The offseason trading window runs from Tues., Dec. 1 (Noon CT) to Sat., Dec. 5 (Noon CT). The COMO Rookie Draft takes place Sat., Dec. 5, at 8 a.m. CT on Twitter @COMOLeague.
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CHANHASSEN, Minn. — It's a new dawn for Paisley Park. Tuesday, the long-suffering Rainmakers shed an ugly contract and collected an outstanding one. All it cost was a trio of draft picks and $17 million.
All-COMO guard Ben Simmons, who helped the Shorewood Show win a record 77 games in 2017-2018 and won a ring in 2018-2019, is now headed 5 minutes down the road to Chanhassen. In return, the Rainmakers are sending the Show their No. 17 overall pick in next Sunday's draft, as well as both their first- and second-round picks in 2020. Oh, and Paisley Park is untethering itself from the albatross that is DeMarcus Cousins' three-year deal ($17 million annually). It's a move that turns Paisley into an instant contender. The Rainmakers now have a pair of stars — Anthony Davis and Simmons — and some breathing room to bring in a third. "I still love Boogie," GM Brendan Halleron said, "but I took a 29-out-of-30 gamble he wouldn't be on the same [NBA] team as Davis. I lost on the 1-in-30 chance. I wish him all the best and hope he gets healthy, but I look forward to winning now with Simmons at the helm." Paisley has been one of COMO's most beleaguered frachises. The Rainmakers have only finished with one winning record in six seasons. Last summer's questionable pairing of Davis' and Cousins' long-term contracts only figured to lock the team into further turmoil. Suddenly, the winds have changed. There's Davis and Simmons. There's also likely No. 3 draftee R.J. Barrett, who should contribute immediately. Holdovers Jayson Tatum and Zach LaVine figure to score in bunches again. Oh, and last year's No. 2 overall pick, DeAndre Ayton, looks like a future All-COMO selection. Meanwhile, Shorewood has found a way to get return on Simmons, who was reportedly not in the team's future plans due to a complicated cap situation. Cousins will likely be cut this fall, but Paisley Park has agreed to pay the penalty for his 2021-2022 salary in that event, so Shorewood will only be on the hook for the next two seasons (perhaps the Show can find a suitor for Cousins in lieu of paying cash for his disappearance). Simmons arrived in Shorewood in summer 2017, following an injury-ruined season with Colorado. That season, he was the unanimous Rookie of the Year as the Show soared through the regular season with an unbelievable 77-5 record. While Shorewood lost to Newport Beach in the ensuing COMO Finals, the Show managed to claw back to the Finals this past April and upset the Minnesnowta Chill for their fourth championship. "Ben was an outstanding part of our organization for two seasons," GM Alex Smith said. "His work here was historic. And we'd love to keep him. But there was no wiggle room to make that happen." Despite losing Simmons, the Show will return two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, All-COMO stud Nikola Jokic and All-COMO Playoffs selection Devin Booker, among others. Shorewood figures to be a heavy favorite to win its fifth trophy next spring. It will likely need to slip past Simmons and Paisley Park to do so. NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — There's a banner waiting for John Wall at Cohen Arena. Last March, the Grizzlies made the cheeky move of retiring Wall's No. 2 jersey before Game 3 of the COMO Finals .... while Wall was suited up for the opposing St. Louis Hornets. The point guard exploded for 45.5 bones in the contest, and St. Louis went on to sweep Newport. This week, general manager Peter Mayer decided to bring Wall back to California. He sent his 2019 first-round pick (Top 2 protected for one year) and a trio of role players to Manhattan in exchange for the All-COMO guard and forward Taj Gibson. "I suppose we'll have to un-retire his jersey now," Mayer said. "But maybe it will lift the curse it put on us in the first place." Newport Beach (41-9) is currently in second place behind Shorewood (46-4), and the addition of Wall should help fill the hole that shooting guard James Harden left when the team was unable to re-sign him this past October. Meanwhile, Manhattan (24-26) is currently in position for the No. 8 seed and blew out a trio of opponents earlier this week, but the Spiders are apparently comfortable with punting their championship hopes. General manager Alex Krause said Wall — acquired in an offseason trade with St. Louis and currently being paid $27 million — was a "1-year rental," and that the team "didn't quite play up to the expectations" it set in the offseason. "While we were definitely in the mix to have our first playoff berth in franchise history, we felt that this was the best move to do," Krause said. "Newport offered us great return for Wall. And since we recognized that re-signing Wall would be extraordinarily difficult, this was an opportunity we didn't