RealGM

Why for Hawks: Split up Trae and Murry while getting a talent upgrade.

Why for Suns: get a pg for better roster balance, add some depth on a rookie scale contract they can afford

This isn’t as bad as the comments will get IMO.

Think atlanta says no first though. But it’s a smart idea.

A lot depends on what that #1 could be turned into. Value is close, but I tend to think both teams say no. Booker is the face of the Suns and the Hawks want to retool/rebuild with or without Young.

I like Booker enough to think that Atlanta would say yes, or at least strongly consider it.

For Phoenix I think they'd have to have a follow-up deal worked out where the #1 pick is used to turn Beal into a couple guys who make the roster work around KD and Trae.

Trae being shoot 1st (and 2nd, and 3rd) I'd rather do DJM/#1/Jalen Johnson and Capela.

In a vacuum it's fine though.

Slim Charless wrote:Trae being shoot 1st (and 2nd, and 3rd) I'd rather do DJM/#1/Jalen Johnson and Capela.

In a vacuum it's fine though.

So Trae averages 11 apg (with 18.2 potential assists per game which is #1 in the nba) but is shoot first, second and third? Not even close to correct. Not giving 3 starters (especially Murray and Johnson) + #1 pick for Booker either.

Actually think this is a decent idea.

What about expanding it to probably a 4-way deal with #1 and Little going somewhere to get Phoenix some depth, like this:

Atlanta - Booker
Phoenix - Trae Young, Kessler, Caruso
Utah - #1 (ATL)
Chicago - Nassir Little, #10 (UTAH)

-Chicago gets the #10 pick (bad draft but still that's probably close to peak value for Caruso)
-Atlanta gets a Murray-Booker-JalenJohnson core and still has Okongwu/Capela at the 5, Hunter at the 3 (maybe keep Saddiq Bey for cheap post-injury) and Bogdanovic covering backup guard minutes with Bufkin and the enigma that is AJ Griffin to develop.
-Utah moves up to #1 and either trades it or selects whoever Ainge thinks can be a 2nd all-star for them along with Lauri. Kessler is replaceable by using some cap space on a Hartenstein or Claxton sorta signing, or maybe you trade for a center, or draft Sarr and play smallball and try to play 5 out. Point is, they gotta chase some upside.
-Phoenix gets a Trae-Beal-Allen-Caruso-KD-Kessler/Nurkic team that is only short of a decent 4 but Caruso's toughness somewhat mitigates playing KD there, and maybe at #22 and someone like Da Silva from Colorado is there and can give them 15-20 minutes a night of solid play.

Ell Curry wrote:Actually think this is a decent idea.

What about expanding it to probably a 4-way deal with #1 and Little going somewhere to get Phoenix some depth, like this:

Atlanta - Booker
Phoenix - Trae Young, Kessler, Caruso
Utah - #1 (ATL)
Chicago - Nassir Little, #10 (UTAH)

-Chicago gets the #10 pick (bad draft but still that's probably close to peak value for Caruso)
-Atlanta gets a Murray-Booker-JalenJohnson core and still has Okongwu/Capela at the 5, Hunter at the 3 (maybe keep Saddiq Bey for cheap post-injury) and Bogdanovic covering backup guard minutes with Bufkin and the enigma that is AJ Griffin to develop.
-Utah moves up to #1 and either trades it or selects whoever Ainge thinks can be a 2nd all-star for them along with Lauri. Kessler is replaceable by using some cap space on a Hartenstein or Claxton sorta signing, or maybe you trade for a center, or draft Sarr and play smallball and try to play 5 out. Point is, they gotta chase some upside.
-Phoenix gets a Trae-Beal-Allen-Caruso-KD-Kessler/Nurkic team that is only short of a decent 4 but Caruso's toughness somewhat mitigates playing KD there, and maybe at #22 and someone like Da Silva from Colorado is there and can give them 15-20 minutes a night of solid play.

Kessler is not enough to trade up to #1

Godaddycurse wrote:

Ell Curry wrote:Actually think this is a decent idea.

What about expanding it to probably a 4-way deal with #1 and Little going somewhere to get Phoenix some depth, like this:

Atlanta - Booker
Phoenix - Trae Young, Kessler, Caruso
Utah - #1 (ATL)
Chicago - Nassir Little, #10 (UTAH)

-Chicago gets the #10 pick (bad draft but still that's probably close to peak value for Caruso)
-Atlanta gets a Murray-Booker-JalenJohnson core and still has Okongwu/Capela at the 5, Hunter at the 3 (maybe keep Saddiq Bey for cheap post-injury) and Bogdanovic covering backup guard minutes with Bufkin and the enigma that is AJ Griffin to develop.
-Utah moves up to #1 and either trades it or selects whoever Ainge thinks can be a 2nd all-star for them along with Lauri. Kessler is replaceable by using some cap space on a Hartenstein or Claxton sorta signing, or maybe you trade for a center, or draft Sarr and play smallball and try to play 5 out. Point is, they gotta chase some upside.
-Phoenix gets a Trae-Beal-Allen-Caruso-KD-Kessler/Nurkic team that is only short of a decent 4 but Caruso's toughness somewhat mitigates playing KD there, and maybe at #22 and someone like Da Silva from Colorado is there and can give them 15-20 minutes a night of solid play.

