Official Trade Thread -- Part XXXIII

[keynote]

I don't mind the deal for the Lakers. Yes, Russell has upside, but Magic & co. must've concluded that his ceiling wasn't that high -- less Lillard, more Waiters, I guess. Magic had declared Ingram to be untouchable; he certainly didn't say that about Russell. It's my understanding that the Lakers tried to flip Russell for a low lotto pick; they were rebuffed. If true, then other teams shared the Lakers' concerns about Russell's upside.

[mhd]

I like the deal for both teams. Brooklyn needs to swing for home runs. No FA is coming there, so Mozgov (and Nicholson's) contracts are sunk costs for getting talent.

LAL have no reason to tank, and Lopez helps them win games next year. I like Zubac as a young big, and Nance is a big time talent who would fit in well next to Lopez. The next step is to trade Randle+Clarkson (Deng is untradeable).

[Dark Faze]

Take NOTE of what just happened in LA. Successful GM fired after two bogus signings (deng 4 year deal mozgov 4 year deal). First move this new FO makes is to shed ONE of those bad contracts. It cost them the #2 OVERALL in a draft from two years ago.

We face the same situation here and Ernie faces no repercussions. That's the difference between winning and losing organizations.

Good point.

Also: if this is the price of shedding an overpriced center with three more years on his deal, then we simply don't have the disposable assets to move Mahinmi.

It's definitely not boding well, but there's an argument that the Lakers really moved to soon on the deal. They didn't need that cap space until the summer. Should have worked all season to find a trade where they wouldn't need to give up D'Lo or the #2 or Ingram.

[Dark Faze]

I like the deal for both teams. Brooklyn needs to swing for home runs. No FA is coming there, so Mozgov (and Nicholson's) contracts are sunk costs for getting talent.

LAL have no reason to tank, and Lopez helps them win games next year. I like Zubac as a young big, and Nance is a big time talent who would fit in well next to Lopez. The next step is to trade Randle+Clarkson (Deng is untradeable).

Keeping the lopez bird rights could be underrated if they can add another star + PG now that I think of it

but man, they'll need one hell of a defender at PF to make up for his D

[JWizmentality]

We absolutely have the pieces. Oubre+Otto+two 1sts would easily get it done. We would never do that

You do realize that Otto is a free agent no?

[mhd]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

[Dark Faze]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

[BigA]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

EG was too busy making sure someone in the media reported that he's trying to get Paul George.

[dangermouse]

Thinking about some of the names out there mentioned here and in the media that are available.

If we could sign & trade, or wait until the deadline, I'd totally do Otto, Oubre, Picks for Porzingis. I don't think something like Gortat, Oubre and Picks is enough.... But thats what I'd offer first to test the water. Beal for Porzingis - now that i'm not sure about. Beal is coming into his own. Porzingis needs a bit more work and this probably pushes our window back a bit. There's probably not a trade there, but a core of Wall/Beal/Porzingis would be pretty damn good in a season or two, possibly right in time for a Lebron Westbound departure.

I'm also reading about DeAndre Jordan. If the chain reaction of CP3 bolting and then Blake bolting happens.... Get it done Ern! Gortat + Oubre + Pick(s). He'd be fantastic at C for this team.

Its a shame we didnt kick the tyres on Dwight if all it took was Miles Freakin' Plumlee. Ian + our second + future second might have been enough? Reuniting Dwight and Gortat could have been a win, they were a great 1/2 punch in Orlando. Speaking of that deal and Charlotte though, I wonder what that means for Frank Kaminsky and if we had enough to get him. Frank the Tank would be a good backup, if we could swing Marcin in a deal for depth elsewhere.

[gambitx777]

Like word Howard for mahinmi and smith ? and a second ?

Also I never want to hear the words "Mahinmi is untradable" when Plummlee and Mozgov just got traded,

[gambitx777]

Yo i would be on the horn with the rockets right now
Gortat for ariza and beverly maybe add in a 43-45 this year for our 2019 first.

[dangermouse]

Yo i would be on the horn with the rockets right now
Gortat for ariza and beverly maybe add in a 43-45 this year for our 2019 first.

I havent seen Pat Bev play in a few years. From what I recall, decent 3&D PG? Could potentially pay behind and with Wall?

With that move Ariza or Porter would have to play a lot of PF. I'm not opposed to that at all

[Ruzious]

Yo i would be on the horn with the rockets right now
Gortat for ariza and beverly maybe add in a 43-45 this year for our 2019 first.

I havent seen Pat Bev play in a few years. From what I recall, decent 3&D PG? Could potentially pay behind and with Wall?

