Free Agent/Trade Thread Offseason 2026, Part 7 (For Christ sakes Martin, this week's the Fourth of July.)

[KamikazeK]

This narrative from some portion of the fan base that we're doomed and have to trade brown for scraps because "reasons"? its pretty pathetic I recommend keeping that garbage opinion to yourself. If we don't get an offer we like, we keep JB and keep competing next season until someone offers us something we like. We don't have to move on from JB.

[Fierce1]

If you feel Tatum and Brown are in the same ballpark which I do. Tatum back healthy next year with the same roster brown just had with maybe a few adds from what Brown brings in and a bounty of picks could be ideal. Stay relevant. Have a shot at making a run if all things click and picks to go after Jokic next year.

Let's say it's Grant, Scoot and and Kris Murray. Somehow Rob comes back in a sign and trade (don't know the cap mechanisms) with 4 picks (including Bucks 1st). That's an competitive team with a chance to extend Tatum window with picks or ability to make a big trade with picks.

You have
Rob/Queta/Garza
Tatum/Walsh
Grant/Hugo/Murray
White/Baylor
Scoot/Peyton

That's a team that might exit in the 1st round.

Cs better off keeping JB if that's what the Cs are getting in return.

[bfchs123]

People need to have more faith in Brad. The guy has basically never made a bad trade. He wouldn't trade Hugo and Baylor for Giannis, people think he's going to trade his franchise player for less than a massive haul?

[NotAKnicksFan]

People need to have more faith in Brad. The guy has basically never made a bad trade. He wouldn't trade Hugo and Baylor for Giannis, people think he's going to trade his franchise player for less than a massive haul?

If baylor & hugo were the reason he didnt get giannis he should be fired

[redslastlaugh]

People need to have more faith in Brad. The guy has basically never made a bad trade. He wouldn't trade Hugo and Baylor for Giannis, people think he's going to trade his franchise player for less than a massive haul?

I think the situation is such a mess, it’s smart to just wait and see.

You look at Brads last several moves: Jrues contract, Sam’s contract, decision to extend everyone deep into 2nd apron, drafting Baylor, drafting Hugo, trading Simons for Vooch, drafting Cenac, going all in on Giannis publicly and whiffing… the recent record has been very hit or miss, imo, other than taking Hugo

[Fierce1]

To maximize JT's playmaking skills, the Cs need a quality big man.

There were question marks after KAT's horrible showing in the WCF against Luka and the Mavs in 2024.
But that didn't stop the Knicks from investing in KAT.
Two years later, KAT and the Knicks are champions.

You need to make opposing defenses pay if they take away your outside shot.
That's where a quality big man comes in.

Queta was just not good enough this season.

I don't know if Queta reaches the level where he's a reliable scoring option.

That's why Brad needs to get a quality big man in any Jaylen Brown trade.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Even as an outside fan, I'm actually pretty shocked how it's playing out.

I have to believe it's largely the CBA and some advanced analytics nerds as well in some FO's talking him down.

I think there's probably a worry from teams too of how to fit him into their team. If you're pairing him with someone else, how do those two coexist when Brown seems to want to be "the guy" and have "his own team". I'm again not saying this from my own POV, just to understand the situation and provide some hypothesis' here.

I'm gonna take a big big big risk with my next comment here...

It's almost feeling like he's viewed as a really excellent version of Zach LaVine in some respects as the conversation has evolved.

Really good player, does a lot of really good things, but not someone you're going to go crazy breaking a roster up to give everything you can for...

Again, I don't agree with that take. I think whoever gets him is going to get a really great player and motivated to prove all that wrong. But I do think other franchises can be looking at it and wondering why they're always looking to move him but not Tatum when they've both been 1A and 1B players who work together.

Like for me, the latest BSPod, Zach Lowe mentioned that Portland might not like the fit of Deni and Brown. To me, Deni and Brown isn't far off from Tatum and Brown. I don't see much of a different in terms of players and play style. Tatum certainly better than Deni, but they have similar enough games where I don't see a problem with fit, unless teams are worried that Brown coming to a team with other stars could cause the same "problems" (?) that Boston saw trying to pair him with someone else.

I donno... I'm just spitballing here tbh... It's just honestly a weird situation and one I don't understand why it's what where it's at.

He makes 64 million a year.

His cap hit next year is $57mill.

This puts him sandwiched between KAT and Booker.

Sorry yeah the 64mil is in a couple of years.

Still that 57mil next to Tatum’s contract is clearly problematic in being able to build a strong roster around them.

