Please do not trade Zion or Ingram for Durant

[NMThreeMVP]

Trades all follow the same pattern and this one is as well.

First, everyone acknowledges the player is available. Then, after some point when the possible trade partners become clear, the team with the asset always floats the idea that they could just keep the player. It's just another way of trying to drive the price up. That's where we are now.

Remember when Griff tried to make it seem like we'd keep Anthony Davis and try to sell him on playing with Zion?
Remember when Rockets were going to just keep James Hardin?
Remember when the Nets were going to just keep James Hardin?
There were reports that the Spurs actually weren't going to trade Murray.
There were reports, after it was well known that Gobert was available, that actually Ainge was going to keep the core together.

This is the playbook. And going back as far as the Chris Paul trade, the return for a star is always picks and young lottery ticket players that could take the next step and be stars, but haven't taken the next step yet. That's what AD, CP3, Hardin (from HOU to Nets), Paul George, and Gobert were all traded for. I can't think of a trade where an All Star, young player with potential, and multiple draft picks were all traded for a single player. Shaq to Miami didn't even fetch that kind of haul.

[neitzelbaby12]

Here?s a fun hypothetical. Imagine you can look into the future with the ?no KD trade? universe. What is the WORST outcome that you would still say after peering into that future that you still would say ?I still don?t wanna trade for KD?

Like, let?s say you can peek into 2028 and the last 6 years have been like the Jazz last 6 years. A ton of wins. Even got a top seed. But only a few playoffs series wins, no WCF and now you are trading Zion and BI to reload

In this hypothetical you have no idea how the KD trade universe plays out. Only the no trade universe. What is the worst it could be where you still don?t want to trade for KD?

We'd have to make the WCF. This is the most talented and asset rich we've ever been and we've never made the WCF. Establish a winning culture and grow the fanbase, more similar to the Grit and Grind Grizzlies.

[NMThreeMVP]

I feel like people think more highly of the Grit and Grind Grizzlies because the organization relatively quickly transitioned into the Ja Morant Grizzlies.

I really wonder how we'd categorize the Grit and Grind era if it ended exactly the way it did, and instead of lucking into the number 2 pick the Grizzlies ended up with RJ Barrett and were treading water on their rebuild. I wonder why people don't point to the early 2000s Kings as the acceptable run. Is it just recency? Am I just old??

[redrum]

We'd have to make the WCF. This is the most talented and asset rich we've ever been and we've never made the WCF. Establish a winning culture and grow the fanbase, more similar to the Grit and Grind Grizzlies.

Is this the goal? To be as good as the Grizzlies have been the last 10 years? Do you see a title in their future?
This might be the post that convinces me to trade Ingram for Durant.
I really do not want Durant, but if the best the Pels can be without him is the Grizzlies I am trading for Durant.

FYI I do believe the Pels, as is, have a brighter future that the Grizz (everyone healthy). You ?

The 2000's Kings were awesome, but Shaq and Kobe, would love to reach that level!

[AusPel]

Is this the goal? To be as good as the Grizzlies have been the last 10 years? Do you see a title in their future?
This might be the post that convinces me to trade Ingram for Durant.
I really do not want Durant, but if the best the Pels can be without him is the Grizzlies I am trading for Durant.

FYI I do believe the Pels, as is, have a brighter future that the Grizz (everyone healthy). You ?

The 2000's Kings were awesome, but Shaq and Kobe, would love to reach that level!

With everything Ingram has done for the franchise, I think you'd get more joy out of seeing how far Ingram can take us rather than a fairly hollow title with Durant

[redrum]

With everything Ingram has done for the franchise, I think you'd get more joy out of seeing how far Ingram can take us rather than a fairly hollow title with Durant

Maybe, but a Pelicans title would be amazing!

