So I am in on your idea of adding another mobile big. It's slim pickings though. I've been banging the Turner drum as loud as possible since we were first linked to him. He's still my first attempt in any trade, but I really don't think it's happening. I think there was a chance before they moved Sabonis, but now to get them to come off Turner you're going to really have to overpay. I kicked around a 3 team idea with them and Charlotte that I believe could make them reconsider their position on him... maybe. If GH can give you 27-32 minutes for 50 games plus playoffs, sign me up. When he is out there, he's high usage and capable on both sides of the floor. As far as fits next to Bron and AD, I think he's head and shoulders the best fit out of all the names linked to us. Just a matter of availability. So if he's the second guy in a deal involving Rozier, he's found money at that point. Don't like Wood. He's been good at stat padding on the worst teams in the league. Plus he's been a locker room issue in Houston. Not worth it. Grant is a great fit, but his people have already put out there that he doesn't want to be 3rd banana. I still reach out, but if he's delusional about his role and fit in this league, PASS. There's a Knicks deal to be had, but Randle isn't what's attractive there. Doesn't move the needle.
Reasonable take about the unprotected picks, but I gotta disagree. I have the opposite perspective; it would be too big a gamble to let the protection status of a pick 5 years away to be the showstopper on a trade that can give us a puncher’s chance at a championship right now while we still have Bron and AD.
Hayward has played in 52,44,and 49 games over the last three seasons. I don't want any parts of that guy at all. He won't be available for any playoffs. I kind of liked Brogdan, but it's the same story. Now Wood?..If 18 pts 10 rebs 1 blk 1stl and 2 assists , while shooting .500 from the field and .390 from three, is stat chasing...give me that all day at 13 million. He doesn't need to be some kind of star here. On an expiring deal, I'm not worried at all about his locker room issues. Living in Houston. I hear that group of youngsters in that locker room are rather rowdy in general. It wasn't all him. I also hear that the Rockets are open to moving him. Myles..injury concerns there too he's only played in 80 games once in his career 47 and 42 in the last two campaigns. So I don't think Indy is exactly married to Myles if they can get what they feel is fair. Grant is a good fit, I'd really be surprised if he thought that he would usurp AD or Lebron here. Instead.. taking over for Lebron in a couple of years of ring chasing might be appealing to him. If he felt that he would get a fair contract. I don't really judge these guys for being on poor teams, I'm looking more at how their games would mesh with AD. The winning will take care of itself . I still love me some Randle, his contract is better than Rozier's and I'll always take a decent big over a decent little guy. That's just my preference. It's always fun to speculate, I think we are going to be alright. I'm more optimistic than most in general, but there are some decent bigs out here, that are more realistic gets than people think IMO.
Answer to the first 2 questions: because the other teams needs to accept. Even Rozier and Hayward for me is highly unlikely. Why would Indiana trade their best center that half the league wants or Wood that is by far the best Rockets player for Russ or THT? Doesn't make any sense to them when they can get better offers from many other teams. Those 2 if they are in the market, will not be dealt with us I believe. If Wall and THT and 2 picks are there for Wood, they may bite. I disagree with your assessment of availability of those players. That's why you need to take a Walk or a hobbled Hayward. Because you need to take something not that good that the other team wants to get rid off. They also have their plans, and it's certainly not trading their best player for THT, a big question mark in the league or Russ, a guy who's been finding problems all over the league and is arguably unplayable in a successful team. Other teams see the same we see.
counter: lebron is our other big. going small for large portions of the game was the right idea, but we screwed up because we didn't go big at the small positions. i'm (ever) in favor of a 20mpg placeholder starting c like a damian jones and running lebron or AD at center for the other 30mpg except in rare circumstances. and i don't think the league is trending one way or another. some teams win playing smaller (gs, dallas) some playing bigger. there are lots of ways to do it. just reeks of the nets/C Bags trade from years back, imo.
