2026 NBA Trade Discussion Thread

[SoberasHotRod]

No way is that enough.

We’re up against the entire league AND what POSSIBLE offers come in the offseason when there will just be more in the market to offer.

It’s not just number of picks, it’s the prospect of owning another team’s draft that is alluring. That is what Golden State can offer (and that Steph is on his way out). There’s also just a tax on teams that have more to offer because they will want the most any given team is able to offer, even if that’s unfair or irrational.

Even sending 6 picks our offer might not glisten as much because that would only be for five years and we’re an ascendant team.

Bleh. I think I’m done caring about this for now.

It's been reported that OKC, Houston, SAS, and others are already out, so we're not outbidding every team. To your point though, Milwaukee just doesn't do the deal if they know they can get something much better at the draft, so we would have to blow them away a little.

Good point about owning another team's draft, I can see how that would be enticing. On the other hand it might be enticing to have draft picks from the team that doesn't have Giannis.

Also, agreed that we are probably putting way too much brain power thinking about this since the first thing that has to happen is Giannis saying he would extend here...

 

[SoberasHotRod]

No one is talking about Brooklyn. I think they’re the front runners here.

I could see that.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I could see that.

They have 11 tradable 1sts and are in the market Giannis is allured by. They mothball MPj and they have a Robbin for Giannis. They have enough picks they could just say **** it and dare him to not stay (while also being in a place he would be fine to extend in).

That’s who our competition is.

 

[The Jazz Wonderbra]

I would not trade 6 firsts plus young players and swaps for anyone that has a 1 year contract. That's insane.

I would trade 3 x 1sts plus 2 young players for a 1 year rental IF Giannis indicates he tells me he is 100% going to resign.

 

[The Jazz Wonderbra]

They have 11 tradable 1sts and are in the market Giannis is allured by. They mothball MPj and they have a Robbin for Giannis. They have enough picks they could just say **** it and dare him to not stay (while also being in a place he would be fine to extend in).

That’s who our competition is.

Brooklyn is going to say the same thing. 5 picks for players under contract for 3+ years makes sense. Gobs of picks for a player that can leave in 18 months AND who is currently injured AND when your team isn't going to compete currently is crazy.

 

[The Jazz Wonderbra]

View attachment 20042

Works for me. Kyle Anderson is taking minutes from developing players like Cody, Ace, and what would now be Knecht who could be a solid piece. For that reason alone, I am ok with it. Adding in 2 seconds AND removing protections feels good. Kleiber is an expiring contract. All positive pieces for Kyle Anderson who was an afterthought to begin the season.

Kyle and Hunter would help the Lakers I think. But if Hunter continues to suck then he helps our 2027 pick.

Rui is a budgetary version of De'Andre Hunter so it is mostly a money play for the Cavs.

The one concern I have is if Hunter is cancer in the locker room and we end up helping out the Cavs like we did the Wolves when we facilitated the Russell move.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

They have 11 tradable 1sts and are in the market Giannis is allured by. They mothball MPj and they have a Robbin for Giannis. They have enough picks they could just say **** it and dare him to not stay (while also being in a place he would be fine to extend in).

That’s who our competition is.

The only problem with BKN is that they are way too many pieces away from a contending team for them to properly put anything around him. They would have to do a lot of follow up stuff for them to put a contending team around him.

 

[NUMBERICA]

I know it’s a lot to risk without having foreknowledge of extending, but I just do not see the most loyal superstar in generations walking from an honest-to-goodness contender. He will not find a better situation than here by signing as an unrestricted free agent which basically necessitates having a depleted roster wherever that is.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

I would not trade 6 firsts plus young players and swaps for anyone that has a 1 year contract. That's insane.

I would trade 3 x 1sts plus 2 young players for a 1 year rental IF Giannis indicates he tells me he is 100% going to resign.

The premise of any trade for Giannis is his willingness to sign an extension. The Jazz might be out because of this, but it's sometimes still fun to do the thought exercise.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Its weird to me that SA and Houston are just like "no thanks". Houston has KD for how much longer? Wemby's rookie deal means you can push things financially. I just don't know that Wemby will have a super healthy 12+ year run here. While he is healthy and running I'd push in. I also don't see how they maximize value of Harper, Castle, Fox... like one has to move eventually. The title is super winnable this year if they have healthy Giannis and Wemby.

 

[KqWIN]

Its weird to me that SA and Houston are just like "no thanks". Houston has KD for how much longer? Wemby's rookie deal means you can push things financially. I just don't know that Wemby will have a super healthy 12+ year run here. While he is healthy and running I'd push in. I also don't see how they maximize value of Harper, Castle, Fox... like one has to move eventually. The title is super winnable this year if they have healthy Giannis and Wemby.

They are always "no thanks" until they aren't.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

One idea been rattling in my brain. Supposedly Lakers would like to do the thing that Phx did so they can trade more picks. There are some ways we could do it and they'd likely be inclined to work with us since we own one of their picks already.

I wonder if you could make the 2027 pick they owe us a swap where we get the 2 most favorable of Utah, LA, Cleveland, Minnesota and give them the second most favorable of the Utah/Minny/Cleveland pick in 2029... Would that be enough to get the 2026 pick and the 2032 pick (maybe top 5 protected)? It allows them to trade the 2028 and 2030 picks unprotected (maybe we get one of those instead. Right now they can only trade one pick.

I also wonder if we should get ahead of the Kessler FA and move him... so maybe that is layered in here and we get 26/28/32 picks?

This would be the final payment of down payment theory lol.