2021 FREE AGENCY: Markkanen wants out of CHI | DAL "definitely interested"

[cow]

The general theme I've seen from the Pelican forums I've read is that there are plenty of Zion rumblings of him wanting out already. Zion+Adams doesn't work because they both play around the rim. They're looking for stretch bigs to play next to Zion. Bledsoe is seen as dead money and they're thinking about stretch waiving him to get to max cap space (with Adams being traded).

Ingram is also seen as a bad fit next to Zion as multiple times Ingram would ignore Zion in the 4th. It was speculated that it was Van Gundy's design, hence the firing now, but it seems Ingram can be had for a moderate return.  

Further, from the Lonzo angle, they don't want to pay Lonzo 20+ million. The general take is he's a good player but he isn't skilled enough to be paid that much. They desperately are looking for a vet presence and are eying Lowry hard (if the media reports are true). 

This trade not only gives the Pels the vet presence they're looking for, but a stretch big for Zion that can play D, and a  defensive SG that they need as well in Richardson. They also open up 30+ mil from their books and it lets them retool with whatever free agents they had their eye on (DeRozan maybe??). 

I think the Pels do it in a heartbeat. Mavs do it because they form a somewhat Big 3 with Ingram/KP/Luka.

A few things that are worth about nothing.  

If I put my Pels GM hat on, I have some control Zion.  And if he wants out after two years, I'm no leveraging the future of the franchise for a 1st or 2nd round exit.  Lowry will not be in the league much longer.  I'm just kicking the Zion unhappiness can down the road a very minor distance.

I like Lonzo a lot.  I wanted him as a reclamation project when he was struggling in LA.  He turned it around with the Pels but I mostly agree with the stance that paying him 20+ a year is probably a mistake.  

I do like the DeRozan/Lowry reuniting angle though.

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If you somehow keep KP... That's a heck of a big 3 if KP isn't awful on defense anymore.

That's a big if.  And speaking of ifs, if there is any truth to KP being unhappy/jealous of Luka, I don't see how Ingram improves that situation.

Carmelo made KP Robin.  When Carmelo was gone, KP was Batman.  He was traded to Dallas and became Robin again.  If we get Ingram, KP is now Alfred.