To trade or not to trade

[nba_4_life]

The good news is we haven't built our entire offence around a player who can be game-planned for easily this time. Nurse's offence is much more flexible.

The other good news is our defence should keep us in any playoff series so long as the offence is functional, don't need it to be fantastic.

Also to add there is more parity in the league right now and everyone can win everyone except maybe the bucks (people said that last year too and see what happened)

[slaw]

We shouldn't just dump them. We should explore their market to see if we can get better role players in their place or draft assets in return for them, as they are excess to requirements right now (and possibly actively hurting us).

I wouldn't advocate for just getting Serge and Powell off the team (McCaw is a different story). I think they are good trade candidates because their trade value likely far outstrips their on-court value.

Excess to what requirements?

[G__Deane]

Yeah Beal or Buddy Hield would fit like a glove on this team, but both signed extensions with their current team unfortunately. Ironically both of their teams are bottom feeding right now, which feels like such a waste of their talent. If things stay the same though, who knows, by 2021 they might be disgruntled.

Or Siakam could collude with them in drake's house to force a trade from their current team ....

[DanH]

Excess to what requirements?

Winning games?

[Dr Hannibal Lecter]

Yeah Beal or Buddy Hield would fit like a glove on this team, but both signed extensions with their current team unfortunately. Ironically both of their teams are bottom feeding right now, which feels like such a waste of their talent. If things stay the same though, who knows, by 2021 they might be disgruntled.

Not sure why Beal sign extension with wizards, he could of waited and got payed more,plus more years,mistake on his part.
Imagine if he didn't sign that extension and got traded 2 heat,toronto..etc..and delivered and could of sign super max money.
I really wanted him on Raps,we kind of need something close 2 what we lost..ie Kawli..just guard who drive 2 basket,play good D,make 3s and want's 2 win really bad..his a competitor.

[Shredder]

Not sure why Beal sign extension with wizards, he could of waited and got payed more,plus more years,mistake on his part.
Imagine if he didn't sign that extension and got traded 2 heat,toronto..etc..and delivered and could of sign super max money.
I really wanted him on Raps,we kind of need something close 2 what we lost..ie Kawli..just guard who drive 2 basket,play good D,make 3s and want's 2 win really bad..his a competitor.

ya last night he looked gutted. No spark. Just going through the motions. He does not look happy.

[planetmars]

[slaw]

ya last night he looked gutted. No spark. Just going through the motions. He does not look happy.

He apparently has knee and shoulder injuries he is playing through. Plus, he just ripped the entire team after they lost to the Bulls, so didn’t look like any of them were in the mood for that game last night.

[planetmars]

Was thinking.. teams that will want to make trades are teams in the tax. The luxury tax projections are at $132M.

From Basketball Insiders, the teams above the tax are the Warriors ($5M), Rockets($7.3M), Heat($3.4M), Thunder ($0.75M) and Blazers ($12.6M):
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nb...s-at-a-glance/

Raps sit at $125M so about $7M away from being a tax team this year.

Wonder if any trades can be made.

Some thoughts:

Warriors: They would have to do some salary dumps, or consider trading either Draymond or Russell. Don't really see a fit with us. Although we do have a $2.5M TPE. Cauley-Stein for our TPE would work. We'd have to drop someone like O'Shea though. Would prefer to just give the minutes to Boucher.


Rockets: Gordon is untradeable due to him signing an extension. But they have some pieces. How about:

Serge/McCaw + 2RP for Capela/Tucker. Rockets save an additional $4M from their tax bill. Serge gets to play with Harden and Russ again and would do him a solid by trading him to a team he would enjoy playing for. Tucker comes back to Toronto (remember the reason he left Toronto was to play with Paul who's no longer there).

Rockets played Hartenstein when Capela was hurt, and he stepped right in. So Capela wouldn't be a big loss for them. Tucker might though.

Capela would be a big bonus for our rebounding issues. The problem is his contract though. He makes about $15M a year and he would eat into the precious 2021 capspace. But he's young and a guy that Masai was looking at during the Bruno draft IIRC

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=rgk52zm .

