Season Speculation, Trade Ideas & Discussion Pt. 5

[BobbieL]

I am not trading Monroe for any of their long term contracts, even if it includes Kemba Walker. I think it would be foolish and shortsighted to take any long term salary coming back. I think McD knows this too.

The best kind of trade scenario would be for us to obtain Kemba Walker without giving up Monroe, even if it includes a young player. This is my ideal kind of trade, though some may not like it for us, and likely the Hornets wouldn't do it.

Suns get-
Kemba Walker
Dwight Howard

Hornets get-
TJ Warren
Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley
Alex Len (Tyler Ulis works here also if Len refuses the trade)
Both Miami picks
Bucks pick
Suns 2018 2nd round pick

This gives us so much cap flexibility this summer to go after Boogie, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, etc. Dwight isn't as good as he used to be but he's still averaging 16 and 12. We make a play for a superstar this summer, and in the meantime, Josh Jackson starts for the rest of this season.

The Hornets likely won't get this many picks back in a trade from any other team, though they may get a better young player in return. I find it unlikely that the Sixers would really trade Fultz though, so other than them I'm not sure what teams would make a trade. May have to include our 2019 pick, though we could make it top 3 protected. Dudley and Chandler are familiar with the organization, not sure that helps anything though. The biggest problem I see is that the Hornets already have a lot of SF's with Batum, MKG, Williams. No one is going to touch Batum's contract, MKG may be traded though he'd have to go somewhere where they have four scorers around him.

Anyway, this is what we got going into the summer of 2018.

PG: Kemba Walker (12mil) / Brandon Knight (14.6mil) / Tyer Ulis (1.5mil)
SG: Devin Booker (2.3mil) / Troy Daniels (3.2mil)
SF: Josh Jackson (6mil) / Davon Reed (1.3mil)
PF: Chriss (3.2mil) / Bender (4.6mil)
C: Dwight (23.5mil)

We'd also have the option to keep Alan Williams for 5.5mil, but without him and not including our draft pick(s) we are sitting at $72.2mil in salary, we should have enough to offer a max contract to anybody worth it in free agency.

not giving up both Heat picks
the rest I might be okay with
not that howard is that good

I think I would rather do nothing than take on howard

[RaisingArizona]

K E M B A W A L K E R ! ! !

[DB43]

I am not trading Monroe for any of their long term contracts, even if it includes Kemba Walker. I think it would be foolish and shortsighted to take any long term salary coming back. I think McD knows this too.

The best kind of trade scenario would be for us to obtain Kemba Walker without giving up Monroe, even if it includes a young player. This is my ideal kind of trade, though some may not like it for us, and likely the Hornets wouldn't do it.

Suns get-
Kemba Walker
Dwight Howard

Hornets get-
TJ Warren
Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley
Alex Len (Tyler Ulis works here also if Len refuses the trade)
Both Miami picks
Bucks pick
Suns 2018 2nd round pick

This gives us so much cap flexibility this summer to go after Boogie, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, etc. Dwight isn't as good as he used to be but he's still averaging 16 and 12. We make a play for a superstar this summer, and in the meantime, Josh Jackson starts for the rest of this season.

The Hornets likely won't get this many picks back in a trade from any other team, though they may get a better young player in return. I find it unlikely that the Sixers would really trade Fultz though, so other than them I'm not sure what teams would make a trade. May have to include our 2019 pick, though we could make it top 3 protected. Dudley and Chandler are familiar with the organization, not sure that helps anything though. The biggest problem I see is that the Hornets already have a lot of SF's with Batum, MKG, Williams. No one is going to touch Batum's contract, MKG may be traded though he'd have to go somewhere where they have four scorers around him.

Anyway, this is what we got going into the summer of 2018.

PG: Kemba Walker (12mil) / Brandon Knight (14.6mil) / Tyer Ulis (1.5mil)
SG: Devin Booker (2.3mil) / Troy Daniels (3.2mil)
SF: Josh Jackson (6mil) / Davon Reed (1.3mil)
PF: Chriss (3.2mil) / Bender (4.6mil)
C: Dwight (23.5mil)

We'd also have the option to keep Alan Williams for 5.5mil, but without him and not including our draft pick(s) we are sitting at $72.2mil in salary, we should have enough to offer a max contract to anybody worth it in free agency.

