(This would technically be for next year, as I'm using 2021-22 payroll here. I believe, though, this could be executed as soon as the Championship is done in that free for all few period before the draft (although I might be wrong about that). At any rate, this isn't for right now but for the summer.)
Cavs get: Brandon Ingram (4yr/$130m), Eric Bledsoe (2yr/$37-ish), Steven Adams (2yr/$34m)
Pelicans get: Kevin Love (2yr/$60m), Taurean Prince (1yr/$15m), Larry Nance (2yr/$20m), Cedi Osman (3yr/$21-ish)
I gotta say: this is totally motivated by the frustration of watching Ingram try to ballhog on Zion, who is the most unstoppable offensive force in the league right now. Zion is James Harden, but fun to watch. Trying to pair him with Ingram is just going to make my head hurt. You're not getting rid of Zion, so how do you move on from Ingram?
If the Cavs believe that Ingram can be the kind of scorer that Ingram's contract suggest he can, then it'll be worth it to pair him with Garland and Sexton for the long term. Add in Jarrett Allen, then rotate vets for defense, bench, assists, corner 3's, etc., and that's a promising nucleus.
Also, the Cavs get off their four biggest contracts: an overpaid vet who needs a change a scenery, a nice wing defender on an expiring contract, an exciting down low defender that isn't really part of the future plans, a nice but unspectacular SG (that needs a change of scenery). So no big loss on or off the court. Does getting back two crappy vets (Bledsoe and Adams) make it worth it? I'd say it does. Adams is making a cringe-inducing $27m this year, but that goes down to two years of $17m each next year; not great, but not uncommonly expensive. As for Bledsoe, the second year of his deal isn't guaranteed, making his $18.1 due next year into a (sorta) expiring deal which might be attractive to some playoff squad (*). In both cases, they can still give you minutes and if they get crowded out by the youth movement, then so be it. So instead of 2yrs to Love and Nance and 3yrs to Osman, it's now just 1 year of Bledsoe and maybe 2 years of Adams in order to lock down a good young scorer for 4yrs. This move would be decisive for the Cavs, if you think Ingram can be a top flight scorer (eh, it's possible) and that he meshes with Garland and/or Sexton (also possible), then this shores up their future core, along with Jarrett Allen. And it gets them off declining contracts in favor of workable contracts while ushering out the old world, ushering in the new.
The Pelicans get rid of Ingram (he has to go) and Bledsoe (don't need him, he can go) and Adams (best years are probably behind him), to bring some help for Zion. Kevin Love needs a rebuild, to be rejuvenated and a defensive wingman that can go get rebounds and knock down a 3 is exactly what Zion needs. Larry Nance provides defensive help and a fun offensive partner for Zion to work with. Taurean Prince gives worthwhile minutes off the bench if nothing else (and is very trade-able). Cedi Osman is an Evan Fournier-ish SG can that knock down 3's on the move. These all are better for Zion than Ingram (ball hog), Bledsoe (unreliable), or Adams (clogs the middle). Also, I think these are more trade-able contracts as they mature, so nothing is locked in as much as Ingram is now.
I know this deal looks like trading too much for too much, but the numbers are eerily perfect (Pelicans $64.5m/Cavs $64.9m) and I really do think the potential of these players and these contracts benefits the opposite teams more than the current ones. Also I feel like both teams are making a roughly equal gamble: is Ingram worth the long term money and can Love be a top flight player again? They're both currently coming up with negative answers but they could swap their questions to find new answers.
I like this deal, I think it benefits both teams, make sense for all the players and the contract situations should transfer nicely. Call it in.
(*) It's only a matter of time before Bledsoe ends up back with the Clippers, don't ya think? $18m for the new Lou Williams? Totally sounds like something the Clipper brass can talk themselves into.
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