Starters: AT Russell Westbrook Derrick White DeMar DeRozan Pascal Siakam Nikola Jokic

2nd 5:

Miles McBride Alex Caruso Aaron Wiggins Kenrich Williams Mitchell Robinson

Reserves: Isaiah Joe Cameron Payne Tyler Kolek

Draft Picks: 2026 First 2028 First 2030 First 2031 First (This is assuming we have the picks we have in real life. If we get our own picks back, then I have those).

Direction: Contending

Untouchables: Starters

Trading Block: Willing to trade 2-4 bench/reserve players for a legit sixth man….

Rationale: Spurs get the chance to pair Wemby with another potential top 10 player in Zion Williamson, all without giving up one of their own picks. They lose Harrison Barnes, who does not matter at all to the long term vision of this franchise, and Keldon Johnson, who while good, is no Zion. They also get some dude named Matkovic which is cool I guess. The Pelicans move on from Zion, who doesn’t play any games, for an arguably as good superstar in Trae Young, who does play games, as well as an actual starting caliber center in Deandre Ayton. They also give up Dejounte, which may seem like a big loss, but he is coming off a torn ACL and doesn’t fit with Trae so… They also get some dude named Mohammed Guye, which is cool I guess. For the record, I love Trae, and I think he wants to stay in Atlanta. However, this trade gives them the opportunity to rebuild with their own picks, which is an opportunity I don’t think they can pass up on. Keldon Johnson and Yves Missi are solid young pieces…

Starters: PG: Keon Ellis SG: Malik Monk SF: Jae Crowder PF: Trey Lyles C: Alex Len

Bench: PG: Jordan McLaughlin SG: Colby Jones SF: Devin Carter PF: Doug McDermot C: Isaac Jones

Reserves: Robert Covington, Marcus Morris, Mason Jones, Isiah Crawford & Bismack Biyombo…

A few things being assumed with this trade: Joel Embiid demands a trade if/when the Sixers miss the playoffs. Myles Turner resign with the Pacers or this turns into a sign and trade. The Pacers don’t make any significant noise in the playoffs. This trade would occur in the offseason due to Embiid’s recently signed restriction.

Breakdown: Lakers: AD has publicly requested that the Lakers acquire a center, but that is a tough ask when Davis doesn’t really stretch the floor, and shooting centers are rare. Moreover, many shooting centers are liabilities on defense (Vucevic, KAT, etc), or untouchable (Jokic). Myles Turner is the perfect fit as he is an elite rim protector and a great shooter, which will fix the Lakers two biggest problems and make AD happy. Also in case anyone cares (which I doubt you do), Ricky Council is there for the cap. Sixers: The Sixers are old and bad, which is the worst place to be as a franchise. Embiid is obviously phenomenal when on the court, but he is extreme…

Round 1 Pick 22: Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina. The rationale here is pretty simple. The Steelers desperately need help in the secondary, and Revel is one of the five best corners in the country. There will naturally be concerns stemming from his level of competition, but he has the versatility and physical tools to be great at the next level, and he is also the kind of hard-nosed, chip-on-his-shoulder defensive player that fits with the Steelers culture. Round 2 Pick 53: Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss. The Steelers have not been intimidating through the air since Antonio Brown left, but Tre Harris could change that. He is a prototypical big-body receiver, with great athleticism and route-running. He is also a mismatch/jump ball nightmare, and will prevent opposing defenses from doubling George Pickens. Round 3 Pick 83: DeMonte Capehart, DL, Clemson. Capehart is a bit of a project, but he is such a physical freak that he is hard to pass up on. His burst off the line of scrimmage and bl…

Comment thoughts….

Why the Pacers do this: They switch out Myles Turner for Walker Kessler. Is this a downgrade? Yes. But it also makes them younger, and with Haliburton, Nesmith, Nembhard, Toppin, Mathurin, and Walker all being young, resetting their timeline might make sense. I know Pacers fans don’t want to hear this. However, The Celtics, Sixers, Bucks, and Knicks will each only be together for 2-4 years with their current cores. If the Pacers reach the 2028 season with these young guys entering their prime and more playoff experience, they could be scary. Additionally, Sexton seems like the perfect guy next to Haliburton, who can take the scoring load off him and allow him to be more of a facilitator, where he is best. Why the Jazz do this: They get young talent and picks for two guys who may not resign in two years. Also, D-Lo seems like the kind of guy who would be really good on a bad team. Why the Grizzlies do this: They have Ja and Desmond Bane. They don’t need Smart. He won’t start. What they …

AFC North: Ravens (13-4) Bengals (12-5) Steelers (9-8) Browns (8-9)

AFC South: Jaguars (11-6) Texans (10-7) Colts (9-8) Titans (7-10)

AFC East: Bills (11-6) Jets (9-8) Phins (9-8) Pats (4-13)

AFC West: Chiefs (12-5) Chargers (10-7) Raiders (9-8) Broncos (5-12)

NFC North: Lions (13-4) Packers (10-7) Bears (10-7) Vikings (8-9)

NFC South: Falcons (10-7) Bucs (9-8) Panthers (6-11) Saints (5-12)

NFC East: Eagles (12-5) Cowboys (9-8) Commanders (9-8) Giants (4-13)

NFC West: Rams (12-5) 49ers (10-7) Seahawks (9-8) Cards (8-9)

Awards: MVP: Josh Allen OPOY: Amon-Ra St. Brown DPOY: TJ Watt OROY: Caleb Williams DROY: Jared Verse Coach: McVay

AFC Playoff Wild Card: Ravens (bye) Chiefs def Chargers 38-21 Bills def Texans 41-35 (OT) Jaguars lose to Bengals 34-17

NFC Playoff Wild Card: Lions (bye) Eagles def Bears 32-31 Rams def 49ers 21-20 Falcons lose to Packers 24-21

AFC Divisional Round: Ravens lose to Bengals 24-9 Chiefs lose to Bills 49-43

NFC Divisional Round Lions def Packers 31…

Perfect trade? What do you think?…

Perfect trade? Thoughts?…

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Best one gets a follow!…

Lemme know what you think….

Lemme know what you think….

Why the Bucks do this: They build a Celtics-like starting lineup with tons of talent and spacing around Giannis. They trade all off their picks as well as Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, but they can sign depth and/or trade for it at the deadline. As for the picks, they are in win now mode anyway. Markkanen is a perfect fit offensively next to Giannis, and he helps resurrect their defense too as a seven-footer.

Why the Warriors do this: Andrew Wiggins has forgotten how to play basketball, so the Warriors trade him and his atrocious contract for Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, two quality rotation players (Portis might even start if Draymond keeps regressing). I think the Olympics have shown us that Steph can still carry a team, even if it is just the next two years. I feel like with this trade they can be a sneaky 4-6 seed that can upset some teams. Even if they don’t end up making serious noise, Steph will retire a Warrior, and the team owes it to him to remain competitive.

Why …

Cavs: Cleveland breaks up the disfunctional Mitchell-Garland backcourt. They also fill their need at small forward by landing Rui, a 3 and D wing. D’Angelo Russell is a flawed player, but his problem is similar to Garland’s; being an undersized defensive liability. The difference is that Russell is less ball-dominant, meaning he could be a better fit with Mitchell. Lakers: They get rid of Russell. That should be enough for most lakers fans. But we also get a young all star level player in Garland who can be a tertiary scorer and could be the future of the franchise after LeBron and AD….