Just some ideas here for what could happen draft night... Here was my thought... To Rockets: Eric Bledsoe #7 To Warriors: #10, #23, #24 To Pelicans: Eric Gordon Bledsoe makes about same as Gordon... he and Wall are just expiring contracts to move in a year possibly... season after next is an option on Bledsoe that unlike Gordon wouldn't likely be picked up... Could be a useful trade chip at deadline if an injury on a contender... Pelicans are shopping #10 for veteran shooting... Gordon's versatility could make their offseason shopping easier... Warriors move back 3 place to get the chance to build some younger depth with the later picks... Gives Houston a shot at Mitchell or another impact player depending what they do at 2...
Top of the list for Stone I'm sure is Damian Lillard. I don't think Portland would move him until he goes public demanding a trade but it happened with Utah and Deron Williams in the past so who knows. If Dame asks out he'll surely be trying to go the Kawhi/George route to get traded where another star player is going I'm sure. If the Rockets traded for him right now with no other subsequent moves, I don't think it would be a happy Damian, but I also don't think it would stop Stone at this point. I definitely think he's the top target for Stone in my (probably wrong) opinion as unlikely as it is. Portland getting to make the pick themselves would be something their new GM would most likely prefer if he does want to go the Deron Williams route and trade while at max trade value prior to the public demands.
Trading for Lillard would definitely mean rebuilding the team has been fast tracked which would also mean trading away Wall for meaningful cap room. I'm 100% down for this just to get rid of Wall.
Pelican absolutely gets ripped off in this trade. Trading the 10th pick and Bledsoe for EG is terrible. Bledsoe has a better contract that only has $4M guaranteed in 22-23 compared to EG's $19.5M. Gordon shot worse than Bledsoe from 3s last year and EG is coming off a season ending injury. I think EG's contract is bad enough at his age and injury risk that he's a negative asset. Rockets will have to attach a late first round pick or a second round pick just to get move him. But hey, if Stone was able to Jedi mindtrick the Pels to do the trade, I won't be complaining!
Dame in Houston isnt better for him than what he has in Portland. That would be a bad move for stone. He’s not young. On the wrong side of 30. We can’t put winning pieces around him to even get him pass the 2nd round. just stick to the rebuild.
Ya why anyone would want dame is beyond me, makes zero sense and just sets the franchise back further
If we trade for Dame I wished we could have kept Oladipo. Their R&B/Rap collab album would have been awesome.
