What is up, fellow thermonuclear affors certified sikos Alike, I am Pampa Valley
coming at you as always with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes.
We are wrapping up our off season look aheads for every team. We've
already done twenty five. We're about to do the Southeast Division and do our
final five write in time for the NBA Draft. This will go out on
the first day of the NBA Draft, and a lot of this stuff will
still be Germane as we get into free agency and trade so go check all
those out and just as the reminder subscribe flood the comments. I have a
question. Let's see if the prompt I don't care where you listen. If
you're listening to this on Spotify or Apple, head to the comment section of
YouTube. Give us your boldest prediction for the off season that you actually believe.
I don't want to say Luca Antis just traded to the Pelicans or something
like something that you actually believe. So head down to the comments right now.
I don't care where you're listening or watching this, and give us your
boldest take for the NBA offseason period that you actually again believe And with that,
mister Hughes, how's it going. It's going well. I think it's
perfect that we're recording this one as close to the draft as possible, because
the first team we're gonna hit uh is going to be a relevant draft team.
I would say he's considering they have the number one pick, but we're
not going to talk about much draft stuff because that's a great way to get
this whole thing incredibly stale, but everything. What's your prediction on? So
let's make him at the Hawks. Let's just go there. Who's your prediction
on is it? Do you think it's just Zachary Resache? Yeah, kinda,
I think I think that that. I mean, that feels like the
most likely. I'm just like, so just deeply underwhelmed by that pick,
aren't you. Yes, the right pick is Cody Williams or Ron Holland,
I think, but they're not gonna be brave enough to make it. I
think I'd rather have Alex sar If i'm them, then I think so too.
Boy. I watched some Ron Holland film finally the other day. I
get it. I'm kind of sol you know, I understand the question shout
out please, reports Jonathan Wassonman for like he should get a cut of his
if he gets moved on the draft of thing. Well, and to be
fair, like seventy five percent of my like open mindedness towards Holland is because
wass said he liked them, like, well, I'm gonna defer to someone
who's spent several years watching this guy not do anything to diminish our infatuation with
Cody Williams. Though like that was also notable. He wasn't like he was
like you like you guys might have a point there. I don't. I
don't like, Oh we convinced the draft guy, good job us. So
I'll start us off with the Atlanta Hawks vitals here but ironically so what they're
fury free agents a deep bay. He's restricted, but he's coming off that
ACL injury, so it'll be interesting to see what happens with him. And
then they have a team option on Garrison Matthews, which I would just pick
up if I were them. However, their salary cap situation gets incredibly not
complicated, but it's more complicated because they won the number one pick. It's
a good problem to have, but they're just in the luxury tax right now
by like a million or two million bucks. That is not going to stand.
Like they're just they're gonna dump salary. Whether it's part as a trade
or if they're just trying to offload clink upel into someone's cap space, they
will end up doing something like that. We can get into those machinations in
a little bit. Their best spending tool. I think it'll end up being
the non taxpayer mL which as reminders projected to be a twelve point nine million.
Will they actually use it, though, Like I have no idea where
this team is going at this point. Jalen Johnson, he's extension eligible a
max of four years one hundred and seventy three point seven million or five years
and two hundred and twenty four point nine. It wouldn't shock me if he
got the four year max. I know he's had some health issues, but
I think people will be much like they were with Devin Vessel and Jane McDaniels,
if they agree to an extension with Jalen Johnson, I think there might
be some sticker shock. I would have some I think I don't know if
that's right or wrong, but I would have some sticker shock there. Trey
Young is also extension eligible. The number to me is is fuzzy. Bobby
Marks I think had written his three years and one fifty seven point seven,
but I I can't get to that number. I keep winding up at three
years and one sixty five point eight. Trey AM's extension eligible. That's all
that matters, that he can sign for an additional up to three years.
So where do you want to go with this team? Like that is the
biggest question. Just which, if either of Trey Young or de Jonta Murray
do you move? And what do you make of I texted you this the
minute I heard it, But on the Dunkedown Prime podcast, Jake Fisher said
that Trey Young is far more likely, far more likely was the phrasing to
be traded than de Jontay Murray. So what do you kind of make of
that? I mean, the far more likely is a little bit surprising to
me, and that's as someone that has kind of decided that, I think,
if you're gonna do anything consequential with the Hawk's roster, it does need
to be a Trey Young trade. I just thought that because Murray the number
the salary is so much smaller, the fit is easier. You're not like
changing your whole team. If he's on it, you might have more suitors,
and so that would make him pretty likely to be traded. But I
guess, like what I take from that is that Atlanta is serious about we
want to be pretty fundamentally different team because like, trading Murray doesn't do that,
I don't think, certainly not to the same degree as trading Young does.
So that makes it interesting. And also just in general, like it's
kind of wild that the team with the number one overall pick in the draft,
like that fact is like, no, it's not something I'm thinking all
that hard about for their offseason because there's this other looming like bigger change,
right, Like, I think that's that's a pretty rare place for them to
be. Well, it's it's super unique in two ways because they were just
trying to win this price season with a number one pick, and then also
you view it as okay, they should either move this number one pick till
get a media talent, and then it helped them to continue to win.
But this draft doesn't have that kind of value and quite friendly. The Hawks
aren't good enough to punt on it, but then you would view it as
well, why not just kind of strip it down and rebuild? And you
can't really do that when the Spurs control your draft picks in twenty five,
twenty six and twenty seven to the twenty six to one is a swap,
And so I come at it from the perspective of I actually think it's more
likely they wind up keeping both Murray and Trey than trading Trey, because I
do think he's a more dominant player. I think you could also make the
case that Murray's worth more in the current trade climate because his contract is just
so easier to maneuver and it should wind up being a bargain as a salary
cap rises by projects to be ten percent each year. But there's also the
school of thought, and I do think I believe you're the one of the
people who subscribe to this that you don't actually believe that moving Tray young is
forces you to go into some kind of kind of rebuild. You could argue,
if you keep Murray and reorient around him, whoever you take at number
one, some of the players that are still there, Jon Johnson, that
you're as good, if not better off. It's just like a yeah,
I don't I don't think. I think it's like a I don't know what
the we have like four words to describe how you like start over with a
team. Is it like a reset or a retool or a rebuild, like
whichever of those you want to use. I don't think moving Young forces you
to be like, oh man, this thing's down to the studs, like
we are arting all the way over and like again, it will change.
By definition, Trey Young changes how your team plays because he's on the ball
all the time. Everything runs through him. You have the defensive issues to
make up for. Like you're just building a certain kind of team. We
talk about this with Zion a lot, Like you're building a certain type of
team around Trey Young in ways that like you don't have to be quite as
particular with some other guys. Like with him, it's just there's this set
of you know boxes, You've got a tick if he's going to be there.
I think if you move him, this is the complicated thing though you
said it like they don't have control of their draft, so like there's so
much appeal in the idea of trade Young for as many first as you can
get and like, you know how the money coming back has to be significant.
