Potential Zach Trade Partners? 24/25 Edition

[FriedRise]

Still don’t think that any team is taking Zach right now. I think people are still underestimating how much the updated CBA changed things. There is no room for “bad” max contracts anymore. The whole “Max is underpaying” notion is kind of out the window.

Look at Phoenix, one “worth it” Max in Durant, one close to worth it in Booker (maybe), and a bad Max in older Beal (and forget the for issues, on top). All 50M is per year. That bad max keeps the Suns from getting 2 - 3 high level role players to replace the one bad max. Imagine swapping out Beal for old man Conley + Dillon Brooks + DiVincenzo… (and still not paying as much).

Zach is getting paid 46M per year for the next 3 seasons AAV…. before a team would be fine with that - just be in the LT, but an elite offensive shooter who could do a bit more and pass on D would be worth it.

Now… with the extra issues created by the second apron (not to mention repeater biting more) that skillset is high level role player more than true Max (offensive focal point / creator / player you build around)… and high level role players need to be at 50–60% Max at most.

If he fully bounces back, maybe a desperate team will take a neutral value trade for him. But absent some sort of unlikely player development, that contract will still be too much of a risk for most teams.

Seems like a lot of the big spending teams are actively offloading contracts now to duck the tax. I wonder if next summer teams will be more open to taking on bigger contracts if they don't have to worry about getting hit by the repeater.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

[zimpy27]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

[WindyCityBorn]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Isn’t Ayton considered a horrible contract? At least Zach actually likes playing basketball and works hard to get better. Ayton is Eddy Curry.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

I like that Ayton/Thybulle both expire a year earlier than Zach, but Ayton’s a pretty lousy culture guy and an even worse bet to rehab his value than Zach is, so this is one I’d hip pocket for the deadline in case we truly had no other options.

[Ccwatercraft]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Isn’t Ayton considered a horrible contract? At least Zach actually likes playing basketball and works hard to get better. Ayton is Eddy Curry.

Not thrilled with that from a basketball perspective, we're downgrading and giving them back their pick which in theory means more to them than us but they win both sides here.

it takes a year off our financial responsibility but doesn't really give us anything to look forward to on the court. The only potential upside is if you have another trade pending to move vuc and Ayton decides to be a highly motivated player all of a sudden, which is certainly possible. IF Portland wants that pick back they shouldn't be gifted it.

[boozapalooza]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

This statistic is hard to believe

[zimpy27]

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Isn’t Ayton considered a horrible contract? At least Zach actually likes playing basketball and works hard to get better. Ayton is Eddy Curry.

Not thrilled with that from a basketball perspective, we're downgrading and giving them back their pick which in theory means more to them than us but they win both sides here.

it takes a year off our financial responsibility but doesn't really give us anything to look forward to on the court. The only potential upside is if you have another trade pending to move vuc and Ayton decides to be a highly motivated player all of a sudden, which is certainly possible. IF Portland wants that pick back they shouldn't be gifted it.

Ayton seems to be immature but will mature at some point. Maybe moving to his 3rd team would sort it out.

Also, he's young and fits the Bulls timeline as a starting C. I do think her fit the system there and could learn from Vuc as a similar player.

[JRoy]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Zero interest for POR.

[chicago paxsons]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Isn’t Ayton considered a horrible contract? At least Zach actually likes playing basketball and works hard to get better. Ayton is Eddy Curry.

Ayton has 2 years instead of lavine's 3, though lavine's 3rd is a player option, and ayton is making about 10 million less a year which gives us a little more cap room, not enough to make a big difference, but still.

Ayton would add to our youth movement and, if we find a taker for vuc, we won't be limited to jalen smith as our lone big.

As far as ayton not being mature/eddy curry-like, I feel like it's almost a win-win for us. If ayton gets his act together, we moved on from lavine for someone portland gave up on and we added a versatile big to the young core. If ayton continues as he is then he'll help us lose games more than lavine with a chip on his shoulder would which will help with our rebuild.

[pipfan]

No way Port deals for Lavine. They have Sharpe and Simons at the 2 guard, both of whom need starter minutes

[WindyCityBorn]

Isn’t Ayton considered a horrible contract? At least Zach actually likes playing basketball and works hard to get better. Ayton is Eddy Curry.

Not thrilled with that from a basketball perspective, we're downgrading and giving them back their pick which in theory means more to them than us but they win both sides here.

it takes a year off our financial responsibility but doesn't really give us anything to look forward to on the court. The only potential upside is if you have another trade pending to move vuc and Ayton decides to be a highly motivated player all of a sudden, which is certainly possible. IF Portland wants that pick back they shouldn't be gifted it.

Ayton seems to be immature but will mature at some point. Maybe moving to his 3rd team would sort it out.

Also, he's young and fits the Bulls timeline as a starting C. I do think her fit the system there and could learn from Vuc as a similar player.

I’d rather have Jalen Smith as our starting center. He will likely give us close to what Ayton would including much better 3 point shooting for less than a 3rd of the cost. And he did actually improve on his second team. Non-star centers are not worth much these days.

[the_process]

Zach and that protected POR 1st you're holding to WSH for Poole and Kuzma.

[Indomitable]

Zach and that protected POR 1st you're holding to WSH for Poole and Kuzma.

Hell no to Poole

[Onibuh]

just keep him, let him play and if he grows back his value and still wants to leave you will find a team willing to trade for him.

[coldfish]

I'm not sure the real Bulls feel this way but IMO, the downside risks of keeping him are zero. Worst case is that he refuses to play or throws a fit and makes the team worse . . . helping the tank. If he comes in and plays well, his contract will get shorter as time goes on and his value will go up.

Play him, let him be the alpha when the game is on the line, etc. Its fine.

One of the scenarios I can see happening is for the offense to be fine, lots of players to get numbers and still have the team lose night in and night out due to atrocious defense. That's not the end of the world.

[Chi town]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Ayton is worse value than Zach.

[dpucane]

I hope the Cowley report about the Bulls shopping Zach with the Sac picks is wrong. Not because I wouldn’t do it (I would), but believing two seconds will be the thing to convince a team to take on $138M is legitimately embarrassing for the front office.

Blazers might want their pick back just for flexibility sake.

LaVine+POR25FRP
For
Ayton+Matisse

This doesn't seem unreasonable to me especially since they have Reap, Clingan, RW3.

Ayton is worse value than Zach.

1 less year at 2/3rds the salary. Easier to dump, good tank commander, and like a 10% shot of Billy getting through to him.

[DASMACKDOWN]

I'm not sure the real Bulls feel this way but IMO, the downside risks of keeping him are zero. Worst case is that he refuses to play or throws a fit and makes the team worse . . . helping the tank. If he comes in and plays well, his contract will get shorter as time goes on and his value will go up.

Play him, let him be the alpha when the game is on the line, etc. Its fine.

One of the scenarios I can see happening is for the offense to be fine, lots of players to get numbers and still have the team lose night in and night out due to atrocious defense. That's not the end of the world.

You are probably right on how most of us feel.

What is our tax position if Zach has to play the whole season with us and then start the 25-26 season? We have Josh Giddey pending contract and that could be worth 175-200 mil.

Would we trade Zach for Ben Simmons just to get off the contract?

[Red8911]

Would be super awkward if Zach stayed once again after the bulls shopped him to the whole league.

There’s plenty of time before the season starts to find a deal, I still think they’ll trade him.

Both sides are just done with each other. I don’t see how they can go back to normal like nothing happened. How would Zach even be motivated to play for the bulls anymore ?