Lauri Markkanen/Jaren Jackson Jr

[Big Empty]

All the talk of the Greek Freak but lost in the mix are these two players who have been bounced around as Spurs trade scenerios on youtube. Im just wondering if they would be a better fit and slightly better cap hit vs the Greek Freak? Markkanen has been an obsession on this board for awhile and both are years younger than Giannis. What are your thoughts?

[exstatic]

It’s basically the same situation, although better fits. Your both accelerating the timeline, and the subsequent decline by stuffing your salary cap so soon.

[Dverde]

I can’t see the Spurs adding this kind of salary after re-signing Fox. In my eyes, Spurs had one more huge salary to give out and the picked Fox. Giannis is a no for a different reason, I just don’t think it was be a good fit.

[LeBowen]

Both would be great next to Wemby, but both will be overpaid for what they offer.
JJJ is a borderline all-star, but will get 30% max extension. The usual issues with good, but not great players.
Lauri's ~$50M a year when Wemby's extension kicks in would be unsustainable. He made his bed by accepting that extension and prioritizing money over competing.

[spursparker9]

Hell no to both

[CorrectCrusader]

Stop trying to skip steps when we don't even know what our team looks like healthy rn.

[RC_Drunkford]

we need to sign 2 forwards for 20-25 million instead of one for 50

[Chinook]

A JJJ/Wemby front line would be amazing, and it would make a Fox/Harper back court much easier to function. The question with him is what he would be willing to sign for? With his decreasing deal, he can only re-up on a deal starting at around $31 Million. I think it's possible Jackson would take less to sign with the right team, but I don't think he'd take THAT much less. Like with Markkanen last year, it might make the most sense for a team to only offer what they could stand to lose if he walked in 2026.

[scott]

I can’t see the Spurs adding this kind of salary after re-signing Fox. In my eyes, Spurs had one more huge salary to give out and the picked Fox. Giannis is a no for a different reason, I just don’t think it was be a good fit.

Bingo!

I think Lauri and JJJ are the right archetype, but there is no room to add another max salary to the team the direction it is going.

But… trying to discover the next guy in that Lauri/JJJ mold should be high on our agenda.

[poopbox]

Bingo!

I think Lauri and JJJ are the right archetype, but there is no room to add another max salary to the team the direction it is going.

But… trying to discover the next guy in that Lauri/JJJ mold should be high on our agenda.

Weird because if you had traded for them before they got paid...you still would have had to pay them.

Which is why I don't get all the "they make to much" and "they accelerate the timeline" talk. They were going to make to much and accelerate the timeline if you had traded for them in 2023. So what does it matter in 2025?

[scott]

Weird because if you had traded for them before they got paid...you still would have had to pay them.

Which is why I don't get all the "they make to much" and "they accelerate the timeline" talk. They were going to make to much and accelerate the timeline if you had traded for them in 2023. So what does it matter in 2025?

We trade for Fox instead. That's what it matters.

[rankingtear]

They don't want another long term salary with the young promising players likely to be payed one after another. Giannis opens up a window so even if it is for 2-3 years that is more than any other team was able to open up in this second apron era. I don't think we open any championship window with these guys, they would at best be the 3rd most impactful player on the roster.

[Arguendo]

A JJJ/Wemby front line would be amazing, and it would make a Fox/Harper back court much easier to function. The question with him is what he would be willing to sign for? With his decreasing deal, he can only re-up on a deal starting at around $31 Million. I think it's possible Jackson would take less to sign with the right team, but I don't think he'd take THAT much less. Like with Markkanen last year, it might make the most sense for a team to only offer what they could stand to lose if he walked in 2026.
He's only due $24.M next yr, could you extend him for more like an $35M in '25-'26 to save on the back end? If his agent understands time value of money could be looking at a decent discount right there.
JJJ and Wemby could be perennial all-stars together, them plus Castle and Fox playing passing lanes is D juggernaut next yr.

[Joseph Kony]

ehh, Spurs need a F with some defensive versatility and Lauri ain't that guy. JJJ is obviously a good defensive player but he is softer than baby shit and his rebounding numbers are embarrassing. not only that but he routinely shrinks in the playoffs. That isnt even getting into the price tag. No thanks to either tbh

[Mal]

You can add Bam Adebayo to list, and make it a no go

[montgod]

ehh, Spurs need a F with some defensive versatility and Lauri ain't that guy. JJJ is obviously a good defensive player but he is softer than baby shit and his rebounding numbers are embarrassing. not only that but he routinely shrinks in the playoffs. That isnt even getting into the price tag. No thanks to either tbh

Fully agree. Not only that, I don't get the intrigue of Lauri from Spurs fans. Guy hasn't ever played more than 68 games in a season and 5 of his 8 yrs in the league, he played less than 55 games. Pass.

I see Spurs building similarly to OKC. Draft the BPA, keep that cap space manageable with talent from the draft, and get your other needs covered via trade or free agency. Spurs are in an excellent position this offseason to continue this route.

