Build a championship team with Booker as the best player contest.

[Split T]

AD is probably pushing it. I think most people would say he’s better than Booker…but I agree that Booker would be driving more of the offense. Flip AD for Bam…does this lineup contend for a championship:

Derrick White
Devin Booker
Lu Dort
Lauri Markkanen
Bam Adebayo

I think it could.

[Split T]

I do think you’d want a sexton/monk type off the bench on that team.

[Mori Chu]

I think it gets dicey comparing Booker with guys like AD, Lebron, KD. In some ways those guys may be better than Book, but all of them are old. AD gets hurt in his first game as a Mav, I'd rather have Book than him any day. Lebron is a great player but he's over 40 and I wouldn't try to build a team around him, not even this year alone. KD is a great player and a bit younger than Lebron, but I think he's more ball-hoggish, isn't a great leader, doesn't make others on the team better. You can make a case that all these guys are "better" than Book but I'd rather have Book than any of the 3, even if all you're asking me is for a guy to make a title run in 2024-25 season. To each his own.

[Cap]

De’Aaron Fox, Jaylen Brown, Randle, Zubac?

[JeremyG]

Book
Mikal
CamJ
Camara
Ayton.

That would’ve been a dynasty smh

Or how about…

Haliburton
Booker
Mikal
CamJ
Ayton

Still could’ve had Camara too perhaps.

[Mori Chu]

Book
Mikal
CamJ
Camara
Ayton.

That would’ve been a dynasty smh

Or how about…

Haliburton
Booker
Mikal
CamJ
Ayton

Still could’ve had Camara too perhaps.

I mean, despite my problems with Ayton, I would -much- rather be watching that team than what we have now. Also, that team would have its decade worth of draft picks back.

[Kryptonic]

[virtual9mm]

Book
Mikal
CamJ
Camara
Ayton.

That would’ve been a dynasty smh

Or how about…

Haliburton
Booker
Mikal
CamJ
Ayton

Still could’ve had Camara too perhaps.

I mean, despite my problems with Ayton, I would -much- rather be watching that team than what we have now. Also, that team would have its decade worth of draft picks back.

Normally, I would say that hindsight is 20-20. For instance, nobody knew that SGA was going to be as good as he ended up being -- and we picked Mikal anyway. He was a massive surprise.

In this case, however, we all knew that Halliburton was going to be really good.

[Carno]

I wonder the Clippers feel now about trading SGA plus loads of picks for PG13? That may be the worst trade in NBA history.

[Mori Chu]

I wonder the Clippers feel now about trading SGA plus loads of picks for PG13? That may be the worst trade in NBA history.

I mean, sure, bad trade in the long run. But they got some good years out of PG13; five years of 21+ ppg. He had injuries and didn't play full seasons several of those years, but he was good. Would they go back in time and undo the trade? Certainly. But there are many trades that are worse than that if you look at what was sent out vs. what the team got back.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/pl ... gpa01.html

[Split T]

It didn’t work out, but it gave them a shot. Have to also remember that it got the Clippers PG and Kawhi

[Split T]

Though my vote for worst trade of all time is Brooklyn trading a bunch of 1sts to Boston for KG and Pierce. Boston drafted Tatum and Brown with 2 of those picks.

[Kryptonic]

Though my vote for worst trade of all time is Brooklyn trading a bunch of 1sts to Boston for KG and Pierce. Boston drafted Tatum and Brown with 2 of those picks.

Ouch….

[JeremyG]

Now we know where to send an aging KD.

[Split T]

The owner who traded for KG isn’t around anymore unfortunately.

[JeremyG]

Yeah I thought that was the case lol.

[Superbone]

The owner who traded for KG isn’t around anymore unfortunately.

See my new around the NBA thread posted today. That is addressed in a posted article. It's why Kevin Garnett is finally getting is Wolves jersey retired.

[Mori Chu]

There were some truly nasty trades way back in the day, like owners just selling Hall of Famers because they needed $50,000, or selling / trading picks that became legendary stars for almost nothing in return. Like, STL trading Bill Russell to the Celtics, oops. The OKC Harden trade. The Brooklyn Nets going all-in on ancient KG and Pierce. Dirk Nowitzki for Robert "Tractor" Traylor. Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for Joe Barry Carroll is an atrocity; this might be my vote. Ray Allen for corpse of Gary Payton. The Cavs around the '80s made just a series of unconscionable trades (Stepien). I'm sure there are more.

[Split T]

The Jazz also traded the pick who became Magic Johnson to the lakers for the right to sign Gail Goodrich

[Cap]

As long as we’re talking this kind of trivia, let’s talk Bird.

He redshirted a year so under the rules at the time he was eligible to be drafted after his fourth year but was also eligible to return to college as a fifth year senior with the team that picked him keeping his rights for a year. The Celtics drafted him knowing he intended to return to school for a year after which he could either sign with the Celtics or renter the draft. It’s a risk, unless you’re the Celtics or Pacers and know he’ll sign.