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

He is a bit of a distressed asset right now. That's why I have him getting the room exception. I was just looking for the best combo of shooter and defender, and I keep landing on Ellis at that price point. In my build, we already have Point of Attack covered with Grimes and Smart. Ellis at the very least provides a decisive, high volume 35% + 3 pt shooter with a high Stock rate. He is a 40% 3 pt shooter for his career. That's good value for 9.4 million. It doesn't have to be Ellis though.

 

I think sometimes where I disagree with you, is that you're always trying to find an even middle ground and realistic options. I generally like your suggestions, I just don't want to pay them as much or give as much in a deal. I'm just trying to be far more greedy than you because I strongly believe in the following:

With the new CBA, it's all about having players that out perform their contracts.

We don't have the benefit of tanking to get a lot of rookie scale contracts like OKC, Spurs, Detroit or Rockets have. So we have to pick up distressed assets, develop two way players or convince vets to sign with us on good deals because they like the team, want to compete or want a chance to get a bigger contract.

As an examples:

• I'm not signing Thybulle, Robert Williams or Ellis for more than the TPMLE because the first two can't stay healthy and the last one can't get consistent playing time on two teams.
• I'm not stretch and waiving anyone, that's the worse use of money.
• I'm not sending out too many picks or taking back bad players.

Whatever we do, we need to benefit. If we can't, just don't make the move. Our patience got us Luka, and we have lots of flexibility this summer - so just don't make the moves that don't benefit us.

Worse case, we can sign someone like Spencer Jones, Thybulle, Ellis etc for not much. And we can always trade for Claxton for their asking price of two firsts.

 

There's a new Wemby growing in Barcelona. 14 year old who is tall and can do it all.



He is 6'11 at 14 and playing with pros in Europe like Luka and Wemby were doing

Tank for 2030 will be a thing

 

I see the frustration. Here are some facts. We just said yes to the trade because it was Luka.

no need to let them realize what they were doing.

in essence the trade really stripped us of balance our Center Anthony Davis and our 3-D Max Christie.

usually when you make trades like that you keep AD.

we’ve been chasing replacing that AD center and we just haven’t been able to. Mark Williams Ayton Hayes.

It’s a tough cover and I don’t know when we’ll get it back.

Tough cookie.

It’s hard finding good bigs.

What I welcome is this kid from North Carolina. I hope he helps us.

 

So you’re saying with this Mohamed kid who’s 14 in Barclena. Our 2030 pick will be very valuable.

I’m probably in the least popular to just keep those picks.

I would only trade those 2030 picks for

1. Giannis
2.Durant
3. Jokic
4.Booker
5. Sabonis
6.Murphy
7.Zion
8.Davis
9.Banchero
10.Barnes
11. Keyshawn George
12. Lauri Markanan
I am not for using these picks for

Herbert Jones Randle Lavine Suggs Kessler I don’t think these players would put us over the top.

 

Keon Ellis is the poster boy, for getting carried away with advanced analytics. He's 6'4 175 lbs, 26 years old, and he's been in the League for 4 seasons. Yet he can't seem to be able to beat out, a 6'1, 32 year old Dennis Shroeder, at two separate stops now.

He's trending down towards a vet min, show me, type of contract offer IMO.

 

I'd actually rather go, in a bit of a different direction this summer. I'd target Chris Cenac jr..in the upcoming draft. This would be my guy, he's probably gone by the 24th pick, but I'd give up a future FRP in order to move up to get him. He fits the perfectly in line with building for the future around Luka, while being able to give us some minutes immediately.


19 years old..6'11 240 7'5 wingspan with a 38 inch vertical. with a standing vertical of 33 inches. That's Jaxson Hayes type of springs, with a lot more lateral quickness and agility. He has a decent outside shot with some range out to the 3pt line. He's still raw, but at only 19, with that level of athleticism,I think he's perfect to pair with Adou.

Now go grab your boy Ellis on a cheap contract, and we have upgraded our bench on the cheap, and still have all our capspace to work with.

On a more controversial note..I'd try to flip Vando and Jake, or Ayton for Kyrie. We could eat the rest of his contract with cap space. (21M..) he'll be on an expiring 40M deal in 27.

If we moved Ayton, I believe we'd still have enough left to offer Timelord 6 or 7 Million. Or Mitchell Robinson 10M?

 

"Yes…..I’m saying it…….they need @KingJames to return home to save the day…..if THIS group is ever going to bring a title back to Cleveland. Seriously!!!!

 

I don’t follow the draft kids and mostly stay out of the draft thread, so it’s nice to get some ideas like this out there.

I wish Dallas would trade with us, they’ve got a lot of players I’d want, Kyrie, Klay, PJ Washington, Gafford, Lively, Max Christie, Naji Marshall…

 

Rumour is he is quite a bit older than what they think? I guess we’ll see in the next few years, is he a man amongst boys or like Wemby just a unique talent for his size.

 

it's possible he's just the guard version of paul reed. then again, one could argue paul reed keeps outperforming his contract value (detroit was playing him over duren and stewart in the cleveland series).

i think we'll find out who ellis is this year. that cleveland trade made no sense to me at the time and looks even weirder in retrospect. beginning to wonder if both the garland and the hunter trade were just salary dumps in disguise.

but yeah, ellis will be on a prove-it-to-me deal this year, which i'm sure he and his agent are just thrilled about, lol.

well, he played with malik monk, who's still counting the 80 million he made off the back of his prove-it-to-me year here, so maybe that helps us.

i've mentioned cenac a bunch as a guy who looks an awful lot like ware to me. because of that, i don't think he slips to us. and that said...he's a bill duffy client.

 

All I know is adding older, injury prone players isn’t the way.
We need to get younger and more athletic. This will take a team of great people in the FO. Rob needs more help.
I’m not in agreement of making trades just to show that something is happening. Keep it simple. Would I like to trade all of our useless players for better ones? Of course.
Is this likely to happen?
No, but on a small scale, yes, like the Kennard for Gabe trade. We need a bunch more of these to happen if the bigger fish are unavailable or if the asking prices are ridiculous like three firsts for a non All Star level player.

 

Speaking of Reed, I would rather add someone like him this summer than gamble on Timelord or Robinson who will just be injured for a good portion of each season.

 

Kind of encouraging to look back at the Lakers series with the way this SAS has gone

With Luka healthy really feel the Lakers would have made it really rough on OKC. They really had to search for a hot guy to push them over ( and they have so many they found one each game). And the Lakers lacked enough bodies to push through the ball pressure rough patches. Outside of game 3 really felt like Dagnall had to look for answers

Sigh I really wish could have seen the big 3 with Smart this year the playoffs.

 

let's go knicks!