Call Griffin!!! Tell him ....

[Eric Bieniemy]

... I cracked the code!

Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Jaxon Hayes, Tre Murphy, Kira Lewis, and a bunch of picks (they have plenty to negotiate) for Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Joe Harris -- won't get better than that for Brooklyn.

The bad: Durant and/or Irving may not report to New Orleans. Ingram and Simmons are not the best of fits. Durant would be forced to lead in New Orleans probably more than he would like and he may not want to rely on Irving. Williamson would have to play center.

The good: Brooklyn could get a ton of draft picks and a 25 year old All-Star. New Orleans becomes an instant contender. McCollum, for Brooklyn, is a much better acquisition in exchange for Irving than the proposed Westbrook deal. New Orleans keeps Williamson, Jones, and Daniels. Brooklyn wraps up the KD/Kyrie "era" in one fell swoop and sends them both West to a place not on their wishlist.

PG - Irving - Alvarado - Graham
SG - Jones - Harris - Temple
C - Williamson - Hernangomez - Matkovic
PF - Durant - Liddell
SF - Nance - Daniels - Marshall

A damn good team.

[Duke4life831]

Ill make a list on why I think this would be very dumb for the Pels.

1. Kyrie. I highly doubt Kyrie would even play for the Pels. 2nd if he does, it would only be for 1 year. 0 chance he resigns here.
2. Having the Kyrie/KD duo around Zion would probably be the last thing I would want around Zion.
3. Trading Ingram would be a massive slap to the face to a player that has made the all star game wearing their jersey, led their team to the playoffs, all while never saying a negative word about the franchise. For a franchise that has struggled to find a star player that is willing and happy to play for them, it would be a horrible look that once they finally found one, they trade him away.
4. The defense for that team is atrocious. Herb and Alvarado are the only 2 guys in the rotation that will be good defenders. Nance is a good energy big off the bench, but a starting 3? Ya no.
5. Once Kyrie is gone next year, a very high likely chance KD demands a trade next summer.

So you gave up the one loyal all star caliber player, a bunch of depth, and your picks for essentially a 1 year rental for 2 of the worst personalities in the league.

[Whole Truth]

Ill make a list on why I think this would be very dumb for the Pels.

1. Kyrie. I highly doubt Kyrie would even play for the Pels. 2nd if he does, it would only be for 1 year. 0 chance he resigns here.
2. Having the Kyrie/KD duo around Zion would probably be the last thing I would want around Zion.
3. Trading Ingram would be a massive slap to the face to a player that has made the all star game wearing their jersey, led their team to the playoffs, all while never saying a negative word about the franchise. For a franchise that has struggled to find a star player that is willing and happy to play for them, it would be a horrible look that once they finally found one, they trade him away.
4. The defense for that team is atrocious. Herb and Alvarado are the only 2 guys in the rotation that will be good defenders. Nance is a good energy big off the bench, but a starting 3? Ya no.
5. Once Kyrie is gone next year, a very high likely chance KD demands a trade next summer.

So you gave up the one loyal all star caliber player, a bunch of depth, and your picks for essentially a 1 year rental for 2 of the worst personalities in the league.

A trade of CJ 2yrs & Grahams 3yrs for Kyrie 1 yr clears long term salary on a buy low talent, best player in deal. Zion didn't play last yr & is an injury concern now maxed. Trade Zion, CJ, Hayes & Graham for Durant & Kyrie, Kyrie plays, if Durant plays. Then, NO's can make a decision on Kyrie's future off his expiring. Leaving a core of Durant, BI, Herb, Daniels as his eventual replacement.

Jonas - Nance - Hermangomez
Durant - Liddell
BI - Mutphy
Herb - Naji
Kyrie - Daniels - Alvarado

With Zion not playing last yr, Durant's length which was Hayes strenght in the starting rotation is Hayes being replaced by a top 10 player from last yrs squad. Kyrie is a talent upgrade over CJ aswell. If the trade is balanced right so is the team listed above. Durant over Hayes, Kyrie over CJ. If this package is made there's some pull with the players interest to play here, together. NO's can offer them redemption with a better built & complimentary roster because of their pick cache & the fact they were successful last yr without ZIon who would be headlining the deal.

