Lauri to DAL

[Tim Lehrbach]

This trade has nothing to do with the Blazers (yet), but I'm just gonna sheepishly throw in there that it wouldn't astonish me if Portland was willing to be a partner in a Klay trade. They could bundle a few salaries to try and shave off money from next year's payroll, offsetting the extra year of Klay. Portland is desperate for shooters. But, can he guard anybody anymore? The chatter suggests he cannot, but let's play with some ideas anyway...

Is there a deal where Portland gets to shed Williams, Thybulle, and, say, Reath, bringing Klay back, maybe even with some light goodies like second rounders for taking his extra year? Or, dare I even ask, Ayton out and Klay in?

[babyjax13]

This trade has nothing to do with the Blazers (yet), but I'm just gonna sheepishly throw in there that it wouldn't astonish me if Portland was willing to be a partner in a Klay trade. They could bundle a few salaries to try and shave off money from next year's payroll, offsetting the extra year of Klay. Portland is desperate for shooters. But, can he guard anybody anymore? The chatter suggests he cannot, but let's play with some ideas anyway...

Is there a deal where Portland gets to shed Williams, Thybulle, and, say, Reath, bringing Klay back, maybe even with some light goodies like second rounders for taking his extra year? Or, dare I even ask, Ayton out and Klay in?

I'm glad it is interesting enough for people to want their team's involved
I do think Klay is going to want to go to a contender (if possible). If no contender wants him and Portland just wants shooting, I would imagine whatever salary they send that reduces the future commitment for Utah would be fine. I'd honestly be fine taking back Ayton for Klay and just telling Ayton we have a lot of ice in Salt Lake so he can just stay home until we trade or release him.

[Tim Lehrbach]

This trade has nothing to do with the Blazers (yet), but I'm just gonna sheepishly throw in there that it wouldn't astonish me if Portland was willing to be a partner in a Klay trade. They could bundle a few salaries to try and shave off money from next year's payroll, offsetting the extra year of Klay. Portland is desperate for shooters. But, can he guard anybody anymore? The chatter suggests he cannot, but let's play with some ideas anyway...

Is there a deal where Portland gets to shed Williams, Thybulle, and, say, Reath, bringing Klay back, maybe even with some light goodies like second rounders for taking his extra year? Or, dare I even ask, Ayton out and Klay in?

I'm glad it is interesting enough for people to want their team's involved
I do think Klay is going to want to go to a contender (if possible). If no contender wants him and Portland just wants shooting, I would imagine whatever salary they send that reduces the future commitment for Utah would be fine. I'd honestly be fine taking back Ayton for Klay and just telling Ayton we have a lot of ice in Salt Lake so he can just stay home until we trade or release him.

With all due respect for Klay's contributions to title teams, that time has passed. I don't know what his expectations are, but he must know he could be traded anywhere, anytime. He'd getting plenty of shots in Portland, but no, not an opportunity to contend.

It's not that serious of an idea, really. A lot of Portland fans would cringe at the thought. I just see a whole lotta money going to Ayton, Simons, Grant, Williams, Thybulle... next year that can't and therefore won't be shipped for fantastic prizes but could be used to tinker with the roster to find better fits (especially shooters) around what's semi-sorta-working here.

[jayjaysee]

Just for fun?

Lauri to Dallas
Gafford, Martin and Klay to LAL
Rui, Vincent, Maxi, Hardy, Prosper, 2025 Dallas first, 2029 LAL first to Utah

And whatever you think LAL adds to turn that into that?

I don’t want a 2025 Dallas pick, and I don’t want a LAL pick. Luka is in LA. That has already devalued the LA pick Utah owns. I don’t value a LA pick in general like I do picks from other teams seeing as they are historically the number one free agent destination. And now with Luka I value their picks even less. This package wouldn’t do it for me personally.

You might be right on Utah needing extra value. In this thread, I said I think Dallas needs to add at least PJ..

But to not want a late lottery pick.. even if you just trust in Ainge to trade it for a future pick or picks… It’s the 11th or 12th pick at this point and holds some value. (If Dallas moves up, they should not trade that pick for Lauri)

The LAL 2029 pick yeah, if Luka is still there it’s realistically a nice floor for LAL.

I do expect it to work out for LA, because they’re LAL..But I also watched Dallas draft in the lottery with Luka and know how quickly things can change.

[Daddy 801]

Just for fun?

Lauri to Dallas
Gafford, Martin and Klay to LAL
Rui, Vincent, Maxi, Hardy, Prosper, 2025 Dallas first, 2029 LAL first to Utah

And whatever you think LAL adds to turn that into that?

I don’t want a 2025 Dallas pick, and I don’t want a LAL pick. Luka is in LA. That has already devalued the LA pick Utah owns. I don’t value a LA pick in general like I do picks from other teams seeing as they are historically the number one free agent destination. And now with Luka I value their picks even less. This package wouldn’t do it for me personally.

You might be right on Utah needing extra value. In this thread, I said I think Dallas needs to add at least PJ..

But to not want a late lottery pick.. even if you just trust in Ainge to trade it for a future pick or picks… It’s the 11th or 12th pick at this point and holds some value. (If Dallas moves up, they should not trade that pick for Lauri)

The LAL 2029 pick yeah, if Luka is still there it’s realistically a nice floor for LAL.

I do expect it to work out for LA, because they’re LAL..But I also watched Dallas draft in the lottery with Luka and know how quickly things can change.

It’s a weird scenario for Utah but adding even more youth right now is not the move. It’s why they traded the three for one first round draft picks. A team can only have so much youth and Utah is already stacked and has 2-3 first round draft picks coming in multiple years going forward. If the 12th pick of this year can get an unprotected in the future then that’s what Utah would do is my guess.

[timani]

I didn't read all of this because it will never happen. Nico has uttered "Defense wins championships" a lot in his two recent pressers. This isn't that. Not trying to be a downer but you don't trade Luka for PF and then trade all of your other defense for...another PF. Sorry I'm just ruined as a Mavs fan right now.

[babyjax13]

I didn't read all of this because it will never happen. Nico has uttered "Defense wins championships" a lot in his two recent pressers. This isn't that. Not trying to be a downer but you don't trade Luka for PF and then trade all of your other defense for...another PF. Sorry I'm just ruined as a Mavs fan right now.

And Kyrie is still on the roster. I think Nico wants his best player to be a 2-way player that he can build a coherent team around. That is obviously well and good as a philosophy, just not at the expense of Luka (which I don't need to tell you). Lauri provides some secondary rim deterrance and can play the 3, so I can see him buying into the idea that a team build around 3 7 footers could be really nice defensively even if one is a bit of a weak point. e.g., Kyrie-Christie-Lauri-AD-Lively still seems like an excellent defensive unit? Probably much better than Kyrie-Luka-Marshall-PJ-Lively (or whatever starting 5 they would have assembled)?