Blakely: Multiple Executives and Scouts Anticipate the Spurs Will Make A Strong Offer To Markkanen

[TD 21]

No specifics, probably just hypothesizing. The reasons are obvious: Cap space, positional/skillset need, international player . . .

Will Chicago's Bold Move Keep Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen in Town? | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2939940-will-chicagos-bold-move-keep-zach-lavine-lauri-markkanen-in-town)

[MannyIsGod]

I don't think the Spurs are going to throw money at a big like that that can't defend.

[Dejounte]

Very interesting. The Spurs had to do something with their money, I guess. Does this mean DeMar is a goner?

[Dejounte]

23 years old and has averaged 19 and 9 before. Is there untapped potential here? Chicago is pretty awful with player development.

[Darius Bieber]

Leave it to the Spurs to have the most cap space available.... during the worst free agency market.

[Dejounte]

Leave it to the Spurs to have the most cap space available.... during the worst free agency market.

I mean, before players started opted in / signing extensions, it looked like one of the best FA pool ever. Just like 2022 looks like it now, but could instantly flip just like it did for this year.

[CGD]

All for using $$ to bully teams on their RFAs, but is this guy really better value than continuing to develop Luka?

[duncan2150]

I'm pretty sure the Spurs will pursue Markannen, european guy, can shoot .... yes the D is a work on progress but he could be special imo ( also disappointing lol)

Same with Collins but imo he'll stay in ATL.


Very interesting. The Spurs had to do something with their money, I guess. Does this mean DeMar is a goner?

I think they can sign both with their cap space.

[duncan2150]

Leave it to the Spurs to have the most cap space available.... during the worst free agency market.

San antonio will not sign a Lebron , Durant ... so even in one year or two they will target players ala Markannen, Collins...

[Dex]

I mean, before players started opted in / signing extensions, it looked like one of the best FA pool ever. Just like 2022 looks like it now, but could instantly flip just like it did for this year.

This. Trying to predict the NBA landscape 2-3 years from now is like trying to predict if it is going to rain in Texas.

[NK123]

- People too high on Markkanen.
- He is not that great. There is a reason why he is not having a good career, even playing for multiple coaches.
- Markkanen is not strong enough to defend the 5 nor agile enough to defend the 4.
- He is not consistent nor have a special talent offensively.
- For 2+1 contract at 13m per year, he could be a decent bet.
- I would sign him over Rudy.

[Dex]

The fact that this is being publicized makes me believe this will never happen.

[Mugen]

If Brian Wrong is high on him then I can definitely see this being a terrible move for the team :lol

[BatManu20]

Another player who can’t defend. I do like his offensive skill set though — 7-footers who stretch the flow l are always nice to have — but he’s definitely a liability on defense. Still only 23 though and showed a lot of promise his Rookie season. Could see the Spurs making a hard push tbh.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The fact that this is being publicized makes me believe this will never happen.

Exactly.

And it's not like the Spurs have really been focused on foreign players the last couple of years.

[look_at_g_shred]

Next season is going to be wild
Murray
White
Keldon
Lonnie
Vassell
Giddey
Luka
Lauri
Jakob
Oubre Jr
McDermott
Tre

[Degoat]

It’s definitely not the answer the team needs but imo Lauri Markkanen probably becomes the best young player on the team if we had him.

[mo7888]

Earlier in the year I was higher on Lauri...as of late, not so much. The offensive fit is obvious as a starting 4 and small ball 5. I don't think it would effect our resigning ddr that much because I think he is moving on for a longer contract than we will offer.

A SL of Murray, LW, KJ, Lauri, and Poeltl has more shooting/spacing than what we have now and a 2nd unit of White, Vassell, Free Agent/ draft pick (Wagner), Luka, and Lauri would score alot of points.

My concern is the amount of money we'd have to pay to get Chicago to balk.

[exstatic]

Leave it to the Spurs to have the most cap space available.... during the worst free agency market.

Lots of teams saved caproom for 2021, and it wasn’t a bad FA market until COVID caused a lot of players to extend instead of seeing what the market will bear, like most years. Greek freak was in this class.

[exstatic]

Another player who can’t defend. I do like his offensive skill set though — 7-footers who stretch the flow l are always nice to have — but he’s definitely a liability on defense. Still only 23 though and showed a lot of promise his Rookie season. Could see the Spurs making a hard push tbh.

His OBPM is surprisingly meh. His DBPM is unsurprisingly negative to the point that it drives his overall BPM into the negative. Isn’t he also restricted? If I’m going down that road, I’m going to drop that offer on John Collins. He has a chance to move the needle.

[Spurs Homer]

Great! Pop can bury two talented white boys on the bench and play Gay and Patty over them for two more seasons!

[talkspurs]

hes been comming off the bench for the last few games and has not even been getting 20 min. I dont think Chicago is that high on him.

[Dejounte]

Maybe the interest in Vucevic was a bluff by the Spurs to fool the Bulls into thinking Vucevic + DeMar would have worked because the Spurs were "interested". The Spurs could work a DeMar for Lauri kind of deal.

[mo7888]

Maybe the interest in Vucevic was a bluff by the Spurs to fool the Bulls into thinking Vucevic + DeMar would have worked because the Spurs were "interested". The Spurs could work a DeMar for Lauri kind of deal.

Something like Lauri + Aminu for DDR?

Im assuming $30M for DDR...$20M Lauri and $10M for Aminu's expiring deal.

[JuneJive]

More like his agent doing work.

[Dejounte]

Something like Lauri + Aminu for DDR?

Im assuming $30M for DDR...$20M Lauri and $10M for Aminu's expiring deal.

Maybe a pick swap too if they're higher than us in the draft.

[John B]

If Brian Wrong is high on him then I can definitely see this being a terrible move for the team :lol
:lol

[TD 21]

- People too high on Markkanen.
- He is not that great. There is a reason why he is not having a good career, even playing for multiple coaches.
- Markkanen is not strong enough to defend the 5 nor agile enough to defend the 4.
- He is not consistent nor have a special talent offensively.
- For 2+1 contract at 13m per year, he could be a decent bet.
- I would sign him over Rudy.

Yeah, I've been opposed. Not only soft, injury prone and inconsistent, but doesn't really have an ideal defensive position.

Even though the Bulls are clearly done with him and covet Ball, from an asset management perspective it's still probably going to take 3/$54-60M to dissuade them from matching.

It'd be typical Spurs, but they'd be better off targeting Collins. If they're going to spend relatively big, do so for someone who might be able to help move the needle instead of trying to seemingly build the most unremarkable team possible.

[Trill Clinton]

ugh, please no

[baseline bum]

Leave it to the Spurs to have the most cap space available.... during the worst free agency market.

I mean the Spurs couldn't land anyone coming off a title with a young Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, what use would the capspace be in a year they're not even making the playoffs? This team is going to have to build through the draft.

[SpursDynasty85]

Makes sense but what is strong?

[KingKev]

Maybe the interest in Vucevic was a bluff by the Spurs to fool the Bulls into thinking Vucevic + DeMar would have worked because the Spurs were "interested". The Spurs could work a DeMar for Lauri kind of deal.

This is a stretch homie. If our front office is spending time strategizing on ways to land this guy as you suggest we are in deeper trouble than the most bearish Spurs fan (that would be me) can truly imagine. Just start Luka and squint your eyes a tad or even better smash a bottle of whiskey before each game next season; Luka and Jak or Lauri and Jak as your starting 4/5 is POTATO, PATATO. Same, same both equally unexciting. Atleast one costs considerably less.

[cd98]

I don't see why you would pay this guy big bucks if you have any confidence in Luka being a rotation NBA player next year.

[SpursDynasty85]

I don't see why you would pay this guy big bucks if you have any confidence in Luka being a rotation NBA player next year.

Luka playing bench minutes and getting a starter like Markkannen with a good 3 ball is different. In fact another PF Luka type player should be their draft target. Fills a definite need plus Luka and Markkannen could play together if they are both playing well.

[spurraider21]

have to imagine that whatever this guy's contract will be is going to be an overpay

[hoopdreams11]

both games against the spurs he shot 4-10 had 10pts each last game he was -21. Why would the spurs want someone who cannot beat out the players already on the team.

[NASpurs]

Seems like it would be a typical post-Duncan move by the front office so I believe it. The treadmill goes nowhere.

[duncan2150]

It depends on what you want, i prefer Collins because he's more complete but at the right price, Markannen would be a good addition imo.

I have the same concern about his D, i think he is a so-so defender but he can score and is a good 3 pt shooter wich is a spurs need ( 36% with 6 attempts per game in 4 years).

For me the real concern is health with Markannen other than that i think he will be a good pick up ( at the right price ).

[Joseph Kony]

:lmao :lmao so Spurs gave Bertans away, don't play Luka, yet want to make a strong offer to the same type of player? LMAO sperms

[Robz4000]

:lmao :lmao so Spurs gave Bertans away, don't play Luka, yet want to make a strong offer to the same type of player? LMAO sperms

Absolutely mind-boggling

[EasyMoney]

:lmao :lmao so Spurs gave Bertans away, don't play Luka, yet want to make a strong offer to the same type of player? LMAO sperms


Why are you reacting to this as if this reports any merit at all? Actually, who am I kidding. It's a tall euro kid who is not a good defender so it likely may happen. Lol. Makes no sense to let davis go for what ended up being nothing, keep luka on the bench, but then go after lauri

Although, he will help with spacing and could provide a solid 15-20 mpg. I remember him complaining about the gameplan being changed and him not getting the same amount of touches he had compared to his career year. Surround him with defenders like white/murray/vassell and its a start. I'm all for this. John collins is staying in Atlanta.

