What is krack alacket hardwoodknocks Listeners, I am Dampa Valley coming at you once
more with creature reports. Grant, you used to continue tackling our free agency
slash off season look aheads. They're not previews, they're fucking look aheads.
Put some respect on the creativity we try to put into this process. We
are onto the Northwest Division today, Grant, we're recording. I don't know
if this is a home at home it's back to back podcast because before we
recorded this, we did the Pacific Division preview, so not much has changed
in the thirty seconds since we last spoke. But for our listeners, since
this is coming out on a different day, how the heck are you doing?
I'm doing great. I will say I was preparing for a forecast,
so I don't know if a look at I feel like the look ahead is
going to be too confusing, So you know, whatever you want to call
it, I'm just gonna do my best. You just want to talk about
the Knicks signing Joe and Bruns into a max contract, then instead we'll just
add if you wanted to just include what we talked about before you started recording,
we would probably have to do like a parental advisory preamble, just to
cover the profanity and all the curses and you know all all the rough talk
we just did about that, so maybe maybe when we get to them.
Fair warning for the Atlantic Division. Look ahead, not a forecast or a
preview or primer, not even a primer to look ahead. Here we are
fancy bougie as hell, quick reminder before we get started. We're trying to
do ten minutes or less on each team. This isn't going to be surface
level analysis, but we just want to get into the meat and potatoes of
what they could spend, what maybe they need, or names that they could
target. And I just want to reiterate this free agency class is abysmal because
I do think the way that teams are building through free agency is changing.
Sign and trades are probably more in vogue, and I think just signing players
to extensions is more in vogue than moving them later. But that's why we're
not spending fifty minutes on your team. That will happen when we eventually do
our preseason look aheads, not forecast or primers or previews, but look aheads.
The first team up in the Northwest Division because Grant and I want to
live on the edge and we're gonna go alphabetically. We made it five for
five in the Pacific division without any issues. We'll see if this continues.
So first up in the Northwest is the Portland I'm just kidding the Denver Nuggets.
They're vitals. I'm starting the clock now. Their key free agents are
DeMarcus Cousins non bird. They have full bird rights on britt Forbes and they
have early bird rights on Austin Rivers. Their biggest spending tools going to be
the MINIMLI, assuming of course that they use it, which the Jamachael Green
trade that they made suggest that they maybe won't, And they are within seven
million dollars of the luxury tax at this recording, so there might be other
salary dumps involved. That being said, if we're getting into their biggest needs
priorities, they still need point of attack defense. You could always like Nicole
Yoke and make it work without shooting, but like you need more knockdown shooters
on this team. I want to know if they're going to duct the tax
because of how close they are to it, and then are they going to
punt on the mini Emily as a result, grant any thematic elements that you're
harpened on leading into Denver's free agency slash off season. Can I say first
that when you pretended to start with Portland, I had a genuine thought of,
like, oh shit, do I not know which teams are in this
division? Because you know, if the alphabet stuff you got me now overarching
Denver thoughts, are you hit the big ones? Like to me, like
in a nutshell, this is a legit contender and taxpayer quote unquote maybe at
the moment, probably won't be that, just I think there are a couple
of defenders away from having a good enough operation on that end to compliment what
I think, assuming everybody's healthy, will be you know, top five,
top three offense in the league, So you know they should be a team
that is willing to spend and look for, you know, every possible road
to improve. I think, as you alluded to, that's probably not going
to be the case, but their focus needs to be on defense at every
position. Aaron Gordon can't guard everybody. He's a little overrated in my mind
as a defender, but he's clearly the defender on the team. I feel
like he's underrated because they've abused the scope of his defensive versatility. He should
not be like basically a primary point of attack guy. Well that's that.
Maybe that's the issue. Maybe maybe we're both right, and it's because he's
being asked to do things that like is just beyond beyond what's reasonable for anybody,
and he's he just can't do them. So but look, I think
we agree they got to find they've got, especially if you're talking about you
know, Jamal Murray coming off in a cl We just saw Clay Thompson,
you know, apples and oranges to some extent, but where you seem to
lose it is your lateral quickness. I think, at least in the first
year back. So Jamal Murray I think is gonna have some some backsliding.
Defensively, Mike Quarter Junior was not a good defender to begin with. After
a year off ish, I think that's going to be another problem. So
defense defense, defense shooting would be nice, but I just I think freely,
I say they need knockdown shooting. Like Michael Porter Jr. Might not
be one of the best shooters in the NBA, and he is, I
will say I think he might be well. I don't know anymore, but
he was really good when I was watching him towards the tal end of his
the previous twenty twenty one what the hell is time? At this point,
his health defense got a lot better and he felt like someone who could make
a bunch of plays. As you mentioned though coming back from this back injury,
is even still able to make those types of plays. Yeah, so,
uh, I don't know if you want to start like I think,
well, we should talk to We talked a little bit about it in the
Pacific Division. Monte Morris is someone that profiles potentially as a trade candidate,
both because he's going to be in demand and as a tax ducking mechanism.
I think Will Barton is another person they might think about if you're if you
need to tax them, That is the guy that you're figuring out way to
get a cheaper player for if you taxed up Monte Morris. I know.
I love Monte Morris. I named Bones Highland as one of the top trade
assets in the NBA this summer. If the Nuggets wanted to make an all
in play, which they clearly do not. You do not, I understand,
and I think Bones Thiland's gonna end up being actually a really good floor
general. I did not the passing in his command of like the ball.
That's not something I knew about him when he was coming out of college.
If they dumped Monte Morris, you want to talk about a rant, I
will go on one. Do you think they what do you think it's I
know we're supposed to be doing free agency. Let's talk about free agency first
and then what they should who they should be targeting before we get to like,
well, well I have the I have the name for you, and
I bet I bet you we both have this name on our list. Okay,
you go ahead, Bruce Brown, Yeah, he's on my list for
sure. Probably out of their price range if they won't use them in the
mL E though, Right, well, I think and like, because you
have to associate the two because they're sort of similar. Gary Payton is obviously
the other guy. I think they should be just like, take all our
money if the limited supply that there is. But actually I thought this is
just me I because I've just I don't know why. I like the full
circle nature of it. But you know, Gary Harris, right, like
just bring him back, you know, he's he's not your shutdown guy necessarily.
But through his career he's been in capable, he's been a good defender,
and he's he's had seasons with his best seasons were in or in Denver
where he made shots. I think, you know, especially if Barton goes
an goes any place and you can bring Harris back for you know, depending
on where they get, maybe they can use the MLI or at least the
Mini. I think, you know, it's just Barton doesn't really provide a
lot of what they need at this point, assuming all their offensive big guns
are back, and so Harris just being a more balanced role playing type.
I think I think I like him. I thought that was gonna be the
name you're gonna use. I'm glad you didn't so I could do it.
Wait, what was that? I don't I don't think I heard that last
name. Gary Harris is what you thought I was gonna use? Yeah,
it's Do you think so Gary Harris shot almost fifty percent on drives this year,
shot well from three, defended really well in Orlando. Is he you
don't think he would get non taxpayer mid level I don't know. I think
I think the fact that Orlando couldn't trade him for anything suggests that like,
well, I mean he was making twenty millions, so that's he was expiring.
