What is up, fellow thermonuclear affers. I am Dampa Valley and I am
with Grant Hughes. I'm also joined at this time by Thorn Wade. We
will hopefully be extremely quiet during the recording of this Southeast Division offseason report card
podcast before we cannon ball into all the fun stuff or maybe not so fun
stuff, depending on which team you route for. We have the most important
question of the podcast, Grant, how are you doing? It feels like
maybe a full day since I last spoke with you, could be. I
feel really good. I'm glad I got to wear the hat today. This
will only make sense to the people looking at this on YouTube, but it
was my turn for a hat. We've agreed to joint custody, not the
same hat, but we can't both wear a hat. I don't think.
So it's my turn, and it's gonna make me smarter in my grades.
I feel confident about that. All your grades are just gonna be right.
So I had them on the had on the first two podcasts. You have
them on for the next two. Well, we'll leave it to chance on
the final two as usual. Before we cannabill in. Let me get through
the criteria very quickly. We are grading teams relative to the tools that were
at their disposal this offseason, so not every team is graded in the same
terms. If you are a delusional Homer, this is not the podcast for
you. The Southeast. I don't actually wasn't too cruel on the Southeast,
but like we're not here to act like I didn't go into this wanting to
fuck with your team if you disagree with the grade. And the other thing
is remember that a C is not a bad grade. C is passing.
So like the d's and the I haven't given out an F yet spoiler alert,
I don't know if you have, but like that, like those are
the bad grades. So with all of that context there, we begin with
the Atlanta Hawks. Their notable moves include they acquired de Jante Murray and Jack
Land for Niel Gallinari Charlotte's twenty three first which is top sixteen protected, then
it's Lotto protected in twenty four and twenty five. They also gave San Antonio
their twenty twenty five first round pick unprotected. Atlanta also gave a first round
swap to San Antonio and twenty six unprotected twenty twenty seven first round pick out
right unprotected, and that was it. I was about to go through the
Rudy Gobert trade package and included a twenty twenty nine pick. There. The
Hawks drafted at A. J. Griffin at number sixteen. They traded Kevin
Herder to the Kings from moharklest Justin Holliday and the twenty twenty four first round
pick that's protected until Kingdom come or it's Lotto protected in two thousand and twenty
four, top twelve and twenty twenty five, and then top ten in twenty
six. Then it turns into two. It turns into one second after that.
They also created a three point seven million dollars traded player exception. They
signed Aaron Holliday and Frank Kamiski to one year VET minimum deals. They traded
the number forty four pick Ryan Hollins to the Warriors for Tyrese Martin, the
number fifty one pick and two million dollars in cash. They didn't signed Tyres
Martin to a two year or two point seven million dollars deal partially guaranteed,
and they signed Trent Forrest to a two way contract. Their notable exits they
waived Sharif Cooper. They done on right sign with the Wizards, Kevin Knox
signed with the Spurs, Gorgie Z Kevin Knock signed with the Pistons. Excuse
me, Gorgie Jang signed with the Spurs, and Lou Williams remains unsigned.
That is not even the longest transaction withsk for me to get through in this
podcast. But Grant, what is your grade for the Atlanta Hawks? So
just as you were going through it, I decided to lower it a little
bit because so I'm down and I might be higher than you, still,
I don't know. I'm down to a B minus, which I which I
can imagine it's too high for a lot. Just see the pick outlay that
went back to San Antonio for de John Say Murray, who's someone that when
we talked about San Antonio before, is probably gonna need a Max Steel in
a couple of years. So you gave up all that pick equity. Those
unprotected ones especially are you know those are hard to get and you have the
likelihood of having to pay this guy like a real superstar, which I don't
personally think he's quite on that level. He's really good. I like what
he does and the fit. I guess we should talk I should talk about
that now. The fit makes sense, right. You need a guy that's
going to guard the best backcourt offensive player because Treyng can't do that. We
can go deeper into or not how much point guard defense matters versus We know
it's not as important as as having a good big man on the back line
or some switchable wings, but it's still an issue. It was a glaring
issue. So Murray's a great defensive player. He's a great I mean primary
playmaker. So as a secondary playmaker, I like him a lot. I
have some questions about what you do with him when he's off the ball.
I think what probably happens is you stagger him and Young a lot. They
both had I think they were in the top five in you know, seconds
per touch and touch time generally, so there's like some stuff to work out.
But at the end of the game, they're going to play to other
and so I'm not sure what Murray's value is offensively if he doesn't have the
ball, and certainly Young should have the ball. So all that said,
I think Atlanta is better, and just talking about the big things, you
know, I don't I don't mind the Herder move. I like getting Kings
picks just full stop, even if there's a bunch of protections on it.
And like, the only guy that that the Hawks loss that I think might
actually, you know, they might feel the loss of is is Dylan,
Right. I just I think he fits everywhere. I think he's just a
good, you know, seventh eighth guy. But other than that, I
think, you know, they added a star level player, a guy who
was an All Star last season and who kind of fills some of their needs.
So I dropped it to a B minus just because of what they gave
up and what they'll be committed to going forward financially. But you know,
B minus is still in above average grade. So so I'm I guess I'm
a little something more than lukewarm on the whole on the whole deal, So
I am higher than you. I went with a B and I basically agree
with everything you said. I'm just more pro risk for teams in this sense
where players are not changing in free agency at least right now. Maybe it
maybe that changes because of the cap spike and players you know they're not gonna
like Dejante Murray, for example, is not going to extend off this number
because one hundred and twenty percent raise off that final year is going to be
close to his max. But would he have just left for Atlanta outright in
free agency even if they created the cap space. And if we want mid
market and smaller markets or non glamor markets depending on because Atlanta is like Atlanta
is a real market, I don't need to call them a small market.