[duncan2150]

:lmao :lmao so Spurs gave Bertans away, don't play Luka, yet want to make a strong offer to the same type of player? LMAO sperms

Comparing Markannen to Bertans ooooook loool

[dbestpro]

Better than Lyles, at least.

[Dejounte]

This is a stretch homie. If our front office is spending time strategizing on ways to land this guy as you suggest we are in deeper trouble than the most bearish Spurs fan (that would be me) can truly imagine. Just start Luka and squint your eyes a tad or even better smash a bottle of whiskey before each game next season; Luka and Jak or Lauri and Jak as your starting 4/5 is POTATO, PATATO. Same, same both equally unexciting. Atleast one costs considerably less.

I didn't mean it in that way though. What I described was more on pumping up DeMar's value than finding a way to get Lauri. Lauri is probably just the best they can get from the Bulls aside from their pick.

[poopbox]

I always figured that Collins would be free agent target number 1 and if doesn't work out Lauri would be free agent target number 2.

I am sure the spurs could care less about his defense since he will be playing next to Poeltl, although I do not really agree with this line of thinking.

Offensively he is a perfect fit and defensively he can't be worse than Demar

[KingKev]

I didn't mean it in that way though. What I described was more on pumping up DeMar's value than finding a way to get Lauri. Lauri is probably just the best they can get from the Bulls aside from their pick.

Ahhh get it. I think realistic DDR sign and trade destinations are firm contenders who can hide his weaknesses and are positioned to accentuate his strengths. Teams like Miami, Boston, Lakers, Philly would be pretty good fits. They pribably won’t offer him more than 25mm a year and won’t/aren't positioned to give us sh!t in return. I’d rather let DDR walk and wish him luck than trade him and waste cap on someone like Lauri.

[tbdog]

Yeah, I've been opposed. Not only soft, injury prone and inconsistent, but doesn't really have an ideal defensive position.

Even though the Bulls are clearly done with him and covet Ball, from an asset management perspective it's still probably going to take 3/$54-60M to dissuade them from matching.

It'd be typical Spurs, but they'd be better off targeting Collins. If they're going to spend relatively big, do so for someone who might be able to help move the needle instead of trying to seemingly build the most unremarkable team possible.

Collins rejected 90mil. He is significantly going to cost more.

[Dejounte]

Ahhh get it. I think realistic DDR sign and trade destinations are firm contenders who can hide his weaknesses and are positioned to accentuate his strengths. Teams like Miami, Boston, Lakers, Philly would be pretty good fits. They pribably won’t offer him more than 25mm a year and won’t/aren't positioned to give us sh!t in return. I’d rather let DDR walk and wish him luck than trade him and waste cap on someone like Lauri.

The reason I think the Bulls are a likely landing zone for Demar is because of how poorly the aftermath of trading for Vucevic has been. That trade was someone's idea, and that someone is going to be really desperate to make it look good or else they're going to lose their job fast. You don't trade a pick without protections on it unless you're confident your team is going to do well with the player you traded for. Vucevic was a psuedo star and is an example of why the Spurs should be careful to not just go for anybody regardless of fit. I honestly don't know what team would suit Vucevic best.

[FutureMan]

Maybe a pick swap too if they're higher than us in the draft.

Orlando has the rights to the Bulls pick next year. The Vucevic trade is turning into a great trade for Orlando.

[TD 21]

Collins rejected 90mil. He is significantly going to cost more.

Sure, but something like $7M annually makes no functional difference in building the roster.

[timvp]

Yeah, Markkanen is a 4.5 in today's league. He's the modern-day tweener. Generally speaking, you don't want to rely on a 4.5s because they can be played off the court really easily.

That said, it can't be overstated how desperately the Spurs need to add shooting to the starting lineup. If DeRozan isn't brought back, you basically have to replace him with a great shooter. Markkanen, for his faults, qualifies.

Wouldn't love it and he would be wildly overpaid (~$80 million would be my guess as of right now) buuuuuut he'd be a good fit for the offense. His defense won't be pretty but at least Poeltl is proving to be a top tier defensive center who has learned to stay out of foul trouble, so even the D shouldn't be a disaster ... especially considering he'd be replacing DeRozan in this scenario. If DeRozan is brought back, I wouldn't want Markkanen. That'd be too many immobile defenders in the starting lineup.

[Dejounte]

I know it's not going to happen, but my preference for his contract would be something like $15 mil or less a year. It seems all the other teams with projected cap space don't have a need for bigs; the Spurs don't need to outbid themselves. The Bulls don't think highly enough of him to probably care either. Their entire focus is keeping LaVine happy, and my guess is whether Lauri stays or goes won't be a big part of that.

[cd021]

I think they can sign both with their cap space.

They can't. I'm pretty sure that Lauri's max is around $28 million while DeRozan is probably looking for at least what he's making now, if not $30 million per. Spurs only have around $48 million in cap space.

I think they make a 2 year offer to DeRozan, for around $ 60 million, even though he is likely to turn it down. Then shift to Lauri

[slick'81]

Gotta throw that money somewhere i guess

[tbdog]

I know it's not going to happen, but my preference for his contract would be something like $15 mil or less a year. It seems all the other teams with projected cap space don't have a need for bigs; the Spurs don't need to outbid themselves. The Bulls don't think highly enough of him to probably care either. Their entire focus is keeping LaVine happy, and my guess is whether Lauri stays or goes won't be a big part of that.

Bertans got 20mil.

[cd98]

Bertans got 20mil.

Such a black eye for the front office to blunder that move. Imagine if they had kept Bertans. He’s be killing it on this roster assuming Pop didn’t give all his minutes to Rudy.

[Dejounte]

Bertans got 20mil.

Different market then. Plus I don't know which teams would throw that kind of money at Lauri. Probably only Dallas and that's it.

[KingKev]

They can't. I'm pretty sure that Lauri's max is around $28 million while DeRozan is probably looking for at least what he's making now, if not $30 million per. Spurs only have around $48 million in cap space.

I think they make a 2 year offer to DeRozan, for around $ 60 million, even though he is likely to turn it down. Then shift to Lauri

You need to qualify this with your cap expectations to definitively say yes or no. There are also different ways to structure a deal. Either way Lauri is unlikely to fetch max money. John Collins will though. We could likely find a way to pay DDR close to 30/yr and pay John Collins max money if the opportunity presented itself. Not that I think this happens but it could be done even if it means moving a lesser contract to do so.

[Dejounte]

Such a black eye for the front office to blunder that move. Imagine if they had kept Bertans. He’s be killing it on this roster assuming Pop didn’t give all his minutes to Rudy.

Give me a break. $20 mil for a backup big? One that's averaging 11 ppg and does literally nothing else? Even Wizards fans want to trade him if he ever builds up his value again (count that as never).

[R. DeMurre]

Underwhelming rebounder, defender, & shot blocker who also doesn't collect many assists or steals... He's having his best shooting season, but I still don't know if I'd call him a great shooter. He's had three seasons below 37% from three, and one above-- this season, at 39%. Pretty underwhelming free agency prize.

[Down Under]

Something like Lauri + Aminu for DDR?

Im assuming $30M for DDR...$20M Lauri and $10M for Aminu's expiring deal.
The Vuc, LaVine, DD combo would have to be the worst 3 man defense in the league, surely :lol

[Dejounte]

https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/mr5o7i/should_the_bulls_trade_lauri_markkanen_in_the/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Bulls' fans don't think they'll match an offer of $15 mil.

One of them says it was reported that the best offer they received at the trade deadline was a 2nd round pick.

Lauri doesn't excite me at all, but part of that is under the assumption that he'll be paid too much. But if he won't be overpaid (or let's just say, overpaid by too much), then it doesn't seem like a big issue at all to go after him.

[PrimeMinister]

the synopsis of the modern day tweener is spot on

make an offer commensurate to the limitations of his position and physical limitations defensively and I'm ok with it

[Dejounte]

the synopsis of the modern day tweener is spot on

make an offer commensurate to the limitations of his position and physical limitations defensively and I'm ok with it

Don't forget: he's also been injury prone throughout his young career. That's surely a factor on what kinds of offers he'll get. Seems there's too many obstacles for Lauri to get a big offer this offseason.

[Dejounte]

I just noticed the Bulls lost to the Magic team tonight. This is a team with HIGH expectations after the Vucevic trade. Ownership is going to reach a tipping point soon. They're 10th seed with the Raptors right behind them. Maybe the Spurs losing to the Raptors gives the Raptors a false sense of hope of making the playoffs and motivate them to take that 10th seed over the Bulls. If the Bulls don't even make the play-in tournament, then that would be a major disaster. Domino effect tonight.

[PhantomDashCam]

I just noticed the Bulls lost to the Magic team tonight. This is a team with HIGH expectations after the Vucevic trade. Ownership is going to reach a tipping point soon. They're 10th seed with the Raptors right behind them. Maybe the Spurs losing to the Raptors gives the Raptors a false sense of hope of making the playoffs and motivate them to take that 10th seed over the Bulls. If the Bulls don't even make the play-in tournament, then that would be a major disaster. Domino effect tonight.

Bulls have the 8th toughest SOS left too according to Tankathon. Yowsers.