Our defense would just be nasty with Tucker off the bench playing the OG role.


Heat: They are basically direct competitors with us in the East. Don't really see a viable trade. Olynyk for Norm would save them about $2M. But I'd rather keep Norm even though Kelly has one less year on his contract over all.


Thunder: Getting out from under $750K doesn't seem like it would be too difficult for them. But we do have a TPE to absorb something if Masai sees a good bench guy on their roster. Diallo for example maybe a decent piece.


Trailblazers: They are a bit screwed.. chasing the playoffs hard, with multiple teams ahead of them.. and are expecting Nurkic to come back sometime this year. So Whiteside is completely expendable. Not sure if I want him, but Serge for Whiteside works. Whiteside makes $4M more so that's a savings for them. I don't like Bazemore but I'm sure he's available for a guy like Norm. I know the Blazer's don't want to trade CJ but he might be available if they really don't want to pay those taxes.

CJ makes as much as Whiteside ($27M) though. Again would be something like Serge + FRP but than the Blazers don't need another big. Norm+Fred would work, but do we want to lose Fred?


Anyway.. I really like the Rockets deal above. But something else to think about during the trade deadline.

[inthepaint]

Was thinking.. teams that will want to make trades are teams in the tax. The luxury tax projections are at $132M.

From Basketball Insiders, the teams above the tax are the Warriors ($5M), Rockets($7.3M), Heat($3.4M), Thunder ($0.75M) and Blazers ($12.6M):
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nb...s-at-a-glance/

Raps sit at $125M so about $7M away from being a tax team this year.

Wonder if any trades can be made.

Some thoughts:

Warriors: They would have to do some salary dumps, or consider trading either Draymond or Russell. Don't really see a fit with us. Although we do have a $2.5M TPE. Cauley-Stein for our TPE would work. We'd have to drop someone like O'Shea though. Would prefer to just give the minutes to Boucher.


Rockets: Gordon is untradeable due to him signing an extension. But they have some pieces. How about:

Serge/McCaw + 2RP for Capela/Tucker. Rockets save an additional $4M from their tax bill. Serge gets to play with Harden and Russ again and would do him a solid by trading him to a team he would enjoy playing for. Tucker comes back to Toronto (remember the reason he left Toronto was to play with Paul who's no longer there).

Rockets played Hartenstein when Capela was hurt, and he stepped right in. So Capela wouldn't be a big loss for them. Tucker might though.

Capela would be a big bonus for our rebounding issues. The problem is his contract though. He makes about $15M a year and he would eat into the precious 2021 capspace. But he's young and a guy that Masai was looking at during the Bruno draft IIRC

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=rgk52zm .

Our defense would just be nasty with Tucker off the bench playing the OG role.


Heat: They are basically direct competitors with us in the East. Don't really see a viable trade. Olynyk for Norm would save them about $2M. But I'd rather keep Norm even though Kelly has one less year on his contract over all.


Thunder: Getting out from under $750K doesn't seem like it would be too difficult for them. But we do have a TPE to absorb something if Masai sees a good bench guy on their roster. Diallo for example maybe a decent piece.


Trailblazers: They are a bit screwed.. chasing the playoffs hard, with multiple teams ahead of them.. and are expecting Nurkic to come back sometime this year. So Whiteside is completely expendable. Not sure if I want him, but Serge for Whiteside works. Whiteside makes $4M more so that's a savings for them. I don't like Bazemore but I'm sure he's available for a guy like Norm. I know the Blazer's don't want to trade CJ but he might be available if they really don't want to pay those taxes.

CJ makes as much as Whiteside ($27M) though. Again would be something like Serge + FRP but than the Blazers don't need another big. Norm+Fred would work, but do we want to lose Fred?


Anyway.. I really like the Rockets deal above. But something else to think about during the trade deadline.

