The only trade I would consider for Kyrie

[Jvalin]

I know you guys are gonna hate this, but I'm gonna post it anyway. After all, hating on other people's trade ideas is a tradition we have on this board, especially this time of the year (less than a month till the deadline).

(click on image to enlarge)

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ya62c6ja

Boston in: Simmons, Redick, Zhaire Smith
Philly in: Kyrie, Theis, Bird
(feel free to add pick(s) either way if you deem it necessary)

Starting lineup come playoff time

Simmons
Redick
Hayward/Morris
Tatum
Horford

4 shooters stretching the floor + Simmons running the show as a point forward. It's basically the same system the Bucks are playing under Budenholzer, with Simmons instead of Giannis.

Only other player in the league being able to step into Giannis' shoes would be Simmons. They both have the same strengths and the same weakness (singular form cause they only have 1 major weakness):

- they are both close to 7 feet tall
- they are both terrible shooters, but elite slashers
- they both have excellent court vision (Simmons is even better than Giannis in that regard)
- very good ball handlers (especially given their size)
- very good rebounders
- very good defenders

Thing is, the Bucks have surrounded Giannis with 4 shooters in order to maximize his effectiveness in the paint. At the same time, the Sixers have one knock down shooter (Redick) and that's about it. Remember last season when the Sixers signed Belinelli + Ilyasova? That's when they started playing their best basketball.

I'm tired of hearing about how it's impossible to be an elite player in today's NBA without being a good shooter. I don't buy it for a second. Look at Giannis for crying out loud! Had Simmons entered the league (let's say) 5 years earlier than he did, I bet people would have been comparing him to LeBron and Magic. Instead, he enters the league during this 3-point mania and people call him overrated.

Anyway, didn't want to make this too long. So what do you guys think? Let the hate flow through you!

[petbrick]

If you're irritated by the amount of time it's taken Hayward to round into something approaching the value of his contract, you'll love waiting for Redick to come back from old age.

And by come back from old age I mean "continue to be a complete defensive liability that delivers diminishing returns with his scoring as his defense continues to erode".

The age factor applies to Al, as well. Both of those gentlemen are hitting the point in their NBA careers where they should not be expected to be better players than they were the previous year.