Like in the Markkanen case, it is all about fit.(?)
I think people are overestimating how good this team will be next year by assuming that we’re already at “treadmill” status because of CP3.
We added a rookie who can’t shoot and a useful but elderly and injury prone point guard to the roster, but we are mostly bringing back everyone else who got us a bottom 5 record last year.
And you KNOW Pop will give Branham and Wesley and Sochan plenty of run to see if any of them turn the corner into good useful players.
If CP3 plays 20-25 mpg and stays healthy and Wemby stays healthy we probably have a 30-35 win team.
That is somewhere around 8-10 in the lottery.
That is also a whopping 10-15 games outside the play-in.
So when I say “soft tank,” that is what I mean.
And it leaves room to tank hard in the last month for a better slot.
My concern is that adding LM would put us in play-in treadmill territory and we’d miss out on a lottery ticket in the ‘25 draft.
I also think we need to have reasonable expectations of what Lm would look like for the Spurs, especially in year one when most new acquisitions struggle a bit to learn “the system.”
He’d probably be just good enough to give us a terrible pick but maybe good enough to make the playoffs.
I am still in favor o getting him at a fair price but I also still want one more lotto ticket for that ‘25 draft.
Like in the Markkanen case, it is all about fit.(?)
Cap space isn't nearly as useful as it used to be when stars usually don't hit free agency, and Markannen would be the best available 2025 free agent anyways if everyone that can hit free agency in 2025 does.
IDK could just ask Mandingo not to go all in instead of asking three Jerami Grants if it's in yet.
The more I think about it, there isn't really a scenario that makes more sense than Markkanen to the Spurs. For any of the sides involved.
For the Spurs, Lauri is probably the best fit available.
For Lauri, playing next to Wemby makes you compe ive for the next decade.
For the Jazz, there isn't any other team out there that can give you more.
If PATFO wants it, it should happen, tbh.
Agree 100%. And if PAFTO just doesn't think Lauri is a fit, then I'm actually okay with that too (even if I disagree). I just would hate to hear that we thought he was a perfect candidate, but we half-assed in our offer so Ainge went another direction we could have beat without giving up too much. For example, if he goes to GS for Wiggins and 2 FRPs, I'll be pissed because we could have easily beat that. But if he goes to GS for Kuminga and 4 FRPs and 3 swaps, then it, let GS have him for that.
I would just be pissed if we learn that PAFTO was really high on Lauri but we only offered Devonte and the CHA pick because we're trying to be cute (this is an exaggerated example... not even I think this lowly of our FO).
Either be out on him, or be in to get him in a serious way.
what exactly is he bad at on defense? Please elaborate. And no, we are not signing him as the main rim protector.
You're a good sport, but the thing that you and that arrogant, snobby, self promoting brownnoser you parrot on Spurs X don't get is, even those names will cost multiple "good" assets.
To do what exactly; chase 35ish wins? It doesn't make sense to be half pregnant with this stuff.
Markkanen can't credibly play C. He's like Williamson, Randle, Siakam, Banchero, Gordon, etc. in that he's one of the few remaining true PF's.
we are not signing him as the main shotblocker. People here are saying he's a bad defender, but can't point out what he's actually bad at. He's 7 feet tall, mobile enough to guard on the perimeter and strong enough to guard bigs in the post. So what is he bad at? Y'all act like he's Tre Young. He plays PF and SF, not C.
Well there is one better scenario for 2 of those players. Markannen to the Spurs in 25 Free Agency, and all those assets retained for future. I'd expect Wright to be back channelling to make this clear to his agent and using the threat to keep Ainge's demands in check.
That's not happening. Also, it is debatable it is better for both. Markkanen would need to waste another year of his career playing for a non competing team, and the Spurs also would be wasting a year not being as good as they could.
The main reason to me is that you can up his salary for this year by renegotiating the contract and then possibly take some of that money off when you extend him. That should give you the possibility to sign him for a little less than the max and maybe frontload his deal, giving you significant cap room once Wemby is on the max.
Last edited by RC_Drunkford; 07-04-2024 at 04:53 PM.
Yeah, I hope the Spurs get a very good Center through a trade or free agency as when we start competing for a Championship it is going ti be imperative we have someone who can start and hold down the fort for a few weeks or months in case if injuries or just to hep alleviate wear and tear. With the West getting two huge centers added to our opponents Edey and Clingan, we going to have to get some beef on the frontline
Another thing to consider is that to be able to sign Lauri as a FA next offseason (which I doubt he ever hits FA) is that it will take some more maneuvering for the Spurs to have the capspace, versus being able to use his bird rights to resign him. Also, the 5% raises versus 8% raises thing.
