PELS WIN LOTTERY! Does AD stay?

[Mythrol]

Ignoring all the other pieces of a package. Just Barrett straight up compared to Tatum, you pick Barrett? I'm not knocking, just curious since I haven't looked at Barrett basically at all.

[Pelicanidae]

Ignoring all the other pieces of a package. Just Barrett straight up compared to Tatum, you pick Barrett? I'm not knocking, just curious since I haven't looked at Barrett basically at all.

Nah, I think Tatum is the better player right now. Their ceilings are comparable, I think, but Tatum has a higher floor.

[HornetGuru]

You think Zion makes us potentially 33 games better next year?

Wow.

Zion? No, Zion and one of kawhi, klay or kemba? Absolutely

[Pelicanidae]

Zion? No, Zion and one of kawhi, klay or kemba? Absolutely

If AD stays, we aren't getting Klay, Kawhi, Kemba, or jack squat because we have no money.

[HornetGuru]

Ignoring all the other pieces of a package. Just Barrett straight up compared to Tatum, you pick Barrett? I'm not knocking, just curious since I haven't looked at Barrett basically at all.

I take Tatum every time over Barrett, 10/10

[Darkhorse985]

PG: Dennis Smith Jr./Elfrid Payton
SG: Holiday/Moore
SF: Barrett/Knox
PF: Williamson/Diallo
C: Robinson/ Okafor

3 2021 1st round draft picks (Pelicans, Knicks, Mavericks)

This is the best trade scenario hands down.

[HornetGuru]

If AD stays, we aren't getting Klay, Kawhi, Kemba, or jack squat because we have no money.

AD is still under contract so if we extended him we would still have him on the books this year for 24 mil, and with randle opting out we would have room for another max, no?

[Nola3]

Why?

Tunnel vision, takes awful shots, doesn't try on defense, can't shoot, can't finish, only slightly above average athlete. I'll go into details at some point in the future, but I watched at least 20 Duke games this year and my only thoughts while watching him were negative. I wouldn't take him with a top 5 pick.

[AusPel]

You think Zion makes us potentially 33 games better next year?

Wow.

I didn't mean 66 haha.

I think the overhaul of operations and Zion and adding in some pieces that fit could see a big improvement.

Providing Davis stays of course

[HornetGuru]

PG: Dennis Smith Jr./Elfrid Payton
SG: Holiday/Moore
SF: Barrett/Knox
PF: Williamson/Diallo
C: Robinson/ Okafor

3 2021 1st round draft picks (Pelicans, Knicks, Mavericks)

This is the best trade scenario hands down.

Are you saying the Knicks give us DSJ, Knox, Mitchell, the 3rd overall pick this year, their 1st next year, and the Dallas first next year for AD? I would say that’s almost impossible

[Pelicanidae]

AD is still under contract so if we extended him we would still have him on the books this year for 24 mil, and with randle opting out we would have room for another max, no?

No.

Salary Cap is $109

If we keep AD, his contract is guaranteed (obviously), so with AD, Jrue, Hill, Moore, Okafor, Wood, Jackson, and Kenrich, the team will have spent $83m of the $109. Signing Zion wiht the frirst overall pick rookie contract is around $5m, so that's $88m. That leaves us with around $21m. That's not a max contract.

We would have a depth chart like this, in that case.

PG - Frank Jackson
SG - Jrue/Moore
SF - Kenrich
PF - AD/Zion
C - Okafor/Wood

We would have around $21m free, and need: A point guard, a wing, and another big. If you want that big to be Randle coming back, he's probably costing $13-15m on his own. I think he MLE exists, but it's like what, another $8m?

[HoustonPelicans]

Yes, it's emotion. If AD ends up signing the supermax and staying, then I will PRAY that he finally decides to commit to playing hard in every game, because he is unbelievably talented and can be fantastic when he tries. But if he doesn't, then yeah, I think it's a business mistake to commit damn near $250 million dollars to a guy who can't be bothered half the time and who has won you jack diddly-squat in the better part of a decade.

Frank will not be ready to start next year. He's not ready. I'm sorry, but what cap space do we have? With AD staying, we have basically $90mil guaranteed already, and obviously we need to sign Zion. First round pick rookie contract is around $5m per. So that's $95m gone. The salary cap this summer is $109mil. We have to try and get another PG, finally fill the spot at SF, and possibly try and resign Randle with like $14m. Come on.

If your explanation for how we go from 10th seed to a ring is ''Chris Woods and Kenrich should come back better'' then I think we're on completely different planets regarding where we were this year.

Let's not let this past season write the book for AD in New Orleans. The guy has been a hard worker ever since he came into the league. Yeah he may have slacked last season but that's after we kept losing games, maybe he felt it was hopeless. Either way he expressed his concerns and were better off for it.

I think Frank will have a huge jump next season. We can resign Payton for not much more than we paid him last season. There's solid role players like Ariza, Carroll, Justin Holiday, KCP who could be had for the low. Randle has to walk. We cant pay him. I would say trade Moore and a 2nd to OKC for #20 and their TE (Draft Cam Johnson). That would clear up some more cap space and we can fill out the roster with more role players. We have Solomon Hill as a huge expiring if something comes up. And yes Kenrich and Woods could be key players next season. We could make a huge jump.