But if we want these non glamor franchises to actually compete for titles or to
take swings or to feel like they have a chance, these are the moves
you need to make. And you know, Jante Murray all of a sudden
going from the best player on the Spurs to the second best player on the
Hawks, Like, that's a big difference. I am worried about the offensive
fit more than anything that you laid out everything. The other thing is Nate
McMillan has said that they're gonna get Trey Young moving off the ball and put
the rock in Desjante Murray's hands. That's fun to think about in theory,
like Trey Young hasn't done that through his first you know, half decade in
the league, basically in part because the Hawks weren't built to do that.
But one is Dejante Murray a good enough playmaker to warrant doing that. And
then the bigger question is just what does Trey Young look like off the ball?
He can't look he can't set screens like Steph Curry. That's just not
going to happen. Can you envision him coming off screens and flinging up these
these daggers for sure? Is that something he's going to be comfortable doing,
because that's what we'll separate him from Steph Curry versus Luca or James Harden,
where like they sort of need to be ball dominant. I would say,
even though James Harden did a good job accommodating a Russell Westbrook and even a
Chris Paul So I just I appreciate the swing. I think he feels what
was their biggest need when you really look at the roster, what I was
uncomfortable with and I considered like a C plus B minus for a second,
they've kind of just decided that they're gonna punt on a bunch of shooting.
They go from Kevin Hurder to Moharkles and Justin Holiday, both of whom are
inferior shooters to him. You have John Collins still, but you're at a
point where if you Clint Capela and Dejanta Murray on the court at the same
time, that's two I would categorize them as two non shooters. Even with
Murray's mid range game, and we don't really know what he looks like.
Is a higher volume set three point guy. That does concern me, But
I like the idea that they took this risk, and I don't care about
the Charlotte pick. I think when you're looking at these picks now, all
beginning after the Hawks picks, after this current Dejanta Murray deal, that's something
fair to quibble over, because that's like you've given the Spurs control of three
of your picks. But that swap, you do have to sort of wonder,
well, how much value will that actually have because you presumably you're gonna
keep Dejanta Murray and are you going to be worse than the Spurs who are
entering the early stages of a rebuild. So it's really like I kind of
think it's the twenty twenty seven first to really just quibble about, and I
didn't think that was worth really lampooting them for I also like, finally that
they didn't just move John Collins for the sake of moving John Collins. And
maybe that changes once Kevin Durant Donovan Mitcheller moved, but the way the market
was shifting for him and some of the packages rumors that were out there,
if even an iota of them were true or accurate, like the value for
John Collins wasn't there, and I frankly don't understand it. I think he's
one of the most underrated players in the league right now, and he's also
a really good outlet if you want to go with him at the five,
maybe because you can build stronger defensive lineups now, or just having another floor
space around the court when Clinton Capella and Jean Day Murray are there too.
So I wasn't in love with their offseason, but I think I appreciated it,
is the best way to phrase it. And I do think there's an
outcome where what I categorized them as an Eastern Conference finalists. No, but
could you look at this team and say, if everything breaks right, they're
a top four team in the East. Absolutely, yeah, And then in
that case, all those picks are in the twenties theoretically or you know,
mid to high twenties, even if it really goes right for them, and
then it's probably worth it. I mean, you gotta talk about opportunity costs.
Maybe those picks could have been used for something else, but I don't
know if you would have been able to find something that you said. Murray
just fills the holes. Like for how long did we talk about how well
when Trey Young's off the floor, you know, the offense falls apart because
there's just nobody making plays. A Bo'donovitch addressed that to some extent, But
I feel so much more comfortable now that whatever happens, Atlanta is just gonna
have a guy on the floor that can run the offense. And so you
know, and Ann with Murray, it's someone that at least as a point
of attack defender and kind of a passing lane ballhawk like he's gonna make a
difference. So yeah, it's it's it's tough, but I think we generally
agree. I think I maybe just him a little more concerned about the fit
and the idea that you're gonna take Trey Young, who's one of four or
five guys that is just an offense unto himself, and you're gonna make him
do something like a little bit different and you don't know if it's gonna work.
So so that's that's that's the only difference I think, Yeah, you're
you're talking. I'm lowering mine to would be minus you talk me into would
be minus. There just that there's that risk in the opportunity, coach,
you gave up. But the flip side of that also is too, you
gave up none of your core to get to John day Murray, who is
a top thirty five I've forty. Like he's definitely a top fifty guy at
this point right he was an all star injury replacement. It's like to have
that and John Collins and Capella and on Yeko Kungu and hey, Jalen Johnson,
Like that's still in your chamber. Plus the I don't does that king's
pick ever convey that's a fair question. But you have a king's pick.
That's something you could dangle in trade packages too, So b minuses across the
board you sold me. I'm there. We're on to the Charlotte Hornets.
Miles Bridges, who was arrested on felony domestic violence charges was not part of
my grade. I know for a fact. I didn't ask him about this,
but he was definitely not part of Grant's grade. The only thing I
will mention is go ahead and look at the Katie Heinel's done some great stuff
at the Basketball Feeling sub Stack on this. She wrote a great article and
she also went on the Lockdown Hornets podcast and did an episode about the coverage
of domestic violence in sports or also lack thereof. That's just all I really
have to say on the situation. And would I demerit them if they just
sort of throw caution to the wind, if they're gonna pay him anyway,
and like those charges are still floating around out there, or there's not enough
discipline or I will get into that when it comes. But Miles Bridges did
not factor into either of our grades their moves. Though they drafted Mark Williams
at number fifteen, they traded number thirteen Jalen Duran to the Knicks for Denver's
twenty twenty three first round pick, which is Lotto protected through two and twenty
five then turns into two seconds. They also got three second rounders from the
Knicks. The Knicks's own in twenty three, Utah's two and twenty three pick,
and then the least favorable of OKC, Dallas, Washington and Miami second
round pick. They acquired Bryce McGowan's the number forty pick from the Wolves for
josh My not the number forty five pick, and then Knicks's two and twenty
three second rounder that they got as part of that Jealen Duran trade. They
then signed McGowans to a two way contract. They fired James Murrego, and
after their dalliance with Kenny Atkinson, who backed out of a deal, they
signed a familiar face, Steve Clifford, to a three year contract with a
team option on that final season. They guaranteed Jalen mcdaniels's salary, and they
signed Cody Martin too a four year, thirty one point six million dollars deal.
