Potential Zach Trade Partners? 24/25 Edition

[Chi town]

KC saying Warriors and Kings still possibilities. Wiggins and Looney and GP3 gets you to 43M, same as Zach’s salary (w/out trade kicker)… but Bulls missing a pan open roster spot. Could add in Craig going back, but very meh.

If Sacramento wants to send Huerter and Barnes (just under 35M), that may just be enough salary coming back if Zach declines to exercise trade kicker.

Both are bad deals. GS deal is banking on Wiggins wanting to basketball, cuz you'd have him for 3 seasons. GP3 and Looney are on 1 year deals, so we save some $ sooner. Huerter and Barnes have 2 seasons left. Huerter is at least young and Barnes could be our starting 4, but then you are diluting minutes for Coby, Ayo, Pat, Phillips and Matas.

Correct. Flip Barnes and Huerter at the deadline but then you have a half season of limiting the young guys potential. Best for mins and fit is to keep Zach and let him raise his value to at least a pure cap space deal for expirings this season.

[jnrjr79]

KC saying Warriors and Kings still possibilities. Wiggins and Looney and GP3 gets you to 43M, same as Zach’s salary (w/out trade kicker)… but Bulls missing an open roster spot. Could add in Craig going back, but very meh.

If Sacramento wants to send Huerter and Barnes (just under 35M), that may just be enough salary coming back if Zach declines to exercise trade kicker.

Zach's trade kicker essentially does not exist, because even though it's nominally 15% or whatever, it can only juice his salary up to his percentage max at the time he signed his deal. So it only has any real effect if his 8% raises have not kept up with the rate of increase of the cap, but the raises basically have. So, luckily, it's a non-issue.

[jnrjr79]

Both are bad deals. GS deal is banking on Wiggins wanting to basketball, cuz you'd have him for 3 seasons. GP3 and Looney are on 1 year deals, so we save some $ sooner. Huerter and Barnes have 2 seasons left. Huerter is at least young and Barnes could be our starting 4, but then you are diluting minutes for Coby, Ayo, Pat, Phillips and Matas.

I think the goal would be to just clear Lavine off the books and hope you can flip Huerter/Barnes or Wiggins/Looney for picks/young players from there. Either combo of those guys should get major minutes with 0 constraints to start the year on our team and be in great position to boost their trade value midseason. Even if not, those guys could be flipped to other teams in need before the year starts.

This would be a page out of the Wizards playbook on their Beal trade last year. Through making multiple deals, they realized a much greater return in the end.

Other than Huerter and maybe GP3, IMO, none of those guys have positive trade value and will prove unmovable. I would think a rehabilitated Zach in 6-12 months would have materially more trade value that auctioning off the bits of crap we are talking about here.

I get the rehabilitation idea, but I feel like people are too eager to assume it works. You could just as easily have what happened last year - he doesn't play great and gets hurt. There definitely could be upside, but it's also possible there's downside. It's just a gamble.

[sco]

I think the goal would be to just clear Lavine off the books and hope you can flip Huerter/Barnes or Wiggins/Looney for picks/young players from there. Either combo of those guys should get major minutes with 0 constraints to start the year on our team and be in great position to boost their trade value midseason. Even if not, those guys could be flipped to other teams in need before the year starts.

This would be a page out of the Wizards playbook on their Beal trade last year. Through making multiple deals, they realized a much greater return in the end.

Other than Huerter and maybe GP3, IMO, none of those guys have positive trade value and will prove unmovable. I would think a rehabilitated Zach in 6-12 months would have materially more trade value that auctioning off the bits of crap we are talking about here.

I get the rehabilitation idea, but I feel like people are too eager to assume it works. You could just as easily have what happened last year - he doesn't play great and gets hurt. There definitely could be upside, but it's also possible there's downside. It's just a gamble.

I get it, but IMO, his "downside" really can't get much lower, where his upside (which is just being the player he was pre-injury) is much higher (i.e. getting us a first round pick that we otherwise couldn't get).

[Guru]

I dont see how you don't keep Lavine and I don't see how he's not humbled by this process.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

Other than Huerter and maybe GP3, IMO, none of those guys have positive trade value and will prove unmovable. I would think a rehabilitated Zach in 6-12 months would have materially more trade value that auctioning off the bits of crap we are talking about here.

