Rockets acquire Suns picks, return Nets picks to Brooklyn

I have no interest in a big trade involving Green until I see more. Are we sure Green won't be better than Booker?

 

Definitely Phoenix.

If this gets done, it’s probably going to be some super-complicated four team trade.

 

They were both nuts. The Phoenix trade for Beal absolutely wrecked their future. Among the worst trades in NBA history.

 

He won't be crying for his guys if we are winning. Also Stone could just tell him to pound sand if he started acting up, because he is a rental not part of our core.

 

I didn't know Brooklyn could end up with 4 1st rounders!

 

Yup. And they’ll have max cap space. They could turn things around quickly with the right moves.

 

i have been saying this since we traded their pick back to them.

If we didn't they would push to make the playoffs in the LEastern Conf.

Since we did, they are going for a quick rebuild and a huge market.

Question is: who are they going to sign / trade for with all that cap space??

 

Yup always depends on the price. It's very possible another team can outbid our low limit, but we should have a limit of how high we're willing to go.

 

For long-term pieces in 2025, Naz Reid and Jonathan Kuminga would probably make the most sense. Short-term, I'd target both Brandon Ingram and Fred Van Vleet on possible 1+1 Team Option maxes, as guys who might be amenable to being used as potential trade assets if that means they can maximize their yearly earnings or rehab their value.

For Brooklyn, they'll likely know which direction they want to go by next summer, as there's a lot of players eligible for supermax extensions. The money difference for Luka is so massive, that it would be stupid for him to ever opt out and be a UFA, so if he really indicates that he wants to leave the Mavs, it will either be next summer in a trade, or he'll sign the deal and request a trade afterwards ala Durant. Either way, Brooklyn should be well situated with their picks and ability to not have to match salary in any deal to be an attractive trade partner.

The Hawks are going to be in a fairly difficult situation with Trae Young as well, as to whether to offer him a long term extension or not. Feels a bit like how the Bulls and Wizards got stuck with Zach LaVine and Bradley Beal a few years ago; the team almost certainly needs to rebuild, but to lose Trae for nothing also seems really rough. A possible trade next summer, or targeting him as an outright free agent in 2026 seems reasonable, especially if you want to stick it to the Knicks in the battle for NY supremacy.

Finally, Giannis should likely be on everyone's mind; in the summer of 2026, he's going to be entering the last year of his deal before his player opt out at 32 years old, and will have a lot of say into where he wants to go. If Milwaukee wants to reset on this era of basketball, that feels like the time to move on, with Middleton expiring and Dame in the last year of his contract at 36 years old.

 

Yep but the problem is they are all garbage apart from their own FRP. As we saw with our own picks its hard to pick multiple winners with low FRPs in the same draft.

 

They shouldnt cuz there arent any premier free agents and they wanna tank and get more talent.

Its similar to the Rockets when they traded away Caris Levert and Jarett Allen when they could have been a quick fix.

 

I agree, I'm just saying that, on the market right now the consensus cost for Booker will be Green + all their picks back.

 

We traded Levert for Oladipo because we wanted to see if we could retool. I seriously doubt the Nets will go for a long rebuild.

 

Brooklyn has a decent chance of moving into the top 4 (37.2%) and a small shot (9%) at #1. With their three other 1st round picks they'd be in a similar position to us in 2021. While we blew the Garuba and Christopher picks it didn't matter. The draft is a numbers game. No one expects to bat a thousand, just nailing one of them would be enough to kick off a rebuild. 2021 was a loaded draft. There were a lot of gems outside of the lottery that year and I'm sure this year will be the same.

 

I think it's pretty much a wash between Booker & Green with the way they have played this season ....

I don't think Booker is worth the 35% cap space he'd take up much less the other assets the Suns would want.

Just keep Jalen and worst case, move him in the offseason.

 

I agree but in our case it took us 3 yrs to rebuild and Stone did a master rebuild, getting top picks and hitting on two prospects every year. Nets would have to get a Wemby level prospect if they want to be good quicker than us so I'm fairly confident the 2027 Nets pick will still be good.

 

I think if Jalen keeps this up he will get at least 1 more year of observation. His deal is 3 yrs starting next year so no rush to trade him.

 

If Nets want to be a contender and not just a 0.500 team it'll take them a couple years to be good again. For example next year there isnt any big name free agent they can get so how will they be good in 2026? Maybe if they get Flagg or Harper then they can try to get good immediately but if they dont get a top 2 pick I dont see why they would tear everything down 1 season then try to be competitive the next.

 

I'm not quite as confident that Brooklyn will be terrible for the 2027 draft. They already have some good young players with experience on winning teams, plus a good coach in Jordi Fernandez. Our four rookies were led by Christian Wood and KPJ, coached by Stephen Silas. They're not as bad as we were.

More importantly, Brooklyn has no incentive to tank in 26-27 and competing in the East is so much easier than the West. Below .500 teams can make the play in there. Atlanta made the play in with a 36-46 record last season. Brooklyn has max cap space this summer and next. As long as they don't blow this year's draft completely they can be a play in team, putting the pick in the 10-14 range unless some lotto balls go our way.

 

10-14 is still lotto range they are still valuable for us regardless.

Remember we already cashed in the Nets picks for PHX picks whatever we get is just a bonus now.