With trade talks set to heat up next week as the 2016 draft approaches, ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link) decided to create five hypothetical deals that he thinks should happen this offseason. Ford’s proposals include sending Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves, Jahlil Okafor to the Pelicans, D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to the Celtics, and Jeff Teague to the Kings. Ford also suggests a mammoth, three-team deal that would involve Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Eric Bledsoe, and Brandon Knight. While we’ll likely see some major moves go down this summer, that particular proposal is probably a pipe dream.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- With the deadline for international prospects to withdraw from the NBA draft having passed, Chinese big man Zhou Qi has kept his name in the draft, according to Ford (Twitter links). The ESPN.com scribe notes that Zhou’s stock is hard to gauge because some teams believe he’s three or four years older than his listed age of 20.
- Sonny Weems‘ two-year, $3MM deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv is now official, tweets international basketball reporter David Pick. Weems played overseas for several seasons before getting another NBA look from the Suns and Sixers in 2015/16.
- French prospect Guerschon Yabusele has looked very good in his pre-draft workouts, and could play his well into the back of the first round in next week’s draft, writes Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com. Within his latest piece for CBSSports.com, Rothstein also examines the Ben Simmons/Brandon Ingram debate and Marquese Chriss‘ rising stock.
- Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders takes a look at Adonis Thomas‘ efforts to get back onto an NBA roster. Thomas, who is participating in several free agent mini-camps, was in training camp with the Pistons last season before a leg injury sidelined him.
I’m sorry but Chad Ford is SUCH A JOKE! He gets paid to do this? Where the heck is he pulling these horrible trade proposals from…why would the lakers trade Russell and Randle for the 3rd pick and scraps? Somebody please explain
Which “scraps” are involved? Trading Russell makes sense though because the Lakers could get a different point guard (Murray/Dunn) and getting rid of any potential locker room problems with Russell there. Also Randle is not nearly as valuable as Laker fans make him out to be. The guy is talented and is a beast on the boards, but he still needs to develop an effective jump shot and isn’t a rim protector. To boot, he’s a bit undersized. If he doesn’t develop a jump shot or become a rim protector, he’s probably another Reggie Evans. If he develops a jump shot, he’s probably another Brandon Bass. If he develops a jump shot and can protect the rim, he’s probably looking at David West potential. Even considering the David West comparison, he’s not exactly a HOFer or headlining a package for a young stud (DeMarcus Cousins) without some major pieces thrown with him.
Randle’s potential is higher than Bass and Evans. How many 19/20 year olds average double doubles in the NBA? He needs some development in other areas of his game but if this is his floor he’s shown enough to wait and see.
Russell isn’t the drama in the locker room everyone is making him out to be. He’s a teenager who made a mistake and got hung out to dry by a coach who has already been fired. Young won’t be there next year and all the drama will be gone with him. Russell has the chance to be a very special player in this league. Looking at his potential pared with his work ethic I’m pretty sure we are going to see great things from him. It’s too early to sell on both of these players.
Randle does have a higher potential, but he has a long way to go. Right now, which would be his floor, would be a rich man’s Reggie Evans. If he doesn’t develop a jump shot or become a rim protector, then he’ll be a rich man’s Reggie Evans. There’s probably a better player comp I could use, but off the top of my head I can’t really think of any undersized 4’s that are better than Evans, which would give a clearer picture of Randle’s current talent level.
Zac Randolph comp seem pretty good.
Does anyone have insider and would they like to comment the trades?