I don't know really how you work that and then use the number one
pick and then like, oh, we're starting out, but like you don't
have your picks, so bottoming out is kind of you know, unless you
never really make that trade with the idea of you're as good, if not
better off immediately and you've just sort of restocked some of your draft cover if
you want to go out and make a subsequent trade. So do you not
do you? I don't know what I think about this. I think it's
worth having a conversation about, like, do do you think that it's like
unreasonable to as the Hawks say, we're gonna trade Trey Young without being specific
about what we're getting back. We could be as good, but like in
a different way, you know, is is that a plausible thing or is
it just you trade Trey Ung you're worse in your life? Yeah, that's
where I land, because I still think Trey Young is really good, if
not underrated at this point. And I do think Okay, during that stretch
where Murray was kind of running the show, the defense was better and the
offense was like fine, but over the course of an eighty two game sample
size, I just can't shake the fact that you were going to miss Tray
Young, especially if you want to incorporate the number one pick. He is
someone who, yeah, he forces them to develop off ball, but that's
what first of all, that's what Zacharycia should be doing if that's they end
up picking. That's what Alex Sarr should be doing if they end up picking
him. So I think he streamlines that development for them. I'm also like,
I understand Murray and Young aren't the best fit, but like you don't
at this point, you don't don't just trade Murray to trade Murray because you
don't have your own draft equity. If there's a chance you end up worse
on the other side of a Murray trade, there's no point in doing it
because of sant So if you can get some of your picks back from San
Antonio, and I do think to Atlanta, the immediate ones, technically I
would think have more value because then it's we control it right now, and
then we can be better by the time these other ones convey. That's really
that, and that's the circumstances under which I would consider moving Trey Young is
if San Antonio came calling with all of their own picks coming back and then
like there has to be other stuff involved in the air course. So that's
like the only scenario I think in which I would move Trey Young. Yeah,
even if that's bad money, like the Spurs are like, it's going
to be Zach Collins contract and whatever else we need to get bad money.
Besides it's Zach Helden Johnson done. You might get Caldon Johnson out of it,
who is actually a pretty decent fit on that roster. What do you
view though, And I guess it's kind of tough. We don't know who
they're gonna draft at this moment, and then you don't know what they're gonna
get back in the Murray trade. But you look at this team, what
is their biggest needs? Assuming that, I think I would operate under the
assumption that whoever of the guards that they keep or move, they're still gonna
be like kind of in the same territory. I wouldn't expect them to be
much better off, but they're not. They're not gonna be looking to undergo
I'd be shocked if this end up with them like totally rebuilding again. I
think it's the if if san Antonio watch train and will give you all your
own picks plus other stuff. Yeah, I think so too. I think
what they need is, like, well, frame it this way. Look
at the teams that were in the finals, Like they're just loaded with combo
forwards and big wings and versatile guys that can defend and that the Hawks like
they have DeAndre Hunter, uh he just has sort of not been as good
at that role as they they hoped they need, They need those types of
players. Jalen Johnson is I guess kind of that way too, But like,
especially if you're gonna go forward with like young and or Murray and a
conventional center, whether that's Capella who by the way, I think the reporting
lately is like Capella might be someone that moves if they're trying to get under
that tax line, which makes sense because they have a Konglu. But you
need some guys in between your smalls and your bigs that that are two way
players that can make cat you know, catch a shoot just three surprise,
surprise. You need three and d wings Like that's that's what the need is
to make and you could end up needing a guard too. If you wind
up moving any one of these so free agents. That's bring to mind before
we wrap up on them here, Markel Foltz again, if Murray or Trey
Young is being traded, Chris Dunn, Derek Jones Junior would be good on
like I would lean all the way into defense. I'm not even concerned about
what is the offensive spacing like, but Derek Jones Junior, Najie Marshall would
be great. Hayward high Smith, Kyle Anderson could be interesting on this team,
again, depending on if they wind up trading one of their guards.
Javonte Green's a name, you know, I've always liked. Tory Craig is
a player option. Danthony Melton could work. Dennis Smith Junior were obligated to
mention both him and Chris Dunn for any of these teams. In terms of
trade targets, I do think it matters, like it depends on who you're
sending out. Like, I'm not trading trade to Brooklyn unless I get Michal
Bridges. That's not happening. Yeah, me, It would be interesting if
Orlando just comes calling for Murray or even Young. Can you get Jalen Suggs.
I think no for Murray, but would they for Treye. I'd probably
still say no, but that would be someone who'd be interesting. Brandon Ingram,
Dorian Phinney, Smith, Kyle Kuzma, Ioda Summu, Javon Carter,
Dean Wade. That exhausts my That's that's the clip of targets I have for
them. I mean, you named them all. I don't have any.
I was gonna say, it's just it varies because I wish we just knew
the outcome of the Murray Tray thing, because then that dictates what kind of
direction they're headed into, right, Yeah, a lot of I mean,
the thing is like this is probably gonna crystallize fairly quickly because they're going to
make the pick and then it won't be long. I don't think. I
don't if they're gonna make a big trade. I don't think it's one that's
like, oh, it's going to be August, or like this is gonna
happen. I think within you know, the first couple of days of free
agency, I would I would imagine, and then what's that? I think?
I agree with you? Yeah, all right, good enough for the
Hawks. That was that was a lot to cover Charlotte's next so notable notable
free agents Miles Bridges, Davias Breton's. He's got a partial guarantee five point
two five million of his sixteen million. I'm not sure that eight on that
one, but assuming it's late June, well not super important. That's another
salary that's like, you can mess around with that and make it more or
less valuable if you're trying to swing a trade. And you know, but
this is the like, is Charlotte going to attach a pick to a larger
chunk of Damas Berton's salary to go get someone? Probably not. He seems
like someone that you would trade. And this will probably get into the Miles
Bridges discussion. But you could just guarantee his salary and if you're looking to
take back bad money, because like and just operate over the cap and then
you just have this massive expiring contract that would allow you to take back a
sizable contract that is attached to picks or prospects. Yeah, I mean kind
of a sort of similar bit to Bogdanovich in New York, except the Knicks
would want very different things. I would imagine using that full guaranteed salary,
not any like big time extension eligibilities here Cody Martin, JT. Thor are
eligible. I don't imagine there's a lot of urgency to get that done.
This is a team in a rebuild, new coach, new front office,
relatively new ownership. So as you're as you're looking at what I mean,
first of all, this establish a direction, decide what you're gonna do.
Overall here, it seems like it's fairly clear it's gonna be like we're rebuilding.
We acknowledge it. But what do you view as this team's biggest needs
going into the summer. I mean, I've got a laundry list of them
shooting around LaMelo and Brandon Miller, a backcourt running made of the future for
LaMelo, unless you're thinking that Miller's the two, in which case then you're
gonna need like another dynamic winger, combo forward. Honestly, wouldn't mind seeing
them, just I don't know who will still be available when they're on the
clock, like if for the draft, but like a big man upgrade from
Mark Williams. I know he was injured last year, but I don't know
if that's like, is he cornerstone material at the center position. We don't
know enough. He's not someone that I'm planning around, though I have Miller
and I have LaMelo, and those are the players I'm planning around. So
like and like you have Grant Williams and Nick Richards, like those are just
aren't names. And then just really plus defenders at any position. If you
had to dilute it down to what you think their actual biggest need is knowing
that they're really at the point kind of like the Wizards of just talent infusion
is just where they should be every but what would be like you're like,
no, they should prioritize this, Yeah, you got me. I was
gonna cop out and say, just best player available at all times, maximum
talent. That club out of my bag. That's my favorite club for a
team like this. Well, so if you're gonna keep Lamello, like I
know that we've increasingly been viewing him as someone that a lot of teams should
be targeting as a trade target. What it is because I just want him
on those It's not that I actually don't think Charlotte should move him. I
would. It's not what I'm getting from from all of your your hypothetical so
far, I think you really want him to be I hate the Hornets.
