Season Speculation, Trade Ideas & Discussion Pt. 3

[SarcasticSun]

We desperately need a top three pick this year. Ideally number one. We need that transcendent talent player to pair with Booker. After this year, the lottery structure changes. And the older Booker gets (and our whole team really), the more wins we're going to get and the worse our draft pick. If we don't get a superstar next to Booker soon we run the risk of treadmilling as an 4-8 seed with Booker as our best player for a few years.

Also the fact that this draft seems to have extremely high potential players at the top. I've always thought Booker would be best as the 2nd best player on a contender, like Klay pre-KD on GSW. Especially when you looks at stars that Booker will be competing with in his prime... Giannis, Porzingis, AD, KAT...some freaky good athletes. We need one of our own if our plan is to compete in Booker's prime.

[SarcasticSun]

What are the odds we have a future All-Star on this roster to support Booker? Maybe 50% being generous.

I don't want to get to 2021 and get into a LeBron, Cousins or George situation where he gets no help for 7 years and leaves.

Honestly, i think its around 5%.

I think its generous to give Booker a 10% chance of being an all-star himself. There are just too many good guards in the West. Between Curry/Westbrook/Harden/CP3, the spots for him are extremely limited. Thats not even counting players like Lillard who are also fringe all-stars.

10% chance this year, or future? I would think Booker's odds of making at least one all star team in his career is much higher than 10%. I do agree that 50% seems a bit high as far as the rest of the team though.

[Revived]

Nets got very promising young player for taking Mozgow. Noah, Deng, Turner all have bigger contracts than Mozgow. Unless something really good is coming for Suns they shouldn't even think about touching those contracts.

For Noah, it would have to be Frank.

For Deng, it can be Ingram, Ball or Kuzma.

For Turner...this ones tricky...maybe McCollum? But Suns would have to add major assets to this trade as well.

[kennydorglas]

IF NY keeps winning like this, they'll need to find a way to dump Noah's salary.
Interesting one to keep our attentions up.

[NBA Fiend]

Could this be the big one McD has up his sleeve?

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ybwv4phf

Seriously though, Monroe has 17 million on an expiring contract and McD comes out and says he hopes to trade him rather than buy him out. Seems odd that he mentions a buy out. One would think he has an idea he could get something out of Monroe or why do the trade now unless that was truly the best he could get. The Deng and Noah contracts are beyond horrific so I would think two first rounders would have to be attached. As for the deal I posted maybe this is deal McD has in his back pocket if all else fails. Bayless falls off in 2019 which McD has targeted as the year of the apocalypse.

[OGBAH]

I think I’d only sell the farm for a Zingis
4 1st Chriss and maybe we could “fix” Noah if we had to take him on.
Bender
Zingis
Warren
Jackson
Book

[bwgood77]

We desperately need a top three pick this year. Ideally number one. We need that transcendent talent player to pair with Booker. After this year, the lottery structure changes. And the older Booker gets (and our whole team really), the more wins we're going to get and the worse our draft pick. If we don't get a superstar next to Booker soon we run the risk of treadmilling as an 4-8 seed with Booker as our best player for a few years.

Also the fact that this draft seems to have extremely high potential players at the top. I've always thought Booker would be best as the 2nd best player on a contender, like Klay pre-KD on GSW. Especially when you looks at stars that Booker will be competing with in his prime... Giannis, Porzingis, AD, KAT...some freaky good athletes. We need one of our own if our plan is to compete in Booker's prime.

Being 4-8 seed for a few years sounds nice right now. I agree ideally Booker is our 2nd best player. Heck it would be great to find 2 players better than him. And of course I want him to be great. But he's still shooting along his career % from 3 at 35%. The good thing is his TS% is up and he's trending upwards on his FT% and 2pt%, so hopefully his 3pt shooting isn't far behind. So the better he can become as a passer and not turning it over, and of course defense, the better it is to accept those shooting percentages from deep when shooting is supposed to be his strength.

[Sreister]

I think I’d only sell the farm for a Zingis
4 1st Chriss and maybe we could “fix” Noah if we had to take him on.
Bender
Zingis
Warren
Jackson
Book

Honestly, I was on that bandwagon hard when it was rolling. But I don't think they'll do it for the world. I wouldn't take that trade if I had him. It's a TON to give up for us, and they still wouldn't do it. Players like him are too rare. Honestly, I don't know if they'd take anything for him outside of Bron, Steph, etc etc.

