What's new

Jazz and Knicks discussing Donovan Mitchell trade per Shams Charania and Tony Jones

The other reason RJ is a good building block or trade piece... he takes nothing off the table. You can play two other wings with him... you can add a pg or a big. He may only end up being a slightly above average starter... but at the wing that is super important for team building. You aren't boxed into anything.
 
I don’t understand the fascination with having zero building blocks. Having a player like RJ helps speed up the process. We have him plus our top-5 pick in 2023. If we are good enough to lose our pick in 2024 to OKC that means RJ has taken a huge leap and we drafted well. If we don’t lose our pick guess what that’s another top-10 pick to add to our two building blocks we already have.
 
I don’t understand the fascination with having zero building blocks.
Me either. I even get the idea of wanting to have a bunch of picks, but why does everyone want a G-League roster to go with it. So they have odds at getting the #1 pick? Ok, but the odds aren't even that amazing if you have the worst record.
 
Me either. I even get the idea of wanting to have a bunch of picks, but why does everyone want a G-League roster to go with it. So they have odds at getting the #1 pick? Ok, but the odds aren't even that amazing if you have the worst record.
The point of having the worst record is that you are more likely to get the 2nd/3rd pick if you dont get the 1st.


You can finish 5th worst and have the same shot at the 1st pick, but you could also get the 6th/7th pick.
 
Just a little nugget to throw out there. The Lakers currently have enough roster space to do a 3-for-1 deal. All of the pieces of this deal just make too much damn sense not to happen.
 
I don’t understand the fascination with having zero building blocks. Having a player like RJ helps speed up the process. We have him plus our top-5 pick in 2023. If we are good enough to lose our pick in 2024 to OKC that means RJ has taken a huge leap and we drafted well. If we don’t lose our pick guess what that’s another top-10 pick to add to our two building blocks we already have.
I think we are going to end up with two lotto picks next year... that plus RJ/Grimes? is a solid start. If Kessler/Butler/or any of the late picks we get are something then we jump out the gate real fast.

As far as winning goes... IQ/Grimes/Toppin might also add a win or two. Winning a bit is fine... as long as the young guys are causing the wins.
 
It’s a tactic. I love it. Ainge is the one dragging this out, until they crack.
Its good... until next week. There really isn't any penalty in waiting for us until next week. Losing the Lakers deal would hurt... so now its time to start thinking about settling a bit... kind of had a free negotiating period.

I think it actually might be JZ and Ainge playing good cop bad cop. JZ negotiates and collects the offer then says "talked with Danny and its not quite there yet". I think next week we make a serious counter offer that is designed at hopefully closing the deal.

JZ/Ainge were bold enough to say "add an unprotected pick and Grimes to RJ and 5 picks and we have a deal".
 
Nice insight. I could totally see the good cop/bad cop angle. JZ keeps ‘em on the line and all seduced and then DA says, “nope., hang up the phone.” Awesome.
 
The point of having the worst record is that you are more likely to get the 2nd/3rd pick if you dont get the 1st.


You can finish 5th worst and have the same shot at the 1st pick, but you could also get the 6th/7th pick.
And with the worst record you are guaranteed no worse than the 5th pick. That's how I think about it. I'm not ****ing around about the tank.

On that point, yeah, RJ ain't taking the team to the playoffs, but is he the difference between having the worst record and or not?
 
And with the worst record you are guaranteed no worse than the 5th pick. That's how I think about it. I'm not ****ing around about the tank.

On that point, yeah, RJ ain't taking the team to the playoffs, but is he the difference between having the worst record and or not?
He might take you from worst to 3rd or 4th worst. I just think if you can start with a building block that it is worth the small hit in pick percentages and that the lottery gods will reward us.
 
