Hypothetical a or b...Davis or keep assets

[droopdog7]

Easy call.  Davis.  And I do wha5 I need to to keep smart, including adding brown.

[Surferdad]

I chose the cookie and only the cookie

Me too, this was not a tough choice.

[Redz]

I chose the cookie and only the cookie

Me too, this was not a tough choice.

Watching my carbs
What else ya got?

[keevsnick]

It's pretty hard for me to see how a Davis trade works. There's no way to trade for him without including Tatum (the player that the Pels are rumored to want) and Smart (for salary matching). There will be picks included as well of course.

Unfortunately, I don't see any way to do it unless Smart is in the deal. The numbers just don't work. Maybe a third team could be involved? 

The core of the deal would be Tatum & Smart for Davis. I guess it makes sense to do it.

Boston hasn't had any problem retaining players once they're here. I doubt they're worried about him walking. There aren't any better situations in the NBA right now.

There are several ways to do it. The easiest is to trade signed draft picks (trade eligible 30 days after signing) and Yabu.

That’s not enough salary going out.

Davis will make $27.1 million next year. Because we can't take in more than 125% of the salary we send out, we would need to send at least $21.7M in salary to the Pellies.

Tatum is scheduled to make $7.8mm next year. The OP’s scenario is that Memphis’ pick does not convey; an estimate of rookie scale for picks 13, 18, and 23 is about $6mm, which gets us to $13.8. Add Yabu’s $3.1 and you’re just under $17 million, almost $5 million short. You probably don’t even get there if you add Williams and Semi, who together will make about $3.5 million.

These numbers are a little rough - among other things I have to estimate the rookie scale - but it’s pretty clear that Tatum plus Yabusele plus three picks is not enough salary.

Maybe you can get there with a few tricks - and it’s certainly easier if the Mem pick conveys - but that’s clearly not the most likely event right now so I wouldn’t focus on that scenario alone.

If we did throw in Smart we would clearly have the best offer - hands down - but of course it would sting. He’s such a great complementary player - and would be even more valuable on a team that added Davis to the starting lineup.

The rookie scale amount for those three picks is slightly over $7.2 million. 120% of that amount is around $8.65 million.

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/rookie_scale/2020

$8.65 + $7.8 + $3.1 + $1.9 = $21.45

Throw in a signed second rounder and we’re over the threshold.  That’s without even needing to sign a guy to a two-year MLE deal at the end of this year.

One small quibble, the 7.2 number you quote is the 120%, the actual 100% number is around 6 million. Real gm gives the 120% number since basically every draft pick signs for that number. So you are at an even 20 million, we need to get to 21.7. I'd imagine that's a gap that could be bridged. The question isn't can we do it without smart or brown, it's is an offer good enough (better than the lakers for example) without Brown or Smart.

Are you sure?  Larry Coon has the same 2019 scale numbers, and doesn’t note that they’ve been adjusted by 120%.

http://www.cbafaq.com/scale17.htm

(Coon doesn’t list the numbers for 2020 here, but I trust RealGM.)

Never mind you are right, I was looking at the numbers for 2018-2019 not 2019-2020. In any event you can make the money work. I think the problem is the offer isnt good enough without one of Smart/Brown. The backbone would be Tatum, Williams, Yabu, 14th pick, 18th pick, 24th pick and future Memphis pick. Which is fine except depending on how you feel about Ingram vs Tatum I'm not sure its better than the Lakers offer. Its 3 middling picks in a weak draft, one potential star, one lottery pick, one negative value expiring contract and one big question mark. I feel like NOP wold demand more.

[GreenEnvy]

Ainge should just talk to Wyc about wasting the MLE on some bum with a fully non-guaranteed second year. Eat the tax this year to make AD more feasible in July.

[Roy H.]

I think the problem is the offer isnt good enough without one of Smart/Brown.

I think you’re right, that’s the key debate.  In terms of past superstar trades, Tatum + Williams + four #1s is plenty.  However, there’s a debate regarding whether NOP would do a deal involving only one current rotation player.

[JBcat]

I think the problem is the offer isnt good enough without one of Smart/Brown.

I think you’re right, that’s the key debate.  In terms of past superstar trades, Tatum + Williams + four #1s is plenty.  However, there’s a debate regarding whether NOP would do a deal involving only one current rotation player.

If we can I would really push for a Rozier S&T to be included(I think it was you actually that proposed it in another thread).  They might bite on his solid potential as a starter verses bench Rozier. Comparing to the Lakers rumored offer.

Tatum vs Ingrim.  Tatum has the greater upside
Rozier vs Ball.  Ball has the greater upside but it’s debatable if he ever gets there, and Rozier probably can put up 15 and 5 starting somewhere.
Kuzma vs Williams. Kuzma is almost 25, and probably doesn’t have much growth left as a player.  They might like Williams upside more as a Capella type, and only 21.
Any picks we put together can trump the Lakers picks.

It would be a bummer to lose Tatum, but I would get over it quickly with Davis. Lol

[ManUp]

I think the problem is the offer isnt good enough without one of Smart/Brown.

I think you’re right, that’s the key debate.  In terms of past superstar trades, Tatum + Williams + four #1s is plenty.  However, there’s a debate regarding whether NOP would do a deal involving only one current rotation player.

What does a trade that doesn't include Horford and Smart look like?

[Roy H.]

I think the problem is the offer isnt good enough without one of Smart/Brown.

I think you’re right, that’s the key debate.  In terms of past superstar trades, Tatum + Williams + four #1s is plenty.  However, there’s a debate regarding whether NOP would do a deal involving only one current rotation player.

What does a trade that doesn't include Horford and Smart look like?

Tatum + 3 signed firsts + future first + Yabu + Williams

That could leave us a small bit short, meaning we may have to include a signed #2.

That’s probably the best case scenario.

[Phantom255x]

I think the problem is the offer isnt good enough without one of Smart/Brown.

I think you’re right, that’s the key debate.  In terms of past superstar trades, Tatum + Williams + four #1s is plenty.  However, there’s a debate regarding whether NOP would do a deal involving only one current rotation player.

What does a trade that doesn't include Horford and Smart look like?

Tatum + 3 signed firsts + future first + Yabu + Williams

That could leave us a small bit short, meaning we may have to include a signed #2.

That’s probably the best case scenario.

If Pelicans like him and Rozier's fine with it, adding him as a S&T could also help a ton. Even if he signs for say 12M/Year and it only counts for 6M on our end, that still would prove huge in helping to match-salaries in this scenario.

[philr13]

If New Orleans likes Ingram more than Tatum, they could have had him at the trade deadline and saved themselves all the crap that they're going through now.

If it's true that a potential trade with Boston is the reason why they're waiting till summer, then clearly Tatum is their preferred target. Of course there could be some other trading partner this summer that hasn't really materialized yet.

Considering that Davis is in a contract year, I'm not sure how much more New Orleans can really demand. There will have to be salary matching, but Boston might not have to cough up every single pick they hold, or any other rotation players. This is still a trade for a rental after all.

[CelticsQuestFor18]

I still think it'll be a heartbreaking decision to choose between Smart or Brown in a potential trade. I've pretty much accepted that if Danny does a deal, Tatum is in it. But if the Pelicans don't want just picks, Tatum and filler and also want one of Smart/Brown, that'll be real tough to decide. Maybe they like Rozier and Rozier likes them too?

[Fierce1]

One thing's for sure, rental or not, Ainge is all in on AD.