LOR2 Plus

[Laimbeer40]

With the upcoming trade deadline coming on March 10th I am printing the annual Trades That SHOULD Happen column...


Boston sends:
PF Onyeka Okongwu $5.3m

Golden State sends:
2021 CLE 1st
SF Louis King 0.8m

... Celtics have a glut of young SF/PF types that are underperforming. Onyeka has been pretty rough this season so they sell before they get stuck with the next Mo Bamba for a pick that could land in the late lottery. Louis King seems like a throw in but he should get a G-League call up pretty soon so this allows him the chance to evaluate a young talent for a cheap extension. Warriors obviously going young take a chance that the Hawks front court opens up next year and Onyeka can stay healthy and out of foul trouble.
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Clippers send:
SF Justise Winslow 1.8m, 0.0m

Heat sends:
SF Josh Jackson: 5.4m, RFA

... People spend crazy in the offseason so there is no telling what Jackson is offered in RFA. Heat swaps to pick up a free sneaky asset next year while LAC upgrades for their title run this year.
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Raptors send:
PG Kyle Lowry 18.0, 18.0
*Paid down 6m both yrs

Pistons send:
SF Deni Avidja 4.1m

... Pistons are maybe a player away from making a lot of noise in the East. They probably want to hedge their bets but they should gun it and try to win. Avidja is a very nice prospect but getting Lowry at 12m per season is a great deal for them. Raptors will have plenty of room to eat the cap and they get to skew younger for another rebuild.
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Wizards send:
SF Kawhi Leonard 19.0 x 5 yrs

Lakers send:
C Jusuf Nurkic 3.4, then 13.6 x 5 yrs
PF P.J. Washington 2.6m
SF Jordan Nwora 0.8, 0.8, 0.8

... What's up with all of the playoff teams that want to bail out this year? Wizards hopefully get Klay back next year and would have a nice combo with him and Nurkic. With all of the Hornets marks in this league maybe he could flip PJ into something too. The Lakers meanwhile get the star that they were after. Salaries would be made even this season.
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Pelicans send:
SG Eric Gordon 3.4, 3.4

Suns send:
PF Jaden McDaniels 1.7m

... Suns could use some depth. Gordon could get them a round deeper in the playoffs. Pels trying to get younger so this would be a nice prospect for their troubles.
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Pacers trade:
SF Kelly Oubre 6.6m
2021 CHA 2nd
2021 IND 2nd
2021 MIA 2nd

Thunder trades:
SF Gordon Hayward 17m, 17m

... Make salaries match this year. Oubre is younger and still has upside but his extension is pricy. Hayward is balling this year but brittle. However can OKC resist that many picks? It could turn the franchise around.
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Cavs Trade:
C Jaxson Hayes 3.1m
SG Damion Lee 11.0, UFA
C Udoka Azubuike 0.8, 0.8, 0.8

Rockets Trade:
C Brook Lopez 8.3, 8.3
SG K. Caldwell-Pope 7.5 

... Cavs kind of in No Man's Land after the Melo trade. But they are on the cusp of the playoffs so might as well ensure they collect a check. Lopez and KCP are obvious upgrades. Houston appears to be going nowhere so they are happy to get two shots at center prospects and cross their fingers. 


Did I miss anyone who wants a hypothetical trade for their team?

[Goldie]

Please

[OUDAN]

Hypotheticals are fun but Im the one hoping the front court open in Atlanta next year lol. John Collins on his way out? hmmmm

[Slou]

Haaaa I actually think the hypothetical for my team is solid. Only issue is my pick probably falls into the top 10 with AD being out

[Laimbeer40]

Hypotheticals are fun but Im the one hoping the front court open in Atlanta next year lol. John Collins on his way out? hmmmm

You could swap in Obi Toppin and the same trade would work. Both he and Onyeka have had slow starts to their career. A lotto pick in a stronger draft seems like it would be an enticing option.

[OUDAN]

Would be more down for Toppin for sure

[Laimbeer40]

Please

Updated with a Cavs-Rockets deal

[Goldie]

Please

Updated with a Cavs-Rockets deal

Thanks Laim, although I was hoping you'd be having me trade divisions with Houston, not players

[Laimbeer40]

Let's re-visit the preseason projections

Atlantic Division Preview

Boston

Outlook: The average age on this roster if you exclude MKG (and why wouldn't you exclude MKG?) is 22 years old. OUDAN is a rebuild enthusiast. One of their best players is on IR all year in Jonathan Isaac. Are you reading the tea leaves? This team is headed for a Top 10 pick. They have a lot of solid youth but they aren't going to be ready to compete until next year at the earliest.

