2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

That can all be true (I'm not sure about Grant's defense) and it can still be a bad idea to trade both picks for him. If that is what Portland is asking for right now, I'm not doing it. It's not enough of an upgrade to use all of our ammo and probably doesn't change the destiny of the team.

 

Agreed, although Rui played well in the 2023 playoffs even aside from the unsustainable shooting.

As an aside, I see Rui and Vando as basically equal. Vando had a good 2023 regular season after the trade but was ineffective in the playoffs. Rui had an underwhelming 2023 regular season after the trade but was a pleasant surprise in the playoffs. 2024 was basically a lost season for Vando, he missed time with the foot injury and was just starting to look like himself before he got hurt again. Rui had a good 2024 regular season after a slow start and then disappointed in the playoffs. Both offer things we need (Vando's size and athleticism on defense, Rui's size and shooting ability at the 4) and have weaknesses that really hurt us (Vando's lack of shooting next to LeBron and AD against teams that actually care enough to gameplan against it, Rui's slow-footedness and lackluster rebounding). All that to say, I've been more pro-Rui than pro-Vando just because I like Rui, but I see them as pretty equivalent players. Rui's the better trade piece because he makes $7 million more, but if a team wanted Vando instead and the money worked I'd just as easily put him in the trade.

 

rui, gabe, two future 1sts. in years post-lebron. again, one can form a decent argument that rui is only slightly worse than grant.

where's the evidence that grant is a high hoop iq player who thrives in the playoffs?

again, i'm in favor of moving rui/vando or rui/gabe plus a lotto-protected first for grant, simply because he's one guy that can--in theory--play both ends. i have full confidence we'd have done that if it were on the table.

more than that, i'm out. all the way out.

btw, with tyus jones and gary trent both out in the cold and their teams deciding between retaining them as an asset via paying more than they want to or just losing an asset...i think this year's deadline will be more active due to lessons learned. both teams could have at least gotten some seconds, probably a protected 1st for these guys.

i'm not playing with portland's gm on this. nor marks. these guys can afford to wait, and they're using that to their advantage in negotiations. fine. enjoy it when grant gets hurt or becomes despondent and you're on the hook for his contract when he's 34 and you're (still) trying to rebuild. eat a big one.

 

all these rumored names are just from Rob playing GM mode on nb2k

 

Two seconds?

 

I'm with Rob here .... all this expectation for him to do a deal and do it now damn it you can't be serious going into the season like this ..... and him not listening to the dumb fan base wanting guys shipped out and change just for the sake of it, for marginal upgrades PLUS the picks .... is EXACTLY what it sounded like everyone berating him, the Rambii, Jeanie and her favorite pet going in two seasons ago with Westbrick still on the roster. Irwin and all his hot sources about how screwed up Rob and our FO is / was back then too. All the way through the season until BOOM at the deadline. They won't spend the picks it's all about money and they don't care about winning.

From internal improvement alone this will be a better team INCLUDING a bright young coach who's going to know what the **** he's doing with the guys on the roster he has to work with and put them into positions to succeed and encourage them ..... night and day better than Numbnutts did this past season. Now add our new offensive weapon and gamer in Knecht, Vando back, Vincent back and should be upgraded seasons from Hayes and Wood until any of those guys are moved for something better when it makes sense.

 

Yeah. Thats not going to work. Need a first to make it something for teams to seriously consider.

 

Is Dlo, Hayes, JHS, Rui, Gabe, and two firsts anywhere near getting Sexton, Kessler and Grant?

 

we already lost a bunch of huge targets over the last couple of years because of the unwillingness to close a small gap between what we're offering and what's being asked.

we need to be looking at the bigger picture and realize that sometimes the trades will not be totally fair, but if the piece we're getting gives us a shot at another ring, it's probably worth it.

 

We need a good strong banger of a big with some skills more than Grant if we're giving up talent and pick(s) collateral.

 

Irwin's pod tonight:

-There's some who work for the team who believe Bron would entertain taking a paycut next summer in hopes to get a 'ship in his final year. Banking on the weight of the significance for Bron to get his last and Bronny's first title and to do that together.

- on bigs: Jazz like Kessler and he doesn't think they move him because they'll need him if they move LM later in the year (and he thinks that happens). We've had some interest in Sharpe when talking to the Nets regarding their wings. Magic really like WC Jr and he doesn't see that as likely.

He's since tweeted this about WC...


Update: Speaking of Kessler...

I don't like the phrase "at least" when it comes to pick compensation a team is looking for. That means 1 + stuff or two picks.

And I'm sure they are eager to listen. DA loves to listen. He'll sell his kids if he gets a higher return on them. If he paid $20 for something then he wants $21 for it.

 

Yeah I’d do a single first for Kessler for sure. Solidifies AD’s backup for cheap for the next two seasons

Another benefit I saw mentioned about hypothetically doing such a trade is that by spending one of your two remaining tradable FRPs, now other teams have no choice but to negotiate in good faith. For example now Portland has no choice, they can’t delusionally ask for 2 FRPs for Grant anymore. So they might be forced to face the music and realize that our offer of 1 FRP is the best they can do

 

Dammit Orlando, why did you have to start trying, would have loved WCJ here.

With Kessler, he makes so little so its hard to build a package. I'm desperate enough for a center that I might do a first and remove the protections on that other pick they have.

 

His small contract plus the fact that the Jazz have plenty of cap space actually could help us in a trade scenario though.

We could dump excess salary as part of a Kessler trade to clear a roster spot and open up the TPMLE

Something like JHS + Wood + 2029 pick for Kessler gets you your back up center for the future while also opening a roster spot and pretty close to freeing the full TPMLE for Trent

 

I would tell them to stick both those 2nd rounders straight up their a****. The nerve, hahahahahahhaha. 2 firsts or a fully unprotected 1st next year or you can go f*** yourselves.

 

I wonder if Rob knows free agency started.