The final season is non guaranteed. He will never make more than eight
point seven million dollars and the full scope of this deal would take him through
his age thirty one season if he finishes it out. They're notable exits.
Like I said, Myles Bridges, Isaiah Thomas, and Montras Harold, they
all remain unsigned. That's all I have right now, Grant, what was
your grade for the Hornets off season? So this is about as low as
this is as low as I'm gonna get to on this division. At least,
this is a D plus for me that I guess I would frame it
this way, other than the Cody Martin deal, which I think we both
agree, like that's that's a good deal. I think we both you know,
the Martins. The Martins were kind of guys. It's you know,
kind of like Auto Porter or whoever else. When we were going through free
agency, it's like, you know, who would be a value signing either
of these guys. And I think that's a fine signing. I think that's
a that's a good rate for a good player that's not a star or anything
close to it. But that's that's fine to me. Everything else else is
either uninspiring or like downright like depressing. And I'm focusing specifically on the Clifford
Higher It's just like like, maybe you know, Charlotte's needs someone I think
like Clifford to you know, it's just this, it's an old school coach.
He's gonna focus on defense, he's gonna be detail oriented. He's gonna
sort of, but I don't know how different that is from James Brego and
just the whole the optics. I know the optics shouldn't matter, but it's
what they signal here of just bringing back a coach that you've already had,
like recently, not ten years ago. This isn't like Don Nelson coming back
to the Warriors, you know, with a decade off or whatever it was.
It's like this guy was just here and he has since lost another job
in the interim. So I just am so it just I don't know how
Charlotte fans feel. I imagine there's one, you know, there's a contingent
that is cool with this, and a contingent that feels like I do.
But that's just it. Just I just don't like it. I don't.
I don't feel like it's the sign of a team that is like serious about
doing anything. And I would extend that to this is still a team that
needs a center so badly and just didn't do anything. You know, maybe
Williams that they got at fifteen is going to make a difference down the line,
But like, I don't know, don't we want to do something?
Now? You're paying Gordon Hayward a bunch of money. LaMelo Ball is ready
to be like a bigger star Terry rose Years and talking about underrated players,
I really like Terry rose Year. They have enough bridges. Kind of throws
that all out of whack by taking that big piece out of the rotation.
But you know, this is a team that I think should have been looking
to kind of make some steps forward and just didn't do anything to follow that
path. And specifically like, we're just gonna play Mason. It's another plumbly
season at center. This is what we're doing. We're gonna hope PJ.
Washington can play a little more. I just I just I don't know.
I'm super down on this. Nothing excites me about it, and Martin is
about is about the best thing they did, And that's kind of like an
on the Margins move to me. I want with a C minus, I
really like anyone who listens to pockets and with Bryce McGowan's I do under if,
like, are you that confident that Nick's second round is not going to
end up in the thirties that you were willing to give it up to move
up five spots in the second round. I like the Cody Martin contract.
I know some people thought it was an overpay. I don't understand that,
and so I liked those I don't have a problem with Mark Williams at fifteen.
They do have sort of these hodgepodgs of youngsters there though. So there's
Mason Plumley, you also have Cod Jones, JT. Thor and now Mark
Williams is part of this center carousel, so I don't know what the direction
is there. That's definitely a knock against them, for sure, but I
don't have a problem with the Mark Williams picked specifically. This is also a
team where it's like, Okay, I understand that, well, I don't
know if I should say I understand, but like, yeah, they're worried
about staying far enough below the tax and as of right now, this is
not factoring in like Miles what Miles Bridges might get. It's just as cap
hold, they're thirteen million dollars away from the tax. But what sort of
message does it send in the mailball that you didn't or anyone on the team,
they just didn't use your like even try to use your mid level exception
this year. And that's something that presumably could have gotten you an upgrade at
the big Man spot. And it's fine that you guarantee Mason plumby salary.
I get not paying him basically half of it to go away, but that
just that rubs me in the wrong vein too. So I there, and
look, I actually don't have a problem with the Clifford higher. It's Kenny
Atkinson chose to stay with the Warriors over going to like perennial mediocrity and Charlotte.
I get it. And at least Steve Clifford cares about defense. I
just don't think you've given him the tools to build a better defense. And
what are you doing, because right now you were in the sub middle still
like you didn't it's not even a matter of they didn't get better. They
didn't pick like a concrete direction. So you're still sort of just existing in
that eight nine, ten, eleven, twelve spot in the Eastern Conference.
And the East is going to be more if you think the Knicks and the
Wizards are going to be better and that the Calves are going to be right
there, like the East is going to be maybe a little bit deeper or
if not at least more difficult than last year. So I'm just very disenchanted
with their off season. I felt like I couldn't go as low as a
D because I really did like the Martin contract, and like I said,
I'm a big fan of Bryce McGowan's and but the other thing, and am
I gonna talk myself in the same grade as you again? Just why you're
trading number thirteen and you're getting back a first round pick that's never never has
the potential to be as high as thirteen, right, And I guess it's
fine if you think, like, well, we're gonna nail that next pick,
but like those Denver picks, it's gonna convey next year and it's gonna
be in the twenties. That's like a weird thing to have. The three
second rounders is the only buffer there. I think I'm lowering mind to a
D plus as I say this, because I didn't wait that trade enough.
