Draft lottery Thread - Mavs #10

[Forbes]

Hardy and Green are untouchable. I dont want to see any trade suggestions involving those two. It just shows you dont watch the Mavs, hell, basketball period. Both of those guys are going to be better than peak CJ McCullum this season and still getting better.

You think Hardy a low IQ player is going to better than
A high IQ player like Cj McCollum?? Have you seen McCollum play? Hardy is talented but that low IQ will limit his success. He is far from untouchable. He actually one of best tradeable assets. I’m down to keep Green for the intangibles and defensive effort.

Did you mix Hardy up with THJ?

Not at all. Hardy is not a High IQ basketball player if thats why you think I’m mixing them up. As a matter of fact if the Mavs hard more players with High IQ we wouldn’t have missed the playoffs.

I’m dying to trade THJ btw. Would definitely trade him before Hardy.

[DJ_3_Ball]

You think Hardy a low IQ player is going to better than
A high IQ player like Cj McCollum?? Have you seen McCollum play? Hardy is talented but that low IQ will limit his success. He is far from untouchable. He actually one of best tradeable assets. I’m down to keep Green for the intangibles and defensive effort.

Did you mix Hardy up with THJ?

Not at all. Hardy is not a High IQ basketball player if thats why you think I’m mixing them up. As a matter of fact if the Mavs hard more players with High IQ we wouldn’t have missed the playoffs.

I’m dying to trade THJ btw. Would definitely trade him before Hardy.

I wish Luka was smart enough to realize that he needs to see the inside of a weight room in the offense and disciplined enough to adhere to a diet and not cry to the referees after every missed call.

Basketball IQ isn't the only measurement for a player. Hardy has something. It's clear as day. The Mavs have already lost out on one 2nd round star they drafted in recent years over perceived deficiencies. They don't need to repeat that mistake again.

[Archx]

You think Hardy a low IQ player is going to better than
A high IQ player like Cj McCollum?? Have you seen McCollum play? Hardy is talented but that low IQ will limit his success. He is far from untouchable. He actually one of best tradeable assets. I’m down to keep Green for the intangibles and defensive effort.

Did you mix Hardy up with THJ?

Not at all. Hardy is not a High IQ basketball player if thats why you think I’m mixing them up. As a matter of fact if the Mavs hard more players with High IQ we wouldn’t have missed the playoffs.

I’m dying to trade THJ btw. Would definitely trade him before Hardy.

Hardy was a 20yo rookie drafted only in the 2nd round and Kidd needed 70% of season to figure out that he's already a better player than THJ or at least Frank (even though that's hardly an accomplishment). IF Kidd would have given him a chance since the start, he could have even been selected in one of the rookies all NBA teams. He's not a low IQ player, he's actually a very promising talent which Mavs didn't have since the 2018 draft.

He was also the only guy who had the courage to put the ball on the floor, dribble and create something while everyone else stood around and watched Kyrie/Luka to do something. That to me, doesn't sound like a low IQ player, instead he needs MORE experience, confidence and guidance.

Apparently he's also a hard worker. Already getting ready for the next season.

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[UglyBugBall]

I think Hardy can become a 20 PPG guy in a couple of seasons if Kidd doesn't doghouse him or turn him into a spot up shooter. I wouldn't trade him, his offensive potential is perfect for a third man on a contender.

[Forbes]

Did you mix Hardy up with THJ?

Not at all. Hardy is not a High IQ basketball player if thats why you think I’m mixing them up. As a matter of fact if the Mavs hard more players with High IQ we wouldn’t have missed the playoffs.

I’m dying to trade THJ btw. Would definitely trade him before Hardy.

I wish Luka was smart enough to realize that he needs to see the inside of a weight room in the offense and disciplined enough to adhere to a diet and not cry to the referees after every missed call.

Basketball IQ isn't the only measurement for a player. Hardy has something. It's clear as day. The Mavs have already lost out on one 2nd round star they drafted in recent years over perceived deficiencies. They don't need to repeat that mistake again.

