Thoughts in General, Random Rumors and Musings, Blah Blah 14.0 Eddie Najera Edicion

[Ell Curry]

Pisses me off how disposable so many fans treat these guys. All this talk about awards or ducking Joker or load management. Sometimes guys are really hurt. We did this to Ben Simmons and so many people still refuse to walk that back. None of them will walk about their crap on Joel either.

The year Toronto had Kawhi I had to listen to so many hockey fans who also like the Raptors talk about how he shouldn't be resting because I guess it's not what you do in hockey/toxic masculinity.

They didn't understand that we only had Kawhi in the first place because he fought with his old team about his health and also it didn't impact our regular season record at all (went 17-5 without him, we had incredible depth and OG was already a good defender, just shot less 3 and missed the playoffs with his appendix).

If we'd pressed Kawhi to play when he didn't think his knee could handle it, either he refuses and the team maybe becomes a mess vibes-wise, or he does and maybe we don't edge out Philly in that epic series.

The odds of a guy being good enough to be a star and wanting to miss games for no reason are low. I've bought tickets for games and had Embiid and other stars miss them with little injuries, and I didn't watch the Xmas day game where the stars were injured (Butler? Was that Embiid too?) but that's just a thing that happens. You can't make 100% of the money you want all the time. If Embiid misses the playoffs now, how many people are watching Tyrese Maxey vs the Cleveland Cavaliers? That's classic 60-win Hawks NBA TV stuff.

[TheNetsFan]

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[zimpy27]

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Yeah I think the Pacers offered Cavs and Denver pick for him. That was rumored from memory.

[K_chile22]

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That makes more sense

[K_chile22]

There some kind of deal out there where Houston turns Landale into Holmes and a couple seconds for taking on next year's $$? Seems to me like they plan on staying over the cap anyways

[zimpy27]

There some kind of deal out there where Houston turns Landale into Holmes and a couple seconds for taking on next year's $$? Seems to me like they plan on staying over the cap anyways

Yeah I suspect Dallas might make that gamble. Landale has not worked well in the Houston system.

[MoreyWins]

Lakers: Evan Mobley, Wing Jalen Williams
Cleveland: LeBron James, Mikal Bridges, OKC picks
Brooklyn: Darius Garland
Oklahoma City: Anthony Davis

This doesn't include salary fillers

[K_chile22]

There some kind of deal out there where Houston turns Landale into Holmes and a couple seconds for taking on next year's $$? Seems to me like they plan on staying over the cap anyways

Yeah I suspect Dallas might make that gamble. Landale has not worked well in the Houston system.

I was thinking more like Dallas was using him as matching salary and the team didn't want to take on the money next year but I mean if Dallas would do that then sure but idk if they would

[BoogieTime]

About Embiid’s injury, I don’t want it to come off as distasteful speaking on it as it relates to the T/T board, but I’ve often said I’ve felt the board in general doesn’t IMO appropriately take injury history or age quite into appropriate account in reasoning trades

For age, the fact that some still have Durant valued so highly, such as above a young player like Ingram when his game can deteriorate at any time.

And then coming off as a homer in another thread for saying in the summer I’d probably just keep Sabonis rather than take a chance on Joel’s history.

I think it’s easy to admire a players game and highly evaluate him without kind of that critical eye needed a GM needs in job security in preparing for downsides

With all that said let’s hope Joel will be ready as soon as possible

[Ell Curry]

For age, the fact that some still have Durant valued so highly, such as above a young player like Ingram when his game can deteriorate at any time.

To me, Ingram's ceiling on a title team is as a #3 guy (like Philly trading expirings and 4 firsts for him would have made a lot of sense last week before Embiid got hurt, but similarly, moving 4 firsts for KD would also make sense in that they would be co-favorites with Boston in the East for the next 2-4 seasons ), whereas you can still probably win a title with KD as your #1 if the rest of the team is really strong and definitely could with him as your #2, so it's more of a question of what else you have on the roster and are you trying to win 45 games a season or are you trying to win a title, and that tends to depend on ownership and market. Like if I was Sacramento or Cleveland I would maybe prefer Ingram and hope to win a title at some point in the next 5-6 years, and if I was Philly or Boston or the Clippers I'd take KD.