[b_l_p]

With everything Ingram has done for the franchise, I think you'd get more joy out of seeing how far Ingram can take us rather than a fairly hollow title with Durant

100%. The chance of the pelicans winning the title is so insanely slim, and we finally have a cohesive, intelligent, and enthusiastic team and org. Throwing away all of this optimism, happiness, and loyalty would be heartbreaking

[MichaelMcNamara]

My question is where exactly do we draw the line of “our guys” vs “bought title”

Because Hart and NAW were loyal. Wanted to be here bad. One was even drafted by the team and the other, like Ingram, was traded here and signed a 2nd contract.

Yet, they were traded for CJ and he helped us win more and I don’t see anyone thinking we compromised any loyalty in that deal.

Is it the level of player we trade? The level of player we receive? Another factor? Because even if we do one day win a title, I guarantee it won’t be with these 8-10 core guys we have right now. Some of them will be gone, some other opportunities will be too good to pass up. If we trade Trey and Jonas for a big that puts us over the top, is that a hollow title or is that authentic? How about if it’s just Herb for an awesome guard, but everyone else stays the same?

What is the line? Because I don’t hear anybody saying that if CJ led us to a title this year, that it would be even remotely hollow

[sting]

Note: Pels two draft picks have not signed they're contracts. Can't play in Summer league till they do. Thing to watch is, if they sign contract, they can't be included in a KD trade, can't be traded for 30 days. If they don't sign or play in summer league, a KD trade could be in the works.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Curious what would be the boards answer to this question:

Assuming health, and let’s just do it for this season. What would be your top 3 fits next to Zion? Any players in the league. Personally, I could debate the order but the top 3 would clearly be: Steph, Jokic, KD

[Lee2000]

Note: Pels two draft picks have not signed they're contracts. Can't play in Summer league till they do. Thing to watch is, if they sign contract, they can't be included in a KD trade, can't be traded for 30 days. If they don't sign or play in summer league, a KD trade could be in the works.

I would say it is more of a formality than a plan to sign KD.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Also, would you guys be willing to trade BI and Jonas for Jokic? Or would that be a hallow title?

Not being sarcastic or jerky here. Just really trying to find the line

[Algiersraised]

Bi belong on this team more than Zion has improved every year and has been a leader loved n.o from the start I’ll trade him for luka only. I don’t think jokic will ever win a title nor will kd be the leader to a championship team . I believe only way we win a championship is with Zion or Brandon being assassins on the court ala Kobe /Jordan

[Algiersraised]

The Spurs in their dynasty years had a good bit of cohesiveness .I can’t remember hearing about manu tony Bruce Bowen patty mills being traded heck they kept Bonner for awhile we shouldn’t trade guys who play for guys who don’t play and I like our teams to have dawg in their heart which our players do graham feels like the odd man out most of our guys haven’t hit 25 .so much room for improvement and we have depth

[AD23forMVP]

Also, would you guys be willing to trade BI and Jonas for Jokic? Or would that be a hallow title?

Not being sarcastic or jerky here. Just really trying to find the line

27 vs 34

There’s the line

(Jokic is a rough looking 27 btw)

[MichaelMcNamara]

27 vs 34

There’s the line

(Jokic is a rough looking 27 btw)

Okay, so its age. We can trade guys we love for better players as long as the age is under a certain number? Also, was CJ younger or older than Hart and NAW? Fit the Zion timeline?

[ULsaint]

Okay, so its age. We can trade guys we love for better players as long as the age is under a certain number? Also, was CJ younger or older than Hart and NAW? Fit the Zion timeline?

Huge difference trading a couple of young role players for an older quasi All Star than trading young All Stars for a dude who is 34.

It's ALL about age and injuries IMO. The odds of Durant being elite in 3 years are very low imo.

[Upper Decker]

Also, would you guys be willing to trade BI and Jonas for Jokic? Or would that be a hallow title?

Not being sarcastic or jerky here. Just really trying to find the line

Case-by-case basis, of course. I see BI as our guy as he's really blossomed and come into his own here. CJ immediately has become "our guy" based on his off the court impact. JV? I don't think trading him would hurt my heart.

