Trade & FA 2024-25:

[Kidnova]

I would love this offseason if we just kept it simple. I think they have the players to contend with just a simple tweak. Drafting Flagg doesn't stop me from getting PJ locked up on a 4/$90 deal where he can be a 30+ mpg DAWG, whether he starts 30 games or 80 games, doesn't matter.

Trading Gafford+ for a PG solves some roster construction issues for me. I think AD is better at the 5, especially in the playoffs when you need all 5 to space the floor. Nico and Kidd simply tell him things have changed with getting the #1 pick and he'll have to play more 5. Which won't be a big issue IMO with PJ being able to bang with most of the Bigs in this league.

I don't care who starts. It's either PJ or Lively off the bench, both of which will get plenty of minutes to impact the game. I can even see a world where Flagg is used as a point forward, like Naji, and Klay comes off the bench. Kidd will use so many lineup combinations during the regular season anyway, factor in missed games for AD and Lively, I just don't see a world where PJ can't get 30+ mpg and 40+ starts minimum. Replacing Gafford with a vet min like Kai Jones is more than sufficient for the regular season grind.

If you can trade Hardy for a bogus second rounder and bring back Exum in that salary slot, it'd be an A+ offseason for me.

Some trades that make sense.

Gafford for Lonzo Ball
Gafford for Coby White
Gafford + Hardy for Collin Sexton


(Ball/White/Sexton) | Exum | B. Williams
Klay | Christie
Flagg | Naji | Martin
AD | PJW | Omax
Lively | K. Jones | Powell

Kyrie - Out


When Kyrie is back a healthy rotation could look like:

Kyrie 32 | (Ball/White/Sexton) 16
Klay 22 | Christie 18 | (Ball/White/Sexton) 8
Flagg 28 | Naji 20
AD 14 | PJW 30 | Flagg 4
Lively 20 | AD 20 | Jones 8


Kyrie 32
Klay 22
Flagg 32
AD 34
Lively 20

(Ball/White/Sexton) 24
Christie 18
Naji 20
PJW 30
Jones 8

If Lively is going to be limited to 20 minutes for the rest of his career because they're scared of him getting hurt, then I'm jumping on the train to trade him now while his value is high.  There's no reason he shouldn't be able to handle 30 mins a night.