But you think they could have got something for him. You're gonna bring
him back? What's up? Maybe they're gonna bring him back. This is
this is the Pablo ban Caro er Orlando Mattics we're talking about. They might
have aspirations to win the twenty twenty three title. I would, I would.
Can I bet that they won't win the title. I don't know what
the return on that would be, but I'm sure you could have. I
brought it so I have another target for them. I don't know if we're
recording when I mentioned this guy for other teams, but Michael Carter Williams is
someone I think is gettable for the minimum or even like non guaranteed level based
on his injury history and use. Basically, if you go through you know
it's just the quick and dirty thing, but like pull up is cleaning the
glass page and other than like his points per shot, attend rankings in general
shooting stuff like go to the defense page and he's just like eightieth and ninetieth
percentile in blockade steel rate, defensive rebounding, offensive rebounding, just like all
the other stuff, which on this team, all the other stuff is really
what is like lacking. So I think I think there's a real value play.
This will extend to I'm gonna use Michael Carter Williams several times just because
I feel like I expect him to be your favorite free agent of the summer.
But if anyone's listened to the previous other look aheads, Michael carterly has
come up quite a bit. Except I'm not willing to say anyone should pay
him more than the minimum, so I'm not sure how much favorite I'm really
showing him. Derek Jones Junior another guy. I think, just just get
someone out there that's athletic and can move around and defend a little bit.
Those are kind of who I'm looking at for them. Do you have anyone
that I missed? No? And I think my issue with them is I
very much feel like they're not going to use their minimli and the bummer.
That makes me like rule out, Bruce Brown gone, even if you're getting
Gary Harris for less than the mini Emiliam Collin shenanigans on that that too,
because he's worth at least than minni MLA after the year he just had,
so and if you're not gonna use that, just like, what are the
names? You already mentioned them, like it's Michael Carter Williams, it's And
I think the issue here is too is you know, I don't even think
if they insofar I told you I was gonna bring him up, But like
insofar as Dallas lets him hit free agency, I believe his salary is not
guaranteed for next year. Frankie Lakina is probably gonna go for more than the
minimum this year. I think he flashed enough in Dallas to do that.
I would assume they'll guarantee's two million dollars salary. What about Derrick Jones Junior.
They already traded Green. They still have Jeff Green there as well.
But like there, what is Zeke Naji? I think dave you him.
It feels like as a four and maybe a Zeke Nagy. Derrick Jones junior
front court actually makes a bunch of sense because Derrick Jones Junior played well in
some small ball five duty last year with Chicago, so he could be a
minimum guy. I don't know if he would like, maybe I'm underrating Derrick
Jones Junior, but he is such a unless you put him in transition or
figure out ways to get him going downhill, he's just not an offensive asset,
and so I could see his market sort of deflating. Well, I
think I don't know what he's worth. I think I think the full mid
level is not that that's an issue here, probably is too much minimid level,
Like I'd feel okay about it, but I do think the fit is
pretty good. I mean, I don't know how much he would play with
Yokich and but the with the spacing that team figures to have and with Yoki's
just like making everyone better. A guy that is just a pure athlete that
can cut, that can run, Like it's hard to think of a spot
that would really feature the things Jones Junior does well more effectively than Denver offensively,
defensively. I kind of feel like I think I think he would help
for sure, but I kind of feel like in my mind at least I
keep thinking of the Derrick Jones Junior at the top of the Miami Zone like
three years ago, and that was just again that was like a perfect position
for success for him, and that hasn't really you know, no surprise,
that hasn't been replicated since then. I like the fit of him. The
cost is gonna be tough. I don't know, it's hard. It's hard
to project what his market's gonna be. Yeah, and again it's kind of
tough to project what the Nuggets are going to spend. Do you see a
team, because I do think this is part of their free agency. Do
you see a team that you think could be willing to take like a Will
Barton who's making I think he's around fifteen million, and he's a really good
player when he's healthy, and last year felt like Nuggets fans were infinitely frustrated
with me he's actually making sixteen That is a really tough number to work out,
but he's like he can give you some real scoring juice and just like
second like tertiary ball handling there. But that number is is, which is
why they could end up salary dumbing Monte Morris because there aren't infinite number of
teams I think would would take him and standing out like you know, India's
Caps basically willing to punt on some of it for Will Barton. Does Detroit
use all their tap space, and he's a player that can help you without
sort of ruining a stealth tank if you're trying to go that route. But
I also don't know, like are their worst contracts out there that like you
could flip them forward, but you don't want worst contracts, you want cheaper
contracts. And so it's just the mechanisms of a Will Barton trade are very
complicated unless the Nuggets or the aggressors and trying to acquire someone and it just
feels like they're going to go the opposite route and just try and cut their
tax bill. Yeah, now you really got me in the weeds trying to
think of where Will Barton would be like hugely helpful. Yeah, I don't
know. That's tough. It's because because you got to give back significant salary
and who won't like what what at that number is to a certain team,
like in greater supply or demand greater demand than like a guy who's just kind
of a backcourt scorer like that. You know that that isn't really big enough
to guard multiple positions, Like that's what would be you know what would be
interesting and it only cuts about it's less than four million, and I think
you need to include something. Will Barton for Josh Richardson swap would make a
lot of sense, just because the Spurs can do really whatever, and Barton's
the more creative offensive player, and then he's they're both contract only the year.
And then Richardson, really that will help your defense and he I thought
he quietly had a good season last year, and so I have thought a
lot about that. I just don't know what you need to attach, because
no, I don't want to give up Zeke Naji for Josh Richardson probably and
you're certainly not going to give up bones th Island in that deal. But
can you And I think that they've traded like Denver's second round pick, cachet
is not the word I'm looking for here is enviable at the moment. The
first second round pick they could trade is actually in twenty twenty four, I
believe. So, oh, they have more seconds than I thought. I
don't know why I thought they have less, but like his seconds enough to
attach to that to make it work. I'd be curious. But that's the
that is this scenario I had zeroed it on personally, Yeah, that could
work. I think I think I forget who you mentioned as a possible trade
option for Jordan Clarkson was at Phoenix or somewhere that needs like another point of
attack, like scoring guard anywhere. Yeah, the Clippers, So maybe Barton.
I mean, Barton's not your conventional playmaker, but anywhere you're thinking about
someone like Jordan Clarkson, I think Barton might make some sense. I think
Clarkson's probably better, but or at least it is better at this the specialty
that he has. This is all to say. I think, as we
already went over on the Nuggets before we move on, is they're probably gonna
vote our guests, our guest collective guests. Is like, they're gonna focus
on minimum s, ninnings, and I would expect them. Maybe it won't
be over the off season, but by the end of next year they will
have duct attacks. Oh yeah, yeah, bank on that one way or
the other. I think they're getting under because we care about getting the alphabet
accurate. Here, we're gonna go to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their key free
agents. I was tempted to say nobody, but I think Torrian Prince is
actually a key free agent for them. There's Jake Layman with filberd rights and
then Josh Kogi. I wonder if they even tender him a qualifying offer.
He's stricted. Jallen Noel and Naz Reid both have team options those will be
exercised. Karl Anthony Towns, to me, is their most notable extension candidate,
and I think you absolutely offer offer it to him and don't give regard
for yes. If it turns into like the Megamax, so be it.
