lol, torre got a pulitzer for the aspiration reporting. going to be hilarious when the nba just looks the other way.
They got a haul for Zubac. Not really sure why Indiana gave such loose protections on that pick and your consolation is a 30 yo Zubac? I means he's good an all but come on
Typical "last piece" type of deal. They went to the Finals the year before, lost Turner and now feel with their top pick this year and Zubac they can go back to contending. So they're willing to pay more because it's the final addition they need for contention. Also got away from paying Mathurin as they must feel Hali/Nemb is their guard duo for the future
i don't like the zubac deal for indy, but i get that they were going to lose mathurin or have to trade away guys like nesmith, toppin, or nembhard if they wanted to keep him. they must have felt zu was the best center they would be able to get (feel like mavs would have given gafford without requiring the picks, though). indy's gm made some cryptic comment about finances, and i'm just wondering if they felt the wiggle room under the first apron they might get if they don't have a pick 6-10 was worth it next year? their scouts must also be fairly certain about the dropoff after the top 4.