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I'd have Charlotte either 1) in the playoffs or 2) run out of town and moved to Seattle/Las Vegas within 3 years, no doubt
Bar is low. And on ST, even when you are directionally correct in advance you get people angry and upset because it was a week late or exact details weren’t the same.
All good - we simply enjoy our team and watching games and interacting nonetheless
I'd have Charlotte either 1) in the playoffs or 2) run out of town and moved to Seattle/Las Vegas within 3 years, no doubt
Yeah same, although with a 99% chance for the latter.I'd have Charlotte either 1) in the playoffs or 2) run out of town and moved to Seattle/Las Vegas within 3 years, no doubt
Real talk, one of the most difficult parts in team building is probably to make moves to improve in a way that doesn’t cap the team’s ceiling and flexibility. In this sense Brian Wright is doing a good job so far.
For sure - most fans only operate with half the equation: basketball. But theres a very real business side to this as well. So have to take all that into account in real world vs what fans want to see/do
The business side is exponentially more difficult than we could even imagine, as we operate on a simple basketball fan level, as you pointed out. In reality these GMs have budgets, specific goals, probably conflicting goals and messages coming from different high level executives, etc. They’re also real human beings working for money and looking for a raise or a new contract, so they’d sometimes do short term quick wins to meet expectations, otherwise they’d have their contract expire (if they’re not fired) and no one else would look at hiring them.
On top of it all they have to appease executives, players and agents so that they even have the opportunity to make certain moves, and this is an incredibly difficult line to walk. Not to mention having to navigate internal intrigues and people looking to bring you down so they get more opportunity for themselves. There’s a serious game of thrones going on in every structure like this.
I can see all of this in the ordinary corporate world, with significantly lower stakes, so I can only imagine what it is in a real NBA billion dollar franchise.
Which makes it all the more perplexing that so many dummies get paid to run teams
Having worked in a corporate setting for an organization significantly larger and more valuable than the Spurs (or any NBA team for that matter), I imagine the corporate politics are insane. And having led (smaller) organizations with ultimate responsibility, the “business side” is probably the easiest part of it. Managing those relationships, keeping key stakeholders with diverging interests happy, balancing short term wins against the long term objectives, that’s the tough part like you said.
So while on one hand I don’t like how the Spurs FO has what appears (from the outside looking in) like they have no accountability because there appears (again from the outside looking in) like there are no expectations… but on the other hand I can appreciate how it doesn’t force our FO to make short sighted decisions in order to meet those immediate term objectives at the expense of a longer term vision.
The ol’ classical “trade off” scenario
Yep exactly. I currently work for a company that’s worth more than all NBA teams combined and although I’m not on a high enough level, due to the nature of my work I see the politics on every level and they’re insane. Managing relationships, like you said, sounds simple enough but in reality it is a science in itself.
This is a very important point and one that I’ll always defend the Spurs FO about - they have developed a structure that allows them to operate with a long term vision and this is incredibly rare. Sure, it has some drawbacks but overall it’s a huge positive.
The other part is treating players, agents, everyone with respect and building these relationships, instead of looking at everyone as an asset. These things pay off eventually.
Teams not wanting to trade with Ainge is approaching meme level.
I'm hoping the Jazz will put out an offer sheet for Grimes to completely over the 76ers, just to cement Ainge's reputation as an asshole, and cause 29 other GMs to never want to deal with him again.
Def think this is a thing. Plus, he’s got to sell being in Utah on top of it all.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...-transactions/
Athletic piece here on what the Pistons could do with their trade exception they got for Schroeder. Posting here because it discusses a few players the Spurs should be interested in including PJ Washington, Herb Jones, and the guy they just traded for.
Detroit Pistons roster reset: Who can they target with their trade exception?
Jan 31, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles defended by Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Hunter Patterson
Hunter Patterson
July 9, 2025Updated July 10, 2025 12:24 am GMT+8
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Just over a week into offseason free agency, Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has kept his word. On two separate occasions, since the conclusion of the Pistons’ playoff push, Langdon has said his offseason approach would be to “stay patient” and “not be super aggressive.”
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Since teams could begin contract negotiations with all free agents on June 30, Detroit’s roster has been retooled without Langdon having to mortgage the future of any current Piston.
Detroit completed a sign-and-trade that sent Dennis Schröder and a 2029 least favorable second-round pick to the Sacramento Kings in return for a traded player exception for a little more than $14 million and a 2026 second-round pick. Tim Hardaway Jr. signed with the Denver Nuggets on a veteran’s minimum, a projected $3,634,153 next season.
Schröder’s trade exception can be used for a full year after the trade is finalized with the league office, likely giving the Pistons until early July of 2026 to utilize this exception, depending on when it was officially finalized.
