Woj: Craig to Phoenix for Jalen Smith/2nd

[8305]

Best case scenario at this point is I just want the coaches, teammates, and fans to do everything possible to make him like his new team and want to resign in hopes that he’s going to develop his game even more and get paid better in the future.

Edit: I left out hopefully loyalty comes with the Pacers giving him playing time to develop.

I think this is our only chance with him. Opportunity, coaching, a comfortable situation. Pretty hard not to take the money when you haven't had a payday.

[Grang33r]

Best case scenario at this point is I just want the coaches, teammates, and fans to do everything possible to make him like his new team and want to resign in hopes that he’s going to develop his game even more and get paid better in the future.

Edit: I left out hopefully loyalty comes with the Pacers giving him playing time to develop.

Wishful thinking. Somebody will offer him $9-10 million a season for 3-4 years. He's young enough and has shown he has the potential. Even on the Suns around Christmas time he had a 6 game stretch where he got regular playing time and a couple times flirted with 30 minutes where he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds.

He's as good as gone.

[8305]

Best case scenario at this point is I just want the coaches, teammates, and fans to do everything possible to make him like his new team and want to resign in hopes that he’s going to develop his game even more and get paid better in the future.

Edit: I left out hopefully loyalty comes with the Pacers giving him playing time to develop.

Wishful thinking. Somebody will offer him $9-10 million a season for 3-4 years. He's young enough and has shown he has the potential. Even on the Suns around Christmas time he had a 6 game stretch where he got regular playing time and a couple times flirted with 30 minutes where he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds.

He's as good as gone.

I'm afraid you are right.

[Scoot McGroot]

Best case scenario at this point is I just want the coaches, teammates, and fans to do everything possible to make him like his new team and want to resign in hopes that he’s going to develop his game even more and get paid better in the future.

Edit: I left out hopefully loyalty comes with the Pacers giving him playing time to develop.

Wishful thinking. Somebody will offer him $9-10 million a season for 3-4 years. He's young enough and has shown he has the potential. Even on the Suns around Christmas time he had a 6 game stretch where he got regular playing time and a couple times flirted with 30 minutes where he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds.

He's as good as gone.

I'm afraid you are right.

It is what it is. We never would have acquired him if he hadn’t had this restriction. And Phoenix even gave us a 2nd along with him!

Let’s just do the right thing and develop and play him as best we can. Maybe it works out and the stars align.

Even then, I don’t know that I see him getting a full MLE. Taxpayer MLE, maybe. He’s shown some flashes, but he’s still got some serious flaws in his game. I’d guess that teams would wonder “what makes him any different from Terry Taylor, who’s also putting up numbers there?”

[Wizop]

I’d guess that teams would wonder “what makes him any different from Terry Taylor, who’s also putting up numbers there?”

let them wonder so we can keep Taylor, but the answer is size matters. our best hope of keeping Smith is for teams to view him as an undersized 5.

[Pacersike]

I can see now why the Suns made such a headscratching GM move. The player makes them too, both in the game as towards officiating.

Let's not give up on him though. Mental state is something you can change drastically. Some teams will not be willing to take on that challenge, so Jalen not only helps our draft ranking, he also increases the odds the market keeps his price low enough to return.

But then he will grow mentally and Pacers will have a great baller and person on their team .