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Congrats to Lauri on his extension, good for him. I realize I’m bringing attention to it by starting a thread on it, but I still don’t care that we let him walk. He will waste away on an irrelevant Utah team for years to come. If Zach was healthy in that situation he would put him similar 23-25ppg numbers. The Jazz have gone 68-96 in the last 2 years so if Zach isnt a winner, neither is Lauri. I think he has just as much bust potential as Zach and his contract might play out in a similar way.

Lauri had every opportunity to flourish here, never took that next step, had a year in CLE and also didnt take that step. Was never going to happen for him in Chicago. I simply don’t believe hes going to be a 1st/2nd option on a legit contender. Jazz should have cashed in on a trade while they had the chance.

*Angry man yells at cloud*

That's a great deal for Lauri.

As the Jazz, how do you get nothing back for giving him that much more money early and also making him untradeable all season (which seems to be a big deal for Lauri)? They just gave Lauri everything he could've asked for (aside from a player option, I guess) way earlier than they had to.

First reaction was this was a horrible overpay but then with the new TV money coming in, this will be a reasonable deal.

Lauri is that one in a million case. Showed flashes of being a really good player with the Bulls and then would fall off. Then goes to Cleveland and people said he was better but the numbers don't show it. Then gets traded to Utah and starts averaging 10 more point a games and becomes this max guy. I said it earlier i think he is Kevin Love 2.0. Can be a #1 on a 30 win team but probably more #3 on a title team. Still better then what he would of been if he stayed in Chicago.

TheStig wrote:First reaction was this was a horrible overpay but then with the new TV money coming in, this will be a reasonable deal.

I agree, just think its crazy 3/138 remaining for Zach is egregiously bad while 5/238 for Lauri is some kind of steal for Utah. Their contributions to winning arent very different. If anything, Zach has had the more productive career.

boozapalooza wrote:

TheStig wrote:First reaction was this was a horrible overpay but then with the new TV money coming in, this will be a reasonable deal.

I agree, just think its crazy 3/138 remaining for Zach is egregiously bad while 5/238 for Lauri is some kind of steal for Utah. Their contributions to winning arent very different. If anything, Zach has had the more productive career.

Well we always look at the absolute worst in players anyway.

Here we would be complaining about how Lauri doesnt make players around him better and cant play defense.

Tell me I am wrong.

Same player in Chicago as Utah but healthy & in a system where he is the #1 option.

Per 36
CHI: 19.0 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 62% TS on 14 shots per game
UTA: 25.3 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 63% TS on 24 shots per game

In UTA he's a focal point of that offense so he gets the shots.
Chicago Lauri on 24 shots per game: 24.0 ppg. Same FG%. Same 3P%. Same TS%.

Utah media asked him what changed with his training between Chicago & Utah. He said nothing. He did say he feels healthier now, he had a lot of random injury issues when he first adjusted to the NBA.

Same issues in UTA as people complained about here:
* Isn't a defender (Utah is 30th in defense)
* Isn't an elite on-ball creator (what 7 footer is?)
* Team isn't winning

Still a no questions asked max contract. Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner got max. In the past, Tobias Harris & Otto Porter Jr got max. Even Quickley isn't that far from a max ($35M per) and he was a bench player for NY.

kodo wrote:Same player in Chicago as Utah but healthy & in a system where he is the #1 option.

Per 36
CHI: 19.0 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 62% TS on 14 shots per game
UTA: 25.3 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 63% TS on 24 shots per game

In UTA he's a focal point of that offense so he gets the shots.
Chicago Lauri on 24 shots per game: 24.0 ppg. Same FG%. Same 3P%. Same TS%.

Utah media asked him what changed with his training between Chicago & Utah. He said nothing. He did say he feels healthier now, he had a lot of random injury issues when he first adjusted to the NBA.

Same issues in UTA as people complained about here:
* Isn't a defender (Utah is 30th in defense)
* Isn't an elite on-ball creator (what 7 footer is?)
* Team isn't winning

Still a no questions asked max contract. Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner got max. In the past, Tobias Harris & Otto Porter Jr got max. Even Quickley isn't that far from a max ($35M per) and he was a bench player for NY.

Your numbers seem wrong
he didn't take 24 shots per 36 in Utah last season, he took 17.6. Also 15.3/36 in his time in Chicago.
Keeping his efficiency sky high while turning into a #1 option/increasing his volume is very impressive.

kodo wrote:Same player in Chicago as Utah but healthy & in a system where he is the #1 option.

Per 36
CHI: 19.0 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 62% TS on 14 shots per game
UTA: 25.3 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 63% TS on 24 shots per game

Per 36 in Chicago: 19 ppg 44% FG 36% 3P (7.4 3PA) on 15.3 FGA

Per 36 in Utah: 26.1 ppg 49% FG 39% 3P (8.4 3PA) on 17.9 FGA

CBS7 wrote:

kodo wrote:Same player in Chicago as Utah but healthy & in a system where he is the #1 option.

