Free Agent, Trade & Extensions Thread, 2024-25

[djFan71]

Imo it is a good formula - prerequisites are size, defensive ability and versatility, rebounding, decent ball-handling/passing, and some basic skill at finishing at the rim and from three.

That's why I lean pretty strongly towards Enrique Freeman, seems like he's got the best shot at developing those plus he has good athleticism.

A lot of teams need guys that can create offense but Boston has the luxury of not needing that. So imo they can take advantage of that situation to pursue a really solid role guy.

Mogbo! I like Freeman as well, but I think Mogbo beats him on most stuff except shooting. And I don't think either is going to shoot much.

I like Mogbo to an extent and def this team likes bigger guys that can handle and pass. I'm not convinced how much of an interior defender he is though and I think the physicality to take up space inside is a key attribute. Eg,

Spoiler:

Defense

One crucial trait Mogbo will offer an NBA team is to guard the perimeter effectively. In a switch-heavy NBA game, the ability to defend in space laterally becomes more important, especially considering that downhill driving is still one of the most used weapons to collapse a defense.

In Mogbo’s case, he recognizes when to rotate and when to keep up with his assignments. He slides his feet well on defense; the most important thing that stands out is his ability to maintain his balance at all costs.

However, at 2.6 personal fouls in 29 minutes per game, Mogbo could be more aggressive at times when defending at the rim, with the first and second play below being an example. Another area is his often gambling on defense, with the third play being an example. At times, that’s an effective way to force mistakes, but in this case, the whole weak side was wide open, leaving his opponent with an easy lay-up at the rim, Mogbo gambling for the steal would have been more beneficial if he had the strong side to cover in case it failed.

Another area of his defense that’ll serve Mogbo well is his ability to close out quickly. What stood out was that the process from rotations to contest perimeter shots was consistent throughout his junior year at San Francisco. This is something an NBA decision-maker will value when determining his draft profile.

In the first play below, Mogbo covers the paint well by stepping in front of his opponent to eliminate the drop-off pass from the baseline driver. The moment his dribble got him between the low post and the paint, Mogbo already knew the kick-out pass was coming, leading to him quickly relocating to the perimeter to contest the three.

After the roller got hit with the pass in the second play, Mogbo rotated well and stopped further penetration to the rim. His excellent hips are visible in this play due to the speed of his turning around and rotating to the elbow shooter.

In the last play, we see Mogbo reacting to a potential wide-open dunk after the dropoff pass, but after his teammate gets back to his assignment, Mogbo recovers and returns to the area of the free-throw line. Although the contest was a tad too late on this play, it did show the level of focus and ability to read the offense, which will likely continue to translate at the next level.

https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/jonathan-mogbo-scouting-report

Edit: Ie, if he can guard the low block and not just rack up weak side blocks, great, but if not, he's a big wing that rebounds like crazy, handles and passes but can't shoot. In other words I think physical low block D and strong side rim protection might be getting undervalued at this point.

Agreed, but I think that's the tradeoff. Dude is pretty strong, but he's not standing up Embiid. I don't think Freeman is much better, or even as good, in that respect though. With both, you're getting more of a big wing / small ball 5 defensively. Freeman's an inch taller and 5lbs lighter than Mogbo. Same wingspan (7'2"). I think both can survive, but they're not shutting down the top centers. I think Dray is a good comp. Obviously he's elite, but Mogbo is really good in similar areas. And has the same crucial flaw in shooting. With KP or Al, it's easy to play him. WIth Queta it could be ugly. With X it could be hilarious.

EDIT: Against IND would be a great scenario you could play him as small ball 5. He'd thrive against a guy like Turner, imo. But back to the basket centers aren't really ideal.

[Celts17Pride]

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[165bows]

Mogbo! I like Freeman as well, but I think Mogbo beats him on most stuff except shooting. And I don't think either is going to shoot much.

I like Mogbo to an extent and def this team likes bigger guys that can handle and pass. I'm not convinced how much of an interior defender he is though and I think the physicality to take up space inside is a key attribute. Eg,

Spoiler:

Defense

One crucial trait Mogbo will offer an NBA team is to guard the perimeter effectively. In a switch-heavy NBA game, the ability to defend in space laterally becomes more important, especially considering that downhill driving is still one of the most used weapons to collapse a defense.

In Mogbo’s case, he recognizes when to rotate and when to keep up with his assignments. He slides his feet well on defense; the most important thing that stands out is his ability to maintain his balance at all costs.

