2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

is danny ainge still the jazz gm? i thought it was his son.

anyway, whichever ainge it is, no, i don't expect them to let him walk in RFA. the only RFAs i can remember walking were grossly overpaid, intentionally (chandler parsons, omer aski, jeremy lin, etc.), and pretty much every team that got them was upset they "won" in the end. i do think you can get RFAs in S&T, though.

as for murphy, i heard somewhere that boston has interest, has multiple firsts to spend, and has a TE that could fit his entire salary. between gs pursuing him with all they have and that, i'm not sure we can get into the murphy bidding, tbh.

(edit: missed svtzr's post--i'd consider reaves for that, and NO might, too)

now, herb and missi? i think we can get into that. we've been over that a bunch, and if we were operating over the cap, i would definitely be down with a vando/knecht for herb/missi swap. if NO wants a pick this year (as reported), i'd give the #25 to make that deal work. if they want a future pick, i actually may want something else back. we'd be buying herb at his nadir, with a big salary jump incoming.

i'd be open to expanding the deal to include opted-in ayton for bey, though: vando/ayton/knecht/#25/top 10 protected future first for herb/missi/bey.

 

A potential rotation could be:

Q1
Luka, AR, Trey, Bron, Kessler
7:00: Luka, AR, Smart, Portis, Kessler
5:00: Luka, Smart, Trey, Portis, Hayes
2:00: Luka, THJ, Thybulle, Bron, Hayes

Q2
AR, Trey, Thybulle, Bron, Kessler
7:00: Luka, THJ, Trey, Portis, Hayes
5:00: Luka, Smart, Thybulle, Portis, Hayes
3:00: Luka, AR, Smart, Bron, Kessler

Minutes adjust in Q3/4 to something around:

Luka (35), AR (35), Trey (32), Bron (30), Kessler (30), Smart (25), Portis (20), Hayes (16), Thybulle (16), THJ (10)

3rd string: Thiero, Jake/vet min, Fontecchio/vet min, Love, Bronny

We would be a REALLY good team and I'd be hella excited for the season. We could sustain some injuries too as Trey/Bron could take expanded roles and we would have Thiero and a couple potentially playable guys seeing no minutes.

It may be far fetched but I'd try to push for it or anything similar anyway I can.

I really think we can get 2 starter level players if we are aggressive and play our cards right

 

I Like the addition of Trey, Thybulle and Portis but i think Walker is to difficult to be had. Will drain assets. Ayton, Hayes rookie and keep trucking.

 

Thats a no brainer. Hell yeah. But i dont think you can get all that. A swap of Austin for Trey is an even Swap already then you have to factor in contract. Trey makes 28 Austin projected mmmm maybe 37mil. I have a hard time seeing NO doing that unless they have plans to swing him. It dont seems like a trade like that would benefit NO.

 

Lol @ Austin = Trey. Every day the bar here gets lower and lower.

 

LOL, talk about greedy. Of-course I would do that. Do you think New Orleans woudl do that? I highly doubt they would do that.

 

NO wouldn’t do it, but it’s not as lopsided as it sounds. Let’s just call Trey and AR a wash in the trade. Reaves is better and will end up being paid more.

No matter what the Pels say, Herb is a distressed asset and if he was on the Lakers, we’d have to give up 1-2 picks to dump his contract. Doubtful Missi could fetch a 1st, so that’s a reasonable price to dump Herb.

NO is still probably asking 2-3 1sts each for Herb and Trey, but they’re also a horribly run franchise so I put little stock into how they value their players.

 

Would love to get Walker Kessler and Trey. I’m not trading my whole house for Walker Kessler.

I like getting Herbert Jones and Messi and adding to my depth. I don’t oppose keeping Ayton. He needs to get his s*** together. I think Rob has some stuff up his sleeve.

s*** I would sign Robert Williams to and Mitchell Robinson.

would you rather allocate the money in Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson maybe a Herbert Jones.

Or just put it all in Walker Kessler.???

think about it. Ask yourself that. I like Kellel Ware too.

it will be a lot easier once Austin signs. We ain’t trading Austin. I wanna sign Bagley to. I’m all about acquiring as much depth as I can.

if we can build our depth up while teams chase those big names I’m all for that. Kelly Oubre would be nice. Grimes depending on his price.

the last thing you want to do is an overpay. And I’m absolutely not trading Adou Thiero in any trade. Only way I’m trading him is if you’re bringing me a superstar.


Gianis Jokic Towns type of trade.

 

No it’s his Son.

 

I'm going to catch up one these 20 pages, but first wanted to just talk it out of where i'm at regarding the off-season right now:

I've been avoiding engaging in too much because we've covered ad nauseam the options and paths and have been in the waiting room for way too long. Just waiting on the dip**** from Milwaukee to get this thing going. But now that you can see the end of the tunnel...let's go:

-Issue is there's a lot of optionality but not a clear path or even necessarily a best path. But at the same time, there's such a narrow window for a successful off-season, we're nearing Dr Strange territory. The fact that we've been waiting for this off-season for so long and it's such a weak off-season, where 95% of the league was smart enough to not have the flexibility for this one will either get Rob fired or make him look like a genius when we revisit the hindsight of this next summer.