I get the rehabilitation idea, but I feel like people are too eager to assume it works. You could just as easily have what happened last year - he doesn't play great and gets hurt. There definitely could be upside, but it's also possible there's downside. It's just a gamble.

I get it, but IMO, his "downside" really can't get much lower, where his upside (which is just being the player he was pre-injury) is much higher (i.e. getting us a first round pick that we otherwise couldn't get).

There is no upside every GM the league knows he’s not worth his contract and isn’t conducive to winning and is a boneheaded chucker who can go a heater that makes him look good only to break your heart when he comes back down to earth and you can’t trust him down the stretch because his IQ sucks. Everyone knows who and what he is as is evident by the inability to trade him and what will most definitely be an underwhelming return. Let’s get it over with and move on.

[sco]

I dont see how you don't keep Lavine and I don't see how he's not humbled by this process.

Yeah. IMO Zach's low value has a lot more to do with his uncertain injury status than his ability/"empty stats". Again, IMO, but his "bad numbers" last year were also impacted by his worsening foot situation. Clearly there was a relationship catalyst that has never really been made clear between Zach/Clutz Sports with BD/AK. There was the one time Zach was sat down mentioned, but that seems uncharacteristic of Zach's generally chill demeanor. Again, IMO, I think Zach never really took to the demotion of 2nd option with Demar here that may have soured things, but that's likely in the past. That all said, all these guys have egos (More like AK or Zach's agent) and maybe someone is too proud to move forward here in a situation that is clearly mutually beneficial.

[ChiTownHero1992]

I get the rehabilitation idea, but I feel like people are too eager to assume it works. You could just as easily have what happened last year - he doesn't play great and gets hurt. There definitely could be upside, but it's also possible there's downside. It's just a gamble.

I get it, but IMO, his "downside" really can't get much lower, where his upside (which is just being the player he was pre-injury) is much higher (i.e. getting us a first round pick that we otherwise couldn't get).

There is no upside every GM the league knows he’s not worth his contract and isn’t conducive to winning and is a boneheaded chucker who can go a heater that makes him look good only to break your heart when he comes back down to earth and you can’t trust him down the stretch because his IQ sucks. Everyone knows who and what he is as is evident by the inability to trade him and what will most definitely be an underwhelming return. Let’s get it over with and move on.

This! This is 100% the reason why I dont understand the "rehab his value" debate...everyone knows what he is, even if he has a "Good year" they'll say its a one off fluke as he has shown his value for 5+ years, he's 29 nearly on the wrong side of 30 with a contract that EVERY GM hates. His value will never go UP at this point, it will stay where it is right now or decline at best. Even if he plays well it would marginally change what other teams value him and give up for him.

[Muzbar]

Sacramento seems like the best fit for LaVine, they need a 3rd 'star' or scorer, Monk plays the 6th man role for them (and does so very well) and Carter is a rookie who may have a wonky shot that may not work at an NBA level, there's plenty of minutes for LaVine between SG and SF, heck even spot minutes at 'PG'.

I'd honestly take Huerter and Barnes and just run with it, I'd rather try and 'rehab' Huerter's value at 16m than Zach LaVine's at 43m, one of those players is easier to move than the other.

[Wxlves]

Sorry the Zach’s contract vs “gm know what he is” arguments just don’t work for me. Guys like OG and quickley are essentially getting paid as much as Zach without even sniffing what Zach has accomplished in the league, we are talking about guys who avg like 13ppg. Bradley Beal is an even more hurt, higher paid player that’s never effected winning and was able to get moved pretty easy. Guys the likes of Desmond bane and Michael Porter get paid as much as Zach. Zach got the contract a young rising players gets whatever the premium rate is that year. Look at the contracts guys get every year they are getting higher and higher for less and less. Og just got paid more than Zach to be like the 4th option on the knicks. So stop that Zach’s production doesn’t warrant what he’s paid, he’s a career almost 21ppg scorer. I’d much more pin it on maybe Zach just isn’t well liked around the league? If another teams star wanted him he would get moved, we see it time and time again yet doesn’t seem any other top player is asking for him which makes me wonder about his reputation rather than his contract or production.

[riselife]

So going back to Jimmy Butlers trade, we lost all the players Lauri and now most likely Zach now

[Muzbar]

So going back to Jimmy Butlers trade, we lost all the players Lauri and now most likely Zach now

By that logic, the Wolves lost all the players from that trade also. First Butler, then Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless as part of the trade to Philly

So nobody won the trade?

