The blow-up is imminent. While it’s not likely that everyone gets shipped out, in a world where they are all traded away, where do they all realistically end up?
My own opinions:
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Zach LaVine to the Miami Heat.
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DeMar DeRozan to the New York Knicks.
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Nikola Vucevic to the Memphis Grizzlies. (Vucevic to the Phoenix Suns for Jusuf Nurkic also works almost too perfectly salary-wise.)
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Alex Caruso to the Cleveland Cavaliers. (I also like the idea of Caruso to the Timberwolves to solidify their defense even more, but not sure how they can make that deal work.)
Demar is a tough sell. Not a lot of teams want a guy with his skill set and he’s up there in age. Best fit is probably a non contender that also isn’t rebuilding. Maybe Brooklyn, but they have enough assets to push for a bigger star. Maybe the grizzlies if they’re desperate enough to want to tread water without Ja? Maybe Miami decides to prioritize shot creation and ball handling over shooting in an effort to give their offence some more juice ? Not many realistic suitors.
Caruso is the opposite. Everyone will want him. Denver would be perfect but they don’t have assets really. Similar situation with most contenders. I think Philly makes a lot of sense for him. Between he Melton and bev you could be swarming ball handlers all the time and then having Embiid in the paint to solidify a lethal defence.
Vuc is interesting. Old, got extended, great offensive skill set, bad defensive reputation but he’s held up in Chicago at that end. I think he’d be a much better version of what New Orleans wanted Jonas to be for them. I also think he could be a great pickup for Miami. Love has been big for them but there’s only so much he can do at his age, vuc would be like turning back the clock on him. He could also be an adams replacement if Memphis gives up on his health.
Lavine is obviously the most valuable piece but I think his contract, slow start and playoff deficiencies (small sample of course)limit his value a bit. New York is the obvious choice and who I’d bet on. Memphis is interesting but they’re locking themselves into a lot of small rotations. Lavine to Indiana would be a lot of fun. I could see the kings going it and committing entirely to offence