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HKPackFan wrote:So the news bits say harden and Durant talked about joining together in Brooklyn over the summer. And kyrie was the pushing it even before.

So that's not tampering?

So nothing is tampering?

All the **** ask each other to form super teams all the time, and none of that **** is tampering?


Wtf is tampering.

Players talking and recruiting is not tampering.
Tampering can only be from Bucks Org, GM etc talk to a player under contract.
We were stupid enough to shoot our own leg.

BucksFanSD wrote:Tucker is undersized and about to be 36. Also complains about his contract which is probably a fair contract.

Lopez is playing better, Portis is doing well, DJW can play if needed (probably not needed). DDV is just fine for us.

If Lopez or Portis get hurt then what?

Trusting DJW and Thanasis to hold it down in the playoffs doesn’t seem like a great plan.

That said, it’s certainly possible PJ is washed and is not the answer either.

Nothing against Nwora but I think we really **** up passing on Joe.

emunney wrote:Nothing against Nwora but I think we really **** up passing on Joe.

This is a set up

Fotis St wrote:

HKPackFan wrote:So the news bits say harden and Durant talked about joining together in Brooklyn over the summer. And kyrie was the pushing it even before.

So that's not tampering?

So nothing is tampering?

All the **** ask each other to form super teams all the time, and none of that **** is tampering?


Wtf is tampering.

Players talking and recruiting is not tampering.
Tampering can only be from Bucks Org, GM etc talk to a player under contract.
We were stupid enough to shoot our own leg.

Yes, it is. If the other player is still under contract. Green was just fined 50k this past summer for it.

Any way the Thunder trade Lu Dort?




Then sign Cheick Diallo.

Holiday - Augustine - Merill - Adams (2W)
DDV - Dort - Forbes
Middleton - Pat - Craig - Nwora
Giannis - Portis - Thanasis - Diakite (2W)
Lopez - Diallo

Looking more closely at PJ Tucker.

He is making $8 million in the final year of his contract.

Tucker made it clear he wanted an extension from the Rockets that he did not get as a broader sign of the commitment from the franchise, showing it was a clear point of contention during training camp:

I want to be where whoever wants me. That’s the kind of player I am. I leave my heart on the floor every single night. I want to be where I’m wanted.

Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen reported on Dec. 18 that there were talks:

The Rockets are likely to offer a two-year extension to Tucker, who is entering the final season of the four-year deal he signed with the Rockets as a free agent in 2016. The hang up in talks could be over the amount that would be guaranteed in the second season of the contract extension.

Talks have been ongoing, including a conversation Rockets general manager Rafael Stone had on Friday morning with Tucker’s agent, Andre Buck.

https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/2020/12/18/rockets-pj-tucker-reportedly-hopeful-of-contract-extension-agreement/

However now that Harden is out that is presumably done now.

Think we'd have to be crazy to give up anything of significance for Tucker. I wouldn't say he's totally washed, and given who we're playing at backup forward, we could use him, but I don't see anything obvious that works for both sides. Like, I'd do Brook for Tucker and Boogie, but they wouldn't, and I'm not sure we would, either.

emunney wrote:Think we'd have to be crazy to give up anything of significance for Tucker. I wouldn't say he's totally washed, and given who we're playing at backup forward, we could use him, but I don't see anything obvious that works for both sides. Like, I'd do Brook for Tucker and Boogie, but they wouldn't, and I'm not sure we would, either.

The report the other day was Tucker might cost 3 second round picks. I'm fine trading some 2nds that we can purchase to replenish, would not trade a 1st (and doubt any other team would either).

Salary wise, DJ Wilson's contract gets us close to Tucker's, but I'm not sure what other filler we'd add. That could be a problem looking more closely at it.

If we had to trade Brook I'd be out. That would make us even thinner up front than we are now.

I'd throw in that last Indy 2nd rounder on top of DJ and Pat if they send us Tucker and Boogie, but that's all I'm giving up. Nobody's giving up decent assets for him, so it really depends on whether or not Houston wants to buy him out.

I wonder if Bud could take someone like Harry Giles and turn them into a serviceable big for us.

Larry Nance Jr should be a priority right now.
Don't care if Brook is included. He looks like he is playing his best at this point of his career.

Some other names ... Vonleh, Markannen , Hartenstein.

Just bench Brook and give some final burn at Wilson as a 5. Wake up Bud , we need to move on and improve

I don’t see the need to use up more limited assets just for a minor upgrade. Just sign one of Vonleh, RHJ, Dedmon, Ilyasova, O’Quinn, Tolliver, Diallo or Labissiere and then go all in on Ariza when he’s bought out.