That's uh, this is a Lakers only podcast, So what's their biggest need?
I mean, if you believe that LaMelo and Miller are kind of your
one and two in some order, which is like not a ridiculus. LaMelo
was an All Star when he was twenty. Brandon Miller was way better than
anybody most people thought he was going to be as a rookie. You should
feel pretty good about that. I guess it's probably like it's got to be
a front court presence, right, like, whether that's a combo forward or
or a big guy that can do more, like say what you know,
Mark Williams, Nick Richards, like those guys are are pretty good versions of
the type of centers that they are. But I do think like they have
you have to be great. You have to be like incredibly good to be
like a paint bound, you know, role guy Like I don't know that
there's a whole lot of difference. In fact, it might be the case
that this other guy's better between like them and like Daniel Gafford, Like Gafford's
is just better than those two guys. And even he is like, well,
Lively is the real center in Dallas. So like I would be looking
to change the type of center and type of front court guys that I have,
I think, I guess, but that's almost by default, right because
you believe in LaMelo and you believe in Miller, and you get another wing
in there, and you know those positions are sort of accounted for. I
think I would just say shooting, because then it's like, okay, can
that be Do you view Brendan Miller as your two or your three or is
this and that's just like like imagine if I wish they could trade up and
get Read Shepherd on this team, you a frenetic Miller, Shepherd and LaMelo
would just be as as a trio. Yeah, that'd be fun as hell.
I do think a lot of what dictates this, though, is Miles
Bridges who Jake Fisher throughout the number of like he could get thirty million dollars
a year and I was like, rip to that team's cap sheet, like
this the off court stuff aside. And I will recognize that maybe the domestic
violence incidents of colored my view of him, which I will not apologize for,
but this is a dude who's not shot thirty five percent from three in
over in three seasons. Now, granted he sat out, but so it
was past two seasons that he's played, and he's he's more concept than practical
on defense. Like, this isn't like someone who's yeah, he's malleable,
but he's not like a great defender that was PJ. Washington would always handle
the heaviest burdens when you're looking at like how their front court ended up panning
out. So if you're them, are you just re signing Miles Bridges to
preserve the asset or you either one aggressively trying to get him to work with
you to do a sign and trade to somebody, or are you okay just
letting him go. I don't think you can let him go, as much
as that like would earn you a bunch of plaudits in the you know,
on the PR side of got NBA Twitter coming together to celebrate the Hornets,
right, yeah, I'll look at it, and then and then when the
Hornets are like asset poor, it's like, well, maybe you shouldn't let
someone go that you could trader. Well, the same people will do.
We'll say that stuff yeah, it'll be me stupid hornets that where's your moral
high ground? Gut? And you Now, I think I think I might
just try to sign him with the idea of asset preservation in mind. But
like that doesn't if that's your approach, you can't just sign him to anything
like it, can you know, because he's got to be a value on
a team that you intend eventually to trade him to. And as as you
look at his numbers, try this on. I wonder because he had a
forty percent three point shooting season in twenty twenty one and he's in the like
lower mid thirties otherwise. I kind of wonder if like a lot of that
has to do with he's just like he's been over taxed, he's asked to
take too many types of threes that like he's not good at. You feel
him at a mist too, Like that's not making his job any right,
not not making his job easier. So, if if he's someone that you
slot in as like a fourth option, I think maybe you see that three
point percentage come up to where it's like, oh, he's a weapon again,
and maybe it's sorry. I know, I know for the million of
time, like PJ. Washington got better when he got around a different set
of players, Like maybe that's the case for Bridges, or at least it
allows Bridges to you know, avoid having to do some of the lifts that
he's like not as adept at. I'm gonna throw some teams that you and
some of them are cap space or it would have to be a sign in
trade. Does he make sense in Detroit? Yeah, kinda, right like,
I just as a I mean as an athletic, pretty like big perimeter
lineups with him and a Sar and Kaid, But the shooting on those could
be shaky unless you think that he's again having there will improve and if the
theory is he can be more on a better team where he's asked to do
less. I don't know if Detroit is like the Oh yeah, Philly,
they strike out on like all their I mean they've already I don't, I
mean, I don't know they have there. They've been linked to every single
free age. I mean, Philly could just sign him for like twenty to
twenty five million a year and have room to do other stuff, right like,
and then he's no higher than the third option, just with MAXI Embiid
and then him, So that fits I think compared to Detroit. I like
that better. Are there any like teams that would have to they don't have
caps face, they would have to sign and trade for him in that vein
that would make some sense here? Like because I go through it, and
it's just I don't necessarily love his fit with any team. And I mean
like there are probably some super tax teams that I would be Okay, that
makes a ton of sense, But that's just not like you can't acquire player
being sign and trade like that. So I mean, do you know where
he might make some sense? And again we're not condoning the off court stuff
here. If the fan bases don't want to totally get it, he probably
make a lot of sense in Toronto at this point. Yeah, just to
fill in the the you know, combo forward spot. I guess he played
next to Barnes with Pearl, I think a lot. Well if that's again
you know the thing again is like the shooting has to be better for a
lot of these fits to make sense. Uh, for him, I'm just
looking around, like if Chicago, which I'm Chicago, did offer the qualifying
make the qualifying offer Pat Williams probably debates about Chicago. Did you see the
report that their ideal plan now is to move Zach Lavine move up in the
draft and then re signed tomar DeRozan. What fucking timeline is this team operating
on, doesn't it? That's somewhat confusing. If that's the actual blueprint,
that's the most confusing thing that I've ever heard of. Mind all the timelines,
they're going to do all of them and just see which one works.
Sorry, I had I just I they continue to fucking they do a bit
Chicago. If Patrick Williams leaves, like there's kind of a spot there,
you're I mean, you're not signing him obviously if you're the Bulls. But
I'm just trying to think of places where who sure, like who needs an
mainly offense first three slash four that like that you're also not sure is worth
you know, being a second or third. It's a weird fit. I
mean, but then but but again, he I think it was Jake Fisher
or it could have been someone else, but that was like Bridges was getting
the max before all this shit happened, Like he was a league wide where
it was like done, It's gonna maybe it's Charlotte, maybe it's someone else,
but he is going to get the max. I was in the bag
for his step back three at one point, Like that's the thing. Like
he's got a forty percent three point shooting season. It's an outlier, but
it happened. And he's an eighty plus percent free throw shooter. That's where
I'm like more optimistic than if you just tweak the shot diet. Maybe he
is a plus shooter. Again, this would be wild one. What about
like a there would have to be other stuff involved with like a Jared Allen
for Miles Bridges trade type feal. The fact that Kenny Atkinson's in Cleveland and
Grant and I will go in detail on that Scottie Marnes and stuff at a
later date makes me think that they're gonna keep geart like they're gonna keep everybody
together. Yeah, but that would be like sort of interesting. Or is
that two offensive focus when you have Darius Garland and Donovan Midgell. I mean
it is, it is offense focus. But again it's like the same thing
all the time with Cleveland. It's like, well, if they're going to
ever be any good, it's because Evan Mobley is a defense unto himself,
which like he's been you know, I mean, what was he second in
Deep DP a couple of years ago. So I mean, I would say
if Sacramento was looking to kind of like not go to zach Lavine extreme where
it's yeah, we get in a little bit of an offense and punch and
this guy will be better on defense than zach Lavine, that could be an
interesting fit. I agree with that. And they got three picks, three
future first not counting their picking the draft three swaps, Like I mean,
I'm not no, no, no, no, you're not doing any of
that, But I'm just saying they can if you're trying to sign and trade
him or whatever. As Charlotte like Kevin Herder and Harrison Barnes is like,
if that I would just use those of the like if I'm Charlotte, would
like Kevin Herder, which might be better to move off to the bridges.