Yeah this feels like a huge overpay. I put something similar togther with knight involved. It maybe not be a enticing as your offer. But I don't think I'd give up that 2021 miami pick. I agree on the part that this puts suns in play for a free agent this summer. But it also kills our current pick this year.

[Qwigglez]

Spoiler:

I am not trading Monroe for any of their long term contracts, even if it includes Kemba Walker. I think it would be foolish and shortsighted to take any long term salary coming back. I think McD knows this too.

The best kind of trade scenario would be for us to obtain Kemba Walker without giving up Monroe, even if it includes a young player. This is my ideal kind of trade, though some may not like it for us, and likely the Hornets wouldn't do it.

Suns get-
Kemba Walker
Dwight Howard

Hornets get-
TJ Warren
Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley
Alex Len (Tyler Ulis works here also if Len refuses the trade)
Both Miami picks
Bucks pick
Suns 2018 2nd round pick

This gives us so much cap flexibility this summer to go after Boogie, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, etc. Dwight isn't as good as he used to be but he's still averaging 16 and 12. We make a play for a superstar this summer, and in the meantime, Josh Jackson starts for the rest of this season.

The Hornets likely won't get this many picks back in a trade from any other team, though they may get a better young player in return. I find it unlikely that the Sixers would really trade Fultz though, so other than them I'm not sure what teams would make a trade. May have to include our 2019 pick, though we could make it top 3 protected. Dudley and Chandler are familiar with the organization, not sure that helps anything though. The biggest problem I see is that the Hornets already have a lot of SF's with Batum, MKG, Williams. No one is going to touch Batum's contract, MKG may be traded though he'd have to go somewhere where they have four scorers around him.

Anyway, this is what we got going into the summer of 2018.

PG: Kemba Walker (12mil) / Brandon Knight (14.6mil) / Tyer Ulis (1.5mil)
SG: Devin Booker (2.3mil) / Troy Daniels (3.2mil)
SF: Josh Jackson (6mil) / Davon Reed (1.3mil)
PF: Chriss (3.2mil) / Bender (4.6mil)
C: Dwight (23.5mil)

We'd also have the option to keep Alan Williams for 5.5mil, but without him and not including our draft pick(s) we are sitting at $72.2mil in salary, we should have enough to offer a max contract to anybody worth it in free agency.

I think the Hornets would say yes so fast it would make your head spin. Barf.

Not sure why you find this trade appalling. If we didn't get anywhere with Kemba and Dwight, and no free agents come to us, then allow them to expire and go after other free agents in 2019. Yeah we give up picks, but they are late picks anyway, that 2021 Heat pick could very well be in the mid-20's since they will have only 23mil in guaranteed salaries for the 2020-21 season.

[Qwigglez]

Everyone gets so heavily invested in these picks. The picks are negotiable. It's trying to make the salaries match up that is tough. Don't give up the picks, I don't care. Is the idea and foundation of the trade of taking on Kemba and Dwight for Warren, Dudley, Chandler, Len and whatever picks you feel is a fair deal, a deal you would make?

[ATTL]

I didnt like bledsoe, i don't like knight, i don't like kemba.
They're the same archetype except we have to give up way more to get kemba than we got for bledsoe.

[RaisingArizona]

I am sorry but if you don't think Kemba is better than Bledsoe, then you don't watch basketball regularly. At least look at the stats. Not even close!

[TeamTragic]

I am not trading Monroe for any of their long term contracts, even if it includes Kemba Walker. I think it would be foolish and shortsighted to take any long term salary coming back. I think McD knows this too.

The best kind of trade scenario would be for us to obtain Kemba Walker without giving up Monroe, even if it includes a young player. This is my ideal kind of trade, though some may not like it for us, and likely the Hornets wouldn't do it.

Suns get-
Kemba Walker
Dwight Howard

Hornets get-
TJ Warren
Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley
Alex Len (Tyler Ulis works here also if Len refuses the trade)
Both Miami picks
Bucks pick
Suns 2018 2nd round pick

This gives us so much cap flexibility this summer to go after Boogie, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, etc. Dwight isn't as good as he used to be but he's still averaging 16 and 12. We make a play for a superstar this summer, and in the meantime, Josh Jackson starts for the rest of this season.

