Melo to Hou: #3, #9, + to CHA; PHI gets Eason, Cam and MarkW

[Xman]

*edited - took out Sheppard (so basically #3 and #10 for Melo)

Philly is shopping 3 and really needs talent around its big three of Maxey/Embiid/PG. One problem is not much salary to ship if keeping PG.

CHA pulled the 4th pick: probably one of Bailey, Edgecombe or TJohnson, unless someone really wants a center and likes Maluach.
CHA has acquired a few high rated prospects the last few years:
Saluan - 6th pick 2024
Mann - 18th pick 2021
BMiller - 2nd pick 2023
NSmith - 27th pick 2023
Melo is the best player and Bridges is talented (but tainted due to rep and salary). But, team is not looking like it will win for a few more years.

Houston has a ton of talent from its recent tank. Sheppard was pick 3 and Whitmore has been impressive - but both are still stuck on the bench. Pick #10 would just be stuck on the bench also.

So:

PHI ships #3, salary filler (combination of Oubre $8.4, Drummond $5, Council $2.2, etc.)
CHA ships Melo 38, MWilliams 6.3, other small filler if needed.
HOU ships #10, Eason 5.7, Whitmore, 3.6, Vleet 44.8
ORL ships KCP 21.6, CAnthony 13.1, Jett 5.5, #25

ORL gets Vleet
Hou gets Melo, Jett
CHA gets #3, #10, KCP, CAnthony, PHI filler
PHI gets MWillams 6.3, Whitmore 3.6, Eason 5.7, #25

Orlando gets the pg it needs for a cheap price.
PHI gets quality players with cheap salaries. MWilliams for depth - Eason is key piece to this entire deal at pf - Whitmore helps a lot.
CHA has #4, adds #3, #10 from last year. This would be a big value add in prospects to Saluan and BMiller (along with NSmith, Mann etc.).
Hou gets the scoring pg it could use long term. I have HOU shipping a lot in this deal - too much? Melo/JGreen/Brooks/Amen/Sengun with Adams/Sheppard/Jabari off the bench.


How would you adjust?

[Godaddycurse]

Hous owns pick 10 not 9

[brackdan70]

Way way too rich of a return for Melo.
I don’t think Houston would have any interest at all turning Eason and 10 into Melo.
Philly will want more for number 3

[MoreyWins]

Way way too rich of a return for Melo.
I don’t think Houston would have any interest at all turning Eason and 10 into Melo.
Philly will want more for number 3

There would have to be a long group meeting with management, the medical staff, and the coaching staff on this. On the surface, LaMelo fills most of the offensive needs for the team. On the flip side, there's no purpose of trading for him if you don't trust he can make it through the regular season and playoffs in one piece. He's played a total of 105 games in the past three seasons. We could be throwing away assets for a worse team come April 2026.

[jowglenn]

I like the concept of Houston going for LaMelo Ball, if for example the Giannis ploy falls through. I like the part where Orlando gets Van Vleet. I like the idea of Charlotte getting big value back for LaMelo (if it's possible.) I don't completely hate the part where Philadelphia parts out the #3 pick for multiple young guys, even.

But I don't think LaMelo, even with Williams included, can return two top 10 picks. I really don't see #3 being involved. Philadelphia needs to land a top-level talent and not try to trade a dollar bill for 3 quarters (and I like Eason a lot.)

Cut Philly out and see what you can do with Melo to HOU, Van Vleet to Orlando, value from each of those teams to Charlotte.

[wemby]

What? #3 + #9 + Sheppard for Lamelo? I would not give up #3 in this draft for Lamelo. Maybe Sheppard + #10 could be in play for the Rockets, I wouldn't if I were them, but it's not unreasonable. But #3 pick in this draft as well is crazy.

[Texas Chuck]

Philly has to pay all of those players immediately which they cannot realistically do. So they've taken one premium assets, diluted it, and then diluted it further because they probably could only keep Eason unless Williams injuries destroy his market, but guess who I don't want to take in value behind Embiid? Another really injured center.

I don't like this for Philly at all. Doesn't matter to me the value of Ball if you insist on using Philly to pay much of the cost for Houston like this.