[spurraider21]

JJJ is very close to the picture perfect PF to pair with Wemby

[BacktoBasics]

I’m not super versed with Lauri but isn’t he seriously lacking defense and rebounding. I understood the appeal as a scorer before the Fox trade but now that we have Fox and Harper likely to be a solid ppg contributor in a year or so I don’t see him as valuable as he once was to us. Especially with that contract.

[Chinook]

He's only due $24.M next yr, could you extend him for more like an $35M in '25-'26 to save on the back end? If his agent understands time value of money could be looking at a decent discount right there.
JJJ and Wemby could be perennial all-stars together, them plus Castle and Fox playing passing lanes is D juggernaut next yr.

There's no saving on the backend with JJJ. He is on the same tier as Fox is but plays a premium position. If he doesn't take a max contract, it'd be a miracle. The max extension the team can sign him to would be about $150M/4, or just under $38 Million a year. It would be hard to imagine him settling for that little. What compounds the issue is that he's in the same situation as Markkanen last year in that he can only sign an extension that big if obeys the six-month double-limitation. He either signs that extension and can't be traded for six months or he can be traded and then has to wait six months to sign the extension. Otherwise, he has to follow extend-and-trade rules, and the max he can sign for is a $52M/2, which is definitely not happening. So the Spurs would have to either make a leap of faith in trading for him hoping he signs the extension later/signs a new contract in the summer of 2026, or they have to somehow get him for rental value. I can't imagine that happening.

But yes, the Spurs would be hella interesting running Fox, Castle and Vassell, Jackson and Wembanyama, with Harper, 14, Johnson and Sochan off the bench. Maybe if things go horribly for Memphis and JJJ tells them he's walking, the Spurs can trade for him using Barnes and draft capital at the deadline. I fear, though, that's the only real pathway to that potential death lineup.

[Chinook]

JJJ is very close to the picture perfect PF to pair with Wemby

Yep. Too good for other teams to cross-guard Wemby while also being mobile enough to survive on the perimeter and strong enough to play backup center. He's also a very good scorer, so it's not like the Spurs are sacrificing offense for defense here.

[baseline bum]

JJJ is very close to the picture perfect PF to pair with Wemby

No that was Flagg

:cry it still hurts :cry

[spurraider21]

Yep. Too good for other teams to cross-guard Wemby while also being mobile enough to survive on the perimeter and strong enough to play backup center. He's also a very good scorer, so it's not like the Spurs are sacrificing offense for defense here.
the only thing with him is that somehow, he is not a particularly good rebounder

[Obstructed_View]

If taking on a vet with a big salary is the play, I'd prefer Markkanen or JJJ instead of Giannis. That said, I'd prefer Fox and CP3 as vet leadership and fill the roster with role players.

[bevo]

What about trying to obtain Bobby Portis? Wendell Carter Jr?

[Chinook]

I didn't realize how much Mark's agent destroyed Ainge in the extension negotiations until looking over Lauri's contract earlier today. It's late, so I'm just going to post what I said on RGM:


Looking back on it, Markkanen's extension was crazy. Had he signed a max contract [with any other team] this summer, it would have been something like $200M/4, They gave him a $24-Million raise last year. They should have deducted most if not all of that from the extension, basically giving him the $200 Million early but keeping the total around $219M/5. That means, these next four years would have been $176 Million, or about $44 Million a year. On an increasing contact, that means he'd start at just over $39 Million. It would be much more palatable for teams to take him if he were making $39M to $49M rather than $46M to $54M.

Mark's agent deserves mad props for getting Utah to pay for Lauri at his absolute peak value.

[SpursGenius]

All the talk of the Greek Freak but lost in the mix are these two players who have been bounced around as Spurs trade scenerios on youtube. Im just wondering if they would be a better fit and slightly better cap hit vs the Greek Freak? Markkanen has been an obsession on this board for awhile and both are years younger than Giannis. What are your thoughts?
dont want mark. Too expensive, slow, bad defender.

[LeBowen]

He's also a very good scorer

No, he's not.
27 career playoff games.
15.7/6.5/1.1 on 39/33/81

He just had 38/27/85 splits against the Thunder.
Yeah, his team had no chance, but you can't be a max 6'10 player with sub-40% career playoff FG.

He shits the bed every single time in the playoffs and it's not like he was the main focus of defenses.
The only situations that make him look like a good scorer are playing against bad teams that don't have size at PF.

[tbdog]

I'm worried about JJ rebounding. I think our rebounding is really poor unless Sochan starts. And I don't see Sochan starting if the spurs are going to play a backcourt where our sg is Castle or Harper to go along with Fox. And also Devin Vassell is an underwhelming rebounder at the 3. So whoever the spurs are targeting, should be a plus rebounder at that 3 or 4 position. Barnes is also a poor rebounder as well.

But man, add JJ and defensively you would switch fucking everything and still have an insane shot blocker in the paint.