Lauri to GSW

[DonaldSanders]

I don't really see the issue - having too many good guys at SF/PF is a good thing.

If this happens their top 7 after the trade are Curry/Melton/Pods/Butler/Lauri/Draymond/Horford... that's 3 guards, 2 forwards and 2 bigs. Seems balanced to me. Curry/Butler/Lauri/Green are the "big 4" and who plays more of the other 3 guys can flip based on the situation.

Sure they lose some depth in a 3 for 1, but you've got TJD, Post, Santos, GP and Curry Lite. None of those guys are perfect, but I think they can all play (particularly in the regular season) and keep miles off the vets.

It's all about who you can play in the starting 5 big minutes and the Warriors want to cram the most 3P shooting they can around Steph/Jimmy/Dray. Steph is the only 3P shooter of those, so the other 2 guys on the court ideally are deadly 3P threats. Al can be deadly when open, so making a trade for Lauri only to sit him a bunch doesn't make sense as you're not doing much to the 3P shooting firepower in the starting lineup.

If the Warriors make a big trade it's going to be for someone who can fill the only question mark role which right now is at SG (though there are some SFs that could fill that role). I could see the Warriors trading Kuminga for a PF for sure, but it would be a smaller trade without a bunch of picks for a guy that will come off the bench. I can only see the Warriors adding picks if they get some kind of perfect SG fit.

[parsnips33]

I don't really see the issue - having too many good guys at SF/PF is a good thing.

If this happens their top 7 after the trade are Curry/Melton/Pods/Butler/Lauri/Draymond/Horford... that's 3 guards, 2 forwards and 2 bigs. Seems balanced to me. Curry/Butler/Lauri/Green are the "big 4" and who plays more of the other 3 guys can flip based on the situation.

Sure they lose some depth in a 3 for 1, but you've got TJD, Post, Santos, GP and Curry Lite. None of those guys are perfect, but I think they can all play (particularly in the regular season) and keep miles off the vets.

It's all about who you can play in the starting 5 big minutes and the Warriors want to cram the most 3P shooting they can around Steph/Jimmy/Dray. Steph is the only 3P shooter of those, so the other 2 guys on the court ideally are deadly 3P threats. Al can be deadly when open, so making a trade for Lauri only to sit him a bunch doesn't make sense as you're not doing much to the 3P shooting firepower in the starting lineup.

If the Warriors make a big trade it's going to be for someone who can fill the only question mark role which right now is at SG (though there are some SFs that could fill that role). I could see the Warriors trading Kuminga for a PF for sure, but it would be a smaller trade without a bunch of picks for a guy that will come off the bench. I can only see the Warriors adding picks if they get some kind of perfect SG fit.

Devin Booker here we come

[BlazersBroncos]

I don't really see the issue - having too many good guys at SF/PF is a good thing.

If this happens their top 7 after the trade are Curry/Melton/Pods/Butler/Lauri/Draymond/Horford... that's 3 guards, 2 forwards and 2 bigs. Seems balanced to me. Curry/Butler/Lauri/Green are the "big 4" and who plays more of the other 3 guys can flip based on the situation.

Sure they lose some depth in a 3 for 1, but you've got TJD, Post, Santos, GP and Curry Lite. None of those guys are perfect, but I think they can all play (particularly in the regular season) and keep miles off the vets.

It's all about who you can play in the starting 5 big minutes and the Warriors want to cram the most 3P shooting they can around Steph/Jimmy/Dray. Steph is the only 3P shooter of those, so the other 2 guys on the court ideally are deadly 3P threats. Al can be deadly when open, so making a trade for Lauri only to sit him a bunch doesn't make sense as you're not doing much to the 3P shooting firepower in the starting lineup.

If the Warriors make a big trade it's going to be for someone who can fill the only question mark role which right now is at SG (though there are some SFs that could fill that role). I could see the Warriors trading Kuminga for a PF for sure, but it would be a smaller trade without a bunch of picks for a guy that will come off the bench. I can only see the Warriors adding picks if they get some kind of perfect SG fit.

