#4 Pick Trade Packages

Sorry, it's been busy around here as you can imagine. Everyone is gathering as much information as they can about this upcoming draft class and who might be there at #4 to pick. It's very possible that they trade it, I'm hearing a few names, Pascal Siakam a possibility but also LaVine could be a target here as well.

It's also possible that they just keep the pick, especially after they get to sit down, meet, and get to know these prospects better.

 

Nook, I look forward to your posts more than anyone else's here, but even you so blithely mention adding Sengun in trades.

Sengun and #4 for #2?

You May Be Right (and I may be crazy), but Sengun is one of our few players with any sense of basketball IQ. Get some perimeter D and what many are calling Sengun's weakness won't seem so dire (hell, AD would look like defensive stank-ass if he had to cover his own guy and the opposing backcourt as they waltzed unopposed to the basket).

Of course, this might be a, "That's what it would take to get to #2"-type scenario. I would hope the #20, KMJ, someone / something other than Mister "I Am So Hap-Pee".

 

Good points here. I don't quite agree that the Rockets have nothing to offer the Blazers.

If the Blazers want to trade the pick, that means they want to build up and contend around Dame. The most heavily rumored "star" target for Portland to pair with Dame is Mikal Bridges. Dame and Mikal are tight. The problem is that Brooklyn doesn't want to move Mikal because they can't rebuild, they don't have their own picks.

Enter Houston.

If the Blazers want to trade #3 and get Mikal Bridges, they need to be able to send Brooklyn a package that includes Brooklyn's own 2024 pick.

Houston
Out: Pick #4, Brooklyn 2024 unprotected 1st round pick
In: Pick #3 (Scoot)

Portland
Out: Pick #3, Simons
In: Mikal Bridges

Brooklyn
Out: Mikal Bridges
In: Pick #4 (Amen), Brooklyn 2024 unprotected 1st round pick, Simons

You can fiddle on the margins to get the values right, but the bones of this make a lot of sense for each organization's goals. It even would allow Portland to keep Sharpe, who seems to be their only real untouchable (for good reason). Of course, this is relevant only if, as you say, Charlotte takes Miller.

 

I'm saying including the Net's future FRP instead of Sengun is a big premium as an alternative to trading him. And I'm not sure I believe the hype, hence my hesitation. I like Scoot, but he is small and a poor shooter.

 

Trade up for Scoot or trade pick away for a vet and/or future 1st. Stay away from ig hyped, "need the ball in my hands", type players

 

Gotcha.

I agree with you when it comes to not being sure about believing the hype, if I did, then I'd be all for either trade package.

 

From my perspective it comes down to being able to give the Hornets something good enough to trade down from #2 to #4. I don't see the Rockets trading Jalen Green or Jabari Smith. The best player left is Sengun. Also, he is the type of talent that would possibly be persuasive to Charlotte.

This is all hypothetical - especially if they were to take the flack to sign someone like Miles Bridges, who would play the forward sport next to Smith.

 

Yeah I think trading Sengun after seeing what a team around Jokic has done so far is a mistake (even if it’s for someone like Henderson). Plus we really need to see what can be done with him when properly used (not heavily involved in god damn drops is a start). Having Sengun screams roster flexibility and we have all seen how incredibly helpful that is in a playoff setting.

KJ + 4 + properly protected 2024 BKN pick (+ 20) is my comfort zone

 

I am sure the Rockets would make an offer centered around a future Nets pick, but depending on what happens at #3, that may not be enough.

The reason I say it depends on what happens at #3 is that there are some teams that have Thomspon as high as #2 on their board. It is also possible that Whitmore moves into the top 3-4 for some teams as well.

So, if hypothetically a team moves up to #3 to get Whitmore or Thompson, then the Rockets and Hornets could work out a deal. Houston would get Henderson and the Hornets would take Miller or Whitmore at #4.

We have a pretty damn good idea of the top 3-4 players - but private workouts can change some of the calculus, All it takes is Thompson or Whitmore blowing a team or two away in workouts and they can get as high as #2. Someone may get really aggressive to move up and get their guy at #2-3.

If the Rockets decide they don't like Amen Thompson as much as someone like Taylor Hendricks, then they may be open to moving down from #4 to #6 and add the #11 pick and lose the #20 pick. Then the Rockets could take Hendricks and maybe at #11 steal someone like Walker if they fall in this draft.

 

Sengun is not Jokic, not even a little bit close.

 

K

 

Wait.....are you actually disagreeing?

Really?

 

I was scoffing, really hard.

Judging a kid in the wrong context to begin with, who’s still 20, not being used properly (but produced in a level reminiscent of Jokic at the same age) is absolutely not fair. And yeah, for the same reason trading him now is a grave mistake. I’m up for giving him and a new context at least one more year.

 

In a perfect world Charlotte falls in love with Amen or B.Miller and aren't completely sold on Scoot's fit with Melo.

We can offer #4, #20 & Tate/KJ for #2 and Hayward. They get their guy, free up a ton of space and can take flyer at 20 or package it with their other first and move up.

 

I'm not replying to the idea of trading up, only responding to the paragraph quoted above.

As you know, quite a few players had career high or monster scoring games against us last season. I recently went and found the 15 highest scoring games by our opponents last year (there were some good ones too). For each of those games, I went to the NBA site and watched every basket that was scored by those players in those 15 games.

What I saw was that our issue isn't perimeter defense. Our perimeter defenders weren't getting beat off the dribble too much. Instead, the vast majority of the points came on simple picks. Teams are just running a pick on the ballhandler's man and forcing the Rockets to switch a big onto the ball handler. Once they got the switch, our big is left on an island to fend for himself and that's where the points came from.

Despite what people like to claim, very few bigs can actually defend premier perimeter players. The difference is that the good teams give those guys help when they get switched onto an elite perimeter player. That secondary help was pretty much nonexistent for the Rockets.

If you go watch the Rockets on offense, Green's first step is so quick that he can get past even the best on-ball defenders like Smart or Holiday. But when he does go by them, there's other defenders waiting for him at the rim. It's those rotations to help out teammates that didn't happen the last few years.

I'm assuming that Udoka will clean up those things right away. Just doing that should greatly improve the defense.

 

On the other hand, Sengun is also not so lightly thrown away in a trade. Including him with the #4 to get the #2 (all hypothetical, of course) would be cutting off your thumb to save your index finger. (Come up with your own metaphor / hyperbole / turn of phrase, I'm flat out today.)

 

The issue is beating the 2nd defender who's usually waiting at the rim.

 

Lavine is maybe the only player I would trade Green for.