CHI - NYK

[Shane Battier]

Chicago Bulls trade:

88 Demarcus Cousins - $33,777,067 $37,492,544
CHI 2024 1st rd pick
POR 2022 2nd rd pick

New York Knicks trade:

86 Nikola Vucevic - $32,139,329 $35,674,655 $39,598,867

[Shane Battier]

I accept. Arvydas Sabonis

[Andrei Kirilenko]

Not sure it matters but the previous Knicks GM just traded Jaxon Hayes and 4 2nds for Vucevic not 3 months ago. And now Vucevic gets flipped for a poor 1st and a huge negative asset in DMC. Again, not sure if previous GM actions matter much for the fairness of this trade, but has Vucevic’s value fallen that much in 3 months of not playing?


Knicks are essentially doing:

Jaxon Hayes
Three 2nd rounders

for

DMC
CHI 2024 1st

[Arvydas Sabonis]

To be fair, I absolutely hate that trade that the previous GM did. And I think TC should have rejected that or at least pushed a new GM giving more reasoning for giving that many good assets for move that doesn't make sense. It was in my opinion way too lopsided and Knicks lost that trade a lot.


Well since this is my first trade as GM, I can give some reasoning why I took this.

The team is nowhere near competing with this core, and previous GM adding Vucevic is not gonna chance that. He has been good in the past few years, but is over 30 and one of the highest paid contracts for a big man in the league.

I want to gather as much as possible 1st round picks and basically start tanking for few years. This would be just first this kind of trade.

And I actually think there is a chance for that pick to be good. A lot can happen in 3-4 years. Whole core of Chicago will be around 33-34 years old at that time, and it's typically the time that players have already regressed bit, or really starting to. So they might not be as good anymore. 2023-2024 is about the time that I want to end the rebuild and start competing so having asset in that draft will be good. I rather took a pick that has at least a chance to be good, than certain a late pick in coming year

Also I think Cousins might have good bounce back season at Rockets, and as an expiring big deal he will become useful for me as trade asset. I want to find deals where I take some longer term bad money contracts (and some picks as compensation). So if I have a big expiring contract for a player that might help also a playoff team, it can be useful for finding a deal

But yeah, I honestly don't believe I could have gotten deal equal to Jaxon Hayes and three 2nd rounders for Vucevic anymore.

Accept

[Bryan Colangelo]

To be fair, the old GM had a different vision than Arvydas does. I was hoping for a great explanation from the new GM on why he's completing this deal, and he came through.

The only question I have, Arvydas, you've been the GM for the team for a week or so, and this was the only offer for him? I would have assumed some GM's would offer something better than a 2024 pick. Another thing to consider, would GM's offer a deal for Vucevic if they lose out on free agents? Do you think If you waited a bit longer, do you think you could get more?

[Arvydas Sabonis]

Nov 28, 2020 15:34:51 GMT Bryan Colangelo said:

The only question I have, Arvydas, you've been the GM for the team for a week or so, and this was the only offer for him? I would have assumed some GM's would offer something better than a 2024 pick. Another thing to consider, would GM's offer a deal for Vucevic if they lose out on free agents? Do you think If you waited a bit longer, do you think you could get more?

I had another offer for a late 1st rounder 2021 + decent young player (but not anymore in rookie deal) + some fillers. I just preferred this.

It's a good point about someone losing on free agent could be interested. Hard to say if there would have been better ones, maybe... It's also difficult to find matching contracts for this much money and still get picks on top of that. Because I think most of the times the matching decent players in sense have value for the other team, although for me they might not be useful as I want to build up from ground up.
I'll be anyways looking to trade most of my veterans this year, so there will be opportunities for teams missing out on FA

[Brian Scalabrine]

This is a fantastic trade for the Knicks. That pick could easily be gold if kawhi leaves this offseason and Lillard bounces next summer.

Really good first move here by Sabonis

[Alex English]

It's unfortunate the Knicks had a GM that wanted to compete, to be replaced so quickly by one that wants to rebuild. So long as the Knicks finally have someone active and committed then I don't think this abrupt change will hurt them in the long run though.

As someone who just spent a lot of time trying to trade Vucevic, I can tell you his market isn't as strong as you might think, and trying to get this CHI 2024 1st was one of the best opportunities I had. The problem for the Knicks is that this trade makes that pick less valuable because it increases the odds the Bulls will be able to keep the team together. It still has a lot of potential value though, the 2024 draft is a long time from now.

Cousins shouldn't be ignored as value either though. At worst he's a large expiring contract that gives the Knicks options for other trades.

I'll accept, and I hope Arvydas Sabonis sticks around for a long time to actually accomplish what he intends to.

[Bryan Colangelo]

Nov 28, 2020 16:09:39 GMT Arvydas Sabonis said:

Nov 28, 2020 15:34:51 GMT Bryan Colangelo said:

The only question I have, Arvydas, you've been the GM for the team for a week or so, and this was the only offer for him? I would have assumed some GM's would offer something better than a 2024 pick. Another thing to consider, would GM's offer a deal for Vucevic if they lose out on free agents? Do you think If you waited a bit longer, do you think you could get more?

I had another offer for a late 1st rounder 2021 + decent young player (but not anymore in rookie deal) + some fillers. I just preferred this.

It's a good point about someone losing on free agent could be interested. Hard to say if there would have been better ones, maybe... It's also difficult to find matching contracts for this much money and still get picks on top of that. Because I think most of the times the matching decent players in sense have value for the other team, although for me they might not be useful as I want to build up from ground up.
I'll be anyways looking to trade most of my veterans this year, so there will be opportunities for teams missing out on FA

I accept! Good luck with the rebuild

[Danny Longley]

Doesn't feel good to see Vooch thrown away on the first trade, but at least DMC is expiring and it does give the Knicks a more defined direction.

Accept.

[Tom Izzo]

I offered Randle, my first, and expirings for Vuc. Sad to see this was the deal that beat me out. I think everyone is assuming Kawhi is leaving. With Dame, Draymond, and now Vucevic, why would he go anywhere? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Arvydas Sabonis]

Nov 28, 2020 19:05:18 GMT Tom Izzo said:

I offered Randle, my first, and expirings for Vuc. Sad to see this was the deal that beat me out. I think everyone is assuming Kawhi is leaving. With Dame, Draymond, and now Vucevic, why would he go anywhere? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yeah, I mean it's not a bad offer. I just not high on Randle and the pick would be with certainty very late. No potential upside imo

[Walt Frazier]

I like the reasoning here. Yes, it's unfortunate the franchise has experienced a shift in direction, but it's a new manager RECEIVING a 1st round pick, so that always allays some of my fears. The way the league is moving, I'm not surprised that Vucevic doesn't have a wild amount of value. I could also easily see a world where Battier is coming hard after that 2024 1st in a couple of years before deciding to blow up the team... Far from a guarantee but also not impossible. As others have said, Cousins has a chance to recoup some more value.

All things considered, I'll accept it.

BTW, Julius Randle isn't all that good, really.

[Ian Noble]

Underrated trade for Chicago if this helps him re-sign Kawhi.

I accept.

Trade passed and queued.