Offseason Plan

[NatP4]

I really wanna move Kuzma for Tre Jones and give him the starting job. Draft Daniels at 10 and let him backup the 1/2. Sticking with signing Otto for the MLE.

Jones Daniels
Beal KCP
Kispert Otto
Avdija Rui
Porzingis Gafford

Would be really nice to get Trevion Williams with our 2nd round pick and let him be the 3rd string C. Carey and Todd are deadweight to me. Bryant is gone. It would be nice to bring Gill back in the same role. Give Ayayi a shot in the NBA as a backup 1/2.

[nate33]

I really wanna move Kuzma for Tre Jones and give him the starting job. Draft Daniels at 10 and let him backup the 1/2. Sticking with signing Otto for the MLE.

Jones Daniels
Beal KCP
Kispert Otto
Avdija Rui
Porzingis Gafford

Would be really nice to get Trevion Williams with our 2nd round pick and let him be the 3rd string C. Carey and Todd are deadweight to me. Bryant is gone. It would be nice to bring Gill back in the same role. Give Ayayi a shot in the NBA as a backup 1/2.

That's a very simple, very effective plan, NatP4.

Even if we can't land Otto with the MLE, I'll take that 9-man rotation. Avdija and KCP would absorb the extra SF minutes.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

I really wanna move Kuzma for Tre Jones and give him the starting job. Draft Daniels at 10 and let him backup the 1/2. Sticking with signing Otto for the MLE.

Jones Daniels
Beal KCP
Kispert Otto
Avdija Rui
Porzingis Gafford

Would be really nice to get Trevion Williams with our 2nd round pick and let him be the 3rd string C. Carey and Todd are deadweight to me. Bryant is gone. It would be nice to bring Gill back in the same role. Give Ayayi a shot in the NBA as a backup 1/2.

I like it.

A lot of similar iterations possible.

Rui for Jones. Draft Eason. Resign Sato.


Jones Sato
Beal KCP
Deni Krispy
Kuz Eason
Zinger Gafford

[payitforward]

I really wanna move Kuzma for Tre Jones and give him the starting job. Draft Daniels at 10 and let him backup the 1/2. Sticking with signing Otto for the MLE.

Jones Daniels
Beal KCP
Kispert Otto
Avdija Rui
Porzingis Gafford

Would be really nice to get Trevion Williams with our 2nd round pick and let him be the 3rd string C. Carey and Todd are deadweight to me. Bryant is gone. It would be nice to bring Gill back in the same role. Give Ayayi a shot in the NBA as a backup 1/2.

That's a very simple, very effective plan, NatP4.

Even if we can't land Otto with the MLE, I'll take that 9-man rotation. Avdija and KCP would absorb the extra SF minutes.

Yes, I like it too -- obviously, I suppose, since I've been calling for exactly that trade for weeks now!

Trevion showed well at the Combine. I'm starting to think he'll be gone when #56 rolls around.

[Jay81]

The fact that Ted is not trying to upgrade the front office like Minnesota is is telling about how much he dosent care for his own Franchise

[payitforward]

The fact that Ted is not trying to upgrade the front office like Minnesota is is telling about how much he dosent care for his own Franchise

Minny hired a new Assistant GM, someone out of the Grizzlies organization. Is that what you mean?

[gesa2]

They are trying to hire Tim Connely away from Denver PIF. That’s likely what Jay is referring to

[payitforward]

Oh right... actually I've read about that. I think there's an ownership change happening w/ the timberwolves. Probably driving some urgency for change. Not to mention their having made the playoffs for the first time, I think, in a long time.

I'm sure we all recall when Ted wanted to bring Connelly here. Then, after they met, that was that -- he wasn't interested.

I'm guessing that Ted's "best practices" may have seemed less than best to him.