want to pass up." Krause also pointed to the massive success both Shorewood (46-4) and Newport Beach (41-9) have enjoyed this season, saying that he didn't think his team could stack up to those powerhouses this spring. Wall might be the piece that helps Newport move past Shorewood in the standings. They squared off the 2016 COMO Finals (Shorewood won, 4-2) and then Newport suffered the aforementioned Finals sweep to St. Louis a year later. The deal Newport Beach receives: John Wall ($27M) and Taj Gibson ($1M) Manhattan receives: 2019 1st-round draft pick (Top 2 protected, unprotected in 2020), Jonas Valanciunas ($7M), Cody Zeller ($2M), Rodney Hood ($1M) SPECIAL FROM THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH (July 17, 2017) ST. LOUIS — Trades giveth, and now trades taketh away from St. Louis basketball fans. Hornets general manager Aaron Connolly completed a gut-wrenching series of trades late Sunday night, adding Kawhi Leonard, John Wall and Paul George to the departed list alongside COMO Finals MVP Jimmy Butler. All four players have earned All-COMO honors during their careers. Friday, the Hornets shipped Butler to Sunnyvale in a three-team trade. Sunday, they sent Leonard to Colorado and a Wall/George package to Manhattan. In return, St. Louis continued to rack up "future" pieces. From Colorado: The No. 5 overall pick in this month's draft, plus a conditional 2019 first-round pick and guard Reggie Jackson. From Manhattan: The No. 9 and No. 14 picks in the draft, plus a conditional 2019 first-rounder and guard Zach LaVine. Add that to Friday's haul (No. 11 overall and a conditional 2018 first-rounder from Sunnyvale) and you've got an embarrassment of draft assets. Connolly told the Post-Dispatch his plans are still "up in the air," and that he's trying to avoid carrying around too many big contracts this season (the Hornets had to shed at least $67M entering the offseason; hence, all this deals). He likes what he sees from the current draft class. "Haven't seen this much talent since my Freshman A basketball squad," he said, as if anyone was supposed to know what that meant. St. Louis still owns the rights to All-COMO center Hassan Whiteside, center Nikola Vucevic, power forward Kevin Love and point guard Mike Conley, all of whom averaged at least 22 bones last season. And the Hornets should be able to snare at least one prominent free agent this autumn. Replicating last year's 64-18 record and near-perfect playoff run does not appear to be likely at this point, though. TRADE DETAILS (St. Louis/Colorado) St. Louis receives: No. 5 overall pick, 2019 1st Round pick (conditions: Top-5 protected in '19, unprotected in '20) & Reggie Jackson ($3M) Colorado receives: Kawhi Leonard ($25M) & 2019 2nd Round pick TRADE DETAILS (St. Louis/Manhattan) St. Louis receives: No. 9 overall pick, No. 14 overall pick, 2019 1st Round pick (conditions: Top-3 protected in '19, unprotected in '20) & Zach LaVine ($6M) Manhattan receives: John Wall ($27M) & Paul George ($21M) *NOTE: Teams were allowed to trade 2019 draft picks only after paying their 2017-2018 league fees in advance. SPECIAL FROM THE DARTMOUTH CHRONICLE HERALD (July 14, 2017): DARTMOUTH, Nova Scotia — The Sunnyvale Slayers haven't sniffed the playoffs in their first two seasons, but their roster now features a COMO Finals MVP. That'd be Jimmy Butler, who just three months ago led St. Louis to the city's first basketball title since 1958. The Hornets had a dream season, but are now forced to unload much of their talented roster due to salary cap restrictions. Their loss was the Slayers' gain Friday afternoon, as GM Matthew Quammen approved a three-team deal that brought Butler, Nerlens Noel, Ante Zizic and a second-round pick to Canada. St. Louis received the No. 11 overall pick in this month's draft and a 2018 first-round selection from Sunnyvale (see bottom of story for full details). Shorewood was the third party in the deal; The Show — which already swung a blockbuster deal earlier Friday — nabbed Slayers shooting guard Devin Booker. New Sunnyvale coach Lavar Ball was unsurprisingly opinionated in a press release from the organization. "Sunnyvale is excited to add a few great players," he said. "Jimmy Butler is a stud. This season will be like my 1-on-1 career. Never lost. We're also excited to dump Devin Booker. He ain't no BIG BALLER." St. Louis' press release simply consisted of a sad-face emoji. The Hornets went 64-18 last season and nearly swept their competition in the COMO playoffs en route to a league championship. Butler was the star, and he got plenty of help from John Wall, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Hassan Whiteside and others. Now, the team must find a way to compete again without a few of its biggest pieces. General manager Aaron Connolly was reportedly shopping other players entering the second-to-last weekend before the draft. Shorewood landed a large haul from Colorado earlier in the day, and added to its youthful rotation