IF a long-term rebuild is underway, 2 deals to kickstart the process

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I can't stress enough that these deals (at least the 2nd trade) are only IF MU is determined to move forward with a complete, multi-year rebuilding process, designed to start competing in the 2016-2017 season.

I also need to credit magoon for the first deal.


TRADE #1

Lowry & Johnson (and any combination of Hansborough / Novak / OKC's 2014 2nd round pick) to Chicago for Boozer & 2 x 2014 1st round picks (Chicago's is unprotected & Charlotte's is 1-10 protected)

- Chicago replaces Boozer with Johnson
- Chicago replaces Rose with Lowry (could make Hinrich expendable in the offseason or his expiring contract could be used as S&T asset)
- Chicago saves $2.6M (pro-rated) this season
- Chicago saves $9.8M next season (assuming Johnson's team option is picked-up)

- Toronto gets 2 x 2014 1st round picks
- Toronto has a huge ($16.8M) expiring contract in Boozer next season, as a veteran leader and mentor for JV & other young bigs


TRADE #2

DeRozan & Fields to Charlotte for Gordon & 2 x 2014 1st round picks (Detroit's is 1-8 protected & Portland's is 1-12 protected)

* I'd be willing to include Toronto's remaining 2014 2nd round pick (will likely be an early pick) if necessary, or even both 2nd round picks if the OKC pick doesn't go to Chicago

- Charlotte gets huge upgrade on the wings, both starting and backup (Henderson would be great 6th man)
- only costs Charlotte $2.55M this season and DeRozan is under contract at good price for next 3 seasons

- Toronto gets 2 x 2014 1st round picks
- Gordon's expiring contract and shedding Fields' contract offset the addition of Boozer from #1


NET RESULTS

- DeRozan ($9.5M) + Amir ($7.0M) + Fields ($6.25M) - Boozer ($16.8M) = $5.95M savings next season for Toronto

- Toronto would have 5 x 2014 1st round picks:
1. Toronto (likely top-5 after these trades)
2. Detroit (1-8 protected)
3. Charlotte (1-10 protected)
4. Chicago (unprotected)
5. Portland (1-12 protected)

- guaranteed contracts for 2014-15 season:
1. Valanciunas ($3.68M)
2. Ross ($2.79M)
3. Boozer ($16.8M - expiring)
4. Hayes ($5.96M - expiring)
5. Novak ($3.45M)
6. Hansborough ($1M guaranteed)
7. Salmons ($1M guaranteed)
8. Vasquez ($3.20M QO)
9. Patterson ($4.32M QO)
TOTAL: $42.2M

- I fully expect Novak & Hansborough would be traded by the trade deadline (if not included in the Chicago trade), as cheap & valuable assets to playoff teams, further reducing the guaranteed salary for next season ($37.75M).

- I would hope that Hayes' contract could be unloaded by the trade deadline, either with Novak and/or Hansborough, or with any 2nd round picks they might return (to a team with cap space to spare), reducing the guaranteed salary for next season even more ($31.79M); if kept, he'd be a nearly $6M expiring contract next season.


The team would not be pretty to watch for the rest of this season, but would almost be assured of a top-5 pick (at least) in the 2014 draft. They would have 4 additional 1st round picks to work with. They would have loads of cap space to work with (even more if Vasquez and/or Patterson are renounced/traded in the offseason).

The team would be well on the road to a complete rebuild, essentially building around Valanciunas, Ross and several 1st round picks. IF the goal is to rebuild this franchise over the next 2.5 seasons, to be competitive going into the 2016-17 season (remember, the Raptors have an extra 1st round pick in the 2016 draft) and become a perennial contender, I could support such drastic action.

[magoon]

I don't think Charlotte does that deal at this point. MKG will be back in a month and is coming into his own, and they have good defense and they have a primary high-usage scoring option in Big Al. DeMar is not the guy they need and they're not in such win-now mode to the extent that they'll give up the Detroit pick (which probably ends up being #16-18). The Portland pick right now looks like a 25-30 pick; that's probably gettable.

If you want two picks, you probably target OKC, who if they can get a decent asset in exchange for Kendrick Perkins might move theirs and the Dallas protected pick, both of which should end up in the bottom third of the draft. If you want one decent-to-good 2014 first-rounder you probably target Cleveland, because Chris Grant is the Bryan Colangelo of 2013-14; he needs a good season in order to save his job. Both of those teams would probably consider a package where they get DeRozan and an okay/good big (Patterson or Hansbrough).

[phiLLy]

Love this too.

Any trade where we give up players in return for picks, even in the late first round of 2014, I'm down for.

The amount of prospects, and, hopefully MU and his staff scout well, I could seem some real gems for us.

And plus, our payroll would be ridiculously low, with 5 new Rookie Contracts, 2 Existing Rookie Contracts, some fillers that MU is great at putting together, and essentially Boozer, which, is an expiring, and could be traded for even more draft picks up 2015.

I like

EDIT: Do we have enough room for 2-Max Players too? Lmao. Can somebody give that a quick calculation if this pipe-dream somehow works?

EDIT 2: Even magoon's trade would work. We take Lamb and Perkins. Perk/Boozer are a bit of a wash, except Boozer has an Expiring, and is paid more, I believe. But, we pick up Lamb, so that makes 8 Rookie Contracts on our team, Vasquez/Patterson, who on that note, might not even be there.

