Given the devolution of this thread, maybe it's a good time to present my mother-of-all-trades trade proposal. It builds on the rumor that the Suns are trying to get a four-team with Knicks, Jazz, and Nets to land KD, as well as the very unlikely assumption that the Knicks actually don't want RJ Barrett (and would rather hunt for another star after getting DM) but that the Nets might want him (Steve Nash is his godfather).
Jazz get: 7 first round picks (4 from Knicks, 2 from Lakers, 1 from Suns), 4 young guys with upside on cheap contracts (Toppin, Grimes, Austin Reaves, Kessler Edwards), two salary dumps (Westbrook, Fournier) (about $4 million in salary savings altogether)
Jazz give: Mitchell, Gay, Vanderbilt, Conley, Beverley
Suns get: KD, Rudy Gay (about $4 million in extra salary altogether)
Suns give: 3 first rounders, 2 second rounders, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Dario Saric, Jae Crowder
Nets get: RJ Barrett, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dario Saric, 2 first rounders from Suns ($10.5 million in salary savings; helps offset coming Barrett extension a bit)
Nets give: KD, Kyrie, Kessler Edwards, Edwin Sumner
Knicks get: DM, Crowder, Edwin Sumner, 2 second rounders from Suns (about $4 million extra in salary)
Knicks give: RJ Barrett, Fournier, Grimes, Toppin, 4 first rounders
Lakers get: Kyrie, Patrick Beverley ($1.3 million extra salary)
Lakers give: Westbook, Austin Reaves, 2 first rounders
Deal couldn't go through until October 3, because it includes a few recently traded players and a recently signed player (Kessler Edwards). Pick & any additional swap details subject to negotiation, of course.
Aside from the unlikely assumption that the Knicks don't want Barrett and the Nets do, it seems to deal with a lot of the problems of some previous trade ideas out there in the ether: Suns walking away with KD without paying a significant price; Nets get more of a headliner in return for KD and Kyrie than just Bridges and a compete-now return that makes at least some sense around Simmons without having to take back Westbrook; Knicks will be decently positioned to chase another star next year; Lakers get real immediate help for Lebron in return for mortgaging their future
As for the Jazz, we get off two salaries that would have been hard to move and get two more young prospects in addition to (likely two) more first rounders by adding Vanderbilt and Beverley to the likely reported Knicks trade. We also get to watch the Wolves, Lakers, and Suns get to try to knock off the Warriors and each other this year, due to our work, while we sit back and dream of Wemby.
Jazz get: 7 first round picks (4 from Knicks, 2 from Lakers, 1 from Suns), 4 young guys with upside on cheap contracts (Toppin, Grimes, Austin Reaves, Kessler Edwards), two salary dumps (Westbrook, Fournier) (about $4 million in salary savings altogether)
Jazz give: Mitchell, Gay, Vanderbilt, Conley, Beverley
Suns get: KD, Rudy Gay (about $4 million in extra salary altogether)
Suns give: 3 first rounders, 2 second rounders, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Dario Saric, Jae Crowder
Nets get: RJ Barrett, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Mike Conley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dario Saric, 2 first rounders from Suns ($10.5 million in salary savings; helps offset coming Barrett extension a bit)
Nets give: KD, Kyrie, Kessler Edwards, Edwin Sumner
Knicks get: DM, Crowder, Edwin Sumner, 2 second rounders from Suns (about $4 million extra in salary)
Knicks give: RJ Barrett, Fournier, Grimes, Toppin, 4 first rounders
Lakers get: Kyrie, Patrick Beverley ($1.3 million extra salary)
Lakers give: Westbook, Austin Reaves, 2 first rounders
Deal couldn't go through until October 3, because it includes a few recently traded players and a recently signed player (Kessler Edwards). Pick & any additional swap details subject to negotiation, of course.
Aside from the unlikely assumption that the Knicks don't want Barrett and the Nets do, it seems to deal with a lot of the problems of some previous trade ideas out there in the ether: Suns walking away with KD without paying a significant price; Nets get more of a headliner in return for KD and Kyrie than just Bridges and a compete-now return that makes at least some sense around Simmons without having to take back Westbrook; Knicks will be decently positioned to chase another star next year; Lakers get real immediate help for Lebron in return for mortgaging their future
As for the Jazz, we get off two salaries that would have been hard to move and get two more young prospects in addition to (likely two) more first rounders by adding Vanderbilt and Beverley to the likely reported Knicks trade. We also get to watch the Wolves, Lakers, and Suns get to try to knock off the Warriors and each other this year, due to our work, while we sit back and dream of Wemby.
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