Fake Trade Thread #7

[Braggins]

I also think you have to play Sabonis at center, which could work but it puts a lot of stress on your roster building.

Id love to have Monk back. Hes better than Sexton and Mann, but youd also have to trade one or both of them to make him fit. They already have too many small guards.

[Diop]

the team isn't doing a win now move with Ball and Miller unable to play.

[Liver_Pooty]

I also think you have to play Sabonis at center, which could work but it puts a lot of stress on your roster building.

Id love to have Monk back. Hes better than Sexton and Mann, but youd also have to trade one or both of them to make him fit. They already have too many small guards.

They’re all the same player. If anything sexton is a better spot up shooter.

[HornetJail]

Miles, Pat, Sexton, Miami pick and the worst of Orlando etc. pick for Sabonis and Ellis.

*healthy team

Melo - Mann
Kon - Ellis
Brandon - Sion - Liam
Sabonis - Green
Kalk - Diabate

done. I don't even need Ellis if that's the breaking point.

Definitely need a follow up move for another PG and PF, but we're getting somewhere with that.

I like Sabonis and Moose playing some minutes together (I guess Moose is the 4 in that lineup for defensive purposes) but we 100% need a real 4 somehow. Maybe expand this to include DeRozan who has masqueraded as a smallball 4 before?

[JustBuzzin]

Sabonis is literally the worst defensive player in the league. As much as his brings with rebounding he absolutely is a cone on defense.

He can't play pf either. I'm fine with Kalk at center as of now.

[yosemiteben]

Thinking about our defensive issues and lack of depth at PF, and seeing Jonathan Isaac not really in ORL's rotation, and seems like he should be pretty easily accessible and would be a useful player for us.

Either of Josh Green or Connaughton for Jonathon Isaac

Fun to think about a lockdown defensive lineup of Kalk - Moussa - Isaac - Sion - Kon in single possession end game situations where we need a stop

[JMAC3]

Miles, Pat, Sexton, Miami pick and the worst of Orlando etc. pick for Sabonis and Ellis.

*healthy team

Melo - Mann
Kon - Ellis
Brandon - Sion - Liam
Sabonis - Green
Kalk - Diabate

I don't think this gets it done for even Sabonis, let alone Ellis.

You are basically giving up 2 firsts and filler.

[MPM]

Thinking about our defensive issues and lack of depth at PF, and seeing Jonathan Isaac not really in ORL's rotation, and seems like he should be pretty easily accessible and would be a useful player for us.

Either of Josh Green or Connaughton for Jonathon Isaac

Fun to think about a lockdown defensive lineup of Kalk - Moussa - Isaac - Sion - Kon in single possession end game situations where we need a stop

Isaac is an interesting target. Bad contract so might be able to extract draft collateral for Pat's expiring, but a bad contract that would actually make us (slightly) more competitive.

[HornetJail]

the most appealing thing about Jonathan Isaac is that he has so many unguaranteed years that you can stretch his remaining guaranteed money across so many years that the amount of dead salary is negligible. Makes him a good target for a floundering pretender that churns through players trying to find anything that works.

[JMAC3]

Issac is made of glass and even when he plays isn't that impactful.

Seems like worst case scenario. If we are trading for an injury prone guy I would want him to really matter when he does actually play.

[Bassman]

Face it…we’re back to having few options, even if Jeffie wanted to make a deal.

Who is the most sought after Hornet for a trade by NBA teams right now? A month ago, who would have guessed that answer would be K-Nip?

[yosemiteben]

Issac is made of glass and even when he plays isn't that impactful.

Seems like worst case scenario. If we are trading for an injury prone guy I would want him to really matter when he does actually play.

He's definitely a difference maker defensively. Agreed about the injury concerns though.

[JMAC3]

Face it…we’re back to having few options, even if Jeffie wanted to make a deal.

Who is the most sought after Hornet for a trade by NBA teams right now? A month ago, who would have guessed that answer would be K-Nip?

We have the 5th most tradeable draft assets in the NBA. We are such a damaged franchise that we think we have no options.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44938717/nba-draft-asset-rankings-stacking-all-30-teams-pick-collections

[Hornet Mania]

Our pick stash has improved over the last two years but I think we're still in accumulation mode on that front and probably won't send any out before the trade deadline. You can look at it as staying patient, or as a front office never willing to make a move so they can never take blame for failure.

