RealGM

NOP trades: Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum
BRK trades: Ben Simmons, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford, 2027 NYK 1st, 2029 NYK 1st

New Orleans traded for a babysitter for Zion and it didn't work. Now they pull the plug by resetting their salaries (everyone incoming is expiring) and they get two future picks. They build around whoever they draft this season (and next if they are still terrible) and they'll have lots of additional future firsts and some valuable players they can trade if needed (Murray, Murphy, Jones). They can also choose to keep Ingram since they don't need to worry about the fit with Zion and play a long, switchable team.

We all know the deal with Zion. For Brooklyn, the risk didn't work with Simmons, but they take a chance here with a player that has outs for the Nets built into his contract. If he is more motivated out of New Orleans this deal is a coup, if it doesn't work out they are out two picks from a very good team & they still have many others (plus some valuable trade pieces).

I imagine a third team is looped in to take Watford or Williams into space/exceptions for 2nds.

I have smelled this trade for awhile. It seems like something is in the works behind the scenes.

If the Nets trade for Zion:

1) It would likely be in the off-season, not now. There's zero incentive for the Nets to pull off a talent addition trade now.
2) There's no reason why the Nets would take McCollum back as well.
3) I can't imagine Zion has 2 unprotected future FRPs worth of value regardless of the team they're coming from. I can see an offer of this years NYK & HOU picks at most. Zion is just too expensive of a risk.

I think the third team is to take CJM honestly?

For Brooklyn, they could still probably create max cap space this summer to go with Claxton/Zion/Cam/Cam (cap hold)… no idea who they’d target but they should be given the chance to play with it versus taking CJM.

But the value seems okay? The picks aren’t high value but think the 2029 has some variance obviously so probably fair. Just think the group in NY is going to stay together and be good for a long time (no idea about being great, but really good)

I would actually look at what it costs to add Murray instead of CJM. Finish the tank and go into next season with Claxton, Zion, Cam, Cam, Murray..

McCollum is 33 years old and is under contract for two years.

I don't think the Nets want to use up all of their cap space on an oft injured Zion and an aging McCollum.

Paying two first rounders to obtain the albatross contracts only makes the deal worse.

I would rather just hold onto Zaire and Watford for now.

Thoughts on how a Claxton-Zion swap balances out?

TheNetsFan wrote:Thoughts on how a Claxton-Zion swap balances out?

If the Pelicans are tearing it down and rebuilding, a fully paid center likely as very little appeal for them. Would need a 3rd team to give value for Claxton. I think the Nets would have to add at least a good pick here too. Not saying they should do it but NOP likely doesn't walk away from Zion without enough incentive.

psman2 wrote:

TheNetsFan wrote:Thoughts on how a Claxton-Zion swap balances out?

If the Pelicans are tearing it down and rebuilding, a fully paid center likely as very little appeal for them. Would need a 3rd team to give value for Claxton. I think the Nets would have to add at least a good pick here too. Not saying they should do it but NOP likely doesn't walk away from Zion without enough incentive.

I honestly don't think Zion has much value at this point. Few teams will be eager to sign up for him. He looks very good when he plays, but he never plays. He's drastically overpaid due to his lack of availability, but to good to cut & take advantage of the non-guaranteed deal. You also run the real risk that he plays just enough one year to retrigger a significant amount of guaranteed money the next year & then winds up on the shelf again.

TheNetsFan wrote:

psman2 wrote:

TheNetsFan wrote:Thoughts on how a Claxton-Zion swap balances out?

If the Pelicans are tearing it down and rebuilding, a fully paid center likely as very little appeal for them. Would need a 3rd team to give value for Claxton. I think the Nets would have to add at least a good pick here too. Not saying they should do it but NOP likely doesn't walk away from Zion without enough incentive.

I honestly don't think Zion has much value at this point. Few teams will be eager to sign up for him. He looks very good when he plays, but he never plays. He's drastically overpaid due to his lack of availability, but to good to cut & take advantage of the non-guaranteed deal. You also run the real risk that he plays just enough one year to retrigger a significant amount of guaranteed money the next year & then winds up on the shelf again.

All true, but without him NOP is a desert in the NBA landscape and might be decade before than get a glipse of what Zion lead team could in theory become. He is pure excitement when he plays and has shown stretches of winning impactful play. If they cannot get enough value he is still better to have him than not. It is a tough spot for NOP, one that likely takes a couple more years to resolve if another team doesn't want to offer value to take on that risk. If I could trade Claxton and 1st for him I would do it, that opportunity cost is low enough for me to absorb that risk.

I only think BK does this if they know another FA will come with Zion who is mentally 100% stable and very very healthy and fit.

Something is in the works. I do not know if a big trade happens this deadline or this summer.

Everything is way too quiet on the trade fronts now...

Do the deal if and only if a third team takes McCollum. Or if he is dropped from the trade altogether.