2024-25 Regular Season Thread Vol. 1

[Wiltside]

I feel like the Jazz are fools gold a little though MWP. They featured Lauri a couple years ago and he blew up, now they're trying to trade him for a haul. Feels like they're doing the same thing with John Collins to an extent.

He'd certainly be an upgrade on what we're rolling at the 4 at present, but I'm still trying to figure out the fit with Bam and whether Collins' 3pt stroke is legit enough to put alongside Edrice.

[DayofMourning]

I feel like the Jazz are fools gold a little though MWP. They featured Lauri a couple years ago and he blew up, now they're trying to trade him for a haul. Feels like they're doing the same thing with John Collins to an extent.

He'd certainly be an upgrade on what we're rolling at the 4 at present, but I'm still trying to figure out the fit with Bam and whether Collins' 3pt stroke is legit enough to put alongside Edrice.

Does the 6'10" Jabari Smith look good next to Bam?

[contract]

I feel like the Jazz are fools gold a little though MWP. They featured Lauri a couple years ago and he blew up, now they're trying to trade him for a haul. Feels like they're doing the same thing with John Collins to an extent.

He'd certainly be an upgrade on what we're rolling at the 4 at present, but I'm still trying to figure out the fit with Bam and whether Collins' 3pt stroke is legit enough to put alongside Edrice.

Plus everything there is overpriced.

[contract]

Assuming we keep Jimmy and make one last push without trading picks and staying young. Since I do not know how to post images of trade machine.

Miami Trades Utah Trades

Terry Sexton
Duncan Collins
Ware
Jovic

Spoiler:

Rotation

BAm Love
Collins Jaquez
Jimmy Larson
Highsmith Burks
Herro Sexton

We stay relativeley young but get win now players who compliment our big 3. Would be our best team in the Jimmy Butler Era.

Utah gets a 1 st round promising Big in ware, a promising big/forward in Jovic, tank commander Terry and Duncan who is basically an expiring.

Thoughts?

I don't see Danny Ainge trading away assets that cheaply. If he sells you a can of Coke, he's going to charge you $10 for it.

[MettaWorldPanda]

It’s amazing we ever traded for Iguodala and Crowder. I remember how butt hurt many were when we had to attach the great young asset Justise Winslow for a mid 30’s player Iggy who was sitting out for months and many hated the idea of Crowder. Well that was a trade that put that team over the hump and gave us a chance at a chip. There’s many trades out there that are similar but everyone is so reluctant to make a move unless we take the other team to the woodshed.

Justise Winslow
Dion Waiters
James Johnson

That was the package for Iggy and Crowder.

JJJ or Jovic or Ware
Robinson
Rozier

That’s the new package for getting a similar package of players. Collins and Sexton? DFS and Schroder?

[SA37]

No way Butler at his age is worth $60 mil per. I wouldn't even pay more than $30-35 mil for 2 more years max.

Butler is going to get $50-$55M a season, and deservedly so. Guys are playing productively into their late 30s and I don't see it is a massive risk to extend him until he is 37 or 38.

Just for some perspective:

Durant (36): $50M this year and $54M next year

Beal (31): 2-years, $110M left on his deal

Paul George (35 in May): 3-years, $161M left

K Leonard (33): 2-years, $100M left

Lillard (34): 2-years, $111M left

Butler has not had any big injury nor does he have anything chronic that I am aware of. If I were Miami, I'd try to get Butler to sign the 2-year, $113M extension which would make him a top-5 paid player in the league (if his salary were evenly split, only Curry would make more money than him next year).

[AirP.]

I will say this, don't believe that was before they started negotiating.

He said that 5 days after Miami's last game and Riley seemed to indicate he hadn't talked to Butler's representation since last year plus what he said seemed to catch Butler's side a little off guard, something I think would have been mentioned before then had they started negotiating an extension before that press conference.

There is legality on when they can talk. Publicly they have to present it as within legality

Correct, but logically I would have to believe that anything Riley brought up in the press conference would have already been brought up in any negotiations at that point, yet it caught Butler's camp by surprise. It actually seems quite counterproductive to negotiations if something this big to Riley hadn't been addressed at the beginning of those talks.

[AirP.]

What if Denver came calling with MPJ, Nnaji, Saric and a 1st for Butler and Jovic (or possibly Love with no 1st)?

Hell no!!

Kevin O'Conner (who has some bad takes, maybe this one) said it makes a lot of sense to trade him to Denver to get MPJ back giving Spoelstra another high volume 3pt shooter at SF/PF position (hasn't taken 15 FGA in a season yet) which would probably be utilized more.

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

[AirP.]

