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idiot

Well-Known Member
In the next several posts, I provide several lists: of teams and players that still could make changes/be on the move before the season starts (I'm not considering trades or players who have never been in the NBA before in these lists). If you want to identify a player you'd be willing go further into the luxury tax to add (or by jettisoning Oni); or if you see anyone you'd want on a 2-way or an Exhibit 10 or 9 contract, please go ahead and do so (I think there might be restrictions on the 2-way and Exhibit 10 contracts that effectively limit them to relatively young players.) But this is just mostly attempting to be a handy FYI (Thanks to spotrac.com for the info).

First list -- a few teams need to cut players with guaranteed contracts before the season begins (they have too many guaranteed contracts):
CHA – likely ONE of:
  • Cody Martin
  • Wesley Iwundu
  • Jalen McDaniels
  • Vernon Carey
  • Nick Richards

MEM – likely TWO of:
  • Daniel Oturu
  • Sam Merrill (unguaranteed, so likely one of the two)
  • Carson Edwards

SAS – likely TWO of:
  • Drew Eubanks
  • Jock Landale
  • Luka Samanic
  • Al-Farouq Aminu (though probably only if injury problems are substantial)
 
Non-guaranteed contracts likely to be waived:

BKN – Deandre Bembry

GSW – ONE or TWO of:
  • Gary Payton III
  • Damion Lee (probably unlikely to get cut; too bad)
  • Mychal Mulder
HOU – Khyri Thomas

MIL – ONE or TWO of:
  • Elijah Bryant
  • Mamadi Diakite
  • Georgios Kalaitzakis
NOP – Wenyan Gabriel

OKC – ONE of:
  • Gabriel Deck (likely to return to Europe if waived)
  • Charlie Brown
  • Kenrich Williams (very unlikely to get cut, IMO)
TOR – TWO or THREE of:
  • Chris Boucher
  • Ishmail Wainright
  • Freddie Gillespie
  • Isaac Bonga
  • Sam Dekker
  • Yuta Watanabe (unlikely to get cut, IMO)
 
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Unguaranteed contract that could get cut because of luxury tax concerns

BOS – Jabari Parker
 
Other non-guaranteed contracts that could be involved in the pre-season’s churn (though most unlikely to be cut because there’s minimal or no financial benefit for their teams):

UTA – Miye Oni
ATL – Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
IND – Oshae Brissett
CHI – Alize Johnson
CLE – Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens, Mfiondu Kabengele
DAL – Moses Brown
DEN – PJ Dozier
MIN – Jaylen Nowell
NYK – Luca Vildoza
PHI – Paul Reed
SAC – Chimezie Metu
WAS – Daniel Gafford (the unlikeliest of all to be cut, IMO)
 
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Teams that need to add one player to get to 14 on the roster (both in luxury tax, so unlikely to add two players):

LAL
POR
 
Teams that could add player to roster (beyond signing their unguaranteeds) without luxury tax concerns:

CHI
CLE
PHO
 
Teams that could add a two-way player

UTA
BOS
BKN
CHI
CLE
GSW
LAC
MEM
NYK
ORL
POR
SAS
WAS
 
Top unattached free agents still remaining (I’m limiting this to wings/mobile-shooting 4 types) – many are probably currently working out overseas deals/contingency plans:

Denzel Valentine
Wesley Matthews
James Ennis III
DJ Wilson
Jared Dudley
Damyean Dotson
JaKarr Sampson
Alfonzo McKinnie
Theo Pinson
DaQuan Jeffries
Justin James
Deividas Sirvydis
Deonte Burton
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Sindarius Thornwell
Tyler Bey
Nate Darling
Amir Coffey (RFA)
Jaylen Hoard
Axel Toupane
Gary Clark
Adam Mokoka
Cassius Stanley
TJ Leaf
Justin Jackson
Garrison Mathews
Quinndary Weatherspoon
 
Sam Merrill is worth a flyer on a two-way. With Memphis I’m hoping they buyout/waive Dunn, though he makes enough that the incentive is there to cut someone else and hope he can be used in a deal somewhere.
 
