Road to a Championship start here, 2022 Draft.

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I find it interesting all the teams linked to Interest in Murray also have link to Raptors Brown.

Knicks Grimes pick,
Lakers Russell pick,
Bucks Portis, Connaughton pick,

I have an easier time believing they'd put Portis up for Murray than Brown. Which has me thinking of Pels mention to Portis & Bucks needing pick value where NO's hold their picks/swaps till 27...

I'm thinking in helping Bucks land Murray, flip Portis to Hawks for Okongwu, Hawks would get 3 yrs control out of the proven vet to help NO's shake Okongwu loose.

Unfortunately the easiest & best way to make salaries/cap work, is to have CJ in trade. Orlando Magic need shooting & have Paul Lowry as potential targets to help guide the young team. CJ shooting 45% on volume should peak their interest, NO's may not get a better time to sell. (Isaac, Fulz, Denver 25, Suns 26) for (CJ).

Unfortunately, Murphy being a Klutch client was probably a no go from the start despite all the potential benefits.

Something along the lines of Brown & Portis, picks landing in Atlanta for Murray & Okongwu

NO's could have 3 financial avenues

Trade Jonas expiring - save no money where Okongwu's skillset is closer to Nance's
Trade Nance 11m contract - Saves roughly 12m, if NO's decide not to extend Jonas in the offseason.
Trade CJ - Could save NO's up to 20m in salary without losing quality & depth.

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Bucks trade - (Portis, Connaughton, pick) for (Murray)

Raptors trade - (Brown) for (Jonas, Connaughton, Bucks pick)

Hawks trade - (Murray, Okongwu) for (Brown, Portis, Bucks 26 RTS, Bucks 27)

NO's trade - (Jonas, Bucks 26 RTS, Bucks 27) for (Okongwu)

The alternative with Okongwu;s skillset & size being closer to Nance.. Nance & EJ to Raptors .. Where NO's would have Jonas size & option of 15m expiring value if they manage to draft a big man for depth.

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I still think the best trade from fit to cap, is CJ for Murray, Okongwu. If Pelicans are not contenders by next season they will be facing CJ's extension at 34 where they can potentially cash in now at peak value. Magic are an ideal trade partner, their young team needs shooting & leadership. NO's need depth, better asset control & cap management Get that with 2 team friendly contracts at 2 ageing positions. If Daniels develops to a point he can start, Murray is on a team friendly control for 5yrs as a trade asset apposed to facing CJ's max in 2yrs.

Jonas 15m - Okongwu 8m - Nance 11m
Zion - Nance - Okongwu
BI - Murphy - Naji
Herb - Hawkins - Jose
Murray 18m- Daniels - Jose

If the Lakers 24 is in good draft position, draft a cheap development big man.

Unless you think this current team can win it all, this is IMO the move to make.

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Jonas 30 15m/expiring ------ Okongwu 23 8m/5
CJ 32 35m/2yrs ------- Murray 26 18m/5yrs

In using CJ peak value to net both Murray & Okongwu. The capped out team benefiting from Jonas 15m expiring, is NO's. CJ for Murray/Okongwu saves NO's 20m if they let Jonas expire without having to address either position. Where they will have option to extend or not based on how all 3 of Jonas, Nance & Okongwu look, in hopefully a PO setting.

Murray is statistically identical to CJ outside of the dip in 3pt efficiency but he's the better defender with size & length. Where I've shown NO's need one additional defender to Herb to help balance the starting rotation. Having a prime Murray locked up on a team friendly for 5yrs allows for Daniels to have a development curve & acts as insurance. If Daniels develops into a starter, Murray's value can then be flipped where you would otherwise be facing having to extend a 34yo CJ or hope Daniels can or is ready to start by that time. Okongwu being ready to start on another potential value contract allows NO's to ride Jonas expiring to ultimately save money if they so choose. Jonas for Allen doesn't even come close to the same benefits.

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Tillman for 2 2nd's is a steal for Boston.

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You put Murray next to CJ, you're replicating the Hawks failure in backcourt. The idea is to pair Herb with another defender in the backcourt to help pressure the ball. Where Murray is moved back to his beneficial position at point, with a 3 & D wing not defensive sieve complimenting him offensively & defensively. With Okongwu included, you have Jonas post game, Nance stretch ability & Okongwu's rebounding, perimeter defense as insurance to any Nance injury. Then you will have the option on Jonas 15m to save 20m in the offseason if you so choose.. Could keep BI's boy Naji by doing so. Draft a cheap replacement with the Lakers pick, which is hopefully in good draft position.

