The Phoenix Suns Trade - by Moses

 From Phoenix;  Mikal Bridges (SF - age 26), Jae Crowder (SF/PF - age 32), Cam Johnson (SF - age 27), four 1st Round Draft Picks and additional draft compensation to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant (PF - age 34) and T.J. Warren (SF/PF - age 29).  

      This is the deal that shook the Basketball World at the trade deadline this year.  Durant is having his usual 29 PTS/G season in a superlative 16 year career to date.  He probably has another three strong years in his 34 year old body at the level he's at (Prime-time).  Warren is definitely under-rated as he was only getting about 20 Minutes/Game in Brooklyn and he was a former Sun who was getting 31.6 Minutes/Game as recent as 2018/19 with Phoenix and was averaging 18 PTS/G (over a number of years with the Suns).  The Brooklyn Nets may not be the playoff threat of going deep into the playoffs now with the trading of Durant and Kyrie Irving (traded yesterday) but look stoked to benefit immensely should they receive a 2024 1st Round Draft Pick as Mikal Bridges could be inserted into the Nets lineup and two 2024 1st Round picks  (with one this season) will in all likelihood bring in one or two superstars to the Nets for their 2024/25 team.  A day after the Kyrie Irving deal' makes this one almost imperative as the psychology in New York was go big or go home.  They will have a surplus of Draft Picks for the near future; including eleven First Round Picks to draw from over the next six years and at least eight 2nd Round Draft picks over the same time.  

  As a result of the deal here is what the Phoenix Suns look like on paper;

Center 

1.  Deandre Ayton (age 26)

2.  Bismack Biyombo (age 30)

3.  Jock Landale (age 27)

4.  Dario Saric (age 29)

Power Forward

1.  Kevin Durant (age 34)

2.  Cameron Johnson (age 27)

3.  T.J. Warren (age 29)

4.  Dario Saric (age 29)

Small Forward

1.  T.J. Warren (age 29)

2.  Torrey Craig (age 32)   

3.  Cameron Johnson (age 27)

4.  Ish Wainright  (age 29)

 

Point Guard

1.  Chris Paul (age 38)

2.  Cameron Payne (age 28)

3.  Saben Lee (age 24) 

4.  Landry Shamet (age 26)

Shooting Guard

1.  Devin Booker (age 27)

2.  Cameron Payne (age 28)

3.  Saben Lee (age 24)

4.  Landry Shamet (age 26)

      As a result of the Brooklyn Nets trading away their two superstars this years' team probably won't be a  threat to do anything significant in the playoffs over the next two years but look to be a playoff force to be reckoned with in about four years. 

  As for the acquisition of Kevin Durant and what that means to the Suns hopes of winning the NBA Championship over the next three years goes up immensely with the performance AND experience of Kevin Durant and Chris Paul.  Personally, to the educated basketball fan, it looks like the Phoenix Suns are the favorites to win the Championship after this years' trade deadline.

The Toronto Raptors Trade and the forthcoming Toronto Raptors Roster - by Moses (a.k.a Stacey Marc Goldman)

From Toronto;  Khem Birch, a 1st Round Protected Draft Pick in 2024, and two future 2nd Round Draft Picks to the San Antonio Spurs for former Raptor Jakob Poeltl

As a result this is what Toronto looks like on paper;

Center

1.  Jakob Poeltl (age 27)

2.  Chris Boucher (age 30)

3.  Precious Achiuwa (age 24)

4.  Christian Koloko (age 23) 

5.  Scottie Barnes (age 22)

Power Forward

1.  Pascal Siakam (age 28)

2.  Scottie Barnes (age 22)

3.  Precious Achiuwa (age 24)

4.  Chris Boucher (age 24)

5.  Thaddeus Young (age 35)

Small Forward

1.  OG Anunoby (age 26)

2.  Scottie Barnes (age 22)

3.  Gary Trent Jr. (age 24)

4.  Thaddeus Young (age 35)

5.  Otto Porter Jr. (age 30)

Point Guard

1.  Fred VanVleet (age 30)

2.  Malachi Flynn (age 26)

3.  Delano Banton (age 23)

Shooting Guard

1.  Gary Trent Jr. (age 24)

2.  OG Anunoby (age 26)

3.  Delano Banton (age 23)

Bench (Healthy Scratches)

1.  Otto Porter Jr. (SF/PF - age 30)

1.  Juancho Hernangomez (PF - age 28)

2.  Jeff Dowtin (PG - age 27)

    

Proposed Toronto Raptors Trades - by Moses

 Proposed Toronto Raptors Trade;  Chris Boucher (PF/C - age 30) and Dalano Banton (PG/SF - age 23) to the Portland Trailblazers for Jusuf Nurkic (C - age 29) 

and 

  From Toronto;  2023 1st Round Draft Pick to the Chicago Bulls for Andre Drummond (C/PF - age 30) 

As a result here is a forecast as to what the Raptors look like in print for the 2023/24 Campaign;

Centers                                        G  GS  MP   FG%  3PT% RPG APG Steals Points    