For other teams it’s a big enough contract to give them a lot of thought about whether he’s actually worth that

[GrandTheftRondo]

This narrative from some portion of the fan base that we're doomed and have to trade brown for scraps because "reasons"? its pretty pathetic I recommend keeping that garbage opinion to yourself. If we don't get an offer we like, we keep JB and keep competing next season until someone offers us something we like. We don't have to move on from JB.

You think it’s just parts of the fan base?

The media were the ones coming out with the narrative that building a title team with two supermax guys might not be feasible now and that’s what the front office might have determined.

They were clearly interested in Giannis because if they were going to commit so much salary to two guys then at least upgrade one of them to a guy who changes the look of the team offensively

I don’t even think it’s that far fetched that building a contender with two super max guys might not be possible. Does that mean if trade Brown for cents on the dollar? No. But we sure as hell can’t be banking on building a 2024 like team again with these contracts

[Curmudgeon]

Well they certainly need another big man, not to replace Queta but to complement him. Getting such a player does not require trading Brown.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Off topic, but I wish the NBA would tweak the Supermax contract rules. Not all guys that get supermax deals are really worth 35% of the cap. What is a normal max worth, 30%? (I genuinely don't know.)

Maybe just first team all NBA should get 35%. Second team, maybe 32.5%. It just messes up your books and ability to build a roster when you have really good but not quite elite tier guys making the supermax. Feel free to pass this on to Adam.

[BleedGreen1989]

People need to have more faith in Brad. The guy has basically never made a bad trade. He wouldn't trade Hugo and Baylor for Giannis, people think he's going to trade his franchise player for less than a massive haul?

Executive of the year two of the last three years. He’s earned the trust from the fan base I feel.

Also feel like he would have shut down these rumors if they really weren’t shopping JB. On draft night he said a lot of nice things about him but wasn’t even remotely putting out the trade fires saying things like “I can’t tell the future” and “if it comes to an end now or ten years from now there’s a lot to celebrate”.

He’s trading him.

[celticgreenie]

Didn't Brad interview Tre Johnson during the draft process last June?

Most interesting part of his his draft profile is that he works extremely hard (5 am shooting drills), clutch and can do some secondary facilitating (Derrick White anyone).

[hugepatsfan]

IMO, Brad assessed the roster and determined he doesn’t have the means to trade for the guys he thinks this roster is gonna need around Tatum/Brown. Maybe he can get lucky with a home run pick in the 20s/30s or an out of nowhere breakout signing/trade acquisition. But I don’t think he looks at it and feels he has a good chance of getting what he needs.

Giannis/Tatum would have been a better duo to try with, but I think he had similar reservations still because ultimately you’re still top heavy with 2 players. That’s why he was limited in how much extra he would add.

IMO, the reason Brown is still reportedly in talks because he just thinks he needs to break Brown down into 2-3 really good players. Maybe not in the Brown trade itself but in relatively short order through a series of follow up trades.

Just my opinion, but I think he’s gone. I think they’ll get a package that isn’t amazing but good enough for Brad to feel he can built a contender easier that way then trying to add key pieces without any real asset base to deal from.

[robdog_5]

If you feel Tatum and Brown are in the same ballpark which I do. Tatum back healthy next year with the same roster brown just had with maybe a few adds from what Brown brings in and a bounty of picks could be ideal. Stay relevant. Have a shot at making a run if all things click and picks to go after Jokic next year.

Let's say it's Grant, Scoot and and Kris Murray. Somehow Rob comes back in a sign and trade (don't know the cap mechanisms) with 4 picks (including Bucks 1st). That's an competitive team with a chance to extend Tatum window with picks or ability to make a big trade with picks.

You have
Rob/Queta/Garza
Tatum/Walsh
Grant/Hugo/Murray
White/Baylor
Scoot/Peyton

That's a team that might exit in the 1st round.

Cs better off keeping JB if that's what the Cs are getting in return.

They may get out of the first round unlike last year. But it's not even for just next year. Its a way to extend the window.

[wimbo1234]

People need to have more faith in Brad. The guy has basically never made a bad trade. He wouldn't trade Hugo and Baylor for Giannis, people think he's going to trade his franchise player for less than a massive haul?

I think the situation is such a mess, it’s smart to just wait and see.