Projected Record: 16-48
Current Record: 6-44-2 (Some of the youth has been slow to develop and ol' DAN isn't exactly coaxing any extra wins out of them)
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Brooklyn

Outlook: This franchise has never had a winning record. I don't see that changing this year. They have a stud in Embiid and enough talent to fill out a decent starting lineup. I think Okoro could be a steal. But aside from that there is a lot of prospecting here.

Projected Record: 15-49
Current Record: 19-32-1 (Faring better than expected as Embiid was a borderline MVP and jsk is a stand up owner who tries to win every week)
=================

New York

Outlook: The Knicks had a great record last year and it's possible that COVID robbed them of a championship. They have traded some big names which has given them more flexibility but also probably knocks them down a peg overall. They still should win this division in a cake walk.

Projected Record: 49-15
Current Record: 47-5 (I take credit for this good record. I don't think Heis liked my projection so he went out and got SAC to send him all their talent. Now he's the 1 seed)
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Philadelphia

Outlook: The Sixers were one of the top teams for the first three seasons of LOR2 before taking a step back last season. Even with the decline they still had well over a winning record. I'm not sure I have seen Kyle rebuild in any league. Maybe in baseball but that's not my bag. This season's squad has Paul George and Zinger as their top guns. After that I'm not sure they have another slam dunk Top 100 player on the roster. This feels like a .500 ball club that Kyle will coax to more wins out of sheer determination.

Projected Record: 35-29
Current Record: 33-18-1 (I stand by what I said but PHI exceeding expectations due to end of the bench guys making nice contributions. Very deep)
================

Toronto

Outlook: The Raptors typically underperform due to lack of in-season management. They usually have talent but they don't cash in on their assets. You have $30 million in cap, do something with it! Take on a bad contract in exchange for an asset. Buyout Hollis-Jefferson. Drop Spellman. Figure out a direction. If you are rebuilding, then cash in on Lowry and Brogdon. The current roster has no focus on picking a direction and that's the worst place you can be. It'll make you mediocre every year.

Projected Record: 18-46

Current Record: 13-36-3 (I feel like I was pretty spot on here. Still has the dead weight on the roster. On the bright side KPJ showing life)

[Laimbeer40]

Central Division Preview

Chicago

Outlook: The Bulls started in LOR2 with a .657 win% in their first season and it's been a rough ride since then. They went through a DEEP rebuild and decided to cash it all in to compete this year. Did they succeed in that mission? Well they have two Top 50-ish players with Chris Paul and CJ McCollum. Then they have a bunch of 3rd options. I'm not sure that's going to get it done. This has all the makings of a 4th-5th seed.

Projected Record: 39-25
Current Record: 34-17-1 (Currently a 4th seed as expected. CJ's injuries didn't help matters)
================ 

Cleveland

Outlook: This feels like Goldie has been tinkering with this roster for a long time. The Cavs were a mess when he took them over and they have been flush with draft picks ever since. They had a .355 win% in Year One and have yet to match that. Now they have collected so much talent that it would be disappointing if they don't compete for the playoffs. But with the 2021 Draft Class supposed to be so transcendent can they resist hoarding more draft picks instead?

Projected Record: 31-33
Current Record: 29-20-3 (Definitely missed the mark on this one as I undersold LaMelo. CLE traded him for Russ but the point is that's an additional top player I didn't project)
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Detroit

Outlook: This is a tough projection to make. This is another team with no prior winning seasons but they have a Greek Freak. Then D'Angelo Russell and DeAndre Ayton form a nice tandem. Avidja should contribute as should Kennard. They gave up a tidy sum to get Shake Milton. The arrow is pointing up on these guys but I'm still not sold on them.

Projected Record: 33-31
Current Record: 24-27-1 (Lost D.Russell for about 2 months otherwise my projection would be spot on)
================

Indiana

Outlook: The Pacers have always strong. It could be argued they have been the East's best franchise since LOR2 started. They have 2 finals appearances and were trending toward a 3rd last season. True to form this team is stacked once again. Savvy trades for Bertans and Oubre really solidified the Flex position. I also think Desmond Bane has a chance to be a sneaky contributor. 

Projected Record: 54-10
Current Record: 42-10 (It has been an injury riddled season but definitely not a team you want to see in your playoff bracket)
================

Milwaukee

Outlook: The Bucks always seem to hedge their bets but this has become a squad. Can they stay healthy? Jokic, KD, JJJ and LaVine are all legit. Sekou, Poku and Culver will be instrumental if they want to make a Finals run.

Projected Record: 47-17

Current Record: 20-30-2 (So no they couldn't stay healthy and Sekou, Poku and Culver have been mediocre. Way off on this one)