There is Markannen to Spurs Buzz

[scott]

There are plenty of people here advocating going "all in". How else am I supposed to read that other than doing whatever it takes?

Maybe I'm reading a different thread, or I just missed it, but I've yet to see anyone present a trade that would decimate our stockpile. Almost everyone seems to draw the line at around 4 picks (most of which would be further out when we *should* be picking late in the round + matching salary (or in other words, just past what GSW could offer).

[Splits]

this might be the dumbest 50+ page thread I've ever witnessed on ST. Get ing real. There is no way Mark is coming to SA this offseason

[scott]

If it’s premature to praise them, is it premature to criticize them?

Fair question, but IMO, no.

Praise will come from achieving a specific result: winning on the court. We've not seen that yet.

Criticism comes from doing things that don't achieve that specific result, and we have seen that. With that said, the criticism may in fact turn out to be wrong. I hope it does - because that will mean we're back to winning.

Criticism is a lot easier to earn than praise (in all things in life). Glory comes when you prove the critics wrong. I'm hoping that moment comes for Wright and PAFTO.

[TD 21]

PAFTO built the teams that won in the 2000s too. Not really relevant at this point. The league changes. And I already gave him credit for the current Celtics squad.

The point here is that none of Ainge's shrew dealmaking has amounted to in Utah, nor have the moves that PAFTO has made in the last 7 years they're getting credit for.

Not defending Ainge, but to be fair, he's been with the Jazz for two years and they haven't been trying to win.

He declared that would change this off season, which is probably why they were rumored interested in myriad big names (probably to pacify the owner, Smith, who likely grew impatient).

Now that that ship has sailed, it's only a matter of time until Markkanen is traded. A team bereft a centerpiece can't afford to screw up their position for the next 2 drafts like they did the last 2 and miss out on the supposed surplus of premium talent incoming.

[MannyIsGod]

I don't expect anything... I just said he's won on trades before he's won games. This is a fact. That doesn't mean Ainge or PAFTO suck, it just means that its a little premature to be taking victory laps. This relates to Quinn (in a separate tweet) lumping the Spurs, Thunder and Celtics as front offices who are better than everyone else. But this iteration of the Spurs FO hasn't turned the corner yet, so it's premature to heap that kind of praise on them.

Sounds like you're disagreeing just to disagree.

I just think that you're really underrating Ainge right now. He's gotten a good return on his trades at Utah, the team who's foundation he built literally just won the le, and I find it insane to put him below Presti who has built a damn good team but it also took him over half a decade and only after he ed up a team that should have won les. I'd agree with you if people were high on Ainge due to his old success or what he's done at Utah alone but taken in aggregate there's a reason he's so highly regarded.

[MannyIsGod]

this might be the dumbest 50+ page thread I've ever witnessed on ST. Get ing real. There is no way Mark is coming to SA this offseason

This thread isn't even int he top 50 of dumb ST threads over 10 pages long.

[scott]

Not defending Ainge, but to be fair, he's been with the Jazz for two years and they haven't been trying to win.

He declared that would change this off season, which is probably why they were rumored interested in myriad big names (probably to pacify the owner, Smith, who likely grew impatient).

Now that that ship has sailed, it's only a matter of time until Markkanen is traded. A team bereft a centerpiece can't afford to screw up their position for the next 2 drafts like they did the last 2 and miss out on the supposed surplus of premium talent incoming.

Again, there isn't really anything to defend Ainge from. All I said is that he's getting praise for winning trades before he wins games. He (like the Spurs), have yet to turn the corner on their respective projects - thus it is premature to call their projects successful. They may in fact be on the right path... but they've yet to succeed, so let's not schedule the parades yet.

[Splits]

be happy with CP0 and Barnes, it ain't getting any better. lmao PATFO doing something like adding Mark, it is wishcasting at its worst

[Splits]

This thread isn't even int he top 50 of dumb ST threads over 10 pages long.

true. which is why I said 50 pages, this is going to rank up there.

[scott]

I just think that you're really underrating Ainge right now. He's gotten a good return on his trades at Utah, the team who's foundation he built literally just won the le, and I find it insane to put him below Presti who has built a damn good team but it also took him over half a decade and only after he ed up a team that should have won les. I'd agree with you if people were high on Ainge due to his old success or what he's done at Utah alone but taken in aggregate there's a reason he's so highly regarded.

You are misunderstanding and arguing for nothing.

He, like PAFTO, have a well earned reputation. But their works in progress are still just that... works in progress. Ainge and PAFTO's projects will only be successes if they are successful. Let's not crown them for winning trades until that translates into winning games.

[MannyIsGod]

You are misunderstanding and arguing for nothing.

He, like PAFTO, have a well earned reputation. But their works in progress are still just that... works in progress. Ainge and PAFTO's projects will only be successes if they are successful. Let's not crown them for winning trades until that translates into winning games.

