Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[surfpuckmd]

STEP ...
1 Fire NTI, yep.
2 Tear it all down and rebuild? Not interested at all.
3 Trade AD (specifically), yep. Bad fit in every way. Paid to (and eats up payroll appropriate for) an every day team centerpoint who carries the team on his back day after day, but while he has the skills, he doesn't have the health. Also, he's clogging the team's position of strength at PF (forcing other players to play elsewhere, or be traded) while not being able to man it himself.
4 Trade AD for another superior creator of offense, to complement Kyrie. Not instead of. Right player on the right contract. Obviously these 2 are n/a, but Halliburton or SGA is the model to envision. The idea is to use AD in a trade in the same way OKC used PG, looking for a salary match plus a younger player who has already shown the skills. Does not have to be today, just find that trade.
5 While looking, keep and build talent and win all you can. Not getting great picks regardless, so might as well win a title while working on the AD-for-the-future-guy swap.

I'm concerned that the rest of the NBA won't value AD as much as Nico Harrison did.  He's 32 and not the most durable or the most skilled player.   As he refuses to play the 5, he needs to be paired with a center who can shoot.  I'm not seeing too many perfect fits around the league.  

I'm sure we could get Brandon Ingram or Jamal Murray for him.  Jaylen Brown might work if AD hadn't burned that bridge.   If we're looking for upside, maybe Shaedon Sharpe?  Ja Morant might be available but we'd need to involve a third team as neither JJJ or AD want to play the 5.  

AD for Zach Lavine and Keegan Murray?  

AD for Norm Powell and Bogdonovic?

AD for Jimmy Butler and Podz?

I like Paul George as a reclamation project with some good draft capital coming our way.  That's not tearing it down.  It's renovating methodically.  I don't think Nico Harrison is capable of that so I'm hoping someone other than NTI makes these decisions.