twslam07
All-Star
Now that the Kings are finally starting to click, it's time for us to go all in and make a push to legitimacy. Considering this team has a very respectable record through the toughest part of their schedule, I'm going to assume they will finish high enough to lose their first round pick in 2015. Once that happens, it unlocks the ability to trade their future pick.
This trade would have to be made after their 2015 1st round pick has been forfeited.
ATL Gets:
2016 1st round pick
Nik Stauskas
Jason Thompson
Ramon Sessions
ATL Gives:
Al Horford
Why for ATL?
The Hawks are not in a very good position to compete for a championship or even an eastern conference title. Their core of Horford, Millsap, & Teague is not good enough to get the job done. They can continue with this team and fall into mediocrity or they can blow it up and begin to rebuild towards a better/more competitive team. With only 1 year left on Horford's contract, they should look to move him for young potential and flexible pieces. Otherwise, they can run the risk of him simply walking due to the lack of success he has experienced with the Hawks. In this trade, they get a young SG who has the potential to be a good player in this league along with a 1st round draft pick. Not to mention they get Thompson and Sessions as stop gap pieces who expire the same time Horford would (if they waive Thompson during his last year).
SAC Gets:
Al Horford
SAC Gives:
2016 1st round pick
Nik Stauskas
Jason Thompson
Ramon Sessions
Why for Sac?
The Kings give up some of their young potential and role players in order to acquire a big man that would pair very nicely with Cousins and the rest of the team. Horford can guard both PFs and Cs thus limiting Cousins exposure to fouls. He's also a good help defender and rim protector. On offense, he can score on the block (punishing teams that put the stronger defender on Cousins), but he also has great range on his jumper (which he has extended to the 3pt line). He's also a good passer and smart player who will bring a steady, veteran presence to this team.
With our 3 main guys all being able to score on the block (Cousins, Horford, and Gay) as well as our backup big (Landry), we'll dominate the paint every game. Jump shooting comes and goes, but having a relentless paint attack with solid defense is how you win consistently. This team will be modeled as so.
2015 Free Agency
After this trade, the Kings would have approximately $9.8 million in cap space with the roster below:
PG - Collison/McCallum
SG - McLemore
SF - Gay
PF - Horford/Landry/Moreland
C - Cousins
Although McLemore has improved greatly this season, I still think it makes sense to go after a wing with our cap space. With such a powerful, inside oriented team, our SG has to be a great 3pt shooter. Two players I would target in the offseason would be Afflalo and W. Matthews. Considering the Nuggets are struggling, I think it might be easier to grab Afflalo.
J. Butler is another option, but he isn't the best 3pt shooter who might cause floor spacing issues if he were to come in and start. If $9.8 mil were even enough to sign him, I think we would have to sell him as our sixth man. I know it's not very likely, but a bench of McCallum, Butler, and Landry sounds like the start of a very strong bench.
If we're unable to sign one of the better wings, we could target good roleplayers to fill out our roster such as M. Williams, Bellinelli, D. Green, Morrow, Knight, G. Green, Shumpert, Casspi, Middleton, Koufos, Dalembert, etc.
However, if we're able to sign Afflalo (possibly convince him to be our sixth man depending on how McLemore plays the rest of the season and since his scoring would most likely be better utilized in the second unit), use an exception on a backup center (Dalembert), and sign some a vets to the minimum, we could be a real contender come next season.
PG - Collison (35 min)/McCallum (13 min)
SG - McLemore (30 min)/Afflalo (18 min)
SF - Gay (36 min)/Afflalo (12 min)
PF - Horford (26 min)/Landry (22 min)/Moreland
C - Cousins (36 min)/Horford (6 min)/Dalembert (6 min)
Cousins - 36 min
Gay - 36 min
Collison - 35 min
Horford - 32 min
McLemore - 30 min
Afflalo - 30 min
Landry - 22 min
McCallum - 13 min
Dalembert - 6 min
This trade would have to be made after their 2015 1st round pick has been forfeited.
ATL Gets:
2016 1st round pick
Nik Stauskas
Jason Thompson
Ramon Sessions
ATL Gives:
Al Horford
Why for ATL?
The Hawks are not in a very good position to compete for a championship or even an eastern conference title. Their core of Horford, Millsap, & Teague is not good enough to get the job done. They can continue with this team and fall into mediocrity or they can blow it up and begin to rebuild towards a better/more competitive team. With only 1 year left on Horford's contract, they should look to move him for young potential and flexible pieces. Otherwise, they can run the risk of him simply walking due to the lack of success he has experienced with the Hawks. In this trade, they get a young SG who has the potential to be a good player in this league along with a 1st round draft pick. Not to mention they get Thompson and Sessions as stop gap pieces who expire the same time Horford would (if they waive Thompson during his last year).
SAC Gets:
Al Horford
SAC Gives:
2016 1st round pick
Nik Stauskas
Jason Thompson
Ramon Sessions
Why for Sac?
The Kings give up some of their young potential and role players in order to acquire a big man that would pair very nicely with Cousins and the rest of the team. Horford can guard both PFs and Cs thus limiting Cousins exposure to fouls. He's also a good help defender and rim protector. On offense, he can score on the block (punishing teams that put the stronger defender on Cousins), but he also has great range on his jumper (which he has extended to the 3pt line). He's also a good passer and smart player who will bring a steady, veteran presence to this team.
With our 3 main guys all being able to score on the block (Cousins, Horford, and Gay) as well as our backup big (Landry), we'll dominate the paint every game. Jump shooting comes and goes, but having a relentless paint attack with solid defense is how you win consistently. This team will be modeled as so.
2015 Free Agency
After this trade, the Kings would have approximately $9.8 million in cap space with the roster below:
PG - Collison/McCallum
SG - McLemore
SF - Gay
PF - Horford/Landry/Moreland
C - Cousins
Although McLemore has improved greatly this season, I still think it makes sense to go after a wing with our cap space. With such a powerful, inside oriented team, our SG has to be a great 3pt shooter. Two players I would target in the offseason would be Afflalo and W. Matthews. Considering the Nuggets are struggling, I think it might be easier to grab Afflalo.
J. Butler is another option, but he isn't the best 3pt shooter who might cause floor spacing issues if he were to come in and start. If $9.8 mil were even enough to sign him, I think we would have to sell him as our sixth man. I know it's not very likely, but a bench of McCallum, Butler, and Landry sounds like the start of a very strong bench.
If we're unable to sign one of the better wings, we could target good roleplayers to fill out our roster such as M. Williams, Bellinelli, D. Green, Morrow, Knight, G. Green, Shumpert, Casspi, Middleton, Koufos, Dalembert, etc.
However, if we're able to sign Afflalo (possibly convince him to be our sixth man depending on how McLemore plays the rest of the season and since his scoring would most likely be better utilized in the second unit), use an exception on a backup center (Dalembert), and sign some a vets to the minimum, we could be a real contender come next season.
PG - Collison (35 min)/McCallum (13 min)
SG - McLemore (30 min)/Afflalo (18 min)
SF - Gay (36 min)/Afflalo (12 min)
PF - Horford (26 min)/Landry (22 min)/Moreland
C - Cousins (36 min)/Horford (6 min)/Dalembert (6 min)
Cousins - 36 min
Gay - 36 min
Collison - 35 min
Horford - 32 min
McLemore - 30 min
Afflalo - 30 min
Landry - 22 min
McCallum - 13 min
Dalembert - 6 min
