ESPN's "Six Big Anthony Davis Trades We'd Like to See"

jebdrbhjb · Post #1 » by **jebdrbhjb** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 3:51 am

The usual suspects were on the list (Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Clippers) and then two out of the realm of current rumors - Denver and Portland. Here was their proposed Portland trade:

Blazers get: Anthony Davis, E'Twaun Moore, Jahlil Okafor

Pelicans get: CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, 2019 No. 25 pick, 2021 Portland first-round pick

In this deal, the Blazers become the next team to push in all their chips for a guaranteed season with a superstar. The Davis-Damian Lillard combo would make them contenders immediately, with both stars at the peak of their powers and starving for a title. Plus, like the Raptors, Portland has an outstanding fan base that would welcome Davis with open arms. And if Davis doesn't decide to stay, the Trail Blazers have a lot of expiring deals and would then have the opportunity to almost start fresh around Lillard, who reportedly is interested in signing an upcoming supermax extension.

On the Pelicans' side, McCollum is an All Star-caliber player who has averaged 24.4 PPG during his last three playoff appearances in a secondary role. McCollum is entering his peak at only 27 years old, he's an excellent scorer who would be an outstanding fit next to Williamson and would also form a very intriguing backcourt with Jrue Holiday. Nurkic is only 24. He averaged 15 points and almost 10 rebounds in his two-plus seasons in Portland, and he was rounding into one of the better young big men in the NBA before his leg injury. Both are foundation-level players, and the two draft picks help round out the deal.

Personally I would do this trade. I don't see a path for us to improve past the Warriors without a shake-up. Dame/CJ has taken us as far as we can go.

DusterBuster · Post #2 » by **DusterBuster** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:00 am

This is roughly the same deal we were discussing in the other thread, but with Collins in place of Nurkic and no Moore/Okafor.

I'm way more hesitant to give up CJ and Nurk for an AD deal. Maybe if there was another deal right behind it, like a deal for Kevin Love somehow. That's a ton of turnover and asking for it all to work in one year tho.

d-train · Post #3 » by **d-train** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:02 am

I doubt Blazers would do this trade. It would be a good trade talentwise, but would leave the Blazers as bad as the Pelicans. Davis would be gone after a year and Blazers would be an expansion team.

DusterBuster · Post #4 » by **DusterBuster** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:07 am

d-train wrote:I doubt Blazers would do this trade. It would be a good trade talentwise, but would leave the Blazers as bad as the Pelicans. Davis would be gone after a year and Blazers would be an expansion team.

Agreed. Blazers would have to have a secondary deal in their back pocket like getting Kevin Love or something. Otherwise yeah, a team of Lillard and AD with nothing else doesn't make the Blazers that much better than the Pelicans.

d-train · Post #5 » by **d-train** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:20 am

DusterBuster wrote:
d-train wrote:I doubt Blazers would do this trade. It would be a good trade talentwise, but would leave the Blazers as bad as the Pelicans. Davis would be gone after a year and Blazers would be an expansion team.

Agreed. Blazers would have to have a secondary deal in their back pocket like getting Kevin Love or something. Otherwise yeah, a team of Lillard and AD with nothing else doesn't make the Blazers that much better than the Pelicans.

A secondary deal could be more likely with a talent like AD on board. Especially, if we don't give up CJ. I still don't see any reason to offer that much for AD. Who is offering more than Nurkic, Collins, Harkless, and any package of picks and young players Pelicans want.

monopoman · Post #6 » by **monopoman** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:22 am

I just think NO would be more interested in Collins than Nurkic I think his timeline lines up better with Zion and while Nurkic is young also Collins has looked very good at times in limited minutes.

Especially with Nurkic coming off an injury...

d-train · Post #7 » by **d-train** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:30 am

monopoman wrote:I just think NO would be more interested in Collins than Nurkic I think his timeline lines up better with Zion and while Nurkic is young also Collins has looked very good at times in limited minutes.

Especially with Nurkic coming off an injury...

