Trade Talk (Part 16): Early Season Anxiety Edition

[Klomp]

Lloyd never worked in Utah, that's the Dell Demps factor

Oh, well. But it makes my point even more accurate:

Demos, Finch and Lloyd have as much power in decision making as TC.

Why do you think that? Sincere question, since I don’t know how their decision-making process works.

I personally wouldn't say they have as much say. But they do have a say. Connelly takes in input from the people on his team, but he makes the final decision.

[minimus]

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I have seen enough. Trade Randle for Ball and Jalen Smith

[Norseman79]

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I have seen enough. Trade Randle for Ball and Jalen Smith

Then sign/trade for a center and I agree...

Conley, Ball, Dilly
Edwards, Naw, DD
McDaniels, Minott
Reid, Smith
Gobert, FA/trade, Garza

How about DD to Magic for Goga and draft comp...

[Klomp]

How about DD to Magic for Goga and draft comp...

That's an interesting idea actually, but ultimately I think the extra compensation would have to be very strong for them to accept.

[Klomp]

Something to consider as a positive in Ball's corner is I'd argue that Lonzo is a big reason why Zach LaVine is playing the best he's played in a few years. I think Lonzo could help unlock Ant in similar ways.

A big part of flow offense is having cutters and guys who will see and find the cutters. Lonzo is great at that.

[TimberKat]

Something to consider as a positive in Ball's corner is I'd argue that Lonzo is a big reason why Zach LaVine is playing the best he's played in a few years. I think Lonzo could help unlock Ant in similar ways.

A big part of flow offense is having cutters and guys who will see and find the cutters. Lonzo is great at that.

The question is can he still move or is he Brandon Roy 2.0?

[Klomp]

Something to consider as a positive in Ball's corner is I'd argue that Lonzo is a big reason why Zach LaVine is playing the best he's played in a few years. I think Lonzo could help unlock Ant in similar ways.

A big part of flow offense is having cutters and guys who will see and find the cutters. Lonzo is great at that.

The question is can he still move or is he Brandon Roy 2.0?

Roy played a total of 122 minutes and went 0-9 on 3-pointers after his return.

Ball is already at 176 minutes and has a 4.2:1 assist to turnover rate, along with averaging over a steal per game.

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[BlacJacMac]

Something to consider as a positive in Ball's corner is I'd argue that Lonzo is a big reason why Zach LaVine is playing the best he's played in a few years. I think Lonzo could help unlock Ant in similar ways.

A big part of flow offense is having cutters and guys who will see and find the cutters. Lonzo is great at that.

The question is can he still move or is he Brandon Roy 2.0?

He looks good out there. But is it sustainable?

[minimus]

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I have seen enough. Trade Randle for Ball and Jalen Smith

Then sign/trade for a center and I agree...

Conley, Ball, Dilly
Edwards, Naw, DD
McDaniels, Minott
Reid, Smith
Gobert, FA/trade, Garza

Well. It looks like after Ball trade MIN are kind of destined to play more with three guard lineups, because currently NAW is our second best perimeter defender and he often subs for McDaniels. So our depth chart would look like this:

Gobert/Smith/Reid + Garza
Reid/Minott/McDaniels + Miller
McDaniels/NAW + TJ
Edwards/DDV
Conley/Ball/Dilly

I like this rotation a lot because McDaniels, NAW and Ball can basically defend PG/SF/SG, which gives Finch A LOT of flexibility. Reid's recent improvement as defender/rim protector and McDaniels rebounding give me a hope that they can play one position up: backup С and backup PF.

P.S. Three guard lineups are not something new to Finch, moreover, he used to play such lineups a lot:
remember McLaughlin UCLA cut, when DLo and even Anderson passed him the ball, or Beverley-DLo-Beasley lineups or, Morris-McLaughlin. So something like Ball-DDV-NAW or Ball-Edwards-DDV wont be very different. Ball is a full sized 6'5 guard with 6'9 wingspan

[TimberKat]

Read on Twitter

I have seen enough. Trade Randle for Ball and Jalen Smith

Then sign/trade for a center and I agree...

Conley, Ball, Dilly
Edwards, Naw, DD
McDaniels, Minott
Reid, Smith
Gobert, FA/trade, Garza

Well. It looks like after Ball trade MIN are kind of destined to play more with three guard lineups, because currently NAW is our second best perimeter defender and he often subs for McDaniels. So our depth chart would look like this:

Gobert/Smith/Reid + Garza
Reid/Minott/McDaniels + Miller
McDaniels/NAW + TJ
Edwards/DDV
Conley/Ball/Dilly

I like this rotation a lot because McDaniels, NAW and Ball can basically defend PG/SF/SG, which gives Finch A LOT of flexibility. Reid's recent improvement as defender/rim protector and McDaniels rebounding give me a hope that they can play one position up: backup С and backup PF.

Sounds like it already happened? Or is it just fake news

[shrink]

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[BlacJacMac]

I still think I'd do it.

[winforlose]

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It’s hard to ask a playoff team to trade for a guy who hasn’t played 70 games ever, who missed 2 full seasons, and only played 35 games the season before. He had played 10 games so far and there isn’t a lot of tape on him. Give him 15 more games and that will change. I just cannot endorse bringing him in when this season is so important.