I see people butchering the trade trying to get Murray for Jonas & Daniels creating a hole at C with nowhere to play Murray without taking Herb out the rotation, lol. Completely defeats the purpose & benefit of trade, which is to add another perimeter defender to Herb... Then the benefit of retention of young potential & value is also lost by moving Daniels.. Why trade Daniels for a PG when you can trade CJ? & have Daniels continue to develop behind the prime of Murray controlled for 5yrs, until ready, or not. Where you will have Murray as insurance to developing Daniels to eventually take his spot, creating a team friendly, controlled, trade asset for retention of value.. Where NO's would be in position to flip Murray from a position of strength, net pick/s expiring/s etc ....

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See the other forum talking Herb or Daniels for Murray .. NO NO NO. Herb has to play long side Murray & Daniels is the potential replacement for Murray if he develops.

It also doesn't make sense to thin an already thin front court. It has to be one of 2 max contracts between BI & CJ for Murray/Okongwu's team friendly to make sense.

Jonas - Nance - Okongwu
Zion - Okongwu
BI - Murphy
Herb - Hawkins
Murray - Daniels - Jose

or

Jonas - Nance - Okongwu
Zion - Okongwu
Herb - Murphy
CJ - Hawkins
Murray - Daniels - Jose

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Capela is declining & becoming injury prone ...

WCJ a rim protector, lol, ok.

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Through 3 Q's Okongwu is going up against Porzingis who has a foot on him.

Outrebounding him 10 to 3 with 6 offensive boards.

17 pts 6-10 shooting 1-2 from 3.

Okongwu (+1), Hawks down 5, Young (-10) & Bogdanovic (-2) shooting 9-30 from the field.

Hawks are going to end up keeping him.

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Miles Bridges just put up 47 - 7 - 7 vs Toronto.

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Like what Pels are doing, just need to cleanup the careless TO's

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Nice win.

Where Clippers are concerned, pressure the point & pound the post.

Zion had 2 points at the half, finished with 21. Plumlee team high -16

Weak in the middle.

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I swear I'm watching a different game to most, lol. Wake up to posters saying CJ was the player of the game. What, lol. Why ? because he scored 25 points on 18 shots & had an offensive spurt 4th Q against a tired & worn team.

CJ with his 25pts on efficiency was only +4 because 75% of the game Clippers were successfully attacking him defensively, which is why he was a negative player in a game Pels led from start to finish, until the 4th Q spurt.

If you had to pick an offensive player for POG. It would have to be BI. When the game mattered most, BI was making very difficult shots, heavily guarded with the offense stalled to help open the lead they had 4th Q. BI was likewise +14. CJ's offense in the 4th came after Zion softened them up in the middle, CJ did, what he was supposed to, hit open 3's & when they closed hard take them off the dribble. What's sad, is the same people want to trade BI, lol.

The star of the game was defense, in specific because a few players did well defensively, Herb & Daniels ball pressure. They swarmed a tired team on the back end of a B2B & their legs weren't there 4th Q when CJ got hot & turned from a negative player to a +4 on the night. Nice scoring line though. I don't want to bag CJ because of what people say because if nothing else, CJ does put the effort in defensively & I can recognize, applaud that.

Dyson, by in far had a bigger impact on the game defensively, it wasn't really close. I could say they win this game without CJ,. You can't say they win this game without Daniels, Herb or BI. What's sad is the same people think Dyson's defense is expendable... Where any sane person can see with any offensive growth for the raw 20yo, makes him an obvious keeper. It's not as though his shot is broken either... the form is good. Reps & confidence. Trade him & I think you will come to regret it.

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Why would anyone entertain trading CJ ?.

For a team facing the cap, you can find players that do what he does for less than 35m, might even get an upgrade defensively. In 1 year, he will be facing extension as a 34yo, which gives NO's little room for error. Wait too long his value will be as an expiring contract/trade filler where NO's will lose his court value. In that span, if Daniels hasn't developed offensively, to effectively replace, who starts at point with the team is capped out in extensions ?

You will now have to trade someone else to fill a hole.

CJ 32yo, 35m/2yrs sold at peak value for Murry 27yo 18m/5 yrs, resets value while adding a defender who can push the pace & hit an open shot at a 36% clip without Zion's & BI's gravity. Not sure with the way Okongwu is playing Hawks will trade him but he's the value that put the trade over the top. Murray & Okongwu should be considered a steal in all aspects. The only potential negative is if there's any truth to Murray's personality.

