The Lakers, Kevin Love and the Utah Jazz

[green]

Ok. Here is my "swing for the fences", what I would do plan for the Jazz.

First of all. We know LA is going to try to get Love from Minnesota. They have a high pick, Minnesota needs to get rid of Love before they lose him for nothing, and Love wants to be in LA.

So, I'd bet that Love goes to LA for their pick and a future first (I ran ESPN's mock once, LA has #6). So, now Minnesota has a decision to make. Do they blow the team up, admit Rubio was a mistake, and rebuild around the #6 pick (i.e., tank for next year) or do they try to rebuild on the fly? I'd say, with not making the playoffs in forever and LA's pick being #6, they try to rebuild on the fly, if possible.

Minnesota's starting team:

Rubio/JJ Barea
Martin/Shabazz
Brewer/Budinger
#6 pick/Turiaf
Pekovic/Dieng

Salaries of 50 million, that means 13 million in cap space.

Utah can give Minnesota a pretty good trade to make a push for the playoffs. If I am Utah, I offer Kanter, Burks and 23 for the #6 pick and Budinger.

That now means that Minnesota looks like this:

Rubio/JJ Barea
Burks/Martin/Shabazz
Brewer/Martin
Kanter/Turiaf
Pekovic/Dieng

The Timberwolves could throw a toxic contract at Crawford (LAC), and/or Stephenson (Ind). Now, they look like:

Rubio/JJ
Crawford or Stephensen/Burks
Brewer/Martin
Kanter/Turiaf
Pekovic/Dieng

They replace Love (26 pts, 4 assists and 12 rebs) with Crawford, Burks, and Kanter (45 pts, 6 assists, 14 rebs).

 

[green]

So, all that was for what Minnesota would do. Here is what I would now do as GM of the Jazz:

Utah, now looks like this:

Burke/Livingston (4 million per/2 yrs)/Neto (1 million per/2 years)
Hayward(11 per/4 years)/Hinrich (4 per/2 yrs)
Wiggins (4.4 million)/Budinger (5 million per/2 yrs)
Favors/Randle (2.6 million)
Gortat (12 per/4 years)/Gobert


You can play Burke, Livingston, and Neto at the PG spot.
You can play Hayward, Hinrich, Wiggins, at the 2/3 and Budinger at the 3.
You can play Favors, Randle and Budinger at the 4.
You can play Gortat, Favors and Gobert at the 5.

You have defense in Hinrich, Wiggins, Favors, Gobert and Gortat. Also, with a good coach, I see Hayward and Burke's defense being above average.
You have shooting in Burke, Hayward, Hinrich, Wiggins, Budinger.
You have post play in Gortat and Randle.
You have vets in Livingston, Hinrich, Hayward, Gortat and Budinger.
You have great interior defense. Good wing defense.
You have a good bench in Livingston, Hinrich and Randle.

Your cap space now looks like this:

2014/2015 - 1 million, 14.6 in lux tax space

And assuming the cap levels don't rise at all:

2015/2016 - 3 million, 16.8 in lux tax space
2016/2017 - 15 million, 28.8 in lux tax space
2017/2018 - 30.5 million, 44 in lux tax space

Your "core" is now:

Burke
Hayward
Wiggins
Favors
Gortat
Randle

 

[Stifle Tower]

So remind me again, how did we guarantee ourselves Wiggins?

 

[Beantown]

Didn't read.

 

[Bawse Dawg]

IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US THE WHOLE TIME!!!!!!

HOW DID WE MISS IT???

SO SIMPLE.


brb calling Lindsey.

 

[orangello]

Too much. I'd rather keep Kanter. I think he'll be just as good if not better than Randle.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Trashtalk

 

[Farmer.Tan]

I got hung up on

We know LA is going to try to get Love from Minnesota.

I was thinking LA? Lamarcus Aldridge? And why are we worrying about whether he is getting his love in Minnesota or Las Vegas? It's really none of our damn business. By the time I figured it out, I was done reading and didn't really process anything. So I glanced through it again and I see we got Wiggins and the #6 pick. I like it. Great draft night, DL.

 

[Sexual Favors]

You want to give up our two best prospects for the #6 pick? Is you crazy? Alec and Kanter didn't reqlly get a fair shake under Corbin. Trust me, there best days are ahead of them.

Kanter is far better than Randle right now, and has a higher ceiling based on size, touch and athleticism.

Trading Burks is just plain stupid. These two will be the best of our current core in three years. Book it.

 

[[size/HUGE] fixed [/size]]

gawd damn green does a lot of drugs.

 

[Sexual Favors]

Who here thinks Kanter wouldn't have averaged 15 pts and 10.4 rebs if he actually got to play at KU? Randle plays bully ball, which Kanter is far better suited for. Plus, Kanter has an outside game, size, and even more strength.

 

[green]

Too much. I'd rather keep Kanter. I think he'll be just as good if not better than Randle.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Trashtalk

Fair point. So, we throw out all of the Minnesota crap, and keep Kanter and Burks. The only issue with that is, you would then have to decide between two of these three players:

Gortat
Kanter
Burks

The biggest problem with that, is that you sacrifice your future cap space by keeping Kanter and Burks. So you had better be sure that those two are who you want.

With how bad we were this year, I'm not sold on those two. I think I'd rather have Gortat, Randle and cap space over Kanter, Burks and no cap space.

 

[b_line]

Fair point. So, we throw out all of the Minnesota crap, and keep Kanter and Burks. The only issue with that is, you would then have to decide between two of these three players:

Gortat
Kanter
Burks

The biggest problem with that, is that you sacrifice your future cap space by keeping Kanter and Burks. So you had better be sure that those two are who you want.

