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

Hopefully we can trade into the 2nd round and draft Evans from Duke.

 

Nah man now we need to concentrate on BIGs! Prototypes for what Laka wants. Enough guards and D and offense there.

 

I'm still trying to picture a trade for a high end big, with the contracts we have to offer. Then we have to decipher who Luka, considers high end to boot; It's just hard to see Kessler or Duren being realistic targets.

Gafford immediately comes to mind tho, for familiarity and a reasonable contract. Robinson is in the right price range, but is he a guy Luka asked for too?

It just feels like Rob already has his guy pegged at this point, and that's why we passed on making a move for a big last night.

 

I like the way you think and I think this is accurate. Carr is a nice selection and great value there but still no way you don’t get a big considering what is on the roster. Unless…

 

It’s hard to figure out how Hayes factors into this center equation as well. It’s obvious Luka likes him and it seems like JJ and the front office now like him quite a bit. He’s good enough to be the backup center, but if he’s the backup you need a better starter than Ayton. He’s not good enough to be in a Lively/Gafford-esque timeshare IMO. But I also think the team values him too highly to have him be the 3rd guy. So I think some of these ideas for 3-headed center rotations may be dead on arrival because they value Hayes as at least the clear backup. That leaves you with a clear starter and Hayes as the clear backup construction, ideally with a third guy that’s out of the rotation but can actually play if needed. And really the only guys that fit that criteria are Duren and Kessler, who are long shots. Maaaayyybe Turner if you think last year was a bad situation, but he was trending down in Indiana too. I don’t think Rob Williams is reliable enough to say he’s the clear starter, Hayes is the clear backup. But I also don’t know if you could pull off Williams, Hayes and a third guy that plays regularly.

 

Yeah this is a good angle. I also think drafting a center means Hayes needs to leave. And I don't think we want that so any center that comes is for the starting position

 

Yeah this is a good angle. I also think drafting a center means Hayes needs to leave. And I don't think we want that so any center that comes is for the starting position

 

I definitely think we have a target in mind. We will know soon enough.