Post#39 » by Inigo Montoya » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:08 pm
Before I begin, I'll reiterate again that I don't like this trade if all we got was Olynyk, Lee, and no picks.
Next, I'll say that I don't think there is any merit to the notion that Ainge refused a better offer from the Suns because he may be involved with an attempted purchase of the Suns in some capacity.
Having stated the above, I'll offer a theory. It is not meant to absolve Ainge from what seems like a bad trade, and maybe it gives him too much credit, but hey, it's the offseason and we have nothing better to do.
With the Gobert and especially Mitchell trade, Ainge was able to set a price and say "this is what I want. Pay the price or I'll trade with someone else." I think he's done the same thing with this trade. The Lakers wanted both to unload Westbrook (a negative asset for them) and get good players in return. The best suitors for that kind of deal were the Jazz and the Pacers, and both teams were looking for both Lakers picks as compensation (from various reports). Once he saw the Lakers wouldn't pay what he wanted, he went and traded with another team. Now the Lakers have only one suitor in the Pacers, and they'll have to either part with both picks anyway, or keep Westbrook, as long as the Pacers hold firm. Either way, the Lakers were likely to part with both picks (we'll see if that really happens).
My theory is that Ainge was willing to make a calculated move in order to further establish that you'll either pay the price he's asking for, or he'll trade with someone else. He was willing to "sacrifice" an asset in Bojan, who, while valuable, had limited ability to net a big return, for the benefit of establishing his negotiating position in future trades. Sure, another FRP would have been nice, but do we really need another protected FRP in the 20s from the Suns?
He did save about 7M, got a trade exception, cleared some cap space, got a potential trade chip in an expiring Olynyk for 12M next season, or 9M in savings for the Jazz next season or for any team that trades for him, and he reinforced the tank by getting lesser players.
Again, I don't like the return, but I think I can see the reasoning behind this trade.
Draft Nate Wolters - FAILEDKeep Nate Wolters - FAILED
KqWIN wrote:Why are we talking about Middleton, Harris, and Porter?
The real decision the Jazz FO is making is between Continuity, Cap Flexibility, and Cash Considerations.