JoseRizal wrote:Packers+NetsWIN wrote:Keith Van Horn wrote:I know Atlanta has no reason to tank this year because the Spurs have their pick...
but if they called and said Trae for Ben, straight up, would anyone take that?
I know the goal is to stink this year... but just wanted to see.
If that's all is takes to get Trae, I say they should make that trade. I know the goal is to finish with one of the 4 worst records, but that trade is just too much value to say no to. Trae will only be 25 years old by the start of the season. While his defense is bad, his offensive game is too appealing. In a hypothetical world, if the nets did this trade for Trae, and then moved both CamJ and DFS for future draft picks/young guys, I still think the team will end up as a bottom 4-to-6 team record wise. The interesting question after making this move, which I think they'd have to do, is what then happens to Cam Thomas. There is no way the team can have a starting back court of Trae and CamT. So either CamT agrees to be a permanent 6th man and spot starter, or the nets would have to trade CamT too in my opinion.
Trae is one expensive tank commander...
I mean they have to pay somebody during the tank. Young currently has three years left on his deal (player option for the last year) so the way I see it:
-Year One: Nets are already paying Simmons. So either keep him or trade him for Young. Year one is a wash as the team is paying $40+M to one or the other for the season.
-Year Two: If the Nets have the kind of year I'm anticipating this upcoming season, they won't be a big player in free agency. On top of the fact that next year's free agency has lost a lot of it's appeal with all the extensions, unless you are a big Brandon Ingram which I'm not. So no need to worry about cap space here. They will use their 4 first rounders and add to their collection of cost controlled rookie contracts. Trae and Claxton would be the only guys making over $20M (assuming the team has traded CamJ by this point, which I believe they will have).
Year Three: Trae has a decision, as he has a player option. If he does well with his stat padding in his two seasons with the Nets, there possibly a chance he opts out and looks for max contract on years & money (either from the Nets or another team). If he doesn't, he's an expiring they may be useful in trade attempts to pair the right player with of Cooper Flagg or whoever the Nets draft in 2025 (assuming that player shows the star potential the top players in the 2025 draft are rumored to have). He could even be one of the best players on the team at this point as he only be 28 years old.
As far as player impact, he's obviously not a bargain, but you could do a lot worse than Trae. He's currently only 25 years and he already has a reputation as a scorer, but he also gets his teammates involved. This is evidenced by averaging over 10 assists a game in each of the past 2 seasons and over 9 assists a game in his entire career.
Somebody has to set the table and initiate the offense for future Nets superstar Flagg (fingers crossed) at least some of the time. Obviously, to go for a championship with Trae on your roster, you'd definitely have to construct the right team around him personnel wise. But for the next 1-to-3 years, Trae can help the young guys develop on the offensive end and sell some tickets in the meantime