[exstatic]

I know it's not going to happen, but my preference for his contract would be something like $15 mil or less a year. It seems all the other teams with projected cap space don't have a need for bigs; the Spurs don't need to outbid themselves. The Bulls don't think highly enough of him to probably care either. Their entire focus is keeping LaVine happy, and my guess is whether Lauri stays or goes won't be a big part of that.

At $15M, if you could get Markkanen to sign it, Chicago would match, and thank us. You literally have to overpay RFAs to pry them away.

[cd021]

You need to qualify this with your cap expectations to definitively say yes or no. There are also different ways to structure a deal. Either way Lauri is unlikely to fetch max money. John Collins will though. We could likely find a way to pay DDR close to 30/yr and pay John Collins max money if the opportunity presented itself. Not that I think this happens but it could be done even if it means moving a lesser contract to do so.

Spurs should have about $47 million in cap with 11 players already on roster (including this year's pick) if and when they renounce all free agents. I don't believe that they can offer a max and keep DeRozan using bird rights, because they'd have to renounce him in order to remove his massive $38.2 million cap hold.

Lauri may not get the max but there are a number of teams that might pursue him and drive up his value, they could offer up to the max but that means DeRozan is gone. He is probably gone no matter what so I think they'd likely pursue Lauri hard and maybe re-sign Mills, Dieng, add another vet wing. That's probably the off-season.

[cd021]

Something like Lauri + Aminu for DDR?

Im assuming $30M for DDR...$20M Lauri and $10M for Aminu's expiring deal.
I suggested a double S&T in another thread, I think it's technically possible but requires a lot of moving parts.

The Bulls would need to be interested in DeRozan, despite his fit, and interested in moving on from Lauri. Lauri would have to be interest in joining the Spurs, DeRozan would have to be interested in joining the Bulls and both of their salary demands would have to be met.

I'm not unconvinced that that could happen.

[tbdog]

I suggested a double S&T in another thread, I think it's technically possible but requires a lot of moving parts.

The Bulls would need to be interested in DeRozan, despite his fit, and interested in moving on from Lauri. Lauri would have to be interest in joining the Spurs, DeRozan would have to be interested in joining the Bulls and both of their salary demands would have to be met.

I'm not unconvinced that that could happen.

It's more likely than you think. But what's working against this is the Bulls being really underachieving.

[duncan2150]

They can't. I'm pretty sure that Lauri's max is around $28 million while DeRozan is probably looking for at least what he's making now, if not $30 million per. Spurs only have around $48 million in cap space.

I think they make a 2 year offer to DeRozan, for around $ 60 million, even though he is likely to turn it down. Then shift to Lauri

They will have 51 millions and they will not sign Markannen at the max.

My guess is something like 20 and 30 for derozan so they can.

[ragas]

Everything above 13 million per year would be a disaster. I wouldn't go for him at all. Better keep you cap space for bad contracts to gain some draft picks.

[duncan2150]

Underwhelming rebounder, defender, & shot blocker who also doesn't collect many assists or steals... He's having his best shooting season, but I still don't know if I'd call him a great shooter. He's had three seasons below 37% from three, and one above-- this season, at 39%. Pretty underwhelming free agency prize.


I agree with you for the concerns about D, passing ... but he is a really good shooter, actually that's the interesting thing in his game and for the Spurs. A 36% carrerer 3pt shooter on 6 attemps per game , 80% at the FT line is a someone who can shoot without a doubt. He was also shooting well with Arizona ( 42 % from 3).

[cd021]

It's more likely than you think. But what's working against this is the Bulls being really underachieving.

I don't necessarily see them underachieving as a barrier to them going after the DeRozan. They're definitely trying to get better and they reportedly had interest in DeRozan around the trade deadline. If they don't view Lauri as a part of the future then it might make sense to try and use his RFA as a means of trying to get better without a pick or cap space. It's possible that DeMar might still be in their plans but it's still a weird fit with their two best players.


They will have 51 millions and they will not sign Markannen at the max.

My guess is something like 20 and 30 for derozan so they can.

I don't buy Lauri is only getting $20 million if multiple teams are going after him in RFA. Also that assumes that the Spurs offer him the amount of years that he wants and that he wants to return at all.

I could see two years, $60 million as the offer but even if he agrees --and if they sign Lauri to a 4 year $80 million deal--then they could be deep in the tax going forward.

[Drom John]

FiveThirtyEight Lauri Markkanen
Compared to Average NBA

-0.7 Offense
-1.3 Defense
-2.0 Net

Compared to replacement level
WAR 0.4
Tied at 203rd with Cedi Osman and John Wall

203rd highest salary this year:
$5,029,650 Justin Jackson

[R. DeMurre]

FiveThirtyEight Lauri Markkanen
Compared to Average NBA

-0.7 Offense
-1.3 Defense
-2.0 Net

Compared to replacement level
WAR 0.4
Tied at 203rd with Cedi Osman and John Wall

203rd highest salary this year:
$5,029,650 Justin Jackson

Yeah, I'm not sure Markkanen even moves the needle more than Bjelica or Olynyk. Hell, Luke Kornet for the minimum might be a better investment.

[MannyIsGod]

I mean the Spurs couldn't land anyone coming off a title with a young Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, what use would the capspace be in a year they're not even making the playoffs? This team is going to have to build through the draft.

The capspace helps with trades. That's how Charollette ended up with Gordon Hayward. I sure as fuck would love the Spurs to have Hayward right now.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

He is more of a center than power forward in today’s NBA. Not to mention he is injury prone and not the best defense. I would rather they go after Collins instead of Lauri. Collins can play with Jacob, Lauri can’t

[DPG21920]

timvp - if Derozan is brought back? How can SA or Derozan see what has taken place the last two seasons and think he’s a fit? He want to come off the bench and take a paycut you think? Because outside of that I don’t see how SA can view him as worth keeping with these results.

Even if they used all their cap space and then signed Derozan, it still makes no sense imo.

[gambit1990]

fück bleacher report.

[tbdog]

timvp - if Derozan is brought back? How can SA or Derozan see what has taken place the last two seasons and think he’s a fit? He want to come off the bench and take a paycut you think? Because outside of that I don’t see how SA can view him as worth keeping with these results.

Even if they used all their cap space and then signed Derozan, it still makes no sense imo.

Clearly one of Murray/White/DDR need to be broken up in favour of a 3 point shooter off the dribble.

[mo7888]

Clearly one of Murray/White/DDR need to be broken up in favour of a 3 point shooter off the dribble.

Two of the 3 need to be moved...

[exstatic]

Two of the 3 need to be moved...

One, if it’s DDR.

[tbdog]

One, if it’s DDR.

Disagree. I see it unlikely that that backcourt can survive today's league unless they both become decent to good 3 point shooters. And it will take more than one more off-season to achieve that.

[exstatic]

Disagree. I see it unlikely that that backcourt can survive today's league unless they both become decent to good 3 point shooters. And it will take more than one more off-season to achieve that.

Both of them basically rely on DeMar getting trapped after pounding the air out of the ball for 20 seconds, then kicking it out with the shot clock running out. If DD is gone, the offense would be more egalitarian and free flowing, and that creates better options for shots.

[tbdog]

Both of them basically rely on DeMar getting trapped after pounding the air out of the ball for 20 seconds, then kicking it out with the shot clock running out. If DD is gone, the offense would be more egalitarian and free flowing, and that creates better options for shots.

When has White or Murray ever demonstrated they could run a free flowing offense without DDR?

[GAustex]

Let DDR walk
Move Keldon to 3 and make him shoot threes and dribble pull-ups til he drops and then do more
Find a freakin 4 (or 2 of them) who can shoot and defend and rebound at least decently
DJM needs to work on his 3 point shot a lot.
White needs to improve.
Or move one of them to the bench and start Lonnie.
Optimize the bench the best you can- need a 3 backup.
Play defense hard. Everyone
Hope the young ones catch lightening in a bottle.
Not a great chance but better than the same ole DDR stank.

[james evans]

I don't think the Spurs are going to throw money at a big like that that can't defend.
Gasol got $48 million from us when he was almost 40

[mo7888]

One, if it’s DDR.

I still think we are better off moving 2 of them(provided we can get a decent return). I have never like the fit of White and Murray starting beside each other.

[FutureMan]

Two of the 3 need to be moved...

Or DeRozan can be moved to a different team while White is moved to the bench.

[LeBowen]

Markkanen is trash.

Bad rim protector and too slow to play the 4.
Poor man's Porzingis and Porzingis isn't that good..

[mo7888]

Or DeRozan can be moved to a different team while White is moved to the bench.

Yes, there are ways to make it work but with his salary next season it could get difficult to provide the proper balance and make all the salaries fit. (Next year probably works with our space but subsequent years might be tough...or we could move one then)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Markkanen is trash.

Bad rim protector and too slow to play the 4.
Poor man's Porzingis and not Porzingis isn't that good..

Does anyone know his wine preferences? Pretty important with this front office.

[Ocotillo]

This can be a lot of hooey as well, none of these "sources" are Spurs people so it all speculation.

[The Truth #6]

Both of them basically rely on DeMar getting trapped after pounding the air out of the ball for 20 seconds, then kicking it out with the shot clock running out. If DD is gone, the offense would be more egalitarian and free flowing, and that creates better options for shots.

