Utah wins the lottery..what would you do?

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Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#1 » by Astaluego » Sun Mar 9, 2025 11:28 am

What I said...
Jazz wins the lottery...
What would you do or do you think Angie will do if she gets the number 1 pick?

In the last few trade windows, there have been rumors that the Jazz were interested in win-now players like Ingram or previously Mikal Bridges... In this scenario they are getting a generational prospect, what do you do from here? Do you sell the veterans, try to keep your 26th pick and start building around Flagg's timeline? Do you keep them (Lauri/Kessler/Collins and Sexton are actually pretty good fits) and even try to get more win-now talent (Lamelo/Trae etc)...
What trades do you see as viable?..
What prospects do you like in the range of the Wolves' pick?..

I think the Jazz situation is very interesting and with a little luck in the draft (it's their turn) even if it's not Flagg... if they get a star in the next 2 drafts we could be looking at the birth of the next big contender..
let's play
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#2 » by Skybox » Sun Mar 9, 2025 1:14 pm

IDK what they should do but I'm excited to watch Ainge flip the switch from agonizingly patient to full-on attack. That'll be fun to watch because I don't think it will be a prolonged event...more like one really aggressive summer.

As an ORL fan, blessed with two young superstars and a lazy FO still patting themselves on the back for the one trade they've made in years...I like a proactive GM.

UTA really has a long way to go. Outside of Lauri, Kessler, and Flagg...the rest is hard to see - you could make a case for all of the young guys, but none are really very interesting if you're talking about rings. I would think an All-Star level playmaker would be the logical target and Ainge could throw a bunch of picks, prospects, and up to about $80m in matching expiring salaries...if Trae became available, he'd make sense. Or...

PHX sends: Booker
UTA sends: Collins, Clarkson, Keyonte, 3 frps

Then...beef up the defense & off-ball offense next to Book & Lauri: ORL sends KCP & DEN 25 frp for Sexton

Booker
KCP
Flagg
Lauri
Kessler

That's a pretty well-rounded, formidable starting 5 and Ainge has many more assets to work with to fill in the roster.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#3 » by Xman » Sun Mar 9, 2025 3:46 pm

Getting Flagg seems to make it easier to do nothing.
You have veteran guards for now.
Kessler provides adequate center.
Markky should be great complement to Flagg. Collins for depth.
Keep the recent prospects and see if they develop.
Not going to get much for those expiring veterans anyway. Worth more to help develop Flagg.
Maybe by trade deadline a stud guard becomes available and can send expiring salaries and future picks for stud guard.
Also, with Flagg and Markky, might target a couple of defensive stud wings. Would be cheaper option. Herb? Ausur? Etc
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#4 » by jayjaysee » Sun Mar 9, 2025 3:52 pm

You just run it back if you get Flagg IMO.

If the team starts off really strong and you want to help, get aggressive trying to upgrade your guard play.

If the team starts slow, you trade Lauri if you can get good value.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#5 » by gswhoops » Sun Mar 9, 2025 3:54 pm

jayjaysee wrote:You just run it back if you get Flagg IMO.

If the team starts off really strong and you want to help, get aggressive trying to upgrade your guard play.

If the team starts slow, you trade Lauri if you can get good value.

Agreed.

Flagg/Lauri/Kessler is a potentially dominant two-way frontcourt. Build around that.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#6 » by Astaluego » Sun Mar 9, 2025 4:03 pm

Xman wrote:Getting Flagg seems to make it easier to do nothing.
You have veteran guards for now.
Kessler provides adequate center.
Markky should be great complement to Flagg. Collins for depth.
Keep the recent prospects and see if they develop.
Not going to get much for those expiring veterans anyway. Worth more to help develop Flagg.
Maybe by trade deadline a stud guard becomes available and can send expiring salaries and future picks for stud guard.
Also, with Flagg and Markky, might target a couple of defensive stud wings. Would be cheaper option. Herb? Ausur? Etc

the Jazz could make a radical change pretty quickly, in this scenario the defense should be very good as Flagg gets acclimated ..With Kessler as an elite rim protector and a Flagg who is compared to Pippen or Kirilenko..they have Collins/Filipowski as backup...+ the development of Cody and T. Hendricks who at least project as very good 3D...they have a young sniper in Sensabaugh, and Collier shows good potential to be a good backup guard... Sexton/Clarkson/K. George + picks for Trae Young..?
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#7 » by AingesBurner » Sun Mar 9, 2025 4:29 pm

I’d honestly wait until the deadline. I want to see what Collier can do as a sophomore. I might wait until the 26 off-season to keep an eye on Ant.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#8 » by louc1970 » Sun Mar 9, 2025 6:00 pm

If Utah wins, the build begins around Flagg. Everyone else is expendable.