Karl Anthony Towns is good enough. Best spending tool is going to be the
non tax player mL LEA, which actually gives them a lot more you know,
money to spend on the free agent market than a lot of other teams
and just biggest needs priorities for you. I'm actually, you know, I
doom find myself wondering whether this team is going to be ultra aggressive on the
trade market because Tim Connolly wants to leave his mark on what they're doing,
and we already we saw him get creative on Draft night. But I kind
of wonder. My actual question, it's not for insulaid, is do you
think they have a bigger move left in them? And what do you actually
view their biggest needs as? Because I think the default has been to diversify
like the front court packages next to towns. And it's weird to say because
I think Jared Vanderbilt was fantastic defensively for them next last year, but it
feels like they need a substantially better player at that spot than him, or
you need like a better three if we're considering Anthony Edwards at two. Yeah,
I think I think, well, I mean the big the biggest decision
is the extension, which I for Towns, which I agree they got to
do. I think the other thing they're going to look at it, and
I don't think it'll just be Connolly wanting to make a mark, but just
operating kind of practically, is you know, are you going to extend Dangel
Russell? And if if you are, what's what's that look like? And
if you're not, which I think you probably shouldn't, based on what his
market may be in terms of salary, what do you trade him for?
And I think maybe that's the again, this is a free agency thing,
but you know, I think I think that's your best path towards sort of,
like you said, diversifying your options next to towns, or at least
just kind of filling in between Kat and Anthony Edwards as you're as you're like
kind of your bookends, I think and listen. Like connected to the Russell
issue is do we think Anthony Edwards is a primary ball handler? Like can
that can he sort of step into the herd and you know Booker sometimes role
where it's like he's the initiator. I don't know. I'm kind of optimistic
about everything with this guy, and I wouldn't put it past him. But
I think that's a consideration with moving Russell, because like you could really take
a step backwards in terms of your offense, even with as much talent as
they have, if you just don't have someone to sort of hand out seven
assists and not turn it over, which is basically what Russell could do.
And he was good last year. Yeah he was. Yeah. I mean
he's not my favorite guy, just you know, just because I think he's
not quite efficient enough generally speaking, But like he was, he was.
He was a good player last year. So he's also tight maybe, I
think, which matters with Karl Anthony Towns, which I feel like I'm definitely
guilty of. I don't wait relationships enough. When I'm talking about what teams
should do. Right, Yeah, I'm not paying him thirty one million dollars,
you know over the next three or four years. I like Washington as
a trade partner. I know they drafted Johnny Davis. I think Russell makes
sense there the Nicks for another team that when you're making up a fake trades,
that's another spot you send them just because they need a point guard.
But like to Washington, if you're gonna get back something like some combination of
like kcp and and Kyle Kuzma or I'm not the biggest Hotchi Mura fan,
but like adding a little bit of volume and like quality starters into the middle
of that so that if you want to put more shooting out there than Vanderbilt
and McDaniels can give you, you can. I think Kuzma can play the
four like just you know, just spitballing. But I think that's the type
of move I'm looking at with with Russell. So I mean, we're I
don't want to like oversaturate with jumping around. But like then free agency wise,
if you're not gonna you're you know, cover your bases with a Russell
trade, I just think you need someone that's better than Nazrid to play some
center minutes. So like maybe that's Kevon Looney. I think Hardenstein. You
know, if you got the full mid level and you're willing to use it,
that's someone you could definitely look at on the cheaper end with you're you
know, like Cody Zeller, Goregy Jing, bring him back? You know
what about Howard trot him out there? See what happens? Like I say,
what about? And by the way, there's like this sentiment that they
can't sign another big type because that's not how you choose. Carl Anthony Towns
Karthi Death played like eight trillion minutes alongside TODs Gibson at one point, and
he was he was still fire the name, I thought, And this isn't
gonna surprise you. You know it's coming, right, Chris Bouchet get two
shooters out there? Why not? That's just like I don't I guess you
probably don't trust him like defensively enough to cover for Karl Anthonytowns. He's more
of a playmaker than an actual anchor on that end of the four. I
would I would love it, though. I fave that signing. Yeah,
I think, well, just like if you're gonna have suspect defenders, they
might as well be long, right, Like, so at least you're going
to cover for some of that by just taking up space. And you know,
if you've got two guys that can maybe get just some help side blocks,
great, you know your pick and roll defense is gonna but you can
you can work around that. I know, I totally agree you need another
big guy, Like, yeah, you want both, right, you want
someone that you can can stretch the floor, and you know you want someone
that can defend. You want someone with size that can play back up five
minutes. I mean, Towns has generally been a really durable player, but
I think I think it's it behooves them to add like an actual center and
and like it's scary in the way that money gets spent in the modern NBA,
but you might have to, like you might have to do more than
the minimum to get someone that's actually going to make a difference. And if
you're not, then you know, just I guess you're going to rely on
naz Reid for another year. This is along those same lines. But and
look, free agency targets for them was a little tough because it's actually easier
to come up with like bigs for them than if you wanted to get like
a combo wing or straight forward. They could be a team that looks at
auto porter or if they really wanted to. I gave Kyle Anderson some cursory
thought here not along the big man route, but this is like a really
smart wing. What if you could this is I wanted to. I wanted
to catch you off guard with this. Let's say you can sign Delaan Wright
or Thias Jones. Let's say you can sign either one of them. Would
you do DeAngelo Russell for Marcus Morris and Norman Powell? And I'm getting either
Jones or deln Right, My thing is you're you're signing another point guard.
I just don't know. Like those are the two point cards that I think
are worth the actual mid level money. Like those are the two Let's be
honest, if we assume Jalen Brunson is gonna get paid way too much money
by the Knicks or if he stays with the Mavericks, I mean Kyrie Irving.
If you're the Clippers and you think you're gonna be in the running for
that, like take those two guys out of the equations Tyas Jones the best
point guard on the market. I mean, I think he's at the top
of my list, which, yeah, no, I think that. I
think he is right. I'm not being facetious. I think that is the
actual case. Yeah, no, I would do that. I think I
do that. I like the volume play there. I like you're getting you
know, multi although I wonder are you starting Powell and Edwards as your backcourt?
Are you starting I would take Jones probably over over right? Are you
gonna star? I think you start Jones, you could bring and look,
you still kind of need to fill the like I guess they consider Jaden McDaniels
at three. So but you could mix and match with it if you have
Norman Powell and Marcus Morris coming off the bench, or maybe Vanderbilt gets moved
to the bench. You're starting Morris at the four, and then you have
Powell and Beverly coming off the bench. But I think you start Edwards,
tie Us and Towns for sure, and then you can kind of, you
know, Finagle from there, kind of like that team kind I mean,
what do you think about it for the Clippers though, well, they do,
I mean it it addresses a need for them, and they're dealing from
a position of strength because they're like the only team that has more wings than
they can actually play, or wings and combo forwards. I don't know.
I think Powell and Morris, I think I'd probably do that if I'm the
Clippers, because because Russell addresses their main need, which is just someone to
to run the offense that's not basically a power forward. I felt my gut
was the Clippers would say no, because I think Norman Powell is like he's
under contract for longer at a formal number, but at the same time that
contract clearly wasn't valued around the league based off what the Blazers ended up moving
him for. But I would love him in Minnesota. You imagine Norman Powell
and Anthony Edwards like the same downhill pressure that they're providing in the same unit.
