Free Agency & Trades Thread 2 **NOW OPEN**

[Tofubeque]

I know we were hand-wringing here about signing a backup C, but what they hell are the Lakers doing.They don't even have one.

Not getting a lob threat to play with Luka and LeBron seems like malpractice.

[WuTang_CMB]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45637126/nba-free-agent-rankings-cp3-kuminga-ayton-horford-new-top-10

[Dalek]

It's quiet today, which is weird because there are still some solid names out there. I'm interested to see what happens with Horford, Paul, and Ayton.

If I am guessing correctly, Horford to the Warriors replacing Kevon Looney. Chris Paul to the Clippers to be Harden's back-up and finish his career where he started. Deandre Ayton to the Lakers where he will go the worst team possible for him, and Reddick will have lose hair or have it turn grey yelling at him.

[ciueli]

A lot of what they did, from chasing Dame to hiring Doc, was to appease Giannis though. And obviously as the big superstar he has a lot of clout and say in what happens. They may try to disavow responsiblity after-the-fact but that's just how things can go work with some star players.

Yeah, we saw the same thing happen with James Harden. Demand the Rockets get Westbrook, then bail on the team once it was clear it was a terrible move. LeBron blew up the Lakers chances to repeat by also forcing the front office to trade for Westbrook, he hasn't bailed the way Harden did, but it's starting to look like he would accept a trade to a team with a better chance of winning with his recent opt-in move.

Giannis is getting there as well, he's destroyed the Bucks for a decade with his demand they trade for Damian Lillard and now he's demanding they upgrade the roster while withholding his approval until they are finished making moves. The Bucks might end up mortgaging even more of their future (Lillard waive and stretch) just to see Giannis demand out anyway, it's absolutely brutal for them and a good example of why a franchise can't kowtow to these entitled players.

I don't blame Giannis at all - Most people in business try to maximize their leverage and influence for personal benefit and Giannis wants to win now and he's not concerned about the Bucks future nor should he be - that's a fact of life - it's up to the company how much they want to accommodate that individual - Milwaukee could have gone a different path and moved on from Giannis (that's what I would have done) but that's management/ownership's fault.

That's the whole problem, though, the players aren't smart enough to realize they aren't actually acting in their own benefit. Giannis demanding the Bucks trade for Damian Lillard is the perfect example of this, it's not that different from LeBron and James Harden demanding their respective teams trade for Russell Westbrook, its a complete misunderstanding of what types of players actually contribute to winning.

[MiamiSPX]

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KOC said the asking price is two 1st round picks and a good young player.

[Kingsway_fan]

Hope we bring back Derozan. I know people will complain he is 35. But he is an Ironman and would be a great presence for Barnes, IQ and Ingram. If there is a way to get some draft capital in an RJ for Derozan swap I would consider it. I know everyone is about youth, but veteran presence is also valuable if it helps your team win and I still that culture. Love RJ, but the FT choking him and Barnes do at the end of games is painful to watch. This is where a guy like Derozan able to get the basketball and cleanly ice the game

We're trying to escape mediocrity, not bask in it.

Demar has a very stretchable contract, not saying we should do that but with his partial guarantee next year he goes down easier than you think over five years.

Whatever you are smoking.... stop.

[douggood]

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KOC said the asking price is two 1st round picks and a good young player.

looks like the first utah tank rebuild failed, onto iteration #2

[Los_29]

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KOC said the asking price is two 1st round picks and a good young player.

looks like the first utah tank rebuild failed, onto iteration #2

Just a few more years of tanking. Hopefully be rounding out their roster in 2031-2032 to make that play-in push.

[douggood]

KOC said the asking price is two 1st round picks and a good young player.

looks like the first utah tank rebuild failed, onto iteration #2

Just a few more years of tanking. Hopefully be rounding out their roster in 2031-2032 to make that play-in push.