Per 36
CHI: 19.0 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 62% TS on 14 shots per game
UTA: 25.3 ppg 48% FG 40% 3P 63% TS on 24 shots per game

In UTA he's a focal point of that offense so he gets the shots.
Chicago Lauri on 24 shots per game: 24.0 ppg. Same FG%. Same 3P%. Same TS%.

Utah media asked him what changed with his training between Chicago & Utah. He said nothing. He did say he feels healthier now, he had a lot of random injury issues when he first adjusted to the NBA.

Same issues in UTA as people complained about here:
* Isn't a defender (Utah is 30th in defense)
* Isn't an elite on-ball creator (what 7 footer is?)
* Team isn't winning

Still a no questions asked max contract. Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner got max. In the past, Tobias Harris & Otto Porter Jr got max. Even Quickley isn't that far from a max ($35M per) and he was a bench player for NY.

Your numbers seem wrong
he didn't take 24 shots per 36 in Utah last season, he took 17.6. Also 15.3/36 in his time in Chicago.
Keeping his efficiency sky high while turning into a #1 option/increasing his volume is very impressive.

Zach did that and didn’t win. Not sure how Lauri is any different. And injury prone too.

Basically I don't think anyone really likes any contract these days. Everyone's contract seems high or overpay. That until you wait a season and realize it isn't.

I am just all but expecting Giddey to make max or near max at this point. Just get ready for high 100s or low 200s I guess.

DASMACKDOWN wrote:

boozapalooza wrote:

TheStig wrote:First reaction was this was a horrible overpay but then with the new TV money coming in, this will be a reasonable deal.

I agree, just think its crazy 3/138 remaining for Zach is egregiously bad while 5/238 for Lauri is some kind of steal for Utah. Their contributions to winning arent very different. If anything, Zach has had the more productive career.

Well we always look at the absolute worst in players anyway.

Here we would be complaining about how Lauri doesnt make players around him better and cant play defense.

Tell me I am wrong.

Sure, now would be a good time to remind you Vucevic has had a better defensive rating than Lauri in each of the 7 years since Lauri joined the league. Sure DRTG isnt the end all be all statistic, but it is a good measure of player defense.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nikola-vucevic-defense-rating
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/lauri-markkanen-defense-rating

Also, who has Lauri made better around him? There isnt a ton of talent around him but Kessler took a step back in year 2 alongside Lauri. Theyve torn their team down but Utah made the playoffs 6 years in a row before Lauri got there.

If you make the ASG before your prime, you're getting a Max contract. It's pretty simple. His offensive efficiency cooled off a little bit from 2y ago, and I think it will be a little hard to sustain, but he became a legit star. Of course now the honey moon is over; now he's one of the best-paid players in the league, and the pressure to continue improving, staying healthy and carrying a bad team will be higher.

Huge money but he's very good.

Definitely better at basketball than Lavine.

The Vuc acquisition is truly a historic error. Like AK should have been given walking papers for that alone. Gave up a bunch of assets for Vuc directly. Let Lauri walk because we then had Vuc to build around up front.

TheSuzerain wrote:Huge money but he's very good.

Definitely better at basketball than Lavine.

The Vuc acquisition is truly a historic error. Like AK should have been given walking papers for that alone. Gave up a bunch of assets for Vuc directly. Let Lauri walk because we then had Vuc to build around up front.

Huge money for a guy who cant get his team to 40 wins as the best player. Danny Ainge putting the Jazz in NBA hell.

Happy for Lauri but I sure don't understand what the Jazz are doing locking themselves into keeping him all year.

meekrab wrote:Happy for Lauri but I sure don't understand what the Jazz are doing locking themselves into keeping him all year.

Ainge just ran out of time.

We all know Ainge didn't really want to pay out all that money. He just wants major draft capital to build some fantasy team.

Lauri getting the max right now is clearly suboptimal.

But Ainge probably feels he can still flip Lauri at some point. Maybe even next offseason.

DASMACKDOWN wrote:

boozapalooza wrote:

TheStig wrote:First reaction was this was a horrible overpay but then with the new TV money coming in, this will be a reasonable deal.

I agree, just think its crazy 3/138 remaining for Zach is egregiously bad while 5/238 for Lauri is some kind of steal for Utah. Their contributions to winning arent very different. If anything, Zach has had the more productive career.

Well we always look at the absolute worst in players anyway.

Here we would be complaining about how Lauri doesnt make players around him better and cant play defense.

Tell me I am wrong.

If Zach or Lauri are your best player you're not winning anything. Their careers demonstrate that.

I think this is the catch 22 of the NBA. Can't let these guys go, almost impossible to win atound them. If Lauri gets injured, ppl will look on this deal the same way they look at Zach's.

Andi Obst wrote:That's a great deal for Lauri.

As the Jazz, how do you get nothing back for giving him that much more money early and also making him untradeable all season (which seems to be a big deal for Lauri)? They just gave Lauri everything he could've asked for (aside from a player option, I guess) way earlier than they had to.

This.