RealGM

Markkanen for Harris, Fontecchio and 2 first round picks with limited, if any, protections.

Why for Detroit? If gives them the big stretch four they need while not given up any core players.

Why for Utah? Utah needs to make changes and may be entering a rebuild. It acquires two players on the final year of their salaries giving them added salary flexibility plus two first round picks.

Not sure how Detroit fans will react. Harris is a team leader and a favorite. Plus many Detroit fans may be uncomfortable giving up two first round picks without signficant protections. Is it too much to pay for Markkanen?

But the real question is how Utah fans will react? They may accept the logic of the need to rebuild but may feel that can get more for Markkanen or that the team should try to trade other players before Markkanen. If so then what would it take?

The money doesn't quite work, DET needs to send out ~ $2MM more. With the playoff Pistons on the rise (and more so following this trade) I'd expect Ainge to demand more draft capital in return; 2026 + 2028 FRPs unprotected + ??? And DET likely balks.

I was thinking Det should go after Lauri too-a great fit for their lineup, and he's an awesome 2nd option. But, I think the deal is
Det sends Harris to Miami and Holland plus their 2026 or 27 unprotected 1st to Det
Det gets Lauri and Juzang

Utah sends Lauri and Juzang to Det
Utah gets Rozier, #20 from Miami (GS pick), Holland and the future Det pick

Miami sends Rozier and #20 to Utah
Miami gets Harris

Miami doesn't want to tank, could use Harris at the forward spot
Utah gets more assets
Det goes with

Cade/Beasley/Thompson/Lauri/Duran
Ivey/Stewart as main bench
Sasser, Juzang, Simone, Reed (resigned cheaply) for depth. I think that team next year, if Thompson improves, could win the East

I like the target. Comes down to the protections for me. Top 4 both of them and I'm good for Detroit. If I'm Utah I probably push to unprotect the first one and top 4 the 2nd.

But this is the rare Lauri trade where I think he adds enough value to the new team to justify this kind of assets. Nice job.

Yeah, I can be talked into this, although we need to make some other moves first. Unless we can send out more salary in this deal or find some others, the extra salary from using just Tobias and Simone leaves us with nothing but the MLE. That could bring back Beasley, but we’d lose Schroder, who we’d like to keep. Timmy should go either way, he’s less needed. Need to find a way to shed more. Sasser makes the deal work, I think, but not enough to solve the Schroder problem.

I absolutely do not want to trade Holland, tho. I know Ivey isn’t a fit in Utah right now (and with his recovery in progress), but Holland is just a Piston kind of guy. He clearly was overwhelmed by the playoffs and barely got any run, but he’s 19. I want him around.

It would have to be no protections. The return is okay. I'd rather deal with a desperate aging team than a rising team like Detroit. Or just a team that clearly has bad management. FWIW I would rather replace Holland with picks.

I think this is a deal I would consider more at the trade deadline next year rather than this offseason. Markannen had a down year and I'd like to see how he bounces back and if he is worth a package like this given the salary he is owed. Plus it gives Detroit the opportunity to run the current team back first and see if internal development alone can push them into the next tier.

Lauri Markannen at almost 50 million per year? No thank you. That salary is toxic, he is not that good.