2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

I think I get what you are saying. Why burn the 5.7 TPMLE on Capela, if he won't even be used as the backup center. That is a great point! Another thing of note: DFS and Vando are really expensive backup forwards, that would only be projected to play about 12-15 mpg each. Might as well use one of them as the back up center, and then you have JJ's preference for small ball as well, so you have that. Could look to use the 5.7 TPMLE to bolster the bench sscorin, instead.

 

In a scenario in which we focus in getting Claxton before we do anything else, we would be better off combining Vincent/Kleber than sending out Rui, since Rui would just be viewed as salary ballast to them anyway (I think that's kind of what abeer was touching on). If we are unable to find a deal for a POA defender, we get to keep Rui.

• So the deal would be something like Vincent + Kleber + DK + 2031 1st for Claxton. We might be able to do with sending a 2028 and 2028 swap in leu of the 2031 1st, We also should explore scenarios where they receive Vando instead of Vincent. With that said I would rather look at the worst case scenario.
• Once the Claxton trade is made, we would be left with Rui, Milton and swaps in 2026,2028,2030, and 2032 as basically our remaining trade pieces. The Rui/Milton combo doesn't match up with Orlando, I mean in terms of us not going into the second apron, unless the trade is expanded somehow.
• We might be able to trade Rui + cash + pick swaps to Portland for Thybulle, Reath, and Rupert, but this unlikley, depending on how Portland feels about Rui.

 

i want a first?

don't know. i didn't think jrue holiday was going to be available when we were entering that summer, for example. there's value in keeping at least some powder dry.

because of the salary? i think it's clear jj wants to play sfs at center. i'm not sure the fact that one is paid a lot more is going to sway it. it's part of why i'm not sure i want to pony up big assets for it.

btw, i'm not even sure capela is going to available for my desired price. i'm just saying that if it's capela at tpmle or three assets for claxton, i'm going capela. 10 times out of 10, actually. you can find other claxton-level players with multiple assets, imo.

for example...

i think you can get carter or goga for 1 or 2 assets.

 

Claxton is kind of different than most other centers that have been discussed, because he is switchy and doesn't foul a lot. He has also been fairly durable compared to a lot of the others mentioned, having played 70+ games in each of the lase three seasons. This gives us less concern in regards to signing an additional lob threat big. We need to have at least one. I suppose Vando could be utilized as the backup center. He's not a big time lob threat, but at least he defends and rebounds at a high level.

 

It would be nice if Rui could go to a team that actually wants him for his talent. That way, we could get a higher return for him. I think his value is higher than Dlo's was FWIW. I know it's not saying much. But there might be a team out there that actually wants him. Rui would look great in a C Bags jersey tbh.

 

yeah, i get why people want claxton. i just think a) it's pretty unrealistic and b) accomplishing it will leave other holes that would prevent contention.

i don't know; i just feel like teams will play hardball with us just like with dlo, too. and different than dlo, the coaching staff seems to like rui, so why move him unless it's just a no-brainer? and why attach assets unless it's a major upgrade.

and maybe the question is what constitutes a major upgrade.

one thing lurking behind all of my thoughts is that luka makes guys look better. so people who have been less impressive elsewhere could flourish here--maybe moreso than people who have looked good on their own. and the former come much cheaper.

derrick jones jr was bouncing around before luka showed people what was possible there. we need to be looking for those instead of paying too much for guys would only look marginally better here. lean into the fact that we have a one-man offensive engine the likes of which we haven't really seen since kobe.

 

Yeah, that is a great point. I thought about that too. Jones is obviously a freaky athletic player. I brought up names like Jalen Green, but that gets into Reaves territory. There is also Shaeden Sharpe. Im all for buying low and selling high. It's just Claxton is the rare player that meets the requirements of "lob threat" to appease Luka, and "highly switchable center" to appease JJ. So, I think it makes sense to go for this guy. To be fair, there may be more players out there that fit the criteria, but I jut don't know. Where is Willie Cauley Stein these days? Is Paul Reed or Adan Bona that gu? idk much about them.

 

If you have an opportunity to get Claxton before any "negotiations" with Capela, I think you need to pull the trigger. If we get commitment from Capela before then, maybe contingent on a starting role, it would be interesting to see what we do, considering Capela vs. Claxton's switching ability. BTW, do you by any chance know why Hayes was not playing in the playoffs?

