A Fresh Start

[WeatherNLU]

Hey guys, been a while since I have posted but I am always lurking. Obviously, winning the number 1 overall pick in the lottery was huge for our team. Truly exciting times. I just have been spending a lot of time thinking about the situation we have and I think it's time to clean house and start fresh. I know DG is going to try to get AD to stick around. I doubt he is interested and honestly, the way he mishandled things I don't think there is a real option other than trading him. That said, here are my ideas for a rebuild. Just been itching to throw it out there.

First of all, the pick. Well that is obvious and easy. Zion is coming.

Secondly, we have to trade AD. Dude broke my heart just like CPMe and he will forever be in the same boat as far as I am concerned. For months, I have though there was little doubt the trade partner would be the Celtics. Their bad luck in the draft lottery has changed that. With Kyrie looking more like he is on the way out as well, there is no way they are dealing Tatum. They are going to re-build around him. That means AD is headed to the Knicks. The Knicks HAVE to do this. Their fans are in meltdown mode losing out on Zion and they have to make a big splash. Here's the deal, it's not anything you probably have not seen before, but it's the right deal.

Pelicans send: Anthony Davis
Knicks send: Dennis Smith, Jr., Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, 2019 #3 overall pick, 2021 Mavericks first round pick

Honestly, it's a huge deal for us. I am not in the DSJ hater club. The guy is still young but come on, our point guard play has not set the world on fire recently. He's an upgrade over what we have, no question. He looked much better with the Knicks upping his PPG and APG averages to nearly 15 and 6. He needs to improve on his 31% 3P% but he is still not even 22 yet and has two years of experience under his belt. Kevin Knox is a great bench guy for us who had a PER36 scoring average of 16 PPG. Not even 20 yet, his game can really develop over the next year or two. Mitchell Robinson is my dude! CHALMETTE HIGH YA HEARD? I truly believe we are going into next season with Jahlil being our guy so we need a good young center that can develop (he will get minutes for sure.) The even better news is they are all on rookie contracts for at least the next two years, three in the case of Knox and Robinson. On to the picks.....

The real prize of the trade is surely have two of the top three picks in this draft. Here is where I differ from others but we are going to go with the idea of doing this to pair up Zion and RJ. I actually love Jarrett Culver. I think the Pels will love the idea of not only pairing them up from a basketball standpoint but also from a make sure Zion is comfortable standpoint. So the pick is RJ Barrett.

Here's where I might lose some people. While we are blowing this up, we should deal Jrue. Who doesn't love Jrue? I mean the dude is all heart. He would never say it but I think he wants to leave as well but not like AD does. I think he just wants to have one last chance at winning. I know he is only (almost) 29 but honestly with his family issues, I doubt he plays longer than it is going to take for this team to build into a winner. I could be way off here because he is the heart and soul of this franchise. Maybe he is untouchable. I hope so in a way. You know what, I talked myself out of this! Jrue stays.

I haven't mentioned this but obviously Julius Randle declines his player option. Dude was a beast for us this year and without winning the Ziolottery, I would be pushing hard to re-sign him. Honestly though, that would be like having Zion and Zion, Sr. I also have not mentioned but I think we find a way to dump EITHER Hill or Moore's contract. I am going to say Moore since I doubt anyone wants Hill or $13 million until possibly at the trade deadline.

So here is where we stand including cap holds at this point.....

PG: Payton (CH), DSJ
SG: Jrue, RJ (CH), Jackson
SF: Knox, Hill, Kenrich
PF: Zion (CH), Cheick, Wood
C: Jahlil, Robinson

Using the "capulator" I have us with around $28 million in cap space. Surely enough to offer someone close to a max deal depending on what they are eligible for. We can work out those details. Here's where we swing for the fences! It may be a long shot but here is where we go for Kemba! I don't think the Pels have a legit chance at any of the top tier guys like Durant, Thompson, Leonard or Irving. Some may say Kemba is in that top tier. I think he is just below those four guys, even though I think he is a better player than Kyrie. This is my dream, so we are going for it. We throw Kemba whatever we have, in the range of 4 years, $140 million (his somewhat projected max) along with some boiled crawfish and a lifetime supply of king cakes!

