[ISKWTSDTS] Oklahoma City Thunder

[bondom34]

.

Adams + Schroder = $40M owed
Paul = $85M owed

...???

Knox isn't even 21 yet and Knicks are terrible. Of course he's bad. Not crazy to think he is salvageable. Randle is actually a little above average as a player, but whatever, not gonna quibble over how we value players.

Re: Gallinari, why trade Gallinari this year to worsen team to move up 6-7 spots in a weaker draft? This isn't the draft to worry about. Next year is where the big fish are and everyone knows it.

Their per year value is near identical, and they're far (far far) worse players, by this reasoning Ben Simmons is owed more than Paul too when his cap number isn't terribly close. Like, you don't worry about a 6th man and a middle of the pack center who's overpaid in a rebuild when both moves get you under the tax and cost you wins.

Knox is 21 but has shown absolutely nothing to the point where I don't think his option should maybe be picked up. And Randle tbh isn't even above average, he's almost the definition of a guy who gets counting stats for himself while making his team worse. He's a black hole who can't defend or space the floor.

And if that's the logic for Gallo, well now you're not getting any assets for him at all and you lost a pick to Philly.

[getrichordie]

But... Adams and Schroder are expiring. Paul is not. And why are we comparing Simmons to Paul? Two different situations entirely.

[loserX]

Okay, let's go with moving Paul without assets:

TRADE #1

Thunder trade Chris Paul for Thad Young and Satoransky
Bulls trade That and Sato for Paul

(This one can be tweaked a bit. Maybe the Bulls insist on throwing in Felicio; OKC shouldn't object. Maybe the Thunder move Thad onto a team looking for a rotation 4, like Indiana for the injured Jeremy Lamb + mild sweeteners.)

Bulls want a star and a PG upgrade to kick off their revamp: here they get both. Thunder break Paul's megadeal into smaller parts and save money; they can keep Thad if they want a playable PF or spin him elsewhere, and Sato is worth a look in their multiguard system.

TRADE #2 (new year)

Thunder S&T Gallinari for Hood, Swanigan S&T, prospect (Little or Simons)
Blazers trade Hood, Swanigan S&T, prospect for Gallinari S&T

(Gallinari and the Blazers decide on a contract. Swanigan is S&Ted to a contract with only 1 year guaranteed, at the bare minimum needed to match salary; can also reduce his salary and throw in, say, Hezonja if the teams prefer.)

Blazers get a big upgrade at forward with yet another weapon. Thunder add a wing prospect and take a look-see at a hopefully returning Rodney Hood for a year.


DRAFT

The Thunder don't have their own pick, but they do have the Nuggets'. Some mock drafts have Jalen Smith in this range, and I like that fit. (If someone threatens to take him earlier, offer Ferguson or a 2nd to move up a few spots. OKC won't miss them anyway.)

-----------------------------------

Adams could be moved, but his big contract makes a deal tricky. (He'd be a great fit in Boston or LAC, but matching is hard without just creating another hole in the roster. Washington could use him, but again the match is difficult...and would they give up the asset(s) that OKC would demand?)

Schroeder is an odd case also. I feel like the Lakers or Magic could use him, but again salary matching causes problems.

[getrichordie]

Spoiler:

Okay, let's go with moving Paul without assets:

TRADE #1

Thunder trade Chris Paul for Thad Young and Satoransky
Bulls trade That and Sato for Paul

(This one can be tweaked a bit. Maybe the Bulls insist on throwing in Felicio; OKC shouldn't object. Maybe the Thunder move Thad onto a team looking for a rotation 4, like Indiana for the injure Jeremy Lamb + mild sweeteners.)

Bulls want a star and a PG upgrade to kick off their revamp: here they get both. Thunder break Paul's megadeal into smaller parts and save money; they can keep Thad if they want a playable PF or spin him elsewher, and Sato is worth a look in their multiguard system.

TRADE #2 (new year)

Thunder S&T Gallinari for Hood, Swanigan S&T, prospect (Little or Simons)
Blazers trade Hood, Swanigan S&T, prospect for Gallinari S&T

(Gallinari and the Blazers decide on a contract. Swanigan is S&Ted to a contract with only 1 year guaranteed, at the bare minimum needed to match salary; can also reduce his salary and throw in, say, Hezonja if the teams prefer.)

Blazers get a big upgrade at forward with yet another weapon. Thunder add a wing prospect and take a look-see at a hopefully returning Rodney Hood for a year.


