WOJ/SHAMS: Nuggets trade Barton and Morris for KCP and Ish Smith

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Kuz is, without any doubt, a really great guy!

[verbal8]

Is there something missing from this transaction, feels a bit like the Wizards are stealing value?

Barton and KCP seem like a push, unless the Nuggets were just desperate to shed salary.

It is not just the money, but also the restrictions of being in the tax.

[trast66]

Pretty cool Monte and Kuz were in 2nd grade together!

[mhd]

I think we'll keep Kuz. He seems like a good vet and he played well as small-ball center last year. Unless we're getting significant value (future protected first), I don't see a viable trade that improves the roster (Indy would have to give us draft compensation to take on Brogdan)

[gambitx777]

I think we'll keep Kuz. He seems like a good vet and he played well as small-ball center last year. Unless we're getting significant value (future protected first), I don't see a viable trade that improves the roster (Indy would have to give us draft compensation to take on Brogdan)

I feel like Indy is delusional on his value. Like he's almost 30 never stays healthy and for what he does he's pretty almost over paid and he's owed like 60-70 mill.

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[LyricalRico]

Meanwhile the Hawks are trading for Dejounte Murray...

See, other teams already panicking out of fear of our new squad!

[deneem4]

I was starting to come around to kcp, really going to miss ish though, hopefully he’ll be back again

[DCZards]

I think we'll keep Kuz. He seems like a good vet and he played well as small-ball center last year. Unless we're getting significant value (future protected first), I don't see a viable trade that improves the roster (Indy would have to give us draft compensation to take on Brogdan)

With Morris on board I don’t see the Zards giving up Kuz for Brogdan…unless there is a sweetener like a pick coming to the Zards.

Better move would be to go after Delon Wright.

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I don't know enough about Morris to have an opinion. But on the surface, I think he's a backup pg and I hope he doesn't start. A starting backcourt of Morris and Beal is not big enough to defend in this league.

Agree that why Delon Wright or a trade to get Brogdon makes more sense.

No, I wouldn't say so. & I don't see it as being close in either case.

Delon Wright is a UFA & will get paid way more than we can afford. He's also 30 years old; I imagine he would have zero appetite to come play out his career for a bottom-dweller like the Wizards. In short, he's completely irrelevant.

Malcolm Brogdon is 6 months younger than Wright; that's good. He's also guaranteed close to $70m over the next 3 seasons. Yet he is a serious injury risk. He played 1200 minutes this year. Brogdon has never played a full season in his career.

But, even if we could afford either of these guys, & even if Brogdon were likely to remain healthy for the first time in his career, why would we want to pay either of these two guys the amount of $ it would take to secure them? What's the benefit?

Are we on the verge of contending? We went 35-47 last year. After our 10-3 burst out of the gate, we closed the season 25-44. With Porzingis on the line-up, we went 7-10.

As to Monte Morris -- please explain your reasoning for calling him a backup pg. What does "on the surface" mean? He started for a team that is one whole hell of a lot better than the Washington Wizards have been... ever. & he played extremely well too.

Not only that, but his contract is good enough that it allows us to acquire another player in free agency.

This was a very nice move by Tommy Sheppard.

[DCZards]

Morris might prove valuable in another way as well.

Wes Jr was clearly trying to carve out for KP a facilitator role similar to the one played by the Joker in Denver. Morris brings with him experience playing with Joker.

[Jay81]

I think we'll keep Kuz. He seems like a good vet and he played well as small-ball center last year. Unless we're getting significant value (future protected first), I don't see a viable trade that improves the roster (Indy would have to give us draft compensation to take on Brogdan)

I feel like Indy is delusional on his value. Like he's almost 30 never stays healthy and for what he does he's pretty almost over paid and he's owed like 60-70 mill.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

Kinda crazy that he has only played 6 seasons...on paper he shouldn't have much mileage

[barelyawake]

KCP is the best player in the trade.
Ish is the worst player in the trade.
If these are our off-season moves, lackluster doesn’t cut it.

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I see Barton as a declining asset and KCP as a flat asset. I see KCP as a better defender....

Oh please... They're both declining assets -- 2 veterans well past the best years of their careers & on identical expiring contracts.

KCP's best years are well behind him -- as the numbers make obvious. OTOH, I'm sure he is a far better defender than Barton.

Who cares? About either of them I mean. Did we go out to acquire KCP, because we thought we was a terrific get? Because it worked well with our "plan?" No. He was a Wizard for a year, because accepting him & 2 other guys from the Lakers enabled us to move Westbrook. Period.

Did he move us briskly towards the fabulous sure-to-make-the-play-in-game team it is the goal of all our desires to become? No.

I think KCP's numbers will go up substantially paying next to the Joker. I see Barton's numbers falling faster due to the same issue....

Please forgive me, but I kind of doubt you have a reliable track record on whose numbers are going to go up or down in the next months. OTOH, if you really can predict the future, why not use that ability to make money on the stock market? Then you can buy your own team!

Actually, I'd be happy for KCP if his numbers go up. As I would be for any player to tell the truth. But, it's still irrelevant. &, as to Barton, he had a terrific first year with Denver -- 2014-15.

The only argument possible against this trade is that KCP would have been worth more at the deadline than Barton will be. No one's thought of that one yet, but now that it's been mentioned, I'm sure it'll be used repeatedly henceforth!

...But this trade still has the "panic" issue written all over it like last year's trade for a backup PG. And I think we will have another "panic" move to get a starting PG. History tends to...

