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Best Playoff Outcomes for Jazz Trades

I don't think there was ever an opportunity, but if there was, we really missed out on a potential Jalen Williams for Lauri trade. I think Jalen Williams is on a potential MVP trajectory with his two way ability and his age and being on a rookie deal would have been easier to build around.

I really don't understand how OKC goes from a team with 3 young future MVPs to 10 years later having 3 young potential future MVPs.
 
I don't think there was ever an opportunity, but if there was, we really missed out on a potential Jalen Williams for Lauri trade. I think Jalen Williams is on a potential MVP trajectory with his two way ability and his age and being on a rookie deal would have been easier to build around.

I really don't understand how OKC goes from a team with 3 young future MVPs to 10 years later having 3 young potential future MVPs.
There wasnt.

And it's extreme luck for OKC. They somehow played the "super-star makes trade demands" game perfectly despite being a small market. The power of Russ to pull Paul George to OKC is such an incredible feat of pure unadulterated luck it's crazy. Without that none of this is possible.
 
Giannis, Embid, Lebron or Curry are the only ones I would trade for and I would still want to do it a value so it won't happen. Most likely build through the draft and find creative ways (long painful or short an opportunistic) to improve our draft value.
 
And when I say "luck" of course OKC is also an incredibly ran franchise with great decision makers and talent evaluators. It's crazy that I often forget they also drafted Sabonis.
 
There wasnt.

And it's extreme luck for OKC. They somehow played the "super-star makes trade demands" game perfectly despite being a small market. The power of Russ to pull Paul George to OKC is such an incredible feat of pure unadulterated luck it's crazy. Without that none of this is possible.
I agree. I doubt the OKC front office would have ever entertained it.

I saw some ideas out there earlier in the season from OKC people with the idea, so at least at one point in the season it was seen as a potentially attractive deal for them.
 
I agree. I doubt the OKC front office would have ever entertained it.

I saw some ideas out there earlier in the season from OKC people with the idea, so at least at one point in the season it was seen as a potentially attractive deal for them.
I doubt OKC is even interested in Lauri at this point. They got their 3 stars. They dont need or probably even want another max level player (at least one they have to give up significant assets for). They will be making moves on the margins to compete w/ whatever the meta shapes up to be.
 
I don't think there was ever an opportunity, but if there was, we really missed out on a potential Jalen Williams for Lauri trade. I think Jalen Williams is on a potential MVP trajectory with his two way ability and his age and being on a rookie deal would have been easier to build around.

I really don't understand how OKC goes from a team with 3 young future MVPs to 10 years later having 3 young potential future MVPs.
It was never available. Also they essentially traded for Jalen Williams. I know they selected him with their own pick but the traded for the pick directly in front of theirs, owned by the Knicks, and used that pick for Dieng just in case the trade did not go through and they could still get their guy Jalen. Who knows who Knicks or another team would have taken, but the reporting on why they ordered those picks the way they did made perfect sense. So I know there is luck involved for sure... but they also went and go the guy they wanted.
 
I doubt OKC is even interested in Lauri at this point. They got their 3 stars. They dont need or probably even want another max level player (at least one they have to give up significant assets for). They will be making moves on the margins to compete w/ whatever the meta shapes up to be.
Lauri might be the only guy they would have interest in as he'd fit perfectly. I don't think they aggressively pursue a deal for Lauri or anyone else that needs a big contract though unless they flame out hard in the next round.
 
I doubt OKC is even interested in Lauri at this point. They got their 3 stars. They dont need or probably even want another max level player (at least one they have to give up significant assets for). They will be making moves on the margins to compete w/ whatever the meta shapes up to be.

That's what I've been saying for awhile. They just need a guy that can give them some minutes against the 250+ pounders and grab some rebounds.

That said, I'm sure they would love Lauri, and I think they still have a couple years before they need to pay guys, so they could probably afford to pay him for awhile and flip him if needed down the road.
 