Now we run out a starting five of Walker, Jrue, Knox, Zion and Okafor with RJ as our 6th man and Robinson and Diello getting plenty of minutes.

We don't compete for a Championship in year one but I sure like the way that team would be headed. Feel free to flame me to a crisp.

[da ThRONe]

I don't think DSJ will be anything more the a scorer off the bench type. There's nothing about his scoring that says starter efficiency and he's not enough of a playmaker or defender to make up for it. With that said this IMO is the deal we should make. Send Davis to the East, collect a considerable amount of assets, and give the young guys all the room in the world to grow. I'd push NYK for even more draft picks.

[Taker597]

After finding how much more dysfunctional the organization was... I honestly don't blame AD. It's been honestly the best thing to ever happen to this organization. Sadly, we should of packed Demp bags with Monty. The 2 Omer Asik trades and contract alone should of gotten him canned.


No first round picks since AD paints an ugly picture too.

[Pelicanidae]

I like a lot of what you say, but I do have a few quibbles.

Firstly, I totally agree with the Mitchell Robinson love. I think he's great, and that he should be a key part of any Knicks deal, because he's young, has a lot of potential, and is already elite in two categories: rim protection and offensive rebounding. However, there have been rumblings that getting out of Louisiana was the best thing that ever happened to him. I wouldn't know about this personally, but apparently he was in with a rough crowd and leaving to New York helped him get out of that environment. Do you think there's any truth to that, and if so, do you think this franchise has what it takes to keep him on the straight and narrow if he came back to Louisiana?

Secondly, you gotta get more picks than that from the Knicks. They have a bunch: I'd want at least both of their Dallas picks, and I wouldn't think it's out of the question to want their next FRP too. Unlike the Celtics, they don't already have any top flight young guys on the roster to deal, so you've got to load up on the picks.

Thirdly, I feel like the franchise isn't in the right mode at the moment to be trying to make huge splashes in free agency. I get that this might be an unpopular opinion, so I accept that, but I feel like with a bunch of rookies and younger guys, like Zion, RJ, and Robinson, getting a big name like Kawhi (just for example) would put us in the wrong mindset. It would be telling the league ''we want to win now''. Of course that's true to an extent, nobody wants to lose a bunch, but there's a difference between playing games and winning, and playing games to win. If we just move forward with Zion, RJ, Jrue, Robinson, and the rest of the squad, they can play hard and develop at their own pace but losing doesn't come with any extra punishment. Should be sign someone like Leonard, or Kemba, there's then the pressure to win on another level: suddenly if you lose, you're a failure and I think that kind of repercussion could be damaging for a developing young team. I admit I could be wrong there, though.

[Taker597]

I like a lot of what you say, but I do have a few quibbles.

Firstly, I totally agree with the Mitchell Robinson love. I think he's great, and that he should be a key part of any Knicks deal, because he's young, has a lot of potential, and is already elite in two categories: rim protection and offensive rebounding. However, there have been rumblings that getting out of Louisiana was the best thing that ever happened to him. I wouldn't know about this personally, but apparently he was in with a rough crowd and leaving to New York helped him get out of that environment. Do you think there's any truth to that, and if so, do you think this franchise has what it takes to keep him on the straight and narrow if he came back to Louisiana?

Secondly, you gotta get more picks than that from the Knicks. They have a bunch: I'd want at least both of their Dallas picks, and I wouldn't think it's out of the question to want their next FRP too. Unlike the Celtics, they don't already have any top flight young guys on the roster to deal, so you've got to load up on the picks.

