RealGM

Brooklyn trades:
Ben Simmons
Dariq Whitehead

Bulls trade:
Lonzo Ball
Nicola Vucevic
Dalen Terry
2 2nd round picks acquired in Derozen trade.

Why for Brooklyn: Ball seems to be rehabbing and has something to try and show in a contract year, they get a look at him. Claxton and Vuc seem to make sense as an inside outside pairing. They get 2 2nds, and maybe a slight upgrade in prospect that hasn’t worked out from Whitehead to Terry.

Why for Chicago: Getting Simmons has them clearing cap space in 2025. They could be bad for a year, then use cap space to help a core of Giddey-Coby-Matas-Pat Williams-2025 draft pick.

Doesn’t make sense for Brooklyn.

They want to shamelessly tank and keep their cap clean.

will take more to dump vuc's contract

Godaddycurse wrote:will take more to dump vuc's contract

Fair enough.

My thought was 2nd rounders sell for 3 million, so that drops his contract value from 20 to 14, which I feel like he gets in an open market. But I know some people hate Vuc more than that (I’m one of them).

TheBrooklynKidd wrote:Doesn’t make sense for Brooklyn.

They want to shamelessly tank and keep their cap clean.

Makes sense, I’m sure you’re eager to get off Simmons deal. Thanks.

Chicago-Bull-E wrote:

TheBrooklynKidd wrote:Doesn’t make sense for Brooklyn.

They want to shamelessly tank and keep their cap clean.

Makes sense, I’m sure you’re eager to get off Simmons deal. Thanks.

Yep. It’s in our best interest to let him expire and capitalize on the teams desperately trying to avoid the Second Apron in 25-26… which looks like half the league.

As the Bulls, I'd rather have an even remotely possibly healthy Lonzo Ball for $20M than a certain injured and unprepared to play NBA basketball $40M Simmons.

Simmons expiring contract in 2024 with the double apron penalties is worth more than anyone can imagine. They are not going to trade that unless they got a Top 25 NBA player unless the other team was stacking the deck for BK to take a player with multiple 1st round picks. I do not think they will trade it.

Nets have no reason to give up Whitehead.

drchaos wrote:Nets have no reason to give up Whitehead.

Correct. The Nets have waited patiently to see what he can do this and next season before making any roster moves concerning him.

Vuc/Ball/ 2nd round pick for Simmons is closer.

I honestly think this cannot happen unless Chicago gave up multiple first rounders on top of this and the Nets truly believed Ball could play like he used to immediately or within a few months. The Nets want to tank in 2025 and 2026 and want to have no added money on the books in the 2025 off season or the 2026 season. Would this hurt or hinder their objective in doing so leo921?

JKiddy wrote:I honestly think this cannot happen unless Chicago gave up multiple first rounders on top of this and the Nets truly believed Ball could play like he used to immediately or within a few months. The Nets want to tank in 2025 and 2026 and want to have no added money on the books in the 2025 off season or the 2026 season. Would this hurt or hinder their objective in doing so leo921?

I don't think the Nets WANT to tank in 2026. 2025 is considered a great & deep draft. If they strike gold in this draft (5 picks expected to be in the top 35 at worst), I think Marks will try to utilize cap space to provide as good a team as possible around the rookies. He's always been a proponent of having vets and developing good habits through competitive basketball. The 2026 pick is insurance in case they strike out in '25 free agency and/or the rookies really struggle.

The goal is to tank hard for one year & then start to climb. Even if they're still a lottery team in '26, they're going to be trying to be trending upwards, not tanking.

JKiddy wrote:Simmons expiring contract in 2024 with the double apron penalties is worth more than anyone can imagine. They are not going to trade that unless they got a Top 25 NBA player unless the other team was stacking the deck for BK to take a player with multiple 1st round picks. I do not think they will trade it.

Im not so sure about that. Yes, its not worthless, but the team trading for him need to match that salary somehow. And if we talk 2nd apron teams they cant aggregate salaries, so needs to be someone earning 30+m, nvm they need to send out more then they take back so 40+. Most of those teams doesnt have a player with that kind of contract that isnt an important part of the team/star. Top that with most being pick poor, should nets take back someone like beal? Only one on top of my head is beal right, and i would not do that if i were the nets