The Hornets likely won't get this many picks back in a trade from any other team, though they may get a better young player in return. I find it unlikely that the Sixers would really trade Fultz though, so other than them I'm not sure what teams would make a trade. May have to include our 2019 pick, though we could make it top 3 protected. Dudley and Chandler are familiar with the organization, not sure that helps anything though. The biggest problem I see is that the Hornets already have a lot of SF's with Batum, MKG, Williams. No one is going to touch Batum's contract, MKG may be traded though he'd have to go somewhere where they have four scorers around him.

Anyway, this is what we got going into the summer of 2018.

PG: Kemba Walker (12mil) / Brandon Knight (14.6mil) / Tyer Ulis (1.5mil)
SG: Devin Booker (2.3mil) / Troy Daniels (3.2mil)
SF: Josh Jackson (6mil) / Davon Reed (1.3mil)
PF: Chriss (3.2mil) / Bender (4.6mil)
C: Dwight (23.5mil)

We'd also have the option to keep Alan Williams for 5.5mil, but without him and not including our draft pick(s) we are sitting at $72.2mil in salary, we should have enough to offer a max contract to anybody worth it in free agency.

TRADE WARREN!?!?!??!!

[gaspar]

It's Kemba **** Walker, not prime James Harden. The Hornets without any major injuries and with Walker and Dwight playing in all of their games have 2 more wins than the Suns...

Also, in 5 months: The Phoenix Suns select Jaren Jackson Jr. and pass on Luka Doncic and Trae Young, because they invested so much in Kemba **** Walker (a 28 year old player who in 12 months will be an unrestricted free agent asking for $150m )

[darealjuice]

One thing to keep in mind when bringing in Kemba is that him and Booker will get their new contracts at the same time, resulting in about 60M (~120M/4 year max for Kemba if we can keep him, and ~150/5 year for Booker) in cap space being eaten over night. With everyone that's currently on contract for 2019/2020 (Knight 15M, Sauce 5M, JJ 7M, Bender 6M, TJ 10M, Quese 4M, Ulis 1.7M, Reed 1.7M) we'd be at our about 112M, which will likely be above/at the salary cap at that time.

Dumping Knight is the obvious solution there, and there's a good chance one of the young players would have to exit when bringing in Kemba, but the point is more that we wouldn't have a lot/any cap space to fill in the gaps of that team if we're bringing in Kemba with the intention of keeping him long term. Not to mention the thought of being able to sign another max contract player this offseason while we would have space with Kemba and Booker's current contract would put us in cap hell with us 100M locked up between Kemba/Booker/TJ/Max Player for 3 years.

Just food for thought. All Star point guards aren't available every day, and if we can get him for the right price then it might be our worthwhile, but we'd have to really believe in what's remaining of our Kemba/Booker/TJ/JJ/Quese/Bender core after getting Kemba if we're going to go that road, because I have a hard time seeing Sarver going into the luxary tax without this team being a contender.

[JMac1]

It's Kemba **** Walker, not prime James Harden. The Hornets without any major injuries and with Walker and Dwight playing in all of their games have 2 more wins than the Suns...

Also, in 5 months: The Phoenix Suns select Jaren Jackson Jr. and pass on Luka Doncic and Trae Young, because they invested so much in Kemba **** Walker (a 28 year old player who in 12 months will be an unrestricted free agent asking for $150m )

I’m with you. Dragic, IT, Bledsoe, Knight... equals losing Lakers pick and gaining Miami’s picks, just to sign Walker who is the same type of player, the same age, and more money, is spinning our wheels.

Makes no sense. Tired of chasing PGs more than tanking for a draft pick.

Would have been better off trading for Irving if that’s the case. If we didn’t do that, why would we go after Kemba? If we were a playoff team, yea, but we aren’t.

[BobbieL]

It's Kemba **** Walker, not prime James Harden. The Hornets without any major injuries and with Walker and Dwight playing in all of their games have 2 more wins than the Suns...

