Here is my first mock draft based on current standings and influenced by my big board. Some picks are reaches while others see talent I think is better fall due to team needs/fit….

Hello everyone! What a crazy deadline season it has been so far! Certainly injected a level of excitement and bewilderment into the league I haven't seen in a long time. I normally keep my trades down to 2-3 teams, but was inspired by the lunacy we are seeing to go for something a bit more eccentric. This sees 5 teams interconnected by the current picks they own make some deals.

After the Fox trade, the Spurs could very well remain content on hanging on to their remaining assets, both players and picks, and see what they've got before making any other moves. That being said, I think they are in a perfect position to capitalize on the moment and continue to surround Wemby with a tailor-made roster of talent. This trade sees them going out and getting Cam, Bam, and Vit at the cost of Keldon, Barnes, Castle, Branham, four firsts and 4 seconds. This would leave them with still plenty of picks, including most of their own, and keep some of the other young guys together like Vassell and Soc…

Hello everyone! Back again with another deal here. I know it gets a little boring seeing me make Knicks trades, especially when the Knicks don't have much to work with, but here are my realistic deadline moves for the Knicks, Pelicans, and Rockets.

Starting with the Knicks, there have been many rumours circulating about whether or not the Knicks will look to move off of Mitchell Robinson. At this point in the season with him nearing a return as all accounts indicate, I don't see the value in moving Mitch when his value is at an all-time low. When healthy, Robinson is a beast. One of the best interior defenders and rebounders in the league. He has also seemingly trimmed down a bit in his conditioning signalling he may return to his more athletic style of play we once saw in his early days. The question remains whether he can stay healthy, but my best guess is that since the Knicks haven't made a deal with him yet, they believe he will return and stay healthy. In that case, the center s…

Hello everyone, and happy new year! Been awhile since I last posted but wanted to start back up again in the new year.

This trade sees the Spurs buy low on Zion to pair in the frontcourt with Wemby, creating one of the most exciting young duos in the league when healthy. Recently saw an article talking about how if Zion were to be moved, it would hopefully be to an organization with an excellent culture like Miami or San Antonio and it inspired me to make this trade. San Antonio gives up 3 firsts, with only one of them being their own and protected, gives back the pelicans seconds, and moves Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins. I know Zions value is highly debated currently given his health issues, but I think overall this is a rather fair trade and adds several more pieces to a solid group in New Orleans, not to mention the top pick they will be bringing in this year. Johnson has looked pretty solid this year for the Spurs and could fit nicely on the bench for the Pelicans, and Collins g…

Starting with the Bucks, it has been a rough start to the season. Lopez has looked very slow in transition and lost on the defensive end. The perimeter defense with Dame is almost non-existent. Although having a floor-spacing big paired with Giannis is extremely helpful, I don't believe it is necessary for this team to thrive. This trade sees them exchange Lopez for Williams who can create a scary defensive pairing with Giannis, and move off of MarJon who is rumoured to be on the chopping block for Thybulle who can help greatly fill the gaps in the backcourt. I feel like there should be some picks involved on this aspect of the trade but I can't quite decide what and in what direction so I'm open to ideas! It also opens up 2.2M in cap space allowing them to either sign some great rotation depth like Markelle Fultz or Lonnie Walker, or if they so please bring back Thanasis. Overall, I think this is an interesting direction for them to go and gives them a chance to redefine their team id…

Back again with another Knicks final moves trade. Relatively simple move for all teams involved. For the Knicks, they fill a positional need in a bigger, traditional PF in the absence of Randle and a backup Center who can stretch the floor and defend. This comes at the cost of Robinson who will be out until start of 2025 and Sims who, although the Knicks are high on his development during the offseason, is just not solid enough atm to be the true backup Center on a contender. They also give up the wizards protected first (most likely conveying as two seconds) and a second. To me, although Mitch when healthy is one of the best defensive bigs in the league, this a no-brainer. Clarke is on a long-term relatively affordable contract and can be a quality starter on this team. This is huge when this team is just going to continue to become more expensive and more difficult to hold together. The only confounding issue I can think of is the cap implications for a bridges extension due to the t…

