Speaker 3: I don't think it's one team. I think a lot
of teams just call because again, if this is an
organization that makes you an offer that makes you redial
and go, really, is that is that what you're offering us?
Then why not try your luck? Honestly?
Speaker 2: May I guess it doesn't hurt to ask any team?
Is what you could say? Trade deadline vitals time for them?
So they are about one point nine million dollars below
the luxury tax, which this will surprise nobody. They are
not going to pay something to file away there. As
of right now, they're under four million dollars inside the
tax for next year, so they might be looking to
try and cut some money off their books from next summer.
Speaker 1: They're twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2: First, I don't know if anyone has heard this is
going to the Atlanta Hawks or the Milwaukee Bucks. Some
twenty twenty seven draft pick manusha on them. The Pelicans
are gonna get the more favorable of Milwaukee's pick and
their own pick, and then the less favorable one goes
to Atlanta. However, if both of those picks fall in
the top four, which given the Yahnis rumors, is not
outside the realm of possibility, the Pelicans get.
Speaker 1: To keep both of them.
Speaker 2: They only have one of their own seconds to trade
in twenty thirty two, which is just weird for a
team that's in their position right now. And finally, they
have two notable trade exceptions. Thirteen million dollars from the
bread and ingram trade that'll expire basically at the trade deadline,
and then thirteen point four million from the olynic trade
that will expire in July on July seventh, to be
more exact more, let's start here.
Speaker 1: Do you do you buy the idea that.
Speaker 2: The Pelicans won't sell, which is the message that they
have been putting out there.
Speaker 3: No, no, I don't buy it. I mean, look, this
is our organization that's so bad right now and have
so many contracts where you're kind of looking at it
going what is the future of this player and what
is the future of this contractual status? Like they can
go into this and say, well, we won't be sellers,
which is fine and dandy, but when offers start coming
in on certain guys, if they do, I'm pretty sure
they'll be open minded. Like sign Williamson for example. Are
we absolutely sure that a good offer comes in there?
Speaker 2: Let's tackle what does it take you. Let's try to
figure out a baseline for these guys. What is the
minimum you need to consider moving Zion Williamson as the Pelicans.
Speaker 3: So before I answer that question, I am going to
ask you do you think NBA teams care about what
is going on off the court and do you think
that is going to affect you.
Speaker 2: You know the answer to that question that these teams
are not run in that way.
Speaker 1: Nobody cares.
Speaker 3: All right, fair enough, So what's what's this going to take?
That's that is your question. So here's the thing. He
is not a guy who is going to lead your franchise,
if anything like, he is going to be someone who
should be your score, but not your most important player.
So which, like, what category do you like fall into there?
If you're that type of player? Do you? Is that
like a we'll give you the form or is that no?
I will give you some some assets, but not the
entire farm. I mean Camp two on that one, I like,
I will be willing to relinquish something, but not everything
for Simon Williamson. So what is that something? Is it
a couple of draft picks with some level of protection
and a young player? I think?
Speaker 2: So I'm with you because the way Zion is playing
at the moment, he's absolutely like this a mortgage the
farm guy. He's not always playing like this, and he
hasn't always been playing, and the recency bias just doesn't
Now the ship has sailed on, will the Pelican's.
Speaker 1: Just trade him for expiring contracts?
Speaker 2: That's not gonna happen if they were ever even considering it.
But I'm from my perspective, I think the equivalent of
what I would say is two first.
Speaker 1: Round picks to wear. Am I just getting two picks?
Speaker 2: Or is it a pick and then just a young
player that I think really fits here over the long term.
Speaker 1: You're not. But it's not gonna be.
Speaker 2: We're not talking Giannis where you could get You could
ask San Antonio, Dylan Harper or Steph Castle with a
straight no, that's not that's not happening here. I do
with Zion, though more so than the other guys we're
going to talk about, struggle to think of teams that
should just go do it. I would like the idea
of him in Phoenix Suns. Fans hated me for saying that,
but the Sons just don't have They don't have enough
from my perspective as New Orleans because even if they
threw in common mala watch, I just I have Derek Queen,
He's Mesi's there too. That's not that's not doing it
for me, Ryan Dunn as a tent poll. And when
you don't have first round picks to include, is there
a team that you could just envision Zion really working
for you?
Speaker 1: What?