Do you have any like other questions about this team before I just rattle off
the targets. Now, go ahead with the targets. So it depends on
how much cap space they're gonna have. But we'll get to the free agents.
First, this is just names I been thinking of Gary Trent Junior,
Malik Beasley, Lukenard has that team option with Memphis, Naji Marshall. Of
course, Simoni Fontecio. That would be a fun fit. Bruce Brown.
I don't think Toronto declines his team option, but if they do, Isaiah
Hartenstein, if they get rid of Miles Bridges and like they just have cap
space, Isaia Harton's gonna be a great fit here. He's only twenty six,
by the way, Patrick Williams, if they wanted to throw Kimon offer
at him now, if you want to take like sort of a flyer to
okay, I don't hate like just a stab in the dark Isaacacorro. Max
Christi really ruined the Lakers head coaching higher with J. J. Reddick,
who was kid came in to develop Max Christi and then just try and pay
him so the Lakers can't Uh Markel Foltz, Nick Claxton, Deanthony Melton and
then trade targets uh Anthony Simons, Jayale. If you're in a trade LaMelo,
I would target trying to get somebody like Joe and Suggs out of that
deal. Josh Green and Dallas is that someone you could just get At this
point, I'd like both Moses Moody and Jonathan kaminga. Here's like, what
is the Warriors plans for them? Duncan Robinson, Jonathan Isaac would be super
interesting and then kept we already actually already mentioned Kevin Herder, but I had
him on the list before he got into that discussion. If you're talking King's
trades too, and and like, if the Kings are willing to make it
a more pick heavy offer, you could just go Kevin Herder and Trey Lyles
if you're talking about Bridges as a sign and trade guy, maybe and like,
you know, would you different Davion Mitchell to Trey Lyles if you're Charlotte,
just Lyles gives you the semi like stretch five thing. He's undersized,
but the Kings do use him that way most of the time, so that's
a new element you get. But then Daveon, I think as a guy
you can just play with ball and say, like go guard the one the
guy as you have is Trey Lyles. That like the way Grant Williams played
for them last year, Like is Trey Lyles that? I mean, I
agree with you that Trey Lyles is definitely he has more He's gonna have more
size in that position than just yeah, just a little bit. But that's
a fair point that like, I don't know if he's offering you like that
much that's different from Grant. I like that call it in. I mean,
I don't love the Miles Bridges fit in Zacramano, but if the alternative
is trading for Zach Lavine, I I like the Miles Bridges fit a lot
more, I'll tell you. And and if Michail bri is not available,
who is like the guy that I do kind of think he ends up being
back though, And I don't think this team ends up being like a huge
cap space team, which will make you some a little less interesting. If
free agency landscape were a little different and there was like, oh, there's
way more we can do with that thirty million, then maybe, But I
just think Bridges and whatever whatever he gives you on the floor and then whatever
you can trade him for seems like slightly more valuable. To me? Is
that would that be their best outcomes to sign and trade Bridges, because then
they technically get to take the moral high ground, but they get assets in
return to or that not that I mean, I don't know if you get
total like moral high ground that way, because you did technically, like I
don't know if if it's an immediate sign and trade, probably more so than
you sign him and then you move him at the deadline or something after it
like didn't work out. Can you actually did want him a little different ready
for Miami? No, I mean this team is depressing for some reason.
But notable free agents Caleb Martin has a player option. Hayward high Smith,
Kevin Love is a player option. Josh Richardson coming off an injury, he
is a player option. Thomas Bryan is a player option. Patty Mills and
Delon Wright are non bird free agents. Their salary cap situation at a glance
is disastrous for a team that was just not in the postseason. They're less
than four million dollars from the first apron and then subsequently less than fifteen million
dollars. I have them from the second apron. That's without new contracts for
Kayla Martin or Hayward high Smith. And I'm assuming Love picks up his player
option in this scenario. So like there's just a world I've been phrasing it
this way, and it might not be perfectly accurate, but I've been calling
it. They are one Caleb Martin contract away from being in the second apron
and that's like, that's unsettling at brist So their best spending tool. I
just have it as minimums notable extension eligibilities bam Adebayo three years, one sixty
five point eight million. I'm absolutely offering it. I'd be curious to see
if he would sign it or if he prefers to wait another year. And
then Jimmy Butler is eligible for it's either a one year fifty nine point seven
million dollar extension, I believe, and that's if he doesn't decline his player
option. If he declines his player option, it could be two years,
one hundre twelve point nine million dollars. And that's it's so short because of
the over thirty eight rule. Uh So, this team is like my biggest
question for them is do they even have a pathway to making a real upgrade
just giving their cap situation and now the assets because you gave up that first
round pick for Terry Rozier, or do you actually view this as Okay,
look at who finished the season healthy and it was basically nobody like even Hamiyakis
wasn't healthy by the end of it. I kind of think that the Heat
can make moves that improve their like three to five year outlook, But I
don't know if there's a way for them to make themselves like meaningfully better in
twenty four to twenty five, if that makes sense, because like, and
what I'm like brushing up against is like if you do trade Butler as and
you get that fifty plus million off the books for as you know, really
there's only this year coming up at forty eight, and next year is a
is a player option, I believe at fifty two, like which you can't
this is we talk about this with Donovan Mitchell all the time, like,
oh my god, you can't let him get so basically expiring status you know,
next year, like sort of the same thing with Butler. So if
you move him, you clear you clean the books up a touch, like
maybe you get some assets back, you have ways to build the roster.
After that, I was gonna ask you, one, do you like buy
into the fact that it could head down that path? But two, just
given what this team is done and the fact that I think pat Riley turns
like ninety five or something soon. Are they actually going to prioritize like we're
gonna clean up the cap sheet and get picks back, or are they gonna
be like no, like we're gonna even they get assets, they're gonna turn
around and make another trade. No, that's the thing I think, so
they can set themselves up to be better positioned for several years after this.