So I just I'm very uninspired by what the Charlotte Hornets are doing, and
like this is a DP plus where I'm not even like, I don't even
think I'm penalizing number what happened with Kenny Atkinson and pivoting to Steve Clifford.
Yeah, yeah, that did a lot of that. That did a lot
of the work for me. But yeah, it's just you know, what
are we what are you trying to be? What are the Hornets want to
do? Like if you if you just were judging them on this offseason,
there would be no clarity at all on like what the what the plan is,
what's the five year plan, what's the two year plan, What's what's
the goal this year? There's just no reason to there, there's no there's
no signal of like what the what the plan is? And they always hate
to see that. And I think a good harbinger of this is that this
is not sourced. But like there were people who were erroneously proposing Charlotte as
a Russell Westbrook landing spot, either because they wanted to get off of long
term money in Gordon Hayward and or maybe Terry Rosier, but also just people
that were like, oh, it's Charlotte, And I think that that's lazy
thinking. But it's also like, if that's how people are viewing the direction
of the franchise, like that sends a lot about their inability to clarify just
what the fuck they're doing. The next team is the Miami Heat. Their
notable moves include drafting Nikola Yovich at number twenty seven. They signed Caleb Martin
Cody twin brother too a three year twenty point four million dollar deal player option
on that final season. They signed Victor Oladipo to a two year eighteen point
two million dollar deal player option on year two. Signed away deadman too a
two year, nine million dollar deal twenty twenty three two twenty four is completely
non guaranteed. They signed up point guard Marcus Garrett to a two way contract,
power forward Darius Days to a two way contract. They signed Jamari Bouye
to an Exhibit ten, and they signed Jamal Kane to an Exhibit ten as
well. Their notable exits include PJ. Tucker, he went to the Sixers
and then U don'tus has them and Mark Keith Morris remained unsigned. But there
was the report at the beginning of free agency that they Heat sent a quote
contingent to convince Udonis Haslem to come back, and so it's just like,
are they trying to keep their roster spots flexible for now and if there's a
trade with Kevin Ranner, Donna Mitchell or someone else. I also thought,
like, could we see udn'tus has them moved in like a sign in trade
to like help like beef up the amount of outgoing salary they could, and
that would be like his last like helpful boom to the franchise. But I
just I find it weird that there was the report udn'tus has them had a
contingent of Miami. He people recruiting him to stay, and we haven't at
least I haven't or heard anything official about his contract. Well, great,
did you give the Miami heatls? So this is a very uncertain C minus.
And I don't I don't necessarily like think of every great I'm giving in
these terms, but this is the how it makes the most. This is
the easiest way for me to justify it. So like, if you're a
Heat fan, do you feel better today about the team than you did at
the end of last season? And and that so I knew it was going
to be in the C range and and I don't think you should if if
I think a Heat fan would would just say, well, we lost PJ.
Tucker to a conference rival, and yeah, like there's a great chance
that that Tucker because of his age is just like that was the right move,
Like you shouldn't commit the years it may have taken. It might have
taken three years to keep him and get you know, you always want to
move on from a player too early than too late. Maybe they did that.
I don't know. I'm just looking at the roster today and I'm seeing
and the absence of a key guy that they don't really seem like they have
the ability to sort of backfill that specific position. So I like the Martin
signing. I'm fine with Oladipo and Deadman. I like those as kind of
trade ballast salaries of nothing else. They did well to get a non guarantee
on Deadman's second year. The player options are a little sketchy, especially for
Oladipo, but those are okay. It's really just for me. The team
is worse now than it was, I think, unless somebody pops or they
figure out a way to replace what Tucker brought, which is weird to think
about because he's such a unique player. So it's a c minus. It's
not the end of the world. But just based on the simple kind of
metric, I went with that that felt right to me. Yeah, So
I went with a B minus and see I see to C plus range.
I don't know how to critique them for losing PJ. Tucker. They could
have offered him the same contract that feels he did. It would have hard
capped them, of course, and it seems like they wanted that flexibility under
there. They also wound up like there. I guess there's other things they
could have done, but they ended up using like the mid level exception to
keep Kayla Martin, which I think he was an important player too. Do
I think he could play some four? No, But it really just seemed
like PJ. Tucker wanted to go to Philly and I don't know how,
and like that was just done beforehand, So I don't know. I didn't
really hit them hard for that. It doesn't seem like they did or even
tried to do anything to like replace that front court spot alongside bam Ata Bio.
Now, this is all sort of muddied by their involvement in the Kevin
Durant and or Donovo Mitchell sweepstakes. They're not gonna get any bigger as part
of a Dono Mitchell trade, though I guess they could take on someone else
from Utah but even like I guess it was Boyon Badanovitch or something. Yeah,
he could play the four, but that would just be a massive trade
at that point. And of course Kevin Durant is a perfect PJ. Tucker
replacement, I would argue, but so and I liked the deal that they
gave Victor Oladipo. Like to keep him. That's just sort of upside kaked
in and it's more shot creation to go along with Tyler Hero, Kyle Lowry
and Jimmy Butler. He might be there's a there's a scenario where he is
like their best off the dribble three point shooter next season. That's also kind
of harrowing because it's not gonna be Butler, he doesn't take them. It
could be Lowry, it could be Tyler Hero, even though he's more disposed
to taking mid rain shots off the dribble. But Victor ldip will be in
that conversation. I do think that's an important creation element when you're looking at
teams that want to compete deeper into the playoffs. So I didn't and then,
like Nakole Yovitch at twenty seven, I thought was perfectly good value there.
