Official Trade Thread -- Part XL

[WallToWall]

How much of the Gafford, Hutchinson trade is Westbrook telling the front office about these two? He must remember then from his days in HOU. If so, how much homework did the front office really do on OTHER PLAYERS available for trade, before the front office got these two? Did they just rely on word of mouth, or were there better options to be had?

[FAH1223]

How much of the Gafford, Hutchinson trade is Westbrook telling the front office about these two? He must remember then from his days in HOU. If so, how much homework did the front office really do on OTHER PLAYERS available for trade, before the front office got these two? Did they just rely on word of mouth, or were there better options to be had?

What do you mean about his days in HOU? Russ never played with them...

[WallToWall]

How much of the Gafford, Hutchinson trade is Westbrook telling the front office about these two? He must remember then from his days in HOU. If so, how much homework did the front office really do on OTHER PLAYERS available for trade, before the front office got these two? Did they just rely on word of mouth, or were there better options to be had?

What do you mean about his days in HOU? Russ never played with them...

You're right, my bad. For some reason, I had it in my head that they were traded from HOU.

[FAH1223]

[gambitx777]

I think westbrrok to okc has some merritt's but I doubt it happens this year.

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[Ruzious]

Wiz should probably figure out how to use Westbrook better, because the chances of him being traded are very small.

[Ruzious]

I think westbrrok to okc has some merritt's but I doubt it happens this year.

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Looking at OKC, I can't see any reason for them to be interested in taking him on.

[gambitx777]

No one's gonna take that team money for years to come they will have to over pay every one to come there and play. Having a hard nosed tank commander who is good for young players who's also a hero in okc could be of use over over paying people with less okc love.

I think westbrrok to okc has some merritt's but I doubt it happens this year.

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Looking at OKC, I can't see any reason for them to be interested in taking him on.

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[Ruzious]

No one's gonna take that team money for years to come they will have to over pay every one to come there and play. Having a hard nosed tank commander who is good for young players who's also a hero in okc could be of use over over paying people with less okc love.

I think westbrrok to okc has some merritt's but I doubt it happens this year.

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Looking at OKC, I can't see any reason for them to be interested in taking him on.

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I think he's very bad for young players and helps slow their deveiopment because of his 1 on 1 style of play and poor decision-making.
.

[doclinkin]

Wiz should probably figure out how to use Westbrook better, because the chances of him being traded are very small.

This probably deserves its own thread.

The question of how to build synergy around Russ is a curious one. Brad is fine, he is getting his points and doing what he does efficiently. That says a lot for him, considering the usage rate of a guy like Russ. I am also encouraged by Rui, who over the past stretch of games seems to have increased his assertiveness. Russ will defer, but only to other aggressive scorers. Players who are willing to attack the defense will occasionally get the ball earlier in the clock than Russ normally deems appropriate.

First we need a GM who is willing to hire a coach who will rein him. You need a figure with enough clout not to hold him in check, but to convince him that he is now a coach on the floor, and as a coach some part of his job is to step back and mentor other players. To occasionally take a bench role, if he can't adjust to playing off the ball at times.

Here are a few ways to maximize what Russ does best:

Russ as small ball Center. This is essentially what Houston did when Russ was showing remarkable efficiency. IF you can afford to play a 5 out set, then you will see utility from Russ' remarkable rebounding. To do so you need players on the perimeter who can both shoot and drive, so teams are forced to guard you out to the line. This not only opens up the interior for driving attack from outside, but also lets you prioritize Russ as an offensive rebounder. He can run backdoor, he can crash the glass on outside shots, he has uses other than as a standstill dribbler. Calipari's Dribble Drive Motion offense is a good fit, Jay Wright's 4 out 1 in works alright, especially if Russ occasionally plays as one of the two forwards in that set. These systems suddenly offer a role for both Rui and Deni. Both are forwards with a face-up game. We add Deni's ball handling attack and invert opposing frontcourts.

Russ with a rebounding big with good hands. Russ' style generates many misses close to the basket. This gives chances for putbacks for a mobile active Big who has suction cup hands. He also can play well with a Big who can roll well and finish, provided they have the hands to catch his bullet passes. In addition often Russ jumps without a clear idea of where the ball is going to go. A player who creates vertical passing lanes means he can feel free to simply lob it in the area generally near the basket and convert some of his WTF plays into bail-out assists.

