#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

The Market Opens:
Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?
Which teams should buy or sell?
What kind of value should players attract as returns?

Rules: 1 point if you give thoughtful answers, which I will award after the timer ends for responses. The timer ends for responses at the moment the corresponding week's Sim is run.

Note: Use approximately 5 sentences as your bare minimum for 1 point. If you write 3 long, complex sentences, you'll still get a point. If you write 5, 3 word sentences, you will not get a point. Don't @ me.

Due: Deadline for sim 3

Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?
The Kings are starting their fire sale of bench pieces so I expect them to continue selling. The Jazz have a lot cheap contracts that can move so I expect them to tinker too.

Which teams should buy or sell?
I think the Cavs should explore deals for everyone except Michael Adams. I actually like their starting lineup a lot, but I think the bench is too redundant especially in the backcourt so they should start there and retool it to rebuild the reserve frontcourt.

What kind of value should players attract as returns?
The Cavs should swap players like Johnny Davis and John Paxson for reserve frontcourt pieces of similar value.

The Market Opens:
Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?
Dennis Johnson with the Pacers should be on the move. He is on a very team friendly contract and could slide into a SG/PG role for a contender immediately.

Which teams should buy or sell?
I look for the Rockets to be buyers this trade season. They have surprised a lot of people with their team leading the division, and the play of Patrick Ewing. They should look to build a cleaner line up by sending out younger players to try to compete now.

What kind of value should players attract as returns?
Older starters should get picks, points, and young players. Young players should be combined with picks or points to get older starters. Reserves will get points or 2nd round picks.

The Market Opens:
Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?
Which teams should buy or sell?
What kind of value should players attract as returns?

I expect some big moves. The Bucks look dominant. I expect a lot of possible contenders falling back.

Teams that should sell:
Lakers
Bullets
Knicks
Warriors

Perhaps it's just because I've talked to all these fools about a few ideas, none of which I'll speak about in the town hall. But if you look at these teams, they all have one or two superstars (Bullets are the only one with 3), lots of promise, but in the face of the Bucks? Unless they score some big deal, they're probably not contending with the Bulls, either, let alone the Bucks. Anyway, they all have pieces that could net sizable rebuild packages, so they may want to invest in those.

...and, we don't know the true outcome yet of Donaldson's broken leg (how bad was that hit, actually?? he's still b/b...), but if his output upon return is drastically worse, even by a few rebounds or a few points, I'm just not sure they have enough built around Magic to go all the way

The Market Opens:
Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?

• Sounds like the Supersonics are looking to do a little cleaning around the house. Eaton has got to be moved at some point and I dont know, maybe a big name could be on the move as well. Outside of that I see stars staying put and it being a quiet trade deadline. Just a hunch.

Which teams should buy or sell?

• Many will say the Knicks should sell. Maybe I will, maybe I wont. I have some cards to play. I will continue my trend, I think its time the Supersonics sell. The start to this season really throws the timeline and outlook in a strange place. Maybe they should just do what is needed to get their pick back and kick start the next era.

What kind of value should players attract as returns?

• I actually think the league is super deep at the moment and that could in turn hurt player value in the trade market. I could see competing teams feeling like they have enough and go big game hunting with long shot offers. So if you are selling players, maybe the market isnt as receptive as you hoped? Looking forward to testing the waters

Top players I expect to move:
Dennis Johnson
Kyle Macy
Darwin Cook

Others that likely go:
Mark Eaton
Jack Sikma
Pat Cummings
Norm Nixon
Gerald Henderson

Assessment of who should move:
East:
Knicks - Could buy or sell
Pistons - Could buy or sell
Pacers - Will sell
Cavs - Could buy or sell

West:
The entire conference should be moving one way of the other
Rockets - Should sell
Lakers - Could buy or sell
Nuggets - Should sell
Spurs - Should buy
Warriors - Could buy or sell
Clippers - Should buy
Jazz - Could buy or sell
Mavericks - Should sell
Trailblazers - Will sell
Suns - Should sell
Sonics - Should sell
Kings - Will sell

