Post#1803 » by babyjax13 » Tue May 14, 2024 11:08 pm
Doing the exercise of what a Utah offseason might look like again:
My thoughts are changing a bit because I feel like the degree to which our roster is non-cohesive prevents meaningful evaluation of several guys, so this is an attempt to fit together a roster without meaningfully changing the talent level (I'll probably post another with a Lauri trade because I'm coming around on that idea). There is some unapologetic stealing of ideas - you know who you are, your ideas are good, I'm just stringing some things together that I do not hate.
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Trade 1:
UTA trades: Walker Kessler
OKC trades: Josh Giddey
Ignoring any off-court issues with Giddey, he is a nice fit with George and the team. A big distributor should help guys develop and he fits whether Lauri stays or not.
Trade 2:
UTA trades: John Collins, 2024 OKC 1st (29)
CHA trades: Cody Martin, Nick Richards
Charlotte gets a first and a viable 4/5 who is overpaid (hence the pick). Utah takes back some expiring salary to help Charlotte manage payroll. This would need to happen after the draft (technically). Martin and Richards might make the rotation, they might not.
Trade 3:
DAL trades: Tim Hardaway Jr., 2025 DAL 1st (1-10 protected, otherwise 3 2nds [2025 TOR, least favorable of 2028 LAL/CHA, 2028 MIA])
in: Collin Sexton
Dallas gets a bench-scoring engine who can scale up and spell Kyrie when he misses games.
SAC trades: Kevin Huerter, Chris Duarte, 2025 POR 2nd
in: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Sacramento swaps Huerter for a Monk replacement & clears up their cap sheet a bit. Perhaps not having Huerter's salary next season also allows them to keep Monk.
UTA trades: Collin Sexton
in: Kevin Huerter, Chris Duarte, 2025 DAL 1st (1-10 protected, otherwise 3 2nds [2025 TOR, least favorable of 2028 LAL/CHA, 2028 MIA]), 2025 POR 2nd
Utah grabs another reclamation project (I actually don't care about either guy we have coming in, I've always thought Huerter was overrated and Duarte is a 10th man at best right now) and some picks to use as assets in future trades.
Trade 4:
UTA trades: Jordan Clarkson
LAL trades: Gabe Vincent, 2025 LAC 2nd
I know Colbini doesn't like this for the Lakers, but Vincent didn't play this year except for 11 games. In 2022-23 Vincent had a lower TS% (53.3%) than Clarkson (55.8%) and Jordan has played a lot this season as a first or second option as a starter which isn't ideal. I think there are both contextual reasons to think that Clarkson's decreased efficiency (52.8%) this season were due to being in the wrong role, but also good reasons to believe it was age. That said, Clarkson has a better resume more recently and the Lakers have anemic bench scoring. Grabbing Clarkson at the cost of a 2nd and a guy who might not fully recover to his Miami form seems like a clear win for them. Utah does right by Jordan and clarifies the backcourt rotation for its young players.
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Draft (just using tankathon's mock):
10. Cody Williams
32. Pacome Dadiet
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Post-draft rotation:
Taylor Hendricks/Nick Richards/Omer Yurtseven
Lauri Markkenen/Cody Williams/Taylor Hendricks
Cody Williams/Kevin Huerter/Pacome Dadiet
Josh Giddey/Brice Sensabaugh/Chris Duarte
Keyonte George/Josh Giddey/Gabe Vincent
free agency: R+E Lauri
I kind of like this? 2-5 are all guys who are 6-8 or taller, so very switchable, and you have a stretch-5 to provide spacing for Giddey. I do think Hendricks is going to be a center - could be wrong - he doesn't have much on-ball skill but can shoot 3s and I think he has the frame to add weight. It's a team with the upside of about 30 wins again, but I think it would be easier to identify long-term keepers.
JazzMatt13 wrote:just because I think aliens probably have to do with JFK, doesn't mean my theory that Jazz will never get Wiggins, isn't true.
JColl