ASS[et] MANAGEMENT

[badinage]

I don’t understand these guys.

Speak the language, the McKinsey language, come across as cool, technocratic executives, and then …

They make the kind of knee-jerk decisions that any of us on a freakin’ board could have made after a night of Jagrmeister and Taco Bell.

Or maybe I should be turning this around …

I don’t understand US.

The fact we fell for it.

The analytics. The larger vision talk. The smooth deliveries.

We bought that sh*t UP.

Because we wanted to. Because it was different from what we’d been getting for decades.

This was the new breed. They came from the model franchise. They had the answers.

But, nope. Not so far.

Maybe a pick pans out.

But the ASSET MANAGEMENT (a loathsome phrase to the ears of anyone who isn’t anti-humanist) has been ASS.

They have been ASS at MANAGEMENT.

[Dat2U]

They don't appear to place much value in assets that they didn't draft or trade for. KP for a backup PG. Deni for a Bub. Gaff for a long shot.

[CntOutSmrtCrazy]

They don't appear to place much value in assets that they didn't draft or trade for. KP for a backup PG. Deni for a Bub. Gaff for a long shot.

Petty little bitches.

[Pistol King]

They don't appear to place much value in assets that they didn't draft or trade for. KP for a backup PG. Deni for a Bub. Gaff for a long shot.

This.

Classical case of a young GM (Dawkins) who's trying to make a name of himself and proves he can achieve the same highs without Presti.

There is zero reason other than that to give up on a homegrown 23 years old in Deni's profile who just starting to break out.

There is a reason why we almost never seeing such trades in the league. It's almost unethical to the fans.

[badinage]

^ Almost unethical to the fans.

YES.

[smoothSeph]

They've said from the start they see this as a 5 year process. It makes sense they want to build the team from the ground up with their guys. So far that model looks like young, tall, versatile, upside players.

Yea as a fan we get connected to players but we've also been connected to losing. Who knows if this approach will work, but it's different.

[Menace2Sobriety]

Deni is all of those things.

In fact I’d argue for those suggesting he doesn’t align with the timeline, that Deni would return substantially better assets in a year or two - while still leading the tank.

He’s not so good yet that he can overcome the talent gap the Wiz have vs. the rest of the NBA, but he will be.

[FAH1223]

They don't appear to place much value in assets that they didn't draft or trade for. KP for a backup PG. Deni for a Bub. Gaff for a long shot.

Yup.

They don’t give a damn about who was on the roster before June 2023.

Atleast Deni wasn’t traded for Trevor Ariza’s corpse and no picks.

[Rafael122]

Just a few thoughts:

It's been documented that they didn't have a choice in the matter with KP. Apparently he was going to sign with Utah. Second thought on this, Winger and Dawkins came in like 10 days before the KP decision was due. That's an awful quick turnaround to try and get to know the franchise, players, assets, etc. Could they have done better? Yes, but they didn't have a lot of time and risked losing him for nothing.

The Mavs were statistically better with Lively on the floor than Gafford in the playoffs. Just saying.

Last point, fans are perfectly content rooting for a team that wins 43-45 games a year and that may sneak into the second round. They have no stomach for the tank. We've been clamoring for the tank for YEARS, "burn it down! trade everybody!" This is what a tank looks like, stripping it to the studs and starting over. You're getting what you wanted. It's not easy, it's a multi-year process. It took OKC 4 years. Detroit's in Year 5 of their rebuild. You hope it won't take as long but at the very least you're crossing off 2024-2025, and possibly 2025-2026.

[PaulinVA]

"The Wizards swung multiple big moves today, and it completely altered the direction of their franchise.

First, they agreed to trade Deni Avdija to Portland for an absolute haul of assets. The team received the No. 14 pick and will also receive a 2029 first-round pick, two second-round picks, and Malcolm Brogdon. Most NBA front office sources who spoke with The Athletic regarding this deal said that while they believe in Avdija and think his contract is about to become one of the most valuable across the NBA (he’ll make under $12 million in 2027-28), they felt like this was more than they would have traded for Avdija. No one would go so far as to call it an “overpay,” but there was agreement that this was a strong return for a Wizards team that entered the day pretty loaded with big wings in Avdija, Bilal Coulibaly and Kyle Kuzma. Additionally, two of those sources felt that while Avdija is terrific, he’s ultimately going to be more beneficial to a team that is trying to win now as opposed to in the early stages of a rebuild."

- Sam Vecenie

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5596025/2024/06/27/nba-draft-winners-losers-first-round-jazz-wizards-lakers/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=7030725

[badinage]

But see, they haven’t stripped it to the studs.

Kuzma is here. Poole is here. Kispert is here. Johnny Effing Davis is here. Brogdon just got here — and may be staying a while.

If all those guys were shipped out, fine, that’s great. Play the draftees and some dudes from Home Depot and go 3-79, who cares? Make a mockery of the NBA’s system, who cares?

But this … is not that.

Strip it down, NOW, to the beams, and I’ll shut up.

[Rafael122]

But see, they haven’t stripped it to the studs.

Kuzma is here. Poole is here. Kispert is here. Johnny Effing Davis is here. Brogdon just got here — and may be staying a while.