I think they will want both. The value of Nukic is obvious and proven. If for some reason Pelicans don't put huge value on Collins, I would want to take him out of the deal and put in other players.

DusterBuster · Post #8 » by **DusterBuster** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:31 am

monopoman wrote:I just think NO would be more interested in Collins than Nurkic I think his timeline lines up better with Zion and while Nurkic is young also Collins has looked very good at times in limited minutes.

Especially with Nurkic coming off an injury...

I don't think Nurks injury would really hurt his value any. It sucks not to have him for a bit, but he shouldn't be out all season next year and his injury - as gruesome as it was - isn't one that limits a player physically after they're fully healed. Combine that with Nurk being on an absolute steal of a deal at only 11mil per year and I think he'd be pretty highly coveted if the Blazers were offering him up for AD - moreso than Collins at this point.

That said, I just can't imagine Olshey trading both McCollumn AND Nurk. AD is apparently pretty tight with Dame, but Nurk is like a brother to Lillard, so I think he'd take that deal pretty hard. I don't know if he'd be down with that deal - not that he has any real say in it, but I'd imagine Olshey would at least ask his opinion.

I think the most I'd offer is the originally discussed deal of CJ, Collins, and picks for AD. Maybe I'd consider that dtrain idea of Nurk, Collins and Harkless. I'm not in love with it, but I could probably be talked into it. The one thing I can't be talked into is giving up both Nurk and CJ, I think that's my line.

monopoman · Post #9 » by **monopoman** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:35 am

Well AD won't commit to any team at all the recent report is he will explore free agency even if he goes to one of his most wanted teams.

I mean are the Lakers damn sure he will re-sign at that point? Will they sacrifice all of their youth+#4 pick and maybe more on a guy that won't even commit long term?

d-train · Post #10 » by **d-train** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:43 am

monopoman wrote:Well AD won't commit to any team at all the recent report is he will explore free agency even if he goes to one of his most wanted teams.

I mean are the Lakers damn sure he will re-sign at that point? Will they sacrifice all of their youth+#4 pick and maybe more on a guy that won't even commit long term?

This is good because it drives down his value. And, there us no doubt Davis would ink an extension with the Lakers the day after a trade. Pelicans know they are being played and I don't believe they would even consider a trade to the Lakers.

monopoman · Post #11 » by **monopoman** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:44 am

d-train wrote:
monopoman wrote:Well AD won't commit to any team at all the recent report is he will explore free agency even if he goes to one of his most wanted teams.

I mean are the Lakers damn sure he will re-sign at that point? Will they sacrifice all of their youth+#4 pick and maybe more on a guy that won't even commit long term?

This is good because it drives down his value. And, there us no doubt Davis would ink an extension with the Lakers the day after a trade. Pelicans know they are being played and I don't believe they would even consider a trade to the Lakers.

Well if they were interested in the Lakers package they could have taken it earlier. They said they weren't and I am of the belief that since Lonzo comes with Lavar that drives his value down. Lavar could be a nightmare if his son goes to a team he has no interest in.

Lavar might go down as the most involved parent with a son that is playing NBA ball ever.

DusterBuster · Post #12 » by **DusterBuster** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:50 am

monopoman wrote:Well AD won't commit to any team at all the recent report is he will explore free agency even if he goes to one of his most wanted teams.

I mean are the Lakers damn sure he will re-sign at that point? Will they sacrifice all of their youth+#4 pick and maybe more on a guy that won't even commit long term?

The Lakers don't care about the future. They've got 3 years to build a contender with LeBron and that's all the care about. Whatever happens after that, they'll just have to figure out then. Once they signed LBJ, they only gave themselves a 4 year window - one year of which they've already flushed down the toilet.

Plus, lets be honest, that young they're trading isn't a group of world-beaters. If there's a single All Star appearance by Ball, Ingram and Kuzma combined in their future, I'll be surprised. So even if they made the deal, the year goes to hell and AD bolts in FA, it's not like they can't rebuild again and get guys of the same caliber again in the draft. Plus, if they have two years of just drama and losing even after making a deal for (and subsequently losing) AD, at that point they probably trade LBJ while he's still got some value and 2 years left on his deal.