Just signing Lauri as a FA is possible, just not very likely (for any team).
A realistic low ball would be the CHA pick, Bulls pick, 27 swaps and the 31 Minny pick. It's still four picks one of which is pretty good but the rest are meh for a lot of different reasons.
If that's all it took.... Sign me up. But I just don't see the price being that low at all. The Warriors chasing Lauri with desperation is bad for the Spurs.
No one should be planning to specifically sign Mark in free agency. The Spurs stand to have a lot of space in 2026, but 2025 is much less certain.
Also, because I guess I'm in some circle of , I'm back to assuming the renegotiation date for Mark is 08/28. So he's back to being an expiring with Bird rights rather than a guy Utah could extend then trade at the deadline.
Yeah that's a low ball for sure. It will cost one of the ATL picks, prolly the 2030 swaps and the 31 Minny pick. Not sure what the fourth pick would be to make it the winning offer. Bulls pick might be good enough as the fourth best pick.
Well you are right Ainge is trying to create a bidding war. I’ve seen all this before. He goes really slow and before long the fan bases (us) are in a frenzy willing to spend anything. This is just his MO.
He’s trying to create this war, but I’m not sure one actually exists. Of the teams interested, the contenders for the most part don’t seem realistic except maybe GSW who seem to have moved on. There’s no sign of Okc and they are probably completely sitting this bidding war out on principle.
My guess is our front office isn’t getting worked up or emotional. They just gave Ainge their best offer and told him to off if he wanted more. That’s surely what most of us would have done. I buy and sell everyday and that’s how I would do it.
If I'm being honest, I'm not sure the Spurs are even in these conversations. As far as I could tell, the big reporters are still not talking about this. The Spurs with all of their assets and situation are always going to be a "logical" suitor for a star. We know Ainge leaks to the media, and I think he's doing that here. The point of GS being in the rumor is to get people interested ("Well if they're in this with their assets, we could jump in too") whereas as the Spurs are in there to push the price up ("We're going to have to give our best offer to beat the Spurs with their million picks"). Maybe SA is talking, but apparently they were talking about Murray and Young too.
Our one and only short term goal this season should be getting Wemby into the play-in so he can get a taste of the playoffs. Keep building this offseason and then maybe make another big move at the deadline if we need more of a boost to get us there. Look at how Dallas is just shifting gears so perfectly each year for Luka.
reports say Spurs, Dubs and Kings made significant offers, so I doubt that's made up. It's also been said that about 20 teams called the Jazz because of Lauri and that Utah said the chance of trading him is 10%. Utah's initial plan was to trade for Mikal Bridges to improve the roster, not tank, as they already have enough of a warchest of draft picks.
Seems pretty obvious that Ainge's camp is the one steady leak in all this. A lot of the "what I am hearing reports" sound like Jazz talking points. "It's going to take a blockbuster," and "they don't want to trade him."
That and of course GSW who have to make Curry happy by at least trying hard.
Wasn't that Utah's own guy saying there were significant offers? Acting as their mouthpiece as much as anything. Significant can mean anything you want it to.
A lot of we've seen so far is classic rhetoric trying to create a market. If teams were motivated to get a deal done, especially in a supposedly hot market, it should have been over by now with teams bidding against each other. Seems like no one is bidding. At most they might have lodged their interest, Ainge is trying to get more, and the prices aren't moving.
I think we are at a place where no one is really going to change their mind. I'm with scott and LeBowen with the belief that we really can't trust this front office with draft assets when it comes to picking players and it's better to go ahead and trade for a player like Lauri. I don't think you waste them...it's more about being opportunistic. I understand DPG even if I don't agree with him. You want to hold out hope that this front office will be able to take its head out of its ass and pick the players that this team needs to succeed with the assets we have acquired.
At the end of the day it's a very hard call. I saw DPG say he thinks it's a 70% chance those pics will pan out in some way. I honestly think it's closer to 50/50. I worry about this franchise's ability to judge talent. They were too scared to take anyone at number 8 and just traded the pick away instead. How can I trust them with the future picks we own? I and many others are of the opinion that there were players worth taking and the future might show that. As far as building from where we are now goes, Lauri looks like a step in the right direction. You know for a fact you are getting a good player. Perhaps the future will tell a different tale and some better player will get picked with the pick that we traded. It's a risk you take. But from where I stand, it's the risk that needs to be taken.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)