Potential Zach Trade Partners? Playoff Edition.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

Why would George leave Los Angeles? It’s not like Ballmer won’t pay him. Gotta remember he is home.

He leaves because that team is broken and they don’t have a way to meaningfully upgrade it. This is a comically weak FA class and their picks are leveraged through 2029.

He's going to leave his home AND take less money? I don't see that happening. Secure the bag and ask for a trade later if you're not happy. That's how it's done these days for better or for worse.

The Clippers haven’t offered PG a max extension. The Sixers will have $60M in cap are reportedly willing to pay what it takes.

Besides, securing the bag and requesting a trade later is a young man’s game. PG is 34. He doesn’t have time to waste on an unideal org.

[Bulliever2020]

He leaves because that team is broken and they don’t have a way to meaningfully upgrade it. This is a comically weak FA class and their picks are leveraged through 2029.

He's going to leave his home AND take less money? I don't see that happening. Secure the bag and ask for a trade later if you're not happy. That's how it's done these days for better or for worse.

The Clippers haven’t offered PG a max extension. The Sixers will have $60M in cap are reportedly willing to pay what it takes.

Besides, securing the bag and requesting a trade later is a young man’s game. PG is 34. He doesn’t have time to waste on an unideal org.

wait, so you're calling the Philadelphia 76ers the "ideal organization"?? Ballmer has deep pockets and I'm betting will do whatever it takes to keep PG heading into that new arena next season. I don't understand at all why PG would leave home, take less money, and want to play with a perennially injured in the playoffs, never made it past the 2nd round Embiid.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

He's going to leave his home AND take less money? I don't see that happening. Secure the bag and ask for a trade later if you're not happy. That's how it's done these days for better or for worse.

The Clippers haven’t offered PG a max extension. The Sixers will have $60M in cap are reportedly willing to pay what it takes.

Besides, securing the bag and requesting a trade later is a young man’s game. PG is 34. He doesn’t have time to waste on an unideal org.

wait, so you're calling the Philadelphia 76ers the "ideal organization"?? Ballmer has deep pockets and I'm betting will do whatever it takes to keep PG heading into that new arena next season. I don't understand at all why PG would leave home, take less money, and want to play with a perennially injured in the playoffs, never made it past the 2nd round Embiid.

My point is that at age 34, you don’t sign with a team that you deem unideal so you can force a trade later. PG doesn’t have enough elite years left to play that game. If you can get the max in a better situation, you take that and run.

And yeah, teaming with Embiid/Maxey in the East gives him a much better chance at winning a chip than staying with the Clippers. I don’t see how that can be argued. Whatever concerns you have about Embiid’s health, multiply them by three with Kawhi.

[Chi town]

I will be shocked if PG leaves. Ballmer will keep spending to win.

Zach would make the Sixers a tough out.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

I will be shocked if PG leaves. Ballmer will keep spending to win.

Zach would make the Sixers a tough out.

Ballmer hasn’t offered the max extension yet. Or maybe the reporting’s wrong and PG hasn’t accepted. Either way, something’s afoot.

[WindyCityBorn]

I will be shocked if PG leaves. Ballmer will keep spending to win.

Zach would make the Sixers a tough out.

Ballmer hasn’t offered the max extension yet. Or maybe the reporting’s wrong and PG hasn’t accepted. Either way, something’s afoot.

He will get the max offer. Clippers aren’t run by cheapskates and there is no good alternative for them to let him walk.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

I will be shocked if PG leaves. Ballmer will keep spending to win.

Zach would make the Sixers a tough out.

Ballmer hasn’t offered the max extension yet. Or maybe the reporting’s wrong and PG hasn’t accepted. Either way, something’s afoot.

He will get the max offer. Clippers aren’t run by cheapskates and there is no good alternative for them to let him walk.

I imagine the hold up is the years. You don’t have to be a cheapskate to balk at paying PG 60M a year until he’s 39, especially when their prospects look this dim. Kawhi hasn’t finished a playoff run since 2020, and without him they just don’t have the top-end talent to sniff the Finals.

[Ball4life32]

As I’ve said, one of my concerns is that AK will look to trade Zach for Trae Young. Add Bradley Beal to that list.

Hawks would never consider or close.

[dougthonus]

And yeah, teaming with Embiid/Maxey in the East gives him a much better chance at winning a chip than staying with the Clippers. I don’t see how that can be argued. Whatever concerns you have about Embiid’s health, multiply them by three with Kawhi.

PG may feel that way, but I think you are overstating the gap. The 76ers situation doesn't seem so much better than the Clippers and Embiid doesn't seem so much better than Kawhi.

