Trade Proposal: Boston and Atlanta

[slamtheking]

I've seen this idea multiple times on different sites:

 Jaylen Brown to ATL for Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, 2029 first-round pick (top-10 protected).

I'm still in the JKJB camp but am a realist too.

realistically, I wouldn't touch that deal.

Johnson misses too many games, Risacher is barely a rotation player and if the pick is outside the top 10 it's likely only going to net a bench quality player if Brad hits on it.

Ya, this is a classic "4 quarters for a dollar" type deal, not usually good to be the team egtting the quarters.

exactly and in this case I think it's more like a quarter and a couple of dimes.

Why are you so low on Risacher?

He looks like a quality starting caliber SF with upside to improve further. A two way athletic SF.

not that I watch Hawks games but when I've seen him play he just underwhelms me.  he just screams out mediocrity to me.  he's young so he's got time to improve but I just don't see him becoming more than an average starter.  average between 16-18 points, 4-5 rebounds and 2-3 assists for his career if that.

can't help but think Atlanta had the misfortune of getting the #1 pick in a year where there wasn't a clear stud at the top of the draft. 

[slamtheking]

The Spurs could really use Brown.  They need his wing scoring and defense to really elevate into a contender this year.

There are several different trades that work financially but I'd prefer ones with Harper (instead of Castle) as the prime piece back.

This one works and makes sense for both teams

Brown, Scheierman

for

Harper, Johnson, Sochan, Bryant, Champagnie

Boston also sheds about 11 million before any additional moves to get to 15 players. Harper is the reason to do that trade, but Johnson should be a very nice wing option going forward, Sochan adds some size, and Bryant is a rookie lottery pick as well. 

San Antonio loses depth and youth but has perhaps the best starting 5 in the sport with Fox, Castle, Brown, Barnes, Wemby with Vassell, KO, Kornet forming a strong top 8. 

Next year if Boston brings back Sochan they'd be set up well to compete again if they can turn Simons into a decent cemter at the trade deadline. So 2026 starters - White, Harper, Johnson, Tatum, Trade with the bench being Pritchard, Gonzalez, Bryant, Sochan, Hauser, Rookie 1st, Queta, Minott, Garza, Williams (perhaps he is 2w again along with any 2nd rounders). If Tatum is close to what he was and Harper develops like you would expect that team could be nasty especially if Boston hits with what I'd expect to be a lottery pick next summer.

I don't like it for the C's. 
- give up the best player by far (no guarantee Harper becomes as good as Jaylen - particularly with how Jaylen's playing this year)
- team is in compete-now mode so adding a young player that needs to develop in place of an all-star, finals-MVP isn't the way to go.
- if White wasn't playing like hot garbage so far this year, I might be less reluctant if he was showing he could be a true #2 while Harper develops but he's not someone who's shown he can step up to that level while we wait for Harper so that'd be probably 2 more years of Tatum's prime wasted until Harper develops into what you hope will be an all-star-level player or more accurately, a true 1b to Tatum's 1A.
- Sochan is a mediocre player that can't shoot well - 3pt % and FT % aren't particularly good.
- Johnson's ok but nothing special.  shoots decently and grabs a good number of boards considering his size but a bench player none-the-less.
- Bryant and Champagnie are throw ins. 

a big problem with who you're bringing back is that other than Harper (who's 6'5") everyone is between 6'6" and 6'8".  no real height coming back which is really what we need.  everyone's a SF except Harper.  You've always wanted to trade Brown but this isn't a good return at all.  If Jaylen gets moved, it has to be for a proven star who's better than Jaylen and in Tatum's timeline.  I think Giannis is a pipedream but that's who you go for if trading JB, not a possibly good player and pieces.

[Who]

The Spurs could really use Brown.  They need his wing scoring and defense to really elevate into a contender this year.

There are several different trades that work financially but I'd prefer ones with Harper (instead of Castle) as the prime piece back.

This one works and makes sense for both teams

Brown, Scheierman

for

Harper, Johnson, Sochan, Bryant, Champagnie

Boston also sheds about 11 million before any additional moves to get to 15 players. Harper is the reason to do that trade, but Johnson should be a very nice wing option going forward, Sochan adds some size, and Bryant is a rookie lottery pick as well. 

San Antonio loses depth and youth but has perhaps the best starting 5 in the sport with Fox, Castle, Brown, Barnes, Wemby with Vassell, KO, Kornet forming a strong top 8. 

Next year if Boston brings back Sochan they'd be set up well to compete again if they can turn Simons into a decent cemter at the trade deadline. So 2026 starters - White, Harper, Johnson, Tatum, Trade with the bench being Pritchard, Gonzalez, Bryant, Sochan, Hauser, Rookie 1st, Queta, Minott, Garza, Williams (perhaps he is 2w again along with any 2nd rounders). If Tatum is close to what he was and Harper develops like you would expect that team could be nasty especially if Boston hits with what I'd expect to be a lottery pick next summer.

I wouldn't do it if I were San Antonio. No way would I give up Dylan Harper for Jaylen. D Harper is too good. He is a more athletic Cade Cunningham. Too valuable. I am only trading D Harper for a Giannis type player. An MVP talent. Other than that, I would want D Harper in San Antonio for the next 15 years.

Spurs giving up a lot of value beyond D Harper here. Carter Bryant is an impressive young forward. Keldon Johnson and Champagnie are both quality rotation players. Sochan is more of a question mark. A top defensive talent but his offense is still poor.

Celtics making out like bandits here.

---------

While I wouldn't trade D Harper for Jaylen if I were San Antonio, I would trade D Fox for Jaylen. D Fox is expendable with the development of Castle & D Harper.

Plus Jaylen would fit in better with those young guys because Jaylen's defensive skill set at 6-7 230lbs fits in well with the switch everything 1-4 defense that big guards like D Harper & S Castle have enabled San Antonio's defense to do early this season.

I am not sure if I would trade S Castle for Jaylen but I would certainly trade Castle before I trade D Harper. Harper's game is much more polished. The guy is a stud.