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IDK who he is but Evan Sidery is saying NO & Hawks can come to an agreement today for Murray & Okongwu.

Understanding this trade. It's with an intent to reset value & cap management. You can combine all of Jonas, Herb, Daniels & not match salaries. This comes down to BI', CJ's max contracts & extensions.

With Naji, BI's boy in street clothes, I'm starting to think NO's will trade BI in not wanting to give him 50m per & I can see the logic in that move. With Okongwu ready to start, Jonas expires into 15m savings next season. In 2yrs when CJ's extension is up NO's would have one of Murray or Daniels at point depending on Daniels development & Hawkins stepping in to Let CJ's 35m effectively fall off the books, which also allows cap flexibility for Murphy's, Daniels & Hawkins extensions. Who knows, maybe NO's decide to keep Jonas for a couple more seasons with a drafted big man cheaply developing from the draft as another effective depth option & complimentary skillset to Okongwu/Nance...

With Lakers offering Russell & their 2029. I would have gone CJ & picks for Murray Okongwu where Atlanta could get player/pick value from Atlanta for CJ in combination with NO's pick value to retain BI. They can let BI fall off the books just the same if they don't want to give him the max extension.

Have to think BI might be the only way Atlanta part with Okongwu.

NO's trade - (BI, Naji) for (Murray, Okongwu, Fernando)

Not sure the necessary pick value if any.

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Toronto giving up a 24 first for Olynyk 12m & Agbaji. They might keep Agbaji but I'd expect them to flip Olynyk,

Most likely to get a pick not in the 24 draft.

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How does Atlanta go from an expiring Russell & a 2029 pick to wanting Herb Jonas.

If they don't want pick value or a 3rd teams player for Okongwu. Move on ... we good.

Not having to give up Herb or Daniels was the point of targeting Brown from the Raptors for a pick.

[Jesus_H_Macy]

Sup dude. Looks lonely in here. As a Suns fan I'm glad the Pels didn't get Murray, whenever I watch a Pels game (and guys are healthy) it always looks like they just need a good floor general to be really really good. Don't know if Murray would really be that guy but I expect he'd be better in the PG role than McCollum. But I don't see much of the Pels outside of Suns games so maybe I'm wrong.

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Sup dude. Looks lonely in here. As a Suns fan I'm glad the Pels didn't get Murray, whenever I watch a Pels game (and guys are healthy) it always looks like they just need a good floor general to be really really good. Don't know if Murray would really be that guy but I expect he'd be better in the PG role than McCollum. But I don't see much of the Pels outside of Suns games so maybe I'm wrong.

There's 3 posters but it's mainly me posting.

I agree with what you are saying but the benefit IMO is broader than that. Our starters are a negative lineup mainly because Herb is the lone defender with 4 offensive players. Once the offensive efficiency dips, there's no defensive compensation.

Earlier in the season CJ went down to injury for 9 games, where NO's had to start Daniels in his place. In his 90mins starting, the starters were +22. Daniels is an elite on ball defender but he's shooting 28% from 3 & he's underdeveloped offensively to effectively run point. So the starters were playing 4 on 5 offensively with less than ideal spacing with him on court but because of his elite man defense, they were a +22 with him starting over CJ. This is what brought me to Murray as a trade target.

Murray IMO would have been a balance between Daniels elite ball pressure & CJ's spacing. Murray is not quite the defender Daniels is but he's shooting 38% on 6+ APG. Murray is not the floor spacer CJ is (45% on 9 APG) but he's a better defender who led the league in steals last yr. So the goal was to pair Murray's defense with Herb without having to play 4 on 5 offensively & with better spacing. How big a gap defensively Daniels is from Murray is the hard read. His ability to run point is added bonus to the benefits of trade.

Benefits of Murray over CJ - Salary reduced from 35m to 18m, he's 5yrs younger in his prime, has 2 added yrs control, he's more of a PG than CJ & his defense over the slight dip in 3pt efficiency. Okongwu in the deal was icing on a cake.

Unfortunately Hawks wanted Herb & NO's did the right thing keeping him.

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Lakers starters 11-18 from 3. 87pts at the half. They almost made history.

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Like the blowout IST game. Lakers are attacking Zion -18 & CJ -19.

Jonas -6
Herb - 4
BI 0