Thirdly, I feel like the franchise isn't in the right mode at the moment to be trying to make huge splashes in free agency. I get that this might be an unpopular opinion, so I accept that, but I feel like with a bunch of rookies and younger guys, like Zion, RJ, and Robinson, getting a big name like Kawhi (just for example) would put us in the wrong mindset. It would be telling the league ''we want to win now''. Of course that's true to an extent, nobody wants to lose a bunch, but there's a difference between playing games and winning, and playing games to win. If we just move forward with Zion, RJ, Jrue, Robinson, and the rest of the squad, they can play hard and develop at their own pace but losing doesn't come with any extra punishment. Should be sign someone like Leonard, or Kemba, there's then the pressure to win on another level: suddenly if you lose, you're a failure and I think that kind of repercussion could be damaging for a developing young team. I admit I could be wrong there, though.

Agree
Agree
And super agree..

The FA superstar are honestly way too close to 30 to build a team with Zion anyway. We will be a couple of years from contending. We are gonna need shooters first and foremost not volume shooters like Irving and etc. Also, bringing in a 27 year old superstar. .. Won't be contending till possibly 30. Their prime ends at 33. Ehhhh. I'm okay with it, but I see no endgame other than trying to rush a rebuild and take shots away from Zion and RJ. We already got Jrue.

I don't see us as an attractive FA market till Zion and RJ gets established

[AusPel]

If I hear someone else use the ' wahh he broke my heart needs to go' line of reasoning.

Winning heals all wounds

[Darkhorse985]

I think a trade with the Knicks is what will happen, but I want a little more than what you listed.

I want DSJ, Knox, Robinson, Trier, RJ Barrett, and both the Knicks and Dallas 2021 first round picks.

I too see DSJ as a 6th/7th man, so I say let’s re-sign Elfrid Payton.

I see the lineup like this

PG: Payton/DSJ/Jackson
SG: Holiday/Moore/Trier
SF: Barrett/Knox/Williams
PF: Williamson/Diallo/Hill
C: Robinson/Okafor/Wood

[MistaWhoDat]

I agree with everything you said pretty much except I start Robinson over Jah


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[WeatherNLU]

I don't think DSJ will be anything more the a scorer off the bench type. There's nothing about his scoring that says starter efficiency and he's not enough of a playmaker or defender to make up for it. With that said this IMO is the deal we should make. Send Davis to the East, collect a considerable amount of assets, and give the young guys all the room in the world to grow. I'd push NYK for even more draft picks.

Very possible but a piece for sure. That's why I think we need a Kemba also.

[wuggie]

I like the Idea of the Knicks trade but I think they'll add a third team to get a little more value if they do this trade. I love the idea of RJ and Zion playing together earlier on in their careers, could be something special. And I think Robinson will be a stud aswell.

[WeatherNLU]

I like a lot of what you say, but I do have a few quibbles.

Firstly, I totally agree with the Mitchell Robinson love. I think he's great, and that he should be a key part of any Knicks deal, because he's young, has a lot of potential, and is already elite in two categories: rim protection and offensive rebounding. However, there have been rumblings that getting out of Louisiana was the best thing that ever happened to him. I wouldn't know about this personally, but apparently he was in with a rough crowd and leaving to New York helped him get out of that environment. Do you think there's any truth to that, and if so, do you think this franchise has what it takes to keep him on the straight and narrow if he came back to Louisiana?

Secondly, you gotta get more picks than that from the Knicks. They have a bunch: I'd want at least both of their Dallas picks, and I wouldn't think it's out of the question to want their next FRP too. Unlike the Celtics, they don't already have any top flight young guys on the roster to deal, so you've got to load up on the picks.

Thirdly, I feel like the franchise isn't in the right mode at the moment to be trying to make huge splashes in free agency. I get that this might be an unpopular opinion, so I accept that, but I feel like with a bunch of rookies and younger guys, like Zion, RJ, and Robinson, getting a big name like Kawhi (just for example) would put us in the wrong mindset. It would be telling the league ''we want to win now''. Of course that's true to an extent, nobody wants to lose a bunch, but there's a difference between playing games and winning, and playing games to win. If we just move forward with Zion, RJ, Jrue, Robinson, and the rest of the squad, they can play hard and develop at their own pace but losing doesn't come with any extra punishment. Should be sign someone like Leonard, or Kemba, there's then the pressure to win on another level: suddenly if you lose, you're a failure and I think that kind of repercussion could be damaging for a developing young team. I admit I could be wrong there, though.