And I wish Luka was smart enough to realize if he actually became a better 3 point shooter it would open up his game so much more as well as make opportunities for his teammates open up tremendously, but I honestly don’t even think he’s going to work on that part of his game because of how confident he is.

I’m not saying IQ is the only measurement, Hardy is good I like him but he’s easily tradeable for the right pieces. But he has bad shot selection and that wont change. It’s just something you have to be ok to deal with.

[Forbes]

Did you mix Hardy up with THJ?

Not at all. Hardy is not a High IQ basketball player if thats why you think I’m mixing them up. As a matter of fact if the Mavs hard more players with High IQ we wouldn’t have missed the playoffs.

I’m dying to trade THJ btw. Would definitely trade him before Hardy.

Hardy was a 20yo rookie drafted only in the 2nd round and Kidd needed 70% of season to figure out that he's already a better player than THJ or at least Frank (even though that's hardly an accomplishment). IF Kidd would have given him a chance since the start, he could have even been selected in one of the rookies all NBA teams. He's not a low IQ player, he's actually a very promising talent which Mavs didn't have since the 2018 draft.

He was also the only guy who had the courage to put the ball on the floor, dribble and create something while everyone else stood around and watched Kyrie/Luka to do something. That to me, doesn't sound like a low IQ player, instead he needs MORE experience, confidence and guidance.

Apparently he's also a hard worker. Already getting ready for the next season.

Read on Twitter

He does all of those thing sand it’s much needed on the Mavs however, thats a compliment to what he actually capable of doing, IQ has more to do with a players decision making. He’s a high volume scorer with iffy shot selection and breaks plays often to try to score. He’s low IQ, this is stuff we already knew with him coming in. Doesn’t mean his abilities aren’t an asset to us. I just know if the right trade comes a long I’ll have no regrets parting ways especially if we are bringing in defense. Make no mistake I’m not discounting his scoring and playing making ability. He is literally the only other play that can actually dribble besides Luka and Kyrie. As of now he’s growing, we’ll see what he turns into.

I also agree Kidd takes too long to recognize talent smh.

[DJ_3_Ball]

And I wish Luka was smart enough to realize if he actually became a better 3 point shooter it would open up his game so much more as well as make opportunities for his teammates open up tremendously, but I honestly don’t even think he’s going to work on that part of his game because of how confident he is.

I’m not saying IQ is the only measurement, Hardy is good I like him but he’s easily tradeable for the right pieces. But he has bad shot selection and that wont change. It’s just something you have to be ok to deal with.

That's a good point. Luka has never shot over 75.8% from the line in his career. 73.0% 74.4% and 74.2% these past 3 seasons. He should be shooting well over 80% from the line if he were spending the time in the gym to improve. That's unacceptable. Luka needs to work on his shot selection from beyond the arc too.

I guess I'd have to see what the offer was, but Hardy is going to be a much better player this time next year than he is now. I'd rather hold onto him, and then see how much better the offers get. Hope for him to improve so much next year that the thought of trading him seems ludicrous.

[HMFFL]

Not trading green. Whats the point to draft guys if u dont want to keep the ones living up to what was expected?

I agree. We have forever not invested in our young talent and Green has proven he can have a long career in the league.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Forbes]

And I wish Luka was smart enough to realize if he actually became a better 3 point shooter it would open up his game so much more as well as make opportunities for his teammates open up tremendously, but I honestly don’t even think he’s going to work on that part of his game because of how confident he is.

I’m not saying IQ is the only measurement, Hardy is good I like him but he’s easily tradeable for the right pieces. But he has bad shot selection and that wont change. It’s just something you have to be ok to deal with.

That's a good point. Luka has never shot over 75.8% from the line in his career. 73.0% 74.4% and 74.2% these past 3 seasons. He should be shooting well over 80% from the line if he were spending the time in the gym to improve. That's unacceptable. Luka needs to work on his shot selection from beyond the arc too.

