Chicago | Miami | New York: 90's rivals become 2024 trade partners

drosestruts · Post #1 » by **drosestruts** » Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:25 pm

Chicago in: Kel'el Ware, Terry Rozier, and Precious Achiuwa
Chicago out: Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, and Talen Horton-Tucker

Bulls continue prioritizing youth while balancing their roster by taking on the 20 year old rookie center Ware, as well as 25 year old Achiuwa. Taking on Rozier is the cost of doing business - but given the Bulls history for injured guards it's not a bad idea to have Rozier around.

Bulls depth post trade:

Giddey/Ball/Rozier/Carter
LaVine/Dosunmu/Duarte
Craig/Phillips/Terry
Williams/Buzelis
Smith/Ware/Achiuwa

Miami in: Coby White and Mitchell Robinson
Miami out: Kel'el Ware and Terry Rozier

Heat get a backcourt upgrade in White, as well as some better center depth once Robinson returns from injury. If you're keeping Butler, might as well make moves that can help now and in the future.

Heat Depth:

White/Burks
Herro/Robinson
Butler/Jaquez
Highsmith/Jovic
Adebayo/Robinson/Love

New York in: Nikola Vucevic and Talen Horton-Tucker
New york out: Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa

Knicks move two bigs for the reliable, dependable, floor-spacing Vucevic. It's a luxury to have Vuc as your backup big - but we title aspirations it shores up the big man depth by giving the Knicks a guy who's always available, and can also space the floor from his position (45% on 3's this season on 5 attempts a game). They also add THT - who can be a break glass in case of emergency bench scorer. Honestly some nights he can't miss and will hit the dumbest shots. Other nights after 2 minutes you want to glue him to the bench. The Knicks won't be overly reliant on him - again it's another luxury depth piece for a competing team. For stretches you can probably go double big with Vuc at the 5 and KAT at the 4 if needed.

Knicks depth:

Brunson/McBride/Kolek
Hart/Shamet/Payne
Bridges/THT
Anunoby/
KAT/Vucevic/Sims/Hukporti

Post #2 » by **jbk1234** » Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:40 pm

This is awful for the Knicks. I like Vuc next to Bam a lot more than I like him as a $20M per backup to KAT. I don't see them giving up Precious and Robinson (although it sounds like they may be giving up on the hypothetical that is a healthy Mitchell Robinson).

For the Heat, it really depends on what's going on with Butler. There's no point in eating more seed corn if that situation is no longer salvageable.

drosestruts · Post #3 » by **drosestruts** » Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:49 pm

jbk1234 wrote:This is awful for the Knicks. I like Vuc next to Bam a lot more than I like him as a $20M per backup to KAT. I don't see them giving up Precious and Robinson (although it sounds like they may be giving up on the hypothetical that is a healthy Mitchell Robinson).

For the Heat, it really depends on what's going on with Butler. There's no point in eating more seed corn if that situation is no longer salvageable.

The way I looked at it - New york is spending $20m on backup centers in Robinson and Achiuwa

After this proposed trade they're spending $20m on backup center in Vucevic

The money's the same. The talent is better.

ChettheJet · Post #4 » by **ChettheJet** » Tue Dec 31, 2024 3:55 pm

Prioritizing youth does not mean giving up Coby White for Terry Rozier, Boy what a way for the Bulls to shoot themselves in the foot, maybe both feet. They give up TWO starters and get a pair of backup centers, the tank at the Shedd Aquarium isn't that big

schaffy · Post #5 » by **schaffy** » Tue Dec 31, 2024 4:02 pm

drosestruts wrote:
jbk1234 wrote:This is awful for the Knicks. I like Vuc next to Bam a lot more than I like him as a $20M per backup to KAT. I don't see them giving up Precious and Robinson (although it sounds like they may be giving up on the hypothetical that is a healthy Mitchell Robinson).

For the Heat, it really depends on what's going on with Butler. There's no point in eating more seed corn if that situation is no longer salvageable.

The way I looked at it - New york is spending $20m on backup centers in Robinson and Achiuwa

After this proposed trade they're spending $20m on backup center in Vucevic

The money's the same. The talent is better.

But Robinson and Achiuwa could also be out there at the same time as KAT; I dont see any way you can send out a Vuc/KAT pairing. Assuming health (I chuckled to myself writing that about Robinson) you are going from 3 bigs who can play together to 2 bigs who cant. Losing that versatility and depth isn't nothing.

drosestruts · Post #6 » by **drosestruts** » Tue Dec 31, 2024 4:24 pm

ChettheJet wrote:Prioritizing youth does not mean giving up Coby White for Terry Rozier, Boy what a way for the Bulls to shoot themselves in the foot, maybe both feet. They give up TWO starters and get a pair of backup centers, the tank at the Shedd Aquarium isn't that big

We have plenty of guards.

I don't look at as giving up Coby for Rozier, Rozier is there for salary reasons.

It's Ware and Achiuwa who are the gets for Chicago. You hope Smith or Ware or both show themselves as starting level centers.

On the guard front you still have Ball, LaVine, Ayo, Giddey, Carter - we have a glut of guards - you know this. The trade brings us two young centers.