Kessler is not enough to trade up to #1

I would normally agree, but I think Phoenix would do it, they're still cooked in the playoffs with Trae for Booker and some 19 year old who isn't ready to start in a playoff game for 2-3 years. You can throw a top 16 protected first from Utah or something to Phoenix too, or a swap or something.

Ell Curry wrote:Actually think this is a decent idea.

What about expanding it to probably a 4-way deal with #1 and Little going somewhere to get Phoenix some depth, like this:

Atlanta - Booker
Phoenix - Trae Young, Kessler, Caruso
Utah - #1 (ATL)
Chicago - Nassir Little, #10 (UTAH)

-Chicago gets the #10 pick (bad draft but still that's probably close to peak value for Caruso)
-Atlanta gets a Murray-Booker-JalenJohnson core and still has Okongwu/Capela at the 5, Hunter at the 3 (maybe keep Saddiq Bey for cheap post-injury) and Bogdanovic covering backup guard minutes with Bufkin and the enigma that is AJ Griffin to develop.
-Utah moves up to #1 and either trades it or selects whoever Ainge thinks can be a 2nd all-star for them along with Lauri. Kessler is replaceable by using some cap space on a Hartenstein or Claxton sorta signing, or maybe you trade for a center, or draft Sarr and play smallball and try to play 5 out. Point is, they gotta chase some upside.
-Phoenix gets a Trae-Beal-Allen-Caruso-KD-Kessler/Nurkic team that is only short of a decent 4 but Caruso's toughness somewhat mitigates playing KD there, and maybe at #22 and someone like Da Silva from Colorado is there and can give them 15-20 minutes a night of solid play.

I'd do this as well.

Slim Charless wrote:Trae being shoot 1st (and 2nd, and 3rd) I'd rather do DJM/#1/Jalen Johnson and Capela.

In a vacuum it's fine though.

Despite Booker and Trae being a terrible pairing, and this being a really insanely valuable offer.. I kind of think Atlanta should explore it?

The guards are locked up long enough that you can give it a shot for a year or two? Find the right defenders and third guard to make the defense acceptable.. feel like the floor is really high even if it doesn’t work out.

Phoenix - that’s a weird direction? But I do it.

I don't dislike it...it won't happen, but let's speculate...
The Suns select Sarr and trade him to the NOP for H.Jones+17...?

and they continue with 17+Nurkic+Little+Suns 31(Prot) for Allen?
The Suns would be...

TraeY/Beal/HJones/KD/Allen..

I just don't think this is the direction Atlanta should go in. Booker needs someone else to pair with, and Murray ain't that guy.

TGW wrote:I just don't think this is the direction Atlanta should go in. Booker needs someone else to pair with, and Murray ain't that guy.

Booker, Jalen Johnson and Murray would be a decent big 3 in the relatively weak East. No real weak spots to attack defensively or glaring spacing issues, 1 proper all-star and 2 top sorta fake all-star, that's a solid East playoff team, and only Capela is over 27.

trading a first and Trae to get the the same results would be insane. Devin Booker has never been that type of talent to lift the Atl team by himself.

Have you seen Booker with no talent around him?

They probably get worst after this trade. Easy hell no from Atlanta.

TheNewEra wrote:trading a first and Trae to get the the same results would be insane. Devin Booker has never been that type of talent to lift the Atl team by himself.

I don't really disagree with you, and if I am being honest, I think the results would largely be the same.

Is there really a good path forward for the Hawks though. Seems like they are tired of the Trae Young show. There is really no win now player at the top of the draft this year.

Would the Hawks be better off targeting M Bridges... maybe.. but, it isn't like he can carry a team either. His salary is better, but he is only locked in 2 more years.

If the Hawks want to use the pick to turn Trae into a better player, this might be about the best they can do.

GoBobs wrote:

TheNewEra wrote:trading a first and Trae to get the the same results would be insane. Devin Booker has never been that type of talent to lift the Atl team by himself.

I don't really disagree with you, and if I am being honest, I think the results would largely be the same.

Is there really a good path forward for the Hawks though. Seems like they are tired of the Trae Young show. There is really no win now player at the top of the draft this year.

Would the Hawks be better off targeting M Bridges... maybe.. but, it isn't like he can carry a team either. His salary is better, but he is only locked in 2 more years.

If the Hawks want to use the pick to turn Trae into a better player, this might be about the best they can do.

The difference between Trae and Booker just isnt the #1 pick though. Also tired based on what? Rumors around Trae are always from “rival” nba executives. Hawks aren’t leaking anything like that.

I love this idea, but move the #1 elsewhere, to get the Suns more win now players
I was working on a 4 way, similar to the above, but with SA getting the #1. Not sure how to make it work

pipfan wrote:I love this idea, but move the #1 elsewhere, to get the Suns more win now players
I was working on a 4 way, similar to the above, but with SA getting the #1. Not sure how to make it work

The limits Phoenix has with trading seem to make it much easier just to keep number 1?

But maybe you can do something with Utah getting Sarr, Phoenix getting Kessler and a few other assets? Complicating it further with a fourth team? Or is Lauri for Sarr+20+Nurk the obvious answer? Then the 2031 first for Kessler? Utah fans will hate it…

Could end up very embarrassing for Phoenix but if it helps get them a championship in 2025 or 2026, nothing matters..

Kessler/KD/Lauri/Beal/Trae

Looks kind of pretty.