by securing Booker from the Sunnyvale. The third-year pro is expected to challenge for a starting-lineup spot. TRADE DETAILS Sunnyvale receives: Jimmy Butler ($30M), Nerlens Noel ($7M), Ante Zizic ($1M) and No. 22 overall pick St. Louis receives: No. 11 overall pick and 2018 1st Round pick (Sunnyvale will retain the right to move its own 1st Round pick *or* the 1st Round pick it previously acquired from Minnesnowta) Shorewood receives: Devin Booker ($1M) Shorewood, Colorado complete blockbuster 5-player trade featuring DeMar DeRozan, Ben Simmons7/14/2017 SPECIAL FROM THE GREELEY TRIBUNE (July 14, 2017): Welcome to the 2017-2018 playoff race, Hilltoppers. General manager Collin Atkinson brought his lowly team (9-73 last season) much closer to its first postseason berth with a blockbuster deal on Friday morning. Following a 5-player, 1-pick trade with Shorewood, the 'Toppers will now feature shooting guard DeMar DeRozan, point guard Kemba Walker and small forward Carmelo Anthony (combined salary: $46 million). Colorado is expected to have plenty of space in free agency, too, once it clears out the cobwebs of an ugly roster. Sources say former Colorado guard — and four-time All-COMO selection — James Harden could be headed back to Greeley in September. What did Colorado give up? A hefty portion of its future. Last year's No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, who missed the entire season with a knee injury, is gone. Ditto for second-year player Brandon Ingram (part of the Harden deal with Newport Beach). The kicker: Colorado's first-round draft choice in 2018. It's a high-risk deal for Atkinson, but remember: the 'Toppers still have their current No. 5 overall pick and Newport Beach's first-rounder next year, too. On the other side, Shorewood made what appears to be a "rebuilding" move, but that can't possibly be the Show's strategy. The three-time league champions will bring back All-COMO stars Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with several other key players. Whether Simmons, Ingram and the new pick will remain in GM Alex Smith's possession is unclear; they'd all be strong trade chips once teams clear the $100M cap deadline in early autumn. TRADE DETAILS: Colorado receives: DeMar DeRozan ($13M; 23.88 average), Kemba Walker ($14M; 21.98) and Carmelo Anthony ($19M; 20.56) Shorewood receives: Ben Simmons ($4M; DNP), Brandon Ingram ($3M; 8.43) and 2018 1st-round pick, unprotected SHOREWOOD, Minn. — Last winter, the Shorewood Show stayed silent at the trade deadline, and the trust paid off as a young group of unproven role players aided Steph Curry, Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge in their third consecutive title run. This year, Shorewood has no such luxury. At least, according to GM Alex Smith. "We had to make a move," he said. "Title No. 4 is not coming here unless we add a couple guns." The 2016-2017 season has been an arms race unlike any COMO has ever seen. Five teams are at least 40-25 or better, and two more have winning records. Top-ranked St. Louis has a bulletproof eight-man rotation, with every player averaging 20 or more bones. Minnesnowta has MVP favorite Anthony Davis and six other players above 20. Newport Beach has three (three!) stars over the 30 mark. Shorewood has been no slouch this season, but Curry is a step behind his usual pace, and the departures of Gasol and Aldridge have hurt frontcourt depth. So, Smith swung a deal that — given the contenders' cap room and available players on the market — could very well be the final blockbuster of this season. Shorewood received Carmelo Anthony and Marc Gasol from Kansas City in exchange for its 2018 1st round pick (with conditions ... see bottom of page), pair of 2017 second-rounders, guard Tyler Johnson, post Jusuf Nurkic, former No. 8 overall pick Stanley Johnson and the rights to overseas player Cedi Osman. Now, GM Jack Nowland is in rebuilding mode less than 12 months after making a surprise run to the COMO Final Four. He has star point guard Damian Lillard, injury prone center Brook Lopez and not much else in terms of the product on the floor. "Obviously with the taste of success in 2016, this season has been a disappointment," Nowland said. "Our plan for 2018 is to get a better team around Dame to make a strong push for the postseason." The move signals the end of an era in Kansas City. Gasol was an original auction selection in October 2013, and has a prominent place in the Monarchs record book. Anthony, a free-agent acquisition this past offseason, was supposed to be the extra piece that pushed KC above .500 this year. Fans are already planning a small protest outside team offices in retaliation for Gasol's abrupt shipment. "He will not be an easy man to replace," Nowland said. "The Monarchs organization wants to thank Marc for his great service to the team and the Kansas City community. He was even willing to take a pay cut last offseason to stay here. We wish him nothing but the best in Shorewood." The new-look Show lineup will get its first action in St. Paul vs. Minnesnowta on Friday, then prep for a back-to-back against rival Chaska and floundering Colorado. THE DEAL