Speaker 2: Look, we just talked about the Clippers. You wanted them
to get a scoring forward. Are you giving up a
first round.
Speaker 1: Pick for Zion?
Speaker 3: He would fit that mold? Like that is the John
Collins trade ship, I guess.
Speaker 2: So would you do a pick and a swap just
because they don't have the young I like Kobe Sanders
and Jordan Miller. I don't know if that's gonna do
it for New Orleans? Do you do the pick in
a swap plus salary for Zion? Who says that probably do?
I probably do? If it's it's or Sion's that's at
least interesting, like can I get him to not hold
the ball as much? And there is one thing though,
that does concern me. If we're looking at it through
the perspective of the Clippers, Zion is still not a
floor spacer like whatsoever.
Speaker 3: And I think in part that's also why I hesitate
on Zion frankly, as someone who like the If the
Pelicans call me up and they say, well, we're open
to moving him, you know we're looking for a lot though, YadA, YadA, YadA.
My first thing coming back is I can't support a
player who is just a complete non spacer. In the
year twenty twenty six, so your asking price is probably
going to be too high. Like, I would not be
surprised if there are multiple NBA teams out there who're
just flat out not interested because they understand the value
of spacing and how they have to tailor so much
of their offense around him. Which then also if you
do that, then he has to be available, and then
you're looking at it when going, oh, he played Freddy
Games last year, Like, this is not an easy player
to Like you said, we had to find a baseline
he's we might I could might make the argument he
might be the toughest player in the NBA to find
like a value baseline on.
Speaker 1: That's interesting.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I do think that he has shown though that
he in the past and even some of the moments
he's had with Derek Queen, that he can still be
effective without a top line floor spacer in the front
court next to him. My my bigger concern with the
Clippers specifically would be he's never had to play I
guess I don't want to say Brett, but him and
brand and Ingram were never an intuitive fit. Doesn't it
feel like you're dialing that up to eleven with James
Harden and the way that he's gonna want up like
Zion isn't setting.
Speaker 1: Screens and rolling to the rim in a high volume
and he can't.
Speaker 2: He can't pick and pop like a John Collin zer
a brook Lopez, and he's not gonna play like a
Viza zu Bots. So that would be my cause. But
the talent is undeniable. What about what about Brooklyn? Would
you give like two of the Well I actually went
through this. I think they actually only have high, higher
end first round picks. So never mind, I was gonna say,
which you give away some of your lower end first
round picks. But so like, let's say the Knicks first
round pick in twenty twenty seven. And then does Brooklyn
have anybody that would interest the Pelicans, because that's the baseline.
Pelicans would save a bowload of money too if they wanted,
because they have Brooklyn has fifteen plus million in cap space.
Speaker 3: What is the incentive off the Brooklyn Nets trade for
Sion Williams At the stage they have Michael.
Speaker 2: Porter Junior killing it, They don't own their pick next year.
That might be something just and if you want to
I'm not even saying maybe they just want to boost
the trade value both him and MPG, then you flip
them at the deadline next year. Like this, you could
view z Ion as like, from Brooklyn's perspective, if you're
giving up the Knicks pick, and.
Speaker 1: What about like I'm.
Speaker 2: Not giving up Drake Powell, but when I give up
Danny Wolf. But let's just say you're doing something like
a prosper. You're not giving up Joeman. Maybe it's Ben Saraf.
Let's just say it's one of those younger guys and
that next pick. Maybe you're just betting that Zion Williamson
in a trade either over the summer or next season,
you could get more for him than that, Or you're
trying to be good and Zion Williamson and Michael Porter
Junior plus some cap space this summer might be a
way to do that.
Speaker 3: I guess is somewhat interesting. I would probably prefer to
go in a different direction, if you know, in terms
of a team, because I don't think it makes a
lot of sense overall for Brooklyn now Charlotte Hornet's, on
the other.
Speaker 2: Hand, we're just gonna lean all the way into the
league's best offense basically.
Speaker 3: At this point, why not? I mean Look, so Miles
Bridges I think is someone who has trouble integrating himself
into like the fabric of an offense. I think he
takes a lot of shots that are weird. You say,
I'm sorry, I have to interject here. There was a
war in our comment section on the Hornets trade deadline
primer because we had the nerve to suggest that Jared
Jackson Junior was better than Miles Bridges. That's interesting, are Okay.