With how bad we were this year, I'm not sold on those two. I think I'd rather have Gortat, Randle and cap space over Kanter, Burks and no cap space.

Would rather have kanter and burks. Gortat is decent right now, but kanter will be at least as good as him, and is significantly younger.

 

[Sexual Favors]

Fair point. So, we throw out all of the Minnesota crap, and keep Kanter and Burks. The only issue with that is, you would then have to decide between two of these three players:

Gortat
Kanter
Burks

The biggest problem with that, is that you sacrifice your future cap space by keeping Kanter and Burks. So you had better be sure that those two are who you want.

With how bad we were this year, I'm not sold on those two. I think I'd rather have Gortat, Randle and cap space over Kanter, Burks and no cap space.

The main reasons we were bad this year:

1. We were designed to be, numb nuts!
2. GSW trade and those 3 who came with it.
3. Pace of play mixed with Hayfense, mixed with Corbin's defensive schemes.
4. JLIII was our FA signing.
5. Diante Garrett, who posted a PER of 7.10, was still clearly our best option as 2nd PG.
6. Trey was a rookie, and he logged major minutes.
7. EVERYONE played a new role.
8. Our bench.


Kanter and Burks both posted above average PER's, and career highs almost across the board. Both looked really good down the stretch, which is how you want them trending as they develop. Only imbeciles would blame this season on the core 5-7(Gobert+Evans).

 

[green]

These two will be the best of our current core in three years. Book it.

Then I don't think we will be that good. Neither plays much defense. Kanter doesn't pass. Are you willing to sink 20 million (possibly more) per year (32% of the cap) on two players that took you all the way to the 4th worst record in the NBA?

I'm not sold on Burks and Kanter.

Like I mentioned above, I'd trade 26 pts, 4 assists, 11 rebs, 20 million + per year/4 years (no cap flexibility) for 20 pts, 3 assists, 13 rebs, plus Randle, plus cap flexibility.

Long term, I'm not sure Burks and Kanter are good enough to keep our draft pick. We need flexibility.

Imagine if year three, Wiggins, Hayward and Favors are leading us to a top three seed in the West. Or top 5. Then going into that summer, we suddenly have room for a max player. So, when Wiggins comes to his extension time, you can give him max money, plus bring in a max player to play with him versus, telling him "this is your team, we can't better, please stay with us."

Cap room is king. I'm not sure Kanter and Burks is worth getting rid of that. Especially if we can replace them with cheaper, better defending options.

 

[Sexual Favors]

The way our books are designed right now, we can keep all of our draftees and not have to worry about extending our 2014 draft class because Hayward and Favors' contracts will be coming off the books. That's five years away, and four seasons of play. Let's keep our guys. They're building chemistry, and before you know it, they will be vets as well.

 

[Sexual Favors]

Very few yong players are two way players. You should be grateful that Kanter and Burks have some offensive potency, since that is usually the side of the ball that cannot be taught.

 

[green]

The way our books are designed right now, we can keep all of our draftees and not have to worry about extending our 2014 draft class because Hayward and Favors' contracts will be coming off the books. That's five years away, and four seasons of play. Let's keep our guys. They're building chemistry, and before you know it, they will be vets as well.

If you go my route, instead of no cap space, you would have 8 million after this year, then 15, then 30. If you keep Kanter and Burks, you are strapped cap wise, with no money for vet pieces. I'm not so sure you could say any chemistry was built last year.

Big gamble.

 

[green]

Very few yong players are two way players. You should be grateful that Kanter and Burks have some offensive potency, since that is usually the side of the ball that cannot be taught.

This is true. BUT, the good news is, as good as Kanter and Burks MAY be, at this point, they are very easily (and cheaply) replaceable.

Like I said, you are giving up Kanter and Burks potential (and remember, if you can't extend them this year, then they are RFA's next and probably end up overpaying for both of them, further hurting your cap space) for Gortat (proven commodity, may not improve, but you know what you are getting), Randle (who probably ends up = to Kanter) and cap space (which means you can continue to improve your team).

I'd take proven commodity, Randle on a rookie deal, and cap space over potential (and potentially overpaying for that potential).

 

[green]

Also, if you go my route, in three years (2017) you have Wiggins, Randle, and two draft picks under contract vs Wiggins and two draft picks.

I guess it all really comes down to whether you feel Burks is going to blow up BIG time. Not be a role player, but probably your second best player.

Kanter = Randle (although over the next 4 years, Kanter costs you at least 36 million vs 12 for Randle).

This means that you feel Burks is better than cap space and Gortat. Over the next 4 years, you would save 24 million (probably over 30) just in Kanter vs Randle. Is Burks THAT good? I'm not sure he is.

 

[Sexual Favors]

If you go my route, instead of no cap space, you would have 8 million after this year, then 15, then 30. If you keep Kanter and Burks, you are strapped cap wise, with no money for vet pieces. I'm not so sure you could say any chemistry was built last year.

Big gamble.

You can add vets who are at decent prices. Marvin Williams is one such vet who wants to be here, and who will be at the MLE. The salary cap has increased for next season, and will do so the following season. Signing Burks and Kanter now, before the next hike up, would be wise. Decent contracts signed now will be really good contracts next offseason.

Our team isn't really in need of vets, they are in need of a system that suits their strengths, a coherent defensive system with checks and balances, and some shooters to plug in and out of the game.