I don't see how the Hornets can pass up on Scoop at 2. If that happens I wonder if the Rockets and Hornets could make a trade work involving Ball for the 4th pick? I'm sure the Rockets would have to include some more to make it work but the end goal would be a Ball/Green backcourt to go with a Sengun/Jabari front court
In my own head (haha! see above) Tonight DAL – HOU – ATL DAL: Capela (ATL) + Tate (HOU) + 2 SRPs (via HOU) ATL: 20 (via HOU) + Garuba (HOU) HOU: 10 + Bertans (DAL) Trade 4 (Amen) to ORL for 6 + 11 6 (Black) 10 (Lively) Trade 11 to NOP for Trey Murphy After Draft / Free Agency HOU sends 2 SRPs to BRK for Dinwiddie Sign Bruce Brown (DEN) (3 years, $51M) PO on Year 3 Sign Jalen McDaniels (PHI) (2 years, $7M) Sign Naz Reid (MN) (3 years, $51M) TO on Year 3 Brown – Dinwiddie – Black (6) Thrilla – Scoot – JayGup Trey – KMJ – McDaniels Bari – Tari – Bertans Sengawd – Reid – Lively (10) Bertans can be bought out in 24 + Dinwiddie expires in 24 = $37M+ to acquire a FA in 2024 or get vet player via trade 23-24: Play-in tourney 24-25: Ship 25-26: Ship 26-27: Ship
Few trades once FA opens up... Rockets In: Gordon Hayward, Future 1st from CHA (top 7 protected) Hornets In: KMJ and TE Rockets In: Joe Harris and 2 future 2nd Rounders Nets In: Cap Space Rockets In: Tyus Jones Wizards In: KPJ and a 2nd Rounder Rockets In: Lonzo Ball (not expecting to play), Coby White and Future 1st Bulls In: KPJ, KMJ and Tate
Optimal off season for me: Trade for Tyus Jones. We give up KJ Martin + 2nd rounders or whatever else is reasonable outside our core. Cam Whitmore looks to do everything KJ does but potentially better. More dynamic, better handles, better shot (maybe?). Sign Lopez on short 2-3 year deal. Dunno if he and Sengun could play at the same time, but Udoka likes lineups with 2 bigs, so maybe he could make it work. Sign Seth Curry on a 3 year. Another veteran + excellent shooting.
D.Brooks + PBEV + Muscala Fit the veteran profile, defensive profile, and/or positional needs of starting SF, backup PG, and backup C. Seems realistic as well.
I’ve called for FVV/Brooks/Lopez but can’t believe we nabbed Cam at 20. I think Amen fits perfectly with our roster. I would love to add Khris so we have a shooter valve on the wing to help with spacing…give Khris the bag, bring in Lopez to alternate with Sengun, find some capable vet PG to help Ime get control of the team while Amen learns to be the commander…Houston low key now has one of the best young cores in the league. We’ll have 2ish years of growing pains and learning for sure but man this core really has a chance… Vet/Amen/Tyty Jalen/KPJ Khris/Whitmore Jabari/Tari Sengun/Lopez Maybe keep 1-2 of Martin/Tate/Garuba and get rid of the rest of the roster and try to collect assets. Silas was a nice guy but we can’t waste any more minutes on anyone. Getting Cam really helps lessen the pick loss for next year. I’m in awe. People like to forget he’s 18!! Outside of KPJ at 23, everyone else is 20-22…just wow.
Just a thought, but what if we were willing to take Lonzo Ball's contract for an incentive? The Bulls have some guys to re-sign and with the new rules it may add flexibility for them... I'm thinking... To Rockets Lonzo Ball Patrick Williams Future #1 (lottery protected) To Bulls Kenyon Martin Jr. Jae'Sean Tate We try Williams out for a year next to Jabari and play Whitmore off the bench. If we don't like what we see, we let him walk... if we do like results we extend him and Whitmore becomes potential trade asset... Tate and Martin give them cheaper options for rotation minutes...
Brooks AND Lopez? In this economy? (I kid. Clearly meant to be Middleton. Any two of those three would be a great haul. All 3 seems unlikely but would be exceptional as long as FVV is on a short contract or tradeable in a few years.)