Speaker 1: I didn't partake in it, but I did see it.
Speaker 3: It was just so like Hornets fans were like, Miles
Bridges better than Jaron Jackson Junior.
Speaker 1: Not I'm not. I'm not painting the broad brush.
Speaker 3: It was.
Speaker 2: I think there was a It wasn't just one person.
I can tell you that much. It's like, wait, wait,
did Charlotte Hornets have more than one fan? Okay, that's great.
Speaker 3: No, I had to sorry, Look, he's not Can we
just can we close the door on that immediately? Like
Miles Bridges is not better And that's.
Speaker 1: Coming from the pre eminent Jaron Jackson Junior hater.
Speaker 3: Come on, that's that is cruel and unnecessary. I am
critie seeking parts of his game, and I am critiquing
his playoff performances with Miles Breeches. I am also critiquing
his play because I do not think that he fits
well within the flow of the offense. I like the
LaMelo Brandon Miller, Conko Nipple trio far more. I would
love to see someone else in Miles Breeches' role, Like
would it have to be Sion? No. I actually think
personally that it wouldn't be a bad thing to have
more of a connector in that spot instead of Miles preaches.
But if we're just leaning into the freakin' offense anyway,
at least give me someone who is highly efficient, who
can also move the basketball, who is going to attack
the rim like there's no tomorrow, like LaMelo Sion.
Speaker 2: That's insane, will be fun now here's And honestly, I
would like to see what Zion can become defensively under
Charles Lee, because if you this hasn't gotten a lot
of shine because Hornets are setting the world on fire. Offensively,
They've had some blowout and there's a ponent shooting luck involved.
I think opponents are shooting under thirty five percent on
wide open threes since Thanksgiving or whatever against them. But
since Thanksgiving, basically they have this. They have a top
seven defense, And I think what's gone into that is
when your offense is so good, it gives your defense
a chance to get set. And so if you're disciplined
enough to get back and get set, that gives you
a leg up. Do you think that integrating Zion is
playing with fire there?
Speaker 1: Though?
Speaker 2: To where it's well, now, Conkin Nipple probably has the
ball in his hands even less, Brendon Miller the ball
in his hands even less.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you don't want that too. That's that's where it
would be interesting, right or concerning. Rather, it's just I'm
trying to identify teams that could use someone of that
ill Like Hell, I could bring on another Eastern Conference
team that would use a scoring power forward that dejoined Pistons. However,
they're pretty short on spacing themselves, mister Valley, That's an
issue here.
Speaker 1: I like the Charlotte.
Speaker 2: I like the Charlotte idea, but I think if I'm
the Hornets, I also need to just get herb Jones
in that deal, Like what does it take to do both?
Because I think I think we're pushing the defense of
like the Bill too far away. From defense at that point,
what about the heat.
Speaker 1: Let's say they miss out on Giannis.
Speaker 3: Yeah, so what's the deal? There's Hero? No, it has
to be wigging and something else, right, Like, you're not
moving Hero in that deal.
Speaker 2: I would imagine, well you maybe is it yakacions and
a pick and then you have Terry Rozier's salary so
you could play around with maybe you could get there
without Wiggins or or Hero.
Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, that would be interesting. Like if I can
use Rosher's contract to finagle this, I'm absolutely exploring that.
Speaker 2: Yes, what about this is some kind of it's a
bizarre construction, other moving parts involved. But would you do
de Jonte Murray and Zion Williamson for Karl Anthony Towns
and it's salary? So Gershan Jappucelli's in there, I think
to get to make the math work.
Speaker 3: Okay, wow, that's so.
Speaker 2: You're getting off the Dejonte Murray deal. Carl Anthony Towns
is shorter term. He can play next to Derek Queen,
but your defense, you know, not gonna be great upfront
with those minutes.
Speaker 3: I feel as though if I'm training for Sion Williamson,
I would once retain Carl Anthony Towns because of the
spacing presence that he allows you.
Speaker 2: But you know what, Zion Williamson gives you a ball
handler against pressure that the Knicks don't have. And Jalen
Brunson is no stranger to working within confined spacing.
Speaker 1: I'm not advocating. I'm just asking questions.
Speaker 3: You're just asking questions. Uh yeah, I don't love it
is going to be my immediate feedback. Oh hell, I
had a team.
