NBA Trade Thread #12

[Dez]

Is there anyway we just roll out
1 Giddey-Ball
2 White-Ayo
3 Buz-Terry
4 DURANT-
5 Collins-ASA NEWELL

and try to win?

They can try win, they won't but you can try.

Durant is not the right age profile for this Bulls team.

Age profiles don't make sense. You want diversity in ages because you get diversity in contracts. Alot of people talk about having a bunch of players the same age, thats a recipe for failure

Your first sentence isn't grammatically correct so I don't get your point there.

The team would be a treadmill at best.

Age profiles do make sense, for example a young team like Chicago wasting assets trading for a 36 year old Durant wanting to ring chase.

[Guru]

They can try win, they won't but you can try.

Durant is not the right age profile for this Bulls team.

Age profiles don't make sense. You want diversity in ages because you get diversity in contracts. Alot of people talk about having a bunch of players the same age, thats a recipe for failure

Your first sentence isn't grammatically correct so I don't get your point there.

The team would be a treadmill at best.

Age profiles do make sense, for example a young team like Chicago wasting assets trading for a 36 year old Durant wanting to ring chase.

If you have only young players then they all come to contract time at the same time. Durant immediately gets you meaningful games for your young crew.

[Infinity2152]

Is there anyway we just roll out
1 Giddey-Ball
2 White-Ayo
3 Buz-Terry
4 DURANT-
5 Collins-ASA NEWELL

and try to win?

They can try win, they won't but you can try.

Durant is not the right age profile for this Bulls team.

Age profiles don't make sense. You want diversity in ages because you get diversity in contracts. Alot of people talk about having a bunch of players the same age, thats a recipe for failure

Your first sentence isn't grammatically correct so I don't get your point there.

Thunder is the first team in YEARS to win games without at least two vet starters. The best are mix of vets with good young talent. Durant might be the best player, but the young core would still be Giddey, Matas, and our 2025 rookie. We'll only have like 6 guaranteed contracts for 2026 and another rookie, we can easily fill in the blanks. Again, KD is expiring. He's a mentor for at least a year, we'll get to see the fit. We don't re-sign him, $50+ mill in cap space. We do re-sign him, he's hopefully takes less on a new contract till retirement. KD is like one of the easiest players to fit to any team. He learned a lot and changed his style of play with the Warriors, you should hear him talk about Draymond berating him to play in the system. He got two times Finals MVP.

I think guys are addicted to staying mid, not wanting to add a legit top 10 talent to this team. Getting a younger player with half his talent is not better, when our core is already super young. Giddey's 23, Matas 20, new rookie, then Ayo, Terry, Phillips, Smith, maybe Tre Jones. Thunder have a young team and traded Giddey for a better fitting 31 yr old vet, added a vet in Hartenstein, and look where they are. Hartenstein has the second biggest contract on the team at $30 mill. They also have a 26 year old MVP at $38 mill, a steal for his ability, and Holgrem and Jalen Williams still on rookie contracts. Pacers added 30 yr old Siakam to that young core and Myles Turner, and look where they are.

We'd be looking for greatness from Giddey and Matas, maybe our 2025, 2026 rookie. We're kind of screwed if one or two of those aren't very good anyway.

[jnrjr79]

They can try win, they won't but you can try.

Durant is not the right age profile for this Bulls team.

Age profiles don't make sense. You want diversity in ages because you get diversity in contracts. Alot of people talk about having a bunch of players the same age, thats a recipe for failure

Your first sentence isn't grammatically correct so I don't get your point there.

I think guys are addicted to staying mid, not wanting to add a legit top 10 talent to this team.

I think "staying mid" is exactly why the people opposed to trading for Durant are opposed to trading for Durant.

Getting a younger player with half his talent is not better, when our core is already super young. Giddey's 23, Matas 20, new rookie, then Ayo, Terry, Phillips, Smith, maybe Tre Jones. Thunder have a young team and traded Giddey for a better fitting 31 yr old vet, added a vet in Hartenstein, and look where they are. Hartenstein has the second biggest contract on the team at $30 mill. They also have a 26 year old MVP at $38 mill, a steal for his ability, and Holgrem and Jalen Williams still on rookie contracts. Pacers added 30 yr old Siakam to that young core and Myles Turner, and look where they are.

There is a pretty striking difference between identifying young stars on your roster and supplementing them with veteran supporting players than trading for a #1 who will be 37 to start next season.