I I'm glad that you didn't hate it. I assume that you are
going to laugh at me, but I wanted to catch guard. That's fun
and and well, just as you're listing off a bunch of you know,
your Vanderbilts and McDaniels and pet Bev, like there are the wolves going to
be really good, Like I view them as an up and coming team,
but like, if Edwards really pops, which I think is honestly more likely
than not, he is like the thing that would make me comfortable on moving
Dangel Russell while only replacing him with a Tias Jones type, or even if
he went worse than Thias Jones anthy Edwards is going to be an incredible offensive
engine at some point, not just for himself, but the read he could
make and the way that he keeps defenders on tilt and the way that I
think I had some issues with the Wolves late clock offense or crunch time offense.
But he also doesn't seem uncomfortable toggling between oh I'm off the ball or
I needed to defer here, or no, this is this is me,
Like I'm gonna go for this, and I appreciate I don't know if you
can call it feel yet, because he and the rest of the Wolves need
to distinguish between what's right. But this was year two, yeah, and
I just he's someone who all of a sudden I wasn't super confident in him
coming out of college. I just looked at him like that might be a
future Top five player in this league. No, so I just I did
recently the top ten guy who's gonna be you know, for looking back five
years from now, who's gonna be the top ten players over that five year
span, like basically from now till twenty seven? Where did you have Kay
Cunningham? Yeah? Oh, can I use this platform to say sorry?
I forgot Kate Cunningham among the forty guys I considered for honorable mention, he
probably belonged. He definitely belongs in there, but I put Edwards tenth,
and I look as I look back at it, I feel like that might
be too low. Like he's I think it's a question of when, because
he's not. He's athletically unlimited. He improved a lot last year. I
think it's just a question of like how much craft is he going to develop?
And that's tied directly to can he be our primary ball handler? Like
now, so that trading Russell is just like, well, Russell was just
in the way at this point, so we might as well go get our
you know, our Norm Powell and our Marcus Morris. So yeah, this
is we've had to have gone over now just gushing for we're actually right within
the limits, but they're I think that there are a bunch of different routes
that they could go in free agency because I think they have a look,
you could move a week Beasley and try something different through through that, right,
I think there are teams that would still look at his salary and be
like, all right, around fifteen million bucks for this player didn't have the
best season last year, but yeah, we could we could pay that.
So I think their focus could be whatever it wants. But I'd be looking
at can we get a three or maybe even just more of a four who's
an upgrade from Vanderbilt so that we don't have to even consider playing McDaniels at
the three because they clearly don't want to do that. Yeah. The next
team, alphabetically the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have no key free agents.
They have a bunch of notable non guarantees. Lu Dor at one point nine
million team option, Tayo maladone one point nine million guarantee, Veet Kracie a
one point six million dollar non guarantee, Mike muskala Is at three point five
million dollar team option, Aaron Wiggins one point six million non guarantee, Kenrick
Williams has a two million dollar non guarantee. I would argue the vast majority
of those that I listed off, whether it's a team option or non guarantees,
should be picked up. And that's where ship gets weird. For the
Thunder, their best betting tools, the non taxpayers midlevel Exception. I don't
know if they're going to use it because I don't know if they have the
room on their roster to use it. If they picked up all their non
guarantees and team options. They're at I think nineteen players based off who they
added in the draft. They have three rookies that they drafted top twelve this
year, so shout out to the Knicks for helping them get a third top
top twelve pick. So I don't know what to expect from them in free
agency. I love the chet Home Grimm pick, and they're now sort of
built to play super big. I think the need this team team has at
every position is just shooting, and I wouldn't mind seeing them get a different
type of veteran center in here from Derek Favors, just because that could go
a long way. But that's where I'm at with them, And then my
final thing before They're only a view is like there's gonna be some They're not
just waving or getting rid of all these guys. They feels like there's gonna
be some consolidation moves here for Oksey, not to trade for a star,
but just like they have too many players who are worth continuous looks. Right,
Yeah, no, they're I mean, the thunder are difficult to evaluate
just because they sort of for the last two years have operated unlike really any
other team in the league. So it's hard to know what they prioritize.
I do think we should mention that they still are. I mean for the
remaining like what six days of this league year, they have like thirty one
million dollars in cap space, so if they wanted, they still have the
option of being a facilitator for a bad salary trade. How much interest they
have in that is hard to say. They've been interested in that the last
two off seasons, so that's something to think about. I mean, the
guys that could fit into that are there aren't a lot, and it's one
of the underneed more draft picks, I guess always, but so that's one
thing to think about. And then low Dort's kind of wonky. You know
they can. I'll probably get it wrong, but they can decline a team
option on him, make him restricted, or they can pick it up and
he'll be unrestricted next summer. Would you do that? Would you pay him
now? And as a restricted is reagent? Well, so my understanding is
if they go the restricted route, they can pay him more because then he
can sign for twenty five percent of the cap after getting a qualifying offer.
If they do it now, then they can go four for I think it's
fifty eight or sixty the Josh Richardson special, the Josh Richardson special. So
like, if I am in a conversation with it him and he wants that
money now, I would I think I would do the I'd go for for
I'd do the Josh Richardson special for him for sure, because I think he
would have trade value at that number if he's not part of your big picture.
And then it gets a little scary if you let him, you know
if you will start going higher than that through the restricted free agency route.
So I want Dort. I mean Dort is someone that like every fake trade
you make up for the Blazers with before the draft, for that seventh pick
or for the sixers or whatever. I think he should be in super high
demand, so I think you lock him down at whatever a reasonable number is
as soon as you can, and then I think potentially, like his trade
value goes up because you're going to have him at a decent number. I
was curious if they were going to trade him and just for like a future
first, but you're right, like having a larger salary be more helpful there.
I honestly, I don't have a feel for what they're gonna do with
Dort and that's just based on how they've operated with non star free agents of
their own in the past. Yeah, but I like, without having clarification
on the rest of this roster, like I don't even want to free agency
tourists. I'm like, they like, yeah, it'd be fun to see
this team go out and try and get Chris Bouche, but they just don't
have the room for him, and you know, they maybe they don't want
to impede the growth of chat Homegrown specifically, but some of the other bodies
that are on this roster right now, I would expect it to be pretty
uneventful. When looking at free agency signings, which is by design. I
mean, if they wanted to try and like take a you know, if
there's like a distressed asset. Uh. I don't like that they want to
try and you know, go after I honestly, I don't know. But
do you expect this team to add like any sort of veteran on the free
agency market? No? I mean the only the only route that I would
see as like semi plausible as they kind of target some second draft guys like
you know, like a like a Lonnie Walker who's restricted. Uh, someone
that you just think, like, you know, I trust the pedigree of
three years ago versus what he's done with the team that drafted him. Like
Jalen Smith. I think this is my second Jalen Smith mentioned won't be the
last, you know, just guys that are young enough to kind of fit
with this team. That's just like all upside basically except for Gil just Alexander,
but yeah, there. I just if they don't do something crazy with
the with the cap space they have that's gonna be gone in a week or
less than that probably by the time this goes up, then I think it's
just they'll consolidate, you know, towards the end of the roster, because
you're right, I did kind they have nineteen guys counting their draft picks.
That's a lot, you cannot you guys, Yeah, that's too many actually,
but it turns out. But yeah, I don't see any big moves.
