ConstableGeneva wrote:cl2117 wrote:I can't imagine the Grizzlies trade JJJ but I also never thought Orlando would trade 4 firsts for Bane or Luka would be swapped for AD, so I guess anything is possible and I know nothing. I'd give up the farm for him in terms of picks, I just absolutely love JJJ's fit as the third banana to JB and JT. Shot blocking 4/5 who can guard 1 through 5 and has a respectable deep ball, sign me up. That trio plus White gives you a team that can be elite both offensively and defensively, especially in the modern NBA.
And that quartet is just so adaptable you can put most replacement players next to them and they can fit around them and make it work. Traditional big? Just bump JJJ to PF and White to PG and you're in business. Throw a wing like Hauser out there instead? Tatum plays the 4 and JJJ back at 5. Pritchard at PG? White plays the 2 and JJJ back at C. You'd be hard pressed to find an NBA player that could slot in with that core and fit perfectly.
Snowball's chance in hell, but I'd give em all the picks and filler for JJJ. Figure the rest out later.
I haven't followed the NBA scuttlebutt for weeks so I'm just guessing here -- Memphis traded Bane to ORL so they can offer a max extension to JJJ, who is expiring this upcoming season. Well, unless they wanna blow the team up.
Related to him being expiring. Celtics can't offer him the max if they wanna stay under the 2nd apron or cut down on tax since they already have two max players. (Though I honestly am too lazy to verify the numbers.)
That's my assumption as well but it seemed like there was a gap between JJJ's camp and Memphis on this extension. Maybe I'm mis-remembering this and it was because he was potentially eligible for a supermax and that was the hold-up in terms of extensions, but I didn't think it was a done deal (or maybe it was just that there wasn't a path to an extension before making other moves).
C's could offer him the max and still get under the aprons or even the tax for 2025/2026 if both Jrue and KP are headed out as well. 2026/2027 it becomes a lot harder as it jumps $12m plus under his new max, but even then you could stay under the aprons by squeezing elsewhere.
But yeah I'd imagine this is the painful cut that they are making and unlikely it's a full fire sale. If there were more change to come, from a team building perspective I'd trade Ja before JJJ but star power (and off the court headaches) will likely play a factor in that.