I might be biased as a Raptors fan though, we traded 3 assets for one year of Kawhi and managed to win the title, which was never happening before the Demar/Poeltl/1st deal. If we lose that year, maybe I see it different. But basically KD can get you over the top if you're a team in the 10-12 range overall league-wise, whereas I don't think Ingram could do that.

[MoneyTalks41890]

Alright for fun:

Bertans, Poku, 2 2024 1sts (2nd and 3rd worst, top 10 prot of UTA/LAC/OKC/HOU), 2025 MIA 1st (lotto prot, unp) for Claxton, DFS

This would currently be picks 13, 27 this year and the Miami 1st next year.

[MoneyTalks41890]

About Embiid’s injury, I don’t want it to come off as distasteful speaking on it as it relates to the T/T board, but I’ve often said I’ve felt the board in general doesn’t IMO appropriately take injury history or age quite into appropriate account in reasoning trades

For age, the fact that some still have Durant valued so highly, such as above a young player like Ingram when his game can deteriorate at any time.

And then coming off as a homer in another thread for saying in the summer I’d probably just keep Sabonis rather than take a chance on Joel’s history.

I think it’s easy to admire a players game and highly evaluate him without kind of that critical eye needed a GM needs in job security in preparing for downsides

With all that said let’s hope Joel will be ready as soon as possible

NBA is about the elite players. KD raises the ceiling so much more than an Ingram. I would rather have the older KD than Ingram, who is younger and will be around longer but isn’t likely to ever be anywhere near close to as good.

I don’t totally disagree on the injury thing in trades. But didn’t this most recent one happen from that player jumping on top of Joel and rolling around? Or was it a different play?

Plus anybody can get hurt, look at the PG and Hayward injuries.

[MoneyTalks41890]

There some kind of deal out there where Houston turns Landale into Holmes and a couple seconds for taking on next year's $$? Seems to me like they plan on staying over the cap anyways

Yeah I suspect Dallas might make that gamble. Landale has not worked well in the Houston system.

I was thinking more like Dallas was using him as matching salary and the team didn't want to take on the money next year but I mean if Dallas would do that then sure but idk if they would

Would unlock a PJ Tucker deal for Dallas since Landale makes less.

[Godaddycurse]

Yeah I suspect Dallas might make that gamble. Landale has not worked well in the Houston system.

I was thinking more like Dallas was using him as matching salary and the team didn't want to take on the money next year but I mean if Dallas would do that then sure but idk if they would

Would unlock a PJ Tucker deal for Dallas since Landale makes less.

why not just do tucker/2nds for landale directly

[Dadouv47]

Alright for fun:

Bertans, Poku, 2 2024 1sts (2nd and 3rd worst, top 10 prot of UTA/LAC/OKC/HOU), 2025 MIA 1st (lotto prot, unp) for Claxton, DFS

This would currently be picks 13, 27 this year and the Miami 1st next year.

I like it a lot. I want both DFS and Claxton and I was trying to figure out how much I would be willing to give up for them and I think this would be my max offer because I don't know if we can afford resigning Claxton.

[jayjaysee]

There some kind of deal out there where Houston turns Landale into Holmes and a couple seconds for taking on next year's $$? Seems to me like they plan on staying over the cap anyways

Yeah I suspect Dallas might make that gamble. Landale has not worked well in the Houston system.

I was thinking more like Dallas was using him as matching salary and the team didn't want to take on the money next year but I mean if Dallas would do that then sure but idk if they would

Too much to ask to get Tate thrown in? Would ask to add Morris+cash which increases Dallas’ room from the tax for dallas to maybe do a decent follow up.

