Off-Season Rumblings

[Handlogten's Heros]

Kwame brown jr, #3 in a bad draft, and a future draft pick that likely isn't lottery definitely isn't worth it. They probably wouldn't trade that and that is pretty low value for a player of Lauri caliber. Teams aren't trading what he's worth. There is really no good reason to trade him unless he isn't signing an extension.

So this stuff sucks and also a team wouldn’t trade it for Lauri? That’s fine… then I keep him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Clarkson has been a net negative since about 2021. Advanced stats show that the last season of Gobert/Mitchell era, his terrible defense outweighed the offense provided by a bit, then last season it did it by a lot, and then this year he basically fell of the cliff. We're just splitting hairs here, though.

The main issue is that no matter how hard you try to tank, two things happen. One is that even when you put a tanking team out there, players will surprise you. I really don't think a team with Lauri, Sexton, and Kessler wins fewer than 30 games unless you purposely bench people. Then you have the likes of Dunn. He was signed out of the G-League on a 10-day contract. If he didn't stick, it was probably China or lower European leagues for him. He ends up balling and looking like he could easily be a rotation player on a playoff team. It's not as easy to put together a losing teams as it sounds, especially when you don't already have a couple of years' worth of rookies who can't play.

The other thing is that the there are other teams tanking and they simply may be worse than you. Sometimes it's that their players are objectively worse, sometimes it's that their front office is terrible, sometimes it's that their coach is garbage. In some cases, it's all three. Again, you're not the only one playing this tank game. That first year of our tank, a team won 17 games and two others won 22. It's a race to the bottom and there are other racers.

And even if you finish with the worst record of all time, the NBA has been tinkering with odds to the point that the odds would still be 14% if you're the worst team in the league. That's 1-in-7. If you're a gambler, those are not great odds. The worst team in the league hasn't gotten the #1 pick since the league introduced the current odds and slashed the chances of said team from 25% to 14%.

The tank race is super open. There have never been more teams trying to be good. Parity and the play in means the race to the bottom is more like a jog. We would have to trade a guy or two and allocate more time to young players. Likely won’t be as bad wiz, blazers but Pistons are trying.. hornets may not want to be a dumpster fire with new owner…spurs gonna have a hard time holding back Wemby… there likely will be a team with a bunch of injuries but getting to 5-6 shouldn’t be too difficult IF we don’t make win now moves and if we sell off one key piece. Just have to start early rather than half assing the tank.

 

[sip]

Kwame brown jr, #3 in a bad draft, and a future draft pick that likely isn't lottery definitely isn't worth it. They probably wouldn't trade that and that is pretty low value for a player of Lauri caliber. Teams aren't trading what he's worth. There is really no good reason to trade him unless he isn't signing an extension.

Kwame Brown Jr? Good way of telling me you have never watched Jabari play. Jabari at 20yrs old is already twice the player Kwame ever was. When you look around the league for a comparison for Jabari I think Lauri is the best model with his size, athleticism and overall skillset. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if 3yrs from now we are looking at both guys and we consider it a toss up between the 2. Put him on the jazz next year in Lauri's role and I think 20pts and 9rbs a game would be a reasonable expectation with similar shooting percentages to what we saw this year in Houston.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Kwame Brown Jr? Good way of telling me you have never watched Jabari play. Jabari at 20yrs old is already twice the player Kwame ever was. When you look around the league for a comparison for Jabari I think Lauri is the best model with his size, athleticism and overall skillset. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if 3yrs from now we are looking at both guys and we consider it a toss up between the 2. Put him on the jazz next year in Lauri's role and I think 20pts and 9rbs a game would be a reasonable expectation with similar shooting percentages to what we saw this year in Houston.

I like Jabari… he’s not as athletic as Lauri… I think he is at a pivot season where he may take a step and now you are really on to something or he could stagnate and he’s just solid.

 

[sip]

The tank race is super open. There have never been more teams trying to be good. Parity and the play in means the race to the bottom is more like a jog. We would have to trade a guy or two and allocate more time to young players. Likely won’t be as bad wiz, blazers but Pistons are trying.. hornets may not want to be a dumpster fire with new owner…spurs gonna have a hard time holding back Wemby… there likely will be a team with a bunch of injuries but getting to 5-6 shouldn’t be too difficult IF we don’t make win now moves and if we sell off one key piece. Just have to start early rather than half assing the tank.