-Knicks winning was good for us, it shows that you don't have to draft your team and have 20 picks in your bag to win a ship. Flip side, took them a few years to get all their ducks lined up and in the building before they were ready to take that shot. Rob has one season and two cycles to do 3 years of work and that's going to be a problem.

-Luka has told us what he wants and that's a top end center who excels at the P&R and even before that, Woike said that's where our primary focus was going to be (I assume for Luka reasons, we were only getting the Luka news later than the FO did). So who fits that bill who there's any remote chance of them being gettable: Allen (if Cavs are shedding $), Gobert (if they're in on Giannis), Duren (unlikely, seems he's staying), Kessler (do we want to poison pill that offer?), Lively (if only he wasn't a Mav). That's it.

After that tier -- there's Claxton, Gafford and Okongwu. Then after that there's the FA options of Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson. I don't think any of those 5 are the level he's looking for. There's question marks with those guys too. With all of them, you have to have a high end backup you can trust for at least 20+ MPG. I don't think most of those are worth the financial investment considering the additional financial investment required at the position and where that leave us regarding addressing the additional needs on the roster.

I think you find a way to get one of those first five, have Jax back him up and get a 3rd stringer in the second round. I don't want to invest first round draft capital in a 3rd string center.

-I think you have to bring back Bron and AR. We're currently two starters short of being a true competitor. Taking away from that talent pool creates a void that is impossible to fill. There is no one on the market who you will get who can come close to replicating Bron's value or impact in the $20m-$30m range. If Austin walks, you're in trouble. If you don't like how it looks after next year, then trade him next summer.

-After we get that big, we still have to find a way to get a better 2-way wing who's of starting caliber. There's not one on the UFA market, so you almost have to trade for one. But you don't have the assets to trade for a Luka center AND a starting wing. That likely brings us back to conversations with the Pelicans in an overpay, see how much of our junk you can attach in the process.

-You have to bring Marcus back, too. He's too impactful to the culture and if he's your second best perimeter defender and can play more of a AC role for us, I think you get even more impact and maybe that helps him stay healthier, too.

-That probably means Rui and Luke are gone, which conflicts with Luka wanting shooting as well. But we don't have the assets to check all the boxes we need to. C and wing are more important. Maybe you hit on an aging vet min shooter who wants to play with Luka and Bron...Harrison Barnes, J. Carter, T. Jones, Coffey, Ingles, McDermott


My keepers: Austin, Bron, Smart, Jax in that order
My see-ya list: Rui, Kennard, Ayton, Kleber

In a vacuum, I'd like to keep Rui and Kennard but I just don't see a path. Ayton needs to go. If we upgrade the position, he's not the backup I want. I also don't think Ayton as a backup and Jax as a 3rd stringer benefits the player or the agency and we're going to do better than that for Luka's agent.

-Trade list: you have to unload Vando, DK and DA (if he opts in) cause we're going to need all the money we can get and you'll need to stack those salaries to address roster deficiencies but to do so, you'll have to give up a first.

 

AI Overview

Yes, reports circulating across social media indicate that unrestricted/restricted free agent center Walker Kessler began following several players tied to the Los Angeles Lakers—including Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. This social media activity has fueled offseason trade rumors connecting him to the Lakers, who are reportedly looking for frontcourt help. [1, 2]
While social media follows often spark speculation about potential player movement, they do not guarantee any concrete roster changes. The Utah Jazz hold Kessler's restricted free agency rights, meaning they can match any contract offer he receives. If the Lakers want to acquire him, they will have to put together a significant trade package—with the Jazz reportedly demanding Austin Reaves and multiple first-round picks.[1, 2, 3]

 

Austin + multiple picks is a redicoulous overpay. But I dont know why, for some reason trading Austin would give me some kidn of relief. I dont know if it has to do with strengthening the defense, or being able to keep the picks for other trades or what? I recognize Austin is a very good player, and getting to the free-throw line is a very efficent form of offense, and has been corrolated with winning. Reaves is one of my all-time favorite payers. But for some reason I just feel like ripping that band aid off. It just seems the pairing in the backcourt with Luka sort of holds both of them back, and might not work as cleanly as the Luka/Kyrie combo did. Ir might not be sustainable, having to constantly surround the, with rim protectors and 3 and D's. I dont know, I hope I'm wrong because Reaves is an awesome player and has high value.

I think a alot of it is recovering some of that money after having to pay Kessler 35-million per year. If ypu swap Reaves for him, you are only dipping into abut 14-million of your cap-room. That's not bad.

The better deal is probably ending #25, 2031 1st and Knecht to Dallas for Gafford. He only cost's 17 million, and you get to keep Reaves.