+1. In the absence of a real star that makes the team better, I would prefer an egalitarian team that at least plays an interesting brand of basketball while they develop their young players and continue to look for their star.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Blakely: Multiple Executives and Scouts Anticipate the Spurs Will Make A Strong Offer To Markkanen


https://media.giphy.com/media/rI9O6UXkCjvTG/giphy.gif

[Dejounte]

https://youtu.be/S_-i9NVtu5s

We should keep an eye on this guy for the rest of the season. He is a legit FA target, after all...

https://bullsconf.com/lauris-alive-markkanen-shows-signs-of-life-in-bulls-win-vs-cavaliers-77e6fa6e8d0c

[exstatic]

https://youtu.be/S_-i9NVtu5s

We should keep an eye on this guy for the rest of the season. He is a legit FA target, after all...

https://bullsconf.com/lauris-alive-markkanen-shows-signs-of-life-in-bulls-win-vs-cavaliers-77e6fa6e8d0c

Nah. If you’re going to cherry pick a game, Drew’s in PHO kind of shits all over this.

[Dejounte]

Nah. If you’re going to cherry pick a game, Drew’s in PHO kind of shits all over this.

What on earth? It was his latest game. Didn't cherry pick anything...

[exstatic]

What on earth? It was his latest game. Didn't cherry pick anything...

It’s

one

game

[Dejounte]

It’s

one

game

Okay, I thought you were being sarcastic at first but you're taking my shit out of context and going overboard.

I was updating the thread with his latest game. I planned to post every game here that he has from here on out. I wasn't posting a video because I thought he played special. He could have scored 5 points and I still would have posted it. I literally said, "let's keep an eye on this guy". I'm not for or against Lauri. I'm merely posting about him because he is a legitimate FA target with the poor FA pool we have this upcoming this offseason.

So now

you

can

fuck

off

[exstatic]

Okay, I thought you were being sarcastic at first but you're taking my shit out of context and going overboard.

I was updating the thread with his latest game. I planned to post every game here that he has from here on out. I wasn't posting a video because I thought he played special. He could have scored 5 points and I still would have posted it. I literally said, "let's keep an eye on this guy". I'm not for or against Lauri. I'm merely posting about him because he is a legitimate FA target with the poor FA pool we have this upcoming this offseason.

So now

you

can

fuck

off

Quote

He
might
be
a
legit
FA
target
after
all.

unquote

Doesn’t sound uncommitted to be. But, go ahead, post every game. This should be interesting.

[Dejounte]

Quote

He
might
be
a
legit
FA
target
after
all.

unquote

Doesn’t sound uncommitted to be. But, go ahead, post every game. This should be interesting.

Read
the
first
post
on
this
thread
topic
idiot

[mo7888]

Quote

He
might
be
a
legit
FA
target
after
all.

unquote

Doesn’t sound uncommitted to be. But, go ahead, post every game. This should be interesting.

Actually the quote was..."He is a legit Free agent target after all"....

That's obviously a reference to the reports that the Spurs are targeting him.... you're taking this in a way that was never said or meant.

[Dejounte]

Actually the quote was..."He is a legit Free agent target after all"....

That's obviously a reference to the reports that the Spurs are targeting him.... you're taking this in a way that was never said or meant.

I should have said "might be", because you never know with these sources.

[mo7888]

I should have said "might be", because you never know with these sources.

I think you're quote is accurate...it's a poor FA class and he's one of the top 2 or 3 on the board because of that....So he's a legit FA target. I'm not personally sold on going after him (although the offensive fit is obvious) but he's a legitimate target even in the sources are wrong.

[Dejounte]

I think you're quote is accurate...it's a poor FA class and he's one of the top 2 or 3 on the board because of that....So he's a legit FA target. I'm not personally sold on going after him (although the offensive fit is obvious) but he's a legitimate target even in the sources are wrong.


I'm on the same boat. I just want to be buckled up and prepare for the possibility that he'll become a Spur. I'm trying to see what the Spurs see (if they are truly interested). While Lauri's ability to stay on perimeter players gives me pause, the capability to play a "twin towers" line-up may be appealing. We saw a glimpse of it against the Suns with Luka and Eubanks. There was a play where a Suns player drove in and Luka and Eubanks were both there to deny it. That's the benefit of having two bigs, I suppose.

Everything else is underwhelming so far... Lauri is pretty damn soft when meeting bigs inside for a bucket that he'll just throw up an ugly shot that has no hope of going in. On the other hand, he moves around screens a lot to get open which is nice... very much like Bertans in that regard.

[mo7888]

I'm on the same boat. I just want to be buckled up and prepare for the possibility that he'll become a Spur. I'm trying to see what the Spurs see (if they are truly interested). While Lauri's ability to stay on perimeter players gives me pause, the capability to play a "twin towers" line-up may be appealing. We saw a glimpse of it against the Suns with Luka and Eubanks. There was a play where a Suns player drove in and Luka and Eubanks were both there to deny it. That's the benefit of having two bigs, I suppose.

Everything else is underwhelming so far... Lauri is pretty damn soft when meeting bigs inside for a bucket that he'll just throw up an ugly shot that has no hope of going in. On the other hand, he moves around screens a lot to get open which is nice... very much like Bertans in that regard.

I'm underwhelmed myself but, here's what I think the Spurs see.... They see a 7' guy that should shoot a high percentage from 3. They also a guy who can put the ball on the the floor against closeouts and get to the rim (he does go hard and tries to dunk on people in those situations). They probably think in a 'no DDR' world Lauri will improve on both of these things that he's already proficient at because of our improved spacing. On Defense they probably think he moves well enough to play within the system and can funnel quicker players into Poeltl (lauri's never had a C that can protect the rim like Poeltl). They also probably think he can do some of what Dieng does as a 5 when Eubanks isn't on the court.

As I'm writing this I'm talking myself into this a little bit I guess.... ultimately though it comes down to the price...I would want to break the bank though.

[Dejounte]

I'm underwhelmed myself but, here's what I think the Spurs see.... They see a 7' guy that should shoot a high percentage from 3. They also a guy who can put the ball on the the floor against closeouts and get to the rim (he does go hard and tries to dunk on people in those situations). They probably think in a 'no DDR' world Lauri will improve on both of these things that he's already proficient at because of our improved spacing. On Defense they probably think he moves well enough to play within the system and can funnel quicker players into Poeltl (lauri's never had a C that can protect the rim like Poeltl). They also probably think he can do some of what Dieng does as a 5 when Eubanks isn't on the court.

As I'm writing this I'm talking myself into this a little bit I guess.... ultimately though it comes down to the price...I would want to break the bank though.

Yup, from what I've read, Bulls fans all seem in agreement that he would improve greatly on another team, especially one with a defensive big like the Spurs:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagobulls/comments/ms84ic/the_spurs_are_expected_to_make_a_strong_offer_for/

[mo7888]

Yup, from what I've read, Bulls fans all seem in agreement that he would improve greatly on another team, especially one with a defensive big like the Spurs:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chicagobulls/comments/ms84ic/the_spurs_are_expected_to_make_a_strong_offer_for/

Interesting... I just hope that the Bulls covet DeMar... it would just make it work better for us...we would probably have to eat 1 year of Aminu but if that gets us a better longterm number for Lauri it'd be worth it (and Aminu might actually be a net + here)

[R. DeMurre]

Has anyone read anything that would indicate Markkanen has any interest in San Antonio? The only thing I can think of is that he chose to go to college in Tucson, which I suppose could be seen as slightly odd for a guy from Finland, and that Tucson and San Antonio have some similarities... but my reading on his free agency is that the Spurs would either have to offer him more money than other teams or make some kind of promise of playing time to lure him to the Spurs, and both scenarios seem unlikely. And even then, the Bulls can match.

[Dejounte]

Has anyone read anything that would indicate Markkanen has any interest in San Antonio? The only thing I can think of is that he chose to go to college in Tucson, which I suppose could be seen as slightly odd for a guy from Finland, and that Tucson and San Antonio have some similarities... but my reading on his free agency is that the Spurs would either have to offer him more money than other teams or make some kind of promise of playing time to lure him to the Spurs, and both scenarios seem unlikely. And even then, the Bulls can match.

I think the Bulls are keen on letting him go. Even if you say they'll match if the offer is low enough, there's no world where both he and the Bulls will be happy with his role-- he's currently coming off the bench and doesn't play well with Vucevic. His value is already low and will continue to drop if he keeps coming off the bench, so no point in keeping him. IMO, the Bulls won't spend another buck on Lauri. We might be surprised by how low of a contract he'll get from teams. I don't see any other team aside from maybe the Mavericks who would be interested. The teams with cap space are crowded with bigs. Plus, the Bulls will be desperate to keep LaVine... not having Lauri on the books gives them room to operate and go after other players who would fit better on their team.

[cd98]

If the Spurs sign this guy, it will be two months tops before Spurstalk hates him and hates the signing.

[exstatic]

If the Spurs sign this guy, it will be two months tops before Spurstalk hates him and hates the signing.

Some of us won’t wait that long.

[rankingtear]

15 mil a year was what CHI was offering and 20 mil is his asking. So maybe 18 could get it done considering the fit with CHI with Vucevic is bad enough. He is a high gravity off ball player who is good in spotups, off screen and cuts. A 7ft 240 pound big man who can come off screen and shoot a 3 is pretty rare. Pretty good complement offensively.