He definitely had some issues with the whole college choice thing but I think he has grown considerably since then. He sat out the year and had a full year in the NBA.

As far as the picks, I think we are vastly overdoing in some cases what we are going to get. AD has one year left on his deal and unless he agrees to a extension I think there is going to be some hesitation by teams bidding on his services. I think 3 prospects, a top 3 pick and another first round pick is a fair deal. More would be nice but I am not sure a team is giving up 3 or 4 first round picks. That seems unlikely.

Definitely feel ya on the free agency side and I only did that because I think DG wants to win now. I don't think he wants a full rebuild. If we are going full rebuild, we have to trade Jrue.

[WeatherNLU]

If I hear someone else use the ' wahh he broke my heart needs to go' line of reasoning.

Winning heals all wounds

Wasn't a line of reasoning, just facts from a die hard fan. I don't make the decisions for this organization so I am allowed to think with my heart!

[da ThRONe]

Very possible but a piece for sure. That's why I think we need a Kemba also.

I'll pass on Kemba. For me max contracts have to be reserved for the dozen or so superstar players. Besides he's pushing 30 and we aren't going to be good next year.

[WeatherNLU]

I'll pass on Kemba. For me max contracts have to be reserved for the dozen or so superstar players. Besides he's pushing 30 and we aren't going to be good next year.

Normally I would agree with you but let's be honest, who we getting here in their prime right now? We gonna have to settle a little. Hell, he might not even give us the time of day.

[PELICANSFAN]

Don't agree that Boston will not trade Tatum. They have been positioning themselves for AD for years. Tatum will not be the holdup. As far as DSJ, I would try to get value by shipping him off for picks or a young asset. Robinson does worry me if he comes back home. It appears you have us unloading Moore without taking any salary back. I guess that is possible if a team with space wants him. Not sure I would max Walker if we are trying to rebuild on the fly. I would think we should maintain flexibility.

[Pelicanidae]

Normally I would agree with you but let's be honest, who we getting here in their prime right now? We gonna have to settle a little. Hell, he might not even give us the time of day.

Who are we getting in their prime right now? Nobody. A better question is why you think we need to be on the lookout for a superstar in their prime right now? We're setting up for the future, to build something long term and sustainable. We have a prospective superstar coming in this summer in Zion, and we're looking for another young talent who could eventually become that, maybe in Morant (long shot), maybe in Barrett, maybe in Tatum. We aren't trying to win 50 games and make a WCF run next year. No need to throw money at anyone big.

[Taker597]

Who are we getting in their prime right now? Nobody. A better question is why you think we need to be on the lookout for a superstar in their prime right now? We're setting up for the future, to build something long term and sustainable. We have a prospective superstar coming in this summer in Zion, and we're looking for another young talent who could eventually become that, maybe in Morant (long shot), maybe in Barrett, maybe in Tatum. We aren't trying to win 50 games and make a WCF run next year. No need to throw money at anyone big.

This and tanking our draft pick for short term success is a bad direction.

Plus, we really got to do our homework with a solid lotto pick next year and find an elite shooter to space the floor. Those guys aren't showing up in free agency any time soon.


Man... I really hate that Buddy Hield trade more as time passes.

[Pelicanidae]

This and tanking our draft pick for short term success is a bad direction.

Plus, we really got to do our homework with a solid lotto pick next year and find an elite shooter to space the floor. Those guys aren't showing up in free agency any time soon.


Man... I really hate that Buddy Hield trade more as time passes.

I feel like the benefit of the Langdon hiring will show as we improve and our own pick falls, or acquire draft picks that fall a little later in the draft than we'd like. He seems like he really has his finger on the pulse when it comes to a lot of the overseas scouting, from his time with Brooklyn and also from his time as a player over there, and I trust him to pull some names out of the hat.

Just out of curiosity, have you noticed how good the #19 pick has been for like, the last decade? John Collins, Malik Beasley, Gary Harris, Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Jeff Teague, all picked at #19. Surprisingly solid.

