Lauri and Kessler to CLT?

[SkyHook]

You think Kessler gladly went along with being the face of intentionally throwing 7 games without any extension agreed upon?

Why would he be willing to throw 7 games, never say a word about it, and not ask for a trade this summer without being compensated?

I can do this all day.

I am almost certain that these suppositions only exist in your mind.

You can keep saying this, but we're going to have to make everyone whole after what we did. Hardy's career was permanently stained from what we did so we had to reward him with a five year extension. Kessler's career was stained just as much and he'll have to get a massive extension too.

You can keep saying this—you can concoct whatever scenarios you want in your mind—but it doesn't make it true.
• Hardy got an extension because he is a good coach, one of the best young coaches in league. You may disagree with that, but it's contrary to the opinions of the Jazz FO and a good portion of the league.
• Teams can choose not to play their players (subject to the "star" participation rule) for any reason they want if it's in the best interest of the franchise. Players don't need to be "made whole" from such a decision and anyone who holds that team strategy against the player is making a nonsensical, irrational judgement.

[HadAnEffectHere]

I can do this all day.

I am almost certain that these suppositions only exist in your mind.

You can keep saying this, but we're going to have to make everyone whole after what we did. Hardy's career was permanently stained from what we did so we had to reward him with a five year extension. Kessler's career was stained just as much and he'll have to get a massive extension too.

You can keep saying this—you can concoct whatever scenarios you want in your mind—but it doesn't make it true.
• Hardy got an extension because he is a good coach, one of the best young coaches in league. You may disagree with that, but it's contrary to the opinions of the Jazz FO and a good portion of the league.
• Teams can choose not to play their players (subject to the "star" participation rule) for any reason they want if it's in the best interest of the franchise. Players don't need to be "made whole" from such a decision and anyone who holds that team strategy against the player is making a nonsensical, irrational judgement.

So the Jazz just forced Walker Kessler to sit 7 games while completely healthy and did so in such an obvious way that the league got furious at the team (forcing them to pivot this summer), but Kessler (a guy whose management team/dad complains about literally everything) was completely silent about being asked to throw games... And Kessler did not get financially compensated for that?

You sure about that?

You sure that Kessler was so fine with being forced to miss games so the Jazz could throw games (instead of playing with Luka and LeBron) that he (a guy whose inner circle is constantly chirping) didn't either demand a big extension or a trade to a contender?

[SkyHook]

You can keep saying this, but we're going to have to make everyone whole after what we did. Hardy's career was permanently stained from what we did so we had to reward him with a five year extension. Kessler's career was stained just as much and he'll have to get a massive extension too.

You can keep saying this—you can concoct whatever scenarios you want in your mind—but it doesn't make it true.
• Hardy got an extension because he is a good coach, one of the best young coaches in league. You may disagree with that, but it's contrary to the opinions of the Jazz FO and a good portion of the league.
• Teams can choose not to play their players (subject to the "star" participation rule) for any reason they want if it's in the best interest of the franchise. Players don't need to be "made whole" from such a decision and anyone who holds that team strategy against the player is making a nonsensical, irrational judgement.

So the Jazz just forced Walker Kessler to sit 7 games while completely healthy and did so in such an obvious way that the league got furious at the team (forcing them to pivot this summer), but Kessler (a guy whose management team/dad complains about literally everything) was completely silent about being asked to throw games... And Kessler did not get financially compensated for that?

You sure about that?

You sure that Kessler was so fine with being forced to miss games so the Jazz could throw games (instead of playing with Luka and LeBron) that he (a guy whose inner circle is constantly chirping) didn't either demand a big extension or a trade to a contender?

I'm 100% sure about very few things in this life, but you certainly seem to be. Your assertions (and your irrational confidence in them) have truly jumped the shark; I can't take them seriously at all.

[HadAnEffectHere]

You can keep saying this—you can concoct whatever scenarios you want in your mind—but it doesn't make it true.
• Hardy got an extension because he is a good coach, one of the best young coaches in league. You may disagree with that, but it's contrary to the opinions of the Jazz FO and a good portion of the league.
• Teams can choose not to play their players (subject to the "star" participation rule) for any reason they want if it's in the best interest of the franchise. Players don't need to be "made whole" from such a decision and anyone who holds that team strategy against the player is making a nonsensical, irrational judgement.