I guess I'd have to see what the offer was, but Hardy is going to be a much better player this time next year than he is now. I'd rather hold onto him, and then see how much better the offers get. Hope for him to improve so much next year that the thought of trading him seems ludicrous.

Luka Lowkey has a lot of work that’s necessary for someone thats already that good. I hope he sees how good Jokic is and gets motivated. I also don’t expect Luka to ever be a great defender but don’t be a traffic cone.

I see Hardy Role as a big scorer off the bench. If we are keeping Kyrie and Luka. You have to let him come in and do his thing. Everything about Hardy depends on what he brings to the team and how consistent he’s going to be. We’ll see.

[DJ_3_Ball]

Luka Lowkey has a lot of work that’s necessary for someone thats already that good. I hope he sees how good Jokic is and gets motivated. I also don’t expect Luka to ever be a great defender but don’t be a traffic cone.

I see Hardy Role as a big scorer off the bench. If we are keeping Kyrie and Luka. You have to let him come in and do his thing. Everything about Hardy depends on what he brings to the team and how consistent he’s going to be. We’ll see.

We know Kyrie misses a lot of games, so Hardy needs to also be able to step in and fill Kyrie's role for games that he's out.

If Kyrie becomes a bad fit for the team, Hardy needs to be able to step up and take over Kyrie's role. Mavs would need to move Kyrie & for the money they'd sign Kyrie for it's unlikely they'd get a star back in return. We'd have to hope Hardy is that future star.

Essentially, at some point in Hardy's tenure with the Mavs, we need him to take the leap that Brunson took. History tells us that Kyrie is likely to go south. The main thing he's doing for the Mavs right now is giving Luka hope and giving the Mavs more time to get things figured out.

[Forbes]

Luka Lowkey has a lot of work that’s necessary for someone thats already that good. I hope he sees how good Jokic is and gets motivated. I also don’t expect Luka to ever be a great defender but don’t be a traffic cone.

I see Hardy Role as a big scorer off the bench. If we are keeping Kyrie and Luka. You have to let him come in and do his thing. Everything about Hardy depends on what he brings to the team and how consistent he’s going to be. We’ll see.

We know Kyrie misses a lot of games, so Hardy needs to also be able to step in and fill Kyrie's role for games that he's out.

If Kyrie becomes a bad fit for the team, Hardy needs to be able to step up and take over Kyrie's role. Mavs would need to move Kyrie & for the money they'd sign Kyrie for it's unlikely they'd get a star back in return. We'd have to hope Hardy is that future star.

Essentially, at some point in Hardy's tenure with the Mavs, we need him to take the leap that Brunson took. History tells us that Kyrie is likely to go south. The main thing he's doing for the Mavs right now is giving Luka hope and giving the Mavs more time to get things figured out.

Personally I’m not much of a fan of Kyrie durability so I actually would prefer we sign and trade him but I doubt we’d get what we’d want. Hardy can step in when Kyrie’s down but there’s only so much I’d expect out of him. If Kyrie ends up being a bad fit I definitely would not want to depend on Hardy stepping into that role but he shouldn’t have a problem being the scorer that his is hopefully.

Hopefully we exhaust all options and I hope Kyrie makes a decision soon then later. I feel like he’s the type to drag out summer and put us in a compromising position

[Teffer10]

Luka Lowkey has a lot of work that’s necessary for someone thats already that good. I hope he sees how good Jokic is and gets motivated. I also don’t expect Luka to ever be a great defender but don’t be a traffic cone.

I see Hardy Role as a big scorer off the bench. If we are keeping Kyrie and Luka. You have to let him come in and do his thing. Everything about Hardy depends on what he brings to the team and how consistent he’s going to be. We’ll see.

We know Kyrie misses a lot of games, so Hardy needs to also be able to step in and fill Kyrie's role for games that he's out.

If Kyrie becomes a bad fit for the team, Hardy needs to be able to step up and take over Kyrie's role. Mavs would need to move Kyrie & for the money they'd sign Kyrie for it's unlikely they'd get a star back in return. We'd have to hope Hardy is that future star.