I guess I think they're just gonna stay the course and just let the
youth develop, because I actually like on paper now they're really interesting with with
Chet and with Jalen Williams, and I'm forgetting who else Jang I think,
yeah, I was bond Jang, So they're they can do a bunch of
different things. I just don't even like, what is the aside from yeah,
they go out, there's not even like a ton of I was gonna
say they can go out and just add shooting if they're gonna at least clear
the roster spot for it. There's not like a ton of shooting available this
summer, and it's I'd just be curious, especially if you're trying to skew
the younger route. I don't know, like what free agent shooter is gonna
want to choose the thunder right now, knowing how mismashed they're playing, to
like forget about their situation, just how mismatch they're playing time would be.
They would be like a just like a fun T. J. Warren like
rehab spot, like we're him to come up, but he's twenty eight,
And it's like where they would they really go that route? I would actually
love for them to go after a mere coffee. Feels like that's someone that
maybe they could because they're still like, I don't think he's an advantage creator,
but like someone they need, like guys who can shoot and handle the
ball. And I'm just that's that's me probably taking shots at Josh Kiddy at
this point? Could they also still go the center route like they were a
team? I was like, oh, could they does the mid level get
you Nick Klaxton or Mitchell Robinson or like I said, Chris Bouche, could
you even still go that route? Or just after the draft that you had,
is it more like no? Like why why would they didn't do that
in the first place? They have to my green and dark favors? Why
would they do that now? Yeah? I think I Claxson's on my list
for them to Hartenstein, I think is another guy that just you know,
he's young enough that it would make some sense. But it just doesn't seem
realistic for them to go for a kind of these they're not veterans per se,
but they're you know, they quietly have a bunch of veteran biggs now
too, Like if you keep you have favors in green Well that I think,
like Malik Monk in theory makes some sense if you're looking for someone that
can shoot, but like I don't know, I mean, the reality is
like, if you're a good young player who's good because you can shoot,
you tend to not make it to free agency. You know that that that
you get your twenty eight thirty year old guys that hit free agency that can
shoot. And if you're young and you can shoot, your team tends to
keep you. The other thing here is like any of the names were spouting
off, I would I would argue a mere coffee is worth it, But
like none of the names really speet off. Was Oh, you need a
clear roster spots for and get rid of a bunch of like even Aaron Wiggins,
like the rim pressure that dude provides, Like I want to further look
at him if I'm okay. So you need to get in an exeason.
That's the thing whoever you're adding is just going to get in the way of
the six guys at that position you want to see developed, right like,
and you don't. I still think you might argue that the Thunder are going
to try to angle toward winning more games now because maybe SGA is getting annoyed
at all this but he wait, he doesn't seem like it. He does.
It's his end of season pressor he just came out and said, I'm
very excited about the future of this organization, and it helps. I think
we still like it helps that they hate me so informed. I don't know
where this SGA needs to get out of an okay se narrative. So I
think it's just from Raptors fans who are thirsty to get SGA back in Canada.
I really think that's what it is. But so yeah, So if
they're if the point is going to continue to be to play a bunch of
twenty and twenty one year olds and you know, plus plus guilders Alexander,
then like, why are you looking at you know, twenty five year old
free agents that might not be huge upgrades anyway, I think we can move
on to the next team here. The Thunder They're just gonna be interesting to
see how they manage their the talent on this roster. That's why if it
sounds like we're rambling, it's you could talk to yourself into circles, because
there are that many intriguing flyers, like not all of them are these blue
chip cornerstones, but like Jang and home Grin in addition to SGA and Giddy
might be. And that's with me being lower on Giddy than the consensus.
So the Oklahoma stay thunder are done, which brings us to the Portland Trailblazers,
who I was ready to be down on their off season, but I'm
ready to be a little bit higher on it now. Key free agents,
this might be outdated because this guarantee is on the twenty fifth by the time
you hear this. But Josh Hart, he'll be guaranteed at his thirteen million
dollars. Joe Engles full bird rights coming back from a torn acl use of
nurkis full bird rights. Anthony Simons are restricted free agent. Notable non guarantees
Eric Butzo three point nine million guaranteed of nineteen point four. Damian Lillard is
extension eligible for like a two year one hundred plus million dollars extension that rumors
had him wanting. They have a notable trade exception. Finally, a team
with a notable trade exception. Again, Robert Covington's TP six point five million
and expires Sebuary four, so they have some time to use it after getting
the Jeremy grant. They're best betting tool is not going to be cap space.
It's going to be the non tax perramid level. I would argue that
was always the best course for them, because I wouldn't have wanted to renounce
that CJ. McCom TP in the first place, just to have cap space
in a summer where having cap space doesn't really make any sense. So naturally
the New York Knicks have prioritized cap space. I'm sorry to do that,
but anyway, what are there Like I could talk in circles about do they
need an upgrade over nurkicch Now they all of a sudden seem like they have
a bunch of intriguing defensive talent. Do they need more shooting around Dame?
Do you think Shayden sharp sticks there? We know Dame liked him, but
a lot of people thought if this team's trying to win. Now do you
get a project like him? And then my two actual questions though, would
you just guarantee bled those contract to make him sort of a human TP?
And two, will Joe Cronin, unlike nil O'Shea actually signed a backup point
guard. I do guarantee Bleedz just because for that exact reason. If you're
if you get to the trade deadline and you need some matching salary or something
like, that's just that's an asset. That's just you know, I don't
think I don't think he's gonna play. I mean, theoretically he is a
backup point guard, and maybe you rehab his value by actually playing him a
little bit before the deadline, but yeah, you got to keep him around,
and so backup point guard, I guess, you know. I always
I always kind of like what you need to do to make sure your offense
functions is just make sure there's one guy like so Lillard is one, Simmons
is too. You can stagger him a little bit. And so really now
you're looking for like a third guard, I think, and that's just easier
to find at the minimum. Even though as I think we've said on both
both divisions we've done so far that the point guard mark it's not great,
but go find a minimum guy. Holletta what I'm going to keep mentioning him
as someone that can just be your third point guard and actually he would bring
defense, which that's to me still even with Grant, I think if you're
committed to playing Simons and Lillard, it's it's just basically reducts of Lillard and
McCollum, where I think both of the three four spots have got to be
capable defenders, so or at least you've got to have options in terms of
like maybe your third guard is a defensive focus guy. So I like the
idea of them prioritizing defense. I think if they bring Nurkics back, I
would then be more concerned with surrounding that group with shooters. But I think
just making sure you've got someone that can cover for Lillard and Simons move around
a little bits which have some length. I think that's that's kind of my
main free agency focus for them. Yeah, i'd probably be with you.
Do you think it's it's probably not feasible for them Nurkic is back because you
used your flag like you're not going to be involved in the deandret and sweepstakes
anymore. Just based off Jeremy Grant, you could probably argue that you need
like a truer three. Heart's going to be a three because you're playing Simons
and Lillard a bunch together. But like Jeremy Grant's really more of a four.