I expect the most JP and the front office will do this season is squeeze a few 2nds by facilitating deals and maybe add a 1st if they find a taker for Miles or someone makes an offer for Sexton.

[yosemiteben]

Our pick stash has improved over the last two years but I think we're still in accumulation mode on that front and probably won't send any out before the trade deadline. You can look at it as staying patient, or as a front office never willing to make a move so they can never take blame for failure.

Man, I have a hard time looking at all our moves over the last 2 years and saying the FO is scared to take bold steps.

This feels like a narrative distorting the reality. For example, lots of folks were saying all summer and into the season that we are tanking, and pointing to our C rotation as evidence of that. I actually think going into the season with our current center rotation is an example of our FO being willing to bet on themselves, not the opposite of them being scared to make a move.

[JMAC3]

Just looking more into the article I shared earlier- here are the amount of picks each team can trade- Updated.
This is good information when it comes to any potential Melo trade.
Or any trade where we might be bidding against one of the teams for a player such as Sabonis, AD, Bam etc.
Or if Giannis is available this is good info to know just in general.

Minny- 0 tradeable firsts
Denver- 0

Bucks - 1 tradeable firsts
Suns - 1
Lakers- 1
Cavs- 1
Magic- 1
Knicks - 1 Fake Wiz pick, top 8 protected. Turns 2 2nds if not conveyed this year.

Clippers - 2 tradeable firsts
Heat - 2
Celtics - 2
Mavs - 2

Warriors - 3 tradeable firsts
Sixers- 3
Pelicans- 3

Pacers- 4 tradeable firsts
Blazers- 4
Hawks - 4
Spurs - 4
Raptors- 4
Pistons- 4

Bulls - 5 tradeable firsts
Rockets - 5

Grizzlies- 6 tradeable firsts
Kings- 6
Wizards- 6

Charlotte- 8 tradeable firsts
Jazz - 8
Nets- 8

Thunder- 10 tradeable firsts

[JMAC3]

Also, after seeing this. It makes you think.

If we did Trade LaMelo for let's say 3 future firsts from Team X.
Now the Hornets are less talented on paper, but with more picks.

Right now, we are in the spot of convincing ourselves that it makes no sense to cash in on the picks we have because we are not talented enough to win even after such a trade- or at least that feels like the vibe from front office.

How would that be any different without LaMelo? The team would be even less talented - so would the front office make any attempt to trade any of those picks? or would we just be going into another 3 year rebuild where we hoard picks and hope the lottery gods save us?

Would we just become the new Utah Jazz?

[JMAC3]

A few random smaller deals that I think could make sense.
1. Miles Bridges to Boston for Anfernee Simons.
Why? Hornets trade Miles for an expiring if we are really bad. Boston adds much needed size if they want to try to sneak into playoffs and get through first round.

2. Collin Sexton for Santi Aldama.
Why? If Memphis decides to blow it up maybe they would value financial flexibility and get off Aldama contract. Hornets add much needed size at the 4.

[JMAC3]

A few random smaller deals that I think could make sense.
1. Miles Bridges to Boston for Anfernee Simons.
Why? Hornets trade Miles for an expiring if we are really bad. Boston adds much needed size if they want to try to sneak into playoffs and get through first round.

2. Collin Sexton for Santi Aldama.
Why? If Memphis decides to blow it up maybe they would value financial flexibility and get off Aldama contract. Hornets add much needed size at the 4.

Or you could merge the trades together.

Bridges to Boston
Simons to Memphis
Aldama to Charlotte

[yosemiteben]

Right now, we are in the spot of convincing ourselves that it makes no sense to cash in on the picks we have because we are not talented enough to win even after such a trade- or at least that feels like the vibe from front office.

I don't think it's so much that we aren't talented enough to cash in, it's more that I legitimately don't think we know what pieces would be additive as opposed to replacing, which kind of goes to your broader point. If we aren't building around Melo, that impacts how we build compared to us cashing in picks specifically to build around him.

That's how I interpret the message of not skipping steps - not cashing in assets to add pieces without a coherent strategy of where we're going or how we're building.