Speaker 2: I was at Memphis because that would be fun him
and Jared Jackson Junior.
Speaker 3: It was not. It was it was a young team.
What about And you're gonna hate this and it's fair.
It is fair. This takes a particular stomach to hold.
What if Trey Young was step one of a large.
Speaker 1: Oh my god.
Speaker 2: Well you saw the report that the Wizards are interested
in Walker Kessler, Right, so I guess they want another
big next to Sar But this is a completely different
Washington can't do that. That would be I would question
the vision or or they're doing the thing out I
would maybe they're trying to do the thing outlined with Brooklyn.
We're just gonna rehabilitate all these vets and get more
value for them, like but.
Speaker 3: At least like, I mean, it would be fun. I'm
not saying you'd be smart, but I mean tray training
for Trey Young and signed Williamson virtually at the same time,
like Trey hasn't played yet, Like, right, that could be fun.
Speaker 2: I think we may have reached the point where we
move so Zion, the baseline is we want the equivalent
of two for where they're not. I don't think you're
gonna get a prime time like the Clippers if they
put a pick on the table that feels like the
best possible draft pick you could get for Zion Williamson, right.
Speaker 3: Right, yeah, Like you're not gonna get top shelf draft
picks for Zion at this point.
Speaker 1: No, what about Trey Murphy? What does it take to
get him out of your.
Speaker 3: World top shelf draft picks? I mean again, assuming, of course, uh,
you know, the front office in New Orleans understand his value,
which you better hope because in my perspective, I understand
people will argue that Derek Queen might be the most
you know, the guy with the most trade value because
if he's on cost controlled cost contract and whatnot. But
in terms of like who's the best player and who's
on I also think a reasonable contract, a very reasonable contract.
I think Trey Murphy is the guy who probably has
the most trade value.
Speaker 1: He has the bink.
Speaker 2: I think you could argue Derek Queed is New Orleans'
most important player long term, but Trey Murphy.
Speaker 1: Clearly has the most trade value of anyone on the
roster now.
Speaker 2: And by the way, this is the one player aside
from Derrek Queed I think is New Orleans. I'm just
looking at and saying, it's a minimum of four first
round picks or we're not moving him. And I don't
think they're gonna get that offer because his floor spacing
and the pressure he puts on defenses both on and
away from the ball, his ability to fit alongside basically
any lineup construction. There's no point, Like, I don't even
want to talk because is there a team that you
would endorse right now? Because even the Pistons, Trey Murphrey
is a great fit for them. Let's say you could
get Ron Holland and three first round picks. I don't
know if Detroit is gonna do that, and if I'm
New Orleans, that's the minimum of what it's taken to
getting you in the door.
Speaker 3: I would, oh my god, immediately if I can get that,
Like so that would be with Spice Harris right, so
it would be like Harris and Ron Holland could.
Speaker 2: Also I think you could probably make it work with
Duncan Robinson, Jay and Ivys in there too. They got
Carousel avert doesn't have to be Tobias Harris like to use.
Speaker 3: I would like to use that Bias Harris contract eventually
because they're going to be expensive next year anyway, when
Jalen Duran is gonna come up for a new deal
and Jade and Ivy who unless they trade him, So
like Tobias Harris, I think is like the chip that
needs to fall. I would do that immediately because that's
the player for Detroit, right, Like we're talking about Lauren Markinen,
We're talking about a both bunch of guys, like marketing
is what twenty one million more expensive at this point?
Yea than Trey Murphy. Like if Trey Murphy is in
like Detroit and have control of like all most of
or all of their.
Speaker 1: Draft I think all of their draft picks.
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, Like this is a team that absolutely should
go in for it, Like if if it's Harris and
picks like three picks, and I don't even care if
they're unprotected. If those are, if that's the price tack
for trade.
Speaker 2: Is Ron Holland and three three unprotected? Well it's it's
this year's pick, which is going to be bad, and
then twenty eight and thirty that's the offer. Fine, fine,
Like are you doing that as New Orleans? Though I
might not do it because think about how good the
Pistons and by the way, that might be unreasonable. But
Trey Murphy's so good that if if New Orleans' plan
is to be good before twenty thirty, right, it's so
I that's just the stance on their team, Like the
Spurs could come in with four first round picks.