 

i believe jj basically came out and said it was because we "couldn't score" when hayes was on the floor.

here's hayes:



here's claxton:



note that both were big minuses on offense last year. now, maybe you give claxton lebron, reaves, and luka (though that impact was minimal on hayes this year due to limited sample), and he back to where he was two years ago on both ends. but if we're just looking at last year, claxton is just kinda...jaxson hayes. i realize he's not, but he's also not in a totally different class, imo.

this is paul reed:



note that reed has basically the same wingspan, weight, and standing reach as claxton.

this is capela:



he's going in the wrong direction (because he's 30), but he's more physical around the bucket than any of these guys.

anyway, back to the original question, all these guys may be us barking up the wrong tree, as they're all d and lob guys, and none of them can do much else on offense, which was jj's concern in the playoffs.

 

Well, what does JJ want? A traditional post-up big? A stretch 5? I mean, JJ is the a modern coach. Aren't traditional post up moves considered analytically inefficient? What about what Luka wants? Doesn't he prefer lob players? Is Mark Williams a good mix of post moves and lob catching? Maybe we should just go for Mark Williams again?

 

i think we're going to find out. what i'm arguing is that jj may not be interested in a high-dollar player at center, as he hopes to play about 30mpg without one?

maybe the answer is to spend less on two situational centers--like you get capela and valanciunas with the understanding that sometimes the latter won't see the floor and the former will mostly be a spot starter.

but again, we'll see. we definitely need at least one above-vet-min center option for the first time in many years.

 

i trust that rob, jj, and luka have all gotten on the same page already. whether we can execute the ideal plan will probably never be known to us, right?

 

You can’t play the majority of the game with Austin and Luka on the court but no center. Just not doable. Too easy to hunt either of those guys and get high percentage looks in the paint with no rim protection. Maybe we could get away with it if LeBron was 27, but he’s not. I hope that’s not how JJ wants to play going forward because it’s stupid. No one has any success playing that way except GSW and they have one of the all-time defensive unicorns in Draymond.

 

I don't see how Nuggets can win without Gordon
Denver's Aaron Gordon has a Grade 2 hamstring strain and needs several weeks to recover from the injury, sources tell ESPN. The Nuggets' playoff star has been searching for ways to play in today's Game 7 against Oklahoma City, but it is becoming physically improbable to do so.
Update.He is playing

 

I hope that JJ watch the game.
Injured Gordon who is limping get already 5 rebounds in first quarter.f*** small ball

 

Showtime basically answered this one. Skill, age, and defensive utility. Also Capela has already lost his starting role in one place, making it easier for a coach to make the tough choice when you're not the first one among your peers to do so.

I think that's a strange take that underachievers can flourish more with a ceiling raising Luka than good players can. How can you assume that a good player would only be marginally better here? It's just as logical to think a good player would look like a great player when they get the easiest, highest quality looks of their career while being largely ignored by the defense.

The issue with Jax was that he was neither. He was also nothing on offense when teams took away his lane to roll for the lob and he was a bad defender. A lost puppy on defense that overreacted to every block chance and fouled his little heart out.

Claxton and Capela will be defending even if the offensive role is taken away in a series.


Also we're not sure yet that JJ wants to play an SF at center when given a proper roster. We don't have a sample size with adequate players to make that assessment. At his presser he said himself that he has to do better with the players he has, instead of the style he wants.





Some other center thoughts:
-Lane mentioned this theory: that Capela or Adams could be an option for the TPMLE if we're willing to not invest much else on the position and they know they're walking into a non contested large role because of what that could do value wise for their next deal. Went as far as saying he could see guys chasing us instead of the other way around if we go that route. I've said before that I think guys and their agents will be targeting us and it's been a minute since that's been the case. I know it's been suggested in here we promise them a starting spot (I think by abeer), but I haven't really thought of avoiding any additional competition for them as a selling point.

- what do yall think the market will be for Claxton's backup? You know the one we were dumb not to get included in the DFS deal. I know he'll be a RFA, but I don't see him on any team's list for a player you throw an offer sheet at and see if the Nets match. If he's an option for the TPMLE, I'm in on that. I think he can probably get at least $7m but with the market squeezing guys...i don't know.