[OGBAH]

I think I’d only sell the farm for a Zingis
4 1st Chriss and maybe we could “fix” Noah if we had to take him on.
Bender
Zingis
Warren
Jackson
Book

Honestly, I was on that bandwagon hard when it was rolling. But I don't think they'll do it for the world. I wouldn't take that trade if I had him. It's a TON to give up for us, and they still wouldn't do it. Players like him are too rare. Honestly, I don't know if they'd take anything for him outside of Bron, Steph, etc etc.

if he wants out of New York we might have a chance

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

We desperately need a top three pick this year. Ideally number one. We need that transcendent talent player to pair with Booker. After this year, the lottery structure changes. And the older Booker gets (and our whole team really), the more wins we're going to get and the worse our draft pick. If we don't get a superstar next to Booker soon we run the risk of treadmilling as an 4-8 seed with Booker as our best player for a few years.

Also the fact that this draft seems to have extremely high potential players at the top. I've always thought Booker would be best as the 2nd best player on a contender, like Klay pre-KD on GSW. Especially when you looks at stars that Booker will be competing with in his prime... Giannis, Porzingis, AD, KAT...some freaky good athletes. We need one of our own if our plan is to compete in Booker's prime.

Being 4-8 seed for a few years sounds nice right now. I agree ideally Booker is our 2nd best player. Heck it would be great to find 2 players better than him. And of course I want him to be great. But he's still shooting along his career % from 3 at 35%. The good thing is his TS% is up and he's trending upwards on his FT% and 2pt%, so hopefully his 3pt shooting isn't far behind. So the better he can become as a passer and not turning it over, and of course defense, the better it is to accept those shooting percentages from deep when shooting is supposed to be his strength.

My biggest complaint with Booker's game is that he doesn't seem to think of himself primarily as a shooter. He's not as effective as he would be if he thought of himself as a shooter first and a scorer second, rather than the other way around. Someone should remind him that he gets an extra point for hitting a 3.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Every trade for a star player ends in too expensive pass.

[Sreister]

I think I’d only sell the farm for a Zingis
4 1st Chriss and maybe we could “fix” Noah if we had to take him on.
Bender
Zingis
Warren
Jackson
Book

Honestly, I was on that bandwagon hard when it was rolling. But I don't think they'll do it for the world. I wouldn't take that trade if I had him. It's a TON to give up for us, and they still wouldn't do it. Players like him are too rare. Honestly, I don't know if they'd take anything for him outside of Bron, Steph, etc etc.

if he wants out of New York we might have a chance

Yeah I've heard the reports. If he comes out and says he won't resign, I'm down to throw down on him. I'd give up Chriss and Bender, and any number of 1sts. If he stays healthy, and plays what he's playing now for the rest of his career, who cares about their potential, he's someone you build around and sign cheap vets to back him up.

I honestly think that's McD's plan, sitting back and waiting for a disgruntled star to come out and say something. At least, that's what I want to believe will happen.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

It is unbelievable to me that so many seem ready to render judgement on Bender and Chriss (and even Jackson!). On draft day, we're all ready to preach patience, and then by the twelfth game of the season we're ready to throw the kids under the bus.

Some of you guys are just nuts.

[carey]

I honestly think that's McD's plan, sitting back and waiting for a disgruntled star to come out and say something. At least, that's what I want to believe will happen.

That's been his plan for the last 4 years.

[Sreister]

It is unbelievable to me that so many seem ready to render judgement on Bender and Chriss (and even Jackson!). On draft day, we're all ready to preach patience, and then by the twelfth game of the season we're ready to throw the kids under the bus.

Some of you guys are just nuts.

If you're referring to me saying I'd include them in a trade for a superstar, or a player on the brink of superstardome, then yeah I'll take it. Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Prozing is worth Chriss, Bender, and whatever firsts we throw at him. Sure those guys can become good, but the key word there is COULD.

And it's disingenuous to say that because we'd include them in a trade, means we're giving up on them. Better is better, clear cut. I have faith they will improve, but I don't know if I trust that either of them will be as good as Zing, and basketball is a game where sometimes one REALLY good player, is better than two pretty good players. I'm not giving up on them, I just don't live in a romantic world where all our pieces magically work out perfectly and we get our ring in ~4 years with the same team we have right now. Zing clicks all the checkmarks we want, it's not like he's 28 and in his prime, he has the age and room to grow with our core and he's head and shoulders better than what we have in the same position.