Dallas only has 2 actual 2nds (2025 Toronto is nice though) and 2028 Miami.. but can also trade the 2025 Dallas 2nd with some wording about as long as Dallas first conveys to NY.

So three seconds? Don’t think Tate+dumping a year of Holmes is worth Prosper, so if the three seconds is short I don’t see a deal.

I don’t think Dallas will trade their 2027 first this season, so I don’t think Dallas has the ability to turn Holmes into an expiring and the turn Landale into a useful body. Just would need to turn Holmes and assets into a useful bad contract.

[jayjaysee]

Alright for fun:

Bertans, Poku, 2 2024 1sts (2nd and 3rd worst, top 10 prot of UTA/LAC/OKC/HOU), 2025 MIA 1st (lotto prot, unp) for Claxton, DFS

This would currently be picks 13, 27 this year and the Miami 1st next year.

I like it a lot. I want both DFS and Claxton and I was trying to figure out how much I would be willing to give up for them and I think this would be my max offer because I don't know if we can afford resigning Claxton.

Yeah, I think if you’re adding a 18-25 million dollar Claxton.. You’re planning on letting Giddey go. Not many teams are able to hold three max deals and two 20+ mil deals.

But that decision doesn’t need to be made for until Chet/Jalen get their big contracts.. so enjoy a few playoff runs.

And Claxton should agree to an overpaid but declining deal. Which means maybe you are trading Claxton in 24 months, once OKC pays the ugly part of the contract, assuming Josh gets over the development slump.

I really love the deal for OKC and I don’t see anyone offering more value than that for Brooklyn.

[K_chile22]

I was thinking more like Dallas was using him as matching salary and the team didn't want to take on the money next year but I mean if Dallas would do that then sure but idk if they would

Would unlock a PJ Tucker deal for Dallas since Landale makes less.

why not just do tucker/2nds for landale directly

PJ Tucker seems like he'd be very grouchy about not playing fand don't want that around. Tucker to Dallas, Landale to LAC, Holmes to Houston with second(s) makes sense.

LAC dumps some of tuckers money vs their tax bill this year, gets a non guaranteed deal next year they can just waive to save a ton or have the opotionality to guarantee if they find a trade before FA, Dallas swaps their fourth center for a wing with similar money left on his deal, rockets replenish the second round caughers a bit by swapping a bad center for another bad center and taking on his money next year

[TheNetsFan]

Alright for fun:

Bertans, Poku, 2 2024 1sts (2nd and 3rd worst, top 10 prot of UTA/LAC/OKC/HOU), 2025 MIA 1st (lotto prot, unp) for Claxton, DFS

This would currently be picks 13, 27 this year and the Miami 1st next year.

I like it a lot. I want both DFS and Claxton and I was trying to figure out how much I would be willing to give up for them and I think this would be my max offer because I don't know if we can afford resigning Claxton.

Yeah, I think if you’re adding a 18-25 million dollar Claxton.. You’re planning on letting Giddey go. Not many teams are able to hold three max deals and two 20+ mil deals.

But that decision doesn’t need to be made for until Chet/Jalen get their big contracts.. so enjoy a few playoff runs.

And Claxton should agree to an overpaid but declining deal. Which means maybe you are trading Claxton in 24 months, once OKC pays the ugly part of the contract, assuming Josh gets over the development slump.

I really love the deal for OKC and I don’t see anyone offering more value than that for Brooklyn.

That's not enough for both Claxton and DFS. The 2 worst of in a bad draft, and a pick from the most desirable star destination in the league for both? Nets will pass. They'd probably counter asking for Giddey and the best of in '24 instead of the two worst in '24, or Giddey and an extra '25 instead of the 2 '24s.

[Texas Chuck]

That's a big ask for an expiring center and a solid role player. Not sure why the belief the Nets can demand so much. A return bigger than Siakam for that duo? Probably not, right? OKC would have just done that instead, you have to think.