Playoff rotation:
PG - Jrue (26mpg) DJA (22)
SG - DDV (30), Jrue(8), Middleton (10)
SF - Middleton (24), Ariza (24)
PF - Giannis (36), Portis (12)
C - BroLo (32), Portis (16)

If needed we can run out Pat or Bryn for 6-8 mpg if the opponent plays significant small ball lineups. This would shift some of Ariza’s minutes to PF and take some mpg away from either Brook or Bobby.

Thinking about what outgoing salary we might send out in a midseason trade.

DJ Wilson's $4.5 million ending contract seems to be the easiest to deal.

Pat Connaughton's $4.9 million and DJ Augustin's $6.6 million could also be sent out if we are upgrading role players.

Wilson + Pat = $9.5 million and Wilson + Augistin = $11 million for a frame of reference.

Less likely to be dealt imo include Donte's $3 million and Lopez's $12.6 million. However if we're going for a more substantial piece they probably have to end up in the mix.

According to RealGM Future Drafts it looks like we can only deal the 2025 Indiana 2nd round pick right now -- which certainly limits the caliber of return we can bring back if the team we're dealing with doesn't positively value Pat or Augustin or DJ.

Helping a team cut some cap might be our best bet.

Thinking about Connaughton’s potential trade value.

Zach Lowe said he had a few teams pursuing him this offseason in the $4-6 million range.

3 years is a lot of years despite that. But still not impossible he has neutral if not positive value in the right trade package.

Horst struck a similar note about Pat’s suitors, however, we might not be in a rush to deal him either:

But we went into free agency knowing that we wanted to keep Pat. And I think Pat loves it here and wanted to be here, but I also believe a lot of teams value Pat and he had a market. I know, because a lot of teams have called about Pat in the last couple of years.

raferfenix wrote:Thinking about Connaughton’s potential trade value.

Zach Lowe said he had a few teams pursuing him this offseason in the $4-6 million range.

3 years is a lot of years despite that. But still not impossible he has neutral if not positive value in the right trade package.

Horst struck a similar note about Pat’s suitors, however, we might not be in a rush to deal him either:

But we went into free agency knowing that we wanted to keep Pat. And I think Pat loves it here and wanted to be here, but I also believe a lot of teams value Pat and he had a market. I know, because a lot of teams have called about Pat in the last couple of years.

Let's see if teams call for Pat now. He is in a much different contract than he was before.

bdpecore wrote:I don’t see the need to use up more limited assets just for a minor upgrade. Just sign one of Vonleh, RHJ, Dedmon, Ilyasova, O’Quinn, Tolliver, Diallo or Labissiere and then go all in on Ariza when he’s bought out.

Playoff rotation:
PG - Jrue (26mpg) DJA (22)
SG - DDV (30), Jrue(8), Middleton (10)
SF - Middleton (24), Ariza (24)
PF - Giannis (36), Portis (12)
C - BroLo (32), Portis (16)

If needed we can run out Pat or Bryn for 6-8 mpg if the opponent plays significant small ball lineups. This would shift some of Ariza’s minutes to PF and take some mpg away from either Brook or Bobby.

Giannis should be getting 38-40 mins in the playoffs. Maybe Middleton and Holiday too.

Brook should not be anywhere near 32. IMO Portis should be getting more mins than him. Brook around 20, and Portis around 25-28. Giannis can make up some of the mins at center.

Also don't think Augustin sohuld be playing any more than 15, same with Ariza, if we were to get him.

Sell high on DDV and Pat if there are suitors and use Brook and DJ as fillers if needed.

Can we get into the Dipo conversation with DDV included ? Or Beal, or maybe get significant assets by another GM who is in love with DDV, as many are here ?

Dipo seems like a big gamble, but if the price is another 1st you go for it. Brook, DJs + 2021/2023 FRPs for Dipo + our 2022 FRP back. Houston should be enticed if there are teams willing to spend for Brook, Augustine or Wilson. Pat could be used too.

Bucks won’t lose shooting moving from DDV/Brook to Dipo/Portis in their starting 5. And they keep Donte as 6th, which is a role he could thrive. Get a couple of bigs from the buyout market and you are good to go.

Fotis St wrote:Sell high on DDV and Pat if there are suitors and use Brook and DJ as fillers if needed.

Can we get into the Dipo conversation with DDV included ? Or Beal, or maybe get significant assets by another GM who is in love with DDV, as many are here ?

It's not selling high when a player is still improving.

Also, we need to add to our depth, not destroy it. Being hard capped puts quite a squeeze on acquiring established name players. We need to target the under the radar players.