If Balmer offers him the bag he may just stay in LA and not worry about it. Also, he could try and work out a S&T to go somewhere else too, which if he is leaving anyway, the Clips would be incentivized to do. Though have to check on that I think 2nd apron teams can S&T out and just not in, but not 100%.

[DuckIII]

As I’ve said, one of my concerns is that AK will look to trade Zach for Trae Young. Add Bradley Beal to that list.

Hawks would never consider or close.

Good.

[DuckIII]

And yeah, teaming with Embiid/Maxey in the East gives him a much better chance at winning a chip than staying with the Clippers. I don’t see how that can be argued. Whatever concerns you have about Embiid’s health, multiply them by three with Kawhi.

PG may feel that way, but I think you are overstating the gap. The 76ers situation doesn't seem so much better than the Clippers and Embiid doesn't seem so much better than Kawhi.

It’s a much, much better situation than LA. Add Tyrese Maxey to the math of winning a conference championship in the next three years and remove Denver, Minny, OKC and Wemby.

[League Circles]

I'll be pretty surprised if Zach is traded this summer. I just don't think that AK will like whatever the best offer is.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

And yeah, teaming with Embiid/Maxey in the East gives him a much better chance at winning a chip than staying with the Clippers. I don’t see how that can be argued. Whatever concerns you have about Embiid’s health, multiply them by three with Kawhi.

PG may feel that way, but I think you are overstating the gap. The 76ers situation doesn't seem so much better than the Clippers and Embiid doesn't seem so much better than Kawhi.

It’s a much, much better situation than LA. Add Tyrese Maxey to the math of winning a conference championship in the next three years and remove Denver, Minny, OKC and Wemby.

Throw in Dallas and *possibly* a resurgent Memphis and the WC is a gauntlet.

Now it’s possible winning a championship isn’t important to PG, but that’s it would take for him to put the Philly and LAC situations on equal footing.

[League Circles]

Not sure if this has been discussed, but maybe Orlando os a possible destination for Zach. Can anyone who knows more than me about them and their cap space tell me if this might work?

It's based on the idea that they have like maybe a little over 20 mil in potential cap space (which is one thing that I don't know how true it is because I don't know about all their options and likelihoods).

Bulls trade Zach and maybe Phillips

Orlando trades Jonathan Isaac, Joe Ingles and their #18 pick this summer.

Seems like a pretty good fit for both sides. We get more size and if healthy Isaac could help us for at least his last year on his deal. Ingles can shoot some from the 4 spot. We get a decent draft pick (maybe package with #11 to move up a bit?), and since Ingles and Isaac are both expiring in a year, we clear a ton of committed salary and depending on what else we do, might become players in FA in summer 2025.

Thoughts?

This would basically be Orlando absorbing Zach into their cap space (partially - combined with the salary coming back).

[samwana]

Would you rather have Donovan or Zach? AK has chosen Donovan, I'd definitely rather have Zach, but both are sort if the same. Thoroughly mediocre and paid too much over too long a contract.

[dougthonus]

It’s a much, much better situation than LA. Add Tyrese Maxey to the math of winning a conference championship in the next three years and remove Denver, Minny, OKC and Wemby.

If your only goal is to win a title then jumping from the clippers (0% chance) to the 76ers (like 2% chance) may not be worth giving up 80M dollars and moving away from perfect weather and your preferred city.

That's why I said a gap is there, but the gap isn't as big as it may appear. The 76ers with Paul George would not be favored to come out of the East and also have a ton of high risks towards maintaining anything. I'd give that team no more than a 2 year window to compete and wouldn't put them in my top 5.

If he values getting to the 2nd round or conference finals very highly, Philly is a much, much better choice than LAC. If he wants to win a title, Philly's got virtually no chance even with George.

And certainly plenty of smoke around PG leaving LAC. He didn't leave his press conference saying "I'd like to be back", so I agree, really good chance he goes, and if so Philly is definitely high in the running. It's unclear whether LAC even wants him back at the expected cost he will have.

[Chi town]

Not sure if this has been discussed, but maybe Orlando os a possible destination for Zach. Can anyone who knows more than me about them and their cap space tell me if this might work?

It's based on the idea that they have like maybe a little over 20 mil in potential cap space (which is one thing that I don't know how true it is because I don't know about all their options and likelihoods).

Bulls trade Zach and maybe Phillips

Orlando trades Jonathan Isaac, Joe Ingles and their #18 pick this summer.

Seems like a pretty good fit for both sides. We get more size and if healthy Isaac could help us for at least his last year on his deal. Ingles can shoot some from the 4 spot. We get a decent draft pick (maybe package with #11 to move up a bit?), and since Ingles and Isaac are both expiring in a year, we clear a ton of committed salary and depending on what else we do, might become players in FA in summer 2025.