Nice little snippet from Sam Vecenie’s latest article on RJ:

After he recovered by the start of the 2022 portion of the season, though, Barrett went on a tear. He averaged 24 points, six rebounds and nearly four assists per game, he shot 35 percent from 3 on over six attempts per game, and he got to the line 7.5 times per game. It was the exact leap that was expected of him in the preseason. But because the Knicks were a disappointing 17-19 when the calendar turned over — and because there were other important developments such as Julius Randle’s regression — it went a bit more unnoticed than you’d think a clear breakout for a 21-year-old would.

Moreover, there were substantial stylistic changes from Barrett in the back half of last season. As The Athletic’s Fred Katz noted in a deep dive on Barrett in March, he made a mindset adjustment at that time. Long an aggressive driver toward the basket, we saw Barrett get even more assertive at attacking the rim. It was a lot of catch-and-shoot 3s, or it was an aggressive slash to the rim. From Jan. 1 onward, Barrett averaged 16.1 drives per game. He took 8.6 shots per game off those drives, the seventh-most in the NBA over that time.
 
At this point I would do Barrett, 3 protected, 1 unprotected, Toppin and IQ.

OR

Barrett, Toppin, IQ, 2 protected, 2 unprotected, and 3-4 2nds.
 
Donovan Mitchell is pissed with us right now that's why he scrubbed us. He clearly wants to be traded. Imagine Will Hardy trying to coach this year with his best player not wanting to be part of his rebuild.
Looks like you may have nailed it! I thought sure he was being traded to the Heat in an Ainge fit of rage! :p
 
The 2023-24 projected salary cap is 133M. The minimum team salary will be 119.7M.

If the recent streak of the salary cap going up by 10M continues then the 2024-25 projected salary cap will be around 143M meaning the minimum salary cap will be 128.7M.

Does anyone know currently what guaranteed salary we have going into the 2024-25 season? I’ll tell you… only Donovan at 34.85M.

Tell me again exactly why "we don’t want to spend money on anyone long-term" when we will literally have to pay players just to meet the minimum salary cap.

Then guess what going into the 2025-26 off-season the new TV deal will be struck and we are potentially looking at a 170M+ salary cap.
 
The 2023-24 projected salary cap is 133M. The minimum team salary will be 119.7M.

If the recent streak of the salary cap going up by 10M continues then the 2024-25 projected salary cap will be around 143M meaning the minimum salary cap will be 128.7M.

Does anyone know currently what guaranteed salary we have going into the 2024-25 season? I’ll tell you… only Donovan at 34.85M.

Tell me again exactly why "we don’t want to spend money on anyone long-term" when we will literally have to pay players just to meet the minimum salary cap.

Then guess what going into the 2025-26 off-season the new TV deal will be struck and we are potentially looking at a 170M+ salary cap.
RJ makes 27M a year on his extension... unless he is an all-star... then he makes 30M. Honestly wish there was one more year added to it. He just turned 22... He can be a building block and is under team control for 5 years.
 
The 2023-24 projected salary cap is 133M. The minimum team salary will be 119.7M.

If the recent streak of the salary cap going up by 10M continues then the 2024-25 projected salary cap will be around 143M meaning the minimum salary cap will be 128.7M.

Does anyone know currently what guaranteed salary we have going into the 2024-25 season? I’ll tell you… only Donovan at 34.85M.

Tell me again exactly why "we don’t want to spend money on anyone long-term" when we will literally have to pay players just to meet the minimum salary cap.

Then guess what going into the 2025-26 off-season the new TV deal will be struck and we are potentially looking at a 170M+ salary cap.
Also many times in tanking situations you take on one salary dump and then end up overpaying guys on one year deals to stay flexible. RJ is a great use of space... we will still have ample room for salary dumps.
 
RJ makes 27M a year on his extension... unless he is an all-star... then he makes 30M. Honestly wish there was one more year added to it. He just turned 22... He can be a building block and is under team control for 5 years.

At least there is no player option on year 4. That is a win. I do wish it was a 5-year deal myself as well.
 
Back
Top