Sign FFV for 2 years 30m (as rumored) Trade KJ, Garuba and 4x 2nd rounders (we have a ton) for Hartenstein (as a side note - Knicks Cash in on their ton of picks for Bridges or OG) Trade Tate for Robert Covington and a 2nd (save Clippers 5m and Tate is "insurance" for Kawhi/PG) Fill the rest of the team with vets (Pat, Boban..) FVV/Amen/Tyty Green/KPJ/Gup Tari/Cam Bari/RobCov Sengun/Hartenstein
D.Rose is now an option, however he just had a horrible year. Unclear whether he is just done, or was dealing with something.
Ty Washington/Usman Garuba/Josh Christopher/KMJ/2025 and 2027 swaps/2026 Brooklyn 1st/Houston 2028 unprotected 1st. Bridges/Claxton/Cam Johnson in SnT. Sengun/Claxton Smith/Eason Cam Johnson/Dillon Brooks Green/KPJ/Whitmore Bridges/KPJ/Amen 1. Bridges is the perfect player to play as PG in a Sengun influenced system and lineup 2. Johnson just makes it clear he’s going to Houston either way and Brooklyn ops for the sign and trade. 3. We keep on eye on Sengun. If he picks up a three ball, maybe he can start next to Claxton long-term. And if we decide we really need the rim runner shop blocking type of center we have a great option.
All the Brooklyn picks wouldn’t even get this done. They’re 3 best players for our crap bench players and a few of their picks. LOL. The only way we get Bridges is to take on Simmons contract and give them all their picks and as many of KJM, Tate, Nix, JGup, Tyty, Garuba as they want.
You are probably right, but keep in mind they’re giving us Johnson for free because at least they generate a trade exception. In this scenario, Johnson makes it clear he wants to continue to play with his best friend. Claxton is a free agent next year. If they keep Johnson and Claxton, and just end up having to overpay them a lot, I like how that works in regards to our future picks as well Cam Johnson and Nic Claxton are awesome but if they occupy 52millim for Brooklyn going forward and that is kind of good. I like holding Claxton and either SnT or re-sign him and move Alpi to PF. I love Bridges but for the situation the Nets are in, holding him is eh.
I am one of the few that think Cam is fool’s gold. Claxton would be a really good backup C and Bridges is the perfect starting small forward for us. The Nets are being stupid or just putting out a bunch of BS when it comes to Bridges.
Trade KJ Martin for Monte Morris Sign Brook Lopez and JaMychal Green Trade Tate anywhere Take an expiring salary dump into the rest of our cap space Green / Morris / Washington Porter / Thompson / Christopher Eason / Whitmore Smith / Green / Garuba Lopez / Sengun Sign a #LobThreat 3rd C, and a shooter as the 3rd SF, both understanding they are bench warmers unless injuries or the rooks stink it up.
I would trade TyTy, KJ, and a 1st round pick to Miami for Tyler Hero and the ghost of Kyle Lowry. Miami could use the resulting cap room to sign Fred VanVleet and another vet like Draymond, Harrison Barnes, Bruce Brown, etc. And we would have enough left over to sign Naz Reid if we trade Tate to someone for a 2nd round pick. PG: Hero / Thompson / Lowry SG: Green / Porter, Jr. / Christopher SF: Eason / Whitmore PF: Smith, Jr. / Garuba C: Sengun / Reid
Kick the Can Plan - Provide tax relief to teams for productive veterans on expiring deals. Position yourself to be a player in the better free agency class of 2023 - 2024. Trade KMJ and Tate for Chris Paul - Net effect: 21.2m in Cap Space Used Sign Brook Lopez to a 1 year 25m Sign Bismack Biyombo to a 1 year 10m Sign Georges Niang to a 1 year 10m Paul / Amen / TyTy / Nix Green / Jgup / Whitmore KMJ / Eason / Jabari / Niang / Garuba Lopez / Sengun / Biyombo You will be significantly better in 2023, and could make a play-in push, making the OKC pick less painful Pursue two of J. Brown, P. Siakim, D. Sabonis, D.Murray with the 80m in cap space you will have the year after.