[exstatic]

15 mil a year was what CHI was offering and 20 mil is his asking. So maybe 18 could get it done considering the fit with CHI with Vucevic is bad enough. He is a high gravity off ball player who is good in spotups, off screen and cuts. A 7ft 240 pound big man who can come off screen and shoot a 3 is pretty rare. Pretty good complement offensively.

Teams will ass rape us on switches, like they did with LMA.

[TD 21]

15 mil a year was what CHI was offering and 20 mil is his asking. So maybe 18 could get it done considering the fit with CHI with Vucevic is bad enough. He is a high gravity off ball player who is good in spotups, off screen and cuts. A 7ft 240 pound big man who can come off screen and shoot a 3 is pretty rare. Pretty good complement offensively.

Good post, but it begs the question: Despite the commitments to Murray, White (Johnson and Vassell appear on track to follow suit), their aversion to trades and near $50M in cap space, why would a team without a foundation continue to sink relatively big money into complimentary pieces?



Teams will ass rape us on switches, like they did with LMA.

Yeah and unlike him, he lacks center length and strength to protect the rim and block out.

In this era, a big who can't credibly play center defensively is not someone worth investing significantly into.

Really, the only physically deficient players who are, are otherworldly offensive types (Curry, Lillard, Irving, etc.).

[SAGirl]

I don't see why you would pay this guy big bucks if you have any confidence in Luka being a rotation NBA player next year.
I have concerns about Luka’s 3 pt shooting. He hasn’t shot the 3 well in more minutes in the gleague and has been streaky at best in the NBA. His shooting is more of an ideal scenario for him than a real thing that you can count on right now.

If the Spurs were about to move on from Gay I could see them looking at adding another big who can shoot. My concern is whether this guy is really any better than say Trey Lyles... I am too casual to tell you but I am interested in seeing what others have to say.

[Joseph Kony]

I have concerns about Luka’s 3 pt shooting. He hasn’t shot the 3 well in more minutes in the gleague and has been streaky at best in the NBA. His shooting is more of an ideal scenario for him than a real thing that you can count on right now.

If the Spurs were about to move on from Gay I could see them looking at adding another big who can shoot. My concern is whether this guy is really any better than say Trey Lyles... I am too casual to tell you but I am interested in seeing what others have to say.

almost anyone would be better than Trey Lyles :lol

[JeffDuncan]

...

If the Spurs were about to move on from Gay I could see them looking at adding another big who can shoot. My concern is whether this guy is really any better than say Trey Lyles... I am too casual to tell you but I am interested in seeing what others have to say.

As Gay gets older and slower the Spurs are going to move on from him whether they want to or not.

Markkanen is 7’ tall and he’s shooting .387 from 3pt range, on 6 attempts per game. He’s also shooting .588 from 2pt range on high volume. Every team that has any sense wants him.

[FutureMan]

Sign Markkanen & draft Wagner or Kispert. Done.

Murray. White
Vassell. Walker
Johnson. Wagner/Kispert
Markkanen. Samanic
Poeltl. Dieng

[duncan2150]

I understand the concern about Markannen D but i don't understand something :

Spurs fan knows and claims we are a small market , plus we need shooting badly and adding Markannen will be bad ? Spurs will not sign an Aldridge type of player every year...

I repeat at the right price, he would be a nice addition and imo he could be better with a change of situation.

[Degoat]

Lauri Markkanen would be a big get but the only problem is to get him they’ll have to overpay

[cd98]

I have concerns about Luka’s 3 pt shooting. He hasn’t shot the 3 well in more minutes in the gleague and has been streaky at best in the NBA. His shooting is more of an ideal scenario for him than a real thing that you can count on right now.

If the Spurs were about to move on from Gay I could see them looking at adding another big who can shoot. My concern is whether this guy is really any better than say Trey Lyles... I am too casual to tell you but I am interested in seeing what others have to say.

Well, no sure thing that Luka turns out, but he is 21 years old, so he has room to grow and get better. Trey Lyles is at his prime right now. He is unlikely to get better than what he is right now. But to find out how good he can be, he needs minutes. If we are competitive for a title, it makes sense to play guys like Gay, but since we aren't that good, might as well see if he can get to another level by the end of this year and over the summer.

[duncan2150]

Lauri Markkanen would be a big get but the only problem is to get him they’ll have to overpay

I agree, i think the biggest threat is Chicago but they will not give him too much.

[exstatic]

I understand the concern about Markannen D but i don't understand something :

Spurs fan knows and claims we are a small market , plus we need shooting badly and adding Markannen will be bad ? Spurs will not sign an Aldridge type of player every year...

I repeat at the right price, he would be a nice addition and imo he could be better with a change of situation.

If you can’t sign a superstar, go for the role players who can play D, and shoot the ball. Honestly, I don’t think Markkanen is worth much more than the MLE in today’s NBA. that’s the reason his drafting team has little interest in retaining him.

[SAGirl]

Well, no sure thing that Luka turns out, but he is 21 years old, so he has room to grow and get better. Trey Lyles is at his prime right now. He is unlikely to get better than what he is right now. But to find out how good he can be, he needs minutes. If we are competitive for a title, it makes sense to play guys like Gay, but since we aren't that good, might as well see if he can get to another level by the end of this year and over the summer.
I’d play Luka regularly right now for this purpose precisely. It’s tough to tell without regular minutes if he can shoot well enough to start in the NBA, but you can’t assume he’d be that shooter based on what he’s shown. He might not be ready to play regularly if he can’t shoot well enough.

He needs minutes we agree on that, but we don’t know whether he’s ready to play well enough in those minutes to keep his spot. I wouldn’t withhold getting someone who can shoot next summer on his account.

[mo7888]

I understand the concern about Markannen D but i don't understand something :

Spurs fan knows and claims we are a small market , plus we need shooting badly and adding Markannen will be bad ? Spurs will not sign an Aldridge type of player every year...

I repeat at the right price, he would be a nice addition and imo he could be better with a change of situation.

"At the right price" is the key point..

[duncan2150]

"At the right price" is the key point..


I think so :)

[poopbox]

If you can’t sign a superstar, go for the role players who can play D, and shoot the ball. Honestly, I don’t think Markkanen is worth much more than the MLE in today’s NBA. that’s the reason his drafting team has little interest in retaining him.

I mean it's the bulls so can't put much stock in their decision making :lol

They traded for Vucevic to make the playoffs and they became significantly worse :lol

[Dejounte]

https://youtu.be/ShmmpWbQjn4

These reporters aren't pulling any punches. They're asking him tough questions. Lauri looks uncomfortable with the questions (even got into a spat with one of the reporters), and clearly unhappy with his role.

[LCM]

https://youtu.be/ShmmpWbQjn4

These reporters aren't pulling any punches. They're asking him tough questions. Lauri looks uncomfortable with the questions (even got into a spat with one of the reporters), and clearly unhappy with his role.

There's no way he stays in Chicago. He'll straight sign with someone else, or S&T will be done. Bulls management made its call on the main big being Vooch. Does Lauri have flaws, yes. But do the diligence on him. See what options a sign and trade would mean, possibly a third team, or slightly overpay to keep Bulls or other teams away if he's your target. Front load the contract, decrease the amounts the following years as an example. But he's not going to be a Bull very much longer.

[mo7888]

https://youtu.be/ShmmpWbQjn4

These reporters aren't pulling any punches. They're asking him tough questions. Lauri looks uncomfortable with the questions (even got into a spat with one of the reporters), and clearly unhappy with his role.

Yea...that's a divorce in the making...

[BackHome]

As Gay gets older and slower the Spurs are going to move on from him whether they want to or not.

Markkanen is 7’ tall and he’s shooting .387 from 3pt range, on 6 attempts per game. He’s also shooting .588 from 2pt range on high volume. Every team that has any sense wants him.

He is also made of China long list of injuries plus his defense is not that good at all.

[Mr. Body]

Can't even make the future of a bad Chicago Bulls team.

[superbigtime]

Really don't want to overpay for this guy. Pop needs to play Luka.

[rankingtear]

I think he is underutilized offensively. Dust off the Bertans off-screen deep 3 and Aldridge pick and pop playbook and you may see a different player.

[exstatic]

I think he is underutilized offensively. Dust off the Bertans off-screen deep 3 and Aldridge pick and pop playbook and you may see a different player.

Offense is not the problem. He’s 7 ft., not a rim protector, and a turnstile on the perimeter. He fucking sucks ass on defense.

[NASpurs]

I’m already pre-hating the guy with nothing concrete except rumors. Do not want.

[rankingtear]

Offense is not the problem. He’s 7 ft., not a rim protector, and a turnstile on the perimeter. He fucking sucks ass on defense.

Look man your are not getting a unicorn for 16-20 mil a year. 18 mil for a guy with potential to blow your offense wide open is a good gamble. Plus think of it as the difference between Derozan's defense to Lauri and getting scoring while not taking the ball from the other guys. You can always bench him at that salary if Luka or a draft pick pans out and we need a bench offensive anchor to replace Rudy. We need to spend at least 43 mil next offseason and offense/shooting cost a lot.

[look_at_g_shred]

Is his defense worse than Kristaps? On offense, is there any similarities there?

[The Truth #6]

If only we were a lottery-bound team, then we could play Luka more minutes to see what we have. But obviously we are shooting for the play-in tournament with the goal of getting hot and, you know, win the title, so I guess our hands are tied and we’ll need to keep playing the veterans.

[Dejounte]

I think the concerns about his "glass body" are overblown.