So the Jazz just forced Walker Kessler to sit 7 games while completely healthy and did so in such an obvious way that the league got furious at the team (forcing them to pivot this summer), but Kessler (a guy whose management team/dad complains about literally everything) was completely silent about being asked to throw games... And Kessler did not get financially compensated for that?

You sure about that?

You sure that Kessler was so fine with being forced to miss games so the Jazz could throw games (instead of playing with Luka and LeBron) that he (a guy whose inner circle is constantly chirping) didn't either demand a big extension or a trade to a contender?

I'm 100% sure about very few things in this life, but you certainly seem to be. Your assertions (and your irrational confidence in them) have truly jumped the shark; I can't take them seriously at all.

I just see no universe in which a professional athlete (a guy the Jazz implied was a soft primadonna that they were thinking of replacing with literally Zach Edey 12 months ago) is willing to be happy and to shut up about being told to publicly throw 7 games while trying to get his first big contract. Especially after the Jazz refused to trade him to play with Luka and LeBron. Unless, of course, they paid him a lot of money to do so.

"DNP-Rest" was the team spitting at the league while using Kessler to do that. They have to make him whole after this stunt.

[SkyHook]

So the Jazz just forced Walker Kessler to sit 7 games while completely healthy and did so in such an obvious way that the league got furious at the team (forcing them to pivot this summer), but Kessler (a guy whose management team/dad complains about literally everything) was completely silent about being asked to throw games... And Kessler did not get financially compensated for that?

You sure about that?

You sure that Kessler was so fine with being forced to miss games so the Jazz could throw games (instead of playing with Luka and LeBron) that he (a guy whose inner circle is constantly chirping) didn't either demand a big extension or a trade to a contender?

I'm 100% sure about very few things in this life, but you certainly seem to be. Your assertions (and your irrational confidence in them) have truly jumped the shark; I can't take them seriously at all.

I just see no universe in which a professional athlete (a guy the Jazz implied was a soft primadonna that they were thinking of replacing with literally Zach Edey 12 months ago) is willing to be happy and to shut up about being told to publicly throw 7 games while trying to get his first big contract. Especially after the Jazz refused to trade him to play with Luka and LeBron. Unless, of course, they paid him a lot of money to do so.

"DNP-Rest" was the team spitting at the league while using Kessler to do that. They have to make him whole after this stunt.

No.

[jayjaysee]

I don’t expect Utah to pay Kessler because the team was tanking..

[SkyHook]

I don’t expect Utah to pay Kessler because the team was tanking..

Exactly. He'll get the contract he has earned, nothing more. I wouldn't be surprised if a Kessler extension doesn't happen because, a) they won't come to an agreement on the contract terms, and/or b) his cap hold will be so low next summer and the Jazz will want to maximize their cap space.

[GoBobs]

I would rather hold on to those picks and see if the Bucks or the Warriors are still in the playoff picture at the deadline

[HadAnEffectHere]

I don’t expect Utah to pay Kessler because the team was tanking..

It was that he was the face of the Jazz not just tanking, but intentionally throwing games. He and Hardy had to agree to throw games with not even a single justification given as Ainge seemed giddy to rub his nose at the league. Kessler was sat with "DNP-Rest" 7 times against the worst teams in the league to throw these games. Kessler is also super chirpy and complains constantly about a lot of things but he's been completely quiet about the fact that his career was reduced to this... And there's a probably a reason why (they agreed to give him a ton of money in the 2026 offseason).

Like, Hardy and Kessler had a 8 month public bitching fest over Hardy thinking Kessler was too soft, but Kessler isn't going to say anything about the Jazz hurting his next contract by asking him to do this?

[MasterIchiro]

I know this is a website where we fancy ourselves a real boss.

But a real GM is not the boss.

The owner is.

Financial situations are in flux so demands shift for these profit-driven investors.