Also, in 5 months: The Phoenix Suns select Jaren Jackson Jr. and pass on Luka Doncic and Trae Young, because they invested so much in Kemba **** Walker (a 28 year old player who in 12 months will be an unrestricted free agent asking for $150m )

After more thought and letting the hype and sizzle of the WojBomb pass - I think the Suns need to take a hard pass on Walker

1) he is going to get paid in two years when Booker will be
2) going to cost assets
3) will he make you a playoff team this year - probably not but he will win you more games so that you do not get in like for Doncic, Trae ,etc

I think stay the course with the young guys. Explore other options with Monroe for the better long term fit - if that doesn't happen, take the cap space - so that means no to George Hill too (sorry Gambo)

If you can trade chandler for some expirings or at least cut his expense for next year in half to give more cap space, that's fine too (I am going to push that Twolves deal down Thibs damn throat !!! )

Take your top 6 pick and get one more difference maker and maybe, with a bit more luck (and no Lonzo Ball for the Lakers) - the ping pong balls wll go right

[darealjuice]

I am sorry but if you don't think Kemba is better than Bledsoe, then you don't watch basketball regularly. At least look at the stats. Not even close!

Bledsoe Career Stats as starter: .447 FG%, .337 3PT%, .810 FT%, .556 TS%, 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Kemba Career Stats as starter: .415 FG%, .354 3PT%, .832 FT%, .529 TS%, 19.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists

Bledsoe in Milwuakee: .455 FG%, .317 3PT%, .769 FT%, .559 TS%, 17.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists while being option 2a/2b with Middleton
Kemba this year: .424 FG% .349 3PT% .851 FT% .553 TS%, 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists as the main man in Charlotte

I agree Kemba is absolutely a better player, he makes a lot less boneheaded turnovers and has come a long way as a shooter, but to say it's not even close is definitely exaggerating.

[Kerrsed]

Ok, this is what i see and am reading.

The Hornets have been trying to trade Batum/Howard/MKG/Williams and free themselves of these large contracts. There really have been no takers. They are now willing to trade Kemba to accomplish the goal of ridding them of salary. Thats what its come to, so any and all Walker trades should incorporate at least one, most likely two of those players. In doing this, they are severely lessening Kemba's value, so all these trade ideas offering up real good pieces and draft picks can go right out the window now.

With that being said, im not a Walker fan, so instead im looking towards OTHER teams that might see him as an upgrade at the PG spot, while having players that i would be more interested in. Thanks to McD for giving us one of the NBA's largest expirings, as im sure plenty of teams that want Walker will be looking for that contract from us to help cement a deal.

Now with that being said, this is what i would like to see:

A 3-way with Us, Charlotte, and Brooklyn.

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

CHA IN: Monroe/Okafor/Lin/Chriss/MIL 1st
CHA OUT: Walker/Williams/Howard

BRK IN: Walker/Williams
BRK OUT: Russell/Okafor/Lin

PHX IN: Russell/Howard
PHX OUT: Monroe/Chriss/MIL 1st

The Hornets get out of 2 large contracts ($86M over the next 3 seasons), take a flyer on bringing Lin back, and get Chriss along with a MIL 1st for everything. Pretty much this equals Kemba and $86M in savings for Chriss and a 1st. That savings is HUGE!
MCW/Batum/MKG/Chriss/Kaminsky

Brooklyn dumps and expiring contract and a "Hopefully soon to be Future All-star" coming back from injury (Along with Lin) for an immediate upgrade at PG who already is currently an all-star. They also upgrade themselves at PF. Sure its not a MAJOR upgrade there, but honestly, how many of you can name the Nets starting PF without looking it up? Exactly what i thought!
Kemba/Crabbe/Carroll/Williams/Zeller

Suns give up a large expiring to bring in the teams future franchise Booker-Buddy PG! We take on Howards large deal, but lets not act like he isnt an upgrade to Chandler or Len. We give up Chriss (And hedge our bets that Bender is the one for us) and send out a mid 1st pick that we might not even see for a year or two.
Russell/Booker/Warren/Bender/Howard

[Saberestar]

I am not trading Monroe for any of their long term contracts, even if it includes Kemba Walker. I think it would be foolish and shortsighted to take any long term salary coming back. I think McD knows this too.

The best kind of trade scenario would be for us to obtain Kemba Walker without giving up Monroe, even if it includes a young player. This is my ideal kind of trade, though some may not like it for us, and likely the Hornets wouldn't do it.

Suns get-
Kemba Walker
Dwight Howard

Hornets get-
TJ Warren
Tyson Chandler
Jared Dudley
Alex Len (Tyler Ulis works here also if Len refuses the trade)
Both Miami picks
Bucks pick
Suns 2018 2nd round pick

This gives us so much cap flexibility this summer to go after Boogie, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, etc. Dwight isn't as good as he used to be but he's still averaging 16 and 12. We make a play for a superstar this summer, and in the meantime, Josh Jackson starts for the rest of this season.

