CHA/HOU/UTA/CHI draft swap

[HornetJail]

Charlotte trades #4, Josh Green, Jusuf Nurkic
Charlotte receives #10, #12, John Collins
The Hornets trade down for multiple bites at the apple, and take a chance that two of (and i'm just throwing out names) Jaku/Fears/Richardson/CMB/Queen along with John Collins will help them more just one player at the top. This team badly needs multiple rotation players, and this is how you get it. Add a decent player with the MLE, and a rotation of LaMelo/Miller/Bridges/Collins/Williams + Jaku/Murray-Boyles/Mann/Diabate/MLE player doesn't look all that bad.

Houston trades #10, best of HOU/BRK/PHX 2027 1st
Houston receives #4
The Rockets gamble their big upside future 1st to move up for whoever's left over between Bailey and Edgecombe.

Utah trades #21, #43, Walker Kessler, John Collins
Utah receives Josh Green, Patrick Williams, best of HOU/BRK/PHX 2027 1st, 2026 POR 1st (lotto prot)
The Jazz combine assets, eat one horrible contract, and a second not so horrible but still definitely negative contract, for a big upside pick, with both the Suns and Nets looking like they'll be in the toilet for the foreseeable future. Ainge definitely has the risk appetite to make this kind of move.

Chicago trades #12, Patrick Williams, 2026 POR 1st (lotto prot)
Chicago receives #21, #43, Walker Kessler, Jusuf Nurkic
The Bulls trade down to snag a good center for the future and move on from a big mistake in that Williams contract. Nurkic is expiring and probably flipped elsewhere.

[babyjax13]

Utah has to do this, that is an absolutely premium pick. I feel like it is more straightforward as a direct trade, though, between Houston and Charlotte? Seems fine for Chicago if they want to continue their MO.

[ChettheJet]

No thanks for the Bulls. Seriously? back to jail

you sentence them to
Vucevic
Kessler
Nurkic
Collins
Smith

try counting, that's 5 centers and Smith is the only one who could really play the 4

No the answer is not they could trade some of them, it's your call YOU figure out the next 3 trades, don't just leave it for somebody else

[Xman]

Houston does this and more for number 2. Harper is a great fit. Anyone at three or lower is just going to be on the bench.
No reason to give up that 2027 pick for bench support. Bailey might explode, but not sitting on Houston bench. Will need a lot of minutes and hand holding.
That said, if the GM knows something about someone at four that everybody else doesn’t know, maybe.

[LarsV8]

I have 3-12 as pretty similar in tier, so really not interested in paying assets to move around in a similar tier, especially at of the cost of a top tier future first.

Would prefer to trade down or out.

[HornetJail]

No thanks for the Bulls. Seriously? back to jail

you sentence them to
Vucevic
Kessler
Nurkic
Collins
Smith

try counting, that's 5 centers and Smith is the only one who could really play the 4

No the answer is not they could trade some of them, it's your call YOU figure out the next 3 trades, don't just leave it for somebody else

the answer very much is that you trade some of them... Nurkic, Collins, Vucevic are all expiring contracts. the first two are worth nothing at all beyond their expirings, so flip them for whatever you want at other positions. Kessler is actually a young center with some upside that you can play for several years to come, i think nothing else is relevant.

[evilution]

No thanks for the Bulls. Seriously? back to jail

you sentence them to
Vucevic
Kessler
Nurkic
Collins
Smith

try counting, that's 5 centers and Smith is the only one who could really play the 4

No the answer is not they could trade some of them, it's your call YOU figure out the next 3 trades, don't just leave it for somebody else

the answer very much is that you trade some of them... Nurkic, Collins, Vucevic are all expiring contracts. the first two are worth nothing at all beyond their expirings, so flip them for whatever you want at other positions. Kessler is actually a young center with some upside that you can play for several years to come, i think nothing else is relevant.

Agreed. Vuc should be gone in any case because he can contribute for some team that's trying to contend while not fitting the timeline of the rest of the Chicago core. One of Smith or Collins should stay as a backup center while the other gets traded. Nurk can hang out as a third center and be cut/traded at the deadline if he stays healthy and someone wants him.
Overall I can see CHI doing this on the draft night if there's nobody they like at #12. Future center is probably the biggest glaring hole on the roster right now with Giddey as PG, White as SG, and Buzelis as either SF or PF.

[Kiss of Death]

The Rockets are more likely to trade down or out of the 2025 draft completely than trade up (unless pick 1 or 2 becomes available).