2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Setting the market? Smart could end up with a similar deal, imo. Good deal for Phoenix. I thought this guy might have be around MLE money.

 

who does that sound like?

 

The only thing I would say about Gafford is, in the playoffs when they went to the finals, did you have a look at his impact and minutes? He didn’t contribute more than Ayton did these playoffs. In a two headed monster trying to keep Lively healthy, he was decent, but Lively was clearly the better player and got more minutes while having a bigger impact.

If we get Gafford, we will be going small for 30 mins a game in the playoffs. I just don’t think we should trade two firsts for that.

My center wishlist is in the following order:

Ware - maybe if Miami wins the Giannis lottery
Kessler - can’t see how we get this done
Duren - no
Claxton - available for a first
Allen - could be available for 2 picks
Okongwu - don’t think we can get it done
Timelord - UFA
Gafford - Dallas won’t trade with us for fair value
Stewart - apparently available
Robinson - apparently available due to 2nd apron
Missi - could be traded for

 

Who is going to have the honors to take the Lakers room exception? It's capped at 3 years. Hopefully this is enough for Smart.

 

I wouldn’t trade Reaves. Reaves is too valuable. He does too much. I want players that score.

Now New Orleans if you gave me Murphy and Jones for Reaves that would be a different story.

I’d want Murphy Jones and Missi.

for Reaves.

I just think Reaves is too valuable. On the pelicans he averages 28 points a game 5 rebounds 8 assists and a steal.

So New Orleans will have to pony up. But any day now I think you’ll see Breaking News Austin Reaves resigns with Los Angeles Lakers for 5 yrs. 194 million dollars.

 

That contract seems to start at sub 10.6m per? Like Showtime said, it’s a good thing for us.

I think that makes it more realistic that Smart could consider taking 10m of the 15.1m MLE that I’ve brought up numerous times. Leaving us with 5.1m to sign someone like Thybulle or Spencer Jones.

 

Same deal for smart? Yeah no

 

If we operate over the cap. If under, its good too. Similar players with that slot?: Ellis, Minott, Oubre? Anyone else? Yeah Spencer and Thybulle in that TPMLE range of 6 mil or so.

 

Sure smart for 10M is probably fine. It would be better for around 8M really just a hard no to 4 years

 

It'll be interesting to see what Goodwin is gkimh to get.

 

Now that Isaiah “Beef Stew” Stewart is available with Detroit putting him on the block in search of extra shooting, I’m going for him. That guy is tough, has a motor, shot blocking, interior defense and stretches the floor. By figures he has been the best rim protector in the NBA the last two years and should have rightfully been all defensive team both years.

Here is my off season center plans with the caveat that if Ware is available, I’m going for him first.

Trade #1: S&T Kennard (10m) + #25 for Isaiah Stewart (15m)

Trade #2: Vando (12.4), Knecht (4.2) + 1st for Nic Claxton (23.1)

I think moving for these two guys solves our center issues:

- Claxton:

Great lob threat for the Luka heavy minutes. He is maybe the best 1-5 defender in the league right now and provides elite PNR defense. You can’t attack the Luka PNR as easily if Claxton is your partner, Luka with has mass holds up the center which he can absolutely do, while Claxton switches onto the guard or wing and is elite at that coverage. His switching ability is tailor made for JJ’s defensive principles.

- Stewart:

Is one of the best interior rim protectors in the NBA, high motor and spaces the floor. As the backup center playing 20-24 mins a night, you’re getting a legitimate defensive game changer that’s going to sure up defensive lines that have Reaves in them. Also allows us to play 5 out.

Neither guy is an elite rebounder, and this is the main weakness, but we also have Luka and Lebron who are. Hayes becomes the third string guy who can fill in when either is injured. I really like that rotation.

We spend roughly 42.6m on a rotation of Claxton / Stewart / Hayes. All are gettable and come in less than what it would take to get and pay for Kessler.

Luka (49.5) / Smart (?) / Bronny (2.3)
Reaves (?) / x
x / Adou (2.1) / Jake (6)
Lebron (?) / Rui (?) / x
Claxton (23.1) / Stewart (15) / Hayes (4.5)

 

Stewart for 15M?

 

I agree they need to let one of Kessler or Markkanen go, Markkanen/JJJ/Kessler is just too expensive and too slow footed for a modern frontcourt. It reminds me of when the Sixers tried to do Harris/Horford/Embiid a few years ago. And I’ve said before that if it were me, I’m trading Markkanen.

I’d think about trading them all three picks and Adou tbh, I think the combination of Kessler’s talent, fit and potential for further growth is that enticing. Plus I don’t really care about Adou, he’s at least two years away from being a rotation player if he ever gets there. What we’d really need is for Kessler to start agitating more than he has.

 

That’s his contract… he has 2 years and 30m left, a flat 15m per.

Maybe add more context to your posts. I don’t know if you think he is under contract or not, whether we are giving him 15m, or whether you think it is an underpay or overpay.

Same as your comment about Smart above. I didn’t know if you were saying 10m is too much or too little. Turns out you were saying 4 years is too long, and with the MLE you can only give a max of 3 years. Make the last year a TO and you’re good.

 

Man you giving up a lot 3 picks and Adou???? Nah man we need that 3-D we haven’t even seen him at summer league.

Kessler is good. But you’re offering a trade like that for a great player.

that’s Jokic stuff. To trade like that we have to get bona fide difference maker when you see his name in the lineup guaranteed points defense.


You’re basically turning Utah into OKC.

 

Stewart is a good player, in a vacuum I’d be perfectly happy to have him here. But if we bring in Stewart…is he the starter? Does Hayes start with Stewart off the bench? I could see the FO doing that tbh, would align with the reports that they’re higher on Hayes than the rest of the league. Now if Ayton opted in and we had all three of Ayton/Stewart/Hayes, that does interest me.

 

Kessler has come out and said he loves Utah and wants to stay there. The hang up isn’t on whether they want each other, it’s that Utah wants to pay him 30m and he wants 40m per. If we’re the team that gives him an offer sheet, it’s so Utah matches at a higher spot. All it does is make us renounce our guys for nothing.

For a trade, I’m not sure they move him for 3 firsts, but if they do it needs to be done before the draft. Or afterwards 2 picks won’t be enough, they’ll ask for Reaves too.

 

Gotta Love the NBA Deangelo Russel refuses to report to the Washington Wizards after being traded today but opts into his guranteed 5.7 million player option.

 

I don’t want to turn this into an Adou thing so I’ll just say that I think he holds the value of a second round pick, considering he was a second round pick and didn’t really do anything his rookie year to up his value. So if the difference between the Jazz doing a Kessler trade and not doing it is Adou, whom I think is equivalent to a second, I’m driving him to the airport.

I think Kessler playing with Luka and Austin turns into a 16 pts 12rbs a night guy with some all defense consideration. That guy is a Top 50 player in the league whom you absolutely trade three firsts for. It’s a projection, but I’d be fine paying for what I project Kessler to be.

 

Walker Kessler is a top 50 player in the league??? Based off of what?