I'd keep an eye on the Warriors and the Raptors.

Warriors are likely to keep Damion Lee, but they're also inviting old vets to training camp, so a slight possibility he gets bumped? I'd think he's an upgrade (at least for this season) over Oni.

Raptors have to cut at least two. If they keep Sam Dekker in the forward slot it's because of his shooting (which the Raptors sorely need), not his defense (which the Raptors may have covered). Either Watanabe or Wainright might shake lose as they're more defensive minded.

I've long thought Yuta would be good for Utah and he's finally learned to shoot (at least in a limited usage role). He also was a high school teammate of Eric Paschall -- so that's something(?).

Wainright seems to be this years candidate to follow the PJ Tucker, Jae'Sean Tate path. Did you know he played football, including a tryout with the Bills? (The old Harpring reference will never die!) And he's from Baylor, and great friends with Royce O'Neale, so that never hurt anyone's chances of at least getting a look from the Jazz.
 
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I'm probably just jinxing things for Wainright in relation to the Jazz by putting this out here. Raps will probably keep him. And they're probably likely to keep Yuta too.
 
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OK, so I'm smitten with Wainright. If the Jazz feel confident that they can replace enough of what Oni offered in the lineup through Butler, Forrest, and Hughes, I'd probably offer to trade Oni for Wainright straight up, though I actually don't know if he's eligible to be traded at this point. Neither Oni nor Wainright are proven shooters (maybe Oni has the slightly better track record?) Talking points for trade negotiations, or to sell it to fans:
  • Raptors already have 5-6 guys who can easily toggle between 3-4. Oni would be only the 3rd true SG for the Raps, and offers a little different skillset than what they already have (Gary Trent, Svi Mykhailiuk). Jazz need Wainright's toughness more than Oni's speed. Oni may fit better with the Raptors' likely up-tempo attack.
  • Raps may end up cutting having to cut Wainright anyway. If they end up cutting Oni, it would save them $250,000 that is partially guaranteed to Wainright (Oni has no partial guarantee). Doesn't hurt the Jazz financially at all to have Wainright instead of Oni (in fact, saves them about $800,000 even before luxury tax implications).
  • A trade would fit both timelines better (Oni 3 years younger). Plus Oni is (perhaps?) pals with Achiuwa from the Nigerian Olympic team. Wainright is tight with Royce.
 
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What I like about Wainright (based on one summer league game I watched closely; so not much):
  • He's built like a brick and seems to be very strong (probably more in the upper body than lower body). Can push players around.
  • Though just 6-5, he's very long (I think 7-1.5 wingspan) and the wingspan is very noticeable during play (unlike, say, Brantley's).
  • He seems easily switchable 2-4 in most cases, and can probably go onto 5s occasionally
  • He seems to have a good feel for the game. Makes the right plays most of the time. Doesn't bog things down. Makes smart and quick, but not rushed reads. Can handle and pass a bit. Doesn't usually go beyond himself. The kind of feel a team with championship goals needs.
  • Good defender, especially with strength, length and smarts. Quickness not great, but looks like he can deal with the quickness of the NBA as an overall defender.
  • Great hands from what I've seen. Comes up with steals, tips, loose balls that seem unlikely for him to get.
  • Everything I've seen says he's a wonderful locker room/team-first guy.

What I'd worry about:
  • Shooting. Shot well in the game I saw, but the stats/word on him seems to be that it will be a challenge for him to shoot consistently well enough to have a spot in an NBA rotation. Like almost everyone else, this will be his swing skill.
  • Kind of upright/tight in the lower body as a defender. Doesn't really get into a great stance like PJ Tucker or Jae'Sean Tate, nor does he get up into players' grills like they can. Uses length more than overwhelming force to handle people defensively on the perimeter (though does fairly good overall).
  • Though he'd clearly add toughness, he doesn't look like a player who adds nastiness to the Jazz, as many here would want. (His toughness looks to be pretty much what we've come to expect from the Jazz recently in terms of perhaps mild-mannered toughness.)
  • Won't create anything for himself or others, other than making relatively simple, routine plays. Expect roughly Royce's level of playmaking. Will likely be very low usage guy standing in the corner most of the time who we hope can hit shots.
TLDR: for those who want a second Royce, he's sort of it. Stronger and longer, but with much more questionable shooting at this point.
 