We'd be looking for greatness from Giddey and Matas, maybe our 2025, 2026 rookie. We're kind of screwed if one or two of those aren't very good anyway.

Well, you're not likely to have your 2025 and 2026 picks if you're trading for Durant. You may well not have Giddey and/or Matas. I also don't think anyone is expecting "greatness" from Giddey, at least if that means being a top 10 player in the league. Matas is really the only guy who you could hope for that, and even that is obviously super duper speculative at this stage. The Bulls lack of players who could develop into a top 10 guy is why you want to hang on to your draft capital.

Trading significant assets for a 37 year-old player who is only under contract for one more season and probably only makes you a mid-playoff seed in the East seems like a pretty good way of committing franchise suicide.

[pipfan]

Let's say it's Huerter/Ayo/Vuc/Terry/Port 1st (which OKC takes for Dieng/#24) for KD (Suns take it if no one else makes a good offer)
Bulls go with
White/TJones
Giddey/Ball
Matas/PWill
KD/#12 (Newell)
Collins/JSmith
Deep bench of Carter/Phillips

Suns add Huerter, Ayo, Vuc, Terry, Dieng plus the #24 AND save $

[sco]

Let's say it's Huerter/Ayo/Vuc/Terry/Port 1st (which OKC takes for Dieng/#24) for KD (Suns take it if no one else makes a good offer)
Bulls go with
White/TJones
Giddey/Ball
Matas/PWill
KD/#12 (Newell)
Collins/JSmith
Deep bench of Carter/Phillips

Suns add Huerter, Ayo, Vuc, Terry, Dieng plus the #24 AND save $

It's the old quality vs. quantity issue. Every name you mentioned coming from the Bulls has zero value (i.e. they are good enough to unload without giving up a pick to do it, but wouldn't fetch you a first in return). KD deal needs to come with either 3+ 1sts or an established star.

[WesPeace]

Durant to Bulls should be a BiG NO.. few years too late

[SirKaiser]

Let's say it's Huerter/Ayo/Vuc/Terry/Port 1st (which OKC takes for Dieng/#24) for KD (Suns take it if no one else makes a good offer)
Bulls go with
White/TJones
Giddey/Ball
Matas/PWill
KD/#12 (Newell)
Collins/JSmith
Deep bench of Carter/Phillips

Suns add Huerter, Ayo, Vuc, Terry, Dieng plus the #24 AND save $

It's the old quality vs. quantity issue. Every name you mentioned coming from the Bulls has zero value (i.e. they are good enough to unload without giving up a pick to do it, but wouldn't fetch you a first in return). KD deal needs to come with either 3+ 1sts or an established star.

I place a lot less value on Durant as a player at this point, but I'm not sure if the Suns would be happy with just the Portland pick.

Would probably need to include another team that DOES value one of those outbound Bulls players.

[dpucane]

They can try win, they won't but you can try.

Durant is not the right age profile for this Bulls team.

Age profiles don't make sense. You want diversity in ages because you get diversity in contracts. Alot of people talk about having a bunch of players the same age, thats a recipe for failure

Your first sentence isn't grammatically correct so I don't get your point there.

Thunder is the first team in YEARS to win games without at least two vet starters. The best are mix of vets with good young talent. Durant might be the best player, but the young core would still be Giddey, Matas, and our 2025 rookie. We'll only have like 6 guaranteed contracts for 2026 and another rookie, we can easily fill in the blanks. Again, KD is expiring. He's a mentor for at least a year, we'll get to see the fit. We don't re-sign him, $50+ mill in cap space. We do re-sign him, he's hopefully takes less on a new contract till retirement. KD is like one of the easiest players to fit to any team. He learned a lot and changed his style of play with the Warriors, you should hear him talk about Draymond berating him to play in the system. He got two times Finals MVP.

I think guys are addicted to staying mid, not wanting to add a legit top 10 talent to this team. Getting a younger player with half his talent is not better, when our core is already super young. Giddey's 23, Matas 20, new rookie, then Ayo, Terry, Phillips, Smith, maybe Tre Jones. Thunder have a young team and traded Giddey for a better fitting 31 yr old vet, added a vet in Hartenstein, and look where they are. Hartenstein has the second biggest contract on the team at $30 mill. They also have a 26 year old MVP at $38 mill, a steal for his ability, and Holgrem and Jalen Williams still on rookie contracts. Pacers added 30 yr old Siakam to that young core and Myles Turner, and look where they are.