I like the idea of moving McCaw but I don't think that's a deal Houston would be interested on at all. Capela and Tucker are starters for them. They're the frontcourt backbone of a team that's playing .650 ball. From Houston's perspective, the value they place in Capela & Tucker is probably analogous to the value we place in OG & Gasol. I doubt they'd move 2 of their starters for a rental in Serge and a timid shooter that goes completely against the way they play in McCaw.

I personally don't think there's a clear-cut trade out there because (a) there are no disgruntled starts and (b) the west is too close call for playoff contention. (Even SAC at 14th place has a shot at the playoffs), so everyone is holding their cards close to their chests. I'm okay with that, as I think our team with everyone healthy is in a good spot imo.

[bertarapsfan]

Norm for Bogi? 2 months ago this would be a no brainer. But right now it would maybe harder to pull the trigger on that. Bogi expires after this year and will most likely get big offers.

[planetmars]

I like the idea of moving McCaw but I don't think that's a deal Houston would be interested on at all. Capela and Tucker are starters for them. They're the frontcourt backbone of a team that's playing .650 ball. From Houston's perspective, the value they place in Capela & Tucker is probably analogous to the value we place in OG & Gasol. I doubt they'd move 2 of their starters for a rental in Serge and a timid shooter that goes completely against the way they play in McCaw.

I personally don't think there's a clear-cut trade out there because (a) there are no disgruntled starts and (b) the west is too close call for playoff contention. (Even SAC at 14th place has a shot at the playoffs), so everyone is holding their cards close to their chests. I'm okay with that, as I think our team with everyone healthy is in a good spot imo.

The Rockets are potentially in a position of weakness since my argument is that they would want to duck the tax. Remember we gave up 2nd rounders like they were candy to duck the tax last year. Capela gets replaced by Hartenstein who put up huge numbers when Capela got hurt. They have his replacement already. Tucker gets replaced by Serge. Serge is a friend of both Harden's and Russ'. McCaw sucks but needed to add that fungible piece in the trade to make it work. Could throw in Matt as well I guess, or add another 2nd rounder.

I'm not saying Rockets would do that, but it's a kind of deal they might because their ownership may not want to pay so much tax. Although they dodged the tax last year so wouldn't be a repeat offender.

[inthepaint]

The Rockets are potentially in a position of weakness since my argument is that they would want to duck the tax. Remember we gave up 2nd rounders like they were candy to duck the tax last year. Capela gets replaced by Hartenstein who put up huge numbers when Capela got hurt. They have his replacement already. Tucker gets replaced by Serge. Serge is a friend of both Harden's and Russ'. McCaw sucks but needed to add that fungible piece in the trade to make it work. Could throw in Matt as well I guess, or add another 2nd rounder.

I'm not saying Rockets would do that, but it's a kind of deal they might because their ownership may not want to pay so much tax. Although they dodged the tax last year so wouldn't be a repeat offender.

I don't think the Rockets are in a position of weakness. They're playing .650 ball, have one of the best offensive players in history, and they didn't even pay the tax last year. They're in win-now mode. Capela and Tucker are a big part of their success . Tucker has become a high-end 3 &D wing in this league, and Capela is averaging ~15pts and 15 boards this season with elite defence and a PER of 21 to boot. If I'm their ownership I'm not giving that up for a bag of 2nd rounders/fringe rotation players + a rental just to avoid dipping into the tax for the first year. It's just not enough incentive, takes a lot to pry away starters on winning teams.

I like that we're thinking outside the box but I think if there were to be any starter caliber players coming our way, it would be from teams that at the last minute decided they wouldn't make the playoffs/wanted to rebuild (like what Memphis did with Gasol last year)

[slaw]

Winning games?

Yeah, we will have to agree to disagree.

[Dr Hannibal Lecter]

https://mobile.twitter.com/wojespn/s...49383580860416

Woj has a trade..blazzers and Sacramento..5 player deal...finally something..come on masai, get 2 work and get us better..

Portland has traded Kent Bazemore and Anthony Tolliver and two second- round picks to Sacramento for Trevor Ariza, Wendell Gabriel and Caleb Swanigan, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 18, 2020