AQuintus wrote:
Two very definitive statements about things you can't possibly know. But as long as we're making definitive statements: "Well you won't get a better player than Alexey Shved at the 9th pick." So you might as well give us the 9th pick for Alexey Shved.
The reason you don't see it is because you're a Cavs Homer. Enlightened?
Edit:
Sorry, that wasn't very fair.
1) 5 >>> 9. After about the 6th or 7th pick, this draft falls off hard.
2) Sullinger > Thompson. Both are no more than backup PFs, but Sullinger is paid less over the next few years.
3) Future pick from Brooklyn (possibly) > Nothing
4) Expirings >>> Non-expirings
5) Taking back our "bad salary" >>> Not taking back our bad salary
6) Nothing >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bennett. He's a horrible player getting paid number 1 overall money for the next few years.
7) 2015 Memphis pick = irrelevant. A late teens, early 20s pick a year from now has very little value.
8) Varejao = bad fit. There's no room for him in the rotation with Pek and Dieng already here. He's paid a ton, is too old for a rebuilding roster, and is constantly injured
9) Dion Waiter. The deal really, really hinges on how highly we think of Waiters. If we think he's a future star, it's a solid deal. If, however, you don't, it's a bad deal. I don't. 2 years of sub-15 PER. 2 years of unacceptably bad TS% (.492 and .508). Below average assists and rebounds per-36. Low FTA/FGA. Bad defense. Low WS/48. The guy is just a mediocre 6th man type at best. Not worth it.
Edit 2:
And even with Waiters post-break "surge" in production, he still only had a terrible 1.17 points per FGA (1.09 pre-break) and was still well below average at passing and rebounding.
Well Shved isn't that good so we would get someone much better at 9

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Outside of the top 3, there is a big gap in the quality of players. Anyone from 4 to basically 14 could be just as good as each other. Sure, the 5th pick is a better pick by virtue, but not that much more valuable than 9 when you consider the following. You guys are pretty set at PG, so I'm guessing you won't be interested in Exum or Smart, at least one of which could be available at the 5th spot. After that, you have Randle, Vonleh, Gordon, or McDermott, any of which could fall to the 9th spot depending on how the draft shakes out. So I guess at the 5th spot you have the luxury of taking your pick of those, but which ever ones are available at the 9th spot will be just as good, if not better depending on how they turn out. The 5th spot doesn't contain no Wiggins, Parker, or Embiid type player. So you are willing to take that 5th pick and Sullinger, and that is enough for Love?
Like I said before, if the Celtics (or any team) gets a top 3 pick and offers you that for Love, you take that deal and don't blink twice. That would be the better offer. I even said that in my original post if you would have bothered to read it. However, I don't see why any team would trade a top 3 pick for Love. I would rather have Wiggins or Parker. Embiid is a toss up because of some questions marks along with injuries, I might trade Embiid for Love.
Now to address the rest of this post. I'm glad you took the time to respond. However, perhaps you are the homer considering it is pretty ignorant to literally try to disapprove of every single asset the Cavs have, when in reality there is a ton of good value and better than 90% of the offers teams can give. I would say the best offer, but perhaps the Warriors or Suns could give better offers in other people's eyes but I guess that is all a matter of opinion. To say the entire offer sucks and every asset is useless is just stupid.
Okay, so you think Sullinger is better than Thompson. Fair enough, I won't argue to much. The value is somewhat close though. A "possible" future pick from Brooklyn against "nothing" the Cavs can offer. Well we do have the Memphis pick, and saying that is useless is dumb. Memphis just fired management and is looking to rebuild, so I doubt they would make the playoffs and that pick could be a lottery pick, or mid-teens at the highest. Also, the Miami pick for 2015 is on the table, and could be valuable if LeBron leaves.
And if you bothered to read, Varejao is an expiring and non-guaranteed at that. If you really care about expirings that much, you can have him but I doubt expirings mean much in a trade for Love. You need actual value. Expirings have value if you could use them to swing for a trade, and who would Minnesota trade for? Likely nobody, because they won't stick around and will leave in free agency at first chance like Love is. Which nobody is going to want to sign in free agency, so getting young players and the draft is important.
With Dion Waiters, I'm assuming you don't watch any other teams because you pulled out some useless stats to base your argument about him on. I'm not saying he is perfect because he is young and can grow even more, but he is a dang good player. He doesn't play that well with Kyrie because Kyrie isn't a passer and they are both scorers, but he still managed to get 16 points on 30 minutes of play. You put him with a passer like Rubio and bump him up to 35-39 minutes a game and he is easily averaging 20+. He has the physical tools and size to be good at defense, unlike Kyrie and many other guards. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I really think the Wolves could use a scorer who is a playmaker and can create his own shot off the dribble who is quick, athletic, and explosive because the Wolves really don't have that right now. They have Rubio, who is pass first and not a scorer, and they have Kevin Martin who is primarily catch and shoot. The Cavs would hate to give up Dion, but it is what makes our offer extra competitive.
And on Bennett. I guess you just have something personal against him or like to go with the crowd on the "bust" label because he hasn't lived up to the #1 pick status, but he still has great value because of his potential and he won't "suck" at the end of the day. I doubt he will be a star, but he will be a very solid player or better given the right opportunity. If he actually plays under a decent coach, and in a system that fits him where he can get some decent playing time and develop, look out. I have no doubt in my mind you no nothing about him. I think most NBA GM's with a brain understand the value he has and the potential he has, so I guess thank God you aren't the GM of the Timberwolves or they would be in trouble

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Bottom line, if you get a team that is wililng to trade a top 3 pick to you for Love, that is what you should do. Is there any teams willing to do that? I doubt it, but you never know. I think the Suns could offer the best deal if they are willing to give up Plumlee, plus a couple other young players and all 4 of their first round picks (even though they aren't high in the lottery). The Suns could make a great offer, not sure they would do it. Warriors could be decent if you put alot of value on Klay Thompson, but he isn't that much better than Dion and Dion has more potential. Klay is also a big product of the system he is in, although I do love his game. After that, the Cavs can offer up a dang good trade, and it is pretty ignorant to say it is complete garbage.