s/general - AD to the Suns final mock trade

Out: Jalen Green, Royce O'Neale, Nick Richards, 2027 First
In: Anthony Davis
Logic: Suns have had a nice surprising start to their season despite Green missing the court for most of it. When he returns, the amount of touches everyone else gets will drop and in turn, the team could have a harder time meshing together, not to mention their defense (which has greatly improved this year) will likely drop. With that in mind, they can buy low on Anthony Davis using Jalen Green and a couple other bench players. They still keep Dillon Brooks and Grayson Allen who have been their second and third best players this season, and last the 2027 pick is a "worst of" pick that will most likely drop to the bottom of the first round. With everything in mind, this is a pretty cheap price for a player who can deliver big on both ends when he's healthy, and doesn't require X amount of touches to be useful on the court.

Out: Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Dwight Powell
In: Jalen Green, Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, 2027 First, 4 Seconds
Logic: If the Mavericks do decide to trade Anthony Davis this year, this is about as good an offer you'll get. Despite some inconsistencies, Jalen Green is still a guy who can give you 20 a night and still has plenty of time to develop. Compared to AD, Jalen Green is almost 10 years younger and fits into Coopers timeline a lot better. You also get another player who fits into that timeline with Dalton Knecht, who had a hot start to his rookie season and can get a chance to show more of that on a rebuilding team. On top of that, you get 2 expiring contracts (Vincent and Kleber) which means you clear over $20m in cap space next season, allowing for greater financial flexibility you wouldn't have with AD. Lastly is the draft capital which isn't anything crazy but can still help the team draft in the future and make other maneuvers. This is a pretty solid package for 2025 Anthony Davis.

Out: Max Strus, 4 Seconds
In: Royce O'Neale, Nick Richards
Logic: Max Strus has yet to play this season and is coming off a fractured foot. Its likely he won't be quite as productive once he returns so the best move to maximize your window this year would be to trade him. Luckily, Royce O'Neale is probably having his best year this year and would give Cleveland another versatile wing (also played with Spida before), and Nick Richards would give them more flexibility at the 5 instead of having to play Larry Nance or Thomas Bryant. In my opinion, the 4 seconds would be justified to move off an injured player and get 2 different players that fill 2 positions of need.

Out: Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht
In: Max Strus, D'Angelo Russell, Dwight Powell
Logic: Basically trading 3 role players for 3 slightly better role players without using any draft picks. D'Angelo Russell is more proven than Gabe Vincent and would only be asked to come off the bench now. Max Strus once he's healthy is basically everything you get from Dalton Knecht except more experienced and ready for big moments. And Dwight Powell is a bit better around the rim than Maxi Kleber. Nothing groundbreaking here, but a marginal improvement for a team that doesn't need anything else right now.