RealGM

Real GM's TnT Board Top 25 Most Valuable Players

1.






With December 20th here, seems now is as good a time as any for our annual list of players with the most trade value. After this is done we will move on to the annual list of players with the most negative trade value.


Please vote for the player that you think currently has the most trade value and please list a nominee that should be added the voting list. Remember this is trade value, so factors such as salary/contract, age, potential, production, injuries, etc. should all be factored in to your vote.



The current nominees based upon last year's top 10:


1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Kyrie Irving
4. Derrick Rose
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Chris Paul
7. Anthony Davis
8. James Harden
9. Russell Westbrook
10. Blake Griffin

V-Durant
N-Cousins

Vote: Durant (longer contract than Lebron)
Nominate: Lillard

V: Lebron
N: Lillard

Vote: Still LeBron. League's best player and biggest ticket. Yes, his contract status hurts his value...a little. But not that much.

Nominate: Dwight.

Still Lebron--absolutely got to be Lebron

V--Lebron
N--Paul George

It is just not Lebron. He is leaving half the teams he goes to in a few months, and when I say half I mean most.

V -- Durrant. May not be as good, but younger and locked up.
N -- George. Lillard isn't close to George for me.

Vote: LeBron

Nominate: Love

HartfordWhalers wrote:It is just not Lebron. He is leaving half the teams he goes to in a few months, and when I say half I mean most.

But for the teams he wouldn't leave, wouldn't his value be higher? I dunno, I think as long as you have a market of more than one (since some lunatic can always make an "unreasonably" high offer), you can't set trade value by the lowest bid.

loserX wrote:

HartfordWhalers wrote:It is just not Lebron. He is leaving half the teams he goes to in a few months, and when I say half I mean most.

But for the teams he wouldn't leave, wouldn't his value be higher? I dunno, I think as long as you have a market of more than one (since some lunatic can always make an "unreasonably" high offer), you can't set trade value by the lowest bid.

I agree with that. But with his free agency, I think Lebron goes where he wants and deflates his whole market. So teams would pay more for Durrant.

I guess it depends where you think would be convinced Lebron wouldn't ditch them. Then rule out the ones with zero assets, and you are left with who exactly offering what?

Vote: James

Nominee: George

Wow this one is tough.

Yes LBJ can be a FA after this season, but he can only go where he wants if they have the money to sign him.

That leaves...
Miami
LAL (not sure he would want to go there given all that is Kobe)

And then who else that he would consider?
No one I can really think of.

I think

LAL
LAC
Chicago
NYK
BKN
Houston

Would offer whatever they could for him and trust they keep him.

Then it comes down to
a. Would any of those team offer more for Durant? Probably not.

b. Would teams other than those listed, offer more for Durant?
Durant has 3 years on his contract so any team would be willing to trade for him. Since 29 teams would be willing to make an offer for Durant, I would think 1 of those 29 would be able to offer more than what those 6 could offer for LBJ as many of those teams don't really have great assets (NY, BK, Chicago).

But...
c. Can I assume that? What could be the best offer of those teams?
Houston could probably make the best offer:
Harden + Parsons + Asik + T.Jones + 3 #1

Would there be a team out there that could trump that offer for Durant?
It would probably have to contain a top 10 player (like Harden), a player as good and cheap as Parsons, a center who is normally one of the best defensive starting centers, a rising F prospect and multiple 1sts.

I'm not sure that would exist.
But if someone wants to convince me that either a. Houston would not do that or b. there is a better offer for Durant, I would change my vote.

V: LBJ
N: George

Trader_Joe wrote:Wow this one is tough.

Yes LBJ can be a FA after this season, but he can only go where he wants if they have the money to sign him.

That leaves...
Miami
LAL (not sure he would want to go there given all that is Kobe)

And then who else that he would consider?
No one I can really think of.

I think

LAL
LAC
Chicago
NYK
BKN
Houston

Would offer whatever they could for him and trust they keep him.

Then it comes down to
a. Would any of those team offer more for Durant? Probably not.

b. Would teams other than those listed, offer more for Durant?
Durant has 3 years on his contract so any team would be willing to trade for him. Since 29 teams would be willing to make an offer for Durant, I would think 1 of those 29 would be able to offer more than what those 6 could offer for LBJ as many of those teams don't really have great assets (NY, BK, Chicago).

