RealGM

Chicago in: Zach Collins and Devonte Graham
Chicago out: Nikola Vucevic and Jevon Carter

New Orleans in: Nikola Vucevic
New Orleans out: Brandon Ingram

San Antonio in: Brandon Ingram and Jevon Carter
San Antonio out: Zach Collins and Devonte Graham


Bulls move off Vuc and continue adding younger players by adding the 26 year old Zach Collins. Graham is just an expiring contract. Does open up more 2025 cap room than they previously had penciled in.


Pelicans add a stop-gap center while Misi gets up to speed. Vuc's scoring dipped bad last year, he still provides very good rebounding numbers. If he can re-find his shot his floor spacing from the center spot will be a welcomed addition for New Orleans. It's rather hypothetical but I felt Vuc's offense suffered from the energy he used on the defensive end (difference between effort and outcome - he does try) from frequently being in lineups with 4 guards in Chicago. In New Orleans he'll benefit from playing alongside some actual size and good defenders. Does create an additional $16m in cap room for New Orleans this season.

Spurs add a big-time scoring wing to continue their improvements around Wemby. Keith Smith's recent post suggested the Spurs could have as much as $15m in cap space if they so choose, this move has them using that cap space to take on Ingram.

Quite a bit of value is missing for New Orleans here.

Ingram >>Vuc.

New Orleans would be well clear of the tax and also able to use the Non-Tax MLE (~$12m/year) for an additional player after this trade.

Whatever value that's worth is subjective, but yes I am aware Ingram is better than Vuc. I'm also aware New Orleans needs a center and is right up against or slightly over the luxury tax line, where I'm guessing they don't want to be.

I wouldn't want the Spurs to be the team that picks up Ingram's next deal. I don't want Markkanen either, before someone jumps in to say that. But I don't think the Spurs are getting Ingram for this. In terms of players it's fine, but they probably owe something like CHI25 and some seconds. Ingram doesn't have a ton of value, but he's not quite in the "expirings" tier.

Seems kinda lopsided, NOP giving the best player but getting only Vuc in return? And not really sure I'd be interest in adding Ingram to the Spurs roster at this point, even at this relatively cheap cost

Throwing in the Bulls perspective. Yeah Ingram best player by two strides in the deal. Here's what I hear, Zach Lavine has an injury problem, he needs to play the first half of the season to show he's health. Take a look and maybe you'll see that Brandon Ingram actually misses more games than Lavine over their careers, In his last 7 seasons Ingram has played over 60 games just TWICE. Now evaluate his value.

I think the Bulls do it, but only if they start trading guards on the other line while discussing this. They still have Zach Lavine, just got Josh Giddey, off the bench Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, there's a chance Lonzo Ball who takes up a roster spot can play, Jevon Carter, Dalen Terry under contract. Adding Graham means he and both Carter and Terry have got to go because there are no minutes for the #6-8 veteran guards making as much as they do on the roster.

Collins is good with Jalen Smith, they need to add one more center, so the need for guards to go matters. To me the Bulls aren't putting in anything else when they're getting back a player they are going to have to get rid of

Ingram is clearly the best player here and in terms of value the Spurs are not giving enough, however I wouldn't want Ingram on a max contract even as a free agent, so I might take it but move him later this very season. In reality a deal like this doesn't work for either of the 3 teams involved.

Spurs get rid of two negative to neutral players for the best player in the deal. If Spurs want Ingram, they need to add value, if they don’t want him, the thread is DOA. Can think of 29 teams that could offer better things for him even if they don’t plan on extending him

tcheco wrote:Spurs get rid of two negative to neutral players for the best player in the deal. If Spurs want Ingram, they need to add value, if they don’t want him, the thread is DOA. Can think of 29 teams that could offer better things for him even if they don’t plan on extending him

It's DOA. 0 chance Spurs look at Ingram long term.

I really think that if SAS can acquire Ingram without spend too many picks, they should do it and max him.
Ingram had a down year last season, but there were stretches (few and small ones) during his tenure in NOLA where they look like a contender (usually when Zion played like a MVP, again, small stretchew), if you have a good team and dominant first option, Ingram is a good second option. Then you must factory that he played with a PF and a Center that made something like 10 threes during the season(Zion and Val), without a pg and for a bad coach, Im pretty sire he can do better playing alongside Wemby and with Pop coaching.
AAAAAND San Antonio usually doesnt attract the best FAs on the market.

As written, SAS takes this deal and runs away laughing... NOP on the other hand...