This is very interesting for me because the teams that I think should make moves are not the ones who will make the moves.
The teams that get on their hustle are going to get over on the market.
The Kings don't have much of value to offer, I'm sure they'll sell some pieces.
Same with the Blazers who have some talented pieces, but it's been my experience that they drive a hard bargain.
And it blows my mind that some really good teams won't trade pieces that they need to make both teams better.
For instance, the Spurs should probably pay the Pacers to take Robert Reid contract and trade Kiki for Terry Cummings.
All three teams win and especially the Pistons and Spurs take a strong step towards Championship competition.
Clippers really have to come off Mitchell or Higgins for a big man. Someone like Cliff Robinson would be a good target.
There's just no separation in the West and the stalemate looks like a game of chicken.
The Lakers should get off Donaldson.
I fully expect Eaton and Cook to move.
Don't know exactly what kind of value them or Macy will garner.
None are game changers, but they all have their bags packed.
Majority of the middling teams have wings to spare, so I would expect the big men to bring a premium.
My team is a bit of a mixed bag as far as ages so I could go in either direction, but I generally waant to compete at the highest level if my best players are older than 28.
If I didn't see that happening I would be trying to sell my veterans for youth packages. And if I'm competing with a deep team of youngsters, like I am now, it can be worth it to cash in guys on rookie contracts for proven veterans. Right now I'm actually trying to do both, and I don't favor moving one way or another.
The few teams I said should buy could very possibly win it all if they make the right move, and likely won't if they stay the course.

Mike Lowry wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 10:31 pm The Market Opens:
Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?

Kyle Macy. He's a starting PG on a team that's in full "collect assets" mode. While I can't think of too many teams that are in desperate need of a PG, he's still a b/b that's on the market. He'll be gone before Sim 4. I also expect the Lakers to make a move, they're not in a position to just write an entire season of because of Donaldson's injury.

Mike Lowry wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 10:31 pmWhich teams should buy or sell?

Cap status will probably be the biggest indicator of whether a team looks to buy or sell. There won't be any true buyers, just exchangers. Exchangers will be the ones who look at their books and are positive that they can compete with a few added changes. This will be much more likely in the West than the East, because I don't see too many teams thinking that they're a move or two away from seriously challenging the Bucks, Blazers, and Bulls. Sellers will be the ones who look at what they're paying and their results, and decide that it's not worth it to stick it out.

Mike Lowry wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 10:31 pmWhat kind of value should players attract as returns?

1987 1sts are going to be at a premium. As financial factors will probably play a big role in these deals, expect certain shorter contracts and expirings to be a part of trades. Points are also going to be a bigger factor than usual.

Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?
Players? Look for expiring blues or depth to move. I don't see any massive shifts in talent. Unless the Cavs take my advice below. We could also see the Blazers maybe move 1 or 2 players if they are looking to lean into a reset season.

Which teams should buy or sell?
Player-wise, i could see some underperforming teams like the Supersonics or maybe the Trailblazers to pick a decision. Do they try to get back in the playoff hunt or do they take a gap year and sell off and clear capspace. Sonics are in a bit of a pickle as they don't have their pick. So i could see some incentive to sell or shift assets positionally to try to lessen the strength of their pick. But one team that should absolutely sell is the Cavs. This build has NOT worked when the East was weak or when it's been highly competitive. At some point a spade is a spade and it's a good time to rebuild, why not now? Maybe not a complete sell off, but shed some 2nd/3rd/4th banana players and reposition to build/retool around Adams. Holding onto purple Paxson too long is a mistake in my mind.

What kind of value should players attract as returns?
It might be a buyers market as there are alot of people feeling the weight of sims 1 & 2 crashing down. From what we've seen, it's better to sell faster while assets are moveable than wait it out. The sooner you trade, the better your return I think.

Who do you expect to move when the trade market opens?
I wouldn't be surprised to see Greenwood or Mahorn move at some point. Cavaliers have underperformed and a few teams could really use some help in their front courts

Which teams should buy or sell?
Cavaliers should look to sell. They have their picks and this team just isn't winning. Try to get more assets and younger players and start planning for the future

What kind of value should players attract as returns?
I think people are still on the high from the 84 draft so some teams might be expecting to get a haul of draft picks for their players but really there's only a few people worth a huge investment. People shouldn't be afraid to drop their expectations a bit

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+1 point