Read on Twitter

[AirP.]

Read on Twitter

[Bmaster]

No way Butler at his age is worth $60 mil per. I wouldn't even pay more than $30-35 mil for 2 more years max.

Butler is going to get $50-$55M a season, and deservedly so. Guys are playing productively into their late 30s and I don't see it is a massive risk to extend him until he is 37 or 38.

Just for some perspective:

Durant (36): $50M this year and $54M next year

Beal (31): 2-years, $110M left on his deal

Paul George (35 in May): 3-years, $161M left

K Leonard (33): 2-years, $100M left

Lillard (34): 2-years, $111M left

Butler has not had any big injury nor does he have anything chronic that I am aware of. If I were Miami, I'd try to get Butler to sign the 2-year, $113M extension which would make him a top-5 paid player in the league (if his salary were evenly split, only Curry would make more money than him next year).

I would move on from Butler after this season. Great player just rather invest in younger star. Let another team blow 50 million on him. Hero and bams team now.

[contract]

No way Butler at his age is worth $60 mil per. I wouldn't even pay more than $30-35 mil for 2 more years max.

Butler is going to get $50-$55M a season, and deservedly so. Guys are playing productively into their late 30s and I don't see it is a massive risk to extend him until he is 37 or 38.

Spoiler:

Just for some perspective:

Durant (36): $50M this year and $54M next year

Beal (31): 2-years, $110M left on his deal

Paul George (35 in May): 3-years, $161M left

K Leonard (33): 2-years, $100M left

Lillard (34): 2-years, $111M left

Butler has not had any big injury nor does he have anything chronic that I am aware of. If I were Miami, I'd try to get Butler to sign the 2-year, $113M extension which would make him a top-5 paid player in the league (if his salary were evenly split, only Curry would make more money than him next year).

No they are not. There are exactly three NBA players 36 years of age or older averaging even 12 points per game.

Durant 25.8 ppg
Lebron 23.0 ppg
Curry 22.8 ppg

That's it. That's the entire list of guys playing productively into their late 30s. If you're wondering who #4 on the list of 36+ year olds is ...

Westbrook 11.3 ppg

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional?CF=AGE*GE*36:PTS*GE*10

That's the drop off. And the three guys that are doing it are freaks and all time greats.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

What if Denver came calling with MPJ, Nnaji, Saric and a 1st for Butler and Jovic (or possibly Love with no 1st)?

Hell no!!

Kevin O'Conner (who has some bad takes, maybe this one) said it makes a lot of sense to trade him to Denver to get MPJ back giving Spoelstra another high volume 3pt shooter at SF/PF position (hasn't taken 15 FGA in a season yet) which would probably be utilized more.

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

Not a fan and Jimmy is more valuable than him and a 1st in itself let alone adding Jovic (who I’m not super high on). I’d flip him in a 3 team deal somewhere though I guess

[3ammy3uck3ts]

It’s amazing we ever traded for Iguodala and Crowder. I remember how butt hurt many were when we had to attach the great young asset Justise Winslow for a mid 30’s player Iggy who was sitting out for months and many hated the idea of Crowder. Well that was a trade that put that team over the hump and gave us a chance at a chip. There’s many trades out there that are similar but everyone is so reluctant to make a move unless we take the other team to the woodshed.

Justise Winslow
Dion Waiters
James Johnson

That was the package for Iggy and Crowder.

JJJ or Jovic or Ware
Robinson
Rozier

That’s the new package for getting a similar package of players. Collins and Sexton? DFS and Schroder?

Wild how year 1 was arguably the best overall build and fit roster wise of this era smfh

[twix2500]

It’s amazing we ever traded for Iguodala and Crowder. I remember how butt hurt many were when we had to attach the great young asset Justise Winslow for a mid 30’s player Iggy who was sitting out for months and many hated the idea of Crowder. Well that was a trade that put that team over the hump and gave us a chance at a chip. There’s many trades out there that are similar but everyone is so reluctant to make a move unless we take the other team to the woodshed.

Justise Winslow
Dion Waiters
James Johnson

That was the package for Iggy and Crowder.

JJJ or Jovic or Ware
Robinson
Rozier

That’s the new package for getting a similar package of players. Collins and Sexton? DFS and Schroder?

Wild how year 1 was arguably the best overall build and fit roster wise of this era smfh

Naw the Tucker Lowry yr. Remove they were the number one seed.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[MettaWorldPanda]

It’s amazing we ever traded for Iguodala and Crowder. I remember how butt hurt many were when we had to attach the great young asset Justise Winslow for a mid 30’s player Iggy who was sitting out for months and many hated the idea of Crowder. Well that was a trade that put that team over the hump and gave us a chance at a chip. There’s many trades out there that are similar but everyone is so reluctant to make a move unless we take the other team to the woodshed.