Before Malik Beasley was named as a person of interest in a federal gambling investigation, the Pistons had been in talks with Beasley and his agent leading up to June 30. Detroit was prepared to offer Beasley a three-year, $42 million contract that included a team option for the last year, according to previous reporting by The Athletic.
The Pistons began their free-agent acquisitions by agreeing with big man Paul Reed to a two-year, $11 million contract. Detroit then signed guard Caris LeVert to a two-year, $29 million deal. The team officially announced LeVert’s signing Tuesday, but has yet to announce Reed’s.
The Pistons’ most recent offseason move was completing another sign-and-trade, bringing Duncan Robinson to Detroit on a three-year, $48 million contract and sending Simone Fontecchio to the Miami Heat.
Detroit also officially signed its 2025 second-round pick, Chaz Lanier on Monday.
In theory, Jaden Ivey should assume Hardaway’s role as Cade Cunningham’s backcourt mate. LeVert is a veteran who is five inches taller and 30 pounds heavier than Schröder and offers the Pistons another option as a secondary ballhandler off the bench. Robinson didn’t finish second in the league in made 3s as Beasley did last season, but he has made at least 185 triples in five of his seven seasons in the association.
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Detroit has 14 players on its roster as of Tuesday morning, including two two-way players, now that LeVert’s signing is finalized. Assuming Reed’s deal is finalized soon, the Pistons would then have 15 total players on their roster including two-way players.
So, what should Langdon and Detroit’s front office do with their remaining traded player exception (TPE)? Danny Leroux, The Athletic’s cap expert, noted the Pistons should have $14,104,00 to spend and get an extra $100,000 wiggle room on top of the TPE.
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Let’s take a look at some players, with either expiring contracts or with two years left on their deals, who Detroit can explore trading for without having to make any long-term commitments.
P.J. Washington, Dallas Mavericks
Salary, 2025-26: $14,152,174
Age at the start of next season: 27 years old
Height, weight, wingspan: 6-7, 230 pounds, 7-3
2024-25 stats: 14.7 points on 45.3 percent shooting and 38.1 percent from 3 on 4.2 attempts, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game in 57 games
Although Washington has the highest annual average value on his contract of any player listed, he has the potential to be the best fit for the Pistons as someone who meshes with Detroit’s core age and timeline.
Washington is an undersized stretch forward who makes up for his lack of height by boasting the longest wingspan on this list. Despite spending his first four-and-a-half seasons on a Charlotte Hornets team in a cycle of losing, Washington still has a defensive box plus-minus of zero.
He’s a versatile defender who can guard on the perimeter as well as hold his own in the paint with the bigger, more imposing bodies of big men in the NBA. Being a career 35.8 percent shooter from long range on 4.9 attempts makes Washington a prime candidate to space the floor for the Pistons, which is a desired skillset on a team with Cunningham.
Given Washington’s defensive versatility, age, NBA Finals experience, shooting ability and grittiness, he’d be a formidable candidate for Detroit’s traded player exception.
Herb Jones, New Orleans Pelicans
Salaries, 2025-26, 2026-27: $13,937,574, $14,898,786
Age at the start of next season: 27 years old
Height, weight, wingspan: 6-7, 206 pounds, 7-feet
2024-25 stats: 10.3 points on 43.6 percent and 30.6 percent from 3 on 3.6 attempts, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals in 32.4 minutes per game during 20 games
Jones is another player who, like Washington, would help anchor the defense off the bench and potentially late in games. Jones hasn’t yet proven to be the scoring threat Washington is, but Jones’ career 36.6 percent shooting from long range is higher than Washington’s, though Jones takes two fewer per game. Jones also has a career plus-1.4 defensive box plus-minus to show for his defensive capability.
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Langdon selected Jones with the 35th pick in 2021, so the familiarity between the two stems back to Jones’ collegiate career at Alabama.
During Jones’ 2023-24 campaign, his last full season, he averaged 11.0 points on 49.8 percent from the field, 41.8 percent from 3 and 86.7 percent from the free-throw line. He nearly achieved the 50/40/90 shooting splits that separate good from great shooters, albeit on low volume, and he wasn’t the focal point of the New Orleans Pelicans’ offensive game plan.
Jones’ grit is different than Washington’s in that he’s quieter and more reserved than Washington, whose on-court persona is more extroverted. Jones’ mindset is one Pistons fans and Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff would also appreciate and use while molding Jones to fit Detroit’s style.
Kelly Olynyk, Washington Wizards
Salary, 2025-26: $13,445,122
Age at the start of next season: 34 years old
Height, weight, wingspan: 6-11, 240 pounds, 6-11
2024-25 stats: 8.7 points on 50 percent and 41.8 percent from 3 on 1.8 attempts, 4.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists during 44 games
Olynyk spent time in Detroit during the 2021-22 season, although only for 40 games. Before that stint and even after, Olynyk has shown the ability to be another stretch forward who has shot 37.1 percent from 3-point range on 3.1 attempts per contest.