Alright but if EVERYONE in this thread right now is misunderstanding you then I'd argue you're not doing a very good job of making the point you think you are. You led off by saying Ainge doesn't win. I get your point now (though I still think its kind of pointless to say a guy 2 years into a rebuild doesn't win).

[Splits]

we're getting "t-spence Gasol to the Spurs" level delusion here. love scott, he's brilliant, but this is some serious delusional

[jesterbobman]

I doubt Lauri moves this offseason, mostly as I think Ainge will value him as a player worth a lot and teams will be reticent given his contract, both in having only 1 year and the low rate making an extension impossible.

I do think the Spurs are, and should be interested, and might as well be flashing a sign to Lauri (and his reps) saying "Hey, we're interested, we're looking to build a contender and be really good for your prime with this French dude you might have heard of. Keep us in mind next offseason."

[MannyIsGod]

If he gets traded for a trash package to Golden State then people should definitely be annoyed with the Spurs FO but if he doesn't get traded the Ainge was probably asking more than would be reasonable.

[TD 21]

Again, there isn't really anything to defend Ainge from. All I said is that he's getting praise for winning trades before he wins games. He (like the Spurs), have yet to turn the corner on their respective projects - thus it is premature to call their projects successful. They may in fact be on the right path... but they've yet to succeed, so let's not schedule the parades yet.

Fair enough, but a lot of luck goes into this. All you can do is utilize the information in hand at the time to make logical moves and hope they pan out as expected in the future.

[scott]

Alright but if EVERYONE in this thread right now is misunderstanding you then I'd argue you're not doing a very good job of making the point you think you are. You led off by saying Ainge doesn't win. I get your point now (though I still think its kind of pointless to say a guy 2 years into a rebuild doesn't win).

This is probably correct.

I'll rephrase my point in a few bullet points:

• Ainge and PAFTO have well deserved reputations
• They're winning individual deals in their current projects, which earns praise
• But their current projects have yet to turn the corner. So while they are winning so battles, they've yet to win (or even compete) in the war, so let's pump the brakes on the overall praise [this relates back to Quinn's tweet saying the Spurs, Thunder and Celtics were basically taking advantage of the rest of the league. One of those teams is not like the others (in their current form)]

[scott]

we're getting "t-spence Gasol to the Spurs" level delusion here. love scott, he's brilliant, but this is some serious delusional

I've been saying for like 40 pages we aren't getting Lauri

I just like talking about it, because (at least to me) it's the super obvious move we should make (which is probably why we are rumored to be involved, though I doubt we actually are)

[scott]

If he gets traded for a trash package to Golden State then people should definitely be annoyed with the Spurs FO but if he doesn't get traded the Ainge was probably asking more than would be reasonable.

Yeah, this is what I said early on as well. If Lauri gets moved for some modest package that we could have easily beat - I'll be pretty bent out of shape. But he extends with Utah or the Warriors give some Godfather offer to, then that's just the way it goes. I'd like to know we at least gave it the ol' college try.

[Splits]

I've been saying for like 40 pages we aren't getting Lauri

I just like talking about it, because (at least to me) it's the super obvious move we should make (which is probably why we are rumored to be involved, though I doubt we actually are)

agreed, I'd trade 5 FRP for him. but it ain't happening. you're adorable

[scott]

Gonna keep this thread alive forever as some kind of bizarro universe Spurs while we're forced to watch Tre/Bran/Champ/Keldon/Collins lineups give up 20-point leads.

[Splits]

give me Patty and Beno and we gotta deal

[CGD]

Gonna keep this thread alive forever as some kind of bizarro universe Spurs while we're forced to watch Tre/Bran/Champ/Keldon/Collins lineups give up 20-point leads.

You son of a , I’m in

[sfernald]

Gonna keep this thread alive forever as some kind of bizarro universe Spurs while we're forced to watch Tre/Bran/Champ/Keldon/Collins lineups give up 20-point leads.

‘in this bizarro universe Tre is out injured so Wesley is in filling his shoes…

[exstatic]

They’ll trade him if he doesn’t extend.

[exstatic]

With the Spurs having used up all their cap space on the Paul and Barnes acquisitions, they no longer would have the ability to renegotiate the last year of Markkanen’s contract so that the 40% raise on his extension would reach the max.

I think the only teams left with enough space to do that are the Jazz themselves and the Pistons.

Markkanen and his agent therefore have a vested interest in trying to scuttle any trades from the Jazz by suggesting they won’t re-sign.

What makes the most sense for Markkanen is to stay with the Jazz, do the renegotiation and extension ASAP on August 6, and then if the Jazz still want to trade him, they can do so at the trade deadline.

If he extends, he puts his exit timeline in Ainges hands, not his own. He’s allegedly not thrilled with the last two years, and they'll have to tank again, since they have no franchise player. If they win the 2025 lottery, they’ll suck for another year after that. So, maybe they start being not terrible when he’s 29?