[Klomp]

It’s hard to ask a playoff team to trade for a guy who hasn’t played 70 games ever, who missed 2 full seasons, and only played 35 games the season before. He had played 10 games so far and there isn’t a lot of tape on him. Give him 15 more games and that will change. I just cannot endorse bringing him in when this season is so important.

There's some risk, but the injury risk is mitigated by the fact that it's an expiring contract. If the trade is completed, there should at least be some comfortability and trust from Finch because of their time together in New Orleans. Also a point of clarification: He played 63 games in the 72-game 2019-20 season (the year he was with Finch), which is the equivalent of 71 or 72 games in a typical 82-game season.

Also worth reminding that it wouldn't just be for Ball. Smith is a 24-year old on a sub-MLE contract and could be a valuable rotation piece as a PF/C who can fill the third big role playing with both Gobert and Reid. If diversifying assets is the goal within the second apron in order to maintain roster flexibility, that's another decent asset to have going forward.

[Benjams]

There's a new article about Lebron being traded to Minnesota for Randle, NAW, and DDV.

At first thought, I wouldn't mind trading Randle and DDV, but I wouldn't want to include NAW for Lebron. Could Lebron help the Wolves?

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/los-angeles-lakers/news/lakers-predicted-cut-ties-lebron-james-favor-beloved-former-knicks-star/8742d63c969538d8c3f66a5a

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[winforlose]

It’s hard to ask a playoff team to trade for a guy who hasn’t played 70 games ever, who missed 2 full seasons, and only played 35 games the season before. He had played 10 games so far and there isn’t a lot of tape on him. Give him 15 more games and that will change. I just cannot endorse bringing him in when this season is so important.

There's some risk, but the injury risk is mitigated by the fact that it's an expiring contract. If the trade is completed, there should at least be some comfortability and trust from Finch because of their time together in New Orleans. Also a point of clarification: He played 63 games in the 72-game 2019-20 season (the year he was with Finch), which is the equivalent of 71 or 72 games in a typical 82-game season.

Also worth reminding that it wouldn't just be for Ball. Smith is a 24-year old on a sub-MLE contract and could be a valuable rotation piece as a PF/C who can fill the third big role playing with both Gobert and Reid. If diversifying assets is the goal within the second apron in order to maintain roster flexibility, that's another decent asset to have going forward.

Again, we only get 2 years in the second apron. That is the championship window. You miss that you ramp way down and then ramp back up maybe 3 years later. Conley is 37 and an injury risk, Dilly is 19 and undersized, and DDV cannot play PG. NAW is better off ball and Ant doesn’t want to play on ball. You get one chance to get the PG2 and I don’t know that I want to trust it to Ball. Also remember his shooting numbers are bad in the 10 games he has played thus far.

Smith is a decent choice, but I am not sure he is the ideal choice relative to the available options.

[Klomp]

Again, we only get 2 years in the second apron. That is the championship window. You miss that you ramp way down and then ramp back up maybe 3 years later.

I'd argue that this is what they are trying to avoid.

[winforlose]

Again, we only get 2 years in the second apron. That is the championship window. You miss that you ramp way down and then ramp back up maybe 3 years later.

I'd argue that this is what they are trying to avoid.

How? 2 years in the 2nd apron is the most you are gonna tolerate in a 4 year period. How do you remain competitive without high salary? Naz and NAW are both gonna get paid. You’re not pay Lonzo real money next year. At best he gets a prove it and by trading for him you have his bird rights. That is BTW how we would approach him. Let him expire this year, and offer him a minimum with real playing time. Mike is old, Lonzo gets to start in place of Mike and if things work out he gets an early bird contract. If you are paying Ant, Jaden, Naz, NAW, Rudy, and discount on DDV, that doesn’t leave a ton of pie for anyone else, which means developing young guys (which Finch is actively sabotaging.)

[BlacJacMac]

There's a new article about Lebron being traded to Minnesota for Randle, NAW, and DDV.

At first thought, I wouldn't mind trading Randle and DDV, but I wouldn't want to include NAW for Lebron. Could Lebron help the Wolves?

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/los-angeles-lakers/news/lakers-predicted-cut-ties-lebron-james-favor-beloved-former-knicks-star/8742d63c969538d8c3f66a5a

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Its a non-starter, as its a totally illegal deal.

It actually only fails on LA's side by a measly 102,575.

But we can't trade 3 for 1. And even if we could somehow break it into 3 trades, we don't have a single salary that is big enough to absorb LeBron.

[winforlose]

There's a new article about Lebron being traded to Minnesota for Randle, NAW, and DDV.

At first thought, I wouldn't mind trading Randle and DDV, but I wouldn't want to include NAW for Lebron. Could Lebron help the Wolves?

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/los-angeles-lakers/news/lakers-predicted-cut-ties-lebron-james-favor-beloved-former-knicks-star/8742d63c969538d8c3f66a5a

Sent from my SM-S916U1 using RealGM mobile app

Its a non-starter, as its a totally illegal deal.

It actually only fails on LA's side by a measly 102,575.

But we can't trade 3 for 1. And even if we could somehow break it into 3 trades, we don't have a single salary that is big enough to absorb LeBron.

This plus he is hurt, likely retiring at the end of the season, and on a downward trajectory this season. We are not giving up anything of value in the future for a negative return in the present.