Agreed. Right now the wiz are the only team that we know won't try to be good. The west is just insane right now when you look from top to bottom. I would expect the blazers to enter tank conversation as well but right now I think they have more talent than we do and Joe Cronin may not feel like he has the job security to tank. They may go more win now if they walk away from this draft with Knecht at 7 and maybe Tyler Smith at 14.

C-Ayton, Robert Williams, Reath
Pf- Jerami Grant, Tyler Smith, Camara
Sf-Knecht, Thybulle, Murray
Sg- Sharpe, Simons, Banton
Pg- Scoot, Brogdon

That is pretty solid roster right there. One of Brogdon or Simons needs to be traded to clear the minutes backlog in the backcourt but both guys should have value.

 

[whatthe]

I think the Lakers, Suns, Sixers all want Dunn. Should we consider a sign and trade? Especially if it would help the salary of other teams and it gives us a useful player back (or a great pick back)?

 

[framer]

I think the Lakers, Suns, Sixers all want Dunn. Should we consider a sign and trade? Especially if it would help the salary of other teams and it gives us a useful player back (or a great pick back)?

Sixers could just sign him.

 

[whatthe]

Sixers could just sign him.

Yeah, you are right. Dang it.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Kwame Brown Jr? Good way of telling me you have never watched Jabari play. Jabari at 20yrs old is already twice the player Kwame ever was. When you look around the league for a comparison for Jabari I think Lauri is the best model with his size, athleticism and overall skillset. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if 3yrs from now we are looking at both guys and we consider it a toss up between the 2. Put him on the jazz next year in Lauri's role and I think 20pts and 9rbs a game would be a reasonable expectation with similar shooting percentages to what we saw this year in Houston.

Good way of telling me you don't know much about Jabari. He's almost the spitting image of his cousin Kwame.

Either way I seriously doubt he's ever as good as Lauri. But I guess we could trade for a poor man's version of Lauri and some meh picks. The grass isn't always greener. Lauri is a top 25 player who you can win with at a high level.

 

[HermanG]

Some people seem convinced that with all the comments Lebron is pushing the FO to make choices that please him as per usual, but I personally think Lebron is looking to leave the Lakers.

It makes sense to skip conferences now as I dont think there is a path for Lakers to become contenders in the West. So if Lebron wants a chance for another title, he should definitely go East. Sixers have massive cap space coming up and could provide the easiest path to the finals with Embiid and Maxey. Bridges might be burned between him and Gilbert, but if not then Cavs would also make sense with Mitchell and Mobley (they could then make some significant moves around those 3 by trading Garland and Allen).

 

[Miggs]

Nembhard is awesome. I wish we could get that dude.

 

[HeatCheck]

Some people seem convinced that with all the comments Lebron is pushing the FO to make choices that please him as per usual, but I personally think Lebron is looking to leave the Lakers.
?
It makes sense to skip conferences now as I dont think there is a path for Lakers to become contenders in the West. So if Lebron wants a chance for another title, he should definitely go East. Sixers have massive cap space coming up and could provide the easiest path to the finals with Embiid and Maxey. Bridges might be burned between him and Gilbert, but if not then Cavs would also make sense with Mitchell and Mobley (they could then make some significant moves around those 3 by trading Garland and Allen).

Agreed. I would think the odds favor him staying in LA but wouldn't be surprised at all if he ends up playing out the last 2 years of his career in Cleveland which would cap off a 23 year career. Noone would bat an eyebrow either if he returns home for his retirement tour. The Lakers realistically have no path in the WC the next few seasons while the EC is basically wide open outside of Boston. The Cavs also possess the #20 pick in this draft (Bronny?) and have contracts/assets such as Garland, Allen, and LeVert to potentially send LA as part of a s&t this offseason. Klutch, through their syncophants, have already publicly stated Garland will be asking for a trade if/when Don signs his extension.