However, at 2.6 personal fouls in 29 minutes per game, Mogbo could be more aggressive at times when defending at the rim, with the first and second play below being an example. Another area is his often gambling on defense, with the third play being an example. At times, that’s an effective way to force mistakes, but in this case, the whole weak side was wide open, leaving his opponent with an easy lay-up at the rim, Mogbo gambling for the steal would have been more beneficial if he had the strong side to cover in case it failed.

Another area of his defense that’ll serve Mogbo well is his ability to close out quickly. What stood out was that the process from rotations to contest perimeter shots was consistent throughout his junior year at San Francisco. This is something an NBA decision-maker will value when determining his draft profile.

In the first play below, Mogbo covers the paint well by stepping in front of his opponent to eliminate the drop-off pass from the baseline driver. The moment his dribble got him between the low post and the paint, Mogbo already knew the kick-out pass was coming, leading to him quickly relocating to the perimeter to contest the three.

After the roller got hit with the pass in the second play, Mogbo rotated well and stopped further penetration to the rim. His excellent hips are visible in this play due to the speed of his turning around and rotating to the elbow shooter.

In the last play, we see Mogbo reacting to a potential wide-open dunk after the dropoff pass, but after his teammate gets back to his assignment, Mogbo recovers and returns to the area of the free-throw line. Although the contest was a tad too late on this play, it did show the level of focus and ability to read the offense, which will likely continue to translate at the next level.

https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/jonathan-mogbo-scouting-report

Edit: Ie, if he can guard the low block and not just rack up weak side blocks, great, but if not, he's a big wing that rebounds like crazy, handles and passes but can't shoot. In other words I think physical low block D and strong side rim protection might be getting undervalued at this point.

Agreed, but I think that's the tradeoff. Dude is pretty strong, but he's not standing up Embiid. I don't think Freeman is much better, or even as good, in that respect though. With both, you're getting more of a big wing / small ball 5 defensively. Freeman's an inch taller and 5lbs lighter than Mogbo. Same wingspan (7'2"). I think both can survive, but they're not shutting down the top centers. I think Dray is a good comp. Obviously he's elite, but Mogbo is really good in similar areas. And has the same crucial flaw in shooting. With KP or Al, it's easy to play him. WIth Queta it could be ugly. With X it could be hilarious.

EDIT: Against IND would be a great scenario you could play him as small ball 5. He'd thrive against a guy like Turner, imo. But back to the basket centers aren't really ideal.

Well that's what I mean, I'm not sure he's more small ball five than say eg Brissett. Starting to feel like despite the bang up rebounding numbers Mogbo is more 3/4 than five. Like a Faried that can guard the perimeter.

[djFan71]

Well that's what I mean, I'm not sure he's more small ball five than say eg Brissett. Starting to feel like despite the bang up rebounding numbers Mogbo is more 3/4 than five. Like a Faried that can guard the perimeter.

Mogbo's stronger and can guard up more than Brissett, imo. Faried, I don't remember enough, but seems close-ish. But, ultimately, I think he and Freeman are both 4s that can guard up or down. Guarding up would be similar to a taller Smart or something. Annoy the heck out of a big and strong enough to absorb some bumps, but not forever.

[hugepatsfan]

I certainly like the idea of just running back the top 8 and letting a bunch of young guys fill in behind them:

Walsh
Springer
Tillman (re-sign and hope he sticks long term in a backup C role)
Queta (pick up option)
#30 pick (or wherever we trade back or up to)

The top 8 and those 5 take you up to 13 roster spots. All 5 of those guys have varying degree of developmental potential and it would be great if any or all of them emerged with their opportunities to play.

You still gotta use the last 2 roster spots though, so you might use them as much to your benefit as possible. Draymond talked on his podcast about how "new blood" can help when a team's trying to repeat because it gives you someone else to "push back" on any complacency that can creep in. It'd be nice to have someone in the Blake Griffin role as a respected vet that hasn't won a ring yet that guys can kind of rally around.

Thad Young, Isaiah Thomas, Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Justin Holiday (Jrue's brother!), Marcus Morris, Hayward, Mason Plumlee, Jae Crowder, Torrey Craig, Daniel Theis, Doug McDermott, Delon Wright, Alec Burks, Mike Muscala are all vets who haven't wont a ring yet that could conceivably sign for the minimum and be like the 9th guy on the roster unless outplayed by one of the developmental guys. Just throwing that out there.

[31to6]

I certainly like the idea of just running back the top 8 and letting a bunch of young guys fill in behind them:

Walsh
Springer
Tillman (re-sign and hope he sticks long term in a backup C role)
Queta (pick up option)
#30 pick (or wherever we trade back or up to)

The top 8 and those 5 take you up to 13 roster spots. All 5 of those guys have varying degree of developmental potential and it would be great if any or all of them emerged with their opportunities to play.