Pretty sure we have enough room for 1 - 2 Max Contract Players?

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I don't think Charlotte does that deal at this point. MKG will be back in a month and is coming into his own, and they have good defense and they have a primary high-usage scoring option in Big Al. DeMar is not the guy they need and they're not in such win-now mode to the extent that they'll give up the Detroit pick (which probably ends up being #16-18). The Portland pick right now looks like a 25-30 pick; that's probably gettable.

If you want two picks, you probably target OKC, who if they can get a decent asset in exchange for Kendrick Perkins might move theirs and the Dallas protected pick, both of which should end up in the bottom third of the draft. If you want one decent-to-good 2014 first-rounder you probably target Cleveland, because Chris Grant is the Bryan Colangelo of 2013-14; he needs a good season in order to save his job. Both of those teams would probably consider a package where they get DeRozan and an okay/good big (Patterson or Hansbrough).

Very true. Charlotte was just one possible trade partner.

I was really trying to point out that if MU wants to get super aggressive in his rebuild, he does have some assets (players, 2 2014 2nd round picks, and even future 1st round picks) to work with that very well could land him multiple 1st round picks in 2014.


The Chicago trade (Amir & Lowry - Boozer & 2 1st round picks) seems like a really good fit. Hansborough and/or Novak and/or a 2nd round pick could be added as sweetener.

--

For OKC, I was even thinking a 2-trade deal: Salmons for Perkins, then Hansborough/Patterson for TPE & 1st round pick. Buying-out Salmons would save OKC $8.4M next season, they'd get a replacement for Perkins and wing help, while keeping Lamb for the long-term. I think that's easily worth a 1st round pick; I wonder if a high 2nd round pick or future 1st round pick (ie: 2018 1st round pick) would be enough to get the 2nd 1st round pick out of them?

[charlesnba23]

I like these ideas a lot. If we are able to trade DeMar (which I really like), Amir, Kyle and Landry for 2014 first round picks and expiring contracts, I'm all for it.

[Uncle_Si]

It's going to be a tough sell for MU to get multiple first round picks this year, especially once teams know his direction. I guess that's why they pay him the big bucks. If he can pull off anything mentioned above I'd be ecstatic. If he lands even just 1 more first round pick this year I'd be ecstatic. I just don't know what other teams are looking to make moves were not the only team with valuable trade assets....

[CalgaryRapsFan]

It's going to be a tough sell for MU to get multiple first round picks this year, especially once teams know his direction. I guess that's why they pay him the big bucks. If he can pull off anything mentioned above I'd be ecstatic. If he lands even just 1 more first round pick this year I'd be ecstatic. I just don't know what other teams are looking to make moves were not the only team with valuable trade assets....

I think MU has some good pieces - DeRozan, Lowry & Amir (plus perhaps Hansborough and Novak), as well as future picks (anything beyond the 2016 draft) - to work with.

Targeting any team with multiple 1st round picks to begin with, that isn't tanking (ie: Chicago, Charlotte, Cleveland, OKC), would be the logical starting point. The fact that a few of them have bad contracts to unload (ie: Boozer, Perkins) is just another benefit.

[Superjudge]

I like when we make trades that are awesome for toronto, yet not awesome for other teams.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

I like when we make trades that are awesome for toronto, yet not awesome for other teams.

I agree that the Charlotte trade was likely a little lopsided, but I think the Bulls trade could have some legs.

[magoon]

I think the Chicago trade works precisely BECAUSE it works for both teams. Chicago unloads Boozer's contract and gains a lot of financial flexibility without losing playability on the court. Toronto gets draft picks and a solid veteran who can teach Jonas some tricks.

As an aside, it's also doable under the CBA without sending Amir if you send Lowry/Hansbrough/either Novak or Ross instead of Lowry/Amir and Chicago sends us back Mike James and/or Erik Murphy. I don't think that scenario gets us both picks, though. Maybe we get one pick out of that version of the deal. It depends on how much you want to keep Amir around. I think there's a strong argument for keeping him.

[charlesnba23]

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=mm8rung

DeMar, Amir, Lowry and Fields to Charlotte. We receive Ben Gordon, Bismack Biyombo, Brendan Haywood and a 2014 1st round pick. Bobcats trade Sessions to GS for TE to make trade work.

Valanciunas/Biyombo/Haywood
Patterson/Hansbrough/Hayes
Salmons/Novak/Daye
Ross/Gordon
Vasquez/Buycks/Stone

That's a pretty good tank team. Then we cut Haywood after the season or try to trade him with guys like Novak and Hayes. Bring back All the other guys, have 5 draft picks. Draft 1 player from each position.

Valanciunas/Biyombo/Rookie
Rookie/Patterson/Hansbrough
Rookie/?????/?????
Ross/Stone/Rookie
Vasquez/Buycks/Rookie

*Rookie starters will be studs. Backup small forwards could be Novak if we don't trade him and free agents like Alonzo Gee, Thabo Sefolosha or Trevor Ariza, for example. But don't put too much money on them, as you want to sign really good free agents in 2015.

**That's the best I can do/see if I'm with y'all on the tank side.