Forget for a moment trading anyone except for David Lee, and forget taking back anything except for one individual player who matches David Lee. Depending on the draft picks we combine with Lee, who are the best individual players we can get back? The answer is...almost anyone in the league, lol, if we offer Lee + every tradeable pick we have. But how about limiting it to halfway-plausible packages. Let's say the most we can give up is Lee + a maximum of one Nets 1st + two non-Nets 1sts + both early 2016 2nds + infinite other 2nds. And the minimum would be...I don't know, one 2020 Celtics 2nd.
Here are some players Lee's contract would match. (Players I think have zero chance of being traded right now are crossed out.) For any you really like, give a guesstimate of which combo of picks it might take to get them:
- Kemba Walker (Charlotte would have to move him for this thread's hypothetical maximum of the 2016 Nets 1st, two non-Nets 1sts, the Philly and Minny 2nds, and umpteen other 2nds, right? Not that we would ever want to do that)
- Nicolas Batum
- Al Jefferson
- Al Horford
- Paul Millsap (same as Kemba)
- Brook Lopez
- Jimmy Butler (totally unavailable...right?)
- Paul George (wait, if he's remotely-available, would this thread's hypothetical maximum offer cut it, or would another Nets 1st need to be added?
- Reggie Jackson (same as Kemba, I think)
- Kevin Love (would absolutely require a third team)
- Goran Dra...lol, jk
- Dwyane Wade (or...? Nah, **** him, lol)
- Khris Middleton
- Greg Monroe
- Robin Lopez
- Tobias Harris
- Nikola Vucevic
- Demarre Carroll
- Kyle Lowry (team is too committed to winning this year)
- Demar DeRozan (ditto)
- Nene Hilario
- Marcin Gortat
- John Wall (or might Washington contemplate making him available at the deadline, and then be tempted by this thread's maximum offer?)
- Wesley Matthews
- Chandler Parsons
- Danilo Gallinari
- Kenneth Faried
- any matching Warrior (they won't screw with a great thing)
- James Harden (...right?)
- DeAndre Jordan (or would the max here sway Doc?)
- Blake Griffin (!)
- Roy Hibbert
- Marc Gasol (!)
- Ricky Rubio
- Nikola Pekovic
- Eric Gordon
- Russell Westbrook
- Enes Kanter
- Serge Ibaka (...or would OKC listen?)
- Brandon Knight
- Eric Bledsoe
- Tyson Chandler
- DeMarcus Cousins (unclear if he's untouchable)
- Rudy Gay
- any matching Spur (same as Golden State)
- Gordon Hayward
- Derrick Favors
- Carl Landry
- any Trailblazer except probably Lillard