DRAFT

The Thunder don't have their own pick, but they do have the Nuggets'. Some mock drafts have Jalen Smith in this range, and I like that fit. (If someone threatens to take him earlier, offer Ferguson or a 2nd to move up a few spots. OKC won't miss them anyway.)

-----------------------------------

Adams could be moved, but his big contract makes a deal tricky. (He'd be a great fit in Boston or LAC, but matching is hard without just creating another hole in the roster. Washington could use him, but again the match is difficult...and would they give up the asset(s) that OKC would demand?)

Schroeder is an odd case also. I feel like the Lakers or Magic could use him, but again salary matching causes problems.

I like the Bulls trade, but I keep wondering why the Bulls would want Paul. Relevancy? Development points? That's fair, I suppose. I do like this trade more than the NYK one I proposed.

Everyone keeps posting Gallinari trades but what kind of contract does he command? Didn't MIA offer him ~$20M/yr.? Wouldn't mind getting Little and Hood out of it, though I don't know how practical that trade is.

**** Jalen Smith. I pray we don't draft him. That would be an awful pick, IMO. Give me Crutcher, T. Bey, or Woodard if he's available.

[bondom34]

Why are you intent on wasting assets? And why are you comparing total amount owed? There's no need to trade Paul just so you can keep worse players.

If the goal is to avoid the tax, Paul is owed $41M. And you move one of the others and it's done. And the guy who's a worse fit with SGA is Schroder, I don't get the obsession with keeping him or Adams. All only to use a pick for nothing

Worst case you sit CP. If it's clear you need an asset to trade him, you don't trade him. He signed the contract.

If the goal is to tank... well you still don't trade assets. And SGA and the rest is still taking you out of the running to get that high a pick.

It's like the goal is to trade Paul, only to end up with an even more middling team than now.

[getrichordie]

Why are you intent on wasting assets? And why are you comparing total amount owed? There's no need to trade Paul just so you can keep worse players.

If the goal is to avoid the tax, Paul is owed $41M. And you move one of the others and it's done. And the guy who's a worse fit with SGA is Schroder, I don't get the obsession with keeping him or Adams. All only to use a pick for nothing

Worst case you sit CP. If it's clear you need an asset to trade him, you don't trade him. He signed the contract.

If the goal is to tank... well you still don't trade assets. And SGA and the rest is still taking you out of the running to get that high a pick.

It's like the goal is to trade Paul, only to end up with an even more middling team than now.

Not intent on wasting assets. Just being realistic. Goal isn't to avoid tax. Goal is to save $ and get highest pick possible in next year's draft.

So you are saying w/o Paul and Gallo, we still are what? A playoff team?

Do you really think sitting CP3 is a viable option?

[bondom34]

Why are you intent on wasting assets? And why are you comparing total amount owed? There's no need to trade Paul just so you can keep worse players.

If the goal is to avoid the tax, Paul is owed $41M. And you move one of the others and it's done. And the guy who's a worse fit with SGA is Schroder, I don't get the obsession with keeping him or Adams. All only to use a pick for nothing

Worst case you sit CP. If it's clear you need an asset to trade him, you don't trade him. He signed the contract.

If the goal is to tank... well you still don't trade assets. And SGA and the rest is still taking you out of the running to get that high a pick.

It's like the goal is to trade Paul, only to end up with an even more middling team than now.

Not intent on wasting assets. Just being realistic. Goal isn't to avoid tax. Goal is to save $ and get highest pick possible in next year's draft.

So you are saying w/o Paul and Gallo, we still are what? A playoff team?

Do you really think sitting CP3 is a viable option?

No, they're like the 10th pick instead of the 18th.

Edit: And if Gallo walks and one of Adams/Schroder goes, higher. Out of the playoffs in the lotto. NOLA and Portland at least will be in over them and Utah and Houston should easily, same for Dallas.

And I think its far more viable than trading a pick to move him. There's absolutely no chance that happens, you're going to get a higher pick trading the other guys too, while getting a guard who makes a ton more sense with SGA and clearing the tax. You're calling for something that's never been done before, that's been repeatedly reported won't happen, and would be Presti giving up value he got in a trade last summer (when he pretty much said he wouldn't trade Westbrook in a salary dump and didn't).

To add to all of that, SGA is owed an extension. I'd guess it's probably not a great look to sign a guy to a max while saying "Hey we're actively trying to be awful".

[FutureKnicksGM]

I like the Bulls trade, but I keep wondering why the Bulls would want Paul. Relevancy? Development points? That's fair, I suppose. I do like this trade more than the NYK one I proposed.

So do we Rich, so do we.