[ChettheJet]

If the SAC offer is real, I'd take it. You might start Barnes because he's the most genuine PF you've got. But I would be looking at Smith for the first 20 games and if he looks like he's good away from the basket, I'm not afraid to start him at the 4 and have him shift to the backup 5 with Barnes off the bench. Don't discount Craig and Phillips. They should be finding a 3rd center now anyway.

Then come the deadline you see if there's a team that had injuries at the 3/4 who might look at Barnes. Phillips is the future and Craig is expiring

Huerter is coming off the bench behind Coby, at 6-7 he can also take backup minutes at the SF. IF Lonzo is healthy you don't want to push him opening night, if he can just give you 5 minutes a half for the first month you see if he's getting stronger and playing at a better pace with time. By the deadline you know what he's got and maybe Huerter can be traded.

[Chi town]

I’d much rather have DDR go to the Heat so Zach can go to the Lakers when he comes out blazing.

[burlydee]

Sun Times reporting management thinks Zach purposely got surgery to thwart the Detroit trade and Zach thinks management avoided trades they could have made. Saying relationship between Zach and management is "shattered" and that management and Zach's camp don't trust each other.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/zach-lavine-bulls-executives-relationship-filled-with-mistrust/

I've been saying the surgery timing was elective since it happened. Management seems to agree.

[ShouldaPaidBG]

Sorry the Zach’s contract vs “gm know what he is” arguments just don’t work for me. Guys like OG and quickley are essentially getting paid as much as Zach without even sniffing what Zach has accomplished in the league, we are talking about guys who avg like 13ppg. Bradley Beal is an even more hurt, higher paid player that’s never effected winning and was able to get moved pretty easy. Guys the likes of Desmond bane and Michael Porter get paid as much as Zach. Zach got the contract a young rising players gets whatever the premium rate is that year. Look at the contracts guys get every year they are getting higher and higher for less and less. Og just got paid more than Zach to be like the 4th option on the knicks. So stop that Zach’s production doesn’t warrant what he’s paid, he’s a career almost 21ppg scorer. I’d much more pin it on maybe Zach just isn’t well liked around the league? If another teams star wanted him he would get moved, we see it time and time again yet doesn’t seem any other top player is asking for him which makes me wonder about his reputation rather than his contract or production.

Scoring is one part of the game

The only player you named that Zach is comparable to is MPJ, who is also trash and overpaid.

[Guru]

Sun Times reporting management thinks Zach purposely got surgery to thwart the Detroit trade and Zach thinks management avoided trades they could have made. Saying relationship between Zach and management is "shattered" and that management and Zach's camp don't trust each other.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/zach-lavine-bulls-executives-relationship-filled-with-mistrust/

I've been saying the surgery timing was elective since it happened. Management seems to agree.

Joe Cowley....He hates the bulls

[Ccwatercraft]

So going back to Jimmy Butlers trade, we lost all the players Lauri and now most likely Zach now

Minnesota and Philly didn't do much better with their Jimmy trades either iirc

[kristov]

Sun Times reporting management thinks Zach purposely got surgery to thwart the Detroit trade and Zach thinks management avoided trades they could have made. Saying relationship between Zach and management is "shattered" and that management and Zach's camp don't trust each other.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/zach-lavine-bulls-executives-relationship-filled-with-mistrust/

I've been saying the surgery timing was elective since it happened. Management seems to agree.

See I knew Cowley didn't have any sources within the Bulls cause this rumor was told to him from an NBA insider. Hope it wasn't that jackarse that said GS turned down Wiggins for Lavine.

[kodo]

Sun Times reporting management thinks Zach purposely got surgery to thwart the Detroit trade and Zach thinks management avoided trades they could have made. Saying relationship between Zach and management is "shattered" and that management and Zach's camp don't trust each other.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/zach-lavine-bulls-executives-relationship-filled-with-mistrust/

I've been saying the surgery timing was elective since it happened. Management seems to agree.

Joe Cowley....He hates the bulls

And Zach's camp = Klutch Sports. If they want to make enemies of Klutch, they better just build through the draft because they won't be working with many top free agents. Even beyond Lebron & AD they have Anthony Edwards, Maxey, Fox, Garland, Dejounte, Trae, Draymond, FVV, etc..