Official 2025 Offseason Thread

[eyriq]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

[Skybox]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categories players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

I tend to agree...but it's definitely putting handcuffs on how meaningful the summer might be...I think a frp, maybe two all told, could be on the table, but I think he's really stingy with those....something's got to give if we're to make any significant improvement.

[eyriq]

I tend to agree...but it's definitely putting handcuffs on how meaningful the summer might be...I think a frp, maybe two all told, could be on the table, but I think he's really stingy with those....something's got to give if we're to make any significant improvement.

They likely view Suggs and JI as our defensive spine and WCJ as an injured hand away from being a third option.

[pepe1991]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categories players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

I tend to agree...but it's definitely putting handcuffs on how meaningful the summer might be...I think a frp, maybe two all told, could be on the table, but I think he's really stingy with those....something's got to give if we're to make any significant improvement.

You simply can't operate like that.
Carter and Isaac are very similar. Both are about same age, both are in prime, both have no ceiling to reach left, both are injury prone, both are on loooooooong contracts that are hard to justify given what's their actual value & production.

It's like Heat has Kyle Anderson and Duncan Robinson as "core" ? Like... so many questions but one is key - "why"


I don't know how some people imagine those trades. We will give you Cole and second round pick and you will give us elite starter? Sure

Ask for Jokić and SGA, offter them Jett and Travelin Queen

[Skybox]

I tend to agree...but it's definitely putting handcuffs on how meaningful the summer might be...I think a frp, maybe two all told, could be on the table, but I think he's really stingy with those....something's got to give if we're to make any significant improvement.

They likely view Suggs and JI as our defensive spine and WCJ as an injured hand away from being a third option.

Okay, so we'll run it back?

find a way to sign some nobody like Clarkson and call it a boost.

[JRoy]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

You see TDS as expendable?

I value him more than that but to each his own.

[eyriq]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

You see TDS as expendable?

I value him more than that but to each his own.

I don't, personally, but I think they value JI which makes TDS expendable due to low upside.

[JRoy]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

You see TDS as expendable?

I value him more than that but to each his own.

I don't, personally, but I think they value JI which makes TDS expendable due to low upside.

Fair enough.

I see him as a low cost, low risk backup on sub MLE contract. Expendable in the right deal of course but not a bad player.

[Skybox]

You see TDS as expendable?

I value him more than that but to each his own.

I don't, personally, but I think they value JI which makes TDS expendable due to low upside.

Fair enough.

I see him as a low cost, low risk backup on sub MLE contract. Expendable in the right deal of course but not a bad player.

I agree...I think TdS could be in the league, contributing anywhere from SG to PF, for a long time...I think he really hit a rookie wall or maybe even nagging injury. He seems like a very solid guy off the bench. Maybe not the shooter that Caleb sometimes is, but much more versatile at everything...and, potentially, a very solid 3pt shooter too. Both of those guys have a seat on the bench, imo...if we were to pick up a Cam Johnson type or try to play a higher-profile, higher minutes guy like that (or even KCP) off the bench at 2/3 or Portis off the bench at 3/4/5, I could see moving off of one of them...but, for the salary, I'm happy to have TdS and Caleb around.

On the other hand, sadly, I just see Jett as an empty chair...I'd ASK to add him into a trade package, simply to get off of his deal a year early (not saying I'd pay to do it)

[SOUL]

If they want a big fish, Mo might even be moved. If he's not healed for like halfway through next season, they may say f it.

[Kent]

If they want a big fish, Mo might even be moved. If he's not healed for like halfway through next season, they may say f it.

I think you'd agree that it's crazy any of us could even have that thought after years of minimal player movement.

Time will tell if Weltman puts his money where his mouth is.

[cedric76]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

Spot on, it s exactly that (might be wrong about how they feel about TDS but the rest is spot on)

[jezzerinho]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

JI is not, by any stretch of the definition, a.two-way player. He's also finally tradeable for the first time in his career, so I'm pretty sure he's in the "available" menu for other teams. No guarantee he leaves, but if we want to snag a good player we're going to have to put decent assets on the table.

I tend to agree WCJ is probably less likely to be traded. If Moe hadn't hurt himself, that might have been different, as we'd have fewer holes to fill, offensively.

[mattdelray1220]

I expect a small trade. Cole, Jett + 25 for Collin Sexton. I also expect us to sign Taurean Prince. Pretty much bring the same squad back with Sexton.