I like bringing Dwayne Deman back he had a good year omer You're at
seven also showed some flashes and it seems like they're actually gonna use him,
and so I get maybe not trying to be more aggressive and like changing up
the front court. At the same time, there just feels like there's that
gaping hole at the just next to Bamata Bio in your best lineups, I
would say, and are you gonna play super small where Jimmy Butler's your day
Facto four? Or is it Caleb Martin, is Yovich getting min it's right
off the bat. Are we gonna see like You're at seven and bam Adebayo
played together. I don't really want to see that. So I just given
how good their bench was last season and they lose a major starting piece,
I didn't really know how to reconcile that, but I liked too much of
what they actually had control over, keeping Kayla Martin, bringing back Victor Oladipo,
and I do I actually do legitimately like the Jovich pick and that even
the Dwayne Deadman contract, it felt like nothing detrimental, and that there was
no opportunity, other opportunity that they passed out of but again the fact that
it clearly wasn't a priority to acquire or find someone to fill that spot that
PJ. Tucker vacated, who's more properly sized or at least has like the
girth to do what he was doing. That's something that I think you can
absolutely hit them for, and you look, if you really want so,
you can also say, well, I would have rather of them spent the
full mid level. We don't care about the tax. Yes, it would
have hardcapped to them, and maybe we could have gotten a better player.
I don't know necessarily who was out there, Like, would you have rather
have given money to TJ Warren over Kayleb Martin? Were you in the mix
for Otto Porter Junior at all? It's even that much of an upgrade over
Kayla Martin and the aggregate, I think Kayleb Martin is certainly is just going
to have higher upside at this point. But if you want to quibble over
well they didn't actually use all of their best bending tool, I understand that,
but it does at least keep them more flexible on the trade market them
being not hardcap, so I wouldn't call it like an encouraging offseason, but
I think it was an eminently okay one, which is reflected in my B
minus. Yeah. No, I think I think because it's the Heat one,
and because of the types of deals they chose to do and then things
they chose not to do, it feels like we should be expecting this to
be a setup for something bigger, or at least they're positioning themselves so that
if something bigger is out there, they can capitalize, whether that's a Mitchell
trade or something else like. That's just always I always am suspicious that the
Heat are, you know, thinking about a move that they may all you
know, that's a couple steps down the line. So that gives me the
most pause with the C minus because this could all just be you know,
stepping stones to the bigger move they want to make just until that happens.
That's just I'm just gonna be slightly below average. But I totally get the
B minus or even higher if you are really confident that this is all part
of some plan that is just we're in phase one of four or something.
I'm not confident about that, which is why just in general, I could
I could, I could hear that argument. What do you think about could
you sweeten a deal enough to get Boyar Bardonovitch for Duncan Robinson here and then
slot Boyan Bardonovitch into that starting four spots, So be Bam boy On,
Kyle Awry, Jimmy Butler, and oh my god, whom Well, I
guess it would be. It wouldn't be Tyler here always coming off the bench,
like it could be Victuality Bok, could be Max Strus at that point,
all right, Struce, Yeah, I don't know. I don't know
what you I mean, Bogdanovitch is so clearly a better all around player.
I don't know what you've got to throw into I'd I would be into that.
I mean, let's just blow it all the way out, though,
and try to make it for Mitchell and get a third team in there somehow.
I mean, that's that's just a satisfying me based on what they've set
themselves up to do as of right now, I don't think they'll have the
best trade package or even the second best trade package for a star. I
did think about, like, if you're going lower end, even at Jake
bringing back Jake Crowder, they never should have let him go in the first
place. When you're talking about the twenty twenty offseason, and there are just
sort of like Kelly Brady Jr. Even though he's not the best shooter,
but John Collins would be very interesting fit here the Miami's one of my favorite
John Collins desensations. That feels like if the Hawks want to sort of like
pot stockpile some picks and they're willing to take back Duncan Robinson, that could
be a route that they go. So would you do though, Like is
Yovich and your twenty three pick for boy and Bardonovich and then'd be Duncan Robinson?
Is that too much? It feels like you would be the time maybe
just based on the timing, I think, because Robinson's value is about as
low as it's been, you know, for several years, and I think
Bogdanovich might you know, at his age, and I mean Robinson gets killed
defensively, but Bogdanovitch like lately has been bad, So I don't know if
has dropped off. Yeah, for sure, that feels like a lot if
it's just Yovich and Robinson, for sure, But I don't know why Utah
does that if it's if it's Boganovich In the twenty three. I mean,
we keep talking about how these picks don't really matter if they're going to be
in the twenties, which you assume the heats would be, so that that
might I might think about that. And then you're I think you're off of
bogdanovitch Is money much sooner than Robinson's. I think there's at least aspiring So
yeah, and Robinson's four years left on his deal. Yeah, so understatement
by me, you're off of his money sooner. Yeah, I'd probably do
that if. I mean the savings just and the flexibility that might afford you
alone might be worth it. And what wasn't part of this it could be
is what happens with the Tyler Hero extension. I just don't think they're gonna
sign him to one because maybe they'll want the flexibility mid season to move him.
Yeah, that does it. So I ended up with a B minus,
you ended up where C minus. I'm gonna stick with the C minus.
The Orlando Magic are next. Notable moves include drafting Palo ban Caro at
number one after everyone and their mother thought that they were going to take Jabari
Smith Junior. That was such a fascinating just looking at the way, there
was the reporting and whoag backtracking at the last minute, But I digressed there.
The Magic drafted Caleb Houston at number thirty two and then sign him to
a four year, eight point two million dollars deal. First two years are
guaranteed. They resigned Gary Harris to a two year, twenty six million dollar
deal. The second season is non guaranteed. Mobamba signed a two year,
twenty point six million dollar deal. The final season is non guaranteed. They
signed bull Ball to a two year or four point four million dollar deal.