You still gotta use the last 2 roster spots though, so you might use them as much to your benefit as possible. Draymond talked on his podcast about how "new blood" can help when a team's trying to repeat because it gives you someone else to "push back" on any complacency that can creep in. It'd be nice to have someone in the Blake Griffin role as a respected vet that hasn't won a ring yet that guys can kind of rally around.

Thad Young, Isaiah Thomas, Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Justin Holiday (Jrue's brother!), Marcus Morris, Hayward, Mason Plumlee, Jae Crowder, Torrey Craig, Daniel Theis, Doug McDermott, Delon Wright, Alec Burks, Mike Muscala are all vets who haven't wont a ring yet that could conceivably sign for the minimum and be like the 9th guy on the roster unless outplayed by one of the developmental guys. Just throwing that out there.

I’ve been on the Alec Burks wagon for years, so will remain so. Could also get hyped for Theis Round 3! **especially if KP looks like he’ll need time off going into next season.

Beyond that, what is Robert Covington up to? That’s maybe kind of what I hoped Oshae could be.

[165bows]

So if they are looking at a vet C it sounds like a real potential one of the FA C may not stick around.

If so I think a real candidate is Duop Reath. Hit 88 threes last year.

[Fierce1]

I'm curious to see what the Cs do with Hauser.

If they pick up the team option then Sam becomes a UFA next year.

But if they decline the team option, Sam becomes a RFA this year.

Guess we'll find out soon.

[chakdaddy]

I certainly like the idea of just running back the top 8 and letting a bunch of young guys fill in behind them:

Walsh
Springer
Tillman (re-sign and hope he sticks long term in a backup C role)
Queta (pick up option)
#30 pick (or wherever we trade back or up to)

The top 8 and those 5 take you up to 13 roster spots. All 5 of those guys have varying degree of developmental potential and it would be great if any or all of them emerged with their opportunities to play.

You still gotta use the last 2 roster spots though, so you might use them as much to your benefit as possible. Draymond talked on his podcast about how "new blood" can help when a team's trying to repeat because it gives you someone else to "push back" on any complacency that can creep in. It'd be nice to have someone in the Blake Griffin role as a respected vet that hasn't won a ring yet that guys can kind of rally around.

Thad Young, Isaiah Thomas, Gallinari, Eric Gordon, Justin Holiday (Jrue's brother!), Marcus Morris, Hayward, Mason Plumlee, Jae Crowder, Torrey Craig, Daniel Theis, Doug McDermott, Delon Wright, Alec Burks, Mike Muscala are all vets who haven't wont a ring yet that could conceivably sign for the minimum and be like the 9th guy on the roster unless outplayed by one of the developmental guys. Just throwing that out there.

I’ve been on the Alec Burks wagon for years, so will remain so. Could also get hyped for Theis Round 3! **especially if KP looks like he’ll need time off going into next season.

Beyond that, what is Robert Covington up to? That’s maybe kind of what I hoped Oshae could be.

I heard Burks liked Detroit and might come back. But that might just be friendly talk. (Source: my friend who is his neighbor)

[31to6]

Mogbo! I like Freeman as well, but I think Mogbo beats him on most stuff except shooting. And I don't think either is going to shoot much.

I like Mogbo to an extent and def this team likes bigger guys that can handle and pass. I'm not convinced how much of an interior defender he is though and I think the physicality to take up space inside is a key attribute. Eg,

Spoiler:

Defense

One crucial trait Mogbo will offer an NBA team is to guard the perimeter effectively. In a switch-heavy NBA game, the ability to defend in space laterally becomes more important, especially considering that downhill driving is still one of the most used weapons to collapse a defense.

In Mogbo’s case, he recognizes when to rotate and when to keep up with his assignments. He slides his feet well on defense; the most important thing that stands out is his ability to maintain his balance at all costs.

However, at 2.6 personal fouls in 29 minutes per game, Mogbo could be more aggressive at times when defending at the rim, with the first and second play below being an example. Another area is his often gambling on defense, with the third play being an example. At times, that’s an effective way to force mistakes, but in this case, the whole weak side was wide open, leaving his opponent with an easy lay-up at the rim, Mogbo gambling for the steal would have been more beneficial if he had the strong side to cover in case it failed.

Another area of his defense that’ll serve Mogbo well is his ability to close out quickly. What stood out was that the process from rotations to contest perimeter shots was consistent throughout his junior year at San Francisco. This is something an NBA decision-maker will value when determining his draft profile.

In the first play below, Mogbo covers the paint well by stepping in front of his opponent to eliminate the drop-off pass from the baseline driver. The moment his dribble got him between the low post and the paint, Mogbo already knew the kick-out pass was coming, leading to him quickly relocating to the perimeter to contest the three.

