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

NAW and DDV were major playoff performers the other night! Either would be excellent pickups for us, can we afford them?

 

Are you really willing to risk trading an expiring Reaves for an expiring Ayton?

 

No, it doesn’t. The guy becomes unplayable every playoffs like clockwork because he is literally afraid to shoot the basketball. He’s at best a regular season backup 5 that should be glued to the bench in the playoffs.

 

he's kind of a 6'10" westbrook in some regards (role wise, not mentality wise). you have to contort the rest of your roster so much that only a few places make sense for him. i don't think we're one of them.

i'm not. i'm not even sure i do with with camara attached, tbh. i just don't know that there's enough camara data to warrant his current esteem. he may end up being as good as people are saying, but he hasn't actually shown it yet. so it's a big risk, too. reaves is proven. people are getting hyper focused on his (very few) warts.

no. i'm wondering if NAW might have--in one game--made himself a significant amount of money. i thought getting him at full mle might have been possible given minny's financial situation, but probably not now.

i do wonder with terrance shannon showing progress as the year advanced whether minny will keep both ddv and naw, though. my guess is they trade ddv for a future pick or two, dropping a bit of salary in the process. this seems in line with how connelly operates--he's been trying to find current low-cost replacements for guys that will cycle out (e.g., dillingham for conley last year).

they're worth monitoring, though, as paying randle, reid, and NAW their current market value will be difficult.

 

Ima try to get it all in here.

I never said trade Reeves for Ayton. I always stated I would only trade Reeves for Kevin Durant or Gianiss.

Reeves was suggested trading for Camara.

The appeal was acquiring Ayton without having to trade Reeves.

The trade was centered around Vando/or Rui the 2031 unprotected 1st round pick and Kinect and Vincent.


Ayton is needed.

1. things changed today Lebron is opting in. So we are going to need to maximize the roster around him. He wants to be in a competitive environment. We are going to have to put a championship roster around him.


2. Minnesota traded Towns because it was to get off of that contract it was financial. He’s a way better player than Randle. They aren’t going to pay Nickel Alexander. They can’t afford it. It’s either him or Naz Reid they aren’t paying both. Donte Divenchenzo is a possibility.


3. I can see Kevin Durant go to the spurs if Gianiss decides he wants to stay in Milwaukee. Don’t be surprised if Chris Paul signs in Milwaukee to play for his former coach Doc Rivers.

4. there is no way Kevin Durant is going to approve a trade to Portland. The guy didn’t want to Golden State. Portland could be offering Magic Johnson Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Shaq and Dirk Nowitzki and the trade wouldn’t get done. Because Kevin Durant isn’t going to a team like that and will not approve it.


5. Best scenario with LeBron reuping after I said he would do that after seeing him at the Kendrick Lamar concert is simple you trade for Deandre Ayton.

not Nic Claxton not Poetell not Williams. You trade for Ayton. He’s a top tier Center. He’s one of the best centers in the league.

that’s the kind of Center you put with LeBron and Luka to compete for Championships.


Did yall see the pictures of Luka in Spain. He looks great. He looks fit.

 

No to Ayton. Much less for the price he requires (trading multiple players which means we have less assets for more moves). Ayton has a poor mentality and is soft, not where I want to put my best trade assets. I watched him plenty and he disappears in a lot of games the team needs him. Also not the skillet that we are looking the most. Bad defender too.

I like Camara but like abeer said, AR is a proven quasi-All Star. Camara had his 1st relevant season in an awful team.
Also think Portland are in no rush to be good. West is a juggernaut and they are still far from having the building blocks. Makes little sense to expedite the process. In a couple years, Warriors, Phoenix or Clippers are likely rebuilding.

Scoot improved but still needs 1/2 years. Clingan and Camara had their 1st year. There's Avdija that I'm not really sure what they want to do with him. He's a nice player and still young, he probably stays. Everyone else is not part of their young core and is probably available.

 

On the center topic, was thinking this the other day. There's 5 skills we are looking for:

Rim protection
Switchability on defense
Rebounding
Lob threat
Floor spacing on offense

How do you rank those? I have them like the above but it's tight. I think we gotta prioritize defense, but at the same time it seems like I'm undervaluing the lob threat, which Luka is so elite at setting up and a proven fit.
I made the rank based on my view but under my perception of JJ's philosophy and what I think is more likely to happen.

If it's like this, Claxton and Capela are highly rated, for example. Ayton or Valanciunas not so much.

 

uh, sharpe? he and clingan are their untouchables, imo. camara and avdija fit nicely with them, too. i agree with svtzr that as much as i (in the minority here) would like to get ayton, it makes more sense for portland to use his expiring and scoot and simons to go get an impact star via trade that fits with the rest of the team.