You look at Brads last several moves: Jrues contract, Sam’s contract, decision to extend everyone deep into 2nd apron, drafting Baylor, drafting Hugo, trading Simons for Vooch, drafting Cenac, going all in on Giannis publicly and whiffing… the recent record has been very hit or miss, imo, other than taking Hugo

IMO none of those were bad moves except for trading Simons for Vooch (with the obvious reason that we did that to get under the tax). Of course still needs to wait and see what comes out of missing on Giannas

[Fierce1]

If you feel Tatum and Brown are in the same ballpark which I do. Tatum back healthy next year with the same roster brown just had with maybe a few adds from what Brown brings in and a bounty of picks could be ideal. Stay relevant. Have a shot at making a run if all things click and picks to go after Jokic next year.

Let's say it's Grant, Scoot and and Kris Murray. Somehow Rob comes back in a sign and trade (don't know the cap mechanisms) with 4 picks (including Bucks 1st). That's an competitive team with a chance to extend Tatum window with picks or ability to make a big trade with picks.

You have
Rob/Queta/Garza
Tatum/Walsh
Grant/Hugo/Murray
White/Baylor
Scoot/Peyton

That's a team that might exit in the 1st round.

Cs better off keeping JB if that's what the Cs are getting in return.

They may get out of the first round unlike last year. But it's not even for just next year. Its a way to extend the window.

IMO, the Cs need that quality big man.

Rob and Queta are not enough.

[redslastlaugh]

People need to have more faith in Brad. The guy has basically never made a bad trade. He wouldn't trade Hugo and Baylor for Giannis, people think he's going to trade his franchise player for less than a massive haul?

I think the situation is such a mess, it’s smart to just wait and see.

You look at Brads last several moves: Jrues contract, Sam’s contract, decision to extend everyone deep into 2nd apron, drafting Baylor, drafting Hugo, trading Simons for Vooch, drafting Cenac, going all in on Giannis publicly and whiffing… the recent record has been very hit or miss, imo, other than taking Hugo

IMO none of those were bad moves except for trading Simons for Vooch (with the obvious reason that we did that to get under the tax). Of course still needs to wait and see what comes out of missing on Giannas

The thing that’s most destabilizing is the upsets in the playoffs.

Then this year Brad has the presser saying he wants more dunks and rim pressure. And then the reporter says, “How does that square with your coach saying three point attempt rate is the most important stat,” and Brad said he never heard Joe say that

And I was like, “what?” … I’m not trying to be negative, but I don’t have the same level in confidence in the front office at this point

[chrisab123]

I think the situation is such a mess, it’s smart to just wait and see.

You look at Brads last several moves: Jrues contract, Sam’s contract, decision to extend everyone deep into 2nd apron, drafting Baylor, drafting Hugo, trading Simons for Vooch, drafting Cenac, going all in on Giannis publicly and whiffing… the recent record has been very hit or miss, imo, other than taking Hugo

IMO none of those were bad moves except for trading Simons for Vooch (with the obvious reason that we did that to get under the tax). Of course still needs to wait and see what comes out of missing on Giannas

The thing that’s most destabilizing is the upsets in the playoffs.

Then this year Brad has the presser saying he wants more dunks and rim pressure. And then the reporter says, “How does that square with your coach saying three point attempt rate is the most important stat,” and Brad said he never heard Joe say that

And I was like, “what?” … I’m not trying to be negative, but I don’t have the same level in confidence in the front office at this point

It’s not even July 1st

[165bows]

IMO, Brad assess the roster and determined he doesn’t have the means to trade for the guys he things this roster is gonna need around Tatum/Brown. Maybe he can get lucky with a home run pick in the 20s/30s or an out of nowhere breakout signing/trade acquisition. But I don’t think he looks at it and feels he has a good chance of getting what he needs.

Giannis/Tatum would have been a better duo to try with, but I think he had similar reservations still because ultimately you’re still top heavy with 2 players. That’s why he was limited in how much extra he would add.

IMO, the reason Brown is still reportedly in talks because he just thinks he needs to break Brown down into 2-3 really good players. Maybe not in the Brown trade itself but in relatively short order through a series of follow up trades.

Just my opinion, but I think he’s gone. I think they’ll get a package that isn’t amazing but good enough for Brad to feel he can built a contender easier that way then trying to add key pieces without any real asset base to deal from.

That’s the big question at this point, is why.

Really could be any or a combo of any of the following:

They don’t want to extend him now and he wants out

He wants out to be the ‘man’ (lame imo)

Ownership is cheap now (tbd)

Impossible to build a winner with 2 super maxes (maybe)

Something else

[USER0023942]

What are your thoughts on Yang Hansen, the best Chinese center since Yi Jianlian? Some call him the next Jokic. IQ off the charts.

Jerami Grant, Shaedon Sharpe, Yang Hansen, and 3 FRPs for Jaylen?