2023-24 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

We're considered a transient city. So many people here aren't from here, so their loyalties often are elsewhere. It's the same with the NFL. It's been that way with the Hawks dating back to MJ's Bulls. The visiting headliner is the draw and gets the crowd's support. If given the reason, they'll rally behind the team -- Dikembe, Smitty, and Mookie's squads or the the 60 win squad in 2015. Those crowds were typically rocking. Front office regime after regime finds new ways to disappoint and the ride or die support doesn't exist (nor should it). Fool me once mentality.

Laker games in particular over the past couple decades often seem like an away home game for the Lakers. Several covering the team have mentioned just how vast the support is here opposed to other cities.

 

this is where i'm at. yes, we're not winning a title as constituted...but is the fix even out there right now?

we've got nobody on expiring deals. we have no young prospects that are truly exciting (i like both maxes in terms of potential, but i doubt other teams are salivating over them). we have one pick (2029) and some swaps (28 and 30 i think?) to offer.

if that's what you have in your pocket, can you make up the gulf between us and the C Bags (*vomits*), nuggets, or (*dry heaves*) clippers? does atlanta move murray for that? why? even if they do, is murray (instead of dlo and rui) moving the needle that far?

 

especially on a long contract.

the thing i'm curious about is how far into a post-lebron future has the FO thought? my guess is it's figuring in calculations to some degree, but i'd love to know how long he plans on playing (for real) and if he ever plans on playing for less than the max. it would impact a lot of choices i was making right now.

 

Well, DLO technically can be an expiring although I don't see him opting out. TP and Max are expiring but the money on that is minimal.

If we make a deal, I'm pretty sure Max is gone. They'll ask for both Austin and Max, we'll counter and Max will go.

I've heard (haven't seen the how) we can have up to four swaps but I think that depends on when we have to sacrifice our traded picks.

Then we have our second rounders + a couple from the Clipps.

Only thing stopping Boston is injuries and they have injury prone players, so it's possible. Denver has already run into some injuries and repeaters hang over is real. I'll never believe in or fear the Clippers until they hoist a banner and show they're not playoff chokers along the way. I still will not bet against a healthy Bron and AD in the playoffs against anyone.

It's not likely but I think the hope is you give the roster a talent infusion, clear out some roster pieces to make Ham's decisions simpler to where he gets out of his own way, cross your fingers that Bron and AD continue on this health trajectory and give it your best shot come the post-season.

I think it's no coincidence that both players we're linked to are Klutch players and I don't think it's us doing Rich a favor to get their name out there (even though we've done that for LaVine in the past). I think this time it's Klutch trying to wield whatever power they have to give Bron what he wants. Cause Lakers can't accomplish getting Murray without help.

If our best offer is DLO/Rui, Max, unprotected 1st, two swaps, and a couple seconds what do you think other teams would offer to top that? I think they can get more but I'm not sure the who or where. Also not sure what the Hawks are looking for. Early reports are they're not looking to tear it all down. So a starter, young player, a first + stuff isn't a bad flip if the deck chairs currently aren't meshing.

I do think Murray in particular moves the needle that much. He would walk into being our best POA defender and second best two way player. That's the current problem with Vando, Cam, Rui, and DLO is they're only one way players. You stick a legit two way guy in that starting group, which also allows you to reinsert AR in the starting group and that changes the complexion and ceiling of this team. Also makes it less complicated for our brilliant HC.

 

I am as out on LaVine as possible. I'm not giving up assets for him. If they want to give us assets, that could change it. Give us a pick, AC, and the big Pelican and we'll take him at 12:01 on the 15th. Short of that, hell no.

It does not improve us. In fact, I think it makes us significantly worse now and down the road. It's Russ all over again but you trade attitude for injuries. LaVine is too expensive, doesn't defend (we have enough one way players), doesn't fit next to Austin, requires us giving up too many assets, locks us in to an awful long term contract.

There's no upside to the player at that rate. If he's in DLO's price range, maybe it's worth the gamble.

 

the four swaps are probably the ones i mentioned (28 and 30) plus 26 and whichever one NO doesn't take (24 or 25). there's no rule against consecutive swaps, afaik.

i'd have to think about it. maybe nobody. i still wonder why atlanta would move murray at all. unless they're bringing in another star who might fit a bit better with young. this is where i could see a three-way that lands lavine there, i guess.

depends on which version of murray we get. his defense has fallen off some in atlanta. is that because he's older or just the wrong position/scheme, etc.?

don't get me wrong, i'd probably welcome that particular move (i'd want top-4 protection on the pick and some protection on at least one swap).