Justise Winslow
Dion Waiters
James Johnson

That was the package for Iggy and Crowder.

JJJ or Jovic or Ware
Robinson
Rozier

That’s the new package for getting a similar package of players. Collins and Sexton? DFS and Schroder?

Wild how year 1 was arguably the best overall build and fit roster wise of this era smfh

The moment Crowder stepped into that PF spot next to Bam completely changed the whole dynamic of that team. Collins and DFS could possibly have a similar impact. I give undersized Highsmith credit for trying to hold the fort down but just a simple gamble on a decent PF could completely change the dynamic of the team to sustain a good playoff run. Problem is many in here are so reluctant to give up anything for anything worth while unless it’s completely lopsided. It’s not like we got draft capital to barter with. See the trade above for Iggy and Crowder.

[MettaWorldPanda]

It’s amazing we ever traded for Iguodala and Crowder. I remember how butt hurt many were when we had to attach the great young asset Justise Winslow for a mid 30’s player Iggy who was sitting out for months and many hated the idea of Crowder. Well that was a trade that put that team over the hump and gave us a chance at a chip. There’s many trades out there that are similar but everyone is so reluctant to make a move unless we take the other team to the woodshed.

Justise Winslow
Dion Waiters
James Johnson

That was the package for Iggy and Crowder.

JJJ or Jovic or Ware
Robinson
Rozier

That’s the new package for getting a similar package of players. Collins and Sexton? DFS and Schroder?

Wild how year 1 was arguably the best overall build and fit roster wise of this era smfh

Naw the Tucker Lowry yr. Remove they were the number one seed.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Tucker and Lowry was for sure a similar dynamic to Crowder and Gogi. Great success with both variations of PG and PF dynamic.

[MettaWorldPanda]

The worst variations of the Bam and Butler era at PF has been when they tried to go with Ariza, Harkless, Iguodala, and Highsmith at the 4 spot. Going away from size whether it being burly in the form of Crowder or Tucker or size with Meyers and KO imo has limited the ceiling of the team. Playing JJJ at the 4 spot was similar to when Spo tried to force Strus in that spot. Strus didn’t take off until he was moved to the 2 spot when Duncan was in his head.

[Dmcdani6]

It’s amazing we ever traded for Iguodala and Crowder. I remember how butt hurt many were when we had to attach the great young asset Justise Winslow for a mid 30’s player Iggy who was sitting out for months and many hated the idea of Crowder. Well that was a trade that put that team over the hump and gave us a chance at a chip. There’s many trades out there that are similar but everyone is so reluctant to make a move unless we take the other team to the woodshed.

Justise Winslow
Dion Waiters
James Johnson

That was the package for Iggy and Crowder.

JJJ or Jovic or Ware
Robinson
Rozier

That’s the new package for getting a similar package of players. Collins and Sexton? DFS and Schroder?

Wild how year 1 was arguably the best overall build and fit roster wise of this era smfh

The moment Crowder stepped into that PF spot next to Bam completely changed the whole dynamic of that team. Collins and DFS could possibly have a similar impact. I give undersized Highsmith credit for trying to hold the fort down but just a simple gamble on a decent PF could completely change the dynamic of the team to sustain a good playoff run. Problem is many in here are so reluctant to give up anything for anything worth while unless it’s completely lopsided. It’s not like we got draft capital to barter with. See the trade above for Iggy and Crowder.

I do agree MWP, one of those 4 mentioned earlier have to be given up. My guess is Jovic, just cause he seems like the odd man out. I think he’ll still be a good role player somewhere, but thats whod Id pick. No way they trade JJJ, Larsson is a toss up, but hes playing ao much as a 2nd rounder already.

[carnageta]

I hate playing the 'what-if' game but it's fun to do and it really demonstrates the importance of every single regular season game.

We're 13-10, good enough for 5th in the East.

We lost to the Kings by 1 point earlier on in the season, a game in which we lead in the third quarter by 15.
We lost to the Suns by 3 points earlier on in the season, a game in which we lead in the third quarter by 14.
We lost to the Pistons by 2 points a couple of weeks ago (Spo's 'choke' game in which he called a timeout when we didn't have any and it resulted in automatic free-throws + possession of the ball for Detroit).

Had we won the 3 games mentioned above, we would be sitting at 16-7 and 3rd place in the East. We would only be 2.5 games behind Cleveland for 1st place. We'd also have the 4th overall best record in the NBA.


Crazy to think about just how different the narratives would be.