Devin Booker here we come

PHX errantly sees Booker as a legit lead on a championship team level guy. They are not moving him, especially for what GSW can offer.

Lauri is pretty ideal. For once it gives GSW a big team, but it doesnt sacrafice shooting in the process.

Kuminga (22.5M)
Moody (11.57)
Hield (9.2M)
2026 FRP (Top-4)
Future FRP Swap (Top-4)
43.27M

Markkanen (46.39)
Svi Mykhailiuk (3.67) [Kyle Anderson TPE]
56.39

G - Step Curry / Brandon Podziemski / Seth Curry
G - De'Anthony Melton / Gary Payton III / Brandon Podziemski
F - Jimmy Butler / Svi Mykhailiuk / Gui Santos
F - Lauri Markkanen / Draymond Green / Gui Santos / TJD
C - Draymond Green / Al Horford / Quentin Post / TJD

[Nate the Great]

The Warriors already have the player with the highest salary and the player with the fifth highest salary. Lauri’s salary is tied for 16th highest, I think. They would have to sign two more players to fill the roster. That’s just not tenable in today’s NBA. The Warriors have four second-rounders on rookie deals and they’re still delaying the Seth Curry signing until mid-November, just to stay under the second apron.

[Scoot McGroot]

Lauri makes $3m more than that package, so he’d be hard capped at the 1st apron, when GS is precariously close to the 2nd apron (that they’re already hard capped at), and this deal would empty 2 roster spots AND put them over THAT hard cap.

Legally, GS has to include more salary. It’d likely take Podz (if this happens around the deadline and GS can string along the empty roster spots as long as possible before backfilling), or Horford in order for them to be able to fill the roster spots and stay safe with hard caps.

Just not realistic in legality, I think?

[giberish]

Lauri makes $3m more than that package, so he’d be hard capped at the 1st apron, when GS is precariously close to the 2nd apron (that they’re already hard capped at), and this deal would empty 2 roster spots AND put them over THAT hard cap.

Legally, GS has to include more salary. It’d likely take Podz (if this happens around the deadline and GS can string along the empty roster spots as long as possible before backfilling), or Horford in order for them to be able to fill the roster spots and stay safe with hard caps.

Just not realistic in legality, I think?

Yeah you just can't have 3 huge contract guys without plowing way over the 2nd apron (and GS can't do that even if they wanted to).

In general while Lauri is very good he's also paid so much that his trade value isn't that high.

[SkyHook]

Between salary matching and the large disparities between internal and external valuations, trade ideas involving Lauri continue to be impractical at best. This is about what it would take on Utah's end, but I don't see the Dubs offering this much draft capital even if they could otherwise make the numbers work.

[Scoot McGroot]

Lauri makes $3m more than that package, so he’d be hard capped at the 1st apron, when GS is precariously close to the 2nd apron (that they’re already hard capped at), and this deal would empty 2 roster spots AND put them over THAT hard cap.

Legally, GS has to include more salary. It’d likely take Podz (if this happens around the deadline and GS can string along the empty roster spots as long as possible before backfilling), or Horford in order for them to be able to fill the roster spots and stay safe with hard caps.

Just not realistic in legality, I think?

Yeah you just can't have 3 huge contract guys without plowing way over the 2nd apron (and GS can't do that even if they wanted to).

In general while Lauri is very good he's also paid so much that his trade value isn't that high.

In this case, I think GS COULD find a way to balance Curry, Butler, and Lauri, but it's that other $26m salary in Draymond that would be impossible to have, without, as you said, plowing way over the 2nd apron.

[Crymson]

Kuminga has veto power over any trade, and presumably would not be a fan of this one.

He waived his implied NTC as part of the deal

Good call, my bad.

[Golabki]

Lauri makes $3m more than that package, so he’d be hard capped at the 1st apron, when GS is precariously close to the 2nd apron (that they’re already hard capped at), and this deal would empty 2 roster spots AND put them over THAT hard cap.

