Bring Out Your Dead (Weight Contracts): Utah Re-Tools Around Mitchell

[gswhoops]

Scenario: Utah fails to advance beyond the first round and decides to re-tool their roster with an eye towards a post-LeBron/Curry future in the West. Assume Mitchell is informed of this plan and is on board.

The overall theory of this rebuild for Utah is: as a non-destination for FAs, our plan is to accumulate as many draft picks and young prospects as possible by taking on bad money for the next 2-3 years, and emerging from the ashes with a great young core around Mitchell.

Trade #1 - with Golden State

Gobert, O'Neale for Wiggins, Paschall, GSW 2020 1st (currently #1), MIN 2021 1st

Golden State goes all-in on winning another championship with the Curry/Klay/Green core. This Warriors team would be downright nasty on D and still have the firepower to run with anyone.

Utah cashes in their biggest chip and takes back Wiggins in order to get two (likely) very high draft picks and a promising young player in Paschall (who happens to be childhood friends with Mitchell).

Trade #2 - with Philadelphia

Bogandovic, Ingles for Horford, Thybulle, OKC 2020 1st (currently #21)

Philly adds two great shooting wings to complement Simmons/Embiid and clears out Horford's long term salary.

Utah gets what looks to be a very promising young 3&D wing and another pick

Trade #3 - with Dallas

Conley for Powell, Wright, DAL 2020 1st (currently #18)

Dallas gets an upgrade at PG and clears some bad money.

Utah adds another pick

DRAFT

#1 - James Wiseman, C, Memphis
#18 - Aleksej Pokusevski, PF/C, Olympiakos (Int'l) (stash)
#21 - Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington
#23 - Desmond Bane, SG, TCU

FINAL ROSTER

Horford/Wiseman/Powell
Paschall/Davis
Thybulle/McDaniels
Wiggins/Bane
Mitchell/Wright

+ two likely high picks in 2021 (MIN and UTA)

[Godaddycurse]

Another 3 yr tank thread, love it

1) I think GSW should throw in its 2022 1st for O'neale as well
2) Dallas is not matching enough salary
3) Philly probably prefer to trade smith and another future 1st instead of thybulle to better win now and decrease lux tax bill

[gswhoops]

Another 3 yr tank thread, love it

1) I think GSW should throw in its 2022 1st for O'neale as well
2) Dallas is not matching enough salary
3) Philly probably prefer to trade smith and another future 1st instead of thybulle to help them win now

I assumed Utah would prefer Paschall over what’s probably a distant, late first but I’m happy to make that swap from a GS perspective

I think Utah would insist on Thybulle in the Sixers deal

Dallas, if you add Boban and Jackson it just sneaks in under the limit, or you can wait until after the draft and use the picked player’s salary to help out

[Godaddycurse]

Another 3 yr tank thread, love it

1) I think GSW should throw in its 2022 1st for O'neale as well
2) Dallas is not matching enough salary
3) Philly probably prefer to trade smith and another future 1st instead of thybulle to help them win now

I assumed Utah would prefer Paschall over what’s probably a distant, late first but I’m happy to make that swap from a GS perspective

I think Utah would insist on Thybulle in the Sixers deal

Dallas, if you add Boban and Jackson it just sneaks in under the limit, or you can wait until after the draft and use the picked player’s salary to help out

I had Gobert = wiggins + 2 high 1sts, and o'neale > paschall in value, so to me it's actually paschall + 2022 1st for o'neale. I think o'neale with his contract can fetch a mid 2020 1st on his own from a team who lacks 3+D wing like the wolves or trailblazer for example.

i'm not very convinced sixers make this trade though because losing thybulle hurts their perimeter defense alot (especially when jrich leaves) to the point i don't know if this really makes them better. Maybe a smaller deal of Bogdanovic + Davis for Horford + 2 picks (OKC 1st + NYC 2nd)? Utah can probably trade Ingles for another 1st from wolves or trailblazer then to make it Horford + 3 picks total for the pair.

[AingesBurner]

I like it.

[rugbyrugger23]

I like it. Way to use trades all discussed before in one master tank job.

Only critique is man that is a lot of rookies. Maybe find another team (not Dallas) that can give premium FFRP or top 8’ish 2020 FRP in consolidation. Jazz don’t need 18, 21, 23.

[eminence]

I think I'd rather look for things closer to expiring money and worse picks than all this longterm money in Horford/Wiggins/Powell/Wright.

[Catchall]

Feels like Utah gives up its best player and comes away holding multiple bags of **** that will stink for a long time. There isn't enough draft compensation in these deals to motivate the Jazz to do this.

Regarding Trade #1, if you can convert the #1 pick into Minnesota's #3 and #16 picks and include a young player who has upside and positive value (not Wiggins), the Jazz might consider it. Realistically, it's unlikely the Jazz will move Gobert. He's a perennial DPOY candidate and All NBA center who literally brings in 15 - 20 wins each season.

Regarding Trade #2, one relatively late 1RP is not adequate compensation to take Al Horford's contract by itself, let alone hand over Ingles and Bogdanovic. Jazz decline. Keep in mind, the Jazz would be looking to get younger if they were to move on from Gobert. Horford isn't a fit.

Regarding Trade #3, the Jazz might consider moving Conley if they receive a commitment from a player like Christian Wood in free agency. They plan to move Mitchell to the 1 going forward, and a player like Wood would fill a need for another frontcourt player with length. However, the purpose for doing this deal would be to clear cap space, and the Jazz wouldn't be keen to take back contracts like Dwight Powell's upcoming 3-year extension. One pick isn't enough compensation to consider three years of Powell. Wright is more or less a replacement-level player.

Regarding the underlying rationale that the Jazz would want to blow up, the problem the Jazz have right now is that Bogdanovic is out for the rest of the season, and Mike Conley is going to leave in a few weeks for the birth of his child. That means, even if the Jazz win a round this year, they're going to be without 2 of their top 4 players and they're not going anywhere.

This isn't rationale for blowing up the team.