Moving backwards, Westbrook teams have been more successful than the Lakers over the previous 10 seasons before he came here besides the bubble, so the narrative that he was unplayable on a successful team is a false one. Again I live in Houston, I'm familiar with the Rockets, they don't consider Wood to be their best player at all, (not sure where the by far stuff is coming from) and he is very available. However I like him on the Lakers. They would love to dump Wall off of anyone that will take him, but John Wall is not exclusively tied to moving Christian Wood. Turner has injury issues, that's a real concern IMO, he would have gotten moved last season, if his latest foot issues hadn't popped up. It's not some onesided affair in the least in a deal for Turner. I'd take that gamble if he was included with another player because his salary isn't that high on one hand and the other is the injury concerns. When dealing with any player in this league on an expiring deal, the position that the team has all the power is also not true. The player has to want to play at the trade destination beyond that one season, if not, why would any team give up tangible assets for him? I think I have a more realistic viewpoint of how the NBA actually moves than most. The players have a lot more say in these transactions then fans think they do, GM's don't just do whatever they want, in order to get what they think is like value, it's a combination of what the player wants and the best deal the team can get. That's why most trades never seem to return like value. Rozier is a nice player, however he is small, and is not a facilitator, he avgs 2 more assists than Wood or Grant, he's a small two guard. I'd take him because he can score, but I'm not taking Hayward without a draft pick attached to him. IMO this league is also a business, and a lot of teams aren't interested in chasing chips, they also want to make money. A 47 million dollar expiring contract is a bigger deal than some may think, especially if it comes with a player that can still hoop. Wall would be more attractive if he didn't come with an ACL and Achilles injury in recent back to back seasons. We'd be prudent to be patient and not jump on a bad deal just because it's being floated around IMO. My preference is a big centered deal over another small guard.
Lebron will be 38 next season, I'd rather not move forward with the concept of him being our small ball center.
i'm more worried about him playing defense on the perimeter, tbh. he's slowed considerably. anyway, he'd be at pf mostly, imo, where he's honestly nearly oversized vs many matchups.
Yeah he's a PF now in this stage of his career on defense. I don't like him as a small ball 5 on defense unless they truly have a second star in there (ahem not Westbrook) as they're is no way he has the energy to contest and also start the offense. He's definitely lost footspeed against smaller wings as well so PF it is at least on D. Lakers need to plan accordingly
Rob is middle management. He got KCP here and that connected us to Lebron/Klutch. After Magic left in 2019 he tried a hail mary with the Kawhi pursued and still recovered with decent role players. I have the most respect for Rob. He was the first and only one to own up during exit interview. I have a ton of faith in him to do a good job if he's left to do it. Jeanie doesn't know how to lead as she asks 10 different friends from her basketball circle for advise instead of actual experts. Penny pinching on Caruso. Rambii. Nuff said. Vogel's time was done I'm glad hes gone.
Or we can do the 2019/2020 formula. Stat AD + C along with 2 other 3/D guys who can guard multiple positions and are plus individual defenders. As imperfect as KCP, AC, Kuz and Green were individually on offense they fit just fine in the grander scheme of things next to AD/Bron. Trading Green + 1st for Schroder I'd do it because DS was entering his prime in a contract year. We all got fooled. But i miss having Kuz, AC, KCP in there they covered quite a big for our stars
the schroder trade made a ton of sense, imo--until i heard that we agreed to start him without even trying him in his appropriate role. handing him and drummond starting jobs was just some bush league stuff.
No thanks Russ shows up to work every day and I can appreciate that. Kyrie finds every reason in the book TO NOT COME TO WORK. Hard pass
i didn't say i wanted it, just could see it being discussed. kyrie is much better at this point in his career, but he's such a huge issue off the court and he's hurt a lot, too. but it doesn't make sense for the nets without further moves. if i were them, i'd at least want to see simmons/kyrie/kd before i blew it up. in theory, those three can work, and, unlike us, they've had a chance to cultivate some role players (brown, harris, claxton) around those guys for a while, too.