And yeah... Buddy would be really good right now.

[new city champ]

Agree that we don't go after a top-tier free agent at this juncture. We aren't in "win now mode" (assuming AD doesn't stay on board) and we shouldn't hand out a huge deal and rush things. The two FAs I hope the Pels target are Brogdon (who is an RFA) and Vucevic, both of whom I've coveted for a couple of years. Bucks are goin to have some cap issues and have already given Bledsoe a huge contract to play the point. The Magic will probably want to hold on to Vucevic but word is he's ready for a change of scenery. Either one of these two guys would be great complimentary pieces and plug-and-play starters from day one. Both are also high character guys.

I like the Knicks package as well. It gives us depth, developmental prospects and some decent future first rounders (the minimum I'd take is three firsts and three players--knox, dsj and robinson preferred). But honestly most of the packages being discussed are pretty good. Getting Tatum & Smart + picks from the Cs would be strong as would a Lakers deal IF Lonzo can be flipped to the Suns or Bulls for their pick this year. All those deals would be give us some good young pieces and picks to build with. Of course that's no sure thing--certainly not as safe as keeping AD who is a proven superstar--but like most of you, I hope the Pels move on and take their chances on an accelerated rebuild around Zion. Some things can't be put back together after they're broken.

[Pelicanidae]

You know who I wouldn't mind bringing back, depending on how things work out?

Mirotic.

Bucks have 4 free agents in Brogdon, Mirotic, Lopez, and Middleton, and even Hill's contract is unguaranteed. They will definitely want to keep Middleton and he's going to demand a big fat contract. The way Lopez has played in these playoffs, I can imagine then wanting to keep him too. So they'll probably have to make a choice between Brogdon and Mirotic, and I'd imagine that they'd be more likely to try and keep Brogdon. If Mirotic ends up floating around on the market I could see us chucking him a contract. Stretches the floor a little, which helps next to Zion, and he's a fan favourite.

[da ThRONe]

Normally I would agree with you but let's be honest, who we getting here in their prime right now? We gonna have to settle a little. Hell, he might not even give us the time of day.

Settle on a guy 24-26 not 30-32.

[Pels4Life]

You know who I wouldn't mind bringing back, depending on how things work out?

Mirotic.

Bucks have 4 free agents in Brogdon, Mirotic, Lopez, and Middleton, and even Hill's contract is unguaranteed. They will definitely want to keep Middleton and he's going to demand a big fat contract. The way Lopez has played in these playoffs, I can imagine then wanting to keep him too. So they'll probably have to make a choice between Brogdon and Mirotic, and I'd imagine that they'd be more likely to try and keep Brogdon. If Mirotic ends up floating around on the market I could see us chucking him a contract. Stretches the floor a little, which helps next to Zion, and he's a fan favourite.

Yea i agree seeing Mirotic back here would be cool. He seems like a team player and we could use a solid deep shooter.

[Pelicanidae]

Yea i agree seeing Mirotic back here would be cool. He seems like a team player and we could use a solid deep shooter.

For sure, it depends who is available and stuff but if the Bucks pay Brogdon and let Mirotic go, I don't see why he wouldn't be a good pickup. Not saying we should move the earth to get him, just if he's free.

[msusousaphone]

I take umbrage at the "PG play could be better". I'm ready to start taking suckers down for messing with my boy Elfrid. Yeah, Walker would be an upgrade but I think signing him is a pipe dream, therefore resigning Payton is my #1 FA priority.

If you've got a problem with Elfrid Payton, you've got a problem with me, and I suggest you let that one marinate!

[WeatherNLU]

I take umbrage at the "PG play could be better". I'm ready to start taking suckers down for messing with my boy Elfrid. Yeah, Walker would be an upgrade but I think signing him is a pipe dream, therefore resigning Payton is my #1 FA priority.

If you've got a problem with Elfrid Payton, you've got a problem with me, and I suggest you let that one marinate!

He played this season? Other than in the training facility.