Speaker 3: The Spur So I'm glad you brought them up because
it was reported by Tim McMahon. I think it was
that the Spurs just do not have interest in Gianni
Sano and so I've kind of like mentally just said,
all right, that ship is Saled. Who is the next
up for San Antonio? Because the Spurs have one more
move in them for sure, And you and I have
talked about Trey Murphy being like perfect for that system.
I still agree with that, So like that is the guy.
If it's because like we've kidden around and talked about
Denny appduo before, that's not gonna make serialize because the
Blazers are going to ask for the freaking the moon,
and rightfully so, Trey Murphy. Trey Murphy is like the
guide to put into that system. So again they should
ask for a bunch like Detroit. And if you can
get into a bidding war between the Pistons and Spurs
for Trey Murphy, hell yeah, do it, New Orleans.
Speaker 1: You know what team I would like to see.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't normally advocate when they're this firmly in the
middle and I don't know when the tides are going
to turn for them, because it still feels like Denny
Avia has been great, but I wonder if they need
their best passer still and we don't know what's happened
with Scoot Portland.
Speaker 1: Going in for Trey Murphy would.
Speaker 2: Be you have you have Drew Clinging, Sharp, Murphy, Denny Avia,
Tamani Kamara there you have ways to make them like
Jeremy Grant could be used as the primary salary, and
they have now that pick that's encumbered to Chicago. They
can't really promise the first until twenty thirty, but they
have Orlando's pick in twenty twenty eight, they have the
Bucks's pick in twenty twenty nine, and they have those
two swaps with Milwaukee as well in twenty eight and
twenty thirty.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a team.
Speaker 2: I don't know if they're at the right point in
their competitive life cycle. But that's Trey Murphy on that team.
My god, I think that would that's like my favorite.
I think my favorite Trey Murphy destination would be Detroit,
but the Portland might be my second favorite one.
Speaker 3: Okay, that's interesting. Yeah, I mean he would come in
and be a much better version of Jeremy Grant at least,
I mean, and younger would fit the timeline.
Speaker 2: More cheaper because you're paying sharp Scoot is technically extension eligible.
But is that that feels like I would say it's
a three first round pick situation.
Speaker 3: Right, and I still wonder what the upside is after that,
Like he makes them better. Don't get me wrong, obviously
he does. What is the ceiling of that team? Though?
Speaker 2: I mean, it still feels like you would have a
dearth of creation, but like I don't. Sometimes I feel
like we're underestimating Shade and Sharp And if Scoot just
gets healthy, he did show a bunch of improvement last year,
and you have, like again Danny Avvia, they've had, their
offense is decidedly above average when he is basically their
point guard. It's the problem is when he's off the court,
and that assuming Scoot gets healthy or Damian Lillard next year,
that's a temporary problem.
Speaker 3: It feels like Donovan Klingon is gonna get better. Sharp
is gonna get better. All right. I buy it. I
buy it. I can see the vision. Like hell, Trey
Murphy is probably gonna get better.
Speaker 2: Right, So it's I don't know what the but as
New Orleans, if you're getting let's say the Orlando pick
in twenty eight, the Bucks pick in twenty nine, and
then what else do we need to throw? Is it
both bucks swaps? Do you need that to get the
deal done? Or is it one buck swap?
Speaker 3: Does that if you're a competent from office in New Orleans,
that is what you would ask for.
Speaker 2: At least what both you're saying it needs to be
both yeah, yeah, you would ask for both, Well, you
would ask for both. I'm saying minimum. Would you consider
it for a swap the the Orlando pick, yeah, and
the and the Bucks pick in twenty nine?
Speaker 3: I probably would, like, do I go all in and
pull the trigger? I don't know, but that's at least.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't do it as New Orleans. I wouldn't as Portland.
I would as New Orleans, I wouldn't do it. And
you know what, if you told me they needed both
swaps as Portland, I start to go.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I could do it.
Speaker 2: This is the problem, But let's move on. I think
the Pelicans keep Trey Murphy, but we've established that. I
would say the absolute bare minimum to get New Orleans
to even have like a negotiation is if your offer
doesn't include three real first round picks.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a non starter.
Speaker 3: I agree.
Speaker 1: Next guy up, Herb Jones.
Speaker 2: His extension is not kicked in yet, but you know
how much he costs moving forward?
Speaker 1: Always a benefit?