The Hornets likely won't get this many picks back in a trade from any other team, though they may get a better young player in return. I find it unlikely that the Sixers would really trade Fultz though, so other than them I'm not sure what teams would make a trade. May have to include our 2019 pick, though we could make it top 3 protected. Dudley and Chandler are familiar with the organization, not sure that helps anything though. The biggest problem I see is that the Hornets already have a lot of SF's with Batum, MKG, Williams. No one is going to touch Batum's contract, MKG may be traded though he'd have to go somewhere where they have four scorers around him.

Anyway, this is what we got going into the summer of 2018.

PG: Kemba Walker (12mil) / Brandon Knight (14.6mil) / Tyer Ulis (1.5mil)
SG: Devin Booker (2.3mil) / Troy Daniels (3.2mil)
SF: Josh Jackson (6mil) / Davon Reed (1.3mil)
PF: Chriss (3.2mil) / Bender (4.6mil)
C: Dwight (23.5mil)

We'd also have the option to keep Alan Williams for 5.5mil, but without him and not including our draft pick(s) we are sitting at $72.2mil in salary, we should have enough to offer a max contract to anybody worth it in free agency.

I wouldn't make this trade. No way.

Dudley and Chandler are not a big problem, they are gonna be expirings next season. Not need to give them that Miami unprotected pick or Warren.

[RaisingArizona]

It's Kemba **** Walker, not prime James Harden. The Hornets without any major injuries and with Walker and Dwight playing in all of their games have 2 more wins than the Suns...

Also, in 5 months: The Phoenix Suns select Jaren Jackson Jr. and pass on Luka Doncic and Trae Young, because they invested so much in Kemba **** Walker (a 28 year old player who in 12 months will be an unrestricted free agent asking for $150m )

It's Kemba *** Walker an all-star type point guard to pair next to Booker. Meanwhile, all of those can't miss prospects you mentioned could turn out to be the next Bender/Len/JJ. He is 27. Don't tell me that's too old. Nash was 30 when he came here to lead SSOL era of the young guns.

[Saberestar]

It pisses me off so much when people want to dump Chriss for no reason at all, when he's clearly the most productive and has the highest ceiling of the 3 forwards we drafted in the lottery in the last 2 years. I could understand if people included him in all these crazy trade offers because "we have to give up something to get something", but that's not the case at all. People just want him off this team. **** stupid.

Read on Twitter

[Saberestar]

It's Kemba **** Walker, not prime James Harden. The Hornets without any major injuries and with Walker and Dwight playing in all of their games have 2 more wins than the Suns...

Also, in 5 months: The Phoenix Suns select Jaren Jackson Jr. and pass on Luka Doncic and Trae Young, because they invested so much in Kemba **** Walker (a 28 year old player who in 12 months will be an unrestricted free agent asking for $150m )

I love these two prospects, but both are gonna have a tough time adjusting his game to the NBA...like every rookie. PG is the hardest position to play well as a rookie, and we want to compete for real next season. We can have Kemba AND draft one of these guys, no problem at all.

I think we can have Kemba for the rest of this season and in the summer we can trade him, extend him or playing him as a expiring....better to have him on the team than not. He is a positive value.

And I want to add that I am not a fan of Walker...but he is way better than what we have.

[LukasBMW]

The Batum contract is crippling. No F-ing way!

I think Howard is a clown, but maybe our training staff could work a miracle. MKG could maybe be salvaged.

But really, I'd rather keep our cap space and picks.

[Kerrsed]

The Batum contract is crippling. No F-ing way!

I think Howard is a clown, but maybe our training staff could work a miracle. MKG could maybe be salvaged.

But really, I'd rather keep our cap space and picks.

Work a miracle? C'mon, he's been playing great! Ok, check it, Howards 3 years younger than Chandler, yet is still putting up great numbers.

15.5/12 and a block and a half a game compared to 6.6/10 and pretty much a block every other game.

The past 5 games Dwight has been putting up 15/15 and 3 blocks per game. I'll take that over Chandler production anyday of the week. So what Miracle do you want our training staff to work exactly?