 

I'm not a Lavine guy but like Buha I've warmed on it particularly if we can get Caruso too.

Prefer Murray and a few others but I no longer hate the idea of Lavine even with the injury concerns.

 

From what I've heard locally and nationally is there's pressure from the front office for them to be good. This started last year and is why they got the jump start on the Snyder move so this season would get off to a better start, essentially using his time here Iast season as an extended training camp. They didn't bring Snyder here to be a lotto team. They're currently 10th with a 14-19 record. That's not what they had in mind. They're under performing. I don't see a clear move that fixes that. So maybe the move Murray to try something else.

LaVine would be interesting there from a highlight perspective. don't think it makes them better because i don't think he's a winning player, buy maybe a team who can't get FAs locking up a name on a long term deal is more appealing to them. A mega Klutch deal could be fun.

Age wise he's in his prime without significant injuries. I don't think he's fallen off. I think it's next to impossible to have a good defense next to Trae... the homeless man's Steph without the 3 point ball. You see what it took for GS to do it -- infinite amount of $, Dray (top 5 defensive player over the past decade), Klay (elite 2-way before injury), and a system/culture with roster continuity that Kerr was able to oversee the entire time.

All things being equal, I think Hawks would like to move on from Trae but as a small market team who can't land a FA if their life depended on it can't afford to do so. He's the only draw they've had in ages and is currently 3rd in ASG guard voting in the East by a lot... he's popular, sells tickets and jerseys. You can put him on a billboard and he's in commercials. Franchise needs him.

Put Murray next to the best defensive player in the NBA with a few other capable defenders and I think he's back at the top of his game defensively.

 

We gotta move D'Angelo. Lebron doesn't want him around IMO. Moving D'Angelo is going to cost Rui, a prospect JHS or Max and a pick. Ideally we could flip Vincent into the trade package too. Giving us 44M in salary, with a young prospect, and a future pick.I don't think that's a terrible package for an unwanted "star".

The problem with trading D'Angelo and Vincent, is that we must get a starting caliber facilitator back. That isn't Lavine, I'm not sure it's Murray or White from Chicago either. I still prefer Jones and Gafford from Washington in a lower level deal, and keep Rui.

D'Angelo, Kuz and Poole ...that would be an interesting trio. Talented, flawed, and egocentric, however, add some solid draft picks and a few FA signings, and the Wizards could be entertaining.

 

Siakam is worth rolling the dice for IMO. The lack of a PG still remains a problem, but he's evidently more available than Grant, and he and AD would be an excellent duo now and long-term.

 

Murray, the Knicks being a possible spot for him and the Hawks as sellers

Landing spots for Siakam

Kings seeing what they can get for Barnes and Huerter

Kuz, his price and he could be an option for Indy

No one wants LaVine, he's coming back soon (sorry, Bulls), and we're still linked to him

 

probably true. so is it motivation or scheme? or as jsm says, trae young?

this is kind of my point, though--is moving murray for two role players that are on par or worse than their current ones (is rui better than hunter? dlo better than bogdanovic? appreciably?) a winning move? seems like a step back.

moving murray and something else for say, siakam or markannen is a winning move. though i guess toronto just traded for quickley. and it's unclear what utah's plans for markannen are.

i realize it's unlikely, but it wouldn't shock me at all if atlanta traded us young instead of murray. the media would go crazy, and the hawks might improve. and we would totally consider such a thing. like, totally. rui/dlo/gabe/prince gets it done, too...

again, MUCH prefer murray.

 

Honestly given how we've looked on offense, I would take that deal for Trae.

 

The thing for me with a guy like Trae is I don't think the lights would be too big for him here.

I still prefer Murray, but at the very least it would be nice to have a guy who didn't forget how to shoot as soon as he puts on the Laker jersey.

 

i noticed huerter had fallen off a bit this year. doesn't barnes/huerter/mitchell for lavine make sense? particularly with lavine stating he'd like to play there?

ok, one thing i DO like about lavine is that he's gained pau gasol buzz at this point. i know nobody remembers, but before we traded for pau, the word was he was overpaid and wouldn't help you win. teams were holding out mediocre players in trade talks (dallas held out josh howard, the bulls held out luol deng, etc.), so he became available for less than he should have.

now that lavine is out there at full negative trade value, can you get caruso with him? you're dumping gabe in the process, i'm thinking, so your cap flexibility for next year and possibly the year after are largely unaffected. can you do all this whilst moving no picks and thus preserving them for the post-lebron rebuild?

i'm trying to talk myself into it but still can't.

 

That's my question. If you can get Lavine with Caruso and/or a pick coming back without giving up a pick of our own, then I feel like that's tougher to turn down.