His biggest asset since being in the association has been his willingness to take and make shots from behind the arc, which keeps defenders honest when guarding his teammates. Olynyk is no stranger to creating for his teammates out of dribble-handoff actions, which have become a staple in the Pistons’ offense.
Olynyk would be a great candidate to run pick-and-pop action with Cunningham to pull opposing defenses further from the paint. He has his limitations defensively, but most defensive lapses coming from Olynyk won’t be for lack of effort or heart. Despite those limitations, Olynyk has a career defensive box plus-minus of 0.8, with his rookie season being his only as a minus at minus-0.3.
The veteran is worth a look given his regular-season and playoff experience, expiring contract and offensive versatility.
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Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies
Salaries, 2025-26, 2026-27: $12,500,000, $12,500,000
Age at the start of next season: 29 years old
Height, weight, wingspan: 6-8, 215 pounds, 6-8
2024-25 stats: 8.3 points on 62.1 percent, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists in 18.9 minutes during 64 games
Clarke is another player on the list who could fill a valuable role for the Pistons as a backup power forward with postseason experience. Clarke, unlike the aforementioned players, does not offer outside shooting. He’s made 51 triples in his career with 43 of those coming during his first two seasons.
That said, Clarke has averaged 10.2 points on 60.6 percent from the field and 5.5 boards per game for his career. Clarke brings a similar rugged, hard-nosed mindset that would fit well in Detroit.
Clarke has a knack for creating second possessions for his team based on his ability to consistently crash the offensive glass. Considering Robinson, LeVert and Holland could assume the majority of the second-unit scoring duties, Clarke could be the player to master the intangibles that don’t show up on the stat sheet.
Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic
Salaries, 2025-26, 2026-27: $8,333,333, $7,608,696
Age at the start of next season: 26 years old
Height, weight, wingspan: 6-11, 250 pounds, 7-2
2024-25 stats: 7.2 points on 61.1 percent, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists in 20.4 minutes during 70 games
Bitadze rounds out the list as a player who, like Clarke, won’t offer outside shooting, but has shown flashes of playmaking ability. At nearly 7 feet tall, Bitadze is a big body who would present the Pistons with another formidable big with a variety of skills.
Like Jalen Duren and Olynyk, Bitadze seems comfortable in dribble-handoff actions. This would potentially help Bitadze transition to Detroit’s style of play quicker, as he’s shown the vision to occasionally get teammates open looks on backdoor cuts. Although Bitadze has never averaged more than seven points per game, he’s also been limited to a career-best 20.4 minutes last season.
Bitadze’s size doesn’t make it the easiest for him to show the mobility necessary to be a winning defender, but he’s a career plus-2.8 when it comes to defensive box plus-minus. Bitadze could also be a force on the offensive glass given the opportunity, as he averaged 2.4 offensive rebounds last year.
The big man would be the cheapest salary of these options next season with possibly the most untapped potential considering his age, skillset and limited usage thus far.
(Photo of Cade Cunningham and P.J. Washington: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images)
I don't like Harper starting right now because they need him to be the offensive "engine" off the bench and while its obviously possible to double, that would require 30 or more mpg, which isn't happening.
If they play Castle alongside Harper off the bench, they'll both be in combo guard roles.
The problem with your starting five and any that doesn't contain Barnes/Sochan as the starting forward duo is, when Sochan is defending the POA 1-3, none of Vassell/Castle/Harper are capable of defending the 4.
Last edited by TD 21; 07-10-2025 at 06:59 PM.
Just a simple question a friend asked me:
If we could straight up turn Vassell into the '26 #10 pick, would we do it?
In other words: Whats Vassells trade value?
Tell your friend that, in any trade proposal, at the moment Vassell is more likely to be rejected even as filler by the other team than he is to getting you pick 10 in next year's draft.
PS: If Sacramento had him pegged as a positive contract, Spurs missed an opportunity by not including him, I'd rather have the pick/s and cap space.
Answer to the first question is yes.
The second question is more difficult. To alot of GM"s it's a negative value, but there are probably a couple that view him as positive. We should have RC but those GM's drinks...
Trading Vassell for a 3D forward would be the icing on the cake
Come up with some trade scenarios that makes sense for both teams. I looked. I can't find a realistic one for one deal.
Indiana without Halliburton is gonna have a transition year... They could be tempted to sell Siakam (now 31 with 3 years remaining). I just checked that Siakam for KJ, HB and JS works...
Eh, a non shooter. His skill set is not for us.
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