After the blockbuster KAT trade, I think the Knicks should look to bolster their bench and find players on affordable long-term contracts. This way, they can lock in the roster for at least a few years while pushing for a title. This trade sees them grab Reath, Vanderbilt, and Bey for Robinson, Achiuwa, Dadiet, and a bit of their remaining draft capital. Although Mitch is probably the most valuable player in this deal when healthy, the issue is his health can't be relied on for a contending team. Reath provides that same imposing figure and defensive awareness while also stretching the floor and contributing greatly on the offensive side. Of course he is not nearly as good of a defender or rebounder as Robinson, but I believe in the player development staff on the Knicks and can easily see Reath fitting in on this squad more than Robinson. It also allows for potential big rotations with both Reath and KAT on the floor which is more exciting than Robinson and KAT. The additions of Vande…

Knicks find their backup center in Duop Reath who has shown flashes of great basketball. Brings in much-needed size and spacing at the 5 position, and relieves Achiuwa of having to guard the 5. A lineup of Brunson-Bridges-Anunoby-Randle-Robinson with a bench of McBride (Kolek or Payne are also options)-DiVincenzo-Hart-Achiuwa-Reath is poised for a deep run. I think Achiuwa can develop into a quality PF under Randle, and can also rotate to the 5 if needed. Sims and two seconds is a small price to pay to solidify an already deep roster.

For the Trailblazers, they get two seconds in the next two years and a somewhat young center who has been putting in some work this offseason for Reath, who now with the addition of Clingan to their already deep position of Center, finds himself expendable.

Who wins this trade? Who says no? What would you change? Let me know your thoughts below!…

EDIT: After reviewing the feedback, I did overvalue Craig. Take out the FRP so it is just Sims and two seconds and I think that is fair value.

This trade sees the Knicks make one final push to win a championship. They upgrade Achiuwa for Carter Jr, a move that essentially gives them two starting calibre centers like last season, only this time they have a stretch 5 which is even more valuable for their game. They also bring in Craig to slot in at the backup 3/4. Although undersized at the 4, he is exactly the type of piece they need to give some more flexibility on the bench. Giving up McBride does hurt, but his fit within the bench with the addition of Kolek and Payne on top of DiVincenzo makes less and less sense. He currently has a ton of value on a cheap contract. For the Magic, he and Suggs together would be a scary defensive dynamic duo in the backcourt or could balance out Anthony's offense. The Magic may ask for some draft capital here which is understandable, but I think the …

Let me know your thoughts below! Who wins? What would you change? First instinct is that the Jazz need more picks but curious to see how Robinson is valued by everyone…

Thoughts? IMO this makes the Knicks serious championship contenders for years to come, nets get an unbelievable haul for Mikal, and the Rockets get a great haul for #3 and the Nets 2026 pick. Seems like a win-win-win trade to me! I’m curious what you think? Who wins? What would you change? Let me know in the comments below!…

I want to preface this by saying I am quite high on Julius Randle and believe he is incredibly more valuable than people give him credit for. In an ideal world, the Knicks would instead be trading a package consisting of any of Bogdanovic, Robinson, and/or McBride to make this happen, however, due to the new 2nd apron rules, they are unable to aggregate players to match salary, leaving them with fewer options. I still firmly believe Mikal Bridges is the perfect piece for this team, and in Randle's absence, both OG and Achiuwa filled the role well with Hart also playing small ball. Also, I believe there are several good options in this draft around the mid-20s that can fill that PF role (Tyler Smith, Kyle Filipowski, DaRon Holmes) or SF role (Ryan Dunn, Tristan De Silva, Terrence Shannon Jr. pending results of trial) to complete the roster. This move and draft slightly resets the team, extending their championship window by at least an extra year or two. This allows them to bring back O…

For the Knicks, they complete the Nova roster while re-signing OG, Hartenstein, and Achiuwa. With this, they build one of the toughest starting lineups in Brunson-Bridges-Anunoby-Randle-Hartenstein and one of the deepest bench lineups of McBride-DiVincenzo-Hart-"Draft Pick or Free Agent"-Achiuwa. Although it costs them Robinson, Bogdanovic, and draft capital (potentially too much), they become unbelievably deep and versatile with the option to run so many different lineups. As a Knicks fan, I would do this any day and fully believe it pishes us even closer to a championship.