I don't feel like it's that that's likely for this team and and this like
front office, just for the part of the partly because of the reasons you
said, and also because Miami tends to think like you know, other than
like the decision. It's not like Miami tends to operate, you know,
like let's look a couple years down the road and get ready just like how
do we win today? So that would augur against a Butler trade. But
I do think, I do think it's it is possible that it goes that
way. To answer your question, just because like the financial realities of it,
his availability, all the stuff pat Riley like very like unabashedly talked about
with Butler, and then if you kind of mix in some just like nascent,
you know, dissatisfaction on Butler's part and like once maybe that relationship gets
a little fractured. I'm probably reading way too much into it, but like
that I think is what precipitate to trade not so much Miami saying like we
really like to get ourselves set up for twenty twenty seven. You know,
I don't think that's going to be the motivating factor for it. And what
do you think? No, I actually I think that's the perfect way to
frame it. I think you just hit it spot on. It's like it's
not going to get there, like the Heat aren't going to be proactive about
this. It's going to be a reactive thing. If you wind up on
the trade block, well so then then what, like you, how do
you make this team? What actually worries me more is I'm recepted to the
idea, like Kayla Martin could be better. He didn't have like the best
year by his standards, and then you could just be healthier. I know,
Jimmy Butler's always gonna be dealing with stuff, but like the terrors year
injury by the end of the season, that's not something you anticipated Himai Hawk
is of course, so like you could just be Tyler Hero like you could
be healthier, and then some of those basically all those guys. Kayler Martin
could be better. He's older, but he could definitely be better than he
was last year. Haimi Hawk Is is gonna get better, Hayward high Smith
is going to get better. Nikola Yovich is gonna get better. So you
have Tyler Hero is gonna get better. He's alwayst not gonna get any worse,
and he's by the way, I still think he's I'm not. I
don't think he's like on the same level as a Tyrese Max. He like
blue chip Anthony Simon's prospect even but like Tyler Hero is good. This idea
that Tyler Hero sucks is just weird. Yeah. So, but my concern
is, is there a chance that you lose two of the guys I just
named in Kayla Martin and Hayward high Smith, and then you just trust your
program to spit out guys to make up for that. So it's not so
much that I think that heat I probably overstated this at the beginning. They're
in an unsettling spot, but it's not because I think that they need to
make this big trade. I just think at bare minimum you'd like to be
able to run it back, and personally, I would be fairly surprised unless
they're cutting costs by trading a Duncan Robinson or removing at Terry Rozier. If
both Hayward high Smith and Martin specifically are back, it does seem like Martin
is Yeah, I mean he's someone that, like if you're talking mid level,
like sure, I think a lot of teams would would be happy to
give killed Martin the mid level as like a starting point. It only should
be one of them, by the way, even though they could resign it
for that amount. I was going to, do you have anything else on
just like the state of the team is the state of the team. I
was going to get into some of their targets to see what you thought.
So again, free agency, I'm only planning on minimums. Chris Paul,
would that interest you if he gets weighd by the Warriors and he's just willing
to Hey, we'll let you start and you'll get to dominate the ball here
because that we didn't even really talk about. Like, this is a team
whose offense just chronically is behind its defense and it always rears its head,
you know, like if that's if the Heat have had a consistent problem,
it's like they get to the playoffs and it's like, God, unless Jimmy
Butler is Superman, we just don't score, you know. Chris Dunn,
Dennis Smith Junior, not really gonna help your offense, but some defensive tools.
If Joshua Koge ends up on the market, like that could be a
fun rehab project for the Heat. Torrian Prince if he's available for the minimum.
Certainly Javonte Green, Joe Ingles has that team option with Orlando. I'm
curious to see what happens. There Are there any free agents that's bring to
mind? Or should I list off to some of the trade guys I have
for them? Why should go to the trade guys? Uh? So?
Don I Midge if he doesn't signed the extension that's there, Trey Young.
That's these are so complicated because the Heat in Fury can't unless they're gonna finish
beneath Like if you aggregate salaries, you're gonna need to finish beneath that second
apron. And if you take back more money than you're sending out, you
to finish below the first apron. Those guys are tough for that. I
have Isaiah Stewart, Iodasumu would be fantastic in Miami. Denny Avvia of course,
Kelton Johnson I thought would be an interesting flyer. I don't know if
he's a enough shooter at this point. Tamani Kamara, if you're gonna lose
Kayla Martin, if you lose Heyward high Smith, he's just so cheap.
What does Portland want for him? I would look at the Jontay Murray if
I'm this team, if you're kind of bracing for Jimmy Butler regression and then
also bogged down mcdonovich would be a great fit here. Isaiah Stewart because they
do need a front court partner for BAM. I still think, like I
know, Kevin Love is nice and you could play Jimmy or Kayla, but
like all these different guys before Hama Hawk is of course Nikolaiovic. I wanted
to ask you about this guy, and you could talk about anyone else that
you wanted to as well. They have like Larry Marketin's the perfect salary fit
for them, because as well, we'll just send out Terry Rozier or Duncan
Robinson and or if you Tom wants Tyler here for some reason, could they
theoretically, you think, overwhelm the Jazz with an offer enough to even make
them think about it looking at how many picks they owe. I think if
OKAC and some other teams are sitting it out, they could, But I
just think it's hard for the Heat to have the best offer. I will
say they put Hayma hawk As on the table. That gets interesting because it's
like, Okayse's Pine not sending back a top tier pro respect for lowry marketing,
no other like what team is You're not even getting a Herb Jones or
a Trey Murphy from New Orleans for lowry marketing. You might get Caseon Wallace
maybe I don't know from okay see, but and like he's at least there's
a conversation to be had between him and Hawkes for sure. Yeah, I
think. I mean, I think market in Marketing is someone that like find
me the team that I don't think he's gonna help, which is weird because
like he does have deficiencies, like he's not a great defender, Like he's
got length, but he's not like threes. Yeah, Like so I just
should would the he be better with him? Like absolutely, would they be
better with him instead of Duncan Robinson, Hawkes And I don't know a first
or a few first like, yeah, probably probably, but then you're bay,
I don't know, like I think Malcolm Brogden was someone else I was
thinking of. If you're just if you think he can stay healthy, that's
another number you can pretty arly match. But like you can't have like in
that scenario, I'm not I like that, like you have to give up
on a less likely Tyler hero or order there because you can just have those
two plus Malcol like we're sending another like guard type player to Yes, he's
more of a floor general than either of those two, but like at that
point, it's why, like we just so much money tied up in these
non wings. Yeah, I mean, don't you think ultimately the most likely
outcome is like basically everyone's back, and that includes Martin and maybe not high
Smith, and then they're just banking on Yovich and Hawkes being better and then
just being healthier in general. Yeah, I think the most likely outcome is
one of the two you mentioned leaves Martin or Highsmith, and then everyone else's
back wa I think I agree with that, which is again and they could
still be better, so but I do think they will be linked. They
have some of these salaries, but they have to My final thought, they
would be like, okay, you can include multiple firsts and swaps. You
do have Hawkes and Jovic, Like, if you're going to make this trade,
it has to be super specific in the sense of there have to be
other teams sitting it out because you're never gonna have the best offer at this
point and because of the apron stuff. It's so you either need to make
sure you're taking act less money either way, you need to finish beneath the
second apron because you're gonna need to aggregate salaries to do it. But you
also like, if you're gonna take back more money, then you have to
finish beneath Like that's gonna make it even harder. You have to finish beneath
the first apron. So that is the challenge of them making a big move
right now. I just think like as a as a Macro thought the heat
and we talk about a lot of other teams before the heat when we're talking
about like, oh, look, what's gonna happen with the new CBA.
Like, imagine the position Miami would be in under the old CBA right now,
all these mid tier salaries they have the trade like, it would be
so easy to act like they would easily be in the mix for stars.
It's just like you gotta it's just a just a way harder thing to do
now with with those first and second aprons and the rules those impose on you,
because otherwise it's like we're talking about them as like being pretty inflexible.
That would absolutely not be the case if we were under the old CBA,
And that's just you know, it's the new reality. As a final note,
I think they can include three swaps and two first round picks in any
trade, and I think both of those first round picks would tepically be conditional
upon the obligations they have to. They sent the twenty twenty seven pick to
Charlotte when they got Terry Rose year, and then they have their twenty twenty
five pick going to Oka se so like they would still be conditional. But
you couldn't theory offer two first round picks and three swaps and we'll see what
that would get them. This next team is like might be for me,
the most fascinating, my most fascinating team of the offseason. Yeah, they
need some time here. So it's the Orlando Magic free agents real quickly.
