RealGM

PHX trades:
Bradley Beal
Jusuf Nurkic

CHI trades:
Lonzo Ball
Zach LaVine

WHY FOR PHX?
Double down on their past mistakes and "upgrade" from Beal to LaVine while betting on Lonzo's health. If Lonzo is healthy, then a Ball-LaVine-Booker-Durant small-ball lineup might be work for them. If it doesn't, then at least LaVine's contract is smaller than Beal's and Lonzo is expiring.

WHY FOR CHI?
Per last week's AP report, Arturas Karnisovas wants to "get creative in reworking the roster despite having no salary cap space". He basically flips LaVine (+Lonzo's corpse) for two players who could be put into the starting lineup. Coby-Beal-DeRozan-Nurkic-Vuc with Caruso and PWill as next guys off the bench.

Personally I rather just ride with the younger LaVine if I was Chicago. Plus why would Beal sign up to be in a worse spot than he currently is?

Ball makes more than Nurkic, which makes this trade illegal

Absolutely not from Chicago, would much rather LaVine than Beal and that was before he sucked for Phoenix.

I don’t think this is as far off as some, but agree Chicago doesn’t do it. And Beal doesn’t agree to it..

I think if Phoenix added their 2024 first and a third team was added that Beal would agree to go to, you could make it work probably.

The Nurkic/Ball swap, I don’t think you can run those two centers together enough to spend that money, so I’d just leave it out since Phoenix needs to upgrade Nurkic (and get a backup for him) not just lose him completely..