Tacoma wrote:JB7 wrote:HumbleRen wrote:
This is such an unfair take though that just completely disregards context around that trade.
We were SEVEN games below .500 when we made the Poeltl trade, proceeded to get humiliated in the play in game. Devalued our 2023 pick, lost our 2024 pick and let FVV and Poeltl build their value during that cupcake schedule down the stretch of the season.
FVV got the bag and Poeltl got all the leverage over of us. Yay us. Despite all that, we still extended him this recent summer that pays him until 2030 when he’s already peaked age wise.
The team tried to go without a competent C, for a bit, and it led nowhere. They were waiting on Yak, because the Spurs were trying to max out the value they could get in a return. There were not that many decent C's available. And he was a player they trusted. They could not build a team around Scottie without a C.
And in terms of the 2023 draft pick, other than getting lucky in the draft for Wemby (which was not going to happen), who did they miss out on? Maybe Amen. Even then, he is a replica of Scottie. The 2024 draft was known to be weak, and they missed out on Edey? It is hard to build a successful team when you surround your young developing star with rookies...
Not having a starting C was one of Masai's post-2020 big blunders, but the wrong time to fix that blunder was at the 2023 trade deadline to try and make the playoffs from 7 games below .500 with your team buried in 10th place.
And if you recall, we tried hard to tank in 2024 in a failed attempt to be bottom 6 to keep our 2024 pick. If we're building around Barnes, Edey is more in line with Scottie's age and also the better fit with Scottie since he's not a black hole as a shooter like Poeltl. Edey also has good potential and if he isn't better than Poeltl today, he will be soon.
I really don't see much of a debate around whether or not we should've traded for Poeltl at 2023 trade deadline. The point of the trade was to make the playoffs that year and not only did we failed to do so, but we've failed to make the playoffs for every year since that trade.
Everyone presumes that the Poeltl trade at the 2023 trade deadline was about making the playoffs that year because of the timing. I think what people are missing is Masai was interested in Yak in the summer before, but the Spurs asking price was too high (2 FRPs, starting with the 2023 draft). The 2023 trade deadline was the point at which the Spurs had to make a move with Yak, because his contract was expiring that offseason, and the lowest the Raps could get in terms of an offer (2024 FRP, protected 1-6, primarily because they wanted it to convey in that draft, and not in 2025 or 2026 when there were stronger drafts predicted).
Acquiring Yak was about putting a competent veteran C in the lineup, to stabilize the starting lineup on a go forward basis.
The 2023-24 season ended up going south because of the trades (OG & Pascal) combined with other uncontrollable situations (Barnes injuries and the loss of RJ's brother). They probably decided to let it tank to see if they could get lucky with a top 1 or 2 pick. And giving up a better draft pick (#8) wasn't a concern because the draft was so weak, hence the reason the 2024 pick was offered with minimal protections in the first place.
I will be interested to see how Edey's career goes, and whether he can actually play much, and what kind of impact he'll make on the floor (in terms of team success).