But...
c. Can I assume that? What could be the best offer of those teams?
Houston could probably make the best offer:
Harden + Parsons + Asik + T.Jones + 3 #1

Would there be a team out there that could trump that offer for Durant?
It would probably have to contain a top 10 player (like Harden), a player as good and cheap as Parsons, a center who is normally one of the best defensive starting centers, a rising F prospect and multiple 1sts.

I'm not sure that would exist.
But if someone wants to convince me that either a. Houston would not do that or b. there is a better offer for Durant, I would change my vote.

V: LBJ
N: George

I don't think Houston does that. I think Houston would at that point rather try and use the 3 1sts to dump Asik and Lin and get close to enough money to just hit free agency. Giving up that much doesn't seem Morey, even if you think a normal team would.

For a hypothetical Durrant package, start with Love and add from there?

Edit: Actually, maybe for both Lebron and Durrant you start with Blake and add? If so, I could see LAC offering more for Lebron.

HartfordWhalers wrote:

Trader_Joe wrote:Wow this one is tough.

Yes LBJ can be a FA after this season, but he can only go where he wants if they have the money to sign him.

That leaves...
Miami
LAL (not sure he would want to go there given all that is Kobe)

And then who else that he would consider?
No one I can really think of.

I think

LAL
LAC
Chicago
NYK
BKN
Houston

Would offer whatever they could for him and trust they keep him.

Then it comes down to
a. Would any of those team offer more for Durant? Probably not.

b. Would teams other than those listed, offer more for Durant?
Durant has 3 years on his contract so any team would be willing to trade for him. Since 29 teams would be willing to make an offer for Durant, I would think 1 of those 29 would be able to offer more than what those 6 could offer for LBJ as many of those teams don't really have great assets (NY, BK, Chicago).

But...
c. Can I assume that? What could be the best offer of those teams?
Houston could probably make the best offer:
Harden + Parsons + Asik + T.Jones + 3 #1

Would there be a team out there that could trump that offer for Durant?
It would probably have to contain a top 10 player (like Harden), a player as good and cheap as Parsons, a center who is normally one of the best defensive starting centers, a rising F prospect and multiple 1sts.

I'm not sure that would exist.
But if someone wants to convince me that either a. Houston would not do that or b. there is a better offer for Durant, I would change my vote.

V: LBJ
N: George

I don't think Houston does that. I think Houston would at that point rather try and use the 3 1sts to dump Asik and Lin and get close to enough money to just hit free agency. Giving up that much doesn't seem Morey, even if you think a normal team would.

For a hypothetical Durrant package, start with Love and add from there?

Edit: Actually, maybe for both Lebron and Durrant you start with Blake and add? If so, I could see LAC offering more for Lebron.

There's not much more to add to Blake though. You can't add Paul, because then there is no help and whoever leaves.


As for Houston...

Beverly / Lin
Garcia / Brooks
Casspi / Brewer
LBJ / Moitejunas
Howard / Smith
+
whatever return Miami has to add to make salary work

I just can't imagine not pairing LBJ + Howard f given the chance.

Vote: Durant

Nominate: George

Trader_Joe wrote:

HartfordWhalers wrote:

Trader_Joe wrote:Wow this one is tough.

Yes LBJ can be a FA after this season, but he can only go where he wants if they have the money to sign him.

That leaves...
Miami
LAL (not sure he would want to go there given all that is Kobe)

And then who else that he would consider?
No one I can really think of.

I think

LAL
LAC
Chicago
NYK
BKN
Houston

Would offer whatever they could for him and trust they keep him.

Then it comes down to
a. Would any of those team offer more for Durant? Probably not.

b. Would teams other than those listed, offer more for Durant?
Durant has 3 years on his contract so any team would be willing to trade for him. Since 29 teams would be willing to make an offer for Durant, I would think 1 of those 29 would be able to offer more than what those 6 could offer for LBJ as many of those teams don't really have great assets (NY, BK, Chicago).