[HornetGuru]

No.

Salary Cap is $109

If we keep AD, his contract is guaranteed (obviously), so with AD, Jrue, Hill, Moore, Okafor, Wood, Jackson, and Kenrich, the team will have spent $83m of the $109. Signing Zion wiht the frirst overall pick rookie contract is around $5m, so that's $88m. That leaves us with around $21m. That's not a max contract.

We would have a depth chart like this, in that case.

PG - Frank Jackson
SG - Jrue/Moore
SF - Kenrich
PF - AD/Zion
C - Okafor/Wood

We would have around $21m free, and need: A point guard, a wing, and another big. If you want that big to be Randle coming back, he's probably costing $13-15m on his own. I think he MLE exists, but it's like what, another $8m?

Damn I was unaware, good post

[Pelicanidae]

Tunnel vision, takes awful shots, doesn't try on defense, can't shoot, can't finish, only slightly above average athlete. I'll go into details at some point in the future, but I watched at least 20 Duke games this year and my only thoughts while watching him were negative. I wouldn't take him with a top 5 pick.

Interesting perspective. Definitely an out-of-the-box interpretation.

[tdcreator]

Are you saying the Knicks give us DSJ, Knox, Mitchell, the 3rd overall pick this year, their 1st next year, and the Dallas first next year for AD? I would say that’s almost impossible

If the knicks goal is to get Kyrie, KD, and AD then this maybe what it takes. Other teams are going to be coming in with comparable packages.

[HornetGuru]

I haven’t watched much of DSJ, Knox or Mitchell. Are they really any good?

[Pelicanidae]

Damn I was unaware, good post

I mean, I'm not a salary cap wizard so maybe someone comes out of the woodwork and calls me a moron and explains that we have a secret $20m somewhere, but that's how it looks to me.

[HoustonPelicans]

No.

Salary Cap is $109

If we keep AD, his contract is guaranteed (obviously), so with AD, Jrue, Hill, Moore, Okafor, Wood, Jackson, and Kenrich, the team will have spent $83m of the $109. Signing Zion wiht the frirst overall pick rookie contract is around $5m, so that's $88m. That leaves us with around $21m. That's not a max contract.

We would have a depth chart like this, in that case.

PG - Frank Jackson
SG - Jrue/Moore
SF - Kenrich
PF - AD/Zion
C - Okafor/Wood

We would have around $21m free, and need: A point guard, a wing, and another big. If you want that big to be Randle coming back, he's probably costing $13-15m on his own. I think he MLE exists, but it's like what, another $8m?

Moore and Hill can be dumped and that would open up $42M in cap space

[Nola3]

Interesting perspective. Definitely an out-of-the-box interpretation.

I realize that I'm like, severely down on him, but I truly don't think he will be close to an effective NBA player for 4 or 5 years and on his second or third team. Once draft talk starts getting rolling around here, I'll start a thread and put videos and such because I don't want him anywhere near this franchise unless he falls to number 7 or 8 at which point you have to gamble on him if you can move back in.

[PELICANSFAN]

We can't keep AD, because we have to give him a SuperMax or walks for nothing. It is a death sentence.

He is eligible to sign the Supermax this summer, so you would have that commitment before he could walk for nothing. He is clearly worth the Supermax (not that anyone is worth that much money, but in the context of today's NBA).

[Pelicanidae]

Moore and Hill can be dumped and that would open up $42M in cap space

Would love to hear who's taking Hill without us also sending out assets.

[Darkhorse985]

Are you saying the Knicks give us DSJ, Knox, Mitchell, the 3rd overall pick this year, their 1st next year, and the Dallas first next year for AD? I would say that’s almost impossible

2 firsts in 2021. AD is more valuable as a franchise changing MVP candidate in his prime than all that. Wake up!

AD also reals in KD and/or Kyrie!

That is a no brainer for the Knicks.

[Pelicanidae]

I realize that I'm like, severely down on him, but I truly don't think he will be close to an effective NBA player for 4 or 5 years and on his second or third team. Once draft talk starts getting rolling around here, I'll start a thread and put videos and such because I don't want him anywhere near this franchise unless he falls to number 7 or 8 at which point you have to gamble on him if you can move back in.

There've been draft talks on here for a while. I started a thread back in like February where we were all talking about it, so feel free to start the thread whenever. I'm sure we've all got a lot to say.

[HoustonPelicans]

Would love to hear who's taking Hill without us also sending out assets.

We got four 2nds back in the Niko trade. We can attach 2 or 3 to Hill and move him out.

[Nola3]

I haven’t watched much of DSJ, Knox or Mitchell. Are they really any good?

DSJ is the polar opposite of Jrue as a guard, want no part of him. Knox is incredibly raw but has shown flashes and may do better with a more defined role. Mitchell is ridiculously fun to watch and a freak athlete who blocks everything but is also liable to foul out in the first quarter. None of them are blue chips, but they all have potential.