Uh, there's a non guarantee on Jonathan Isaac Steele, so technically not a
free agent. Markel Foltzcary Harris, your guy, Chumo, Kiki has restricted
the previous two or unrestricted, Goga Patadze unrestricted. I think that's the relevant
guys here. So their salary cap situation like how long you got? Basically
they are among the major caps based teams. I think you could peg the
number anywhere in the thirty to forty million. I think forty two is kind
of the high end if I'm looking at the numbers correctly. But that you
have a phrased on our cheat sheet. I didn't look at it. What
do you have? When it asked her what money are they like working with,
it's just called choose your own adventure cap sheet. Like that's basically they
can just they have over sixty if they want. Yeah, and like maybe
they will the forty two million and change assumes Basically the guys I mentioned Foltz,
Harris, Okike and Batadze are just not back. Assumes those guys are
gone. How are they getting to all the way up to the sixty?
Is that Jonathan isaac Is gets nob Yeah, that's how you get to the
sixty. So we know they're going to blow that. I have them so
if you guarantee Ji Caleb Houston pick up Wagner's team option Mo Wagner that is,
keep the number eighteen pick and then Reese. I actually have them resigning
Gary Harris for identical money at thirteen million. So you're getting rid of Joe
Ingles. That's an Aaron Markel Foltz. You're still just like over thirty million
there, and I don't think they need more. Well, yeah, that's
so that's one of the biggest questions here. And then you know their best
spending tool, choose your own eventure. I think that's right. Maybe before
we get to that extension eligibilities, it's it's time Franz, Wagner, Jalen
Suggs already cover those one by one. Okay, what are their maxes?
So four years, one seventy three point seven or five and two twenty four,
so we'll call it four one seventy four or five two twenty five?
Are you maxing? So I'm just gonna get something. I'm not giving Franz
Wagner the max if he wants and he's got to wait. I definitely wouldn't
do the five. I would be so if you're at four years, your
average annual value is still up over forty million. For him, I know
the cap is going up with like I like, I don't know. His
shooting season made me uneasy. I got into this with Grace Gean a little
bit. I think she OpEd me and ended and she might have sold me
on just giving him the max. But like I'm making him wait at this
point. If he wants the max, he could wait. You know,
increasingly that's my thought too, unless it's like I think someone like Scottie Barnes
by for comparisons sake, like yeah, you probably got to do that.
He's a rookie of the year, like he's I think barnes is like the
level where you just do a pin pull guy Franz is not. It's powerful,
right, right, So I'm increasingly kind of getting into the idea of
like restrictive free agency is still a real like powerful weapon for a team,
and so like as long as you're the player that you're going to allow to
hit free agency, is like not going to get bent out of shape over
it, and like I think it's probably worth it in most cases. Just
let it go, Like let it get to that point. You can frame
it as like we want your lower cap hole because maybe they don't use all
their caps pace this season and they're trying to roll some of it over.
But like if you extend Franz and at numbers just on your books for the
max, like that obliterates a lot of possibilities. But it would if you
tell me they extended Franz, I would think it's more likely than that they
did something seismic this off season. So I might be more on board with
this at that point. But in the vacuum, the max seems like a
lot for him, like it's like I'm baking. You can kind of prove
it, or but I'm pregnant, as like we just want your lower cap
hole. We don't know what it's gonna happen next summer. Yeah, I
will say I feel like it's well, I guess that the number is so
low for jail and sugs would have to do it. But I kind of
feel like for Sugs, it's if Franz doesn't get an extension, he's not
getting an extension, and then if from want it increases the chances that he
gets one because they've already fucked with their books for next year. Yeah,
it's if you could get Sugs for like four at one hundred, I think
it's like, okay, yeah, that's the number. I think. Say
if it's twenty five million, like done, you'll have five and one twenty
five? Hey it like for sure, I agree. But other than that,
yeah, I'm I'm open to just letting it, letting it ride for
another year and seeing because I mean, you know, we're all we think
the Magic have a bright future. But it's like, what's the harm in
one more year of information? But I will say, though, unless if
Jalen Suggs comes in, I think it's more of a discussion with honor.
Clearly, if Jalen Sugs comes in and demands the match, then it's okay.
Wait, But if you go and that's what we're gonna get into now,
and you do stuff like and you just you use your cap space and
make trade, you sign guys, you might as well just extend these two
to build up the good will, because you're not gonna have that money to
spend next year anyway, again unless you have all these placeholder deals in place,
and so there might be some value in building up that good will,
but if it's if that requires maxing out jail and sugs. As much as
I love jail and sugs, like, no, like, I'm not maxing
out jail and sugs. Yeah, right, I agree. Wendell Carter is
also eligible for an extension, but it's kind of funky. Uh, basically
your number here, you've got three years and sixty seven point eight million because
he's the average salary because I forgot his deal declines and so I went to
one hundred and forty percent route and I was like, that's really low.
And I was like, oh shit, Like he's gonna be a ten point
nine million in the final year of his deal, so he's gonna be extending
off the league's average annual salary. So like even the mid level that year
is like in the fifteens, so the annual salary of the average salary is
normally lower than that. So I just I think I threw in like thirteen
or fourteen million. I would offer that extension that his deal was really good
when he signed it, and it's not like he like blew the doors off
and it somehow still got even better because of the decline. It's one of
the best of the salary cap or something in the final year that deal that's
bonkers, and he's like a quality starting center like that could still get better.
It's what a I don't know about. I don't know who his agent
is, but you got he maybe should have gotten a little more for that.
All right. That's those are our extension candidates. I mean their needs
are I'll just this is the twenty second ranked offense. The defense is awesome.
They get a ton of offensive production out of their forward spots and a
facilitation like more than most teams do. Between benk Carron Wagner. There needs
to be offense in the back court. Uh. And you can sort of
again another choose your own adventure because I believe everyone agrees that Suggs can just
guard whoever he needs to guard one, two, three, and so you
can just get an offense only guy and hide him at one of the guard
spots. So to me, like that that just is there's other needs for
sure, but what's the bigger need. I'm noticing that I didn't update their
needs for their sheet that we had. What's the bigger need to you shoot?
They could be tied up in the same player, by the way,
they could do both, like they don't have to choose, But if they
end up choosing, what's the bigger priority, need to be the bigger priority
for this team getting in like a floor general, someone who's upgrading the faults
Cole Anthony Jaellen, Suggs, floor general minutes or just shooting. I kind
of think it's shooting. I don't feel like I could really Okay, No,
I was gonna say, I'm open to the other side of it.
I just in my mind, I think, man, and maybe they'll just
be proved to be wrong. But between Suggs, Bancaro, Wagner and like,
if you get a little bit of facilitation from whoever you sign with,
like as a shooter slash scorer, maybe it's enough. But but yeah,
like maybe it's not, and you're just never gonna be a better than league
average offensive. You don't get someone to just run the show. And so
I'll frame it this way because I still think Anthony Simon's is my favorite trade
target for him. Where if that's the only move they made, that is
where you convinced me. Okay, they went the shot making route, but
he does enough secondary passing that it's that is fine. But if you would
to choose, let's say it was, well, we can trade less to
get vote Don mcdonovich from Atlanta, or we can get to Jentrey Murray.
