Brandon Ingram to the CAVS - for Vucevic & Strus

[Syko_boB]

Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram & worst of 25 FRP (NOP/LAL)
For Nikola Vucevic & Max Strus

They get a good C locked up for a couple years while they see how their projects develop

Vucevic / Missi / Theis
Williamson / Strus / Matkovic
Jones / Murphy
McCollum / Hawkins
Murray / Alvarado


Bulls trade Nikola Vucevic
For Caris LeVert & worst of 25 FRP NOP (NOP/LAL), + 25 & 27 CLE SRP

Maybe look to reroute LeVert for a stopgap C, but to not overcomplicate this deal, they get his expiring deal with a few needed picks in coming years

Smith / Sanogo
Williams / LeVert
LaVine / Buzelis
Giddey / Dosonmu / Duarte
White / Carter


Cavaliers trade Max Strus, Caris LeVert + 25 & 27 SRP
For Brandon Ingram

Even if the chance of keeping this core together for long is low, they acquire a 5th all-star level talent and make the most of some replaceable pieces

Allen / Wade
Mobley / Niang
Ingram / Okoro
Mitchell / Jerome / Merrill
Garland / Tyson / Porter Jr

[jbk1234]

The Cavs like Strus and they're not going to retain Ingram at $50M per.

Also, how are the Bulls turning a player with no market into an expiring and picks?

Also, the Pelicans traded the Lakers pick to the Hawks.

[pipfan]

Bulls' fan here-this deal is bad
NO WAY the Pelicans trade BI for this. Vuc is underrated, but still not a positive asset and his defense would be a poor match with Zion

[YayBasketball]

Good attempt here, OP. But Ingram trade ideas right now will only be met with "no way" from both sides, and perhaps rightly so with the contract issue.

There should be a temporary ban on Ingram trades until some new significant development or til he's actually traded

[bgrep14]

No one should be giving up any picks in this scenario imo. Vucevic does not have that value. As a cavs fan, I’d do a trade around Okoro, Lavert, Niang, and 2 2nds to keep the core together for Ingram. The risk he walks at year end is still worth the upside imo for that package.

[ChettheJet]

So long as the Bulls are given time to find a way to move Lavert for any PF, longer contract or not then I think they do it. Yeah they sure need one or two centers to help Smith fill the 32 minutes the awful horrible, no good nobody wants Nikola Vucevic would be playing for them and there are no starting NBA centers floating around available.

The 2nd round picks are nice for a team with almost none but the 2025 FRP falls right where the Bulls need a replacement.

[hugepatsfan]

So long as the Bulls are given time to find a way to move Lavert for any PF, longer contract or not then I think they do it. Yeah they sure need one or two centers to help Smith fill the 32 minutes the awful horrible, no good nobody wants Nikola Vucevic would be playing for them and there are no starting NBA centers floating around available.

The 2nd round picks are nice for a team with almost none but the 2025 FRP falls right where the Bulls need a replacement.

You don't have the luxury of being given time to find a follow up because you have to phone the deal in immediately before NO's GM wakes up from his drunken stupor and realizes he's trading BI and a 1st for Strus and Vuc.

[facothomas22]

Very easy pass for the Pelicans. Vuc is negative on defense and his offense is no longer enough to overcome his bad defense. He's basically a good bench player at this point. Max Strus is good, but no way near good enough to give up Brandon Ingram and also a 1st round pick.

[jayu70]

Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram & worst of 25 FRP (NOP/LAL)
For Nikola Vucevic & Max Strus

They get a good C locked up for a couple years while they see how their projects develop

The LAL 2025 unprotected pick went to the Hawks in the Murray trade.

[cucad8]

I dont understand this valuation of Ingram at all. And really moat of his valuation on this site. I don't get how Lauri Markannen is a guy people are offering 4 1sts for on here, and Ingram has to have a pick attached to get Vuc and Strus?

[BK_2020]

Ingram is being treated like a deeply negative player but the fact is he is not even 27 and averaged 20 on .578 TS% in a down year. Ingram's efficiency would look a lot better if 98% of his threes and 74% of his two's were assisted like Lauri Markkanen, instead of taking a bunch of self-created midrange shots.

[toooskies]

Ingram is being treated like a deeply negative player but the fact is he is not even 27 and averaged 20 on .578 TS% in a down year. Ingram's efficiency would look a lot better if 98% of his threes and 74% of his two's were assisted like Lauri Markkanen, instead of taking a bunch of self-created midrange shots.

Agree that the value is way too low for Ingram. The Cavs should be giving up a 2030 swap and a 2031 1st at least. Maybe Tyson as well.

But Ingram's not an off-ball guy like Markkanen, either. That's a playstyle thing. Markkanen is going to be active off-ball to get his opportunities while Ingram hasn't developed those skills.

In other words, I don't think Ingram's a good target for the Cavs as long as Garland and Mitchell are both on-ball. Their ideal SF is a mover/cutter, not an on-ball guy.

[jbk1234]

Ingram is being treated like a deeply negative player but the fact is he is not even 27 and averaged 20 on .578 TS% in a down year. Ingram's efficiency would look a lot better if 98% of his threes and 74% of his two's were assisted like Lauri Markkanen, instead of taking a bunch of self-created midrange shots.

The fundamental problem is that Vuc is being treated as a positive value player when the Bulls can't get anyone to swap an expiring contract for him.