Legally, GS has to include more salary. It’d likely take Podz (if this happens around the deadline and GS can string along the empty roster spots as long as possible before backfilling), or Horford in order for them to be able to fill the roster spots and stay safe with hard caps.

Just not realistic in legality, I think?

Yeah you just can't have 3 huge contract guys without plowing way over the 2nd apron (and GS can't do that even if they wanted to).

In general while Lauri is very good he's also paid so much that his trade value isn't that high.

In this case, I think GS COULD find a way to balance Curry, Butler, and Lauri, but it's that other $26m salary in Draymond that would be impossible to have, without, as you said, plowing way over the 2nd apron.

Do we know the y-o-y breakdown of the $ and does it matter? I'll admit, I was eyeballing a little because the trade checkers aren't updated.

[giberish]

Yeah you just can't have 3 huge contract guys without plowing way over the 2nd apron (and GS can't do that even if they wanted to).

In general while Lauri is very good he's also paid so much that his trade value isn't that high.

In this case, I think GS COULD find a way to balance Curry, Butler, and Lauri, but it's that other $26m salary in Draymond that would be impossible to have, without, as you said, plowing way over the 2nd apron.

Do we know the y-o-y breakdown of the $ and does it matter? I'll admit, I was eyeballing a little because the trade checkers aren't updated.

I felt it was implied that the roster around the 3 huge contracts would have to not be all min salary or near min salary guys but have enough other solid rotation players making some money to fill out a useful rotation.

[Golabki]

In this case, I think GS COULD find a way to balance Curry, Butler, and Lauri, but it's that other $26m salary in Draymond that would be impossible to have, without, as you said, plowing way over the 2nd apron.

Do we know the y-o-y breakdown of the $ and does it matter? I'll admit, I was eyeballing a little because the trade checkers aren't updated.

I felt it was implied that the roster around the 3 huge contracts would have to not be all min salary or near min salary guys but have enough other solid rotation players making some money to fill out a useful rotation.

If the deal technically works without any of the core 7 guys I mentioned in the deal, I think they do still have enough depth. Obviously you're really expensive this year and probably into the 2nd apron next year in that scenario.

I was responding to Scoot's point that it may not be technically possible to execute it within the cap rule and meet the minimum roster requirements.

[jredsaz]

Do we know the y-o-y breakdown of the $ and does it matter? I'll admit, I was eyeballing a little because the trade checkers aren't updated.

I felt it was implied that the roster around the 3 huge contracts would have to not be all min salary or near min salary guys but have enough other solid rotation players making some money to fill out a useful rotation.

If the deal technically works without any of the core 7 guys I mentioned in the deal, I think they do still have enough depth. Obviously you're really expensive this year and probably into the 2nd apron next year in that scenario.

I was responding to Scoot's point that it may not be technically possible to execute it within the cap rule and meet the minimum roster requirements.

The hard cap situation makes this super difficult to pull off. I like the fit of Lauri in GS but the cost to get him from Utah might be prohibitive. The easier financial option would be moving Dray and Kuminga out and getting Lauri back. Draymond to the Lakers maybe? Hard to see that happening this season tho.

[Daddy 801]

I don't think Lauri to GSW is possible anymore. Salary is the first thing that comes to mind, then the other is position -- Draymond plays PF. If you want to go small, you're now sitting Al and the warriors don't want Dray playing C all year. At 46M Lauri is hard to trade for, the Warriors would need to have a full roster so they'd need to take more than just Lauri back, hard to see this without sending a bigger salary with JK like Draymond, which neither side wants.

I agree. I think the Lauri to GS ship has sailed. You either have to play Draymond at the 5 full-time and bench Horford or play huge with Jimmy at the 2 and Lauri at the 3. Neither option really works.

I don’t care if the Jazz trade Lauri. Leaning towards wanting to keep him more than trade him. Not really wanting Kuminga on the Jazz but if we get him so be it.

