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Game Thread Mar 05, 2025 05:00PM MT: Utah Jazz @ Washington Wizards

Added to Calendar: 03-05-25

purplegreengold said:
If they tanked in the middle of his contract would be one thing, but he could have easily declined the offer and decide to go elsewhere when his contract is up. He's all about the money (as he should be).
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I wouldn't say "easily".

If he hadn't signed with the Jazz, Ainge would've traded him - and Markkanen wouldn't have any say where to. Secondly, teams with any sort of projected cap room for major UFA signings next summer are the Nets, Pelicans, Lauri's favorite Bulls and Pistons. Some others could possibly create room if they needed to.

So the realistic options for Markkanen? Take a 60 % pay cut to play for a contender, which no player does in the NBA? Gamble on getting to a somewhat nicer situation (Detroit) than all the bottom feeders?

I would replace "easily" with "almost impossibly".
 
Thee Idiotic Minivan K said:
If the jazz in the 90’s had come to Malone and said before you sign this new contract please know we are going to tank and hold you out most of the second half of the year, he wouldn’t resign.
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You just explained why your comparison doesn't work.
 
Thee Idiotic Minivan K said:
Why
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Because if we did the same thing with Malone then he wouldn't even be on the roster to complain or get upset about the tanking.
He never re-signs with us and is currently playing for a different team.
 
Tanktastic said:
I wouldn't say "easily".

If he hadn't signed with the Jazz, Ainge would've traded him - and Markkanen wouldn't have any say where to. Secondly, teams with any sort of projected cap room for major UFA signings next summer are the Nets, Pelicans, Lauri's favorite Bulls and Pistons. Some others could possibly create room if they needed to.

So the realistic options for Markkanen? Take a 60 % pay cut to play for a contender, which no player does in the NBA? Gamble on getting to a somewhat nicer situation (Detroit) than all the bottom feeders?

I would replace "easily" with "almost impossibly".
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Golden State and San Antonio were the top teams chasing him. While Lauri couldnt dictate his destination he knew what it likely would have been. Neither one does the deal without plans to extend him, and both situations look fine to me.

Also you cant be serious about the 60% paycut. Contenders have to pay market value salaries as well, except for the rare occasions where some vet chasing a ring forces his agent to accept a discount deal so he can get to a certain team.

I mean GSW gave Jordan Poole that fat contract he is on, despite him not even being a starter for them at that point.
 
Thee Idiotic Minivan K said:
No really! But even if Malone wasn’t a top player. He’d go crazy if the Jazz did to him what the team is doing to Markkanen, Collins and others. I mean how many rest days does Kessler need in a row. Lol. It’s just funny to me how times have changed.
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If Malone had had to play today's rotating defense out to the three point line, he might have sung a different tune. I think we underestimate how much toll the changing defensive rules/landscape places on players' bodies.
 
Tanktastic said:
Feel a bit sad for Middleton. All he did is get old, not his fault. Whereas Marcus Smart is fair game and did this himself.

And players can't do anything about tanking. They could go crazy and start throwing stuff, and then the team would probably invent an "out for the season" injury for them. Going public in any way would be just disastrous for everyone involved.

Also the media treatment is quite different in Utah than it would be in NY. In a major market there would be many big name reporters that wouldn't care about team and would happily expose things. The Jazz beat reporters are happy to skip the topic almost completely (Andy Larsen as a true Jazz fan is struggling with the losing and if he didn't know it would be equally disastrous for him personally, might do something about it.)
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Andy was one of the first and hardest on the tank bandwagon.

I think his "conversion" is more of a philosophical conversion (that it's bad for the league), than a practical one (I would guess he still largely agrees with what the Jazz have done).
 
idiot said:
If Malone had had to play today's rotating defense out to the three point line, he might have sung a different tune. I think we underestimate how much toll the changing defensive rules/landscape places on players' bodies.
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And you underestimate the pounding he took on offense
 
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