Xman wrote:You are ignoring CLE getting rid of KLove and getting real players. A $31 million dollar hole kills - turning it into usable players helps. CLE could get Simmons - if they are willing to part with more picks. But, taking Simmons costs and moving KLove costs (cheaper to move part of KLove by taking back Gordon but no $$ room if bringing in Simmons). PHI is too close to a ring to take KLove so have to pay someone to take him - the only team that can is OKC. Hou can only IF someone takes Gordon.
could be: CLE get Simmons, SAC gets EGordon; PHI get picks, Hield, Sexton + House; HOU gets KLove and picks; CLE would have to give multiple firsts to PHI and several 2nds to HOU. OR - SAC gets Favors, OKC gets KLove and pick, PHI gets Hield, Sexton and picks.
SAC may want to dump Hield and Bagley - but they have value. Hield was good enough to get paid and is still a 40% shooter from three which would be perfect in PHI. Bagley was the 2nd pick for a reason - just not showing it in SAC. Sexton could be an alternative scorer as needed. I think PHI gets value - but could add another 1st from SAC if needed.
The only real problem that Love's salary creates before it expires is that they'll have trouble paying Sexton if he earns the max this year, so there's no point in the Cavs trading Love if they don't keep Sexton or get something meaningful in return.
And for the Cavs, these aren't really meaningful players. Gordon may be washed any year now, Bagley doesn't really have a spot in the rotation, Augustin is behind Garland and Rubio.
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Let's just cut SAC out and see what it looks like. You can probably cut it into two distinct deals:
HOU gets KLove, 2022 SAS 2nd, 2022 HOU 2nd, 2025 CLE 2nd
CLE gets Gordon, Augustin, House
CLE gets Simmons
PHI gets Sexton, Rubio, Osman, Cleveland 2022 1st (lightly protected)
You can make it a 3-way to send House to PHI instead of Osman in the original deal (or nothing, if Philly tries to get out from under the tax).
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Cavs get Simmons here for Rubio, one of Osman/House/tax-relief, three 2nds and a 1st (compared to the original) by cutting SAC out. They absolutely do this.
Cleveland has Garland/Gordon/Simmons/Mobley/Allen, with Augustin/Okoro/House-or-Osman/Markkanen/Kabengele backing them, with Pangos/Valentine/Windler/Wade/Fall as reasonable injury insurance. That team might make the playoffs if the young guys continue to make progress and Gordon has something left in the tank. No salary spike next year from Sexton, and Gordon expires when Garland is due a raise.
Houston gets better and earlier 2nds than including SAC, including their own as they tank this year. Porter/Green/Tate/Love/Wood, with Thomas/Christopher/Nwaba/Garuba/Sengun off the bench. Maybe House too.
Philly gets Sexton and House-or-Osman-or-tax-relief still; they get Rubio instead of Hield, which is probably better value, and he can actually replace Simmons as the PG; and probably a better pick. Rubio/Sexton/Green/Harris/Embiid with Maxey/Curry/Milton/Korkmaz/Thybulle/House-Or-Osman?/Niang/Drummond all as good rotation players available off the bench. (Cleveland or Houston might include a 2nd for Milton if Philly has too many guards here.) Either Rubio or Sexton can move to the bench for Curry.
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Looks good for Cleveland. It isn't bad for Philly. Houston probably wants more than 2nds.