Whats the best way to maximize return on a trade?

[Puckhead]

I realize the return is usually based on the other GM's needs, and pressure to make a move before your competitors do. All that said, is moving a player or combination of players better to move in the off season, or during the season?

Cap league, and after being a contender for the last number of years, I am running low on assets I could move to address needs in season, so I was toying with the idea to retool on the fly and while it would be a step back initially, it would leave me with cap space, and some younger, less expensive players to move forward with.

How do you structure your deals, and is timing something you consider?

Cheers,

Puck

[Rocky71]

I don't think there's an ideal period or time to make a deal. There could be ideal opportunity, and that happens by having information on what other teams in the league are needing.

Good way to acquire that information is looking over the other rosters and find needs that you might be able to address via a trade. Tough part is leading the other owner to the trade basin and accepting the deal.

Other requirements like injuries, salary cap, position etc also offer great opportunities.

[Eskimo Brother]

Take advantage of timing windows for other teams, and be patient with your own. You almost never come out well from a deal that you rush into due to need.

It cap leagues there's so many ways to be creative. Personally I like to be flexible with assets. In some leagues that means loading up on an extra goaltender or getting five extra top tier prospect defencemen before you can find a home for them that in turn balances out your roster. Treat your cap space as a precious commodity regardless of if you have $1M in space or $20M, and the same with all of your other assets. Don't move the goal posts just because something changes.

Bottom line, the more patient and consistent you are, the better.

[LuigiC173]

trade good depth for a star

[newfcollins]

Yes, timing plays a role. It's the basic principle of sell high and buy low. You want to sell a player when he is hot for a player who is cold that you think might rebound (plus something else thrown in). So at the end of the season, for example, Dumba, DeBrincat or Keller might have been good targets.

However, I wouldn't worry about the pressure of making a deal before your competitors. That type of thinking will force you into making worse deals.

[chuckcouples]

Timing can be important but the biggest factor is making educated offers. Make sure you are looking at the your opponent's rosters to see what they need and make offers that fill these needs. Your opponent's are not going to make deals to help you out, they are going to make deals that help them regardless of what happens your team. This is something that is often forgot in trade offers.

The way to use timing is by following the natural ebb and flow of value. By this I mean, draft picks are most valuable just before the draft and are least valuable right after the draft is over. In many of my leagues, you can normally trade a 1st round pick this year for a 1st + an extra pick next year. If you know the league is solid and going to continue to exist, this can be a great way to restock your shelves. In my leagues, NHL players typically peak in value right before the start of the season and again just before the trade deadline. Younger players with potential have the most value before the season starts while older productive players peak just before the trade deadline.

[Gretzky99Orr4]

Figure out what the other guy really needs. Not everyone needs the same stuff. There is a new guy in my league and he needs wingers like crazy. I have an overabundance and have moved some guys that I feel have underachieved but I can also spare (eg Labanc) for draft picks. I can make room for the new guys that I pick and also get rid of guys that will likely not peak a lot higher than they have.

[2014olympicgold]

Personally I've just kind of been in auto mode in hockey for a few yrs. I just got lucky with capitalizing on trading away stars that fell apart (Karlsson), and got lucky on stars emerging (Marchand). But in Football I pretty much lost 3 weeks in a row to start the season and decided the yr was done. Traded all depth away for picks, retooled quickly, and just go for the future.

There's no perfect formula to maximize trades, but there's opportunities you need to jump on. Injured stars, slumping stars, selling high on players, buying low. It's all based on opportunity and capitalizing on things. Sometimes dooping some chumps helps too. Sometimes I send out trades on a friday/saturday night hoping some have slightly impaired judgement.

[ericdaoust]

Getting max return is more about luck/timing than anything. The only factor that's really in your control is being available to talk trade and persistent. Instead of focusing on max return I prefer focusing on targeting players I want. For me that players I want are those that bring me closer to a championship.

Edit: Don't try to hit a home run with every deal. That won't go over well and people won't want to talk to you. In reality most trades you win are base hits.

[Axeman33]

Sell high/buy low.

I agree with Eric, timing is key. Knowing when to hold them, and when to fold them as Kenny Rogers said, is important. No one wants to trade a guy who's on fire but sometimes that's the best time. No one likes to buy a guy who's in the toilet because you look like you're losing a trade. Not always the case if you can try and foresee the future a bit by looking at the past.