"Make someone happy..."
Let's play pretend.
I've seen a number of phantasmagorical trades involving us giving away our #8 pick this year and a host of players, and not necessarily Mills FA signings.
Paul. Conley. Embid.
K. The Sixers are not trading Embid, and we have Mitchell. Conley. A good player, a very good player, in the last year of his contract.
Chris Paul checks more boxes not simply for talent but for leadership and player development....and star power.
Chip, you changing your mind?
Mmmmm, yes and no...
Because I see a certain inevitability emerging about the Knicks making some sort of big splash, and bringing in a FA/Veteran Presence, someone to be Thibs' coach on the floor, who can play D, make others better, and stoke a culture.
Do we have a culture in terms of talent to really take advantage of Paul's final two years?
Mmmmmm, not really, but I see Rose wanting to re-boot, and give Thibs some tools to work with and to reboot the culture.
Julius Randle
Wayne Ellington
Elfrid Peyton
Ignas Brazdeikis
Dallas 2023 #1
For Chris Paul
Okay, I'm meeting the Trader Vics on this Forum halfway.
Paul has two more years to go at $41 and $44 Million.
This trade saves OKC the final 44 million of Paul's contract in 2021-2022.
All of the players they acquire can also all come off the cap in 2021-2022. Randle gets an audition. As do Iggy and Payton. Ellington gives them a sniper to pair with Alexander.
OKC has a shitload of #1 picks. Enough to leverage a fresh new Free Agent to build around or get one in a trade.
2020: Own pick, top-20 protected (goes to Philadelphia 76ers if it falls below 20th)
2020: Denver pick, top-10 protected
2021: Own pick
2021: Miami pick
2022: Own pick, top-10 protected (goes to Atlanta Hawks if it falls below 10th)
2022: Clippers pick
2023: Own pick, rights to swap with Clippers
2023: Heat pick, top-14 protected (goes to Thunder if it falls below 14th)
2024: Own pick
2024: Clippers pick
2024: Rockets pick, top-4 protected (goes to Thunder if it falls below 4th)
2025: Own pick, rights to swap with Clippers
2026: Own pick
2026: Clippers pick
2026: Rockets pick, top-4 protected (goes to Thunder if it falls below 4th)
I could easily see them shopping Paul, letting Gallo walk, even testing the waters for Schroeder [27] and Adams [27]. And be ready for free agency in 2021-2022.
In any event, while Paul eats up oodles of cap space, as Thibs' top kick, he could see if Frank or Dennis have an upside before their 2021-2022 team option year.
Not sure I see VanVleet leaving the Raptors.
Now....the Knicks might make a serious run at Stretch Four Davis Bertans from the Wiz. He could surely cost, and the Wiz are going to do their level best to re-up him. Might be cheaper to keep Portis for one more season. He is three years younger. A better match at the 4-spot and as an occasional 5 than Randle with Robinson. His defense notwithstanding. Shot .403% with more minutes for the Wiz the year before this. Much better rebounder than Bertans, thought Bertans is clearly a better sniper And it might be time to check Knox out at the 4, particularly with RJ and Bullock breathing down his neck at the 3, where issues as to his motor and quickness might be less of an issue in matchups.
Who the Knicks draft at #8 could trigger everything including a run at Paul.
If Hayes or Haliburton drop do they roll the dice? Do they have as much upside as the unattainable Ball?
In any event, time on my hand, not dying, so something to shake up the Forum.
Because at present, while I am quite keen on the people Rose has brought on board in terms of the front office and coaching staff, hard to see what direction the team takes in terms of pups and/or vets or some combo therein.
I kind of doubt Rose wants the Knicks to suck on the level they have the past two years, and how, if at all, it might be feasible to make a run at the #8 playoff spot.
We shall see.
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