A place for AK47 on this team?

[dautjazz]

Nostalgia is good but do not have any place is sport's management.

We're not winning a championship anytime soon, AK for a year or two can't really hurt.

Sure it will not hurt, but what do you think of gaining with that? Taking more minutes from young players - minutes needed for their development. It doesn't make any sense.

He could mentor some of the kids on defense. I think a vet can have a great place on a team for his experience, and what he can teach the younger players. AK's prime was short, but it's undeniable that he was very skillful.

[Inigo Montoya]

I just don't think he wants to be playing high pressure basketball in the NBA at this point. And I don't think that's too hard to believe. I mean, he's been playing pro basketball since he was a teenager. That's a lot of mileage. He took a tiny amount of money to play for the Nets when he had much bigger offers.

At the time he took the Nets offer they were supposed to be a contender.

[Luigi]

I just don't think he wants to be playing high pressure basketball in the NBA at this point. And I don't think that's too hard to believe. I mean, he's been playing pro basketball since he was a teenager. That's a lot of mileage. He took a tiny amount of money to play for the Nets when he had much bigger offers.

At the time he took the Nets offer they were supposed to be a contender.

Yup. Seems to me that he was considering between retirement, or playing somewhere he might enjoy, like the Nets. Of course, he loves the owner. And maybe he thought he could have some fun playing on a team that didn't need him to be great all the time, but would really appreciate him being great some of the time. But none of that seems to be working out. Maybe he'd still like to try to play a role for a contender, like he might have thought he would in Brooklyn. But I'd bet that retirement or playing in Russia are also looming very large in his mind right now, just like I think they were before he signed with the Nets. Back to the same place he was two years ago, but now he's two years older.

[Inigo Montoya]

This all may be true, but the point is that playing for a contender is high pressure basketball.

[Luigi]

This all may be true, but the point is that playing for a contender is high pressure basketball.

I think the broader point is that he wanted (and probably still wants) to play in a situation he would enjoy.

One version of an enjoyable situation was Russia (year before the Nets). Another version was the hopefully competitive Nets. I think he's back in the same spot as before. I do think he might consider playing for a contender in a limited role as an enjoyable situation. But now that he's two years older, and two years more frustrated, it is less likely than before that this would count as an enjoyable situation. Add in the fact that he's BFFs with Proky, and not BFFs with any other owners, and I think open range in Russia looks a lot more appealing.

[StocktonShorts]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/djjazzyjody/status/541020017584652288[/tweet]

[Matt007b]

^yeah I saw this too..

crazy times I never thought AK would come back. It's not a bad deal though I mean... we're not using Evans or Murry at ALL...

[Luigi]

Well, he got moved to the 76ers

Davies, a 2020 second, and rights to swap 2018 seconds.

I don't think he'll play a game for the 6ers, but who knows?

[BarneyGumble]

I wouldnt be surprised if we traded for him. Jazz have a history of re-acquiring former players. We traded for Greg Ostertag after all.....

[Luigi]

It would be good marketing to bring him back. Our fanbase loves familiarity.

I hear the 6ers want to hold onto him as a trade asset around the deadline. I wonder if we could get involved in a bigger trade with the 6ers and some other team around then.

[Luigi]

Well, AK is back in Russia. I think he'll enjoy playing there.

Kirilenko said in a statement that at 34, "the time has come to think about ending my career at the professional level" and that he wants to do that at CSKA.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -With-CSKA

[StocktonShorts]

Well, AK is back in Russia. I think he'll enjoy playing there.

Kirilenko said in a statement that at 34, "the time has come to think about ending my career at the professional level" and that he wants to do that at CSKA.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/23 ... -With-CSKA

You called it!