The best deal is being able to get Ware, depending on how bad of contracts we have to take back.

 

Yeah, the nostalgia is clouding people's judgment. It'd never happen, but if he navigated a buyout and was on the open market for $20m-ish a year, I'd be interested in a 2 year deal for him. But that's for 1/3 of his current price tag. And even then would he want to come back based on how he feels like everyone knew and delt in the shadows from Rob to JJ to Bron. It just doesn't make any sense.

I think picks outside of the current window have lost some value because the course correction when the current lotto "fix" timeframe expires is unknown. Also this draft is extremely deep and with the increasing payday of the NIL, I think future non-lottery picks lose some of their shine.

 

I hear you. I'm mostly factoring in the depth of this years draft and the immediate asset in hand as opposed to a mystery asset 5 years from now. But OKC is in a unique situation where it seems it would be worth it for them.

 

After a year of 2026 summer speculation I'm basically back where I was a year ago - gotta do anything we can to bring in Kessler. That's the one individual addition I see on the board that could have an outsized impact on the roster. Slots guys correctly defensively and provides what Luka wants offensively. Even if it costs like $35 million a year and trading two picks just for the honor to offer that contract, we might have to just do it. If Luka and Austin are the building blocks I don't think we can nickel and dime the center spot. I'd rather bring in a legit guy at center (I think if he's here, Kessler could turn into a 16 and 12 with All-Defense consideration type guy) and then go to the bargain bin for the wing spots.

 

Yeah, the three-headed monster approach does sound sensible because the draft is deep in the exact archetype in big that we need. If it's one of the super injury prone guys though in free agency, like Rob Will or Mitch Rob, I feel less confident in that third-stringer and Jaxon playing extended minutes. I wouldn't rule out Missi either. I know he's not the celebrity status or anything, but Luka knows what that guy could do.

MASAI is in charge now, I think he would trade us Gafford if we let them win the trade a little bit. Something like Vando + Knecht + #25 + 2031 1st for Gafford + #49 sound sensible to me. You get off of Vando's contract, add Luka's old lob-buddy in Gafford, and get that #49 pick to draft your third-string center. I would fill pretty solid with a center rotation of Gafford/Hayes/Okarpa, for example. Okarpa could go back and fourth to the G-league, while Love fills in as the thrird-center when Okarpa is in the desert. If Gafford or Hayes go down, Okarpa could be called up.

The money you would have spent on a free agent big could be allocated to perimeter defenders/shooters, such as Smart, Minott, Ellis, etc.

 

I’d be much more comfortable building the bench and signing a bunch of guys like say.

1.Kelly Oubre

2.Robert Williams

3.Mitchell Robinson

4. Marvin Bagley


That’s a win for me. Feels like when we signed Danny Green and won the championship. Then bring back Smart Kennard Reaves LeBron and Hachimura.

Get rid of the guys that don’t stick just ship them out. I like that plan rather than trading my whole team for one guy. I want to bring in Kessler for maybe 1 pick. But I don’t want to trade the picks and Reaves. Ainge is going to want an overpay.


With this squad you got maybe we can get Herbert Jones but is he that much an upgrade over Oubre. I think this squad we get more versatility


Luka /Reaves
Oubre/Smart/Kennard
Lebron/Rui/Thiero
Hayes/Williams/Bagley/
Robinson/Hayes/Williams/Bagley

or Ayton if he opts back in. I just think you get more explosive and better defensively. And add to your depth.

which I think the Knicks had.

Save those future unprotected number 1 picks for bigger star players. Those are going to be value with the new draft rules.

when guys like Edwards or Jokic or Towns become available you’ll have some assets.


Let’s see what Luka does a healthy Luka who is actually playing with some of these new players you add. and you can always take a flyer on a Keon Ellis.

 

I think AR is the clear best player in the trade, he can be a multi time all star. He may be the best player NO’s has since AD left, yes even better than Zion.

Murphy is a good player but he won’t be an all star. Herb is probably negative value at the moment with the way his offense has dropped off and the increase to his salary coming up. Missi isn’t fetching you a first, NO’s is basically developing someone else and has deemed him a backup.

So yeah, I don’t think it’s so far fetched. Maybe Herb and Murphy only, but like I said, I doubt Missi would be the hold up for getting Reaves.

 

I don’t think there is anyway we get Kessler in a trade. Utah is going to ask for Reaves AND picks. At the very least they would want all 3 picks and Adou.

That team is set up really well now and any move they make is not coming from a point of desperation. They’re going to want to win trades by a landslide because any improvement now gets them into the top of the west:

George
Bailey
Markkanen
JJJ
Kessler

+ either Dybansta or Peterson in the draft.

Most likely they’re looking to move one of Markkanen or Kessler - I probably imagine it’s Markkanen and fetching back good young players and draft capital.

And I think there’s no chance they let Kessler walk even if we offer him 41m. He is a restricted free agent, they jsut match.