Essentially, at some point in Hardy's tenure with the Mavs, we need him to take the leap that Brunson took. History tells us that Kyrie is likely to go south. The main thing he's doing for the Mavs right now is giving Luka hope and giving the Mavs more time to get things figured out.

Personally I’m not much of a fan of Kyrie durability so I actually would prefer we sign and trade him but I doubt we’d get what we’d want. Hardy can step in when Kyrie’s down but there’s only so much I’d expect out of him. If Kyrie ends up being a bad fit I definitely would not want to depend on Hardy stepping into that role but he shouldn’t have a problem being the scorer that his is hopefully.

Hopefully we exhaust all options and I hope Kyrie makes a decision soon then later. I feel like he’s the type to drag out summer and put us in a compromising position

I think it is inevitable that the Kyrie drama will go to the highest level 2 mins after he signs that contract.
I hope like hell we can find a decent trade partner in a S&T deal this off season because losing Kyrie would be addition by subtraction any way you look at it. Hopefully we can somewhat recoup what we gave up for him in a S&T deal. Hell. I'd be happy getting Ayton for him if we dont have to give up any other assets and I dont even care for him.

[daoneandonly]

We know Kyrie misses a lot of games, so Hardy needs to also be able to step in and fill Kyrie's role for games that he's out.

If Kyrie becomes a bad fit for the team, Hardy needs to be able to step up and take over Kyrie's role. Mavs would need to move Kyrie & for the money they'd sign Kyrie for it's unlikely they'd get a star back in return. We'd have to hope Hardy is that future star.

Essentially, at some point in Hardy's tenure with the Mavs, we need him to take the leap that Brunson took. History tells us that Kyrie is likely to go south. The main thing he's doing for the Mavs right now is giving Luka hope and giving the Mavs more time to get things figured out.

Personally I’m not much of a fan of Kyrie durability so I actually would prefer we sign and trade him but I doubt we’d get what we’d want. Hardy can step in when Kyrie’s down but there’s only so much I’d expect out of him. If Kyrie ends up being a bad fit I definitely would not want to depend on Hardy stepping into that role but he shouldn’t have a problem being the scorer that his is hopefully.

Hopefully we exhaust all options and I hope Kyrie makes a decision soon then later. I feel like he’s the type to drag out summer and put us in a compromising position

I think it is inevitable that the Kyrie drama will go to the highest level 2 mins after he signs that contract.
I hope like hell we can find a decent trade partner in a S&T deal this off season because losing Kyrie would be addition by subtraction any way you look at it. Hopefully we can somewhat recoup what we gave up for him in a S&T deal. Hell. I'd be happy getting Ayton for him if we dont have to give up any other assets and I dont even care for him.

My idela would be AD, I know its a pipedream, but Lebron wants Kyrie and may be growing tired of AD. The Lakers would still ahve a solid team with Reaves/Rui/Vando etc. Maybe even a THJ/Beasley swap if they prefer the former.

I know AD comes with hsi own durability issues, but a game changer on D, a better fit with Luka,a nd a clear cut #2. His issue with LAL is Lebron cant be that #1 night in and night out anymore, Kyrie probably can. In Dallas, AD can be Luka's Robin. I'd start Hardy with them, and then get the best player you can for Green/Guy selected at #10/Bertans (if money needs to be matched).

[Forbes]

We know Kyrie misses a lot of games, so Hardy needs to also be able to step in and fill Kyrie's role for games that he's out.

If Kyrie becomes a bad fit for the team, Hardy needs to be able to step up and take over Kyrie's role. Mavs would need to move Kyrie & for the money they'd sign Kyrie for it's unlikely they'd get a star back in return. We'd have to hope Hardy is that future star.

Essentially, at some point in Hardy's tenure with the Mavs, we need him to take the leap that Brunson took. History tells us that Kyrie is likely to go south. The main thing he's doing for the Mavs right now is giving Luka hope and giving the Mavs more time to get things figured out.

