2026 NBA Trade Discussion Thread

[KqWIN]

If we ever were to trade Lauri, now would be the time. We could take on Jimmy Butler and give GSW a chance for Curry and Green to get a send off with a decent team if they are willing to include future first round picks in the deal.

If we were ever going to trade Lauri, it would have been years ago. The incentive for both teams to make a deal was much greater back then.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

If we were ever going to trade Lauri, it would have been years ago.

Obviously.

However, he's just a wasted asset right now so it still makes sense to trade him ASAP if a window appears. Unfortunately, this team is probably going to tank again next season.

 

[Hedda Gambler]

Obviously.

However, he's just a wasted asset right now so it still makes sense to trade him ASAP if a window appears. Unfortunately, this team is probably going to tank again next season.

If they don`t trade Lauri before next season, I can`t see tanking being on the table at all. We have seen how good this team can be when all the guys are available and it would not take much to improve the bench to league average. That alone would put us in a position to fight for the play in. We could also trade for someone like Dillion Brooks and aim for .500 while we continue to develop our core.

 

[HermanG]

I present the most diabolical trade ever concoted:

View attachment 19976

For the Celtics:
-Balance out their roster this season
-Get out of the tax and save a gajillion dollars in the aggregate (I'll need to run an analysis later)

-kills the LT repeater clock to reset their contention window (they have demonstrated they care about their cap sheet as they gutted their supporting cast in the offseason)​

For the Pelicans:
-Get an actual NBA player right now that fills a need (Simons)
-Save a gajillion+ dollars by ducking the tax right now and >$64 million in what might be dead future salary + potential future tax ramifications
-Take a flier on Flip (and his dirt-cheap deal [this could also be Kevin Love depending on what the Pelicans value more])
-Get a nice 2nd

For the Jazz:
-Get an A+ asset that New Orleans might not understand and probably will not realize it's potential value

-This has a very good chance of being a high pick​

-This is a super hostage pick for Giannis (as its value is much higher for the Bucks than anyone else as re-acquiring it would allow them to tank [OR NOT!])​

-Totally nukes the center rotation for our tank right now (!!!)
-Makes the Pelicans better right now (!!!)
-If Dejounte returns to form, we get a useful player that might even be worth his salary. If not, we rented our capspace for a killer return.

-But we're doing this under the assumption that Dejounte doesn't return to form otherwise NOP has no incentive to make the move. In which case, that's just the price you pay for an asset of this quality.​

-We should still have enough cap space to sign a Ayo or Keon Ellis type player and maybe another player.​

​

Obviously this can be tinkered with and it's tilted heavilty towards the Jazz but the deal simply cannot happen without them saving these organizations hundreds of millions of dollars. And the Pelicans are run by MIA ownership with the biggest idiot in the sport at the helm, so I will allow myself to dream big.

I like the work and thought you put into this. Not sure how realistic it is and how much of a negative contract Murray is, but I definitely see why Celtics and Jazz would take this deal.

Also Pels have a history of doing dumb things.