Nonsense, not to put too fine a point on it. & if you are referring to our acquisition of Dinwiddie last year as last year's "panic," you're wrong about that too. The guy went to Dallas & played his a$$ off the rest of the season -- & if you want to deny it, you might first look at the almost 57% on 2s, over 40% on 3s, & a 62.4% total scoring % & then maybe bite your tongue.

Monte Morris is a really good player. This was an outstanding trade.

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...Morris... seems like Holiday 2.0. This feels like treading water at best.

Very much hoping I am wrong.

You have nothing to worry about! Just as you hope, you are altogether wrong.

Do you look at the numbers players put up? How can you possibly compare Morris to Holiday?

Meanwhile... this gave me reason to look at Holiday's numbers after the trade to Phoenix.

Dang! He played 358 minutes for them & was very good! Great to see that -- I'm always happy when these kids succeed!

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Seems like every metric loves Morris except RAPTOR, where he rates out horribly, which is concerning.

Please explain why that is "concerning." What is it about what RAPTOR measures & the way it measures it that you like.

Don't worry if the math is a little complicated. Just go ahead and explain the whole thing.

[Dat2U]

Well, this deal suggest the Wizards will continue with their current bifurcated strategy.

On one track, Sheppard is wheeling and dealing with veterans and cap room to try and win now around Beal. On the other track, Sheppard is building through the draft and will not sacrifice the future for now. This trade is part of the former.

It looks like they're keeping Beal. Let's hope it's for something less than the full max.

Someone on twitter said it best. Wizards raised their floor but didn't increase their ceiling. They got two competent role players for one. Its another masterstroke around the margins for Shepp.

The big problem is working the hell of out the margins isn't a needle mover. Shepp has won trade after trade. The Wall deal, the Gafford deal, the Russ deal, Porzingis & now this. All for what? Play-in status? Still not a clear top 8 team in the East so it still feels like nothing has changed.

[NatP4]

Seems like every metric loves Morris except RAPTOR, where he rates out horribly, which is concerning.

Please explain why that is "concerning." What is it about what RAPTOR measures & the way it measures it that you like.

Don't worry if the math is a little complicated. Just go ahead and explain the whole thing.

It would probably be a bit over your head.

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If that's it as far as addressing the PG position is concerned, color me unimpressed with the move.

I am not buying Morris as a starter either, so who knows, maybe Shep will pull a rabbit out of his ass.

That's not the usual place, & I hope he's not planning to cook it for dinner!

As to the move, TBH I can't actually think of another reasonable move to improve significantly at PG. That alone wouldn't make this one good, of course. It's good, because Monte Morris is good.

I'm probably crazy, but to me when a PG shoots the 2 at .545 (average PG= .488), I use the word "good" to describe the fact.

Again, I know I do tend to go off half-cocked, but when a PG shoots the 3 at 39.5% (average pg= .358), somehow the word that jumps to mind is "terrific." Goofy, huh?

Then too, when a PG shoots FTs at .869 (average PG=.806), I seem to react positively -- for reasons I can't explain.

Same thing when a PG posts an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.2 to 1. I have the irrational response that this is somehow "good."

& if a PG only commits 57% as many fouls as average, in that case too, who knows why, I approve of the fact.

I'm sure if I saw a therapist a few times, I could learn to be more objective & understand that the way you judge a point guard's performance is by where he was taken in the draft.

[payitforward]

Seems like every metric loves Morris except RAPTOR, where he rates out horribly, which is concerning.

Please explain why that is "concerning." What is it about what RAPTOR measures & the way it measures it that you like.

Don't worry if the math is a little complicated. Just go ahead and explain the whole thing.

It would probably be a bit over your head.

Actually, my math background is reasonably good. So why don't you give it a try?

Tell me everything you know about how RAPTOR is calculated. After all, that would certainly explain why you find its rating of Monte Morris to be "concerning."

Actually -- to stop yanking your chain -- neither you nor I can testify to whether RAPTOR means anything at all. Because neither you nor I know how its constructed.

That's not your fault, Nat. & it's not my fault either. No one but the guys who invented RAPTOR know how it works. Which means that it can't be tested against reality. & metrics that can't be tested against reality are, by definition, useless.

Certainly, they can't be "concerning."

[80sballboy]

The trade was fine. Not a big splash by any means. The good news is that if doesn't work out, we keep our lottery pick next season. Thought that article was pretty interesting.

https://fortyeightminutes.com/wizards-notes-2-trade-nuggets/

To his credit, I don't think this is it for TS. He shook things up last season by acquiring KCP, Kuz and Harrell for Westbrook and a protected first. He also added Dinwiddie which worked early for a 10-3 start and then collapsed. Dinwiddie didn't work out for some reason (fit with Beal?) and then played well for Dallas. A lot of players don't seem to work out in Washington. Different coaches and different GM. Same owner and there's one player that has remained on the roster all these years through the occasional good and mostly bad. I just think the problem starts with No. 3. It's not about putting up points, but doing what it takes to win games. Get through screens, draw charges, make the extra pass. Did he have the intestinal fortitude that the great ones have? I've come to think that some of this mess is on him.

However, I try to look at things glass half full. Stats don't matter for Beal anymore. Who cares if you make another All-Star team or All-NBA team, because he's achieved every monetary and individual thing he's capable of doing? Assuming he returns, he can focus on winning first. If Kuzma stays and you have KP, he doesn't need to put up 30 points a game Now, it's all about winning. Assuming he stays.