ESPN Trade Machine: Trading Kemba Walker
As I’m sure everyone has seen by now, Michael Jordan refuted reports that Kemba Walker is on the trading block. It remains to be seen whether this is true or not but today, I want to look at some potential trades that work financially. I’ll try to make sense them and see what happens. Here goes.
Kemba/Dipo backcourt?:
For the Hornets, they get a young wing in Glenn Robinson III that they could check out and they can flip Collison and Bogdanovic in order to create space or gain assets. Also, they would receive a draft pick. They are also able to unload MKG’s contract. For the Pacers, my thinking was that they get a serious upgrade at point guard and have a tantalizing backcourt in Walker & Victor Oladipo. Also, MKG can slide in for Bogdanovic.
Crazy four team trade here:
Detroit would send their first to Charlotte. New York would send a pick to Chicago. Charlotte dumps the MKG contract and gets Ntilikina. Bradley comes off the books at the end of the year and Boban can be kept or flipped. For Detroit, they get a big point guard upgrade to help their playoff push. Also, Mirotic can slide in as a nice fit next to Drummond. MKG is a solid wing that gives them depth and defense better than Bradley. New York dumps the Noah contract which frees up a lot of space. They get a point guard upgrade with Reggie Jackson who can run a lot of pick and roll with Kristaps. Solid pick up for them. Chicago takes in Noah for a homecoming in order to get a pick and a young talent in Stanley Johnson. He’s been disappointing for Detroit but gets a reboot in Chicago.
LeBron gets some help here:
This honestly would be a ridiculous trade but I gave it a try. Charlotte gets the big Batum contract off the books. They receive a first rounder (either the Nets pick or Cleveland’s first rounder). Frye and Thomas come off the books after a year. Shumpert can be flipped to a contender. Zizic and Osman are pieces that can be given a look. Charlotte is really bad after this trade and probably gets a top five pick so that is a positive in this trade and all the others. Cleveland gets a point guard who can actually make an effect on defense and can run the second unit. Batum gives two-way play and playmaking and LeBron hopefully can make him even better. I really like this for them. Kemba and Love still form a pretty good tandem if LeBron leaves.
#SPURSFOREVER:
For the Hornets, they dump Marvin Williams contract. The Spurs throw in their first rounder. They get a nice young piece in Murray. Tony Parker’s contract comes up after the season is over. Anderson is a nice piece and Forbes can be looked at it to see if he’s a part of the Hornets’ future. The Spurs get much-needed star point guard play. Marvin Williams is a great 3 and D piece for them.
Nuggets’ playoff push:
Jamal Murray probably has been playing too hot for the Nuggets to give him up. However, in this scenario, the Hornets get a pick, Faried can possibly be flipped to a contender, and Murray, Hernangomez, and Beasley are young players who can be developed. As said before, without Kemba gone, the Hornets are bottom-dwellers and get a top pick in the draft. The Nuggets get a star point guard and much needed wing depth. A Walker-Harris-Chandler/MKG-Millsap-Jokic lineup is really good on both sides of the ball.
