OK, before I get too far along, I want to preface this by saying that this is just something I am throwing out there, and before everyone makes a snap judgment and starts screaming for my head (he's a witch, buuuuurrrrrrrn him), please at least hear me out.
So here goes: If we were to get the first pick in the draft, I propose we trade the pick. Ha, Ha, that's rich, R-Man. He said what? Are you kidding me? Trade John Wall? You, sir, are a jackass. John Wall is a franchise player, once in a generation kind of guy. You don't pass on that. You never pass on that. You, R-Man, are a bonafide idiot. Yes, yes, and yes. We are in agreement on all points.
So why would anyone think of trading that caliber of player if we were lucky enough to get the first pick? For better or worse, here is my thinking: I have watched John Wall play and a few things are very apparent. In a nutshell, he is almost impossible to stop in the open court; he is a willing passer although he rarely makes those around him better with his passing; and he has a jumper that runs hot and cold. Sound familar? His strengths and weaknesses are very similar to Tyreke's, and I'm not sure that the two of them would be a good fit.
Is John Wall a good (potentially great) player? Yes. But then again, so was Kevin Martin, and Tyreke and Kevin didn't work all that well in the same backcourt. I wanted to be patient and stay the course, but when I watched the Kings, it was very clear to me that the team played much better when Tyreke was paired with Beno. Is Beno a better player than Kevin? No, I don't think so, but the team is better when he is paired with Reke because his game compliments Tyreke's better. This line of thinking is what got me noodling on what we could get for a player like John Wall if we were to luck out in the lottery, and here is what I came up with.
I would be happy to leverage Wall for a young, proven big. Brooke Lopez comes to mind, but I can't see it happening, so I have come up with a trade that is sure to be unpopular with most, but one that I think would make the squad better. John Wall and Andres Nocioni for Stephen Curry and Anthony Randolph (or the W's 1st round pick this year).
Why would I do this? First, I'm a big fan of Curry and I think he would be the perfect back court mate for Tyreke. He's a very underrated passer, and he has the ability to stretch the defense with his outside shot. He is basically a player very similar to Beno in that he can play the point or shooting guard, but he is younger, cheaper and more talented than Beno, and I think he could be an All Star caliber player.
Secondly, I think Anthony Randolph is a potential star as well, and we would be buying low in his case. He is an extremely athletic 6' 10" player that would be perfect along a less athletic big (Spencer comes to mind). He would immediately become our best shot blocker (mostly weak side blocks) and he is great at rebounding outside his area. He can also handle the ball like a guard and jump like a gazelle. His problem to date is that he has had a run of bad luck with injuries this year (a badly sprained ankle), and he hasn't endeared himself to Nelson (which isn't all that unusual), so I think he could be had in the deal.
Lastly, we get rid of Nocioni's contract, which puts us in position to be able to sign a superstar. This may not happen, of course, but we would have cap space, and we would be two or three players deep with young talent at most positions, making us a desireable trade partner for teams looking to do a sign and trade.
Why would the W's do it: they need a star and Wall could be that player. Also, Nellie would love a player like Nocioni in his system. Hell, Noce would probably end up playing center for that squad.
So there it is. A lot of time and effort spent debating the trade of a draft pick we are probably not even going to have.


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