Personally I’m not much of a fan of Kyrie durability so I actually would prefer we sign and trade him but I doubt we’d get what we’d want. Hardy can step in when Kyrie’s down but there’s only so much I’d expect out of him. If Kyrie ends up being a bad fit I definitely would not want to depend on Hardy stepping into that role but he shouldn’t have a problem being the scorer that his is hopefully.

Hopefully we exhaust all options and I hope Kyrie makes a decision soon then later. I feel like he’s the type to drag out summer and put us in a compromising position

I think it is inevitable that the Kyrie drama will go to the highest level 2 mins after he signs that contract.
I hope like hell we can find a decent trade partner in a S&T deal this off season because losing Kyrie would be addition by subtraction any way you look at it. Hopefully we can somewhat recoup what we gave up for him in a S&T deal. Hell. I'd be happy getting Ayton for him if we dont have to give up any other assets and I dont even care for him.

I feel you but I would really hope we don’t go after Ayton but I understand there’s only so many teams that are gonna be interested in Kyrie. Maybe some form of a 3 team trade might be the way. There was a point where Luka didn’t need a second star. He just needs extremely competent roleplayers that do a little more than spot up for 3s on offense. Like when we played the Warriors in the WCF. All Luka needed was better roleplayers.

[DJ_3_Ball]

I can't find my post about this from a few days ago. Nobody replied that I saw, so maybe nobody believed that Mikal Bridges could potentially be available. This article indicates it's at least possible: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10077264-mikal-bridges-trade-rumors-nets-not-interested-in-blazers-deal-for-no-3-draft-pick

Hardy, This year's #10, and the '27 1st round unprotected is a start. Throw in Josh Green, throw in another future 1st/2nd round pick, and take back undesirable assets if necessary. I would take back Ben Simmons, if I had to, in order to land Mikal Bridges. You could potentially get DFS back and flip McGee for Claxton.

You mortgage your entire future, but if it lands you Mikal Bridges + 2 defensive role players, it's worth it. Mikal Bridges is a top 15 player in this league. He showed that in his time with Brooklyn in the 2nd half. He's one of the best defenders in the league. Maybe the very best perimeter defender. He's head & shoulders above Kyrie in terms of value (locked up for the next 3 seasons) Turns 27 yrs old in August. Catching Mikal at the exact right time.

If you put every other NBA player on the table and said "Who would be your dream partner for Luka to team up with?" Mikal is in the top 5 for me.

Giannis
Joker
Mikal

I think I'd have Mikal ahead of Tatum. Maybe you'd have Wemby ahead of Mikal, but that's about it. It may sound extreme, but I'm talking about what Mikal is projected to do in his prime years 27 to 32. He's entering that next season. He's an All NBA player. 3rd team at least.

Realistically, who else from the All NBA team (besides Luka if the Mavs don't turn it around) are there even articles like this about that they might be available at a steep price? Mavs have to get a player like that or Luka will be gone. Kyrie is only a stop gap measure. Given the Mavs predicament, I would trade Brooklyn 3 future 1st round picks unprotected if I had to. Provided the package was Bridges, DFS and Claxton... hell angle for Cameron Johnson too if we're giving up that much.

[DJ_3_Ball]

This is plausible...

PG: Luka, Simmons
SG: Kyrie, FA filler (Justin Holiday, Theo Pinson, etc)
SF: Mikal, DFS, Bullock
PF: Kleber, Wood, Yuta
C: Claxton, Boban

'23-'24 Salaries

Luka - $40.1 M
Kyrie - $42.5 M (projected)
Ben Simmons - $37.9 M
Mikal - $21.7 M
Wood - $15 M (projected)
DFS - $13.9 M
Maxi - $11 M
Bullock - $10.5 M
Claxton - $9.6 M
Yuta - $3.2 M (projected)
FA Filler 2 guard - $2.5 M
Boban - $2 M (projected)

Top 12 players = $209.9 Million for next season. The lineup is weak on backup guards and backup bigs. Finally some depth at the wing with this lineup. Maybe Brooklyn would throw in Patty Mills (1 year remaining at $6.8 M), and the Mavs could sign a back up big like they did this past offseason with McGee

EDIT: Another thought on this. If the Mavs were able to get some draft capital back from the Lakers in a Kyrie for DLo (as the base) swap, it makes a Mikal Bridges trade more feasible. I know Luka wanted Kyrie, but if you put DFS, Maxi, Boban, and Theo around him, with a Superstar in Mikal, I think he'd be happy.