1.  Jusuf Nurkic - age 29            77  57  28.5  0.512   0.285   11.0    3.9     1.3     15.4

2.  Andre Drummond - age 30   77  37  26.3  0.533   0.120   11.3    2.1    1.2      13.5    

3.  Precious Achiuwa - age 24    70  12  21.1  0.467   0.134    5.7     2.1    0.6       9.5  

4.  Christian Koloko - age 23     47    3  13.3  0.455   0.168    3.3     1.1    0.3       5.7

5.  Khem Birch - age 31              33   0    8.8   0.459   0.000    2.1     0.5    0.4      4.2       

Power Forwards

1.  Pascal Siakam - age 29          72   72   37.9  0.531  0.320   10.2    7.3   0.8    27.3  

2.  Scottie Barnes - age 22          82   41   35.7  0.510  0.281    8.8     5.3   1.1    20.2

3.  Andre Drummond - age 30   77   37   26.3  0.533  0.120   11.3    2.1   1.2    13.5        

4.  Precious Achiuwa - age 24    70   12   21.1  0.467  0.134    5.7     2.1   0.6     9.5

5.  Otto Porter Jr. - age 30         70    7    20.0  0.488  0.212    4.7     1.0   0.2     7.7 

Small Forwards

1.  OG Anunoby - age 26            82   60   36.3  0.535  0.406   6.7    4.1   2.2    23.4 

2.  Scottie Barnes - age 22          82   41   35.7  0.510  0.281   8.8    5.3   1.1    20.2

3.  Ron Harper Jr. - age 23        70     4   20.7  0.467  0.323    4.5   3.0   1.2     11.5

4.  Otto Porter Jr. - age 30         70    7    20.0  0.488  0.212    4.7   1.0   0.2      7.7

5.  Gary Trent Jr. - age 24          80   53  35.0  0.445  0.370    4.4   4.8   1.3     19.1 

Point Guards

1.  Fred VanVleet - age 29          82   79   36.9  0.453  0.387  4.3    7.5   2.1    20.8   

2.  Malachi Flynn - age 25          40    3    17.2  0.422  0.351  1.5    2.1   0.5     5.9    

3.  Gary Trent Jr. - age 24          80   53   35.0  0.445  0.370  4.4    4.8    1.3   19.1

Shooting Guards

1.  Gary Trent Jr. - age 24          80   53    35.0  0.445  0.370  4.4   4.8   1.3    19.1

2.  OG Anunoby - age 26            82   60    36.3  0.535  0.406  6.7   4.1   2.2    23.4

3.  Ron Harper Jr. - age 23         70    4     20.7  0.467  0.323  4.5   3.0   1.2    11.5

Other Roster Players

1.  Thaddeus Young (SF/SG - age 35)

2.  Juancho Hernangomez (PF - age 28)

3.  Jeff Dowtin (PG - age 26)

4.  Justin Champagnie (SF/SG - age 22)

5.  Joe Wieskamp (SF/SG - age 24)

Proposed Toronto Maple Leaf Trade - by Moses

  

From Toronto;  2023 1st Round Draft Pick, T.J. Brodie (D - age 32), Joseph Woll (G - age 24), and Nick Abruzzese (LW - age 23) to the Edmonton Oilers for Zach Hyman (LW - age 30) and 2023 3rd Round Draft Pick

As a result here is what the Toronto Maple Leafs look like;

Goalies

1.  Ilya Samsonov (age 26)

2.  Matt Murray (age 28)

3.  Erik Kallgren (age 26) *

4.  Keith Petruzzelli (age 24) *

5.  Dennis Hildeby (age 21) #

Defencemen

1.  Morgan Rielly (age 29)

2.  Conor Timmins (age 24)

3.  Rasmus Sandin (age 23)

4.  Timothy Liljegren (age 24)

5.  Mark Giordano (age 39)

6.  Justin Holl  (age 31)

7.  Jordie Benn (age 35)

8.  Noel Hoefenmayer (age 24) *

9.  Jake Muzzin (age 34) + 

10.Victor Mete (age 24) *

11.Mac Hollowell (age 24) +

12.William Villeneuve (age 21) * 

Lines

                    LW                                           C                                        RW

1.  Michael Bunting (age 27)  Auston Matthews (age 25)  Mitch Marner (age 25)

2.  Zach Hyman (age 30)            John Tavares (age 32)    William Nylander (age 26)

3.  Pierre Engvall (age 26)     Alexander Kerfoot (age 28)  Calle Jarnkrok (age 31)  

4.  Adam Gaudette (age 26) Zach Aston-Reese (C - age 28) Wayne Simmonds (34)        

Bench

1.  David Kampf (C - age 28)

2.  Joey Anderson (RW - age 24)         

3.  Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (C - age 21) *

4.  Nicholas Robertson (LW - age 21) +

5.  Alex Steeves (C/LW - age 23) *

6.  Joseph Blandisi (C/LW - age 28) *

* - currently playing with the Toronto Marlies

# - currently playing in the Swedish Elite League  

+ - currently on injured reserve

As a result of the trade here is what Edmonton looks like in print;

Goalies

1.  Stuart Skinner - age 24

2.  Joseph Woll - age 24

3.  Jack Campbell - age 31 +

Defencemen

1.  Darnell Nurse - age 28

2.  Tyson Barrie - age 31

3.  Evan Bouchard - age 23

4.  T.J. Brodie - age 32

5.  Brett Kulak - age 29

6.  Cody Ceci - age 29

7. Vincent Desharnais - age 26

8.  Philip Broberg - age 21

Lines

           LW                                        C                                            RW

1.  Evander Kane (age 30)  Connor McDavid (age 26)  Kailer Yamamota (age 24)

2.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (age 29)  Leon Draisaitl (age 27)  Jesse Puljujarvi (age 24)

3.  Warren Foegele (age 26)  Mattias Janmark (age 30)  Derek Ryan (age 36)

4.  Klim Kostin (age 23)        Devin Shore (age 28)           Ryan McLeod (age 23)    

Bench

1.  Nick Abruzzese (LW - age 23)

2.  Dylan Holloway (C - age 21)

+ - currently on injured reserve