Grade the trade: 3-team shocker lands Victor Wembanyama his co-star of the future

Victor Wembanyama needed only a few short weeks to confirm what we all believed: he is a generational NBA talent. The No. 1 overall pick was slow out of the gate for a hapless San Antonio Spurs team in 2023-24, but he quickly found his rhythm despite his imperfect circumstances.

The Spurs' roster construction did Wemby very few favors. He didn't have a reliable point guard to set the table, nor a premier perimeter scorer to draw defenders and open up the floor. Wemby was the No. 1 focus on every scouting report from his first NBA game onward and the Spurs relied on the French prodigy for just about everything. He was the Spurs' bail-out scorer late in shot clocks, their primary iso threat, and the centerpiece of most primary offensive actions.

Wemby gradually improved his efficiency and became comfortable in a go-to role, but the Spurs would benefit from another All-Star to share in his burden. Wembanyama has a chance to really dominate as a secondary scorer — catching lobs, picking and popping, and so forth — and the only way to test that theory, which is absolutely correct, is to put a legitimate perimeter creator on the Spurs roster.

Chris Paul should help in the short term, but he's hardly a viable long-term option at point guard. The Spurs surely believe No. 4 pick Stephon Castle can develop into a lead ball-handler, but he's best in a connective role right now.

This ambiguous "perimeter creator" doesn't have to be a point guard, though. It can be a playmaking wing who is comfortable in the pick-and-roll and productive on an island. It can, as Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report posits, be Brandon Ingram.

Wild 3-team trade proposal lands Brandon Ingram on Spurs, Jarrett Allen on Pelicans

A doozy.

We can start with the Spurs, who essentially cough up Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, and a single, top-five protected first-round pick for Brandon Ingram. That is great value. The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled to find suitable trade offers this summer — thus Ingram's continued presence on the roster — but by roping in a third team, the Spurs manage to acquire an All-Star wing without sacrificing an arm and a leg.

Obviously, there is risk baked into any trade. The Spurs are giving up a lightly protected future first, but one has to imagine Wembanyama, Ingram, and future roster development will help the Spurs field a competitive team by 2029. Wembanyama has legitimate 'best player in the world' upside and we should have a pretty good idea about whether or not he will reach that ceiling by the time this pick conveys.

I am not the world's most ardent Brandon Ingram truther (that next contract is spooky), but he's a 6-foot-9 wing with a killer pull-up jumper and some real playmaking chops. The 3-point inconsistency has been a bother next to Zion Williamson and he's not the most adept off-ball weapon, which could bump up against Wemby's growth over time, but this is absurdly low value for a 27-year-old All-Star on the precipice of his prime. Ingram can still get better and the Spurs' development program remains top-notch.

Spurs grade: A-

As for New Orleans... this is a grand slam, 10-of-10 awesome trade. Jarrett Allen is straight up more impactful than Brandon Ingram for this writer's money. To land Allen and Caris LeVert and potentially the most valuable draft pick of the swap? That is a huge victory. Allen also happens to address the Pelicans' foremost position of need.

Despite a busy summer, New Orleans has failed to fill the gaping void left by Jonas Valanciunas at the center spot. Rookie Yves Missi and Daniel Theis are the only traditional fives on the 15-man roster right now. Even if you're uber-confident in Missi's ability to make a day-one impact, it's a stretch to start an unproven 20-year-old on an aspiring contender. Theis has solid traits, but he's a third-string big at best on a competitive team.

Allen gives New Orleans a starter it can feel good about. This trade isn't possible until Jan. 27 after Allen inked a three-year, $90.7 million extension this summer, but the Pelicans can gladly wait. Going into the season with a black hole at the five spot is worth it if New Orleans can swindle its way to an All-Star before February.

One of the best rim protectors in the NBA, Allen would flourish in a defense that already weaponizes Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, and Jose Alvarado on the perimeter. The offensive fit as a non-shooter is a bit wonky, but Zion is going to pressure the rim regardless of who occupies the center position and Allen will find pick-and-roll success working alongside Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum.

Pelicans grade: A+

Wow, two extremely positive grades. What a great trade. Alas, we arrive at the third and final team, and per the standards of fake trades, it is hard to adequately satisfy three different fandoms. The Cleveland Cavaliers would emerge from this trade looking a bit silly. The logic is perfectly understandable, but there's simply not enough value going in Cleveland's direction.

The Cavs trade Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and Dean Wade — three bonafide rotation pieces — for Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Maybe two bonafide rotation pieces? The Cavs also swap protected 2029 first-round picks with the Pelicans which, sure, is fine. That could work out for Cleveland if the Zion project collapses.

There is understandable angst about the long-term viability of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the Cavs frontcourt, but that doesn't mean Cleveland can trade its All-Star center for pennies on the dollar. Keldon Johnson addresses a need on the wing — he's a solid 3-point shooter, secondary scorer, and rebounder at 6-foot-5 — but he has been steadily falling down the pecking order in San Antonio. Zach Collins is a fine backup center to plant behind Evan Mobley, but even he has injury concerns that make the investment risky.

Allen has been excellent since arriving in Cleveland, even with the wonky fit. The Cavs are consistently a top-five defense and Allen has real pick-and-roll chemistry built up with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. LeVert, for all his flaws, is a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate and a valuable source of shot-making off the bench. Dean Wade is a legitimate bench shooter. And Cleveland gives all that up for 1.5 playable pieces and a slightly upgraded future first-round pick, the true value of which is unknowable this far in advance.

It's bad for business. Even if you're a proponent of Cleveland trading Allen, it has to be for a better package than this.

Cavaliers grade: D