Back to BI: I wouldn't trade BI because of all the talk about him wanting to be here and us wanting him and the 5 year, no player option, blah, blah, blah. You trade BI and all "love and family" stuff is all talk and then Andrew Lopez is vindicated.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Right. I am just seeing this loyalty and hollow titles talk but then all of a sudden that doesn’t exist when the guy is younger or the players we send out aren’t as good

So, let’s just drop those components and talk pure basketball reason. Because, as we see, those things aren’t real. You’d happily trade BI for Jokic. So let’s stop pretending it’s about loyalty or winning “the right way”

All I am saying

[Upper Decker]

To be clear, I personally don't think it would be a "hollow title" if we traded BI + picks for KD. Titles are hard to come by. I just want to keep moving forward with these guys. They're fun guys and we're deep. Gone are the days of signing Andrew Harrison off the scrap heap and immediately putting him in as the starting point guard.

[AD23forMVP]

Are Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker equal to Brandon Ingram or Zion?

Because if Brooklyn would trade KD for say Graham and Jax plus picks I would totally do that.

You’re also off on the “players we love” thing. There were people who didn’t like the CJ trade solely because they loved Hart. I wasn’t one of them. Doesn’t the whole CJ thing disprove your timeline thing from the start? Clearly there is more to it. I would trade anyone on this team if it makes sense. Milwaukee wants Zion for Giannis? Do it. Dallas wants BI for Luka? Do it. But I’m not mortgaging the future for Kevin Durant when I’m not confident he holds up for the next two years, much less the next four years, and because of that I’m not betting on him to truly drastically improving your title chances.

[DarkHornet]

To be clear, I personally don't think it would be a "hollow title" if we traded BI + picks for KD. Titles are hard to come by. I just want to keep moving forward with these guys. They're fun guys and we're deep. Gone are the days of signing Andrew Harrison off the scrap heap and immediately putting him in as the starting point guard.

I agree with this. I wouldn't think of it as a hollow title. I just know that with the Warriors out there doing Warriors things, a title is not a certainty in this current window. If we are going to fall short, I'd prefer to fall short with our guys and keep the flexibility, rather than failing with KD who may not even want to be here and losing our future flexibility.

[lawless522]

Curious what would be the boards answer to this question:

Assuming health, and let’s just do it for this season. What would be your top 3 fits next to Zion? Any players in the league. Personally, I could debate the order but the top 3 would clearly be: Steph, Jokic, KD

For me, BI has embraced this team, the city, and his role as a leader. The fans really got to see that this year and love him for it. If KD came here, it would be less about winning a championship for New Orleans than adding to his own legacy. Maybe I'm wrong, but, for all his talent, KD seems overly sensitive, mercurial, and lacking in leadership. I don't see him galvanizing the team the way BI does...and, if things don't go well, how much do you trust him to stick it out?

Also, if BI entering his prime can be 70% of what KD will be this year, were all the draft picks and young players we also had to give away worth it? I don't think so. I'd rather see how good BI can be than how much KD has left.

[ml wave]

There are no hollow titles, unless they were won in a bubble.

[MichaelMcNamara]

For me, BI has embraced this team, the city, and his role as a leader. The fans really got to see that this year and love him for it. If KD came here, it would be less about winning a championship for New Orleans than adding to his own legacy. Maybe I'm wrong, but, for all his talent, KD seems overly sensitive, mercurial, and lacking in leadership. I don't see him galvanizing the team the way BI does...and, if things don't go well, how much do you trust him to stick it out?

Also, if BI entering his prime can be 70% of what KD will be this year, were all the draft picks and young players we also had to give away worth it? I don't think so. I'd rather see how good BI can be than how much KD has left.

So, would you trade BI for Jokic?

Again, if you are gonna talk all this culture stuff, you gotta go all the way. Otherwise, it’s basketball reasons. Which is fine, and I agree by the way.

I just don’t like how some of my friends are being attacked on social media for being “disloyal “ or not true fans. That’s all hogwash. Those same people saying that to them would trade Herb for Mobley or Ingram for Jokic, etc. So that loyalty stuff is BA