 

Im sorry, but Im just not getting all this NAW hype. He's another 2 guard, what makes him such a prized target, when we already have Reaves? He's on a nice contract at 4M expiring, but I wouldn't be interested at all for MLE money.

DiVincenzo is another 2 guard that gets a lot of love around here. He's OK, but Im not getting all the hype on him either.

We already have Austin, I don't think looking for another 2 guard should be a priority for us.

https://stathead.com/basketball/ver...urce=bbr&utm_id=alexani01&utm_medium=sr_xsite

https://stathead.com/basketball/ver...025&player_id1=divindo01&player_id2=reaveau01

 

Austin played better than both in the playoffs, why do we need them?

 

If Portland would take Gabe, Maxi and Jared, for Ayton, that's a no brainer trade for us. We keep Austin and Rui, have the mini MLE, and somebody is going to take a paycut, for our vet min ringchaser spot.

That's a legit contender.

 

i don't love ddv as much as most, but NAW is a POA defender. we could start him at pg because we have luka and lebron. this could allow us to move reaves to the ginobili role (similar role and mpg, just not starting).

doesn't matter; we can't get him, imo.

hate to be the one to say it, given my previous stances, but if schroder wants a third go around, i'm not entirely opposed. now that we don't need him to really handle pg duties, it might work a bit better.

 

that's my thought, too. i'd throw in knecht or a 1st, too. i just don't think portland goes for that until they exhaust upgrade options using ayton as the big expiring centerpiece.

now, if they do that, we might be able to get him as a third team for a similar package...

 

Come on Ayton isn’t good on defense???? Ayton is soft?????

last time Ayton was in the playoffs he was bangin with Anthony Davis. To the point where we had to worry about him on the scouting report. Devin Booker was getting open looks. This was before Anthony Davis got hurt.


He destroyed the Clippers and Zubac and then took the team to the finals.


We don’t need Shaq in 2000 we need a guy to control the paint. Be a force inside. Nobody center is gonna run the pick and roll with Luka like him. He’s a big man with skill.

with LeBron playing with LeBron and Luka he’s a different player in a contract year.

LeBron is a great leader. Putting on that purple and gold you play better. It’s just a difference.


Lamar Odom was lazy inconsistent before he got here. And people would argue even with Pau Gasol he was our second best player in those championship years. I’ve seen what being a Laker can do.

it’s L.A. not Portland.

you’re gonna trade the same capital if not more for Claxton who’s the same age 26. And Ayton is better than Claxton so why do that???


you think Jacob Poetel is better then Deandre Ayton???? Masai is going to want The 2031. First round pick unprotected and Dalton Kinect for Poetel. Come on man.


teams were tanking for Deandre Ayton.

 

You gotta look at tape. Deandre Ayton is one of the best lob centers in the league. Look at Portland last season.

The Phoenix Lob is probably one of the most famous plays in Phoenix sun history to Deandre Ayton.

Claxton flashes. Lanky pick and roll. But in half court in the playoffs that’s what you want???? I’m just saying. Come on man.

We can have this discussion. You think LeBron who just opted in is cool on yeah Clint Capella???? We rollin that out???


Ish if it’s like that just sign Deandre Jordan and let him be the lob guy protecting the rim. He can still get up. And bring Jaxson Hayes back.

 

I think LeBron does a 2 yr deal. Opt out after next year.

I’m under direct sources and I’m absolutely sure The Lakers will get an extension done with Luka Doncic in August.

those are the two primarily 1st concerns with the Lakers this off season priorities


Daniel Gafford will be considered Ayton and Claxton. And Poetell. This will all depend by the least amount Lakers have to give up in compensation.

I think Capella and Paul Reed will be signed or Brook Lopez. The Lopez competition will come from the Warriors and the Bucks. Lopez is from North Hollywood.

don’t rule out Jaxson Hayes being bought back.

as for other Bench Bruce Brown and Ben Simmons most affordable players. Malcolm Brogdon.

 

No offense but you’re all over the place with that last post considering all the others too? Take a breath.

 

Lol..but I'd take Capela with the mini, and do that same trade for Holliday though. We might even get a couple of 2nds back. That's a legit contender too.

 

This is a good way of thinking about it. I think I'd go:

1. Rim protection
2. Lob threat
3. Rebounding
4. Switchability
5. Floor spacing on offense

Lob threat vs. rebounding was difficult for me, but ultimately I went with the former because I think when Luka has that he becomes unguardable on offense. Rim protection is the clear #1 IMO.

I get the argument some are making for Ayton. He's clearly very talented and he's shown flashes of really high-level play. But ask any Suns fan how they feel about that guy. I don't think he has the mental makeup to be under the microscope like he would be here.