But...
c. Can I assume that? What could be the best offer of those teams?
Houston could probably make the best offer:
Harden + Parsons + Asik + T.Jones + 3 #1

Would there be a team out there that could trump that offer for Durant?
It would probably have to contain a top 10 player (like Harden), a player as good and cheap as Parsons, a center who is normally one of the best defensive starting centers, a rising F prospect and multiple 1sts.

I'm not sure that would exist.
But if someone wants to convince me that either a. Houston would not do that or b. there is a better offer for Durant, I would change my vote.

V: LBJ
N: George

I don't think Houston does that. I think Houston would at that point rather try and use the 3 1sts to dump Asik and Lin and get close to enough money to just hit free agency. Giving up that much doesn't seem Morey, even if you think a normal team would.

For a hypothetical Durrant package, start with Love and add from there?

Edit: Actually, maybe for both Lebron and Durrant you start with Blake and add? If so, I could see LAC offering more for Lebron.

There's not much more to add to Blake though. You can't add Paul, because then there is no help and whoever leaves.


As for Houston...

Beverly / Lin
Garcia / Brooks
Casspi / Brewer
LBJ / Moitejunas
Howard / Smith
+
whatever return Miami has to add to make salary work

I just can't imagine not pairing LBJ + Howard f given the chance.

I still don't think Morey does that, versus going for a Harden LBJ Dwight big 3 if it came to that. Way too easy to consider dropping salary and making a free agent run. Way to easy for Lebron to say after 6 months, golly, this team is me, and Dwight and um? And maybe join Harden in Miami with a bunch of unprotected picks. Maybe it needs a poll question of its own, but I just don't see that Hou offer happening.


Here's a Durant hypothetical:
Love + Pek + '16 unprotected + (Shabazz + Dieng) for Durant + eating Perkins.

HartfordWhalers wrote:I still don't think Morey does that, versus going for a Harden LBJ Dwight big 3 if it came to that. Way too easy to consider dropping salary and making a free agent run. Way to easy for Lebron to say after 6 months, golly, this team is me, and Dwight and um? And maybe join Harden in Miami with a bunch of unprotected picks. Maybe it needs a poll question of its own, but I just don't see that Hou offer happening.


Here's a Durant hypothetical:
Love + Pek + '16 unprotected + (Shabazz + Dieng) for Durant + eating Perkins.

A bird in hand...

I don't think it would be easy to drop basically every piece of salary besides Howard and Harden to be able to add LBJ. Plus, Harden and LBJ might not be an ideal pairing considering how ball dominant they both are and thus Lin had to be benched.

If anything, I think LBJ would want to shed the "I had to join up with 2 other stars to win" and now join the now unheralded/underrated Howard and try winning with a dominant big man.

If anything I think Morey as shown he's willing to take risk and swing for the fences, so I don't think it's too far out of the realm of possibility.

I actually started to think about a Durant/Love based swap early as a counter example and it is close, but I still think this Houston offer trumps it value wise. Plus Love can opt out in 1.5 seasons and leave OKC.

Anyway, I don't want to hijack the thread, but I do think LBJ could get more, even though the options are limited.

HOU - as stated
CHI - Deng, Noah, Butler, Mirotic, CHA #1, 2 CHI #1
LAC- Griffin, Jordan, Bullock, 2 #1
BRK - Lopez, Williams, Bogdanovic, Teletovic, Plumlee

A lot of those team would not have assets, but could have cap space and big market, big player draw soon after. (depending on what they take back)

LeBron would definitely get more in a trade. But I thought we had to consider contracts and that's why LeBron was #2 last year.

I swear if cousins isn't in the top 10 I'll stop posting.

TheRobin wrote:LeBron would definitely get more in a trade. But I thought we had to consider contracts and that's why LeBron was #2 last year.

I swear if cousins isn't in the top 10 I'll stop posting.

We are which is why there is some debate.
If they both had the same contracts, you could pencil LBJ in as #1.

I don't see why people are voting Lebron, first off he has only a few prime years left and secondly he's on a short contract for whatever it's worth

Hell if Miami got offered Durant for Lebron they would have to think hard about doing it

V: Durant

N: George