After the roller got hit with the pass in the second play, Mogbo rotated well and stopped further penetration to the rim. His excellent hips are visible in this play due to the speed of his turning around and rotating to the elbow shooter.

In the last play, we see Mogbo reacting to a potential wide-open dunk after the dropoff pass, but after his teammate gets back to his assignment, Mogbo recovers and returns to the area of the free-throw line. Although the contest was a tad too late on this play, it did show the level of focus and ability to read the offense, which will likely continue to translate at the next level.

https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/jonathan-mogbo-scouting-report

Edit: Ie, if he can guard the low block and not just rack up weak side blocks, great, but if not, he's a big wing that rebounds like crazy, handles and passes but can't shoot. In other words I think physical low block D and strong side rim protection might be getting undervalued at this point.

Agreed, but I think that's the tradeoff. Dude is pretty strong, but he's not standing up Embiid. I don't think Freeman is much better, or even as good, in that respect though. With both, you're getting more of a big wing / small ball 5 defensively. Freeman's an inch taller and 5lbs lighter than Mogbo. Same wingspan (7'2"). I think both can survive, but they're not shutting down the top centers. I think Dray is a good comp. Obviously he's elite, but Mogbo is really good in similar areas. And has the same crucial flaw in shooting. With KP or Al, it's easy to play him. WIth Queta it could be ugly. With X it could be hilarious.

EDIT: Against IND would be a great scenario you could play him as small ball 5. He'd thrive against a guy like Turner, imo. But back to the basket centers aren't really ideal.

Ayo get this draft talk out of my face, I’m not trying to see any of that until Brad has settled on which one or two second rounders he’s leaving draft night with.

[djFan71]

I like Mogbo to an extent and def this team likes bigger guys that can handle and pass. I'm not convinced how much of an interior defender he is though and I think the physicality to take up space inside is a key attribute. Eg,

Spoiler:

https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/jonathan-mogbo-scouting-report

Edit: Ie, if he can guard the low block and not just rack up weak side blocks, great, but if not, he's a big wing that rebounds like crazy, handles and passes but can't shoot. In other words I think physical low block D and strong side rim protection might be getting undervalued at this point.

Agreed, but I think that's the tradeoff. Dude is pretty strong, but he's not standing up Embiid. I don't think Freeman is much better, or even as good, in that respect though. With both, you're getting more of a big wing / small ball 5 defensively. Freeman's an inch taller and 5lbs lighter than Mogbo. Same wingspan (7'2"). I think both can survive, but they're not shutting down the top centers. I think Dray is a good comp. Obviously he's elite, but Mogbo is really good in similar areas. And has the same crucial flaw in shooting. With KP or Al, it's easy to play him. WIth Queta it could be ugly. With X it could be hilarious.

EDIT: Against IND would be a great scenario you could play him as small ball 5. He'd thrive against a guy like Turner, imo. But back to the basket centers aren't really ideal.

Ayo get this draft talk out of my face, I’m not trying to see any of that until Brad has settled on which one or two second rounders he’s leaving draft night with.

Good call. I did want Ayo in his draft.

[redslastlaugh]

If Kornet and Tillman both get rich offers from other teams and both leave, are we bringing back Daniel Theis? lol, Brad loves him some Theis…

[ConstableGeneva]

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GTJ for the minimum and a villa at Martha's Vineyard. Is that legal?

[chakdaddy]

I really think we should pony up for a raise for Kornet. Surprised he fell out of the playoff rotation after his injury. He's so quietly effective in the dunker spot on lobs and putbacks. A lite version of Gafford or Lively. Filled timelords role. I assume he's not shooting 3s because he's so effective on offensive boards. Really important to spell guys in the regular season

[ConstableGeneva]

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[Fierce1]

If the Cs are going for a big man, that big man should be able to at least bother Embiid and Jokic.

Daniel Theis will just sit on the bench if it's Embiid or Jokic.

[ConstableGeneva]

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[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

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"early on"

When does latter happen?

Trading Deadline or after the season?

[chakdaddy]

If the Cs are going for a big man, that big man should be able to at least bother Embiid and Jokic.

Daniel Theis will just sit on the bench if it's Embiid or Jokic.

Would be great if Queta could grow into that role. We should throw him into the fire a bit more this year.

[Fierce1]

If the Cs are going for a big man, that big man should be able to at least bother Embiid and Jokic.

Daniel Theis will just sit on the bench if it's Embiid or Jokic.

Would be great if Queta could grow into that role. We should throw him into the fire a bit more this year.

Totally agree!

I think Queta can be like Gafford.