[Frichuela]

One thought: given Tommy’s euro connections, will he try to sign Vasilije Micic as the starting PG next season? His rights belong to the Thunder so I could (hypothetically) see him trade down with them swapping #10 for #12 on draft night to acquire his rights…and then sign Micic for something like $24mn/3 years…

Micic was clutch (and the best player) in the euro league final vs Real Madrid. He is a 6’5” guard who is already 28 years old…my main concern would be his D..

[9 and 20]

I'm sure somebody thought of this already, but what about Terry Rozier? Hornets have Ball already. They have draft picks 13 and 15. We have KCP, Kuzma, and pick 10. I'm sure Tommy can come up with some combination of stuff that works, adding second round picks as needed. Or maybe we send out Gafford and take one of the centers at either 13 or 15?

Without trading Beal, it feels like something like this is about the best we can do. If not with Charlotte than with another team in the same draft range (we like 15 guys!).

[9 and 20]

One thought: given Tommy’s euro connections, will he try to sign Vasilije Micic as the starting PG next season? His rights belong to the Thunder so I could (hypothetically) see him trade down with them swapping #10 for #12 on draft night to acquire his rights…and then sign Micic for something like $24mn/3 years…

Micic was clutch (and the best player) in the euro league final vs Real Madrid. He is a 6’5” guard who is already 28 years old…my main concern would be his D..

I watched a couple of youtube highlights and he looks like a good player. If all it takes is moving down a couple of spots, sure, why not?

[doclinkin]

I'm sure somebody thought of this already, but what about Terry Rozier? Hornets have Ball already. They have draft picks 13 and 15. We have KCP, Kuzma, and pick 10. I'm sure Tommy can come up with some combination of stuff that works, adding second round picks as needed. Or maybe we send out Gafford and take one of the centers at either 13 or 15?

Without trading Beal, it feels like something like this is about the best we can do. If not with Charlotte than with another team in the same draft range (we like 15 guys!).

Funny. I just suggested Tommy would do this very thing in the Draft thread. Try to land #45 as well. Pick an international guy.

I'd bet Tommy also makes a play for Oladipo, if he can convince him to come back to his hometown. He seemed like he was trying to dodge the whole concept of the DMV, aggressively trying not to be drafted by us back in the day.

[NatP4]

I feel like the Spurs would trade 20 or 25 for Kuzma.

Dieng, Roddy, Terry, Braun, Ellis, Chandler all could be there at that pick.

[doclinkin]

I feel like the Spurs would trade 20 or 25 for Kuzma.

Why. The only noise of the Spurs interest in Kuzma was coming from the LA front office.

They'd trade the 20 for Rui, maybe, Pop likes him, but Kuzma does not show the untapped upside that Rui just miiiight still have, that might be uncovered when put in the Spurs system.

[barelyawake]

I feel like the Spurs would trade 20 or 25 for Kuzma.

Why. The only noise of the Spurs interest in Kuzma was coming from the LA front office.

They'd trade the 20 for Rui, maybe, Pop likes him, but Kuzma does not show the untapped upside that Rui just miiiight still have, that might be uncovered when put in the Spurs system.

“Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has previously made it clear that he is a fan of Kuzma’s, comparing him to Manu Ginobili, and San Antonio wanted Kuzma in it’s original trade discussions with the Lakers on a Kawhi Leonard deal in 2018.”

https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/7/29/22600538/lakers-trade-rumors-demar-derozan-sign-trade-spurs-kyle-kuzma

That article, plus mention of interest in Kisp in another article, are the reasons why I (and I assume Nat here) thought we would make good trading partners with the Spurs. I think Kuz, Beal and Kisp are more coveted than one might think. And personally, I do think Pops could turn Kuz into a star.

[doclinkin]

I feel like the Spurs would trade 20 or 25 for Kuzma.

Why. The only noise of the Spurs interest in Kuzma was coming from the LA front office.

They'd trade the 20 for Rui, maybe, Pop likes him, but Kuzma does not show the untapped upside that Rui just miiiight still have, that might be uncovered when put in the Spurs system.

“Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has previously made it clear that he is a fan of Kuzma’s, comparing him to Manu Ginobili, and San Antonio wanted Kuzma in it’s original trade discussions with the Lakers on a Kawhi Leonard deal in 2018.”

https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2021/7/29/22600538/lakers-trade-rumors-demar-derozan-sign-trade-spurs-kyle-kuzma

That article, plus mention of interest in Kisp in another article, are the reasons why I (and I assume Nat here) thought we would make good trading partners with the Spurs. I think Kuz, Beal and Kisp are more coveted than one might think. And personally, I do think Pops could turn Kuz into a start.

Again that story got launched into the echosphere only out of the LA front office, to LA reporters, subsequent reporting suggesting that was only an attempt to drive down the price of Buddy Hield. The quote that it was based on was basically this::

“I didn’t know him at all and in all honesty watching him play now and then during the season I didn’t see a lot of rhyme and reason to what he was doing,” Popovich said. “He looked like a young Manu (Ginobili), he was running around, energetic and willing and working hard, but he had no idea what was going to happen.”

Then went on to say he had come a long way before he got injured (for USA basketball) especially on the 'mental part'.

Yes Pops and his system can improve any player willing to work, though. He may like Kuzma a ton, and think he has raw potential, but that story was just nuggets fed to the LA media mob.

[barelyawake]

I see. Ok.

[doclinkin]

I see. Ok.

Though actually... hmmn:

“I can tell you when he got hurt, it was a huge blow for our team, because we were all excited about him,” he said. “He had come a long way in just that short period of time that we had, in every facet of the game. Especially the mental part. He really caught on to the things we were talking to him about and I became a big fan. He was great.”

[9 and 20]

I see the Timberwolves hired Conelly. Good for them.

Remember when our offseason plan a couple of seasons ago was to lure Masai Ujiri from Toronto? Then that didn't work so we went after Connelly, who also told us to get bent. Then we hired Ernie Grunfeld's deputy.

Also, a few seasons before that, the offseason plan was to recruit Durant. Somehow we ended up with Ian Mahinmi.

If nothing else, the Wizards do a good job in setting the bar low. Still, watch us bring in White Mamba Brian Scalabrine to play point guard for us. Terd will again declare victory and pat himself on the back for being smarter than everyone.

[Endless Loop]

I have a question for our experts here (because I'm not one!)

It seems like the most difficult way to transform a mediocre team like the Wizards quickly is through the draft and player moves. You only get one first rounder. It's gonna be number 9 or 10, etc. Not normally where you get somebody who will make an impact. (Yeah for SURE there are a bunch of exceptions to this! But looking at the Wizards these last years, those exceptions didn't include Rui, Deni or Corey.). Player moves can help for sure, but the most likely way to achieve success with trades is trading for somebody of equal talent that's a better fit. (It's not a strategy to hope your trading partner is an idiot.) It's hard to "win" a trade- not impossible, but not easy... And signing free agents is a tough way to make big improvements unless you have a lot of cap space.

An easier thing to try is to change the head coach. You certainly can argue that Unseld didn't do a great job this last year. While it's true that Spoelstras are hard to find, it's also true that there's nothing preventing the Wizards from trying. They'd end up eating some salary, but probably the total amount they'd eat would be less than one year of Bertrans. I think teams are too reluctant to make head coaching changes- certainly the Wizards are.

IMO the easiest way to improve the team would be to make significant changes with assistant coaches. I looked at the Wizards' assistant coach roster. It's a bunch of career assistants. It would have been nice to see some people from unusual backgrounds, some young blood, etc. Fresh eyes and fresh outlooks. Like the Redskins had a few years ago. If Wes is a good listener, then you can keep him around and just provide him with more support on the bench. The Wiz need to shore up Wes' weaknesses with better assistants. This may not make a huge difference, but I think it absolutely would help.

So I hope the Wizards hit it big in the draft. I hope they make a great trade. But at the very least, given the spotty coaching results this last year, they've got no excuse not to make wholesale changes on the bench. It's nuts to stick with continuity for continuity's sake when you're mediocre.