If we wanted to be the type of team that we would with Ingram and Lauri... we could have been a better version of that by doing just one of the Don or Rudy trades. Maybe we'd have more upside cuz of the prospects and picks we accumulated... but I don't think that is the goal. If we landed Sarr and he looked amazing (or any other high draft pick I suppose) then maybe I will reverse course from my tanking edict... but for now I think we have to tank the effs out of 2025 one way or another. Reassess where we are next summer before deciding whether or not to tank the effs out of 2026. Ingram+Lauri means 2025 pick conveys to OKC. I think we are more willing to tank than others. Moving KO and Simone doesn't strike me as a way to be good sooner than later. Simone more than KO.

Ainge's quote of we don't want to go from the 23rd best team to the 18th best team. Now DA is a master at saying everything and nothing so make of it what you want.
 
There won't always be guys in Ingram, Trae Young, tier available but they aren't opportunities I feel we HAVE to take. Just not sure what having a top 30 and a top 40ish player really does for us in this western conference. Any trade for them should include the acquisition cost and the fact that we are adding our 2025 pick on the top. Would you give up a top 10 pick next year (the pick we lose to OKC), Collin Sexton, John Collins, and likely at least another pick for Ingram? You also have to give him a max extension (or close to it). Is that cheap?
 
John Collins might be a valuable piece for salary matching alone. I doubt league rules would allow trading Luka for the Greek Freak straight up.
 
There won't always be guys in Ingram, Trae Young, tier available but they aren't opportunities I feel we HAVE to take. Just not sure what having a top 30 and a top 40ish player really does for us in this western conference. Any trade for them should include the acquisition cost and the fact that we are adding our 2025 pick on the top. Would you give up a top 10 pick next year (the pick we lose to OKC), Collin Sexton, John Collins, and likely at least another pick for Ingram? You also have to give him a max extension (or close to it). Is that cheap?

I kinda think there are always those guys. Maybe not the exact tier 2/3 guy you want will always be available, but I feel like there is always borderline all star guys available for trade.
 
I kinda think there are always those guys. Maybe not the exact tier 2/3 guy you want will always be available, but I feel like there is always borderline all star guys available for trade.
If they aren't you don't have to wait too long to get one. I just feel like our situation doesn't warrant that type of a deal right now. I'd rather go the other way.
 
If they aren't you don't have to wait too long to get one. I just feel like our situation doesn't warrant that type of a deal right now. I'd rather go the other way.

I tend to agree. I'm not sure where an Ingram type player puts us. Well....I actually think we're still likely not a playoff team even if we added a player like that. This is especially true if we want to play any young players we draft. I guess I would make an exception for a player if they were still on their first contract....but that's more about getting a player under team control.

I'm more skeptical about tanking than most, but I think we'll have a really hard time making the playoffs. With the way we've cleared out the roster, I think I'd rather go the other way as well. We'll probably need to trade Lauri, Sexton, or both.
 
I tend to agree. I'm not sure where an Ingram type player puts us. Well....I actually think we're still likely not a playoff team even if we added a player like that. This is especially true if we want to play any young players we draft. I guess I would make an exception for a player if they were still on their first contract....but that's more about getting a player under team control.

I'm more skeptical about tanking than most, but I think we'll have a really hard time making the playoffs. With the way we've cleared out the roster, I think I'd rather go the other way as well. We'll probably need to trade Lauri, Sexton, or both.
I think we can tank to a 5-7th worst record if we move Sexton (assuming a mostly healthy Lauri). Depends on Kessler and some young guys. I think the key is doing a Sexton or Jordan Clarkson and John Collins for nothing type of deal. Sexton/Collins for Ben Simmons seems most appealing (we get picks in that deal). I think they wait to see if they can land Don. If they do I can still see them doing Collins/Clarkson for Simmons to unite Dono with his homies and get out of the Simmons business.

Sexton and Lauri have a lot of hamstring maintenance maybe. Playing a lot of young players should with them should put us around 25ish wins maybe?
 
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