You’re also forgetting the Assets the Mav’s used to get Kyrie West.
Mav’s could have had Brunson on a significantly cheaper deal while still having Dinwiddie, DFS, their Unprotected 2029 1st and 2-2nd’s to use on another Trade.
So it’s Kyrie West vs Brunson, Dinwiddie, DFS, an Unprotected 2029 1st and 2-2nd’s.
Eastern Conference Group C has played 3 total games so far.
Every one of them have been Nets games vs Bulls, Celtics, and Magic with the Raptors still left to play on the 28th.
As a Nets fan I expect Cam to fall back to earth at some point but this is my favorite cherry picked stat of his.
Most PPG all-time by a starter over the last 40 seasons (minimum 5 games):
32.6 — Cam Thomas
30.5 — Michael Jordan
Nobody else has more than 30.
Plus the Sixers would still have all their Draft Capital outside of a 2025 Top 6 Protected 1st (rolls over Top 4 Protected 2026) owed to OKC for the Horford salary dump.
You also add valued Kings 1st’s because swapping Sabonis w/ Simmons means the Kings never take that next step because Simmons required back surgery months later.
So now instead of Harden and a single 2030 1st the Sixers would have had Haliburton, Heild, ton of Draft Capital and kept Curry/Drummond who were valued Depth pieces.
Problem with that is Embiid turns 30 in March and has a $59m Player Option in another 2yrs.
At that point Embiid will be 32yrs old (turning 33 mid season) while looking for big money with a history of injuries and now getting into the twilight years of his career.
If the Sixers strike out this Offseason with their Cap Space they should really look into flipping Embiid’s final 2yrs(+1yr Player Option) to a team like OKC.
Trading Embiid to OKC would give them their 2025 1st back which has Protections until 2026.
Then the Sixers could take a 2yr mini rebuild before they have to worry about owing the Nets a Top 8 Protected 1st in 2027/28.
Or they could go the Miami route and try to get Bam if they want to continue to compete since OKC owns Sixers Top 6 Protected 1st in 2025 and Top 4 Protected in 2026. Then the Nets 1st’s that Philly still owes them.
I’d pump the brakes on the “Young Player” tag.
Camara is a Rookie who will be 24yrs old in May.
You need to have proper perspective of a 23yr old Prospect vs a 19yr old.
Of course he’s going to look more developed since he’s literally had 4 extra years to work on his game and should be more filled out physically.
Harden won’t be on the Sixers next season regardless.
At that point it’s better to take the 1st vs nothing especially since the Sixers currently only have their 2030 1st as Draft Capital to use in a Trade outside of a Draft Day Trade this year since they have their 2024 1st but can’t Trade it because OKC has 2025/26 and Nets have 2027/28 Protected.
It was a 3y/$161m Max Exentsion on top of his 2 years of Player Options which were another $80m. So roughly $250m in total when added together.
Main reason he held off is because the following Offseason the Max Extension available to Harden would have been 4y/$223m + $47m Player Option which is $270m.
Instead once Harden forced his way to Philly he declined that $47m Player Option to help Philly open more Cap Space for Free Agents and signed a 2y/$68m deal with a Player Option.
Kyrie West did a similar thing when he went Anti-Vax.
Nets offered the “Big 3” Max Extensions at the same time and fortunately for Brooklyn only Durant locked in his $.
Kyrie was offered a 4y/$187m Max Extension on top of his $37m Player Option so $224m in total.
Nets pulled the offer once he decided against the vaccination so he couldn’t lock in the guaranteed $.
Kyrie followed that by promoting an antisemitic film and then demanding the Nets either Trade or give him a 4-5y/$200-250m Fully Guaranteed Contract with no strings attached.