The Lakers can offer their '29 1st round pick. Mavs could pressure LAL to make it unprotected because King James wants Kyrie. Use that same pressure to get LAL to throw in either Vanderbilt and/or Bamba with DLo, and the Mavs should consider moving Kyrie. Let the Lakers take that gamble. Brooklyn would have to seriously look at an offer that included Hardy, Green, this year's #10, '27 1st rounder unprotected and the Lakers '29 1st rounder unprotected. Nets are in a rebuild with a legit superstar in his prime. They should consider going to the OKC route, the way the Thunder moved Paul George for a haul.

The salaries are a bit off. Mavs taking back $63 M and only giving out $48 M. They'd either have to get a 3rd team involved or give up someone like Maxi or Bullock to make the salaries work.

One thing I really like about this roster is getting Boban & DFS back with Luka and keeping Kyrie, Maxi & Theo around. Plus, you bring in a legit All NBA star in Mikal. This would have to be a dream scenario for Luka. He'd be very happy with this roster. Give up 3 future 1st rounders if you have to. If this deal is possible, then get it done.

[JKiddy]

This is plausible...

PG: Luka, Simmons
SG: Kyrie, FA filler (Justin Holiday, Theo Pinson, etc)
SF: Mikal, DFS, Bullock
PF: Kleber, Wood, Yuta
C: Claxton, Boban

'23-'24 Salaries

Luka - $40.1 M
Kyrie - $42.5 M (projected)
Ben Simmons - $37.9 M
Mikal - $21.7 M
Wood - $15 M (projected)
DFS - $13.9 M
Maxi - $11 M
Bullock - $10.5 M
Claxton - $9.6 M
Yuta - $3.2 M (projected)
FA Filler 2 guard - $2.5 M
Boban - $2 M (projected)

Top 12 players = $209.9 Million for next season. The lineup is weak on backup guards and backup bigs. Finally some depth at the wing with this lineup. Maybe Brooklyn would throw in Patty Mills (1 year remaining at $6.8 M), and the Mavs could sign a back up big like they did this past offseason with McGee

EDIT: Another thought on this. If the Mavs were able to get some draft capital back from the Lakers in a Kyrie for DLo (as the base) swap, it makes a Mikal Bridges trade more feasible. I know Luka wanted Kyrie, but if you put DFS, Maxi, Boban, and Theo around him, with a Superstar in Mikal, I think he'd be happy.

The Lakers can offer their '29 1st round pick. Mavs could pressure LAL to make it unprotected because King James wants Kyrie. Use that same pressure to get LAL to throw in either Vanderbilt and/or Bamba with DLo, and the Mavs should consider moving Kyrie. Let the Lakers take that gamble. Brooklyn would have to seriously look at an offer that included Hardy, Green, this year's #10, '27 1st rounder unprotected and the Lakers '29 1st rounder unprotected. Nets are in a rebuild with a legit superstar in his prime. They should consider going to the OKC route, the way the Thunder moved Paul George for a haul.

The salaries are a bit off. Mavs taking back $63 M and only giving out $48 M. They'd either have to get a 3rd team involved or give up someone like Maxi or Bullock to make the salaries work.

One thing I really like about this roster is getting Boban & DFS back with Luka and keeping Kyrie, Maxi & Theo around. Plus, you bring in a legit All NBA star in Mikal. This would have to be a dream scenario for Luka. He'd be very happy with this roster. Give up 3 future 1st rounders if you have to. If this deal is possible, then get it done.

DJ I think we need to consider a few important factors here.