Heart's a little small. I mean, he's he rebounds like a four,
but he's but he's small otherwise for defensive purposes. Yeah, And I
just don't know what like there. I don't actually don't know if there's a
wing who's worth the non tax payer mL E there, because you don't Otto
Porter Junior, you're not really a wing, even if you're willing to go
that route. And I guess you could get away. You could play Jeremy
Grant, Otto and Heart together, right if he wanted to. Yeah,
yeah, you could do that. I think one guy that. I mean,
it's a high risk thing, but I think if you're trying to win
right now for Dame, which clearly I think that's priority, I think T
J. Warren is someone that they should look at. I wouldn't feel super
comfortable spending the full mid level, although I think probably somebody's going to give
him that because you know, again, health is the big question. But
like he had like kind of incremental development over the last three years prior to
getting hurt, where it was like, oh, like he can shoot threes
now, and then oh he can defend now, and like, oh he
can do both now in the bubble, and then suddenly he was hurt.
Like I think if he's healthy, Warren would be like that. That looks
that starts to get pretty interesting. If Warren can come in there and be,
you know, not a stopper, but someone that's gonna hold up defensively
against your bigger opposing forwards along with Grant, then maybe you've kind of got
more bases covered defensively and you can get away with playing Simons and Lillard against
you know what they want to be playing against, which are good playoff teams.
I wondered if they could skew smaller still though, and be like,
hey, let's look at GP two, or let's look at Even and Gary
Harris, just guys that we know are gonna be capable of defensively, and
we're not gonna play Simons and Dame together all the time. So when theories
said you know, you're playing those guys the two rather than the three,
or like you're asking them defend so many threes, and we make the jokes
about the backup point guard. I think Afrety Simons is the growthy showed as
a playmaker last year. Not super complex plays, but making just like when
defenses are reacting hitting guys. I think he could absolutely be the backup point
guard. But your optimal team is gonna have Simons and Lillard probably playing thirty
plus or twenty five plus minutes together every single night. So that's why I
think backup point guard is a priority. And that's what it feels like for
this team is aside from unless there is a starting three that's gonna upgrad and
I just don't you're not gonna get someone better than Heart or Grant. It's
all backups because like nurkis, Grant, Heart, Simon's Lillard, like there's
something there. It's can you find sort of backups? And I think the
backup big market like that, like that could end up being a primary focus
for them. Is someone who diversifies your lineups when Nurkics is like sitting and
is it or is it someone who and look, the only other center on
this roster I think right now is Drew you Banks. If I'm not mistaken,
I'll double check that. But I don't know why I have that written.
And he might even be a free agent for all I know. But
do they have do they have Drew Ubanks? Why don't I have dreww Banks
written down as a stumbling here? But they have minutes open at the five?
So like Chris Bouche, could they look at him? He could also
play some four So if you wanted to even go with like a smaller front
court, but isn't compromising like the entire essence of what a front court should
be, like Bouchet, Grant is something that could work, because I've wondered,
Jeremy Grant could probably steal some small ball five minutes depending on what the
rest of the lineups look like. I already mentioned, like some of those
second what would be second string guards if it's a Gary Harris or if it's
a GP two. I do wonder. I don't think they would look at
this team and say, oh, we need a you know, like a
third creator, because you have little But like I thought about olar depot for
a minute, if they wanted to try and get through Linus with him at
the three, and if he's only costing the non tax paysman level. I
thought about Kyle Anderson too. We talked a lot about shooting. He's probably
more of a four though, but I still think if it's like Kyle Anderson
in Hart, or if it's Kyle Anderson and Jeremy Grant, like that's also
not unworkable. I'd like that young too. I mean, I think he's
kind of one of those guys that fits everywhere. But if you're kind of
trying to thread the needle between, let's get some playmaking and then let's also
have someone who can, as in the past at least played some credible minutes
at center against like certain matchups. Yeah, basically we just need to pilt
for the Raptors free agent bigs more or less. Yeah, I think I
don't know if how much I have to add to that. I think GP
two was another guy that was definitely on my list because like the size,
you know, for him, he's like six two, but I mean he
concredibly guard your six eight wings so and he just shut down smaller guards,
so wherever you're trying to hide Lillard or Simon's assuming you're not playing both together.
Peyton is just gonna like he's going to solve that problem. Do you
think, and this is part of it, that they are going to keep
Shaden Sharp. It's sort of a hedge against if they do need to sid
to segue into a different era, or maybe they hope that his upside materializes.
And by the way, they had drew U Banks on to finish last
season. That's why I have him in my salary sheet. He's not technically
under a guaranteed contract for next year, though, But just to justify what
I was saying before, do you think that Shade and Sharpe's name pops up
in the rumor mill throughout the off season or is it this like a we
drafted him to keep him type situation? I think a couple of things.
I think. I'm not a draft expert, but based on what I've watched
and just some of the people whose opinions I respect, I think Sharp has
the potential to be like three years from now, if it's like abundantly clear
that Sharp is the best player from this class, it would not I wouldn't
like be shocked. So that preface what I preface everything with that, But
I think if they were going to move the pick, they would have moved
the pick before it became sharp, just because I think it's kind of it's
a used car thing, or that's the buying a car thing. You drive
it off the lot, like you make the pick. Suddenly it's slightly less
valuable. Maybe they're surprised that Sharp was there and that changes something, But
I think they hold on to that because it gives you an out, honestly,
Like I think I think if you go forward with like Sharp and Simons
as your core and you have to blow this thing up because it's just not
working and you trade Dame, you're still You're still okay. So I think
I don't know how much they can realistically expect him to help this year,
but like the theory of him, like there's your there's your big guard that
just can maybe be a super athletic defender and shot creator and shooter. Like
if he's ready next year, then I think that's still within the Lillard got
to win now Timeline one last name I wanted to mention for them in free
agency. I feel like one of the Martin twins could work for them as
well. And if you have the bigger mL E, that's those are guys
that are going to defend They. Like I said, they both hit enough
of their three point at times. Caleb was at forty one point three percent
on one hundred and fifty five three point one hundred fifty five three point attempts,
and he also shot seventy percent at the rim and fifty five point one
percent on drives. And either of those guys, I guess it's. Looking
at the makeup of this team. I might almost prefer Caleb a little bit.
Are you less likely to get him because the Heat are a more aggressive,
smarter franchise than the Hornet. Sure, but we're talking about maybe to
get a wing. You're still on the smaller end here, But like that's
something that would fit at least the ideology of what they need and even sort
of how Joe Cronin seems to be like building this roster in the post Osha
era. Yeah, I like I like that. I like either of those.
I think I'd probably throw. We've mentioned Gary Payton, so we have
to mention Bruce Brown too as a as a possible fit. Yeah, if
you don't care about downsizing and you believe in his three point shot from last
year because Brown hit the three pretty well. Final team in the Northwest,
the ever implosive Utah Jazz. They're most key free agents are Eric Pasco and
then Hassan Whiteside. They don't have bird rights on Hassan Whiteside. Juan Hernan
Gomez is a seven point five million non guarantee. I guess they decline that.
But if you're looking for sort of a human trade exception, YadA,
YadA, YadA. They have a Joe Angeles trade exception worth nine point eight
million dollars. It expires in February ninth, so they can hold on to
it. They have a ton of I don't know if they have a ton
of defensive priorities. I think they just need athletic defense is what this team
needs specifically at the three and the four. But there are just how many
other questions looming over this is are they starting over? Are they trading Gobert?