Speaker 3: Ah, that is see. I hate that you bring it
up because I'm this is a guy who I struggle
finding like a baseline trade value for as well. Like
so we had the year where he was, you know,
a fantastic floor spacer, and we kind of thought, oh, oh,
this this might be the new him. If he's a
guy who gives us this switchable defense every single night
and he can's forty from three, Holy moly, this this
could be like a top tiers, high end starter and
like you, probably even more the three point shot has
come back to earth. He so offensively, he's still very raw.
We don't really know fully what his role is offensively speaking.
He's twenty seven, so I think it's fair to say
he's probably not going to take like a substantial leap
from here moving forward, just in terms of like his
offensive evolution. So where does that leave him as a
trade asset? Because if he is only a defense like
a great though, but only a defensive player and just
more or less an opportunistic offensive score, what the hell
is that worth in today's NBA?
Speaker 2: See, I think he's the jump shot concerns are just
they're real, and that is like definitely a problem. But
I think that he on a different team, there's just
and we've seen it too, when he gets going downhill,
like he can be more of a connective type on offense.
Speaker 1: It doesn't just.
Speaker 2: Have to be oh, we need him to shoot forty
two percent or like, what was he at thirty seven
percent on above the break threes in the year you're
talking about twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four. So for him,
there is limitations there. But I mean, you look at
some of the defensive lineups, like that he props up
in New Orleans. That guy is like an on court
culture changer. And so he's twenty seven and I don't know,
how do you feel about the extension that he signed specifically,
because I've seen a lot of different people they're like
they're either I was pretty high on it. I thought
it was fine, or everyone's oh, over twenty million dollars
a year for herb Jones and to contextualize it, it's
going to average out to be less than thirteen percent
of the salary cap.
Speaker 3: I liked it when it was signed. But look, look, no,
I mean I'm not hating on it, like I haven't
done a one to eighty. I'm just a little less
high on it now because I thought that like last
year's shooting, you know, I thought it was a blip
last year. I thought it was like, oh, okay, thirty
percent from three. You know, he was struggling with the jumper.
I thought, you know that that could just be a
one year thing. The fact that it now seems like
it's not just that soured me a little bit. Like
I'm not gonna say it's like an egregious overpay or anything,
but it's like it it could have been better now
than what we know. Right. But like at the point
in time when you extend him, you're buying into everything.
You're buying into the hope of him also being a
reliable score. Like you, I do agree with you, connecting wise,
there's something there. He might actually be the forward the
Hornet should be going for. Actually, oh that I actually
wrote about this or no, I pitched it.
Speaker 2: I went on the Real GM Radio podcast with Wes Goldberg,
and my proposal was Pat Conatan's expiring deal. Yeah, plus
a twenty twenty six first round pick. It's essentially going
to be the least favorable from Phoenix, Orlando or Memphis
plus a twenty twenty seven first round pick. I would
say the second most favorable from Charlotte, Dallas or Miami.
That work financially nine point yeah, because Charlotte has all
that room under the tax that it heard Jones only
making fourteen million bus.
Speaker 3: Yeah here so cheap right here? Okay, I like that. Yeah.
See that's because then you have the connecting piece in
that lineup, right. I like that a lot.
Speaker 1: Do you think that Charlotte does that. I think they should.
Speaker 2: But I wonder if they would say, we're only going
to give you the least favorable of Dallas, Miami and
our own and I don't know if that would be
a deal breaker. Maybe you could sweeten it with seconds,
but I think that's sort of the Herb Jones baseline
for me is I need the equivalent of more than
one first round pick. And that's like, because I'm the
picks that I'm sending out from Charlotte right now, none
of them are elite, and so if you're getting too,
I don't think they will or should be elite.
Speaker 1: Just if we're realistically speaking.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I can't. I can get along with that lineup
thinking Again, that's also why it irks me whenever someone
says two first round picks, like that's you're saying nothing
like you there are protections like in terms of like
a first round pick is the first overall and it's
the thirtieth overall. Like, let's be specific here, if it's
a lower end first round draft pick, or like a
middle to low end first round draft pick, and two
of them, Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2: That's a fair I think in this case, looking at
SO this year, it's the least favorable of Memphis, Orlando
and Phoenix.
Speaker 1: I think you're so.
Speaker 2: I think you're look at two top twenty selections. I
don't think any of them are falling or like the
like or averages out to be like. I bet you
one of those picks at least conveys in the teens
would be my prediction.