Sexton (24), AB (24), Cojo (0)
Suggs (28), KCP (20), Caleb (0)
Franz (34), Prince (14), TDS (0)
Paolo (34), JI (14)
WCJ (28), Moe (20), Goga (0)

16th pick in Osceola

This is how I expect our opening night roster to look. I really like it and I think TDS will make his way into the line up.

The team above although not too drastic of a change is a legit force in my opinion. The right amount of youth + vets. A little more shooting than before. While still having room open for development of AB who I am very high on. There is NO REASON the team above cant be 2nd in defense and 15? in offense.

[ogmagicfan]

Read on Twitter

There is no guarentee for a contending window for a team. Our team needs to make moves like theyre trying to reach & maximize that

[drsd]

I think it is very likely this front office considers WCJ and JI core pieces and won't even field calls for them. Trying to remove my own bias and considering what the front office has done in the past, I think this could be how they categorize players.

Untouchable cornerstones: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner.

Core two-way pieces: Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr.

Positive rotation value but movable: Moritz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, KCP, Anthony Black.

Primary salary ballast: Gary Harris (expiring), Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, + picks.

Expendable: Cory Joseph, rookie Tristan da Silva.

I agree this is how managment sees the roster.

THis means two things.


One: it projects Caldwell-Pope as a starter and this as the starting point for 2025/26:
Suggs/Black/some-dude
Caldwell-Pope/some-dude/some-dude
F-Wagner/some-dude/some-dude
Banchero/Isaac/some-dude
Carter/M-Wagner/Bitadze

Two: Anthony, Houstan, Howard, da SIlva, and picks is meant to find two shooters: one for each back-up wing slot. Then LLE shopping to get to 14 players.


I am not saying this is what I want. I am saying this is what I expect.


..

[VFX]

Personally, I believe two things cannot be true for next season.

1) They cannot roll out a starting back court of Suggs/KCP
2) They shouldn’t have KCP coming off the bench for $23m

I believe this for two reasons.

The first being that it would mean that Weltman has failed to acquire a back court player to balance their offense next to Suggs. That’s just an unacceptable outcome in my opinion for this offseason.

The second being that Weltman hasn’t swallowed his pride enough to admit the signing was a failure, and therefore willingly chose not to move that salary for said aforementioned player. KCP off the bench for that amount makes no sense without a starting quality Center or Point guard.

There is no possible situation that having KCP come off the bench would negate the need for a starting back court player to pair with Suggs.

This is even more true in the scenario that Anthony Black is still on the roster and playing heavy minutes, which he absolutely should be if he isn’t moved.

I just can’t really see a justification any other way given the cap situation.

[eyriq]

Personally, I believe two things cannot be true for next season.

1) They cannot roll out a starting back court of Suggs/KCP
2) They shouldn’t have KCP coming off the bench for $23m

I believe this for two reasons.

The first being that it would mean that Weltman has failed to acquire a back court player to balance their offense next to Suggs. That’s just an unacceptable outcome in my opinion for this offseason.

The second being that Weltman hasn’t swallowed his pride enough to admit the signing was a failure, and therefore willingly chose not to move that salary for said aforementioned player. KCP off the bench for that amount makes no sense without a starting quality Center or Point guard.

There is no possible situation that having KCP come off the bench would negate the need for a starting back court player to pair with Suggs.

This is even more true in the scenario that Anthony Black is still on the roster and playing heavy minutes, which he absolutely should be if he isn’t moved.

I just can’t really see a justification any other way given the cap situation.

I tend to agree. KCP is the fulcrum around which any win-now retool is oriented. Cole is another pivot. It's only fitting that two re-tool trades are built around two of our top three salaries from this season.

[Knightro]

This idea that KCP can’t come off the bench is pretty silly to me. If there’s a better option to start and he isn’t involved in the trade, he absolutely can come off the bench.

It's not like he’s gonna get paid less.

[VFX]

This idea that KCP can’t come off the bench is pretty silly to me. If there’s a better option to start and he isn’t involved in the trade, he absolutely can come off the bench.

It's not like he’s gonna get paid less.

Nobody said he couldn’t.

It’s just absolutely not ideal given his salary and the fact Anthony Black exists.

Are you telling me an AB/ KCP back court off the bench is something you are looking forward to? Why is it “silly” to not want that in a second unit needing scoring?

I get that there isn’t much choice, but if just makes more sense that he’s moved considering the rest of the roster and cap if entirely possible.

I hate this idea that Weltman needs to not trade KCP out of courtesy or because of diminishing return.