Outside shooting. Outside motion. If it is going to be all Russ all the time, you can maximize what he does by giving him outside snipers who know how to get themselves open and available. This does not always mean standing still in the corner. But relocation depending on where he is going. You need players and a coach who read Russ well. You can work for side screen sets that will spring your shooters precisely at the time when Russ goes downhill to the basket. If his way is blocked, they give him a reliable kick out option. Many of his turnovers come from static play on the outside. They know he is going to force it to the corners. If so you better spring that corner open, or better yet, retrain him to know he always has a man open who has filled in behind him at the 3pt line. If you have shooters everywhere, then he has options, and the interior is clear anyway. You can do this Big or small. IF you do have a reliable sweet shooting Big who is a volume threat from outside then that even works better than a small ball set, since the bigs covering the outside are slower to react when Russ brings his avalanche attack to the interior.

These are a few concepts of how to make Russ work, IF you can't move him to the bench to ruin 2nd line units unchecked.

To this last concept: if you draft a superstar alpha wing player. Russ may see himself in that veteran mentor role. He is not going to take back seat to a scrub, but if he sees it as his legacy to make an all-star out of a tough minded gunner, he may be willing to step aside to help them shine. In this respect it may work if we do draft a Suggs or the like. That is the only scenario I can see where a potentially declining Russ is willing to defer at times.

I wish Russ could play off the ball, with his strength he can set guard screens, or even act as the pick in P%R sets. That requires coaching with a guy who commands respect though. It's not Scotty Brooks whomever it is.

[9 and 20]

First post here but I've been reading for a while. Been a fan for a long time - I remember Mark Price's plantar fasciitis. I remember being excited for Tracy Murray and Lorenzo Williams and then getting Juwan Howard to come back from the Heat for $100 million - that did not quite work out as hoped. Been a series of mild to severe disappointments since then.

Anyway, I was excited for this season. I thought Russ and Beal could be amazing together. At this point, though, I'm not sure why they didn't at least trade Lopez for a second round pick and try to start fresh with Russ and Beal next season - this season seems clearly lost.

On doclinkin's post, I think you are right - it would take all of that to make a team built around Russ to work. But he's older now and I don't think he'd hold up for as long as it would take to build that team around him.

[NatP4]

If you subscribe to the Athletic (which I highly recommend), Fred Katz had a pretty interesting Q&A today. Said Westbrook is untradeable and not going to be moved, period. Said Brooks is not coming back after this year. Had some insight into Mathews’ new contract and the wizards overall direction(or lack thereof).

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

Beal is a more realistic target. The Wizards are closer to last in the East (4.5 games up) than they are the sixth seed (6 games back), despite the fact that Beal is leading the NBA with 31 points per game on a super-efficient 60 percent true shooting. Beal is admittedly “loyal to a fault,” and he hasn’t expressed a desire to leave Washington, the franchise that drafted him in 2012. But he can walk in free agency as soon as the summer of 2022. League sources say his decision to play through this season without making a trade request is as much a commitment to see things through this season with Russell Westbrook as it is about waiting until the worst of the coronavirus pandemic passes in the United States before making a life-altering decision.

[badinage]

Westbrook would be a phenomenal sixth man. Microwave + +

It also would extend his career.

Get someone to run point with Beal, not that that’s all that easy. Or, next year — and this is more realistic — put another shooter next to Beal and let Deni run the O from a forward position.

[payitforward]

First post here but I've been reading for a while. Been a fan for a long time - I remember Mark Price's plantar fasciitis. I remember being excited for Tracy Murray and Lorenzo Williams and then getting Juwan Howard to come back from the Heat for $100 million - that did not quite work out as hoped. Been a series of mild to severe disappointments since then.

Anyway, I was excited for this season. I thought Russ and Beal could be amazing together. At this point, though, I'm not sure why they didn't at least trade Lopez for a second round pick and try to start fresh with Russ and Beal next season - this season seems clearly lost.

