I don't think it's disingenuous... it's just your opinion. I think that when most people talk about ceilings, though, a guy who scores 37 points in a single-season game as a teenager would be regarded by most of having a chance to be better than an average starter. By defining his ceiling as merely that doesn't jibe with that. Heck, I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I can't imagine the majority of NBA starters have ever scored 37 in an NBA regular season game, let alone before they turned 20.
As for the OP: I would be willing to make such a deal, but I'm not eager to do so. I don't think Butler or Love or Griffin are good enough to give us a significantly better shot in the upcoming season than what we'll have without trading for them. We'd have to get rid of a big chunk of salary/our depth to afford any of them and I'd rather keep our cheap young players to augment our expensive older ones unless we can get a top-tier guy and I don't consider any of those three to be top-tier. It all, of course, comes down to the specifics of the deal(s).
I don’t know if this is directed at what I said earlier in the thread, but let me be clear as to my thoughts. I have zero problem with trading any of our young players if it nets a young All-Star with upside. Put together a deal that brings someone like AD to the Blazers and I’ll help pack Simons’ bags. OTOH, mortgaging that much of the future for a player like Love or Griffin, who are on the downside of their careers and who are hardly ever healthy enough to play by the end of the season seems foolish to me. There just isn’t enough increase in title chances to be worth losing players with potential who could be cornerstones of future title runs. It’s all about the specifics of the deal.
I assume this list would include any players who only did it once: NBA.com/Stats @nbastats · Mar 10, 2016 Most 30+ point games before turning 20 years old (since 1980) LBJ – 20 Melo – 10 Durant – 7 DEVIN BOOKER – 3 Kobe/Wiggins/Marbury – 2 each Anfernee Simons - once ( I added this in)
There's the problem. We don't know what deals are, or will be, on the table - but people are declaring players off-limits in trade talks. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with a specific trade idea, but declaring a player, particularly an unproven one, off limits in all trade discussions is silly. Between age, injury, and money - every player leaves. The best you can hope for is that the team has some control over the out-come.
He played against their starters the majority of the game. You are being really dishonest. Also, your standards are fucking ridiculous. Did you expect him to play minutes? Why would expect him to play minutes?
a month after turning 20, Brandon Jennings scored 55 points in a game I imagine Milwaukee fans were going ape-shit about his upside after that game. That was only 7 games into his rookie season. However, his date with the HOF took some detours
A lot of people have answered this though. I wouldn't give up Simons, Little, or Collins for guys like Covington, Love, or Griffin. I would probably be fine giving one or two or all three of them away for a Butler, George, or Kawhi type player.
The thing about talented rookies is that they are hungry and showcasing for the big payday...sometimes guys who've just had the payday take a couple seasons off and cruise....aka Batum...maybe ET to an extent...Meyers...although he's bounced back just before his next contract..maybe Mo in the past as well...Curry was hungry and showcasing...Hood and Kanter were hungry and showcasing....Kanter also cruised a bit after his first big payday with OKC...a guy like Jake Layman just can't afford to take any games off at this point in his career.
