Chicago | Brooklyn | New Orleans: Vuc, Ingram, Simmons and more

[drosestruts]

Chicago in: Ben Simmons and Day'Ron Sharpe
Chicago out: Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball

Brooklyn in: Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram
Brooklyn out: Ben Simmons, Day'Ron Sharpe, and Dorian Finney-Smith

New Orleans in: Nikola Vucevic and Dorian Finney-Smith
New Orleans out: Brandon Ingram


Why for Chicago:
Bulls get off the final year of Vuc's contract and continue to re-focus around young players. The previously signed Jalen Smith and Sharpe will get the opportunity to sink or swim with more minutes at the center spot. Simmons, if he plays, can also add some 4/5 depth.

Why for Brooklyn:
Nets don't want to take on money past 2025, and with this trade they don't, while also opening up potentially additional 2025 cap space. It will give the Nets some options come 2025. They can go free agent hunting and release Ball and Ingram if someone agrees to sign there, alternatively they maintain bird rights to these two players who could fit their roster well alongside Claxton and Johnson. Nets were in the lottery last year, don't think adding Ingram and losing Bridges and DFS change that, for those hoping for a high 2025 pick - that to me is still in play.

Why for New Orleans:
Rumors state they want a center for moving Ingram which they get here, they also add DFS who can provide forward depth they're losing in moving Ingram. Vuc is pretty similar to what they had in Valancunias, in the past has provided better floor spacing, that element of his game was bad last year.

[jayjaysee]

I don’t see Chicago being owed any value in a Vuc/Simmons swap. Including Ball seems weird, as I believe he’s free money for Chicago but real money for any other team.

Brooklyn just traded for their picks back to tank. And their free agent dream just resigned. They should be tanking more than anyone else in the lesgue.. But this is great value and they should do it and flip Ingram one day later..

NOP should never consider this. Maybe you deal with the fit of Vuc/Zion since you’re desperate, but you get paid a lot more than DFS to do it IMO.

[daoneandonly]

Chi is getting too good a deal here. Vuc's extra year is a detriment, so they shouldnt be able to easily get off of it.

[TheNetsFan]

Very clever. I'm not sure that the Nets would be interested in a deal that does not return a future asset unless they're interested in trying to retain Ingram or they can flip him elsewhere for assets. I'd personally be fine either way, but fear Ingram's next contract will immediately be seen as an albatross.

[ChettheJet]

Smith has shown he's a good role player, backup 5, that doesn't mean that more minutes equals more production, it's just hope. If he doesn't make the grade with more minutes the only fallback is Sharpe who had his biggest year of playing time last season, 15.1 minutes. that's not much of a fallback plan. And there's no 3rd option right now.

I simply will not believe that the Bulls want the impending dead weight of Ben Simmons until he's a Chicago Bull. I'd rather suffer through one maybe 2 years of Vucevic as imperfect as he his and continue to take the gamble on Lonzo Ball.

[BK_2020]

I don't think Ingram is so bad that he's basically a salary dump.

[Jon1798]

Vuc and DFS? Jesus man, come on lol

[drosestruts]

Smith has shown he's a good role player, backup 5, that doesn't mean that more minutes equals more production, it's just hope. If he doesn't make the grade with more minutes the only fallback is Sharpe who had his biggest year of playing time last season, 15.1 minutes. that's not much of a fallback plan. And there's no 3rd option right now.

I simply will not believe that the Bulls want the impending dead weight of Ben Simmons until he's a Chicago Bull. I'd rather suffer through one maybe 2 years of Vucevic as imperfect as he his and continue to take the gamble on Lonzo Ball.

I question if Smith is ready for a promotion too, think it would be a bit of a baptism by fire.

I've seen you say that the Bulls aren't tanking, and I agree, but I do think they might be comfortable being bad if that's the way the cookie crumbles, with young guys leading in minutes.

We do have a 3rd option center - Adam Sanogo, who in one real taste of big minutes put up a 20/20 game.

I'm not sure the Bulls would even have Ben Simmons report to the team in this hypothetical trade.

[drosestruts]

I don't think Ingram is so bad that he's basically a salary dump.

Two weeks ago I didn't think so, now I'm not so sure. Time will tell.

Vuc and DFS? Jesus man, come on lol

I'm just going off the rumor that they want a vet center in any Ingram trade.

[Jon1798]

I don't think Ingram is so bad that he's basically a salary dump.

Two weeks ago I didn't think so, now I'm not so sure. Time will tell.

Vuc and DFS? Jesus man, come on lol

I'm just going off the rumor that they want a vet center in any Ingram trade.

What on earth could have possibly changed in the last two weeks to make you think the Pels or any team would trade 26 year old Brandon Ingram in a salary dump?

[louc1970]

I think the Pels can simply move a 27 or 28 FRP plus a filler salary to Utah for Kessler.
Offense is not needed with Murray/Jones/Murphy/Williamson. But a defender is a great option on the back line.

[louc1970]

I don't think Ingram is so bad that he's basically a salary dump.

I think NOP is certainly entitled to more here. And neither of those partners are in a position to give picks.

[patman66]

Wow, Marks dumps simmons and adds Ingram without adding picks!

[drosestruts]

We're all talking about the same Brandon Ingram who misses games every year (averages 54 games over the past 3 season) and scores on average efficiency (career 56% TS%), right?

The guy that no team in the league seems all too interested in trading for right?

Maybe I'll eat my words, but he's been rumored as available all summer, and no one seems interested.