Guess what. The final season is non guaranteed. They signed Admiral Schofield and
Cavan Harris to two way contracts, and they signed Drake Jefferies to an Exhibit
ten deal. Their notable exits Robin Lopez signed with the Calves. That was
That was just some really hard hitting transactional recapping. Grant, what is your
grade for the Orlando Magic. This is B plus and it's closer to an
A minus than a flat B. But I'll just leave it there. The
bank Hero, like the Bank Caro decision was, like you said, a
surprise, but you know, not just because of Summer League, but also
just thinking about like what kind of player he's going to be In theory,
I think he actually makes This is an odd take. I think a lot
of people think this. He makes sense, especially for a team that you
know they're young guards both sugs, Cole Anthony and even folks throw him in
there. I'm not confident that you've got an elite like on the ball playmaker
in any of those guys, and just talking about it in like a two
or three year time horizon, I just don't know. So if you can
get you a significant portion of your offensive initiation from a big wing forward,
really I like the idea of what that opens up for you roster construction wise
at other positions. So now you're not stuck just hoping Jalen Sucks learns to
make a shot once in a while, or you know that Cole Anthony is
becomes more of an empty calories guy, or can finish two point that all
that stuff. So I like the Bank Carol move. I think it was
kind of bold, and so they get extra credit for that, and then
just the other stuff. One of the best ways to get a high grade
for me is just to have a bunch of non guarantees and so the Magic
definitely ticked that box three times. I like the Harris number. I like
the Bomba number even because he really showed that he's far from a bus,
Like this is a quality backup center now, and I think you know his
profile is unusual. He is gonna make some threes, he is gonna block
shots. If that's your backup five for ten million a year and you're not
on the hook really at all beyond this season. Great, just making them
non guarantees instead of instead of player options, like, because all those guys
could have justified asking for that, and that would have swung this grade totally
the other way. Yeah, I like that offseason. I don't mind losing
Robin Lopez because you've got two centers and Carter and Bomba and you're fine there.
So yeah, I think it's a B plus, but if you make
a strong case, I might move it up. Although I don't know where
you are on them, I have any minus for them, which is I
think people might think that's weird because they were a bad team that didn't do
much. I think I would have I had Ben Caro was my top pick,
and I think even if he doesn't pan out, and you alluded to
this. They just needed that guy who profiles as the offensive pollstar, and
that wasn't it could I guess in theory it was never gonna be chet Home
Grin. People are trying to scale out and yes maybe. And then Jabari
Smith Junior was supposed to be more polished, but after Summer League gets like,
well, he's very clearly more versatile on defense than he is on offense,
which isn't like a bad thing by any stretch. They went with the
guy who was just going to check every single offensive box possible. He could
end up being their best passer. And they haven't had that guy in forever,
Like we're talking about like since Team AC or Grant Hill. Who's been
the last time they've had like that primary just like offensive centerpiece that was worth
being dubbed such. So I love that they went that route. And then
Gary Harris for anyone who wasn't watching the Magic or wasn't BEng closes off attention
had a really good year last season, shot like fifty percent on drives.
His three point shot was back solid defense. Your spot on with Mo Bamba.
It does feel like I almost went to an a. It still feels
like this team skews too far towards having not enough wings because they have Terrence
Ross and Jalen Suggs who are like two's and swingman. Even Mark cut Holes
he's bigger for a guard, but he's not a wing. You have Franz
Wagner, but I view him and Chumokeke is combo forwards more than two threes
or even a pure three. Maybe Caleb Houston turns into that for you,
but that's like if we're throwing eggs in the basket of Caleb Houston. Gary
Harris just a little small. So like Gary Harris or Franz Wagner is their
best wing, and I don't think that either qualify as a like a true
wing to not go he like more aggressively after that type of player. Again,
I didn't really hit them with that hard. I gave them an a
minus. And also when you look at Oh, it feels like they have
so many bigs. Wendell Carter Junior. That contract is a fucking steal.
I have him as just a potential all start to watch next season because he
was so good last year. And look, we don't know when Jonathan Isaac
is coming back. He had another setback their hope was that he was going
to be ready towards the beginning of the season. But we've heard zilch zip
not a about his timeline, so it all is going to kind of work
out. And by the way, I'm not advocating they do this all the
time. They were a team that played dual biggs a lot Bomba and Wendel
Carter Junior played a bunch together. Now you have Ben Caro into that so
and when Jonathan Isaac when he eventually comes back. But they can play big
still, so it's not like they're actually overloaded with bigs. I just feel
like they're sort of a wing deficit. That being said, I loved what
they did this offseason, and it also I think showed further commitment to the
rebuild, where yes, what could they have done that wouldn't have shown that,
but like they didn't go out and they could have had a ship ton
of cap space, They didn't sign these long term contracts. They didn't go
after an Anthony Simons or you know, like even a Colin Sexton or get
into Miles Bridges sweepstakes that don't exist at this point. So I like respect
that graduate will approach because It's something that they ascued for so long that I'm
just very appreciative of it, and so it was it was actually a pretty
easy A minus for me. Yeah, I think too, there's some upside.
There's definitely upside with both Harris and Bomba as trade ships, because you
know there's gonna be a team everybody, you know, Like you said,
Harris isn't quite the right size, but he's gonna fit anywhere, and you
can. I mean, look what Dallas gave JaVale McGee because it decided it
needed rim protection like Bomba's. If there's a playoff team that's like, man,
we gotta have the option of someone in there just to shut things down
around the basket. So I don't know if either of those guys individually is
worth a future. First at the trade deadline put protections on it, but
like you know, neither of them I don't think feature prominently in Orlando's like
biggest of big picture thoughts, and I think those are They're both flippable and
the non guarantees make it even better. So they they they didn't play the
cap space game, but they also kind of did because they're still in position
to take back some bad money with a pick and send out you know one
or two of these guys that is the future piece. So I think short
of just leaving the cap space open like say Indiana or San Antonio, this
was this is how. This is how a bad team should sort of allocate
its room, I think, And they roll over their flexibility just next summer
where they could have fifty five plus million in cap space again. And look
the other thing they can do. You already mentioned it because they have those
Harris and Bomba like basically expiring deals like there is an option on the table
if everything works out and all parties involved agree to it, you're taking back
bad money attached to other assets too. Or by the way, this is
a team because of the type of salaries they now have, and then the
pick commitments that they have. They have a future Denver pick, they have
a future Bulls pick, they have all their own picks. If they're better
than expected and Donovan Mitchell is still floating around out there or something like,
they could get involved in that type of deal. I'm not saying they will,
but they're just built to go any direction at this point, and even
more so than they were last season when we knew they'd already detonated everything,
and look, Terrence Ross expiring contracts still floating around in there too. So
I think this was just not a picture perfect offseason. But the Mavericks are
sort of heading in a picture perfect direction because of the flexibility and the optionality
that they've afforded themselves. Yep. Agree, that was a very quick just
a bunch of positive thoughts on the Orlando Magic ron to the Washington Wizards.