But the idea Steph, Butler, Lauri, Dray, and Horford wouldn’t work is bananas to me. On offense they can play basically five out if Dray is handling the ball or running a PNR with Steph. And on defense having Dray and Horford play center with the other player or Lauri helping on weak side defense seems like it would work really well.

Lauri’s best style of play on offense is coming off screens for 3’s. I think we’ve seen how effective a player like that can be next to Steph before.

[gswhoops]

I felt it was implied that the roster around the 3 huge contracts would have to not be all min salary or near min salary guys but have enough other solid rotation players making some money to fill out a useful rotation.

If the deal technically works without any of the core 7 guys I mentioned in the deal, I think they do still have enough depth. Obviously you're really expensive this year and probably into the 2nd apron next year in that scenario.

I was responding to Scoot's point that it may not be technically possible to execute it within the cap rule and meet the minimum roster requirements.

The hard cap situation makes this super difficult to pull off. I like the fit of Lauri in GS but the cost to get him from Utah might be prohibitive. The easier financial option would be moving Dray and Kuminga out and getting Lauri back. Draymond to the Lakers maybe? Hard to see that happening this season tho.

I don't think swapping Draymond for Lauri gets us closer to winning a championship, tbh.

But the idea Steph, Butler, Lauri, Dray, and Horford wouldn’t work is bananas to me. On offense they can play basically five out if Dray is handling the ball or running a PNR with Steph. And on defense having Dray and Horford play center with the other player or Lauri helping on weak side defense seems like it would work really well.

Lauri’s best style of play on offense is coming off screens for 3’s. I think we’ve seen how effective a player like that can be next to Steph before.

It would absolutely work on offense. I don't think anyone's arguing that. Would it work on defense, and cap-wise, are the real questions.

[Daddy 801]

If the deal technically works without any of the core 7 guys I mentioned in the deal, I think they do still have enough depth. Obviously you're really expensive this year and probably into the 2nd apron next year in that scenario.

I was responding to Scoot's point that it may not be technically possible to execute it within the cap rule and meet the minimum roster requirements.

The hard cap situation makes this super difficult to pull off. I like the fit of Lauri in GS but the cost to get him from Utah might be prohibitive. The easier financial option would be moving Dray and Kuminga out and getting Lauri back. Draymond to the Lakers maybe? Hard to see that happening this season tho.

I don't think swapping Draymond for Lauri gets us closer to winning a championship, tbh.

But the idea Steph, Butler, Lauri, Dray, and Horford wouldn’t work is bananas to me. On offense they can play basically five out if Dray is handling the ball or running a PNR with Steph. And on defense having Dray and Horford play center with the other player or Lauri helping on weak side defense seems like it would work really well.

Lauri’s best style of play on offense is coming off screens for 3’s. I think we’ve seen how effective a player like that can be next to Steph before.

It would absolutely work on offense. I don't think anyone's arguing that. Would it work on defense, and cap-wise, are the real questions.

Cap wise I don’t think it really works for more than a season or two at most, if at all. But on defense I think they would be fine. Maybe not an amazing defense, but decent. And the offense would be amazing IMO.

[Golabki]

The hard cap situation makes this super difficult to pull off. I like the fit of Lauri in GS but the cost to get him from Utah might be prohibitive. The easier financial option would be moving Dray and Kuminga out and getting Lauri back. Draymond to the Lakers maybe? Hard to see that happening this season tho.

I don't think swapping Draymond for Lauri gets us closer to winning a championship, tbh.

But the idea Steph, Butler, Lauri, Dray, and Horford wouldn’t work is bananas to me. On offense they can play basically five out if Dray is handling the ball or running a PNR with Steph. And on defense having Dray and Horford play center with the other player or Lauri helping on weak side defense seems like it would work really well.

Lauri’s best style of play on offense is coming off screens for 3’s. I think we’ve seen how effective a player like that can be next to Steph before.

It would absolutely work on offense. I don't think anyone's arguing that. Would it work on defense, and cap-wise, are the real questions.