Speaker 3: Yeah, all right, that's not bad for a guy who
does change the culture, who defensively is so elite.
Speaker 2: Yes, Now would you do it for DeAndre Hunter? There
probably needs to be another team involved, because the Pelicans
want to stay out of the tax. DeAndre Hunter and
Cleveland can trade. They're twenty thirty one first round pick?
Is that far out? And what if they say, we'll
give you, let's say a twenty thirty swap and a
twenty thirty one first round pick from Cleveland for Herb
Jones and DeAndre Hunter.
Speaker 3: Hmmm, all right, that's that's interesting. So you I'm trying
to figure out, like what DeAndre Hunter's role would be
impell in New Orleans.
Speaker 1: You would hope that he just makes threes.
Speaker 2: He's not going to replace Herb's defense, I mean positionally, right, sure,
But I just.
Speaker 3: Maybe it's me. I just don't understand why the pel
what the Pelicans would use DeAndre Hunter for? Like I
don't wouldn't understand what their motivation would be to trade
for Deantre Hunter.
Speaker 1: Specifically, he's not part of the value.
Speaker 2: The value as you're getting the pick in the swap
is really help? Like why would they trade for pac
Contan would be the same question.
Speaker 3: Yeah, all right. And the only reason I'm asking is
because Hunter does require minutes. He's like, he's not bad enough.
You can just spend if.
Speaker 1: Someone needs to play Herb Jones's minutes.
Speaker 3: Yeah that's true, all right, Yeah, okay, I could get
along with that if it's for the picks.
Speaker 1: Do you have any other Herb Jones teams that you
find interesting?
Speaker 3: I do not. I think my favorite was Charlotte.
Speaker 1: Charlotte.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I love him for sure, you know what, And
I probably wouldn't have loved him as Charlotte wasn't playing
so well right now our final player. There are other ones,
Sadiq Bay, Jose Alvarado. It's rumored that the Pelicans won
a first round pick for eves Mec. He has one
year left on his deal. They do have Derek Queen.
There doesn't sound like they're itching to trade's ion either.
I don't think they're getting a first round pick, especially
because they're not in a position to take back bad money.
Would you trade him for two? What if the Knicks
is an example? If one of the seconds they're giving
you is Washington's this year, which is number thirty one,
is that enough for you to consider as eves Mec
when you're looking at the offensive rebounding, the improvements he's
made defensively, is that just not enough for you to
move off him.
Speaker 3: I just need to be absolutely clear because you said
he had one more year. He's a same you're a guy, right,
he's got two more years left?
Speaker 1: Uh? Does he have two more years left on his
dealt He only one more year left?
Speaker 3: Yes? He's is he not?
Speaker 1: Are you looking at his contract?
Speaker 3: I'm pretty sure Eavest Missy was a yeah, yeah, first
round pick, like four year contract four year rookie deal.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I don't know why I have it as noted.
Oh sorry, that was because it's a team off you
use it. He has two more years of cost control
left on this deal.
Speaker 3: Okay, BT, Yeah I was. I was just because when
you said, I was like, did they decline four year
option or like?
Speaker 1: What?
Speaker 3: Because I like him a great deal because that would
have shocked me. But again, the Pelicans are generally shocking.
So first as first round from me sie as young
as he is twenty one, the wingspan is just ridiculous.
He's six eleven. He's got a touch, a great rebounder,
a great rookie season compared to expectations. Yeah, he's not
played up to part this year like he you know,
Durry Queen took his spot more or less. That doesn't
mean he's bad. That doesn't mean anything. Really.
Speaker 2: I mean he has it's the touch and hands around
the basket, really, and I'm just wondering if if he
has better or i'll say more conventional playmakers around him
in better spacing, does that change.
Speaker 1: The other thing, too, is just so.
Speaker 2: Among everyone's who's logged at least five hundred minutes this season,
MESI and Mitchell Robinson are the only players who rank
in the ninetieth percent. Tyler better of both offensive rebounding
impact and their block rate on shots that they can test.
I maybe it's so like Boston if you can get
their twenty twenty six first round pick, maybe that's like
a realistic because that's what in the twenties at that point.