IMO, if the injuries have changed the way you play, i.e. Blake Griffin, then it sure is a concern. From what I've seen, he's still as spry as he was in his first year in the NBA. Some players are just unlucky for a few years, and then go on to be injury-free for the rest of their career.

I think his biggest issue is his decision-making. If it was anything else, I'd say he's a lost cause and has no room to improve. But the guy did average 17 points at one point, and not any scrub can do that. If Trey Lyles had the offense go through him, he still wouldn't get close. There's talent here, and it's a gamble that could pay off.

What's interesting is in the last few games for the Bulls, I've read that he's been slotted at SF.

https://twitter.com/JordanCMaly/status/1380978770912419841

Raptors could be a landing spot for Lauri.

After the Raptors’ 122-113 loss to the Bulls on April 8, Nurse was very complimentary of Markkanen. He referred to Markkanen as “a really good player.” He said Markkanen “was unbelievable tonight, and he played 18 minutes. He was unbelievable. Every time he touched the ball, something good happened, and every time we made a mistake, he made us pay.”

[mo7888]

I think the concerns about his "glass body" are overblown.

IMO, if the injuries have changed the way you play, i.e. Blake Griffin, then it sure is a concern. From what I've seen, he's still as spry as he was in his first year in the NBA. Some players are just unlucky for a few years, and then go on to be injury-free for the rest of their career.

I think his biggest issue is his decision-making. If it was anything else, I'd say he's a lost cause and has no room to improve. But the guy did average 17 points at one point, and not any scrub can do that. If Trey Lyles had the offense go through him, he still wouldn't get close. There's talent here, and it's a gamble that could pay off.

What's interesting is in the last few games for the Bulls, I've read that he's been slotted at SF.

https://twitter.com/JordanCMaly/status/1380978770912419841

Raptors could be a landing spot for Lauri.

After the Raptors’ 122-113 loss to the Bulls on April 8, Nurse was very complimentary of Markkanen. He referred to Markkanen as “a really good player.” He said Markkanen “was unbelievable tonight, and he played 18 minutes. He was unbelievable. Every time he touched the ball, something good happened, and every time we made a mistake, he made us pay.”


I believe if he would put in the work on his body then some of the injuries and physicality concerns would go away. He needs to add muscle.

[SAGirl]

People could bring up Whites glass body too, and to be fair it was the only thing that worried me about him when he got his deal. Hoping for the best here. I much prefer the Spurs going after underrated young guys than over the hill proven vets. Rudy is near his expiration date.

[timvp]

https://twitter.com/JordanCMaly/status/1380978770912419841

Raptors could be a landing spot for Lauri.

After the Raptors’ 122-113 loss to the Bulls on April 8, Nurse was very complimentary of Markkanen. He referred to Markkanen as “a really good player.” He said Markkanen “was unbelievable tonight, and he played 18 minutes. He was unbelievable. Every time he touched the ball, something good happened, and every time we made a mistake, he made us pay.”


Good find. Yeah, he makes a lot of sense as a Raptors target. They'd play him at center and probably could hide some of his defensive shortcomings due to the bulk and length of Siakam and OG.

[Dejounte]

"The Raptors will be about $25 million below the cap if they don’t re-sign Kyle Lowry and waive the non-guaranteed deals of Aron Baynes, Rodney Hood, Paul Watson and DeAndre’ Bembry. This includes Gary Trent, Jr.’s cap hold. They could generate another $7 million in room by waiving or trading Chris Boucher."

[exstatic]

Look man your are not getting a unicorn for 16-20 mil a year. 18 mil for a guy with potential to blow your offense wide open is a good gamble. Plus think of it as the difference between Derozan's defense to Lauri and getting scoring while not taking the ball from the other guys. You can always bench him at that salary if Luka or a draft pick pans out and we need a bench offensive anchor to replace Rudy. We need to spend at least 43 mil next offseason and offense/shooting cost a lot.

OK, try to imagine our defense from earlier this year, with LaMarcus, before he got benched. Now, subtract the only thing that made LaMarcus worth playing, his rim protection. Not a fan of spending $20M on sliding backwards into our awful defense from earlier this year. LaMarcus also shot 36% from long, and that couldn’t even keep him on the floor.

[rankingtear]

OK, try to imagine our defense from earlier this year, with LaMarcus, before he got benched. Now, subtract the only thing that made LaMarcus worth playing, his rim protection. Not a fan of spending $20M on sliding backwards into our awful defense from earlier this year. LaMarcus also shot 36% from long, and that couldn’t even keep him on the floor.

Why would I imagine Markannen with Aldridge's foot speed. A more closer comparison is the 18-19 season LA-Poeltl starting lineup has a top 10 defense with Forbes and DDR.

[Dejounte]

Why would I imagine Markannen with Aldridge's foot speed. A more closer comparison is the 18-19 season LA-Poeltl starting lineup has a top 10 defense with Forbes and DDR.

Right. This year's Aldridge had the worst defense known to mankind. Players may blow by Markkanen more often than others, but I wager they'll be able to cover that up better than they tried to with Aldridge. The question is what Lauri does when he does get blown by. Is he going to react with stupid fouls similar to what Rudy Gay does every time he gets blown by? Or is he going to be in better position and allow Poeltl to block the shot?

[Mugen]

I don't even like Lauri but yeah that's an easy call if it's Toronto v San Antonio.

Hell his agent should make a call to Brian Wrong in the summer and Brian will probably pay the Raptors an extra 2mil again for no reason :lol

[SAGirl]

I don't even like Lauri but yeah that's an easy call if it's Toronto v San Antonio.

Hell his agent should make a call to Brian Wrong in the summer and Brian will probably pay the Raptors an extra 2mil again for no reason :lol
:lmao

[TD 21]

Good find. Yeah, he makes a lot of sense as a Raptors target. They'd play him at center and probably could hide some of his defensive shortcomings due to the bulk and length of Siakam and OG.

No, he doesn't. They need a legit center (long rumored interested in Drummond) since light weights/twigs Siakam and Boucher don't have the girth to credibly play it (even though the latter basically has to, his viability is matchup dependant), it's asking too much of Anunoby and for all their length and athleticism, neither he nor Siakam play big either.



I don't even like Lauri but yeah that's an easy call if it's Toronto v San Antonio.

Hell his agent should make a call to Brian Wrong in the summer and Brian will probably pay the Raptors an extra 2mil again for no reason :lol

Partially right in that it is an easy call, but wrong that it's in favor of the Raptors. The Spurs could not only easily outbid them if they wanted to, but the prospect of Markkanen having to play little to no center and not having an established offensive hierarchy will likely be appealing to him, as well as the perception of a "culture" that's foreigner friendly.

[JuneJive]

How is his perimeter D?

If he can be a 4 and focus more on the outside, both ends of the floor, then maybe he's worth considering.

[R. DeMurre]

"The Raptors will be about $25 million below the cap if they don’t re-sign Kyle Lowry and waive the non-guaranteed deals of Aron Baynes, Rodney Hood, Paul Watson and DeAndre’ Bembry. This includes Gary Trent, Jr.’s cap hold. They could generate another $7 million in room by waiving or trading Chris Boucher."


It would be amazing if Boucher became available before next season, after which he becomes a free agent. Right now, Boucher averages more points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and assists per 36 than Markannen, while also shooting a better 3pt% and a better 2 pt%, and having significantly better advanced stats. The only advantages Lauri has over him right now is that he fouls about half as frequently, and he's 5 years younger. I'd be much happier with Boucher over Markkanen.

[Dejounte]

It would be amazing if Boucher became available before next season, after which he becomes a free agent. Right now, Boucher averages more points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and assists per 36 than Markannen, while also shooting a better 3pt% and a better 2 pt%, and having significantly better advanced stats. The only advantage Lauri has over him right now is that he fouls about half as frequently. I'd be much happier with Boucher over Markkanen.

I would too and it would be completely insane for the Raptors to let go Boucher for Markkanen, or even attain Markkanen for the purpose of playing him over Boucher. You've got a player who already knows the system and know how well he does in it. Why risk investing a lot of money into an unknown who is very similar to a player you already have?

[R. DeMurre]

I would too and it would be completely insane for the Raptors to let go Boucher for Markkanen, or even attain Markkanen for the purpose of playing him over Boucher. You've got a player who already knows the system and know how well he does in it. Why risk investing a lot of money into an unknown who is very similar to a player you already have?

Let's hope Toronto has a little streak of insanity in them this off season. Right now, I'd say Boucher's current production kinda looks like Markkanen's ceiling, if things go right for him.

[duncan2150]

Let's hope Toronto has a little streak of insanity in them this off season. Right now, I'd say Boucher's current production kinda looks like Markkanen's ceiling, if things go right for him.

They are totally different players not agree on this. Boucher can protect the rim, Markannen not but Lauri has more offensive upside.

Actually they are both on their 4th season and Markannen has the better stats by far , i don't understand the ceilling part.

[R. DeMurre]

They are totally different players not agree on this. Boucher can protect the rim, Markannen not but Lauri has more offensive upside.

Actually they are both on their 4th season and Markannen has the better stats by far , i don't understand the ceilling part.

Here's their comparison side by side: https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=bouchch01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=markkla01&p2yrfrom=2021

There's no question Boucher is the better defender, but Boucher is currently outperforming Markkanen in the one area that everyone claims is his most important skill: shooting.
By ceiling, I mean I can't see Markkanen ever posting better advanced stats than what Boucher is posting this year. Every marker is in Boucher's favor-- Offensive rating, defensive rating, VORP, BPM, Win shares, WS/48, etc...

