What if the Rockets traded the Nets 2024 FRP and 2025 pick swap back to them for the Suns 2025 and 2027 FRPs and landed Dinwiddie in the process? HOU IN: Dinwiddie, 2025 PHX FRP & 2027 PHX FRP BKN IN: Landale, Oladipo, 2024 BKN FRP & 2025 BKN FRP Swap BKN get to take back control of their FRP the next two seasons and get a backup to Claxton HOU get someone to run the 2nd unit and places a bet on the future Suns being worse than the current Nets. They hedge their bet by turning a swap into an unprotected first.
How about no trade, just bump Eason into the Starting 5 and bring Jalen in as the 12th man after Amen, Holiday, Jeff, Tate and Whitmore.
What do y'all think about sending out Jalen, Tate, Oladipo, Landale, Brooklyn FRPs for OG and Gary Trent? Both are flight risks for them this offseason. Toronto can rebuild with Scottie, Jalen, all of their own FRPs (minus this years [SAS]), BKNs FRPs.
Lol, I was looking to target SGs with a great defensive ratings and look what I found... https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=best+shooting+guard+defensive+rating+2023-24
If we gave them their picks back I bet they would. They can't tank cuz we own their picks but if we give them back they can tank.
Then their management is stupid. Cuz they can't win. And they can't get better cuz we have their picks. So they can be mediocre forever.
They view Bridges as their first building block. They plan on building around him. They don’t plan on trading him so they can tank. That would be such a difficult sell to their fans.
A tank is not at all difficult to sell. Look at Nets' content creators -- none are necessarily opposed to a tank in principle, it's just they can't tank WITHOUT trading Bridges to us for their picks back. And even if they trade Bridges to us, they still have Cam Johnson, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton as young prospects. The Simmons' contract is also wrecking their cap room. I'm not saying you're wrong, but here's the facts -- Bridges is awesome, but he's pretty much peaked. He's a perfect #2 / #3. But how are the Nets' going to get that #1 without trading Bridges? Other teams will be able to outbid them. They are in a weird spot, potentially the worst spot a team can be in -- unable to reach contention, but without access to your own picks.
They plan on using the picks from the KD and Harden trades to bring in their #1. They are not currently planning on tanking. They are going to keep Bridges and avoid the tank. Even if they decided to tank, they won’t trade Bridges to get their picks back. They would most likely offer the Suns picks or Johnson/Claxton to get those picks from the Rockets. It’s a bird in hand kind of strategy. They know they have a good young player who can be a #2 or #3 in Bridges so why would they trade him for a shot at getting a better player in the draft and start all over from scratch?
The crappy picks they got from the KD and Harden trades likely won't be enough to bring in a true #1. They do have a bird in the hand -- a mediocre bird with limited upside.
If I'm the Nets, this is what I do -- trade Bridges to us for their picks back, tank for a couple of years, then regroup after Simmons comes off the books. Basically what the Rockets' did after trading Harden then holding onto Wall to hit the salary floor. I really don't see how they are able to get back into contention otherwise.
The Suns picks they have are looking very good. If they traded Bridges they still would probably be towards the back side of the lottery in one of the worst drafts in years. Durant will probably be dealt before Bridges in my opinion.
Wouldn't the point of tanking to be bad so they get a high pick and can draft a player who could maybe be as good as Mikal Bridges currently is? Bridges still has room to improve, and they might well see him as their franchise player. They made the play-offs last year with him starring, and are currently in the play-in bracket. They probably think they can make a run and be a play-off team again, and make improvements through trade, not cash it all in to tank and hope for a Bridges level talent. Besides all that, their cupboard of picks is far from empty. Through the next six drafts, to 2029, they have 8 first round picks (and that is despite not having a pick at all in 2024s allegedly weak draft) They are also sitting on three reasonable well touted rookies from the 2023 draft in Whitehead, Clowney and Wilson. There is also young stock (sub 5 years experience) performing well on their roster in the form of Thomas, Johnson, Clowney and Sharpe (even Watford seems to be learning there). They have also taken a flyer on highly talented projects (Giles and Keon Johnson). Lastly, they are in a decent position to have max cap space available as soon as this summer. And very few long term contracts. A roster overhaul/ addition of veterans is not inconceivable. All of that said, they simply aren't looking to trade Bridges unless for an upgrade... rather, they would be looking to add to him. Firstly through development of their current young playing stock, secondly through free agency, and thirdly through the first round picks they have (they have more than we do in the next 6 drafts) Their fantasy isn't to blow it up and tank, it is perhaps to add young talent or picks to Ben Simmons contract to bring back a star who wants to move. Tl;dr until Bridges requests a trade to Houston, give up the fantasy!! (I also think he would be perfect here. But so would Shai or Ant and they aren't being traded either....)
Right now the Suns picks are better than the Nets picks. Phoenix is not a good basketball team. I’d swap the Nets picks for the Phoenix picks out right. Durant is going to want out sooner rather than later or worse for the Suns, get hurt.