On doclinkin's post, I think you are right - it would take all of that to make a team built around Russ to work. But he's older now and I don't think he'd hold up for as long as it would take to build that team around him.

Welcome to the Board, 9 and 20 !! Let's hear some more from you about what you'd like to see the team do!

[Rafael122]

Unless Miami is willing to part with Bam, there's really no point in discussing a trade, much less with a division rival.

Same with Boston and Jaylen Brown.

Same with the Knicks.

None of these teams will offer anything, and again the template has been set by the Jrue trade. Miami owns like 1 pick in the next 4 or 5 drafts.

The only team with legitimate talent and picks are the Pelicans. Ingram/NAW/Hayes/3 picks for Beal works. I also think Ball/Beal/Zion is a better basketball fit than Ball/Ingram/Zion.

[gambitx777]

NY and NO are the two teams where he might wanna go that can toss some young players and a boat load of pics at us for beal.

Unless Miami is willing to part with Bam, there's really no point in discussing a trade, much less with a division rival.

Same with Boston and Jaylen Brown.

Same with the Knicks.

None of these teams will offer anything, and again the template has been set by the Jrue trade. Miami owns like 1 pick in the next 4 or 5 drafts.

The only team with legitimate talent and picks are the Pelicans. Ingram/NAW/Hayes/3 picks for Beal works. I also think Ball/Beal/Zion is a better basketball fit than Ball/Ingram/Zion.

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[Illuminaire]

Speaking as an honorary, second-year minted NO fan...

It would come down to the exact picks... and what other market there is for Ingram. He's a very talented 23 year old, and has a track record of improving his skills every year. There would be other buyers for him. Of course, no one can send back anyone as good as Bradley Beal.

At the end of the day, I think you can get either BI + middling future picks, or our premier pick package (but no BI). We can offer a lot of talent, or a lot of picks... we *can* offer both, but I don't think the front office would want to.

[gambitx777]

If I were no I would toss the kitchen sink at the wiz to get beal and not give brandon Ingram. Because ingram beal and zion is a damn good team, a play off team for sure. Might need a third team or a lonzo sign and trade. Balls good but he isn't close to being an all star yet. Ball plus hayes, NAW, 4-5 ish firsts plus some seconds is probably where I would be happy. But, lonzo would want to have to be in dc for that.

I think honestly the grizz haave a sneaky good chance, putting ja and beal together would be nasty. They have some young guys on reasonable deals and rookie contracts like clarke and bane they could dangle plus they have a few extra firsts and a ton of seconds .

Speaking as an honorary, second-year minted NO fan...

It would come down to the exact picks... and what other market there is for Ingram. He's a very talented 23 year old, and has a track record of improving his skills every year. There would be other buyers for him. Of course, no one can send back anyone as good as Bradley Beal.

At the end of the day, I think you can get either BI + middling future picks, or our premier pick package (but no BI). We can offer a lot of talent, or a lot of picks... we *can* offer both, but I don't think the front office would want to.

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[Illuminaire]

If I were no I would toss the kitchen sink at the wiz to get beal and not give brandon Ingram. Because ingram beal and zion is a damn good team, a play off team for sure. Might need a third team or a lonzo sign and trade. Balls good but he's not an all star and ingram is pretty damn close.

I think honestly the grizz haave a sneaky good chance, putting ja and beal together would be nasty. They have some young guys on reasonable deals and rookie contracts like clarke and bane they could dangle plus they have a few extra firsts and a ton of seconds .

NO fans are pretty OK with moving BI to balance the team. As one put it in a recent game thread, "BI and Zion are like Westbrook and Durant. BI knows Zion should be taking the last shot, but he's going to go ahead and jack up a contested 30 footer or drive into traffic anyways."

Ingram is much more talented than Ball, but Zo is the better fit next to Zion. There's nothing wrong with keeping Ingram too, but if we have the chance to move him for a piece that fits better - and removes the alpha scorer clogged toilet problem - that's the optimal trade strategy.

I cannot tell you how many games we have lost this year because Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Ingram both thought they were Kobe Bryant, and forgot to maybe pass the damn ball to mini-shack once in a while.