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The NBA trade market could erupt this offseason.
The need for roster reinforcements is seen almost everywhere, from championship hopefuls looking for the finishing piece to playoff disappointments deciding they ve had enough of their core. As per usual, there s also a class of bottom-feeders in asset-accumulation mode who have a willingness to deal.
While the upcoming draft class looks loaded at the top, it probably won t give many win-now teams much assistance. Free agency usually does, but this offseason, few clubs will have meaningful cap space, and there will be fewer high-level players to spend it on.
So, if teams are interested in adjustments, they re probably willing to talk swaps. While there is already ample speculation on what could happen this summer, we went into the trade-machine lab and cooked up four fresh ideas the hoops world would never see coming.
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Jim Dedmon/Associated Press
While the 2021 NFL draft ended on Saturday, the annual selection process wasn t over with the final pick. Teams scrambled after the draft to sign undrafted free agents, treating many of them like additional draft selections with a price tag.
It has become an increasingly frequent practice to pay top undrafted free agents like late draft picks in order to bring them into the fold. Why? Because undrafted players can have immense value.
Take running back James Robinson for example. He produced more than 1,400 scrimmage yards in 2021 after not hearing his name called on draft day.
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Marta Lavandier/Associated Press
You don t select a prospect 66th overall in the NFL Draft with the intention of that player serving as a backup.
The Minnesota Vikings used that selection on Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond because they believe the four-year college starter with superb arm talent and mobility can eventually start for them, and that s a fair evaluation of a talented and intriguing signal-caller like Mond.
According to NFL Network s Tom Pelissero, some scouts thought Mond could sneak into Round 1. And Chris Simms of NBC Sports had him rated as the fourth-best quarterback in the entire 2021 class.
WEIGHT: 311 Rare blend of size and athletic ability Glides in his movements around the field and is incredibly nimble and mobile for being 6’8” Brings his hard hat to the field on a consistent level with a rugged, physical playing style Flashes immense power and torque to ragdoll the opponent Workshops and incorporates a variety of hand techniques (flash, snatch, Hamilton) to disrupt a rusher’s timing and win back leverage
NEGATIVES Extremely raw and inconsistent with his footwork, pad level and overall technique Needs major work on staying disciplined in his set and finding consistent landmarks to not drift and over/underset against rushers who can set up their moves with hesitations and stutters