Is Donovan Mitchell a trade request risk? And those questions are going to
inform their free agency targets. And my gut feeling is though, because of
their proximities ducking the tacks, they're going to be more so in the minimum
contract range, and so I considered, and if not, their best betting
tool is going to be the miniml E. Someone like want Toscano Anderson makes
a lot of sense for them. I don't know what his market's gonna be,
but Golden State didn't really have him in the rotation and so he could
be available for the minimum even though he's a restricted free agent. But the
question I wanted to start you off with, and maybe that will inform who
targets you have for them. How many of Conley, Clarkson, Royce,
O'Neill, and Madonovitch are back in Utah next season? Let me throw Utah,
Let me throw Utah, and let me throw Gobert into that player pool
as well. I'm gonna set the over under at one point five. Okay,
I'll go over, but like not comfortably. I think I kind of
think Gobert's they're gonna move Gobert. I'm I'm almost surprised it didn't happen on
the draft night, just because I now, I don't know if that's the
right decision, because I think Mitchell I overrated is a shitty thing to say,
But like I think I think at least with Gobert, you're like guaranteed
that the theory of building a team is pretty easy. I think Mitchell,
you know, is just he's a notch below now. I think the Booker
Tatum level that like there was a discussion about before. So anyway, I'm
digressing on myself here. I think I think it should look into moving everybody.
But like you said, the like the the at the outset of this,
like this is one of the toughest free agent teams to talk about because
they could look like just wildly different in terms of their personnel and their financial
outlook and like everything else that their timeline could change depending on what they do
with Mitchell and or Gobert. I guess I guess the most likely guys to
be back are probably say Conley, because it's I don't know what the market
is going to be for him. You know, he has that huge guarantee
on the back end of this deal, so you can't even treat him as
an expiring contract. I think he's he's guaranteed fourteen point three million of his
twenty four point four million in twenty two twenty four, and he's making twenty
two points seven next year, which isn't chump change. Yeah, and so
but then like someone like Clarkson I think is movable, O'Neill definitely movable.
Like how many times would we have mentioned Royce O'Neill and our like, this
team needs a wing that can be a competent role player and make threason.
Oh, I know we had a down year last year. But if he
they brand him through the gauntlet at these past few years, if he had
just like any sort of help, we're probably back to gushing about how good
Royce O'Neill. Right, Well, like I haven't, I don't have it
in front of me. But if like I'm sure his matchup difficulty is,
you know, got to be the highest on the Jazz by a lot,
and then you know, one of the handful of highest figures in the league,
just because by default he was guarding whether the guy was like a two
or three or even a four, like he just guarded the best other players
over taxed, So you know, they have guys that are palatable. I
think Bogdanovitch should be in demand as a trade piece, like on an expiring
deal, if you're a team that just is willing to kind of deal with
the defensive limitations and you want just a dead eye shooter that can make a
play. I mean, so yeah, their free agency is just like,
I have no idea right now just because I don't know what this roster is
going to look like. I think again it's probably minimums. I do think
you're right about the tax issue, so you know, you're you're just looking
for athletic wings that can defend and shoot, which is like what everyone's looking
for. But this team needs specifically, especially on the off chance they keep
the core together, right like, because then you know your needs very clearly
because they've been the same for the last what two or three times they've gotten
bounced from the playoffs before they wanted to would you and I like even t
J Warren, he would have to go for the minimum I think for them
to take a look. I'm just like, there are many mL guys that
might make sense for them. Otto Porto would make sense for them. I
don't know why if the money's equal, he's leaving GSW for Utah. But
that's all that's on the other situation in Utah's a really good team. They
could be thermonuclear on offense. Gilbert is a top ten defense onto himself.
If the money's equal, which it will be for a lot of these guys.
There's so much unrest in Utah. Why would you go there right now?
Well, and like, if they do, there will be I mean,
the unrest might be alleviated if they split up Mitchell and Gobert, but
if they don't, and we're just looking at these wings, it's also like,
well, where are my minutes gonna be? Because if they don't move,
you know, calmly Bogdanovich O'Neil Clarkson, like, you're signing a guy
that's like one, am I the eighth ninth guy on this team. So
you know, then if the money's equal, it gets even sketchier because you're
adding maybe a lack of playing time and you know, the chance to improve
your future earning potential assuming we're talking about minimum as you're adding that to like,
what's this team going to look like at the deadline if things go side
with Like, there's just too many there's a lot of variables. It's in
theory, because of how good the roster is, this should be like a
you know, a pretty palatable destination. Not that Utah has always been great
with free agency. But I think all the all the external factors and all
the uncertainties make it like really tricky. Like if you're if you're Daniel House,
do you like I mean, he would have a role there for sure
because he did last year. Do you want to go back there? Do
you want to sign with you? Name it? For the mini mid level
someplace. I don't know. If they were actually looking to address their real
needs, this would be to say that they would go to the trade market.
Yeah, base of what we're talking about and names. That's right.
I've proposed this what we did the Pacific. Would you do Jordan Clarkson for
Marcus Morris if you're the Jazz I think I probably would, just because suddenly
have a small ball center option, which you know, I don't know if
that was always the issue. I think it got overblown, is the issue.
But at least on the off chance you want to take Gobert off the
floor, I guess that's that's what you could do. And then I you
know, Clarkson is just strictly a scorer, and I think if you have
Mitchell and you retain some of the other offensive talent like this, this offense
is great, Like, it doesn't. It doesn't need Jordan Clarkson to come
in and you know, kill backups because you're not playing Clarkson at the end
of important games anyway. No, And look, if you're worried because you're
taking on money in that deal, which I don't, I don't care about,
but you can include Rudy it could be Rudy Gay and Jordan Clarkson for
Marcus Morrison. Look if you're if you're la kind of you're looking at Rudy
Gobert, Rudy Rudy Gay as Oh, we could probably use him not in
the markets more senior role, but if we want like a slower look with
him up front, like you could go that rout as well. So I
actually liked that framework. The other thing, this wasn't on the table until
there was the report that the Knicks are looking to dump him to continue clearing
out cap space for Jalen Bruns in you can fit Cam Reddish into the Joe
Ingles trade exception, and there's like real defensive pep to the way he plays
at points. I don't know, it would be optically fucking stupid of the
Knicks to give up a first round pick for Cam Reddish, only to not
use him, then start to use him, seemed to get injured, and
then salary dump him to go after Jalen Bruns. In that being said,
maybe you're throwing them a second you're not throwing them a first round pick.
But if you're willing to take on the money, he fits into your trade
exception. And I actually think do I think he's closing the end of important
games? No, he gives Royce O'Neil a huge break just looking at he
can go defend one through three, and I think he would. There's kind
of like the upside there too, where it's like, oh, he's still
young and he could be anything on offense, even though he probably won't be.
No, I think that makes sense. I mean the Knicks. The
Knicks just did basically that by his salary dumping Kimball Walker and attaching draft assets
as a contract you guys signed, I guess you know. I'm sorry,
So they're open to it. We know that. Yeah, So, like,
those are the names. I don't know if any other trade targets sprung
to mind for you. I tried to figure out a way to get them.