I have a feeling will be less positive on this team. Notable moves include
drafting Johnny Davis at number ten. They signed Bradley bealble a five year,
two hundred and fifty one million dollar deal, and then they included a fifteen
percent trade kicker, and then they included a no trade clause, and then
they included a fifty seven million dollar player option in the final season when he
would be entering his age thirty three campaign. They signed a Lon Right to
a two year, sixteen million dollars deal. They signed a FI Guild to
a two year eight point three million dollars deal. They acquired Wilbarton and Monte
Morris for Ish Smith and contabious called Will Pope. They signed Taj Gibson to
a one year VET minimum, and then they signed mccore maker to an Exhibit
ten deal. Notable exits include Howel Netto, who signed with the Calves,
and Thomas Bryant, who signed with the Lakers. Grant, I'm very curious
to know what grade you gave the Wizards. So this is a d I
am totally open to the f argument and maybe so just frame it this way,
so the only thing that the Wizards did this offseason that has like that
will fundamentally affect this whole operation for the next five years and maybe beyond that,
because sometimes when you get a deal like this, talking about Bill,
the fallout is it's more than the length of the contract because once it's over,
you're sort of like, well the dust is only just settling and you're
at zero. So the beal contract, I think is like is a fatal
decision. And like, again, we spent previous pods saying, well,
maybe we shouldn't be punishing the team for positions that prior decisions liked forced them
into, and speaking specifically about Bill, he shouldn't he should have been traded
two years ago, or you know, slightly worse than that. One year
ago or last just you have to trade him because you get into this position
and now you've maxed out a guy who I think his best years maybe behind
him, and his best years topped out as like he was an all star.
He scored a bunch of points, but the team was no good with
him playing just as well as he possibly could not all his fault. But
we're just not talking about a cornerstone. We're not who's ever been a cornerstone.
So it's not even like we're paying him for past performance. We're paying
him more than his past performance at his peak suggested he was worth. And
so the trend line of his career is either flat or heading down. I
just you just can't do. Like the no trade claus is like kind of
we're all everybody's joking about it, but it's just like it just speaks to
me of a franchise that is not operating like other franchises, and like in
a bad way. It just it doesn't It doesn't make sense. Nobody gets
these, let alone someone that is not a top ten player is maybe a
top twenty guy. I don't know. So I like the Delon Right signing,
like everything else is Okay, the Barton and Morris for ish Smith and
cacyp trade, you know, different types of players sort of you could talk
yourself into it. Morris fills the real need as a point guard on this
roster. Those are fine. I just they don't really matter because it's because
what's happened now is this franchise is committed as much as it possibly could to
a player who is not going to return, you know, sufficient You're not
going to have a sufficient return on that investment, and it just hamstrings your
whole operation for a very long time. And so like, if all you
cared about is that it's an F, I only give the D, give
the bump up to the D range just because there are a couple other things
that were like logically defensible. So I don't know, it's just it bums
me out. I just don't understand. I don't like it when teams make
these decisions because we just know what we're in for, right, we know
what this is gonna look like. I think, yes, I gave him
a D plus and I did consider a C minus because I like the delaun
Right signing. And then you can I think there's debate as to who's the
best player in that Nuggets Wizards deal as a KCP or Monte Morris, but
you took what was one NBA rotation player and turned him into two basically in
Monte Morris and Will Barton, who could still he's regressed the past two years,
but he's still better than as Smith and now another person that can give
you some secondary playmaking on top of Bradley Beal. And then I hope they
give Denny Avia more responsibility and you have Delaan right and Monte Morris now this
season. I'm also fine with the Taj Gibson contract. I think after losing
Thomas Bryant to get him on the Vets minimum is good. I actually thought
bringing back Anthony Gill was smart. I don't have strong thoughts on Johnny Davis,
but they are sort of banking a lot on oh his offensive Roman College
was so complicated and over taxing. That's what accounts for his diminished efficiency,
particularly last season. So there's an element of risk there. But they also
didn't trade the number ten pick for Malcolm Brogden. The D plus is entirely
because they have put themselves at the mercy of Bradley Beal. I'm not.
I don't have a problem. If they would have just given him the five
year or two hundred and fifty one million dollars deal, this would have looked
drastically different if that player option was there. This looks drastically different. But
because and even fuck the trade kicker, I don't know, there's always workarounds.
Maybe he even waves it or whatever. The no trade clause gives him
just carte blanc over not only where he goes, but when he goes.
And yes, we know how it works. Players can ask out whenever,
and teams sometimes or most of the time, in good faith, are going
to take into account their their preferences. Look what's happening with Kevin Durant right
now, though, and Kevin Durant's a better player than Bradley Beale. They're
on similar age trajectories. When you think about it. Bradley Beale is substantially
younger, but Bradley Beal requests out. After a year or two of this
deal, it'll be closer to the age that Durant is headed into now.