Speaker 3: That would be fun. I didn't even so this is
an interesting thing. Like I knew that Messi had a
good reputation as an offensive rebounder dating back to his
rookue season. I had not fully acknowledged just how beastly
he's been on the offensive last this year in limited minutes.
Jesus Christ, Okay.
Speaker 2: I think you can make the case. Now, what does
he look like if he's your starter? I think it's
I think team context would just matter a bunch there.
And I mean the bigger thing for me is just
I don't know what the scoring upside is with him.
It's just because like he's not someone who scores or
makes i'll say, great decisions when he is coming down
with an offensive rebound necessarily.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, wow.
Speaker 2: I just looked at a thirty eighth percentile of efficiency
after on his put back attempts not.
Speaker 3: Great, but that is that is a problem, Like I
will say it, you kind of you kind of said it,
So I'm gonna piggyback off of that. In terms of
the contextual the roster, the roster has to make sense,
Like wherever he ends up, it has to be tailored
to be able to carry his archetype of player for sure,
because otherwise giving up at first is expensive.
Speaker 1: Would you do it?
Speaker 2: What does like three seconds, like three real seconds that
maybe two of them have a chance of conveying in
the thirties.
Speaker 1: Does that make you consider it? Or no?
Speaker 3: I would? I would? I mean that's that's at least interesting. Yes.
Speaker 2: So the just the final thing, what do you think
when you're building out this team, not that they should
go out and actively buy. What's the one like functional
aspect that they need more of.
Speaker 3: This is going to sound so harsh, but like just
cost controlled assets that are reliable And what I what
I mean by that is, you know, Deyonce Murray obviously
on the hook for thirty point eight million this year,
for two point seven million next year, got a player
option to boot the year after injured. You can't really
rely on him being fully healthy at any point. Jordan
Poole is also in the thirties. He's been dreadful, Like
you just think. I think the biggest need is just
getting cleaner books. Honestly, moving forward, the books are not cleaned.
This is a pretty big shit show of a roster,
Like the money you've allocated to certain players are just
not worth the squeeze at all. So I think that's
the biggest need is streamline your freaking books. Pelicans, They're
not streamlined at all. They're they're a mess.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they get and they don't really get cleaned up
until twenty twenty eight unless you think, I mean, if
you think Murray might decline his player option, maybe after
next season, but after those centuries like, no way, that's
a good call out, I would say, functionally speaking, I
want to see them if they can just get shooters,
and I had them as when I thought when we
thought Michael Porter Junior was on a net negative deal,
I thought he would have been great here. I'm more
so talking like I want wings three and d wings
or just pure shooters.
Speaker 1: And so give me Sam Hauser.
Speaker 2: If Boston's trying to do something, especially if they're you
know you're sending out Mesi to them, Corey Kispert when
we shout out your guy there, Moses Moody even like
depending on what the warriors we're looking to do, those
type just go out and get Can you get Shima
Kayle Luke from Utah at this point, Uh, there's like
a just name you're a shooter and you'll I'll be
hard pressed to say that. I don't want them on
the Pelicans. I want if you're keeping Zion, if you're
keeping Queen, you need more Trey Murphy's. They don't have
to be as good as Trey Murphy's, but you need
someone who can provide a comparable level of offensive bankability
as a as a floor spacer.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I would agree.
Speaker 2: Do you have anything else on the Pelicans? How many Eves, mecI,
Herb Jones, Uh, Trey Murphy and Zion over under zero
point five of those four getting traded over.
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm not convinced.
Speaker 2: Me see, makes it a wild card, makes it maybe
easy a little easier to go over, But I'm not convinced.
Speaker 1: I might I'm gonna go.
Speaker 3: To need the wild card sig on.
Speaker 2: I just yeah, I mean, I'm I'll be if they
do move him, I'll be curious to see what it's for. Honestly,
we did all this, they're gonna end up buying. They're
gonna trade for Grannis or something. It's Can you just
tell everyone where they can find you and all your work?
Speaker 3: Yes, sir, you can find a work of right Yahu
sports you feel a sense a t three podcasts if
you understand Danish you find listen to Plus or Fear
or Catch from Car Teams Coach.
Speaker 2: Until next time, please remember to rate, review, subscribe. Wherever
you're consuming this, join our discord, the link to which
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Speaker 1: The podcast and YouTube description.
Speaker 2: And finally, but not leastly, shout out to mister Frank
Nila Keena