For the Nets, it is time to rebuild, As much as they don't want to, their rebuild window is narrowing. This sees them bringing back Claxton (should be top priority), bringing in even more expiring contracts which could also be flipped to contenders for more assets, more draft picks, and most importantly two very quality pieces to pair with Thomas and Claxton. This also sees them be reasonably competitive as they r…

For the Knicks, they are in an extremely good position rn even without Randle, and are poised for a deep playoff run this year as the 2-seed. There has still been lots of talk that they are a star away from being a true contender, and I would agree that may be true. However, I do not believe it is a major star like Donovan Mitchell or Embiid, but rather Bridges. He is the perfect fit on this team: incredible chemistry and history with the Nova guys, tall agile wing who can slot in at the 2 or 3, can knock down the 3 with ease, brings in some support for Brunson in guarding the perimeter, and creates a scary wing combo of Bridges and OG that hardly anyone could get by. I have been a big believer in bringing him in, and I think this is the offseason to do it to maximize the championship window. This trade sees them sign and trade Burks, along with Bogdanovic, Sims, 3 firsts and a second (returning it to Brooklyn) in exchange for Bridges. Although some may say it is too much to give up fo…

Too busy with finals to write out a lengthy reason for why I think this makes sense for each team, but I do like this for everyone involved and think it is relatively fair. Who wins this trade? Who says no (and who says no the quickest)? What would you change? Let me know your thoughts below!…

This trade sees the Cavs, Knicks, Nets, and Pels shake it up after this season assuming none of them have major success in the playoffs this year and decide to shake it up.

The Knicks make the all-in move everyone has expected to come at some point, picking up bonafide star Donovan Mitchell to pair in the backcourt with Brunson to form one if not the best backcourt in the league. Yes, there are defensive concerns, but bringing in Mikal Bridges, the missing Villanova man, to pair alongside OG on the wing essentially balances out that concern. Having two offensive superstars in the backcourt, two defensive stars on the wing, and committing to Hartenstein as the starting center who contributes on both ends sounds like the perfect starting lineup. Although they will play smaller after this trade, I am confident that the PF position will be locked down between OG, Bogdanovic, and Achiuwa. This will leave them with one of the best starting lineups in the league, and one of the best benches …

This trade sees Murray finally being moved from Atlanta and finding a new home in Utah. For Utah, this brings in a true point guard to run the show, creating a starting five of Murray-Sexton-Markkanen-Collins-Kessler with some quality young players such as George, Agbaji, and Hendricks plus Olynyk off the bench. This sets the team up for several years. It comes at the cost of Clarkson, who is much older than the core of the team, and two picks which are lower in value. Overall, Utah gets a bonafide starter point guard to lead this team into the future. The only issue here is the money, as Murray's contract is significantly higher than Clarkson's starting next season and threatens to put them into the luxury tax for I believe the first time in their history if I remember correctly.

For the Knicks, they get their perfect bench piece to help lead this team deep into the playoffs. Clarkson is performing well, and although he is slightly older than the core of this team, he certainly shows…

This trade sees the Knicks cough up a hefty package to Brooklyn to entice them to trade Bridges and start their overdue rebuild. Bridges is the perfect final piece for this starting five. Although not a traditional SG, Bridges has experience playing the 2 and brings a tremendous amount of size, defense, and off-ball offense to complement Brunson in the backcourt. Adding him alongside OG also gives the Knicks one of the scariest wing duos in the league, and for the time being while Randle is out Bridges can comfortably rotate into the SF position. Though some may say that it is too much for Bridges, sometimes making the right move, like getting OG, costs more than anticipated but is worth it. I would honestly include more firsts if that's what it takes. The Nets get back a large expiring in Fournier, a solid young player in Grimes who fits the core well, 4 first-rounders, and their second-round pick back. The next moves for them would be to trade valuable role players like Finney-Smith …