Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[DanSchwartzgan]

I listened to their Minnesota preview yesterday.  They referred to Kyrie as the dream fit, but expensive.  

Sorry, but there is no way you do a Minnesota deal for Kyrie where Randall is in it. 

I watched some more Minnesota content.  One video talked about S&T Ayo being part of the outgoing compensation for Kyrie (they mentioned Kyrie might make him redundant).  I’d probably agree with their assessment had DiVincenzo not gotten hurt.  But, I like the idea of Ayo here.  Combine him with Beringer and some draft capital other than the #28 pick and I’m starting to get interested.   You have to wait until July to do this, so you know your pick at that point and #28 from Minnesota isn’t part of the deal (which is fine by me as I’d rather have 2033 or even a swap of their 2028 pick).  

They thought Randall had neutral to slightly negative value and tried to put him in deals and thought Brooklyn might take him for some returning value.  I still don’t want him, but if I was getting Ayo, Beringer and 2033, I could hold my nose for two years.  There is a version where Randall, DiVincenzo (out most of next season, but a good expiring player to have for 2027), Beringer and Ayo at $20mm for Kyrie, PJ and Caleb Martin would work.  People can argue over whether any additional draft compensation that would be necessary.

Personally, I’d rather put Naz in place of Randall and put Gafford in place of PJ.  You don’t get to dump Martin in this version, but Ayo ($18mm), Baringer, Naz and DiVencenzo for Irving and Gafford works in July.

Finally, they also explored Gobert deals where he went to Charlotte.  They were trying to preserve sending out a pick and felt Charlotte could send draft assets to Dallas.  The trouble with that in my mind is it is hard to Minnesota to give up Gobert and Beringer.  You can make the money work, but is a S&T Ayo and our 2027 pick back enough for Kyrie?  I came up with a version where Charlotte got Gobert and AJ Johnson,  Minnesota got Kyrie, Josh Green and Kalkbrenner and Dallas got expiring Miles Bridges (with Kidd gone, does that open up a wife-beater slot for us), Ayo at $18mm, DiVincenzo and our 2027 pick.  Again, people can argue as to whether the various sides need to add draft capital.  I’m just trying to find frameworks that don’t require us to take on Randall (or compensate us wildly for doing so).