Thoughts?

This would basically be Orlando absorbing Zach into their cap space (partially - combined with the salary coming back).

You think AK wants to strengthen the team that may cost him his job (Vuc Trade)?

AK wants to win next season. Ownership has already said they would fully support a rebuild but AK refused. Don’t think he wants to build a winner for someone else. Magic could be ECF team with Zach and progress from their Big 3.

I do think Zach can net us a later 1st in this weak draft.

Whats crazy is I could see AK trading with PHI for their pick but not ORL due to the Vuc trade.

I think Zach will have some value but AK will have to his cards right which I trust HE WON’T.

[League Circles]

Not sure if this has been discussed, but maybe Orlando os a possible destination for Zach. Can anyone who knows more than me about them and their cap space tell me if this might work?

It's based on the idea that they have like maybe a little over 20 mil in potential cap space (which is one thing that I don't know how true it is because I don't know about all their options and likelihoods).

Bulls trade Zach and maybe Phillips

Orlando trades Jonathan Isaac, Joe Ingles and their #18 pick this summer.

Seems like a pretty good fit for both sides. We get more size and if healthy Isaac could help us for at least his last year on his deal. Ingles can shoot some from the 4 spot. We get a decent draft pick (maybe package with #11 to move up a bit?), and since Ingles and Isaac are both expiring in a year, we clear a ton of committed salary and depending on what else we do, might become players in FA in summer 2025.

Thoughts?

This would basically be Orlando absorbing Zach into their cap space (partially - combined with the salary coming back).

You think AK wants to strengthen the team that may cost him his job (Vuc Trade)?

AK wants to win next season. Ownership has already said they would fully support a rebuild but AK refused. Don’t think he wants to build a winner for someone else. Magic could be ECF team with Zach and progress from their Big 3.

I do think Zach can net us a later 1st in this weak draft.

Whats crazy is I could see AK trading with PHI for their pick but not ORL due to the Vuc trade.

I think Zach will have some value but AK will have to his cards right which I trust HE WON’T.

I don't think AK or anyone can afford to care what happens to another middling team (yes, Orlando finished in a 3 way tie for the 5 seed in the weak conference) when deciding what's best for his team. If Orlando is to be specifically feared then half the league would be. Besides, maybe Zach makes them worse for all we know. Not like he's some proven winner.

[dougthonus]

I don't think AK or anyone can afford to care what happens to another middling team (yes, Orlando finished in a 3 way tie for the 5 seed in the weak conference) when deciding what's best for his team. If Orlando is to be specifically feared then half the league would be. Besides, maybe Zach makes them worse for all we know. Not like he's some proven winner.

Of course he shouldn't do that, but I would bet he refuses to do anything with Orlando just on the risk of "Oh no, Orlando screwed us over again" playing out incredibly terribly for him from a PR perspective. Being scared of perception would offer a reasonable explanation for many of AK's actions, that said without being in his head, I have no idea if it is that or a totally different brand of stupidity.

[League Circles]

I don't think AK or anyone can afford to care what happens to another middling team (yes, Orlando finished in a 3 way tie for the 5 seed in the weak conference) when deciding what's best for his team. If Orlando is to be specifically feared then half the league would be. Besides, maybe Zach makes them worse for all we know. Not like he's some proven winner.

Of course he shouldn't do that, but I would bet he refuses to do anything with Orlando just on the risk of "Oh no, Orlando screwed us over again" playing out incredibly terribly for him from a PR perspective. Being scared of perception would offer a reasonable explanation for many of AK's actions, that said without being in his head, I have no idea if it is that or a totally different brand of stupidity.

I don't see any reason to think he cares about public perception in the way you might presume most execs naturally do. Ownership has never ever cared about that, going back many decades now. Reinsdorf is perfectly fine with the public ridiculing his managers, and surely AK knows that because it was probably part of the pitch that brought him on.

Like, really? We actually think AK would pass on a deal (surely one of VERY few tangible offers to choose from) that he thought was the best Zach deal because it might make him look bad for making a bad move with the same middling team twice? I just don't see a shred of logic in that. Nobody thinks that way IMO. Because it's completely illogical for a fan to be more mad that 2 bad moves were made with the same team than 2 WORSE moves (by definition) made with two separate teams. I mean it's not like Orlando projects as any kind of powerhouse at any point on the horizon. They're just a team.

I think if anything AK's moves show that he could absolutely give AF about public perception. He could have trivially appeared better to most fans by "doing something" at the last 2-3 trade deadlines, but didn't.

That's really one very consistent theme in Bulls management since the Krause days. They do what they THINK is best, regardless of how unpopular it may be. And they are kept on the job for YEARS past when fans clearly want them gone despite that.