Draft Night Trade (BOS/SAC/CHI)

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The Bulls currently own Sacramento's 2015 1st rd pick (only if it falls out of the top 10).

The Kings have been looking for an upgrade in the Frontcourt.

Here is my proposed deal:

BOS receives: Sacramento's 2015 1st (via CHI), 2017 1st rd pick (via SAC- lottery protected in 2017, top 10 protected in 2018 & 2019, becomes two seconds in 2020)

CHI receives: Sully & Stauskas

SAC receives: Taj Gibson, 2015 Clips 1st (via BOS)

The Celtics gets two potential lottery picks for giving up Sullinger, the Clippers 2015 1st, & helping the Bulls clear cap to sign Butler.

THIS TRADE IS NOT ONLY CONTINGENT ON WHERE SACRAMENTO ENDS UP IN THE LOTTERY, BUT ALSO WHAT PROSPECTS (that Ainge likes, if any) ARE STILL AVAILABLE (pick currently sits at #11 in draft) ON DRAFT NIGHT.

If the C's miss out on Towns or Okafor and end up with the something like the 6th pick again, we could use the 6th pick to get a guy like Cauley-Stein or Stanley Johnson. With the SAC pick we could either try and trade up so we end up with Stein & Johnson, or just draft a guy like Oubre, Winslow, Looney etc.

I am high on Sully, but if he & the Clips 1st could get us another 2 future 1sts I'd consider trading him. I could also see the Celtics dealing Sully directly to SAC or CHI & SAC leaving BOS out of the deal and doing a trade centered around Gibson to SAC.

Edit: Maybe the Clips pick should go to CHI instead of SAC because they are giving up the 2015 SAC 1st.

[Depalma2002]

IMHO, I think it is a well-thought out trade and could make arguments for all three teams.

I think the Clippers pick would need to go to the Kings like you originally had it.

Basically, the Kings swap Stauskas and a protected future first for a lower current first and Gibson. I think Gibson solidifies their front court and they should be able to find a bench shooter to replace Stauskas at a reasonable cost in free agency.

The Bulls give up the pick, but it's basically where Stauskas was picked the year before so if they believe his issues are from lack of experience, the value difference is minimal. Sully can replace Gibson's minutes and this gives them some space under the luxury tax so they don't have to worry about matching a Butler offer and will still be able to use their full mid-level exception without going over the tax threshold.

I like Sully more than most, but we are likely getting a pick in the 10-12 range (since this trade assumes that the Kings aren't falling into the top 10 and the pick is conveyed to the Bulls), so that's fair value plus the future pick is likely to be a significant upgrade over the Clippers pick which is dropping fast.

The Kings would need to send some filler to Boston because Stauskus for Gibson doesn't match so it depends on whether that filler has positive or negative value. If they try to pawn Thompson off on Ainge, I would hope that kills the deal. I would probably draw the line on Carl Landry as being the worst filler I would accept.

[saltlover]

A few thoughts:

1) Keeping Butler at the max will not likely cause the Bulls to over the luxury tax, which should be a little north of $80 million next year.  It could be a little tight against it, and this trade would give them room for the full MLE without stressing the tax, but if the Bulls want to keep Butler and avoid the tax, it's not imperative that they make any trades to do so.

2) That said, I think this deal is a coup for the Bulls.  The difference between Sully and Gibson is negligible when you're talking about your 4th big in the rotation.  Gibson is overpaid for his role on the team.  Essentially they clear about $4 million from next year's books, and an even more important $6 million from 2016, when they will next have cap dollars.  This difference includes Stauskas's salary -- so even if you think he's deadweight it's okay, and if he becomes an actually useful player, which is still very possible, the Bulls have cleared significant salary, kept productivity at their backup power forward spot, and gained a potential big-time scorer with three years left on his rookie deal all for the cost of a pick which is top 10 protected through 2017, and becomes seconds if it doesn't convey.

3) As someone noted, the Kings would needto send out extra salary to make this work.  If you believe the Bulls do this in part to clear room (logical), then that salary has to come to Boston.  Sacramento has no real contracts that make sense for Boston.  Ainge wants as much room as possible for free agency next summer, and Sac would need to send out about an extra $3 million in contracts that do not expire (options count as expiring) on June 30th.  Really the only player who fits is McLemore, which means SAC is getting hosed.  Otherwise you have to send McCallum and Sessions, which means the C's take on $3.1 million extra in salary.  I'm not sure that's something Ainge does before he makes offers to free agents.  Especially since that pick is no better than 11 overall.