Cap wise I don’t think it really works for more than a season or two at most, if at all. But on defense I think they would be fine. Maybe not an amazing defense, but decent. And the offense would be amazing IMO.

The GSW org is operating on a 2 season plan at this point... so that's part of the appeal. If you do this your plan is to be in the 2nd apron next year for sure.

The issue is they are hard capped at the second apron due to Horford and they are REALLY close. The deal I proposed adds a few million, and then have to backfill 2 roster spots, which costs a couple million more. If it happens at the deadline it's only half the impact beceause it's prorated (I think). So I think net-net it would be an impact of 2.5-3M on their cap number. But they are only under by $2M today.

I think it's literally close enough where if they trade TJD (or GP or someone on a vet min deal) for nothing and signed a zero-years of service free agent, that would be enough to make it work. But honestly I could be wrong.

[giberish]

The hard cap situation makes this super difficult to pull off. I like the fit of Lauri in GS but the cost to get him from Utah might be prohibitive. The easier financial option would be moving Dray and Kuminga out and getting Lauri back. Draymond to the Lakers maybe? Hard to see that happening this season tho.

I don't think swapping Draymond for Lauri gets us closer to winning a championship, tbh.

But the idea Steph, Butler, Lauri, Dray, and Horford wouldn’t work is bananas to me. On offense they can play basically five out if Dray is handling the ball or running a PNR with Steph. And on defense having Dray and Horford play center with the other player or Lauri helping on weak side defense seems like it would work really well.

Lauri’s best style of play on offense is coming off screens for 3’s. I think we’ve seen how effective a player like that can be next to Steph before.

It would absolutely work on offense. I don't think anyone's arguing that. Would it work on defense, and cap-wise, are the real questions.

Cap wise I don’t think it really works for more than a season or two at most, if at all. But on defense I think they would be fine. Maybe not an amazing defense, but decent. And the offense would be amazing IMO.

The problem is that the rest of the roster would have to be almost all vet min players. Given the age of the starting 5 that's just not going to hold up over a season.

Overall I'd say that Lauri is a good to very good player but isn't worth both his contract and the trade assets Utah wants in return.

[giberish]

I don't think swapping Draymond for Lauri gets us closer to winning a championship, tbh.


It would absolutely work on offense. I don't think anyone's arguing that. Would it work on defense, and cap-wise, are the real questions.

Cap wise I don’t think it really works for more than a season or two at most, if at all. But on defense I think they would be fine. Maybe not an amazing defense, but decent. And the offense would be amazing IMO.

The GSW org is operating on a 2 season plan at this point... so that's part of the appeal. If you do this your plan is to be in the 2nd apron next year for sure.

The issue is they are hard capped at the second apron due to Horford and they are REALLY close. The deal I proposed adds a few million, and then have to backfill 2 roster spots, which costs a couple million more. If it happens at the deadline it's only half the impact beceause it's prorated (I think). So I think net-net it would be an impact of 2.5-3M on their cap number. But they are only under by $2M today.

I think it's literally close enough where if they trade TJD (or GP or someone on a vet min deal) for nothing and signed a zero-years of service free agent, that would be enough to make it work. But honestly I could be wrong.

Being above the 1st apron GS can't sent out more then they take in during a trade. So even just adding a small amount doesn't work.

[Daddy 801]

I don't think swapping Draymond for Lauri gets us closer to winning a championship, tbh.


It would absolutely work on offense. I don't think anyone's arguing that. Would it work on defense, and cap-wise, are the real questions.

Cap wise I don’t think it really works for more than a season or two at most, if at all. But on defense I think they would be fine. Maybe not an amazing defense, but decent. And the offense would be amazing IMO.

The problem is that the rest of the roster would have to be almost all vet min players. Given the age of the starting 5 that's just not going to hold up over a season.

Overall I'd say that Lauri is a good to very good player but isn't worth both his contract and the trade assets Utah wants in return.

I don’t really disagree with this. Having depth seems more important than just about any time I can remember. However if there was one guy/team I could see breaking a new trend it’s Steph. He’s just that good.