1) The Nets are not going to tank. They have no incentive to at this point. Houston owns 50% of their 1st round picks and has the rights to swaps coming up. The Nets will not tank for another team. That would be against everything the NBA stands for.

2) The only picks in this year's draft that are highly coveted are #1 (not going to be traded) and then #2 and #3 to an extent. #10 just does not have much value this year.

3) Hardy and Green are too much of a gamble for any team to trade two future All-Stars for. Claxton and Bridges are A grade players on solid team valued contracts. You cannot trade them for C minus or B minus players. You would lose your job immediately and your entire fan base.

4) Players sometimes have more value on their current team than others. For example, Claxton is a top 3 defender in the NBA and the Nets need that. Other teams might not need that as much. There his B+/A- level value increases to the Nets to about an A. The same can go for Bridges as he was the centerpiece in the KD deal. The Nets won't move him unless you offered Luka.

[DJ_3_Ball]

DJ I think we need to consider a few important factors here.

1) The Nets are not going to tank. They have no incentive to at this point. Houston owns 50% of their 1st round picks and has the rights to swaps coming up. The Nets will not tank for another team. That would be against everything the NBA stands for.

2) The only picks in this year's draft that are highly coveted are #1 (not going to be traded) and then #2 and #3 to an extent. #10 just does not have much value this year.

3) Hardy and Green are too much of a gamble for any team to trade two future All-Stars for. Claxton and Bridges are A grade players on solid team valued contracts. You cannot trade them for C minus or B minus players. You would lose your job immediately and your entire fan base.

4) Players sometimes have more value on their current team than others. For example, Claxton is a top 3 defender in the NBA and the Nets need that. Other teams might not need that as much. There his B+/A- level value increases to the Nets to about an A. The same can go for Bridges as he was the centerpiece in the KD deal. The Nets won't move him unless you offered Luka.

JKiddy, thank you for your insights as a Nets fan. Let me respond point by point

1) That's one of the reasons I thought of the Nets. They're in a difficult spot as an NBA franchise right now. As presently constructed, they're on a trajectory to be a 4th/5th seed in the Eastern Conference and get bounced out in the 2nd round for the next 5 years. Not quite good enough to be a serious title contender, but not bad enough to be in the top half of the lottery with a chance to land a top young talent.

Clearing cap space, accumulating draft capital, and building a talented young core does not equal tanking. That's a rebuild. For what it's worth, I mentioned at the bottom of my first post on the Nets board if the Mavs move Kyrie in a sign & trade to the Lakers, then a future unprotected 1st round pick from LAL could be very valuable. The Lakers could trade their 2029 1st round pick, when LeBron will be retired and AD will be 36 yrs old and Kyrie will be 37 yrs old (if either are still with the Lakers for the '28-'29 season). That pick unprotected could be a top 3 pick, and whether it is or not, it will hold a lot of value around the league. The Nets could trade that pick to land a disgruntled superstar down the road---if they clear cap space & build the required draft capital.

2) I disagree. I think this year's draft is deeper than most years. I agree the pick at #10 is nothing to get too excited about, but there will be quality picks there. Taylor Hendricks, Cason Wallace, etc. Plus you never know who might slip on draft night. Maybe Anthony Black or someone like that slips to 10.

3) You have Green rated accurately. You might be a little lower on him than others, but it's not bad. You have Hardy underrated. If they did a redraft from last year, Hardy goes in the top 12 picks. That kid can put the ball in the hole. I expect Hardy to play 25 mpg and average 16 ppg coming off the Mavs bench with spot starts next year. He'll only improve from there. He's a future 20 ppg scorer in this league. Not a B minus player.

4) I haven't watched Claxton that much, so I'll have to take your word for him. Could have been an overreach on my part.

[JKiddy]

I am glad we agree here. Claxton is regarded as one of the top young talents in the NBA at this point. His value is extremely high within the GM ranks. He won't be moved unless the Nets decide to change directions and go superstar hunting. I do not think they will do this now.