Tank Hard 2: With a Vengeance

[God Squad]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45637126/nba-free-agent-rankings-cp3-kuminga-ayton-horford-new-top-10

I forgot about Melton. He's another name that teams devoid of depth should be after.

[TGM]

I love Giddey’s game but don’t see a way we can bring him over.

If we could flip IQ and replace with Giddey would do it in a heart beat. But bulls already have White and Ayo. So unless they feel IQ is a superior point guard, but IQ’s contract is hard to move in this environment.

Only hope now is Giannis asks for a trade and bucks want decent starters. They could use an IQ and Barnes in a deal plus a crap load of picks.

The home run move would be:

IQ, Barnes, Mogbo and 3 firsts, one swap for Giannis and Kuzma. This is not a bad core for the Bucks to rebuild.

Send RJ, Kuzma, Dick and a first to Bulls for Giddey (30 million per year ) and Pat Williams. Bulls basically look to free up as much possible cap space for 2026/27

Giddey - Shead - Martin
Ochai- Walter - Wilson
Ingram - Williams - Battle
Giannis - CMB -
Jakob - Sandro - Castleton

Probably sign a vet at the 4 to back up Giannis while we develop CMB

Monster height stacking 5 for Raps. Could argue keeping Dick for the 3 PT shooting and sending Ochai instead.

[OakleyDokely]

Kessler is a pretty limited. Can't shoot, can't hit FTs, isn't a great playmaker, can't defend on the perimeter. He can rebound and play as a drop big, but he seems more like a situational big because he can be played off the floor quite easily, especially as the competition increases in the playoffs. I wouldn't pay that price for that type of player.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Which contenders even have two spare 1sts, a good young player and a glaring need for a limited C? Maybe Indiana?

[Los_29]

Kessler is a pretty limited. Can't shoot, can't hit FTs, isn't a great playmaker, can't defend on the perimeter. He can rebound and play as a drop big, but he seems more like a situational big because he can be played off the floor quite easily, especially as the competition increases in the playoffs. I wouldn't pay that price for that type of player.

Exactly and if the Jazz liked him they wouldn’t have been trying to trade him for so long.

[Jerry Lucas]

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Raptors should try expanding the JV trade to the Nuggets before it's finalized, to fleece the Kings for Monk.

TOR gets
Monk
Saric

SAC gets
RJ

DEN gets
JV

Former Knicks GM and now Kings GM Scott Perry would have to want an RJ reunion for this to make sense.

[TimeForChange]

Read on Twitter

Raptors should try expanding the JV trade to the Nuggets before it's finalized, to fleece the Kings for Monk.

TOR gets
Monk
Saric

SAC gets
RJ

DEN gets
JV

Former Knicks GM and now Kings GM Scott Perry would have to want an RJ reunion for this to make sense.

The only issue I see is what are they doing with Demar?

[TimeForChange]

Read on Twitter

[Tripod]

Read on Twitter

Raptors should try expanding the JV trade to the Nuggets before it's finalized, to fleece the Kings for Monk.

TOR gets
Monk
Saric

SAC gets
RJ

DEN gets
JV

Former Knicks GM and now Kings GM Scott Perry would have to want an RJ reunion for this to make sense.

The only issue I see is what are they doing with Demar?

Trading him to Bulls for Williams

[Dennis 37]

It's quiet today, which is weird because there are still some solid names out there. I'm interested to see what happens with Horford, Paul, and Ayton.

If I am guessing correctly, Horford to the Warriors replacing Kevon Looney. Chris Paul to the Clippers to be Harden's back-up and finish his career where he started. Deandre Ayton to the Lakers where he will go the worst team possible for him, and Reddick will have lose hair or have it turn grey yelling at him.

Well, at least that gives LeBron someone to blame.


He hasn't has that in a while.

[OakleyDokely]

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Knicks love coaches who will play their guys to death.

When he fired by SAC, Fox was averaging 37 mins, Demar, Sabonis, Murray around 35 each.