sco wrote:BigJimFinn wrote:gardenofsound wrote:I don't think the Bulls should be sending picks out for non all-NBA players. Our picks project to be too valuable for that.
Here are some of the things going through my head:
Approach Cleveland (Kevin Love) or Detroit (Blake Griffin) with a similar proposal:
Bulls out: OPJ, Lauri Markkanen
Bulls in: Love or Griffin, 2021 draft swap rights, 2022 top 4 protected, 2023 swap rights
(I know Detroit has already traded their 2021 pick, but it's 1-16 protected and let's be real, they aren't a playoff team yet, so they're going to keep the pick this year).
Why? Both are really bad contracts (Griffin is almost guaranteed to exercise his PO next season at close to $40mm, and Love has two years remaining after this year, with declining performance). The Bulls unlink their own record from their draft positioning for 2 out of the next three years, and, when healthy, the returning players slot into the starting lineup as decent options to continue the Bulls' push towards a winning mentality.
For Detroit or Cleveland, they're getting out of their bad money while also getting match rights on Lauri.
Bulls could also approach GSW with similar framework proposals for Draymond and/or Wiggins. Or even Philadelphia with Tobias Harris, who has even longer term big money.
Honestly, this lineup may be pretty strong to finish out the year...:
G1 White / Sato / Arcidiacono
G2 LaVine / Temple
SF Williams / Hutch
PF Love or Griffin / Thad
C Carter / Gafford
You upgrade rebounding (currently a deficiency), and, assuming Lauri's shooting thus far this season is an aberration, you're likely upgrading your shooting and playmaking as well. Both Love and Griffin are known for their court vision/awareness and outlet passing to kick off a break.
You are also assuming that Blake Griffin everything thus far this season is an aberration.
The Ringer just put out an article
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/1/12/22226233/blake-griffin-untradable-detroit-pistonsabout how bad and untradable he has been. He isn't driving or earning FT's, has zero dunks or blocks all season, isn't rebounding, but is shooting a lot of 3s at bad percentage. Passing is the only thing where he is better than Lauri at the moment, but bringing in a former big name star long past their sell-by date would be a classic Bull move. Fortunately I have no reason to believe the new front office would do **** like this. Griffin per game stat line this season:
32 mins, 14pts, 5.7 rebs, 7 3PA at 29%, TS% 50, 4 ast, 1 steal.
And you think getting him for Otto and Lauri would make the Bulls better?
Love is a different issue because his floor-bound game is naturally aging better, but he is currently out with injury, and still I cannot see him making a meaningful difference. If Lauri isn't a PF for the modern NBA, then Love is a worse fit, and he isn't a rim protector as small ball 5 either, plus much less mobile on the perimeter.
You need a lot of faith into discovering a fountain of youth to believe either of these overpaid has-beens would "continue the push towards a winning mentality". Neither has been playing winning basketball for several years now. The only star-level thing about them is their salaries.
I agree, Blake is totally done. Love isn't done, but his contract extends 2 more seasons after this one at around $30 million per, and while he may have something left in the tank, he won't for 2 more seasons. The only way I take Love is if I were to get another good asset back in addition, Okoro isn't likely, but maybe Garland?
Wouldn't that lightly protected '22 pick (in the expected "double draft") be adequate in a Love deal?
I also question how much of Griffin's decline is scheme/role related. He also would only have one year left on his deal after this season, which is why I valued Griffin and Love as relatively equal in terms of the value they should fetch on the market.
Lastly, whether it's Markkanen and Porter or Griffin, the Pistons still project to be a high lottery team this year. Pick swap rights are just another way of maximizing the potential of landing a top 3 pick. To me, it's the strategic move that's still possible to sell to the rest of the team.
If the goal is to maximize our chances to get one of the marquee draft picks in 2021 without sacrificing any long-term core pieces, then I think these are the types of deals the Bulls will need to shoot for.
Hell, you could even do Wiggins for OPJ with the Bulls getting a future 1st to go along with getting the best of GSW/MIN/CHI 2021 FRP's.
I mean, how about this for a suite of moves?
Deal 1:
CHI-->GSW: Otto Porter
GSW-->CHI: Andrew Wiggins, swap rights on the MIN 21 FRP, 2022 protected GSW FRP (let's say top 5 protected, becomes unprotected 2023 if not conveyed)
Deal 2:
CHI-->CLE: Lauri Markkanen, Thaddeus Young, Cristiano Felicio, Luke Kornet
CLE-->CHI: Kevin Love, 2021 FRP swap rights, 2022 protected CLE FRP (top 4 protected?), 2023 FRP swap rights
Transaction 3 and 4 : sign Noah Vonleh and Dewayne Dedmon for the rest of the year.
To finish the year:
G1 White / Satoransky
G2 LaVine / Wiggins / Temple
SF Williams / Hutch
PF Love / Vonleh
C Carter / Gafford / Dedmon
I'm not sure the above team is markedly worse than the current team we have on the floor. But now look ahead to the drafts:
2021: The Bulls would get the best of the MIN, CLE, and CHI picks, which mitigates any tanking incentive and allows the Bulls to play to win while still being relatively sure of a franchise-altering player being available to them in the draft.
2022: net three FRP's in the expected double-draft (assuming lotto protections don't kick in).
2023: Bulls get best of CHI/CLE picks, and hopefully by this time, Williams is showing out as a higher tier starter, LaVine (if still around) is coming off of his 2nd or 3rd ASG appearance, and there's big expiring money with Love and Wiggins' contracts expiring, and the Bulls core of LaVine, Williams, White(?) are looking
No one from the "core" gets sacrificed as part of these deals, and the Bulls are absolutely taking on bad money but they're getting valuable future assets in return. And while they're not great players, Wiggins and Love won't be expected to rack up DNP-CD's or anything. They're both serviceable players.