I'm going to de Jonte Murray route because I think that the offense still kind
of needs that organization. And if you don't, if you if they disagree,
I think that has to be a vote of confidence in jail and Suggs
more than anyone. Like we know what Palawo evolve in tune. You can
count on France for some stuff, but it feels like that needs to be
then a vote of confidence in Jalen Suggs is on ball decision making development,
which again he showed flashes said especially after he would grab rebounds last year.
But I just him as the floor general. I don't know if that's how
you maximize your offense. Yeah, a lot of it I think maybe fairly
so falls on Bancaro. If that if that's the route you go where it's
like you're just you know, in addition to probably having to be our leading
scorer, you are also like you are the be all end all for us.
He could be, but you still would like someone who's a plus passer
at their position, let's like, or playmaker at their position. I don't
know if Jalen Suggs will ever be that because I don't view Marcus Smart as
a plus passer in his position. So I view it for Derek White,
so he's like a super charge Derek White. Then you're fine. Yeah,
Like those are kind of two different ends of the spectrums there. Yeah,
no, you're right, I get you know. I really have been thinking
about them more in terms of like get them a two, get them,
you know, and we can get into the targets a little bit too,
Like oh, Simons for sure, but Simons is kind of combo, ye,
but like Buddy Healed, Klay Thompson, CACP, like look at that
position as opposed to like, no, Suggs really isn't a one like he
just you know, so maybe maybe it does, but wouldn't it be I
don't know. I would feel disappointed if it was Tyas Jones a little bit,
just because it'd be anti Well, that's the question. How aggressive do
you expect this team to be with their resources this summer. We laid out
the timeline where it's this could be not their last shot. They'll saw the
flexibility to make trades. But in terms of having this caps flexibility, if
you extend either one of Suggs or Fronds, like this is your last chance,
then to have this type of flexibility, well, I think maybe you
disagree that you just get guarantee Isaac's salary, so that takes you out of
the like ridiculous numbers and probably takes you out of max level guys in most
cases because you're down in the forties. Now, who would you want to
Well, I'll throw this name out, the one that I'm like, if
they just wanted to get spicy, I'm going hard after Emmanuel quickly and like,
wow, maybe Toronto ends up matching, then fuck up, fuck up
their payroll while you're at it. He's kind of perfect. I haven't thought
about him at all, but he's he takes the like he's do you need
a one or two? And it's like yes and no, yes, yes,
he's kind of on your size at the two. But like he fights
defensively, and he's not I still think he has a long way to go
as a live dribble passer, but like you saw it in Toronto, a
little bit like getting better at maintaining his dribble. So like there's a pathway
to him being not one of the maybe like when you're when you're framing him
as a floor general, will he be a top fifteen playmaker starting? No,
But because you have ban Carro and even Shugs and Franz Wagner, you
don't need that. You just need someone who's can be a game plus game
manager. So that's the one where I'm like, because you said they might
not have max money, Like, well, who you gonna max that anyway?
And like you know what I would, I would throw the max at
the manual quickly or close to it and see what happens. Yeah. No,
it's so like I guess the move is putting that like that possibility aside.
I think you're trying. You're hoping to get two guys, right,
you're hoping it's not just like one signing with even if you're if you're down
at like thirty million, then I don't know. But if you're at forty
plus that's maybe enough for Tias Jones and like, I don't know, take
your pick, probably like, but yeah, there's a lot of ways to
go. I think, like Gary Trent something like that. You could go
get two, which again would feel sort of underwhelming because it's like it's got
to be Simon's or for a minute there was like, oh it should be
Monk or like Klay Thompson. I think is not a good choice there.
Defensively better than most teams they could, but but it's also like, yeah,
maybe at the mid level like number like that makes sense for them,
but he's just we will also just address it be a hybrid of like,
okay, we used some of our capspace on X and then we went out
we traded some salaries to get Anthony Simons. What ends up being the better
offseason for them. They get a manual quickly and then like Buddy Healed or
Malik Beasley or they get Anthony Simons and then it's like, oh, we
signed Monte Morris or Tias Jones. I mean, the first option sounds better
to me, don't you think I'd like, I hadn't thought about it at
all, and I've been trying to send Simons there forever but quickly. You've
just like introduced quickly into my orbit here and I can't get it out of
my head, so I'd go quickly. And there's so many different They should
also just create their own trade market, like they should make an offer for
Labelo Ball like that would be you talk about a team that like they they're
in transition a lot, but they're still kind of slow, like the semi
transition stuff for the half court. It's weird. He'd be perfect there.
I also asked, I'm not advocating for this because they should aim higher.
I don't know what the state of his knees are. He's planning on playing,
but like in chicago's going to cheap out because they're Chicago and they just
want Lonzo Ball's money off the books, and you're not gonna sign him manual
quickly or spend a ton of money on one of the top players they'll do
you consider like just like yeah, one year, if we're rolling potentially rolling
over a cast, like let's just if he's gonna play, why not why
not try it? The idea of a healthy Lonzo Ball helps every team,
you know, like that, I know it's one year left and it's not
a big number, like I think it if you can. If Chicago,
well, first of all, Chicago's like please take him, Like that's probably
a red flag because there they know anybody. They're probably a team that's too
good to roll, like because you need to get there trying to make like
if it was Detroit, if it was if it's another team, if it's
Charlotte, even like, you make more sense to roll that dice. But
for a team with immediate expectations, you probably shouldn't do it. And like,
depending on where you are with your payroll, that might just be someone
you can get on the buyout market at some point, like you know,
as long as you don't get to I forget now. I can't think about
the rules for buyout guys. But you can't be in the tax or over
the first apron or something I can't even remember what it is and sign someone
that's making more than whatever I don't know, the mid level more than a
non tax payer mid level. But they might not. They might not have
to worry about that. Just a couple other names. Very quickly, I
was thinking about Darius Garland's a good enough shooter. I don't know if I
like his playmaking, and of course he's finishing at the rim enough to say,
if he becomes available, go after him. I think you poke around
because his value is probably lower than it's been. Could you get Kobe White
from Chicago? You're I mean, yeah, if you're willing to like put
some picks up, I think. But I imagine White is like he should
be one of Chicago's like most you know, untouchable guys. I have Jay
and no Ivey listed here. I hate it, but I figured I would
just throw it in there. The other two names depending on the cost.
If it's like a two year deal, I'm not ruling out d Angelo Russell
for this team. Ye other one, the Bucks might be able to break
up their core, Like do you if it's like a if it's literally just
Jonathan Isaac for Chris Middleton. First of all, I love that for the
buck Bucks, but yeah, probably because you're just dealing from a position of
strengthen banking on Isaac not staying healthy. But Middleton, Middleton is we're talking
about secondary pass. He's on the same level as Simon's of just like,
no, he's not gonna run the offense for you, but he can just
run the pick and roll basic pick and roll stuff and then you lean on
everybody else that you have. I thought about it, and I love it.
I would do it. Yeah, I'm not it like and if there
has to be other stuff involved, you know what, I'm probably doing it
anyway. So you can also just take Chris Middleton into cap space of the
Bucks. But they're gonna want players back, yeah, well of course,
like yeah, they neither are gonna need them. They can't get them any
other way. All right, you want to go finish it out with Washington,
Yeah, they should be a quick team. Notable free agents Tyas Jones.
