Arsenal wrote:ProcessDoctor wrote:I think us (and NBA fans in general) are more down on Embiids value than front offices are. Think of all the significantly worse contracts that garnered 1st in return (Wall, Westbrook, post-prime Shaq, CP3 when he looked cooked).
You’re telling me that a 31-year-old who won MVP 2 years ago doesn’t even warrant one lotto pick? I just don’t buy it. This is a star driven league, and teams are desperate to get said player at calculated risks. Embiid for a group of role players and a lotto pick is an example of said calculated risk that I think a handful of GMs would take for a chance at star upside.
Maybe if there's a desperate GM on the verge of getting fired anyway they'd take the risk. Who fits the bill?
In terms of teams with lotto picks, I could see:
1. NOP (new leadership means making significant changes)
2. TOR (Masai is notorious for buying low, as he did with Kawhi and Ingram)
3. CHI (constantly craving star power, have resisted tanking)
4. ATL (have held on to Tre this long, most difficult team to find matching contracts though)
Beyond that, I wouldn't rule out:
5 - 9. The losers of the KD + Giannis sweepstakes (MIA, HOU, OKC, GSW, and
maybe SAS)
10. ORL
11. PHX (would have to be a 3-teamer)
12. LAL
Even if 11 of those teams bow out or go other routes, all it takes is one. Star power is everything in the league. Even if front offices don't 100% believe in the medical or on-court product, they want to sell tickets and bring attention to the team. Tale as old as time. Think of the two big recent Morey trades:
1. Simmons - Sat out for a whole year, attached two 1sts to him and acquired late-prime Harden
2. Harden - Disgruntled, expiring contract with
nowhere to go except LAC, and still acquired cap relief, an unprotected 1st, AND an unprotected 1st swap
I'm not buying that Embiid has lower value than either of those players at the time they were traded. Let's stop sounding like the general board with that unrealistic nonsense.