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Here are three guys who I think would help the Jazz more than Oni: RHJ, Justin James and Garrison Mathews. They are all available but if one is signed do they get the Shaq treatment by Quin?
 
idiot said:
What I like about Wainright (based on one summer league game I watched closely; so not much):
  • He's built like a brick and seems to be very strong (probably more in the upper body than lower body). Can push players around.
  • Though just 6-5, he's very long (I think 7-1.5 wingspan) and the wingspan is very noticeable during play (unlike, say, Brantley's).
  • He seems easily switchable 2-4 in most cases, and can probably go onto 5s occasionally
  • He seems to have a good feel for the game. Makes the right plays most of the time. Doesn't bog things down. Makes smart and quick, but not rushed reads. Can handle and pass a bit. Doesn't usually go beyond himself. The kind of feel a team with championship goals needs.
  • Good defender, especially with strength, length and smarts. Quickness not great, but looks like he can deal with the quickness of the NBA as an overall defender.
  • Great hands from what I've seen. Comes up with steals, tips, loose balls that seem unlikely for him to get.
  • Everything I've seen says he's a wonderful locker room/team-first guy.

What I'd worry about:
  • Shooting. Shot well in the game I saw, but the stats/word on him seems to be that it will be a challenge for him to shoot consistently well enough to have a spot in an NBA rotation. Like almost everyone else, this will be his swing skill.
  • Kind of upright/tight in the lower body as a defender. Doesn't really get into a great stance like PJ Tucker or Jae'Sean Tate, nor does he get up into players' grills like they can. Uses length more than overwhelming force to handle people defensively on the perimeter (though does fairly good overall).
  • Though he'd clearly add toughness, he doesn't look like a player who adds nastiness to the Jazz, as many here would want. (His toughness looks to be pretty much what we've come to expect from the Jazz recently in terms of perhaps mild-mannered toughness.)
  • Won't create anything for himself or others, other than making relatively simple, routine plays. Expect roughly Royce's level of playmaking. Will likely be very low usage guy standing in the corner most of the time who we hope can hit shots.
TLDR: for those who want a second Royce, he's sort of it. Stronger and longer, but with much more questionable shooting at this point.
Click to expand...
I appreciate your work on the thread and your scouting of guys we could take a flyer on. I would absolutely love another Royce, and we should bring in as many candidates as possible. Hopefully they are interested in coming to Vegas for a week.
 
homeytennis said:
Here are three guys who I think would help the Jazz more than Oni: RHJ, Justin James and Garrison Mathews. They are all available but if one is signed do they get the Shaq treatment by Quin?
Click to expand...
Very likely anyone we'd pick up at this point faces a severe uphill battle for playing time. I'd call it less of a "negative" than just a "feature" of the situation we're in now. This is probably why there's not too much likelihood of anything all that interesting happening.
 
SoberasHotRod said:
I appreciate your work on the thread and your scouting of guys we could take a flyer on. I would absolutely love another Royce, and we should bring in as many candidates as possible. Hopefully they are interested in coming to Vegas for a week.
Click to expand...
Don't disagree. I suppose the real fliers are among those names I didn't list (those who have never signed NBA contracts before). Guess we'll see what the Jazz have in mind before or during training camp.
 
Here's a name perhaps worth a look: "Woj notes that Isia Cordinier, 24, will now be a free agent after the Nets did not tender a qualifying offer, able to sign a new deal with any NBA club. The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 15.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.7 SPG across 33.9 MPG for Nanterre 92, with an impressive shooting line of .526/.449/.816." This would give Rudy a buddy.
 
Langston Galloway just got a camp deal with the Warriors. Kinda shocked. I've always like his game. We didn't have a role for him or else I'd be pissed. If he wanted a minimum I'd have given him a deal and waived Oni. He's great injury insurance but would have played ahead of Butler in some scenarios which I wouldn't love.
 
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