[duncan2150]

Here's their comparison side by side: https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=bouchch01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=markkla01&p2yrfrom=2021

There's no question Boucher is the better defender, but Boucher is currently outperforming Markkanen in the one area that everyone claims is his most important skill: shooting.
By ceiling, I mean I can't see Markkanen ever posting better advanced stats than what Boucher is posting this year. Every marker is in Boucher's favor-- Offensive rating, defensive rating, VORP, BPM, Win shares, WS/48, etc...

Ok i understand what you mean, Boucher is having a carreer year and Lauri probably his worst year. Imo Lauri needs a good environment to shows his capacities. We'll see next year in SA or elswhere :)

[exstatic]

Ok i understand what you mean, Boucher is having a carreer year and Lauri probably his worst year. Imo Lauri needs a good environment to shows his capacities. We'll see next year in SA or elswhere :)

Nope. Four years vs Four years.

[rankingtear]

Here's their comparison side by side: https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=bouchch01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=markkla01&p2yrfrom=2021

There's no question Boucher is the better defender, but Boucher is currently outperforming Markkanen in the one area that everyone claims is his most important skill: shooting.
By ceiling, I mean I can't see Markkanen ever posting better advanced stats than what Boucher is posting this year. Every marker is in Boucher's favor-- Offensive rating, defensive rating, VORP, BPM, Win shares, WS/48, etc...

Different shot profile, closer to the shots of big wing shooters like Bojan Bogdanovic. Boucher is a budget John Collins, rim run and 3. Basically Markkanen is a 7ft shooting big wing that the spurs have tried to pursue every offseason Marcus Morris / Bojan Bogdanovic / Harrison Barnes.

These type of wings have poor net rating but teams still put a premium on their services because they are key parts of high scoring offensive units.

[The Truth #6]

I’m OK saying no on Laurie. If he can’t play defense then I don’t see the point, to be honest. I’d rather sign defensive mind players for cheaper shorter contracts while we still try to find our star. And he isn’t it.

[R. DeMurre]

Different shot profile, closer to the shots of big wing shooters like Bojan Bogdanovic. Boucher is a budget John Collins, rim run and 3. Basically Markkanen is a 7ft shooting big wing that the spurs have tried to pursue every offseason Marcus Morris / Bojan Bogdanovic / Harrison Barnes.

These type of wings have poor net rating but teams still put a premium on their services because they are key parts of high scoring offensive units.

Problem is Markkanen is too slow to guard PFs, so I imagine he'd really have some trouble with quality SFs. Boucher has his own issues with regard to switching on Centers because he's so skinny, but I think he'd still do a better job than Markkenan there, and would also be better on switches involving SFs. Also, Markkenan as SF might be a problem because he's not especially strong on ball movement. He's averaging under 1 assist per game this year, which is pretty unusual for a guy who spends so much time on the perimeter-- so, in a way, he's the worst of both worlds-- a 7' guy who's not a great rebounder or shot blocker-- so not too valuable in the paint-- but who when switched to SF also isn't a great ball handler or passer. His 2pt% is pretty great this year though, so there is that. It's an interesting dilemma for a coach to figure out.

[jjspur]

A lot of people are ragging on Markkanen but if you think of him as a semi washed up Rudy and a non existent Lyles replacement, it isnt so bad. Lyles I will bet isn't coming back and Rudy probably isn't either unless he takes a serious pay cut. That's 19.5 million between both of them that can be spent. Get Markkanen for 18 mil. and you have 1.5 mil left over for an end of the bench player who can take Lyle's place. Either way the spurs should have some decent money to spend but not a whole lot of quality players to spend it on this off season. I'm Ok to saying no to Markkanen, but I'm not Ok to keep paying players who have outlived their usefulness on this team for the amount of $$$ we are paying them. Why do we have so much money ? Because we will finally be finished paying some middling, some over the hill, and some washed up always injured players on this team. Hey spurs front office, lets do a better job this time around.

[rankingtear]

Problem is Markkanen is too slow to guard PFs, so I imagine he'd really have some trouble with quality SFs. Boucher has his own issues with regard to switching on Centers because he's so skinny, but I think he'd still do a better job than Markkenan there, and would also be better on switches involving SFs. Also, Markkenan as SF might be a problem because he's not especially strong on ball movement. He's averaging under 1 assist per game this year, which is pretty unusual for a guy who spends so much time on the perimeter-- so, in a way, he's the worst of both worlds-- a 7' guy who's not a great rebounder or shot blocker-- so not too valuable in the paint-- but who when switched to SF also isn't a great ball handler or passer. His 2pt% is pretty great this year though, so there is that. It's an interesting dilemma for a coach to figure out.

Both really can't start at center , Boucher because he gives up a ton of offensive boards ( the reason Nurse won't start him at center ) and Markannen lacks rim protection. Boucher is more mobile he is 6'9 200 after all.

I don't get the switch to SF thing. Those big wings play the off ball role, none of those run the pick and roll , isolates or post up.

Don't expect good offensive rebounding numbers from those who shoot more than 50% of their shots from three. Per 36 defensive rebounding of Jakob and Markannen is identical and Markannen only plays 50% as the lone big man.

[Dejounte]

Both really can't start at center , Boucher because he gives up a ton of offensive boards ( the reason Nurse won't start him at center ) and Markannen lacks rim protection. Boucher is more mobile he is 6'9 200 after all.

I don't get the switch to SF thing. Those big wings play the off ball role, none of those run the pick and roll , isolates or post up.

Don't expect good offensive rebounding numbers from those who shoot more than 50% of their shots from three. Per 36 defensive rebounding of Jakob and Markannen is identical and Markannen only plays 50% as the lone big man.

Right. We're so accustomed to watching DeMar takeover ball handling duties and playmaking duties that it's hard for us to imagine how a primarily catch-and-shoot player will do on our offense. Markkanen shoots the ball when he gets it-- that's his role. He's not out there to create plays out of thin air and average a few assists a game. Like I said earlier, Lauri's issue is his decision-making. Sometimes, he forces a shot when not in rhythm. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to teach him to pass the ball if it's not a good look...possibly leading to more assists. Lauri moves so well off the ball that it's reminiscent of Bertans. That's who he is. And maybe, he can reach a higher level than Bertans with the way he makes powerful strides to the basket.

[R. DeMurre]

Right. We're so accustomed to watching DeMar takeover ball handling duties and playmaking duties that it's hard for us to imagine how a primarily catch-and-shoot player will do on our offense. Markkanen shoots the ball when he gets it-- that's his role. He's not out there to create plays out of thin air and average a few assists a game. Like I said earlier, Lauri's issue is his decision-making. Sometimes, he forces a shot when not in rhythm. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to teach him to pass the ball if it's not a good look...possibly leading to more assists. Lauri moves so well off the ball that it's reminiscent of Bertans. That's who he is. And maybe, he can reach a higher level than Bertans with the way he makes powerful strides to the basket.

I don't mean to imply that I want Markkanen to be come an "assist guy", but even a poor passer with little to no court vision is going to stumble across a few assists. I mentioned his very low assists numbers in conjunction his other low numbers in rebounds, steals, blocks...

[R. DeMurre]

I don't get the switch to SF thing. Those big wings play the off ball role, none of those run the pick and roll , isolates or post up.


Someone earlier had mentioned (Dejounte?) that Coach Donovan had been experimenting a little with playing Markkanen at SF.

[ragas]

Bryn Forbes big brother for 20 million per. Intriguing... (blue font)
Save the cap space for bad contracts to gain some picks.
Spurs already have Samanic and can get a cheaper Markkanen type player via draft.

I‘m okay with spending money, but it has to make sense. Throwing a shit ton of money on someone who has an injury history and hasn‘t shown some promise that he can defend a bit at least. No, thanks.

[Dejounte]

Bryn Forbes big brother for 20 million per. Intriguing... (blue font)
Save the cap space for bad contracts to gain some picks.
Spurs already have Samanic and can get a cheaper Markkanen type player via draft.

I‘m okay with spending money, but it has to make sense. Throwing a shit ton of money on someone who has an injury history and hasn‘t shown some promise that he can defend a bit at least. No, thanks.

And if there are no trade partners for this kind of trade? Who are some specific players do you propose for the Spurs to sign to meet the salary cap floor?

[K...]

So ragas wants to race to the bottom competing with okc for pick hoarding? So much potential with an extra 2nd round pick

[exstatic]

And if there are no trade partners for this kind of trade? Who are some specific players do you propose for the Spurs to sign to meet the salary cap floor?

Word on the street is that bad contracts available are Wiggins, still, Barnes, and Horford. I’d be OK with any of them, but of the three, Wiggins would need the best asset(s) attached. All expire or have a team option in 2023.

This is all assuming that we bust in FA, and don’t do something stupid like signing Markkanen.

[rankingtear]

Bryn Forbes big brother for 20 million per. Intriguing... (blue font)
Save the cap space for bad contracts to gain some picks.
Spurs already have Samanic and can get a cheaper Markkanen type player via draft.

I‘m okay with spending money, but it has to make sense. Throwing a shit ton of money on someone who has an injury history and hasn‘t shown some promise that he can defend a bit at least. No, thanks.

A 7ft Bryn Forbes? That is the dream.

