RealGM

Celtics get: $31.6m trade exception
Pelicans get: Porzingis
Nets get: Dejounte Murray, best pick from Pelicans in 2026 (top 4 protected)

Why for Cs: Save hundreds of millions in tax penalties for a team that appears slightly to very toast depending on Tatum's injury.
Why for Pels: Get of of Murray's terrible contract and get the ideal fit with Zion... If they're ever healthy.
Why for Nets: Use cap space to take on terrible money for a good pick.

Pels should not be using that pick to turn Murray into KP. It would be one thing if KP and Zion were likely to play even 100 games combined, you talk yourself into the perfect on paper fit. But they can't so its too much to pay.

Nets should do that and quickly.

I'd need to know what Boston's options were after this. They save an absolute fortune which is great, but they still want to compete.

Seems bad asset management for New Orleans.

Pels shouldn’t use that high a pick to dump Murray. And in this deal as constructed, they’d cut BOS out and just take the cap space themselves.

I think there COULD be the construct of a deal here. I think the Pels giving up some value for dumping Murray’s long term deal for a one year flier on an ideal Zion front court partner. And BOS would owe value as well for the financial part of the deal. If the value given up by BOS and NOP is enough for BRK, it could make sense.

Texas Chuck wrote:Pels should not be using that pick to turn Murray into KP. It would be one thing if KP and Zion were likely to play even 100 games combined, you talk yourself into the perfect on paper fit. But they can't so its too much to pay.

Nets should do that and quickly.

I'd need to know what Boston's options were after this. They save an absolute fortune which is great, but they still want to compete.

They have no hopes of competing at any real level of Tatum is out with an Achilles. I doubt they’d trade Brown or White, but I’d expect financially motivated KP/Jrue deals to duck the 2nd apron.

hugepatsfan wrote:

Texas Chuck wrote:Pels should not be using that pick to turn Murray into KP. It would be one thing if KP and Zion were likely to play even 100 games combined, you talk yourself into the perfect on paper fit. But they can't so its too much to pay.

Nets should do that and quickly.

I'd need to know what Boston's options were after this. They save an absolute fortune which is great, but they still want to compete.

They have no hopes of competing at any real level of Tatum is out with an Achilles. I doubt they’d trade Brown or White, but I’d expect financially motivated KP/Jrue deals to duck the 2nd apron.

Sucks about JT, but the world keeps spinning and the tax bill will come. Agree that KP and Jrue are certainly going to be discussed. Pistons could use KP, but wouldn’t want to give up any of the young core. Maybe Fontecchio, Sasser and some picks.

theBigLip wrote:

hugepatsfan wrote:

Texas Chuck wrote:Pels should not be using that pick to turn Murray into KP. It would be one thing if KP and Zion were likely to play even 100 games combined, you talk yourself into the perfect on paper fit. But they can't so its too much to pay.

Nets should do that and quickly.

I'd need to know what Boston's options were after this. They save an absolute fortune which is great, but they still want to compete.

They have no hopes of competing at any real level of Tatum is out with an Achilles. I doubt they’d trade Brown or White, but I’d expect financially motivated KP/Jrue deals to duck the 2nd apron.

Sucks about JT, but the world keeps spinning and the tax bill will come. Agree that KP and Jrue are certainly going to be discussed. Pistons could use KP, but wouldn’t want to give up any of the young core. Maybe Fontecchio, Sasser and some picks.

A can definitely see that. Porzingis is a good flier to take for DET at a cheap price because of the unicorn skill set. Boston really has no need to keep Porzingis for 1 year if Tatum is out. Swap him for smaller contracts and maybe some small value depending on how useless the players behind those contracts are and then use seconds to dump the smaller contracts and duck the 2nd apron.

There’s no need for them to subject themselves to repeater penalties for a Tatum-less team