With that move Ariza or Porter would have to play a lot of PF. I'm not opposed to that at all

I'm not getting Houston's reasoning for shopping Beverley. Supposedly it's to free up cap space, but he's only making 5 mil a year - and he's worth more than that. Maybe he's made an enemy of someone in the organization - he does have a big mouth. But he's a heckuva defender, he hits open 3's, and he can play either guard position. Beverly for Satoransky and McCullom works on the trade checker and saves Houston a little cap room this season.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

At this point, I think losing Dwight is addition by subtraction.

I don't think he'd make us or anyone else better apart from the few minutes here and there that he actually makes an effort.

I'm happy we passed.

[Rafael122]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

Dwight was virtually unplayable in the playoffs against us, he also destroys team locker rooms.

[Dark Faze]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

At this point, I think losing Dwight is addition by subtraction.

I don't think he'd make us or anyone else better apart from the few minutes here and there that he actually makes an effort.

I'm happy we passed.

you're happy we didn't get the 20 PER player 13 board a game player with two years left on his contract for the low cost of our backup center who got nuked by Kelly Olynyk, is an albatross of a contract and can't stay healthy?

People are funny on this board man

[80sballboy]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

At this point, I think losing Dwight is addition by subtraction.

I don't think he'd make us or anyone else better apart from the few minutes here and there that he actually makes an effort.

I'm happy we passed.

I just don't get the fascination with Dwight Howard. Is it the name? Is it his build? His past All-Star game and dunk contest appearances? Why was he traded for junk? Why do people call him a dog, a bum and a massive underachiever? Teams keep getting rid of him for a reason. Stats don't tell the whole story. Agree that he should always be a pass for this team even if Gortat is fading on the defensive side and Mahinmi is made of glass.

[Dark Faze]

WOW! Dwight to Charlotte for the garbage package of Plumlee+Belinelli and a swap of 2nd rounders. I would have traded Mahinmi+filler for Dwight in an instant.

we EASILY could have done it and been a much better team as a result

my effing GOD man

Dwight was virtually unplayable in the playoffs against us, he also destroys team locker rooms.

Hawks didn't seem to have any locker room trouble until he got zero minutes. Look the Hawks are a different team than us. They would have sat Gortat on the bench in favor of Muscala because of 3's. They are more interested in spreading the floor than we are, clearly. Gortat would have cried, (like he cried with US btw despite his minutes). So I don't see the big difference.

[payitforward]

I still want to send Gortat to the Sixers for the 3 highest of their 4 R2 picks. Then pick 4 of: Tony Bradley, Jordan Bell, Caleb Swanigan, Josh Hart, Monte Morris, Sindarius Thornwell, & Nigel Williams-Goss.

The trade leaves us at $80.5m for 9 guys (including picking up Sheldon's option). Add, say, $3.5m to sign our 4 R2 picks, & we are at $84m for 13 guys.

Sign Otto for $20m, & it's 14 guys for $104m. We are over the cap, but we can use an exception, & we do need a Center. So, sign Dedmon for the full MLE ($8.4m). Now we have 15 players -- but, remember, we can keep 17, with 2 of them being "2-way players" (i.e. up and down from the D League) -- which would be perfect for 2 of our R2 guys (esp. the younger ones, e.g. Bradley or Swanigan).

Though we are over the cap, we can sign 2 Veteran minimum players to take us to 17. If needed.

Now we have a full roster, with a total salary of @$115m, we are still under the luxury tax. We have gotten a lot younger, & our potential going forward over 2-3 years is much improved.

&, this is key, I also think we're better than last year -- easily better.

1. We have gotten rid of guys who played 2560 minutes very very poorly.
2. Satoransky, whatever his limitations, should be better than last year.
3. Ditto McClellan.
4. I think that of the R2 picks at least Thornwell, Hart & Williams-Goss are ready to contribute in the NBA. So, depending on who we got of the group above, I think we'd get some significant improvement on the bench from a couple of them.

Back to my R2 list -- why those guys in particular?

Bradley is the riskiest, but he is enormous & was productive in limited minutes as a Freshman. Swanigan is the 2d riskiest, but he absolutely fills the box score.

Bell looks like a guy who'll have a dozen year solid career in the league. Ditto Hart. Morris has a lot of pluses: he's a terrific passer, shoots ok, & is a very heady player who doesn't turn it over much or foul much.

Thornwell & Williams-Goss are incredibly underrated in my opinion. Right now, DR has the Spurs picking Thornwell. If that happens, we'll be pointing to him the way we're pointing to other low picks & undrafted guys who SA's FO has the skills to find. Williams-Goss is a tough, smart player who has a shot to do very well in the NBA.

Will Ernie make this trade today/tomorrow? Of course not. He may trade Gortat, but if so it'll be for something that looks entirely different.

[Dark Faze]

Only issue is I don't think Gortat would be Philly's ideal vet backup. They want a guy who will mentor and be fine with a backup role. Gortat isn't that guy. Mahinmi would be perfect for it if he could show some health.