We'd be looking for greatness from Giddey and Matas, maybe our 2025, 2026 rookie. We're kind of screwed if one or two of those aren't very good anyway.

What's keeping this team mid is the delusion that Giddey, Matas, and the 12th pick in a mediocre draft are a "core", not scoffing at a trade for a run down 37 year old KD.

Everyone you just mentioned are pieces, not guys you build around. Comparing this team to the Thunder is nuts. They're in different galaxies talent wise. Giving up picks for 1 year of KD is peak small town loser stuff.

[Dan Z]

Let's say it's Huerter/Ayo/Vuc/Terry/Port 1st (which OKC takes for Dieng/#24) for KD (Suns take it if no one else makes a good offer)
Bulls go with
White/TJones
Giddey/Ball
Matas/PWill
KD/#12 (Newell)
Collins/JSmith
Deep bench of Carter/Phillips

Suns add Huerter, Ayo, Vuc, Terry, Dieng plus the #24 AND save $

It's the old quality vs. quantity issue. Every name you mentioned coming from the Bulls has zero value (i.e. they are good enough to unload without giving up a pick to do it, but wouldn't fetch you a first in return). KD deal needs to come with either 3+ 1sts or an established star.

I place a lot less value on Durant as a player at this point, but I'm not sure if the Suns would be happy with just the Portland pick.

Would probably need to include another team that DOES value one of those outbound Bulls players.

If the best thing the Suns get for KD is the Portland pick then they'll just keep him.

I bet they'll get better offers. Plus, he's 37 and doesnt make sense here unless AK gets him for cheap (which I don't think will happen).

[Infinity2152]

There is likely not some mega offer coming in for KD as a 36yr old expiring. He's not getting 3 firsts or an established star, I don't think. Don't think the Suns would even want an established expensive star, expirings who could play with Beal and Booker for a year would probably be preferable, since they can't move Beal and don't have their own picks. In no part of any trade offer was Giddey, Matas, or even Coby mentioned.

You need talent to win in the NBA. If adding KD makes us a mid team, what are we now? This is ridiculous. Somebody please name one player we could reasonably add better than KD in the next year or two. For the assets we're talking about, Vuc, Pat, Collins, Portland 1st, Bulls 2027 first is what I presented. AND we get off Pat's contract, maybe they think they can turn him around, like Huerter and Collins looked much better after the trade,

The whole point of the original offer Guru presented implied we get him for cheap. Don't know how it could possibly hurt to add a top 10 player who's expiring, even if he is 36 if the cost is low. You all follow the league a lot, you haven't heard countless stories of players talking about being mentored by greats. Veterans have great value too, and he played 75 and 62 games last two seasons, he's been pretty healthy most of his career. Who's going to be the voice on the floor, who's seen 100 different offenses and defenses? We make it to the playoffs, who has playoff experience?

The "Giddey can't be a star" is crazy too. The guy put up insane numbers the second half of the season and it looks sustainable, especially since he should improve with age. Matas could be star, maybe not. Would way rather his mentor be Kevin Durant than Patrick Williams. With Matas build and playstyle, he could learn a lot. We haven't even drafted our 2025 pick yet, and we're a mid team with or without KD, lol.

And what difference does KD's age matter if he consistently outplays 90% of the younger guys? Doesn't on the court performance matter more than your age? Lebron is 40 and still going. He scored 27/gm last two seasons on great shooting. If he keeps that up, or close to it, why does his age matter so much?

[ChettheJet]

Let's say the story that TOR wants to make a play for KD is true. Can the Bulls get in the way of that trading an expiring $21M Vucevic to PHO who doesn't have much in the way of a center and get RJ Barrett from TOR? PHO with Booker, Beal, Allen and O'Neale signed at the wing doesn't want to add RJ. TOR with Barnes, Ingram and Qucikly signed then adding KD would have a lot of wing scorers. So TOR and PHO can work out the remaining $33M.

I know that it's not as sexy as coming up with ways for PHO to take the Bulls' bench for Durant and I know people will say Barrett is worthless but he looks like an NBA player against the Bulls and puts up those stats some way

[Infinity2152]

Let's say the story that TOR wants to make a play for KD is true. Can the Bulls get in the way of that trading an expiring $21M Vucevic to PHO who doesn't have much in the way of a center and get RJ Barrett from TOR? PHO with Booker, Beal, Allen and O'Neale signed at the wing doesn't want to add RJ. TOR with Barnes, Ingram and Qucikly signed then adding KD would have a lot of wing scorers. So TOR and PHO can work out the remaining $33M.