[Dejounte]

Word on the street is that bad contracts available are Wiggins, still, Barnes, and Horford. I’d be OK with any of them, but of the three, Wiggins would need the best asset(s) attached. All expire or have a team option in 2023.

This is all assuming that we bust in FA, and don’t do something stupid like signing Markkanen.

The question posed was, who are the players the Spurs should sign if either the Spurs aren't real suitors for taking on bad contracts (because they don't want to be) or because those teams with bad contracts don't want to trade with the Spurs for whatever reason.

[R. DeMurre]

The question posed was, who are the players the Spurs should sign if either the Spurs aren't real suitors for taking on bad contracts (because they don't want to be) or because those teams with bad contracts don't want to trade with the Spurs for whatever reason.

I wonder, though, given the current market prices-- do you think Harrison Barnes even qualifies to be included under the umbrella of the "bad contract" label? His remaining salary years are 21/22 at $20.3mil and 22/23 at $18.3mil. I'm not a huge fan, but those numbers aren't all that crazy.

[exstatic]

I wonder, though, given the current market prices-- do you think Harrison Barnes even qualifies to be included under the umbrella of the "bad contract" label? His remaining salary years are 21/22 at $20.3mil and 22/23 at $18.3mil. I'm not a huge fan, but those numbers aren't all that crazy.

Bad, or simply unwanted. They have young mouths to feed. They’re already paying Hield, who’s having an awful season, and Fox is next.

Barnes was on the market at the trade deadline.

[R. DeMurre]

Bad, or simply unwanted. They have young mouths to feed. They’re already paying Hield, who’s having an awful season, and Fox is next.

Barnes was on the market at the trade deadline.

I'd say Hields is the worse contract and worse player... but he's probably more untradeable. I guess I'm just thinking that maybe getting an underwhelming player for two years in the absence of other available guys is preferable to signing an underwhelming FA for 4 years.

[TD 21]

Someone earlier had mentioned (Dejounte?) that Coach Donovan had been experimenting a little with playing Markkanen at SF.

A product of an imbalanced roster (too many rotational bigs and poor shooting big wings and too few rotational wings), the need to play their best talent in spite of it and Vucevic and him being an untenable 4-5 combination defensively.



I wonder, though, given the current market prices-- do you think Harrison Barnes even qualifies to be included under the umbrella of the "bad contract" label? His remaining salary years are 21/22 at $20.3mil and 22/23 at $18.3mil. I'm not a huge fan, but those numbers aren't all that crazy.

Nah. As an experienced, in prime, 3 and D combo forward with some shot creation ability, he'd easily get that in free agency.

[duncan2150]

Right. We're so accustomed to watching DeMar takeover ball handling duties and playmaking duties that it's hard for us to imagine how a primarily catch-and-shoot player will do on our offense. Markkanen shoots the ball when he gets it-- that's his role. He's not out there to create plays out of thin air and average a few assists a game. Like I said earlier, Lauri's issue is his decision-making. Sometimes, he forces a shot when not in rhythm. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to teach him to pass the ball if it's not a good look...possibly leading to more assists. Lauri moves so well off the bay ll that it's reminiscent of Bertans. That's who he is. And maybe, he can reach a higher level than Bertans with the way he makes powerful strides to the basket.

Plus he can drive and post a little bit. Offensively he could be a 20 ppg for sure.

[BackHome]

Well Pop pretty much kept Bertans in the Dog House his whole career with us so I don’t see him treating Mark... any different

If I am Markk I would have to wonder why was Bertans treated that way and then look at this year with not playing Luka or Lyles at all and he’ll put in Carroll who did not play at all the year before.

[objective]

Lauri would be terrible and well overpaid.

Signing Collins to a max offer sheet would be much better, even if Atlanta matches.

Based on the stellar approach to signings and trades, I'm expecting Lauri on a max deal.

[SAGirl]

Well Pop pretty much kept Bertans in the Dog House his whole career with us so I don’t see him treating Mark... any different

If I am Markk I would have to wonder why was Bertans treated that way and then look at this year with not playing Luka or Lyles at all and he’ll put in Carroll who did not play at all the year before.
A good point that wasn’t even on my mind. Even the signing of Dieng is a ?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Well Pop pretty much kept Bertans in the Dog House his whole career with us so I don’t see him treating Mark... any different

If I am Markk I would have to wonder why was Bertans treated that way and then look at this year with not playing Luka or Lyles at all and he’ll put in Carroll who did not play at all the year before.

I guess I half agree with your post. I think the FO F'd up with the Carroll signing, as well as pursuing Morris.

Lyles doesn't make the team any better, so that one doesn't bother me, and Carroll was toast, and just a bad signing on our part. When he left for the Rockets they basically played him one game and also saw he was fully cooked.

Getting rid of Bertans to attempt to sign a low caliber player like Morris was just a bad move by the FO.

I do think Luka's opportunity is coming. Look at Johnson. He hardly hit the court last year and now he's a starter. I think Luka will see a lot more floor time next season.

[tbdog]

Lauri would be terrible and well overpaid.

Signing Collins to a max offer sheet would be much better, even if Atlanta matches.

Based on the stellar approach to signings and trades, I'm expecting Lauri on a max deal.

Maxing Collins means no DDR. The numbers won't work unless DDR takes a drastic low offer. Then if that's the case, then no Dieng and Mills. Gay is obviously gone regardless. When you look at that, it means DDR and Gay for Collins.

By going after Lauri, the numbers mean Spurs could still retain DDR, Mills, and Dieng. Therefore the trade is Gay for Lauri, which makes it an automatic upgrade in the roster.

[Kurgan]

Maxing Collins means no DDR. The numbers won't work unless DDR takes a drastic low offer. Then if that's the case, then no Dieng and Mills. Gay is obviously gone regardless. When you look at that, it means DDR and Gay for Collins.

By going after Lauri, the numbers mean Spurs could still retain DDR, Mills, and Dieng. Therefore the trade is Gay for Lauri, which makes it an automatic upgrade in the roster.

You say that like it's a bad thing :lol

A Spurs roster without Dumbar and Fatty would make for a much more watchable product and provide more playing time for the youngsters.

Your suggestion is to keep the current roster plus Lauri in place of Rudy. That's a lateral move at best. Spurs will treadmill forever with that group until the vets retire. It's best just to rip the band aid off completely and let the vets go.

[R. DeMurre]

I'd love to see Pop experiment a little with a line up that includes White, Murray, Vassell, KJ, and Dieng-- that would be five three point shooters who all defend. Will he do it? I doubt it.
Gotta agree with what others have said here-- if Markkanen & his agent are familiar with Pop's rotations from the past couple of years, they'd have to be at least a little bit worried.

[tbdog]

You say that like it's a bad thing :lol

A Spurs roster without Dumbar and Fatty would make for a much more watchable product and provide more playing time for the youngsters.

Your suggestion is to keep the current roster plus Lauri in place of Rudy. That's a lateral move at best. Spurs will treadmill forever with that group until the vets retire. It's best just to rip the band aid off completely and let the vets go.

No, I'm not saying just add Lauri instead of Gay. I have been very vocal that Murray and White need to be broken up in favour for a center.

[Kurgan]

Imagine wanting to build around a 31 year old Derozan. You must enjoy watching treadmill teams

[objective]

Maxing Collins means no DDR. The numbers won't work unless DDR takes a drastic low offer. Then if that's the case, then no Dieng and Mills. Gay is obviously gone regardless. When you look at that, it means DDR and Gay for Collins.

By going after Lauri, the numbers mean Spurs could still retain DDR, Mills, and Dieng. Therefore the trade is Gay for Lauri, which makes it an automatic upgrade in the roster.

DDR being gone is a benefit.

Seriously, Markannen is trash. I listen to several Bulls podcasts and even the hardcore blind homer ones that insist the bulls are about a year away from a title and about to sweep the leagues in a red tidal wave ... They want Markannen gone. Some don't think he's even worth more than the mle. He's been that frustrating and disappointing.

[Kurgan]

So the only thing Spurs need to become a contender is to pair DDR with Lauri Markannen :rollin

[objective]

DDR being gone is a benefit.

Seriously, Markannen is trash. I listen to several Bulls podcasts and even the hardcore blind homer ones that insist the bulls are about a year away from a title and about to sweep the leagues in a red tidal wave ... They want Markannen gone. Some don't think he's even worth more than the mle. He's been that frustrating and disappointing.

Edit addition:

I also don't care about Mills and Dieng.

They're both on the wrong side of 30 and getting worse. Mills is part of the problem with the team. Dieng lost his spot to a 3rd string minimum player. They aren't winning the Spurs anything.

[Dejounte]

Edit addition:

I also don't care about Mills and Dieng.

They're both on the wrong side of 30 and getting worse. Mills is part of the problem with the team. Dieng lost his spot to a 3rd string minimum player. They aren't winning the Spurs anything.

Dieng didn't "lose" his spot. He didn't have enough games to show it was his. Eubanks is playing above a "3rd string" level player.

[Rocalcio]

Well Pop pretty much kept Bertans in the Dog House his whole career with us so I don’t see him treating Mark... any different

If I am Markk I would have to wonder why was Bertans treated that way and then look at this year with not playing Luka or Lyles at all and he’ll put in Carroll who did not play at all the year before.

Not the same salaries so I guess Markkanen would get playing time.

[slick'81]

No, I'm not saying just add Lauri instead of Gay. I have been very vocal that Murray and White need to be broken up in favour for a center.


Good for u