Jonathan Isaac at one point that proved very difficult. The Magic would have
to hate Jonathan Isaac's contract, which I guess is you know, I suppose
it's possible, But yeah, I wonder if they could even get Mark el
Foltz from Orlando, like just play him next to Donovan Mitchell, or even
go super small and play him next to You'd be going super small anyway from
Neil is part of that. Harrison Barnes would be great for them. I
just if you're Sacktown the way that they prioritize John Collins in a Harrison Barnes
trade, do they view Boyon Bogdanovitch in the same vein He is the better
offensive player, but like John Collins is younger and just I think better or
at least more intriguing all around the other name this, if you're playing him
at the four, I mean you have issues. But Josh Richardson, is
that someone that you can get here? And what is it costing to get
him? Because you have the different various levels of salary matching. I'm not
giving up Boyon Bogdanovitch for him. I don't think the Spurs want Conley,
would they want Clarkson? I would give up it's not. Look, I
Jordan Carson has been really good for the jazz what he provides, though I
don't think it's super important to them at the moment. I would give him
up for it. Or you could step ladd. I'm not giving up Roys
o'neel for Josh Richardson, but you could step ladder your way there with uh
they have gnaw right now and then Rudy Gay. Let's say like that's that's
a package that you could flesh out from there to get Josh Richardson, do
you I mean, it seems like, I mean, this isn't the subject
of this pod, but like it seems like the way to address a lot
of those issues is just if we're talking trade, Like what do you think
of the I know it seems like it's less likely to happen now based on
recent reporting, but just Gobert to Atlanta for Capella and you pick one like
Collins or Hunter. You could get worse with you know, you use Hurter
and like lesser players, but it seems like you could kind of sort things
out with a Gobert to Atlanta trade. And I know, like both fan
bases kind of hate that or at least the some of the ones that have
been kind of positive as possible. But if you do you do that,
Like if if Atlanta says, hey, we'll take them, We'll give you
Capella, we'll give you Collins, you can. If it's gonna be a
sticking point, you can even have Hurder, Like do you just do it?
No, if unless you're gonna reroute one of Collins or Cappella elsewhere,
I would probably do it if push came to shove if I'm the Hawks,
if I was the Jazz, I'd be more can you do Collins, okong
Wu and Hunter type rainwork? And I might even be more inclined to do
Collins and okung Wu and then maybe Kevin Hurder And if I was the Hawks,
like those are still parameters I'd be thinking about. But Capella still has
to be moved because you're not having Capella and Rudy Gobert. I don't know
that For what the Hawks themselves have, I don't know if they're gonna give
you enough defensive juice in return to prop up your roster, Like, yeah,
I guess it. Your placed Rudy Gobert with Capella. It's like if
it's Cappella and Hunter and Okongwu. I just don't. It doesn't wow me
if I'm Utah, and if you make that move. To me, it's
more about we're looking for flexibility moving forward to have these more digestible contracts we
could deal and we don't think Rudy Gobert with four years and one seventy ish
left, provides us with that. Yeah, I'm not interested in Collins if
I'm Utah. Just to answer my own question, I think I think I
need to get Hunter, and I would really push hard for a kong Wu
and you like Hawks, you figure out what to do with Capella, but
then then you've got a money matching issue. You kind of almost need Capella
or Collins, and then you're kind of rebuilding. Is like, I know
you could still be okay, but I think there's this belief that the Jazz
could move Rudy Gobert and not get measurably worse. They're they're gonna get a
lot worse, and so you have to consider, Okay, what is that
we still have Boyamardanovitch and Mike Conley and Royce O'Neil and Jordan Clarkson. In
that scenario maybe they're deeper, maybe their lineup packages are more versatile. Are
they anywhere near as good as they were last season? And the answers no,
no, And I mean, like, look, this same roster basically
two years ago was the best team in the league by a ton, Like
their net rating was like plus I can't even remember now, but it was
well of everybody else's. Like yeah, again, we're probably discounting the personal
side of things again, but like, if you can make this work,
I think you find a couple athletic defenders and you just run it back.
But again, like we've just spent several minutes discussing that's that's hard and that
look, that's what I would do if I was this team is I would
keep the corn together for at least another year and then you can figure it
out next season. Like Condley only gets easier to move at that point.
If you lose Bardanovitch for nothing in three agency, it's not the end of
the world. And maybe you have a better feel for what's going on at
the trade deadline with this group, and it could be something. I think
it needs to be more than bringing back just Daniel House, Like go out
there and make the move that maybe makes you net neutral payroll, and then
you can reevaluate at the tradeline or even ahead of the draft if you need
to. If you need to, which you don't, no team ever needs
to. But if you're staying around, I think right now I have them
in my sheet there within two million dollars of the tax that would go up
if they brought back wanhern and Gomez er signed players or made editions. But
if you're gonna be within ten into the tacks, that's something you can try
and address closer to the trade deadline or at the draft. I just don't
think, yeah, it's the time to short circuit it unless you're gonna be
bowled away by Rudy Gobert offer. And even if you are, I just
think you need to be prepared to rebuild because divesting Rudy Gobert, or even
if you don't think Mitchell's a risk, to request the trade because they could
send them wherever the hell they want. At this point, I think he
and his camp are they're smarter than that they know. I mean, I
found the report that they were shocked by Quinn Snyder being fired or not fired,
but leaving hysterical because we all knew, like people who aren't even plugged
in knew that Quinn Snyder was leaving. So Donovan Mitchell was not shocked by
that. Yeah, I would suggest that his key and his camp knew like
a little more than we did too. I would say maybe maybe not,
though totally possible. So yeah, I would keep it together and try and
improve on the margins I do for what they need. Yes, that's going
to be tough to improve on the margins. This is to say like,
hey, maybe considers spending the full MLI or is there is there even a
way, like can they get Kendrick Williams from Oka? See who helps a
ton and makes so little. I don't know what you're necessarily sending back,
but I even think the name I sprung to that is I think we'll be
within their price rings like a Wan Tscano Anderson at another trade target to monitor.
I don't know Washington's. We know what their plan is when they're keeping
veal. But is KCP or I think more usefully to the Jazz, is
Kuzma available there? Like is it Kuzma for Clarkson? Swap at all?
Makes sense? Do you need to attach how much you need to attach to
clarks into Kuzma plays a more desirable position, but having that shot creation in
Washington from Clarkson himself. I'm just spitballing here, but like that's if I'm
the Jazz, I'm app I'm operating like this course sticking together because I think
that's the right move, at least through next season. Yeah, I think
Kelly Ubre. I mean, it does bog Kelly Ubre, Like, I
mean, Ubre is kind of an undisciplined wild defender, but he's a great
athlete and he just changes, you know, he hits. He hits what
you need to hit for that for that defense. I think he's just gonna
get out and you know, be mobile and stuff. Like I think Bokanovich
is a better player, but in terms of fit, like, I don't
know, you could talk me into that one. That would be interesting.
I wonder why Charlotte would want a more expensive player when it was like they're
trying to cut pay roll. But maybe it's a third team he gets involved
where you're ending up with Kelly Virginior. But yeah, I'm with you there.
Jazz are one of the most fascinating teams probably morbidly so though leading into
the off season, because of all the different permutations of outcomes that seemed to
be available to them. Yeah, Grant, this was great until we record
the next one. Are you be able to tell our listeners where they can
find you and all the fantastic work that you put out find me here on
the next one probably, And then GT underscore he was on Twitter and you
can read what I write Bleacher Report. Thank you so much. As always,
we'll be talking to you soon and until next time, leave you out
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