[Sreister]

I honestly think that's McD's plan, sitting back and waiting for a disgruntled star to come out and say something. At least, that's what I want to believe will happen.

That's been his plan for the last 4 years.

Yeah, it has. He hasn't had the stones to try and pull the trigger yet.

[bwgood77]

We desperately need a top three pick this year. Ideally number one. We need that transcendent talent player to pair with Booker. After this year, the lottery structure changes. And the older Booker gets (and our whole team really), the more wins we're going to get and the worse our draft pick. If we don't get a superstar next to Booker soon we run the risk of treadmilling as an 4-8 seed with Booker as our best player for a few years.

Also the fact that this draft seems to have extremely high potential players at the top. I've always thought Booker would be best as the 2nd best player on a contender, like Klay pre-KD on GSW. Especially when you looks at stars that Booker will be competing with in his prime... Giannis, Porzingis, AD, KAT...some freaky good athletes. We need one of our own if our plan is to compete in Booker's prime.

Being 4-8 seed for a few years sounds nice right now. I agree ideally Booker is our 2nd best player. Heck it would be great to find 2 players better than him. And of course I want him to be great. But he's still shooting along his career % from 3 at 35%. The good thing is his TS% is up and he's trending upwards on his FT% and 2pt%, so hopefully his 3pt shooting isn't far behind. So the better he can become as a passer and not turning it over, and of course defense, the better it is to accept those shooting percentages from deep when shooting is supposed to be his strength.

My biggest complaint with Booker's game is that he doesn't seem to think of himself primarily as a shooter. He's not as effective as he would be if he thought of himself as a shooter first and a scorer second, rather than the other way around. Someone should remind him that he gets an extra point for hitting a 3.

While I agree because it's a smarter shot if you can hit it, it would be nice if he could hit them at a higher rate, so he is catering to his strength.

And although his 3pt % is 35.7% and 10 shots should convert to 3.57 x 3 = 10.71 points
and his 2pt% is 48.2% so 10 shots would convert to less at 4.82 x 2 = 9.64 points,

with the latter he probably gets to the line a lot more, and it effectively becomes a more efficient way for him to score. Our 3pt% as a team just needs to get a lot better in today's nba to keep up with other teams on offense, especially considering our defense.

Right now Booker is tied for our 4th best 3 pt shooter by percentage (but of course he has higher volume) with James but only .02 percentage points better than Josh Jackson.

Warren needs to start shooting like 1000 3s in practice as well. His 3 pt shooting is awful this season. It was awful last season but it's more than twice as bad this season.

So I think both players, particularly Warren are relying on their strengths for now which makes sense, but hopefully they are both working a ton on their 3s.

[bwgood77]

I think I’d only sell the farm for a Zingis
4 1st Chriss and maybe we could “fix” Noah if we had to take him on.
Bender
Zingis
Warren
Jackson
Book

Honestly, I was on that bandwagon hard when it was rolling. But I don't think they'll do it for the world. I wouldn't take that trade if I had him. It's a TON to give up for us, and they still wouldn't do it. Players like him are too rare. Honestly, I don't know if they'd take anything for him outside of Bron, Steph, etc etc.

Yeah, you have to ask yourself how much it would take for you to trade Booker, and then probably double that.

[bwgood77]

Honestly, I was on that bandwagon hard when it was rolling. But I don't think they'll do it for the world. I wouldn't take that trade if I had him. It's a TON to give up for us, and they still wouldn't do it. Players like him are too rare. Honestly, I don't know if they'd take anything for him outside of Bron, Steph, etc etc.

if he wants out of New York we might have a chance

Yeah I've heard the reports. If he comes out and says he won't resign, I'm down to throw down on him. I'd give up Chriss and Bender, and any number of 1sts. If he stays healthy, and plays what he's playing now for the rest of his career, who cares about their potential, he's someone you build around and sign cheap vets to back him up.

I honestly think that's McD's plan, sitting back and waiting for a disgruntled star to come out and say something. At least, that's what I want to believe will happen.

The problem is he's going to be a RFA who will get the max. While some RFAs have played for the QO, I don't recall any who were going to be max players doing it.

[sunsfever68]

Flip Monroe for Okafor

Okafor off the bench as the backup big w Warren who provide an awesome bench scoring punch.

trade Tyson asap get his contract off the books.

I want to see what we can do with Okafor off the bench.