Born to Assist

We thought the off-season trade pyrotechnics were over but in one day, Eric managed to turn the league on its head with three trades in a row! On Friday morning, SlamNation woke up to the news that Fat Jubas and Eron Joven and Chandler had agreed to terms on a "Jeff (Green) for Jeff (Teague)" swap. That was exciting enough as Eric needed a young point guard to pair with Steve Nash -- now back on the Jubas after being cut and then re-selected with Jubas' first round pick.

With the draft underway, Jubas moved up in the draft to RD2 -- by trading away 2014 RD3 and RD4 to Funk Coalition -- to grab big man David West. Another nice move, as West had 17.1 PTS, 7.7 REB, 1.0 STL, 0.9 BLK in a comeback season last year. Oh but we weren't done yet, as rumors swirled that Eric had his eye on an even bigger prize.

Just a little after midnight, a gigantic blockbuster came through the wire: Fat Jubas had acquired Chris Paul in exchange for Marc Gasol and Jeff Teague, plus they gave up a first rounder in next year's loaded draft class. Wowza. In less than twenty four hours, Eric had turned Jeff Green into Chris Paul through smoke and mirrors. Chris Paul, a top five fantasy player and the top player at an important position. Chris Paul, who just signed a fat contract with the Clippers and averaged 16.9 PTS, 9.7 AST, 2.4 STL, 1.1 3PT, and with sterling percentages last year. Chris Paul, who… well, you get the idea. We love CP3!

• ID#34: Fat Jubas trade Jeff Green to Eron Joven Chandler for Jeff Teague
• ID#35: Fat Jubas trade 2013 RD3 and RD4 to Funk Coalition for their 2014 RD2
• ID#36: Fat Jubas trade Marc Gasol, Jeff Teague, 2015 RD1 to Chunky Monkeys for Chris Paul, 2014 RD6, and 2015 RD2 

Let's look at what these trades did for every team's roster. The Jubas will have a gaping hole at center now, just a year after acquiring their answer there. Gasol averaged 14.1 PTS, 7.8 REB, 1.7 BLK, 1.0 STL, with great percentages and low turnovers. While Gasol's raw numbers weren't eye popping, his extreme efficiency from the center position was perfect for Eric's team. Currently, ESPN has Gasol ranked as the #8 player in fantasy, right in-between Kyrie Irving and Paul George. If Jonas Valanciunas, summer league MVP, can break out this year, then Eric can breathe easier. Until then, he'll have to rely on drafting some holdovers for the pivot position.

Adding CP3 to the backcourt obviously elevates this team's guard play. Steve Nash should have a bounce back year AST-wise at least, and that will help the Jubas get more competitive there. Last year they were ninth in the league in AST, and that was with Nash as the leader, averaging a paltry 6.7 AST. We can look for Jubas to become one of the league leaders in AST now. Paul will also help tremendously in the STL department, where Jubas was ranked a paltry thirteenth. Like we said, a huge upgrade in the backcourt. After an off-season of jettisoning veterans, Eric looks like he's come right back into contention mode.

Now let's look at the Chunky Monkeys, who are clearly in a revamping mindset. Our last small ball team has officially waved the towel on that strategy. Gaining Gasol and Teague are a nice start to restructuring their roster, but we think Evan probably should have made this trade pre-keepers. I mean, he could have kept David West instead of Markieff Morris if his timing was better. Still, we commend his bold move in trading away his franchise cornerstone. With Teague averaging a very respectable 14.6 PTS, 7.2 AST, 1.5 STL, and 1.1 3PT, Evan won't lose too much of CP3's production while gaining a top center in Gasol.

The Monkeys are now in need of more bigs, as they are flush with guards: James Harden, Teague, Jrue Harden, Goran Dragic, and Wesey Matthews. We're very excited about what else is to come for this franchise as they find a new direction. Also, that valuable 2015 RD1 from the Jubas could be huge. If next year's draft is as loaded as rumored, then it will be a valuable pick even if Jubas make it into the playoffs. We don't want to throw the T-word around, but we think Chunky Monkeys might be aiming for a quick tank and a rebuild. Anyone else?

As for Eron Joven and Chandler, we're unsure why they let Teague go. We are high on Jeff Green's all around fantasy potential, but a Teague and Ricky Rubio pairing seemed like a nice backcourt of the future for Lucas. Now EJC will be very forward heavy with Green, Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, and Derrick Favors. That's actually a pretty enviable rotation, especially with emerging Enes Kanter at center. Perhaps Lucas has read that the supply of point guards is super deep right now and moved accordingly. Jeff Green averaged 12.8 PTS, 3.9 REB, and almost 1 3PT/STL/BLK a game last season, but we can expect those stats to jump this year with all the shots and playing time he can handle in Boston. We're intrigued how Lucas fleshes out the rest of this roster, and how he'll build on a 6-13 record.

Overall, thanks to Eric, Lucas, and Evan for giving us a very exciting SlamNation day! Can we top that? Note: It looks like October 18th is the day for huge rebuilds. Last year, Funk Coalition pulled off three trades on the same date, with moves that involved Gasol, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Al Jefferson, Blake Griffin, Jeremy Lin, and Kenneth Faried. Who will step up to the plate in 2015?!

On a minor trade note, Funk Coalition swapped picks to move down the 2014 draft even further, collecting extra low end picks by moving their 2014 RD2 and RD3. We hope there's more action in this draft to come from all parties.

• ID#36: Funk Coalition trade 2014 RD3 (via Fat Jubas, ID#35) to Buffy for their 2014 RD4, 2014 RD5, and 2015 RD5