Celtics

Incoming: Mobley, Murphy III

Outgoing: Brown, Queta, Hauser, Gonzalez, 2026 1st round pick, 2030 1st round pick

Getting Trey Murphy back takes the sting out of losing Jaylen. Gives us an above average starting wing to replace Jaylen.

G: Pritchard
G: D White
F: Trey Murphy
F: Tatum
C: E Mobley

Not much left for the bench. J Walsh. Baylor. L Garza.

The one concern I would have with this team is the lack of a reliable 2nd scorer. E Mobley can't score on demand. Neither can Trey Murphy. Murphy is a very good offensive player playing off of other people but he struggles to create his own offense. His shooting numbers off the dribble are much worse. He is similar to Mikal Bridges in that regard. So there is no reliable 2nd option behind Tatum.

I am not sure the team is better for next season. I feel like we would probably have a better team with Jaylen. Trey Murphy and Evan Mobley are both younger though. It sets the team up to remain competitive for longer. And it is still a very good team in the short term.

Cavs

Incoming: Brown, LeBron

Outgoing: Mobley, Strus, Schroder (salary dump)

Terrific trade for CLE.

G: D Mitchell
G: J Harden
F: Jaylen
F: LeBron
C: J Allen

That team would be amazing. 4 guys who can can all create off the bounce with an opportunistic rim runner at center in J Allen playing off of them. Two strong playmakers in LBJ and Harden. Two good playmakers behind them in D Mitch and Jaylen.

Best team in the East.

Pelicans

Incoming: Queta, Hauser, Gonzalez, Celtics 2026 1st round pick, Celtics 2030 1st round pick

Outgoing: Murphy III

I don't see New Orleans being interested in this deal. They do not need Queta who is the main piece in the trade. They have D Queen who they are committed to. He is their center. So Queta would just be a 15-18mpg bench player for them.

I don't think we have the players that interest NOP in their rebuilding process. Maybe a straight picks for Trey Murphy would be more attractive for them. Keep Queta and give them another future 1st off into the distance. Then they would be getting 3 1sts and Hugo. This trade is already big enough but if there was a 5th team taking Hauser and giving a 1st for Hauser to get NOP a 4th 1st round pick + Hugo that would be a more attractive situation for NOP. That feels doable.

That would create an offer similar to NYK for M Bridges or ORL for D Bane. Four 1sts and Hugo for T Murphy. I think that is the only way BOS could get Trey Murphy out of NOP because I don't think we have the players that would interest them. 

Lakers

Incoming: Strus

Outgoing: LeBron (sign + trade)

I don't see a reason for LAL to help with this.

Strus is no great help to their team.

G: A Reaves
G: M Strus
F: Luka Doncic
F: Hachimura
C: Ayton

I don't know about Strus as the 3rd perimeter guy next to Reaves and Luka. On the positive side of things, his shooting is a great fit off the ball to those guys. He is also a solid ball mover & ball handler. So offensively it is great. On the negative side, Strus is a middling defender. Reaves is a poor defender. Luka is a poor defender. It would be one of the worst defensive units on the perimeter in the league. They have no major interior defender to cover them either. It is hard to see them being competitive enough defensively to be competitive in the playoffs. I feel they need that 3rd perimeter guy to be more of a defensive player than Strus is.

Surely LAL would be better off just letting LBJ leave and keeping max cap room to add FAs rather than taking back Strus. Sign A Reaves after you have used up your cap flexability. Surely that would give them a stronger team heading into next season.