If all those guys were shipped out, fine, that’s great. Play the draftees and some dudes from Home Depot and go 3-79, who cares? Make a mockery of the NBA’s system, who cares?

But this … is not that.

Strip it down, NOW, to the beams, and I’ll shut up.

It's been 1 year of probably a 3-5 year plan.

[badinage]

But see, they haven’t stripped it to the studs.

Kuzma is here. Poole is here. Kispert is here. Johnny Effing Davis is here. Brogdon just got here — and may be staying a while.

If all those guys were shipped out, fine, that’s great. Play the draftees and some dudes from Home Depot and go 3-79, who cares? Make a mockery of the NBA’s system, who cares?

But this … is not that.

Strip it down, NOW, to the beams, and I’ll shut up.

It's been 1 year of probably a 3-5 year plan.

Visionaries, they do love them some 5-year plans …

https://images.app.goo.gl/rgKeLudrZtqehA4UA

[DCZards]

But see, they haven’t stripped it to the studs.

Kuzma is here. Poole is here. Kispert is here. Johnny Effing Davis is here. Brogdon just got here — and may be staying a while.

If all those guys were shipped out, fine, that’s great. Play the draftees and some dudes from Home Depot and go 3-79, who cares? Make a mockery of the NBA’s system, who cares?

But this … is not that.

Strip it down, NOW, to the beams, and I’ll shut up.

It's been 1 year of probably a 3-5 year plan.

Visionaries, they do love them some 5-year plans …

https://images.app.goo.gl/rgKeLudrZtqehA4UA

I know you're pissed and frustrated...but Stalin. That's a cheap shot.

[FAH1223]

But see, they haven’t stripped it to the studs.

Kuzma is here. Poole is here. Kispert is here. Johnny Effing Davis is here. Brogdon just got here — and may be staying a while.

If all those guys were shipped out, fine, that’s great. Play the draftees and some dudes from Home Depot and go 3-79, who cares? Make a mockery of the NBA’s system, who cares?

But this … is not that.

Strip it down, NOW, to the beams, and I’ll shut up.

Davis, Kispert, and Kuzma are the only guys on the roster who were on it in July 2022.

The team has been blown up.

[Benjammin]

It's been 1 year of probably a 3-5 year plan.

Visionaries, they do love them some 5-year plans …

https://images.app.goo.gl/rgKeLudrZtqehA4UA

I know you're pissed and frustrated...but Stalin. That's a cheap shot.

I agree. Stalin does deserve better, besides the millions who starved in Ukraine and the political prisoners who died in the gulag in Siberia among other things. I hear that Uncle Joe had a charming personality when he was in a good mood.

[smoothSeph]

Deni is all of those things.

In fact I’d argue for those suggesting he doesn’t align with the timeline, that Deni would return substantially better assets in a year or two - while still leading the tank.

He’s not so good yet that he can overcome the talent gap the Wiz have vs. the rest of the NBA, but he will be.

That's debatable though, we didn't even see this Deni until Kuzma was out. There's no guarantee his value continues to go up with Poole and Kuzma playing.

[Menace2Sobriety]

But in this timeline - neither would be around and Deni would be the ‘veteran’ leader at 25

[9 and 20]

Zingus was traded for Tyus Jones, kinda with the hope that we could flip him. Jones going to walk for nothing now, right? Same thing going to happen with Brogdon now? Probably, is my guess. Will be more than happy to be wrong, but I don't see anyone lining up to trade for Brogdon if nobody did for Jones.

[gambitx777]

But see, they haven’t stripped it to the studs.

Kuzma is here. Poole is here. Kispert is here. Johnny Effing Davis is here. Brogdon just got here — and may be staying a while.

If all those guys were shipped out, fine, that’s great. Play the draftees and some dudes from Home Depot and go 3-79, who cares? Make a mockery of the NBA’s system, who cares?

But this … is not that.

Strip it down, NOW, to the beams, and I’ll shut up.

This is a complete and utter over reaction.
Kuz is the best player on the team. You might not like it but it's the truth. You might not like how he plays but he's valuable and on a decent contract. We probably didn't get what we wanted for him and will probably try to sell high at the deadline. Poole as much as I think is tradable. Probably needs to prove it more and play like he did at the end of the season consistently to be moved. Kispert is only 25 so is Poole for that matter. Stripping it too the studs all at once is almost never the correct move in the NBA being so bad it hurts never helps.

By all accounts Portland probably overpaid and these types of reactions are emotional irrational and built from years of frustration from having a bad gm. If deni stayed and just was good never made the trun but stayed what he is still good for his deal he's be way over paid at the end of his deal and due to the new rules an extension wouldn't be on the table and you'd have a jaylen brown situation and he's not jaylan brown. This was a great haul. A loto pick and an unprotected first for deni plus two seconds and a tradable vet.

Now yes you can make the argument that Kuz should have gone first and I'd agree. But Kuz is seen as more valuable around the league and you might be holding him for a desperate deadline team to see if you can slger a 2025 or 2026 bite at the apple. That you weren't gonna get trading deni.

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