And while talent evaluators may remain steady in their assessments and projections of players (both short and long term), their boss in ownership may grow antsy while signing those checks if the debt/revenue margins narrow or the 5-year outlook has investors calling in agitated, anxious, nervous.

So owners may reverse course when we think we have a read on their front office, or ownership sends down orders to cut short term, cut long term, replace with a more efficient investment, position for tanking, target draft currency, win now, play free agency to any degree.

Many real GM's don't have as much autonomy as the people posting on this forum.

The whole trade machine at Fanspo is an accounting machine. When rich dudes set strict budget guidelines, you end up doing more math than scouting, or you may find yourself weighing the math greater than the scouting.

Some ownership groups are hands off when a front office complies or charts a creative route. Some front offices are established and great at defending their positions and getting approval on their requests for funds for big contracts.

Just an example:

I think right now Ainge is possibly operating under orders to slash payroll longterm and to tank for however many years.

He's in a financial pickle and can't get fair value for his players because he has to bank on the draft. I've always admired him as a GM. They let him run drafts without interference in Boston and he came away with multiple championship level talents.

I think the OP is onto something here. Ownership may be looking to unload the 195 million owed Lauri, or avoiding the big raise soon due Kessler, and Ainge has acknowledged neither will move a playoff team further than the regular season winner that had Donovan Mitchell, Gobert, Conley, Bogdanovic, Ingles.

Pat Riley is also just so far above his peers in talent evaluation - another basketball mind I respect. He never tanks and has earned a blank check.

The CBA has changed accounting. That's all.

[basketballwacko2]

Just a random bad idea. Charlotte Jazz.

Utah: Lauri and Kessler

Charlotte: Bridges, Green, and… Okogie or Connaughton (work around aggregating by making it two different trades) or just keep it simple with a vet min… 2026 Charlotte first (top 6 protected 2x), 2027 Dallas first, 2029 worst of Cleveland/Utah/Minn

Utah gets a 3 firsts for their two good players and fully commits to the tank letting Bailey throw up as many shots as he wants. Their 26.5 mil TPE becomes a 32 million Lauri TPE..

Charlotte gets a starting center and starting power forward and go for a playoff birth.

Kessler/Lauri/Miller/Sexton/Ball
Diabate/Grant/Liam/Kon/Mann

I don't see Charlotto giving up 3 #1 picks to get Lauri and Kessler!

[nykballa2k4]

So the Jazz just forced Walker Kessler to sit 7 games while completely healthy and did so in such an obvious way that the league got furious at the team (forcing them to pivot this summer), but Kessler (a guy whose management team/dad complains about literally everything) was completely silent about being asked to throw games... And Kessler did not get financially compensated for that?

You sure about that?

You sure that Kessler was so fine with being forced to miss games so the Jazz could throw games (instead of playing with Luka and LeBron) that he (a guy whose inner circle is constantly chirping) didn't either demand a big extension or a trade to a contender?

I'm 100% sure about very few things in this life, but you certainly seem to be. Your assertions (and your irrational confidence in them) have truly jumped the shark; I can't take them seriously at all.

I just see no universe in which a professional athlete (a guy the Jazz implied was a soft primadonna that they were thinking of replacing with literally Zach Edey 12 months ago) is willing to be happy and to shut up about being told to publicly throw 7 games while trying to get his first big contract. Especially after the Jazz refused to trade him to play with Luka and LeBron. Unless, of course, they paid him a lot of money to do so.

"DNP-Rest" was the team spitting at the league while using Kessler to do that. They have to make him whole after this stunt.

WK has a value for his extension/next contract. His agent already knows what the number should be. 25M+ seems to be the going rate for starting C.
Him being a "good soldier" does not impact his extension. Other teams don't care if he was sat or not. He won't see an extra dime from the Jazz.
The only thing that Jazz tanking did was ensure that Silver was going to rig the lotto like Stern did when the Celtics tanked for Duncan.


As for the main trade - if I am the Jazz, I need something to sell to my fans aside from Bailey. Future picks are fine and all, but I need something premium.
There is a player like WK every year taken in the 10-15 range. You get get a new one. But Lauri ... I think that there has to be a team willing to part with a real asset.

[Daddy 801]

Not trading those guys for protected picks.