If the team decides to let Kyrie walk & Durant demands a trade regardless of teams success, NO's will recoup value in trade while getting the benefit of getting out from under CJ, Hayes, Kira's extensions & Grahams 3/11.

NO's trade - (Zion max, CJ, Hayes, Kira, pick/s) for (KD, Irving)

[Whole Truth]

Depending on the picks being offered in trade. This trade prevents Kyrie from also making his way to LA.. where NO's might be able to hold onto the LA pick/s over trading their own with that win now team assembled ...

More specific trade - (Zion, CJ, Graham, Hayes, Kira, NO's FRP, Bucks RTS, Bucks FRP 27)

Zion, CJ, some youth potential headlining 3 picks is a good trade for the Nets. It also potentially allows them to be a PO team owing picks to Houston with a Zion, Simmons, CJ core aswell as recouping some youth & pick potential to add to the build.

NO's get out of Zion's max risk factor, CJ's, Hayes, Kira's impending extensions & Grahams contract. Where dumping that kind of salary would take pick comp to move off of anyway.

[Whole Truth]

If NO's want to hold onto ZIon.

NO's trade - (CJ, #8 Daniels, Graham, Hayes, Kira, moie pick value)

Jonas - Nance - Hermangomez
Zion - Liddell - Nance
Durant - Murphy
Herb - Naji
BI - Alvarado - Seabron

[Whole Truth]

Me personally. I would just trade CJ & Graham for Kyrie as a buy low target. Get off having to extend CJ while dumping Grahams 3/11 for which would be the better talent in trade. 2 for 1 allows Liddell to be signed vs overpaying for Durant where Kyrie was the Nets best player in the Boston series. Added benefit of blocking Kyrie to LA for the future picks.

Jonas - Nance - Hermangomez
Zion - Hayes - Liddell
BI - Murphy
Herb - Daniels - Naji
Kyrie - Alvardo - Kira

[Eric Bieniemy]

Ill make a list on why I think this would be very dumb for the Pels.

1. Kyrie. I highly doubt Kyrie would even play for the Pels. 2nd if he does, it would only be for 1 year. 0 chance he resigns here.
2. Having the Kyrie/KD duo around Zion would probably be the last thing I would want around Zion.
3. Trading Ingram would be a massive slap to the face to a player that has made the all star game wearing their jersey, led their team to the playoffs, all while never saying a negative word about the franchise. For a franchise that has struggled to find a star player that is willing and happy to play for them, it would be a horrible look that once they finally found one, they trade him away.
4. The defense for that team is atrocious. Herb and Alvarado are the only 2 guys in the rotation that will be good defenders. Nance is a good energy big off the bench, but a starting 3? Ya no.
5. Once Kyrie is gone next year, a very high likely chance KD demands a trade next summer.

So you gave up the one loyal all star caliber player, a bunch of depth, and your picks for essentially a 1 year rental for 2 of the worst personalities in the league.

It sounds like you think Durant and Irving wouldn't want to play in New Orleans.

But why? They'd have each other. They'd have Zion effin' Williamson, and they'd have a really good supporting cast and coach.

If your concerns are true, that they wouldn't be happy in New Orleans, with your logic, only the Heat and Suns should be interested in Durant. Any other interested team he will leave because they're not on his wishlist.

The reality is that Durant and Irving are a phone call away. Griffin's job is to communicate and sell the vision. Any other team except Miami, Phoenix, and the Lakers (for Irving) will have to do the same thing.

I conceptualized this deal originally without the inclusion of McCollum and Irving. They don't have to be included. I decided to include them because I think Irving would enjoy this team: playing for Green, ressurecting his legacy by running it back with Durant, and lining up with Zion plus a young cast of great, defensive role-players (we are in severe disagreement about this team's defensive potential).

Irving is definitely risky. He's even more risky with free agency looming and his preferred team having ample space to sign him outright next summer. I get it. I believe in this team though. I believe that Williamson is a great compliment to Durant and Irving, and I think the auxiliary pieces are so good that THE FIT and the success of the team will ultimately sell. Irving on New Orleans.

Swing for the fences Griffin.