Like the Nets, we don't know what they're gonna get for KD, but
they have more leverage in this situation than the Wizards would have with Beal because
they just can't send bal wherever they want. And it's just I don't know
what it speaks to. I don't know why they felt they needed to do
this. And if Bradley Beale said, well, I'm just going to leave
all this money on the table and go elsewhere at that point, if he's
willing to burn the bridge, when you've shown that you're going to give him
this money. And I'm not saying they were doing him a favor even though
I review him as a sub Supermax player. I'm an agreement that they should
have moved him seasons ago, which is why I think they needed to resign
him now. Yes, Bradley Beale had all the leverage at some point,
though the market had to dictate some of that lead bridge. And if he
said he was going to go leave a bunch of money on the table and
head elsewhere, do it like when it gets to that point of contention,
when you're already putting a five year max on the table, I wouldn't have
a problem with teams doing that. Good for Bradley Beale that he's gained ultimate
control over his fate while he's under contract good, great for him. I
don't understand why the Wizards did it, and now they can't. They can't
even they don't even get to decide how or when they would detour or deviate
away from this direction. You're basically either saying, well, we're gonna just
run the treadmill of mediocrity toil Beal's done with it, or they're obligated.
They've been mentioned that Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes. I actually think their package, if
they can finagle it. I don't think the Knicks are gonna unprotect that pick
THEO, but if you trust that that pick's going to convey in twenty three
or twenty four, they can offer some really aggressive star packages featuring Denny Avdya,
who I know we're both fairly high on, especially defensively, but like,
you've just limited your options in what was already a situation where you didn't
have a ton of leverage or malluability to begin with, and now you're just
the rigidity is off the charts here, and I just don't understand how he
had the leverage to get it. No trade clause. That is a fundamental
franchise mail practice. Yeah, I agree, it's so I just just to
think of it, try to like reframe this. What is the if everything
goes right, Like, what's your upside? You finished fifth in the East,
I mean four, and that's your peak, Like that's what you did
this for. I just don't you know. But it's like with that's assuming
the alternative was just losing bal for nothing or an assign and trade, which
I think you could argue wasn't the worst outcome. It's just it's going a
step too far after knowing you were probably are already gonna have to go a
couple of steps too far. And I just the logic here is just brain
bendingly dumb. By the ways. This isn't I think Bradley Bills. But
and he also he negotiates this after he has like one of the worst seasons
of or the worst season of his prime. Right, I just I don't
understand it. I would rather, I would rather it would have been to
get into this position. That's that to me, that's the that's the total
failure, up and down the executive ladder and ownership, whoever else, whoever
factored into the decision getting less. And you should be disappointed, Tommy Shepherd.
Two. But this definitely falls on ted leonsis so all I'm saying is
you got into a shitty position where you sort of felt you had to pay
this much forget the no trade, forget it. You just had to pay
this much for bial I would rather if I'm the Wizards, he just walked
and and like it's a terrible look because all this stuff about you should have
traded him still applies, but you've just compounded the error now. I mean,
it's so I would rather just go into this season without him on.
Again, great for him, We're just let's let's be one hundred percent clear,
super glad he got this money, Like, great for him, great
negotiating, awesome, just get what you can. But like, if I'm
the Wizards, I would just rather have the roster spot and not be committed
for a quarter billion dollars. Like that's just And when you put it that
way, it's like, well, no shit, but that's just I mean,
how how damning is that when you're talking about a guy that just signed.
It's not like this is Russell Westbrooks starting last year. It's like he
hasn't even collected a check yet, and we're saying this is a catastrophe,
like, that's been a long time since we've had a deal like that.
And with Russ, Yeah, we didn't even say it with Roster, like
when John wall signed it. Ironically the Wizards gave out that you should know,
but the Wizards. But it's it's not even so much about the return
of value on the contract of like now you just don't even have the authority
to change directions at all. And that's like the more you could talk me.
It's like Bradley Beale becoming an All NBA player for the next three years.
It's the no trade clause when he is not. Yes, there was
only a handful of players eligible for one, he is not even in a
vacuum. How many players are you genuinely willing to give a no trade class
too? In the NBA? Maybe ten, it's not slightly more. Bradley
Beale is not one of them. The thing is, though, even even
if there are those guys, the fact that nobody does it means you don't
have to. Like even if like Steph Curry doesn't have a no trade clause,
Yokis doesn't have no trade clause, you just you don't have to do
it. No, it's not done. It's so if those guys had it,
and then on down the line, fine, like maybe, but that's
a long ass line until he gets to Bradley Bill needing a no trade clause.
And this is just to be clear, it's different from us criticizing the
Calves run office for not paying Colin Sexton. And it was pointed out to
me by Justin Row into the Chasdown Pod that the Calves were also need to
clear a roster spot that not technically for the off season, but they're ready
fifteen players. But my point being like they're low balling him. You were
already giving Bradley Beale his acts in addition to a player option, in addition
to the trade kicker like it just too many steps too far. To recap
the grades that we gave out on this podcast, I gave the Hawks a
B. Both Grant and I gave the Hawks a B minus. Charlotte got
a D plus from the both of us, although I thought I did,
I put mine to a C minus whatever same difference that one. Oh you
did, Okay, so there you go. D plus is for the Charlotte
Hornets from us. The Miami Heat got a B minus for me. And
is C minus from Grant. The Orlando Magic got an A minus for me
and a B plus from Grant. I gave the Wizards a D plus.
I love Monte Morris that much, and Grant gave them a d H.
Please remember to follow us on all the shows socials. Grant is at GT
Underscore Hughes. It's in the podcast description as is mine and in the YouTube
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first time checking us out, and feel free to go over and throw likes
and nice comments our way on YouTube because we're getting hammered right now since this
is not all hunky dory pech keen everything when we're talking about single teams until
next time. And like always, we can shout out to the one,
the only, the real player who deserves a no trade claus in the NBA, Frank Yokino