ParticleMan wrote:you really gonna trade JB and/or DW for a pupu platter of picks and rotation guys? we got an MVP caliber guy coming back in a year, do you really think that's a better path to contention? we'd be wasting Tatum's prime praying dylan harper develops into someone as good as JB.
if i'm trading JB it's for another star, not a blow-it-up rebuild. not sure who's available but giannis is the most obvious target. the only other thing i'd consider is for cooper flagg.
Giannis and Flagg are no brainers but neither seem like realistic options.
I'm not a fan of the pupu platter option but I guess it really does come down to the haul doesn't it? If you're getting the kind of rebuilding pick package that could feasibly have us throw our own 2026 lotto pick and 1-2-3-4 more on and make a Giannis or Flagg or dare I say Jokic trade possible in the future I think you have to consider it. Stars change team like they change socks these days so somebody is going to be available for whatever haul you bring in you just are at the whim of what stars are on the block when you're ready to cash in your assets (and whether you've landed enough value to be in pole position).
JB isn't going to land you that kind of haul so I agree the pupu platter options should be DOA because it doesn't get you far enough.
The only trades that we should look at are with the Spurs for #2 (assuming they absolutely love Harper, which I don't but if the FO fully believed he was the next coming it would make sense) or trades where we get a lower tier but up and coming player like Murphy, Bane, Jalen Johnson, Garland, Thompson AND some extra value so we're getting a more affordable contract that we think can take the next step plus some ammo if we want to add another similar tiered player.
Something like Murphy and #7 as a return is hugely appealing to me. Murphy gives you 70-80% of what JB does at less than 50% of the cost. If you can get those two pieces plus a little something extra and Trey keeps developing and/or you hit with #7 pick, we're back in business with a cap position that isn't nearly as cumbersome. But I don't think that's an option unless Dumars or the GM of one of these other teams comes calling proactively trying to get JB.