[Xman]

[quote="Texas Chuck"]Philly has to pay all of those players immediately which they cannot realistically do. So they've taken one premium assets, diluted it, and then diluted it further because they probably could only keep Eason unless Williams injuries destroy his market, but guess who I don't want to take in value behind Embiid? Another really injured center.

I don't like this for Philly at all. Doesn't matter to me the value of Ball if you insist on using Philly to pay much of the cost for Houston like this.[/quote]

I don't think Houston wants Bailey (or anyone else at three - although Houston would love to get Harper) but would fair value be - #10 and Eason?

[Xman]

[quote="jowglenn"]I like the concept of Houston going for LaMelo Ball, if for example the Giannis ploy falls through. I like the part where Orlando gets Van Vleet. I like the idea of Charlotte getting big value back for LaMelo (if it's possible.) I don't completely hate the part where Philadelphia parts out the #3 pick for multiple young guys, even.

But I don't think LaMelo, even with Williams included, can return two top 10 picks. I really don't see #3 being involved. Philadelphia needs to land a top-level talent and not try to trade a dollar bill for 3 quarters (and I like Eason a lot.)

Cut Philly out and see what you can do with Melo to HOU, Van Vleet to Orlando, value from each of those teams to Charlotte.[/quote]


Orl gets Vleet
CHA gets #10, #25, KCP, CAnthony, Sheppard, Whitmore
Hou gets Melo, Jett, JoshGreen - gets pg and bench shooting

a lot for Melo. Like a $1.50 in quarters for a dollar bill.

[Xman]

[quote="Texas Chuck"]Philly has to pay all of those players immediately which they cannot realistically do. So they've taken one premium assets, diluted it, and then diluted it further because they probably could only keep Eason unless Williams injuries destroy his market, but guess who I don't want to take in value behind Embiid? Another really injured center.

I don't like this for Philly at all. Doesn't matter to me the value of Ball if you insist on using Philly to pay much of the cost for Houston like this.[/quote]

PHI gets a year - in which they can extend or wait until the end of the year. Only salaries they have at end of next year will be McCain/Maxey/PG/Embiid so they can pick who they want.

I know there is concern over MWilliams injury, but he is one of the few guys PHI can add due to salary constraints. That is why I also targeted Eason and Cam - cheap price now but clearly talented. There are not a lot of guys around like that - especially ones their team might part with (Houston is overloaded so it might). I see this as PHI adding three talented young people that will contribute right away. I know Williams is only a backup but PHI needs a solid backup with Embiid missing games. Eason would be huge in that lineup. Cam would be a protege for PG and could fill his role (to an extent) when he takes off games. Might work - might not. But, I do not see how Bailey (or other guys available at 3) helps PHI. I think they all need time to develop and overlap the positions PHI has already.

[Texas Chuck]

I know there is concern over MWilliams injury, but he is one of the few guys PHI can add due to salary constraints. That is why I also targeted Eason and Cam - cheap price now but clearly talented. There are not a lot of guys around like that - especially ones their team might part with (Houston is overloaded so it might). I see this as PHI adding three talented young people that will contribute right away. .

If Embiid didn't have the even more significant health concerns than normal, you could talk me into this. Or something pretty close. But without that MVP Philly just isn't good enough this year and then they lose a lot of the value. I think they'd be better off with 3 on a rookie deal in 26-27 and beyond than Eason on a big number.

But with an Embiid you feel good about, yeah don't waste the MVP season a rookie. Problem is that's not the Embiid we have.

[One_and_Done]

I feel like if you're aspiring to win a title you probably don't want LaMelo period.

Also makes little sense for Philly. Why are the Magic even in this? This mainly seems to be a trade to help Charlotte.

[HornetJail]

I'd much rather just try and compete with this group and actually build a complete team, but if Peterson was brought in to just burn the whole thing into the ground, this is the foundation of a quality rebuild.

I don't like this for Philly at all (and that's coming from likely the biggest Mark fan on this subforum). They're giving up the main piece for Melo, and not getting Melo. Houston gets a sweet deal as a result