I know that it's not as sexy as coming up with ways for PHO to take the Bulls' bench for Durant and I know people will say Barrett is worthless but he looks like an NBA player against the Bulls and puts up those stats some way

He is a positional fit. Rumor has it the Nets are not jumping into free agency, and are planning to be the third team in trades, compiling assets. We can't offer pure cap space, but we have a LOT of big expiring contracts.

Imo, Barrett is as good as Coby, and he's younger. He costs more this year, but is $29 mill in 2026, likely less than Coby will get. Saw rumors they don't like his fit with Barnes and he could be moving.

These moves we propose aren't worth fighting over, lol. Bulls front office is not in here. Anybody could project the worst with any move, how hard is that? The likelihood of our next 3 picks being a star is extremely low, given where we'll be drafting, so free agency or trade is the only way we're adding high end talent.

[sco]

Let's say the story that TOR wants to make a play for KD is true. Can the Bulls get in the way of that trading an expiring $21M Vucevic to PHO who doesn't have much in the way of a center and get RJ Barrett from TOR? PHO with Booker, Beal, Allen and O'Neale signed at the wing doesn't want to add RJ. TOR with Barnes, Ingram and Qucikly signed then adding KD would have a lot of wing scorers. So TOR and PHO can work out the remaining $33M.

I know that it's not as sexy as coming up with ways for PHO to take the Bulls' bench for Durant and I know people will say Barrett is worthless but he looks like an NBA player against the Bulls and puts up those stats some way

He is a positional fit. Rumor has it the Nets are not jumping into free agency, and are planning to be the third team in trades, compiling assets. We can't offer pure cap space, but we have a LOT of big expiring contracts.

Imo, Barrett is as good as Coby, and he's younger. He costs more this year, but is $29 mill in 2026, likely less than Coby will get. Saw rumors they don't like his fit with Barnes and he could be moving.

These moves we propose aren't worth fighting over, lol. Bulls front office is not in here. Anybody could project the worst with any move, how hard is that? The likelihood of our next 3 picks being a star is extremely low, given where we'll be drafting, so free agency or trade is the only way we're adding high end talent.

Yeah, Barrett is an interesting name to consider. I lump him in with the Kuminga's of the world. Young guy, good scoring ability, limited outside shooting, below-average defense. IMO, I think I'd rather have Huerter than Barrett at a wing spot.

That said, I would absolutely be rummaging around every big deal to try to be a 3rd team picking up some accidental treasure.

[Dez]

Age profiles don't make sense. You want diversity in ages because you get diversity in contracts. Alot of people talk about having a bunch of players the same age, thats a recipe for failure

Your first sentence isn't grammatically correct so I don't get your point there.

The team would be a treadmill at best.

Age profiles do make sense, for example a young team like Chicago wasting assets trading for a 36 year old Durant wanting to ring chase.

If you have only young players then they all come to contract time at the same time. Durant immediately gets you meaningful games for your young crew.

Nobody said anything about only young players, only there's no point trading for a 37 year old. There's veterans out there that provide better leadership and don't take responsibility away from your young players trying to grow into better leaders and players.

[boozapalooza]

Read on Twitter

Bulls seeking a late 1st for Vuc?

Wonder if Orlando at 25 could be an option. They need a vet scorer next to Paolo/Franz and are already adding another young guy at 16.

[WesPeace]

Give me two 2nd rounders for Vooch and lets be done with it already!

[GuardianEnzo]

Maybe I'm nuts, but I see absolutely zero chance anybody gives you a 1st round pick for Vooch. I'd be thrilled with a 2nd anywhere in the top-50 picks.

[Red8911]

Durant to Bulls should be a BiG NO.. few years too late

Yeah, the only teams Durant can help are the ones where he would play along other stars. Kind of like how he was in GS but he should have made that move now not during his prime.

Also a good young team who does all the dirty work could be a good fit for him as well and lets KD just do his thing which is scoring.

Media talks about Durant like he’s the same player he was 2, 5, 10 yrs ago. He isn’t, still a good player obviously but just older and needs help to be successful.

[Red8911]

Read on Twitter

Bulls seeking a late 1st for Vuc?

Wonder if Orlando at 25 could be an option. They need a vet scorer next to Paolo/Franz and are already adding another young guy at 16.

If the Bulls do this that means they really like a player or 2 that project to be drafted late first round.

AK doesn’t usually just trade for picks. Unless he needs another pick to make a trade ? Who knows.