2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Here’s a thought and I’m genuinely asking. Could you overpay for Watson AND then sign&trade AR for Duren?

 

Yeah it’s the same scenario as bringing in Watson, resending Lebron, Smart and Kennard. Then going over the cap to resign Reaves.

You’d be hard capped at 209m with a sign and trade, but that probably won’t matter when you go the cap space route anyway.

 

yes. but it would be tricky as a double sign and trade--both teams hardcapped at first apron, complicates other moves/retaining players.

again, everyone seems to want to keep smart, lebron, and kennard. if you want that, some bigger dreams are much harder to realize.

edit: svtzr beat me to it.

 

Should have prefaced for this team.I fully agree with you

 

Lowe talked about this on his pod today, thought it was a pretty good segment. The biggest issue is the Pistons' lack of shooting. All year Duren has gotten his points off rolls to the rim or bully-ballying mismatches if teams switch the pick and roll between him and Cade. The Magic are mostly guarding Cade with Franz, rather than Suggs, Black or Bane, and have been comfortable switching WCJ onto Cade. When they switch that PR, Suggs, who has been guarding Ausar, starts to completely ignore Ausar and start playing centerfielder. Want to enter the ball into Duren to punish the "mismatch" against Franz in the post? Good luck, Suggs is ignoring Ausar and playing that passing lane, or rotating to allow someone also to help deny entry to Duren. If they forget the ballscreen entirely and just feed it to Duren in the post, WCJ is pretty damn strong. There's a reason he was comped to Horford coming out of college - he's not the biggest but he's sturdy, he's not going to be knocked off his spot easily.

It's a good illustration of why non-shooters are so harmful in the playoffs, especially for P&R heavy teams. Ausar has been a really nice player all season, but his non-shooting is a big reason why the 1 seed is probably going home in the first round.