Here’s an historical look at superstar trades recently. I know AD is perhaps better than all of these guys “right now” but think about these other players at the time these trades were made.
On average, one rising young talent plus one first rounder below #20 and another average asset has been all it takes.
The ideas floated here are a HUGE overpayment for a player that could walk.
Article 1: https://www.lineups.com/articles/nba-superstar-trades-have-worked-out-better-than-you-think/
Article 2: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2018/07/24/how-pacers-paul-george-trade-compares-kawhi-leonard-other-superstar-deals/825350002/
When you look at the Paul George to the Thunder trade (Oladipo and Sabonis) that seems like a good baseline.
Brown or Tatum
Smart
#14 Pick
Filler
That’s my ABSOLUTE max.
If NO wants the Memphis pick, fine, I pull Smart from this. And give them the Memphis pick, and Theis. And maybe, just maybe, to push it over the edge I’d add back the #14 pick.
Brown or Tatum
Theis
Memphis Pick
#14 Pick
Filler
Those are my two offers. Take it or leave it. New Orleans gets more than fair value.
You're absolutely right. However it's difficult to match salaries. That's why I included Williams and #22 on top of your maximum offer (minus Theis). Yabusele and Rozier (don't want him back) are just filler for us.
Totally agree. Maybe I shouldn’t have labeled them as such but I consider those “filler.”
I think the Kawhi Leonard trade will also be relevant. An All-NBA player on the last year of his contract, in his prime.
San Antonio got Demar Derozen, Jakob Poetl (16minutes per game, 5.5ppg, 5rpg) and a conditional first rounder.
Tatum is, spdue to youth, an almost equivalent to Derozen. Smart trumps Poetl. And our #14 pick alone is miles better than Toronto’s #29 pick.
Add “filler” and that’s a fair deal.
Not to mention the Raptors also got Danny Green in return.
However, with all this said it’s a tough comparison as Kawhi sat out most of last year, and his injury was a bit of a mystery. Maybe that hampered his trade value?
Edit
I looked up Bill Simmons most recent rankings in February of his top 55 trade values, and he has Derozan at 37, and Tatum at 18. Very interesting, but a lot of that probably has to do with Tatum’s current rookie scale contract, his restricted rights for his 2nd contract, and the talent to get better with youth on his side. Makes more sense for a rebuilding team. He had Leonard at 10 probably that low because of his pending FA status, and Davis at 4. I wonder where he would have ranked Leonard last summer after missing most of the previous season.
Interesting he had Kevin Knox at 34(that seems way too high), Ingram at 49 ( I think this was before his blood cot issue), Lonzo Ball at 53, and Jaylen Brown as honorable mention demoted from 44. With Brown’s strong second half I’d put him above those 3 guys, easily.
The takeaway even if you’re not a Bill Simmons fan is Tatum has big appeal as a trade piece, and you see that when you look at other writers too. We may not have to add much more if Tatum and Smart are the main pieces.