Bridges and Claxton have massive value at this point. Cam Johnson does as well. Then you have the very valuable 3+D wings like DFS (who you must know very well) and O'Neale. Spencer has value as well for multiple reasons (he is a do it all guard and has an expiring contract).

I do not think the Nets are trading Bridges. He is too important and too good of a player at this time. The Nets might have thought otherwise if they had all of their picks. If Wemby is not involved (he won't be) then Bridges won't be moved this year for mainly a pick. The Nets would need big time players to move off of their gem they received in the KD trade.

You cannot come back and tell your fans and owner that after you dealt KD all you have is Cam Johnson alone for one of the Top 6 or 7 players of all-time.

[Mr B]

DJ I think we need to consider a few important factors here.

1) The Nets are not going to tank. They have no incentive to at this point. Houston owns 50% of their 1st round picks and has the rights to swaps coming up. The Nets will not tank for another team. That would be against everything the NBA stands for.

2) The only picks in this year's draft that are highly coveted are #1 (not going to be traded) and then #2 and #3 to an extent. #10 just does not have much value this year.

3) Hardy and Green are too much of a gamble for any team to trade two future All-Stars for. Claxton and Bridges are A grade players on solid team valued contracts. You cannot trade them for C minus or B minus players. You would lose your job immediately and your entire fan base.

4) Players sometimes have more value on their current team than others. For example, Claxton is a top 3 defender in the NBA and the Nets need that. Other teams might not need that as much. There his B+/A- level value increases to the Nets to about an A. The same can go for Bridges as he was the centerpiece in the KD deal. The Nets won't move him unless you offered Luka.

JKiddy, thank you for your insights as a Nets fan. Let me respond point by point

1) That's one of the reasons I thought of the Nets. They're in a difficult spot as an NBA franchise right now. As presently constructed, they're on a trajectory to be a 4th/5th seed in the Eastern Conference and get bounced out in the 2nd round for the next 5 years. Not quite good enough to be a serious title contender, but not bad enough to be in the top half of the lottery with a chance to land a top young talent.

Clearing cap space, accumulating draft capital, and building a talented young core does not equal tanking. That's a rebuild. For what it's worth, I mentioned at the bottom of my first post on the Nets board if the Mavs move Kyrie in a sign & trade to the Lakers, then a future unprotected 1st round pick from LAL could be very valuable. The Lakers could trade their 2029 1st round pick, when LeBron will be retired and AD will be 36 yrs old and Kyrie will be 37 yrs old (if either are still with the Lakers for the '28-'29 season). That pick unprotected could be a top 3 pick, and whether it is or not, it will hold a lot of value around the league. The Nets could trade that pick to land a disgruntled superstar down the road---if they clear cap space & build the required draft capital.

2) I disagree. I think this year's draft is deeper than most years. I agree the pick at #10 is nothing to get too excited about, but there will be quality picks there. Taylor Hendricks, Cason Wallace, etc. Plus you never know who might slip on draft night. Maybe Anthony Black or someone like that slips to 10.

3) You have Green rated accurately. You might be a little lower on him than others, but it's not bad. You have Hardy underrated. If they did a redraft from last year, Hardy goes in the top 12 picks. That kid can put the ball in the hole. I expect Hardy to play 25 mpg and average 16 ppg coming off the Mavs bench with spot starts next year. He'll only improve from there. He's a future 20 ppg scorer in this league. Not a B minus player.

4) I haven't watched Claxton that much, so I'll have to take your word for him. Could have been an overreach on my part.

I agree about the talent in this years draft. The top 3 guys are clearly ahead talent wise from the rest of the guys however I’m hearing Brandon Miller did not have a good workout and is not doing well at all in interviews. There a very good chance he falls out of the top 3 (won’t fall past 5 though). This draft though is loaded with really good defensive wings which are a premium in today’s NBA.

There are several guys that fit the Mikal Bridges mold. Hell there is even one from Villanova. At least one of these guys drafted from 4-12 will end up being as good as Mikal Bridges in my opinion.