Official Trade Thread Part XLVII

[Frichuela]

I posted this in the 2025-26 line up thread...

If I was Dawkins I'd push for the following 3-team trade:

POR gets Kispert
WAS gets Robert Williams + 2026 WAS pick unprotected back from NY
NY gets Champagnie + 2 2nd rounders from POR + 1 2nd rounder from us.

This way:

1) We solve the glut at forward.
2) We get another body at center (Robert Williams who has 1 year left of contract).
3) We can go for it and win as many games as possible with our young core not worrying we'll lose the pick. Remember we also have the PHX swap, so regardless of overachieving expectations we have odds for a good pick in the 2026 lottery.

New line-up:

McCollum/Bub/Branham
Tre/Will Riley/AJ
Bilal/Kyshawn/Jones
Cam/Middleton/Watkins (2-way)
Sarr/R. Williams/Bagley/Tristan (2-way)

In this set up, all young wings have a chance of minutes.

[payitforward]

Wow... we get worse, while Ny gives up a pick they aren't going to have anyway while getting back a really good young player snd 3 draft picks.

Meanwhile, Portland moves Williams and 2 picks in order to acquire Kispert....

no thanks...

[Frichuela]

Wow... we get worse, while Ny gives up a pick they aren't going to have anyway while getting back a really good young player snd 3 draft picks.

Meanwhile, Portland moves Williams and 2 picks in order to acquire Kispert....

no thanks...

Well, this may be the case if we unashamedly tank. But what if the youngins are clicking better than expected and we are teetering with a bottom 8-10th worst record? There is a risk we lose the pick. For example, if we drop to the 8th worst record, there is a sizeable 39% probability we lose the pick...

Also, we have an obvious glut of forwards. If we don't do this trade, where are the minutes going to come for the likes or Riley or even Cam Whitmore? Bilal, Kyshawn and Middleton are likely to get 24-32 minutes a game each. Add Kispert and Champagnie to the mix and we have a saturated roster at the 3-4 spot.

Look, I love Champagnie and would love to retain him but can't see Corey Kispert as a potential rotational player in a playoff caliber team. His defense is that bad. I'll be willing to trade him for nothing just to give the minutes to our younger wings.

[GoneShammGone]

Wow... we get worse, while Ny gives up a pick they aren't going to have anyway while getting back a really good young player snd 3 draft picks.

Meanwhile, Portland moves Williams and 2 picks in order to acquire Kispert....

no thanks...

Well, this may be the case if we unashamedly tank. But what if the youngins are clicking better than expected and we are teetering with a bottom 8-10th worst record? There is a risk we lose the pick. For example, if we drop to the 8th worst record, there is a sizeable 39% probability we lose the pick...

Also, we have an obvious glut of forwards. If we don't do this trade, where are the minutes going to come for the likes or Riley or even Cam Whitmore? Bilal, Kyshawn and Middleton are likely to get 24-32 minutes a game each. Add Kispert and Champagnie to the mix and we have a saturated roster at the 3-4 spot.

Look, I love Champagnie and would love to retain him but can't see Corey Kispert as a potential rotational player in a playoff caliber team. His defense is that bad. I'll be willing to trade him for nothing just to give the minutes to our younger wings.

The problem with trading Champagnie is that he is almost certainly undervalued around the league. Just look at the contract he signed with us... it was for almost nothing! If other teams around the league recognized what I think we on this board recognize, why in the world would he have signed that deal? He could have just gone on the market in the summer and gotten something much better than league minimum. Now maybe he and his agent made a mistake, but I think its also possible that he is the kind of player that slips through the cracks. Other teams look at him and say, "Oh he's not super-young, and he is kind of undersized, he is putting up numbers on a bad team in limited minutes... pass". Until we give JC a full season of regular rotation minutes, I don't think other teams are going to understand how good he really is, so if you trade him, you are selling short.

I can see the appeal of getting back our pick from NY, but how much would it really take? As PIF points out, I doubt the Knicks really expect it to convey...

[payitforward]

...I... can't see Corey Kispert as a potential rotational player in a playoff caliber team. His defense is that bad. I'll be willing to trade him for nothing just to give the minutes to our younger wings.

Oh, I'd love to trade Corey. For sure....

[dckingsfan]

I posted this in the 2025-26 line up thread...

If I was Dawkins I'd push for the following 3-team trade:

POR gets Kispert
WAS gets Robert Williams + 2026 WAS pick unprotected back from NY
NY gets Champagnie + 2 2nd rounders from POR + 1 2nd rounder from us.

This way:

1) We solve the glut at forward.
2) We get another body at center (Robert Williams who has 1 year left of contract).
3) We can go for it and win as many games as possible with our young core not worrying we'll lose the pick. Remember we also have the PHX swap, so regardless of overachieving expectations we have odds for a good pick in the 2026 lottery.

New line-up:

McCollum/Bub/Branham
Tre/Will Riley/AJ
Bilal/Kyshawn/Jones
Cam/Middleton/Watkins (2-way)
Sarr/R. Williams/Bagley/Tristan (2-way)

In this set up, all young wings have a chance of minutes.

Maybe flip it so that Portland gets Champagnie I kind of like Portland now that Deni is there - what an awful thing to do to them

BTW, Williams will probably play less than 500 minutes this season and is a crucial expiring contract for Portland.

[payitforward]

...Look, I love Champagnie and would love to retain him but ....

The problem with trading Champagnie is that he is almost certainly undervalued around the league. ...so if you trade him, you are selling short...

I don't think there's much chance we trade him, and doing so would be foolish for the reason you state and b/c guys like him are extremely difficult to find.

Justin will have a long career as an elite role player, & we have him tied up for 1/3 of his career!!

In the end, of course, every player should be available in a trade, but there would need to be some unique situation, something we can't envision abstractly from where we are now, for Will to send him out.

[payitforward]

Moving away from the above... is there nonetheless one more move to come before the season starts, I wonder? If so, what might it be?

Someone might want Middleton now, I guess -- a team that thinks it can challenge this year? Say... Minny? the Clippers? Maybe even GS?

It's not inconceivable, but I can't come up with any concrete ideas.

As to Kispert, maybe if a contender has an injury that gets them looking around for more firepower...? Obviously, a buyer wouldn't have to give up much, so....

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Here's an idea that gets rid of Kispert, eases the SF glut, and returns a serviceable, young PF/C.

Washington trades SF Corey Kispert and SF Dillon Jones
Washington receives SF Dalton Knecht and C/PF Jalen Smith

Chicago sends C/PF Jalen Smith
Chicago receives SF Corey Kispert

LA Lakers send SF Dalton Knecht
LA Lakers receive Dillon Jones

Smith has a cheaper deal and comes off the books one year sooner than Kispert. Jalen hasn't been the pro I thought he would be. However, he's experienced enough and mature enough to lead by example on this team. At worst, he's an average NBA player.

Knecht looked good before the Lakers dangled him in trade talks. At worst, he makes a lot less than Kispert and he's a good offensive player off the bench. I suspect he just lacks confidence.

The Lakers should jump on this. Dillon Jones played on OKC and he knows how to rebound and score.

Chicago will experience a lot of turnover. I don't think they want to extend Heurter at his salary. Kispert has an appealing contract moving forward.

Thoughts?

[payitforward]

I like it!
No down side, really -- & Smith in a Wizards uni is a little attendance boost.