CHANHASSEN, Minn. — Six months ago, Jackie Moon was coaching a 50-win team against Newport Beach in an elimination game. Monday, cameras caught him carrying a single cardboard box to his 1973 Volkswagen at Paisley Park. Moon turned to face the building one final time, spit on the concrete, and cursed under his breath. When he pulled out of the parking lot, it marked the end of an era for the Rainmakers (15-25), who completed a 7-player, 2-pick trade with the St. Louis Hornets (31-9) on Sunday night before handing Moon (114-172 with one playoff appearance in three-plus seasons) his walking papers. "This was supposed to be the year to take the next step," general manager Brendan Halleron told reporters. "Solid roster top to bottom. It failed epically. Prince would smack the purple out of these guys if he knew the kind of s--- they were pulling. The offer with young parts and assets was too good to pass up." In return for All-COMO veterans Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Paisley Park got a haul from first-place St. Louis: No. 3 overall pick Kris Dunn, former No. 1 overall pick and 2014-2015 COMO Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, former lottery pick Aaron Gordon, Marcus Morris, Trevor Booker and a pair of future second-round selections. While Paisley Park now has an enviable arsenal of young talent — including Andre Drummond, Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal and Jabari Parker — St. Louis is now the unquestioned COMO title favorite. "Comin' for that ass, Peter," said general manager Aaron Connolly Nutting, who was apparently responding to a blockbuster deal Newport Beach GM Peter Mayer pulled off last week. St. Louis coach Jimmy Chitwood now has a near-impossible task in front of him: Deciding how to keep John Wall, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Nikola Vucevic, Mike Conley, Hassan Whiteside, Leonard and Paul happy while maintaining the league's best record. Extra notes
Trade details
DEADLINE DEAL: Newport Beach adds 'Big Al' Jefferson for playoff run, Hollywood continues rebuild2/15/2016 NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — The Grizzlies are giving 'Big Al' one more title shot. Al Jefferson, 31, still potentially has several years of basketball in him, but his production — and health — have slipped much more quickly than expected. He essentially has a final chance at being a strong championship contributor with Newport Beach (47-29), which shipped forward Robert Covington ($3 million) and its 2016 second-round draft pick to Hollywood for the right to haul in Jefferson's $20 million contract. The big man had a good run in Tinseltown, finishing his Hornets career with the franchise's third-most bones (2,599), third-most points (2,135), second-most rebounds (1,011) and second-most blocks (128) in nearly three seasons. Currently healing from December meniscus surgery, Jefferson is expected to return "shortly," according to The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell. ST. PAUL — Fans in Minnesota's capital city have now seen two "building block" players and first-round draft pick thrown out the window this week. But in return, they get what is perhaps the best lineup in the country. Two days after shipping a package that included Hassan Whiteside to Hollywood for 2014-2015 COMO MVP Anthony Davis, general manager Matthew Taylor sent injured point guard Eric Bledsoe and an unprotected 2017 first-round pick to Sunnyvale for former Chill star Carmelo Anthony. Now, a fringe power broker (31-23) is perhaps the favorite to win it all this spring. The Chill's new lineup includes guards Kyrie Irving and Brandon Knight, wing players Gordon Hayward and Anthony, and a murderer's row of Davis, Rudy Gobert and Kevin Love in the post. "Melo" played for Minnesnowta from 2013-2015, earning second-team All-COMO honors in his first season. Citing a large cap number, Taylor cut him this past summer, and Anthony wound up heading to Nova Scotia on a $20 million deal in free agency. Now, he's back in the gym where he became the Chill's all-time leader in bones and points. "Welcome home, kid," Taylor said. "Welcome home." Sunnyvale (19-35) — currently tied for the No. 8 seed — hurt its playoff prospects with the deal, but that's the last thing on general manager Matthew Quammen's mind. "All my vets are available," he said Wednesday night. "I'm trying to be a dynastic championship contender, not an 8 seed." Quammen called Anthony, who's been averaging just over 21 bones this season, a "fat loser." Now, the Slayers' assets include Bledsoe — a second-team All-COMO selection last year — and two 2017 first-rounders. "We are looking to build to the future," Quammen said. "Young assets are welcome in Sunnyvale." OFFICIAL DEAL
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