I also have to wonder if the league is putting any pressure on the Pelicans not to do the Lakers deal because of how Rich Paul has conducted himself. If the deal goes down, it's basically a tacit endorsement that his actions, with how publicly he manipulated things, are A OK for other agents to take. I suppose they don't really have much of a say, but I can't imagine they love how this has happened.

BlazersBroncos · Post #13 » by **BlazersBroncos** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 3:39 pm

I don't deal Nurkic along with CJ for AD. Its a talent overpay IMO, and I also think that keeping Damian and Nurkic on the team as besties will go a long way in building an atmosphere were AD wants to stay.

Norm2953 · Post #14 » by **Norm2953** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 3:54 pm

CJ might be the most available near AS level talent for the teams wanting AD. Be interesting if Portland
would pull the trigger if the Knicks offered up 3

PDXKnight · Post #15 » by **PDXKnight** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 4:11 pm

Norm2953 wrote:CJ might be the most available near AS level talent for the teams wanting AD. Be interesting if Portland
would pull the trigger if the Knicks offered up 3

I could see cj being attractive to them but we’d need to throw in something else and that something else may be what’s more difficult when it comes to giving the value they want for ad. Sure zco is a decent prospect and perhaps anfernee Simmons to blazers fans but for the pels idk if they see those guys nearly the same

DusterBuster · Post #16 » by **DusterBuster** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 7:04 pm

Norm2953 wrote:CJ might be the most available near AS level talent for the teams wanting AD. Be interesting if Portland
would pull the trigger if the Knicks offered up 3

Portland needs more established NBA talents, not less (i.g. Picks / Rookies).

d-train · Post #17 » by **d-train** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:34 pm

I gave up following the draft years ago. College players look great until they play in the NBA. In most drafts the top selections aren't as good as CJ and Nurkic. Certainly the Blazers wouldn't trade CJ for the 3rd pick. I doubt the Blazers would trade Nurkic for the 3rd pick.

I doubt we are going to see real NBA players traded for early draft picks. Usually, early picks are so overvalued you need other overvalued draft picks to do a trade that makes sense. Or, you can wait 6 months or so after the draft and get lottery picks for next to nothing.

d-train · Post #18 » by **d-train** » Thu Jun 13, 2019 9:58 pm

I predict the Rockets and Blazers are the top teams in contention for a Davis trade. You only need to look at the rosters of the teams to see who has the players to make a trade. From my view, Blazers and Rockets have the best package of players to offer. Maybe I'm missing someone that has more to offer. I'm not seeing anyone pointing to a team with more quality assets than Blazers and Rockets. The Lakers package looks very weak, aside from the possibility that Pelicans won't deal with Lakers because of meddling offenses. The best thing the Lakers have is the 4th pick and that says it all. Ingram, Kuzma, and whatever else mediocre player they have is a nothing offer. LeBron is the only good player Lakers have under contract. The Knicks beat the Lakers with the 3rd pick and a comparable assortment of garbage players. And, the Knicks have the advantage of not meddling with Pelicans players.

JasonStern · Post #19 » by **JasonStern** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:03 am

If he was locked up for years, maybe. But CJ, Nurkic, and two 1sts is a steep price to pay for Davis on a one-year contract.

d-train · Post #20 » by **d-train** » Fri Jun 14, 2019 12:24 am

JasonStern wrote:If he was locked up for years, maybe. But CJ, Nurkic, and two 1sts is a steep price to pay for Davis on a one-year contract.

Yeah, time is everything. First, I would try to get AD and keep Lillard and CJ. I would take the gamble that more time can be bought to make these 3 players work together. Absent a deal for AD, I would trade our entire roster for KAT who is under contract for 5 more years. KAT alone is a better starting point with a 5 year time horizon than the accumulation of anything we have so far. And, I think AD is better than KAT. The problem is 1 year vs 5 years.