re: Shams: Pels one of teams interested in Beal

They can offer draft picks.... oh wait.

I just want my young team to grow. We have so many great young pieces. Can’t we just let them develop a bit before making a move that may not fit?

Star players who are 25 or under are almost never on the block unless they have some major baggage. You’re basically hoping to luck into a Oladipo type of situation where a guy is a later bloomer.

You wouldn’t acquire Beal to grow with Williamson. You acquire him to lead until Williamson is ready to be a true number 1 option. Beal wouldn’t be with the Pelicans for more than 5 years. Once Zion signs his second contract, the roster will look a lot different especially once his skillset develops and evolve.

We’ll be lucky to have more than 3 guys on the roster today who will still be on the team once Zion signs his second contract. The Pelicans are in a unique postion to build multiple rosters for Zion due to the resources available to them.

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And Zion is 19. By the time Zion is 26 Beal would be 33.

I’m not saying age is the deciding factor, if you could move Jrue or Lonzo plus for him (and the Wiz did it for some ridiculous reason) then obviously I would do it, but if you’re throwing your chips in the basket I would prefer someone younger who could really age and grow with Zion.

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I think what people also need to keep in mind is this isn’t a Tyreke Evans, Omar Asik, or even DeMarcus Cousins type trade. We would be trading for a legit top 10 player, that teams really cover, coming to a legit team, who’s talents would shine.

Barring injury those are the type of major trades you make as a premier franchise because those players retain their value.

Sure, maybe you give up a good chunk of your war chest, but guess what? As long as you manage the player correctly(I.E. don’t let him walk for nothing) you will be able to get most of that value back in a trade if things don’t work out ideally.

I think this team can win multiple ways. For instance bringing in Myles Turner and just having a really solid starting five unit with Lonzo, Jrue, Ingram, Zion, Turner. But I think Beal is a homerun swing I’m willing to take because he, Ingram, Zion, and Lonzo, based on their projected development curves, would arguably become the best core unit in the league within a season or two. And as multiple championship squads have shown, you create the best core in the league and you can typically figure out the rest.

so does everyone assume that if we trade for Beal, Jrue is the one going out?

Would you rather Lonzo over Jrue? I have loved Lonzo's development, but i'd rather Jrue if I had to pick one.

Do you think the Wizard would rather Jrue over Lonzo? WHat value does Jrue bring to the Wizards? He wouldn't resign there, and they aren't interested in winning now if they are trading away Beal, so why would they want to center the trade around Jrue? We have plenty of salary pieces to make it work without Jrue.

Let's try to use some logic here and look at both sides of the trade a little better. The Wizards aren't going to place much value on getting Jrue in this trade. They want Ingram, and if they can't get him, it's Lonzo and picks.

Last offseason, most people did not want Lonzo under any circumstance, me being a loud voice for that. Then the season started and that lack of want grew even stronger, especially from me. Then he started coming into his own and he quit taking stupid shots and started shooting pretty good from 3. Then Zion came around and he started meshing very well with him. There's still a lot to be desired about him as a good starter in this league. I like what i've seen from him, and i think if he continues it during this short stint right now, he'll up his value a good bit for the offseason. I still don't like his inability to attack the paint, but i'm optimistic he'll get better, and i look forward to watching him grow as a Pelican.

You look at the Butler #17 for Lavine #7 trade, and i think that wasn't fair value for Butler, but it's not that far off. Do you think Lonzo has Lavine's value? Maybe. I don't think we are getting a pick back like Minny did, and i think it would require two first round picks with Lonzo to get Beal, like Jax and our first, or maybe our first and a future first. If the Wizards are interested in more than that, then the conversation ends with us.

As someone else alluded to, Beal is 26, actually will be 27 in 2 weeks. He's about as young as elite players go that is actually viable to get in a trade. You can't just have a team full of young guys. That's why i like the idea of a core of Jrue/Beal playing with Zion/Ingram. You have your veterans in the prime of their career, and two up and coming superstars. What other 4 or 5 main players that go around them really don't make that much of a difference, assuming they are all worthy NBA players. NAW and Jax develop into solid role players, Niko keeps playing well, and you find a bruiser at the 5 for cheap and another bench guy that can shoot, like a healthy JJ, Darius Miller or Didi. You're not asking any of those guys to do anything more than play a role, hell Jrue is playing a role in that lineup, b/c the focal points would always be one of Beal/Ingram/Zion on offense, as there should always be one of them on the court at all times.

as of right now, we have a ton of options for the future of this team, and that is a really good feeling. We'd have to do something really stupid to handcuff ourselves into not being able to upgrade the team in the future.

Nm

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Would you rather Lonzo over Jrue? I have loved Lonzo's development, but i'd rather Jrue if I had to pick one.

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That’s an interesting alternative.

I’ve never thought Washington would want Jrue, but I did always presume he would be a part of the trade by looping in another team.

But keeping Jrue and Beal is interesting as well.

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We would be trading for a legit top 10 player

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naw

top 30 for sure but no way top 10

Giannis
Kawhi
George
Harden
Lebron
AD
Curry
Klay
Dame
Luka
Jokic
Zion

off the top of my head are all clearly better

*ETA: KD, too

I'd also much rather getting someone like Turner over Beal. Beal is good but he's a high usage player who if you look at his numbers needs that to be at his best. We already have 2 high usage type players who frankly are more efficient scorers than Beal is. I wouldn't want him taking shots out of their hands. To me sometimes in basketball 1+1+1 doesn't equal 3 if that makes any sense. He just doesn't seem like the next logical step for this team to grow. A stretch big who can defend the rim and the pick and role is the missing piece to take us from 2nd rd playoff team to championship caliber. Beal doesn't move that needle to me,even Turner isn't worth giving up Ball or Jrue to me.I think Ball's game is a perfect fit with Ingram and Zion. 3 and D point guard with elite passing and doesn't need alot of shots to be effective for us. Jrue is the best defensive guard in the league, can play either back court position at an all star level, and loves it in Nola. Why trade either for anything less than a super duper star is beyond me.