2019/20 Players' Transactions: Breaking News , Trades, Free Agents, And Rumors

Updated - Names/Market
Nerlens Noel (PHI)
Derrick Rose (NYK)
Brook Lopez (BKN) update - they don't seem able to get a first rounder for him.
Mudiay (DEN)
Stanley Johnson (DET)

Brook Lopez has a year left on his contract.

Would you move Calderon (cap relief), Nick, Tarik, and a late first for Lopez? (On the assumption we could do that Sessions/1st for Williams...)
Russell/Huertas
Clarkson/Sessions
Ingram/Deng
Randle/Nance/Robinson
Lopez/Mozgov/Zubac

We could still see about our first (if we keep it) plus JC, Randle (plus) for Boogie (and Gay). Just saying.

Russell/Huertas
Sessions
Ingram/Gay
Cousins/Nance
Lopez/Zubac

 

I like the potential of the first line-up... We keep our young core but our bench strength is really sapped offensively unless Nance decides to be more assertive on that end. The second is really top heavy with no perimeter game unless Gay fully recovers and we happen to land Fultz. Flip Lopez for a swingman or another shooting guard. Cousins is a very good center but that means Zu's development is curtailed.

 

I would like Stanley Johnson. Not sure what it would take to get him? Would Detroit want Lou? Or Nick?

 

Yeah last I'd heard Stan wasn't going to move him unless someone overpaid (Lou wouldn't be enough).

Weird when you hear that they're willing to trade both/either Reggie Jackson AND Andre Drummond, but are being coy with Stan Johnson.

 

Heard everyone sent lowball offers thinking they could get him cheap. If true, is salary relief and an early second rounder too little? I guess so.

 

He's young, and he's a good defender. I wouldn't mind him either - cheap. If Pop is interested, that counts for something.

 

That's not really a fair comparison. He's playing far less minutes this year. The Pistons are 53 games into the season and Stanley's played half the minutes he did last year. His Per36 numbers are very similar to what he did the previous year.

Everything I've read out of Detroit was that Stanley wasn't focused enough, but that he's worked on it. The real problem is that the Pistons are built around Drummond and Jackson who don't deserve it and Van Gundy is forgoing Stanley Johnson's development in an attempt to win now which means playing Morris ahead of Johnson.

Objectively though, Johnson is a pretty good defender, a good athlete, and plays with passion. He'd be something we're missing. Nobody wants him to replace Ingram, but that doesn't mean you don't acquire talent if/when they're available.

 

Honestly if the asking price is that high, I'm not really bothered to go after him. My offer is Lou for Stanley + salary fillers. We're giving them the presumptive 6th man on a killer contract for a project that they're barely playing. Either take it or leave it. I'm growing increasingly hopeful that Lou can net a 1st from a desperate team like Washington.

 

Acquiring Stanley Johnson would render possibly drafting Josh Jackson moot...

 

I would be intrigued by a group of:

Ball/
Russell/Clarkson
Ingram/Johnson or Jackson
Randle/Nance Jr.
Zubac/Black

 

Wouldn't mind Johnson and Drummond coming over together...

 

The Ball/Russell backcourt could work as much as Fultz/Russell... The first pairing would have Russell concentrating more on offense, the second with his facilitating. With Fultz's more rounded/refined game, he can play off the ball more with Russell. Ball's passing would suffer the same inefficiencies as Russell with the lack of finishers on this crew.

 

...if Ball becomes a Laker, Russell will and has to go.

 

I actually think the two would work alright together. The majority of Ball's assists come in two ways: transition and passing it to his shooters off of screens, back-cuts, etc. With ball running point, you have Russell coming off of screens (something we should do more) which would get Russell open looks. NBA defenses can't really sag off of Ball because he can drill a three from 27-30 feet with pretty decent consistency. Conversely, you could have Russell operating out of the pick and roll and have Ball spot up in the corner and/or cutting baseline for lobs. Ball might not be able to break a team down easily, but he can hit an open three.

In fact, having Ball on the team alleviate any need for Russell to be the leader of the team which is a huge issue right now. There needs to be someone on the team with gravitas and a winning mentality who can point guys to the right spots and that's certainly something Ball can do.

I'm not saying it'd be peaches and gravy, but there's room there to grow. In fact, getting Russell off the ball gives us one more shooter in the offense. The real problem would be if Ingram could be more consistent and if our 4/5 can hit mid-range shots.

 

While I agree with your assessments...the sticking point is how will Russell adapt to it with concerns about his attitude? I don't see that changing in the immediate future. The talent is there...but the mental focus and consistency isn't at this juncture. Maybe he'll grow up, idk.