I'm very interesting to see if they work out a sign and trade with
him, do they just pay him more to preserve the asset or do they
maybe let him walk? He is unrestricted their salary cap situation the Glands,
they can have like the teensiest amount of cap space, but it'll be less
than the non tax payer mid level. So if you want to operate as
an over the cap team by not just carrying Tye Jones's whole, but might
as well just resign him. Or if you want to keep Landry Shaman for
some reason, you're probably just better off having a salary, like an additional
salary slot to trade. Best betting tool I think will be the non taxpayer
Emily. Though again, if they like capslock pay Tis, that could change
a little bit. Corey Kisbert is really their only notable extension eligible candidate.
I'll be cure. What would you give him, Like if he just said
I will sign for three years and forty million, I mean, that's a
that's on the high end. I think probably for me, Oh, I
would do it. I think I think I would do it. And then
the biggest needs they are what you would call the general talent and fusion team.
But I do think the two areas that stand out more than anything is
we need our and maybe it sounds like they're gonna end up with Alex Sar
in the draft, but who knows. But they need a big man of
the future and like kind of a floor general of the future. So if
you're going to take stabs and free agency or trades, that's what I would
be focusing on. And that's what just I mean, like all their questions
are the same. It's what happens with Tyas Jones. Do you let's do
this, let's do quick hair questions on them. Is Tyas Jones in Washington
next season? I think he is, But he's there to be traded.
I just I kind of feel like he's gonna be in San Antonio. I'm
gonna say, I hope so that'd be great. I want him there for
the Spurs. Will Kyle Kuzma be moved before the start of the season,
not the trade deadline, before the start of the season. I think this
is maybe qualifies as bold, but I think so because I just think he's
gettable. I think he's a guy that fits that position that a ton of
good teams need. So like, if you can find a way to get
to that number, which is only twenty three and change next year like that,
I think he's someone going to go down, right, Yeah, you
got to move him, and I think you get two firsts. It depending
on like how bad the money coming back is for him. And then Denny
Avdia, do you think he's I think teams are gonna lust after him.
Do you think they view him on the same level as Ballal and whoever they're
going to draft it too? I think that they should, and I hope
that they do that. I feel like this was he's going to be in
Washington, Like if it's not. If he's not, it's because someone went
the thunder offered three good firsts or something and they and then the balls will
be looking like, oh, we couldn't have gotten one of those in the
Alex Caruso trade or asked that question a lot so looking at like the like
from a talent perspective, they're just like, what are you doing? Is
they're they're a team, so like you can't trade your own picks. You're
not like super pick positive, so like you're not really taking like Walker Kessler
would be a good example of someone who'd be great for this team. I'm
Washington. I mean they might end up with Alex r Anyway, I'm not
training a first round pick for anybody. No, I think you need this
will be boring, but I think this just needs to be what's your worst
contract team X, we will take it. Here's Kyle Kuzma or whatever else
we need the picks with it. Like I just so they're they're like targets
are different. It's almost like it's like bizarro targets like anti targets. It's
like who who's out there that teams don't want that can give us stuff with
them, because this team is like, depending on how you feel about Koulabali
or Avdia, even if you're super optimistic about both, they don't have someone
that rates as a true cornerstone. And even if they draft Sar, I
don't think anyone wud use him that way either, So you just need This
is the team I just banged the drum on, like, get as many
twenty five first as possible, hope you get Cooper Flag. If you don't,
just like continue to pile these picks up, take on all the bad
money you can. This is like you start building this team in like twenty
twenty six, I think, and you're just hoarding shit until then. That's
how I view it, and I do like look and I still want them
to kind of open up. I don't know how many of their flyers in
Fury will actually stick from last year, but like, I still want to
see more of Justin Champagne, Jules Bernard. I actually was kind of intrigued
by Tritian Vuksovich. It's like those are names where it's you don't want to
necessarily crib too much. Playing time from them by going out and even if
you could get someone who like just helps you immediately, I would take again,
even if you're getting Alex Sar. I'm taking some stabs in the dark
in free agency unless you're really worried about well, we don't want to hardcap
ourselves to anything by using the mid level exception, but just trying out of
markl Foltz or the Anthony Melton is Jallen Smith gonna be a free agent,
get some stretch in the you know, kind of like the big Man spot
super Like now you're taking fires precious to Chua. Feels like the Knicks might
have to let him walk even though he's restricted. I guess that changes that
they lose Hartenstein, Luca Garza. I'll try out Kyra Lewis, the speed
demon, mat Musquelli and san Antonio is a free agent. I still love
if you could trade for like Jayden Hardy or Aaron Wiggins like the field,
Like those are teams that might want Kyle Kuzma by the Yeah, I love
Jayden Hardy as a piece back from Dallas. If you get Kuzma sent that
way, I think I've higher the most on Hardy and he hasn't helped me
out too much, but I believe still they should be a team. Like
I don't know what Phoenix would want of theirs, but if you're gonna give
us number twenty two, we will take on use of nurkic money. And
do you want Kyle Kuzma that, oh you can't. They can't do that,
So salary structure probably don't work there. But those are the things like
dwop wreath like you have eight and Robert Williams the third in Portland, like,
could we maybe get some dwop wreath? And here Isaiah Jackson, he's
extension eligible, but Indy has Pascal might have Jalen Smith, like where does
he sort of factor? And Miles Turner of course, where's the factor in?
Those are just sort of the names like I would take stabs at on
the trademark that I don't think would cost them first round equity. Yeah,
hey, sons, pump up Royce O'Neill's number to exactly Kyle Kuzma's number,
draft number twenty two and we'll wait until we That is is just like there's
a chance to just make yourself worse defensively and as a shooting team just because
Kyle Kusma's the itppy there. So but that's what I'm waiting for, is
I need I need the number from one of these second apron teams and one
of their own free agents to just match just someone someone like Kyle Kuzma's salary.
You're just like, something ridiculous. Do we do an emergency do we
pledge to do an emergency pod? When some bizarre number is agreed to,
it's like, oh, that's that's the one. Honestly, I think that
the answer that questions on you you know, I will be absolutely You'll do
right now. It's just on it is roy O'Neill Wright is the most likely
candidate to look back on, like why is his number match up perfectly with
Kyle Kuzma? Right, Yeah, that's weird, all right, Ben.
I feel bad that we didn't spend a ton of time, but like they're
just they're in the infancy. I like what they're doing from the front office
and coaching perspective for the most part. Like I said, I think they
might have found some some of the names I've listened before, some of those
like intriguing flyers that are are worth for their exploration. But if Tyas Jones
leaves, assuming they're gonna get alf sar like you like, take some dice,
rolls on on on some just like point guard types. Yeah, I
think that's right. That's going to cover our final division. The look aheads
are complete. Uh, this will all be useless after the drop. No,
I mean hopefully this will hold up for a little bit, a little
bit because we didn't talk start until Sunday. Technically a lot of it will
hold up for especially with teams like this where we talk mostly trade scenarios.
Yeah. True, Thanks everybody for listening, for watching. Make sure you're
rating, reviewing, some describing, responding to prompt questions now because we're engaging
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season. Look ahead for now until we get more in depth later. Enjoy
the draft if depending on when you're listening to this and shouts Frank Mila Kina
apologies, Jared Allen