First step:
contact SAS. Offer Markkanen for a return of Castle, 2 FRPs and matching salary (Johnson/Barnes).
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#9 » by HadAnEffectHere » Sun Mar 9, 2025 6:48 pm

I think Ainge is pretty clearly constitutionally incapable of trading away enough picks to get another star player so I assume the team will do nothing significantly.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#10 » by Cappy_Smurf » Sun Mar 9, 2025 7:18 pm

HadAnEffectHere wrote:I think Ainge is pretty clearly constitutionally incapable of trading away enough picks to get another star player so I assume the team will do nothing significantly.


And if he does, you will be here to declare that he traded away too much.
New York said Mitchell wasn't the guy you trade the sink for, then they traded it for Mikal, lol.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#11 » by Astaluego » Sun Mar 9, 2025 8:23 pm

louc1970 wrote:If Utah wins, the build begins around Flagg. Everyone else is expendable.

First step:
contact SAS. Offer Markkanen for a return of Castle, 2 FRPs and matching salary (Johnson/Barnes).

I'm sure the Jazz will do that...I have Castle at the beginning of his rookie contract as being considerably more valuable on his own than Laurie
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#12 » by Cappy_Smurf » Sun Mar 9, 2025 8:30 pm

gswhoops wrote:
Flagg/Lauri/Kessler is a potentially dominant two-way frontcourt. Build around that.


So much this.

Utah has not been holding onto Lauri and Kessler just so they can trade them away after striking gold. They are far more likely to trade them away if the lottery doesn't go their way and the players decide they don't want to wait for things to turn around.
New York said Mitchell wasn't the guy you trade the sink for, then they traded it for Mikal, lol.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#13 » by Skybox » Sun Mar 9, 2025 9:07 pm

Cappy_Smurf wrote:
gswhoops wrote:
Flagg/Lauri/Kessler is a potentially dominant two-way frontcourt. Build around that.


So much this.

Utah has not been holding onto Lauri and Kessler just so they can trade them away after striking gold. They are far more likely to trade them away if the lottery doesn't go their way and the players decide they don't want to wait for things to turn around.


I agree and I'd immediately start throwing picks around to get the backcourt assembled...Every time they draft 2 or 3 marginal guys it's just a waste of a draft asset that looked better when it was just a ticket and not a flawed, limited player in the middle of the draft. Picks are so overrated after the top 5...Ainge would have the ability to throw a big handful at a team that's pondering a selloff and give them the opportunity to save face with "WE got 4 frps for Booker!!" before people realize most of them will look like Keyonte George and Cody Williams and Brice Sensibaugh, etc when the dust settles...nice enough players but meh - where are they taking you?
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#14 » by Apz » Sun Mar 9, 2025 9:46 pm

Should get a great pointguard. Bur all their offensive players would benefit so much. Would even throw some feelers to lukas agent to see where he stands in the summer, which i suppose depends on how lakers do in the po and start of fa. Luka sexton flagg lauri kessler sounds competive
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#15 » by Astaluego » Sun Mar 9, 2025 9:59 pm

Cooper Flagg will be 19 next year... Lauri 28.. some questions..who do you want to build the team around? Next year's draft is very strong at the top and would end the pick debt with Thunder.. the best assets they have are their own picks (and maybe that distant Suns 31).. in principle in the West no losing team is foreseen and in the East Wizards/Nets/Bulls?.. I would make sure to do everything possible to keep the pick next year, imagine Darryn Peterson (Boozer or Dybantsa) with Flagg... I would probably keep Kessler,..but I would look for the best offer for Lauri/Sexton/Collins (Collins can stay if he signs a coherent extension)
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#16 » by HadAnEffectHere » Sun Mar 9, 2025 10:47 pm

Cappy_Smurf wrote:
HadAnEffectHere wrote:I think Ainge is pretty clearly constitutionally incapable of trading away enough picks to get another star player so I assume the team will do nothing significantly.


And if he does, you will be here to declare that he traded away too much.


Yes, because I think the strategy Ainge has pursued is extremely stupid and is built around the idea that if they manage to get lucky in drafting an 18 year old, that 18 year old will be instantly ready to contribute a lot to winning and thus the Jazz should keep Lauri even as he begins to age out of his prime because maybe success is just right around the corner.

The Jazz should not be trading for stars right after getting their guy and it's dumb if they do. But they probably won't make that mistake anyway because Ainge refuses to do trades where he's going to give up a lot of good picks.

Ainge proposed a very stupid strategy that he completely failed to execute on which is like... Better than succeeding but is pretty alarming.

Ainge trying hard to max PG13 and then going hard for Mikal Bridges last year was one of those.... What are you even doing, man....
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#17 » by Tim Lehrbach » Sun Mar 9, 2025 11:31 pm

louc1970 wrote:
First step:
contact SAS. Offer Markkanen for a return of Castle, 2 FRPs and matching salary (Johnson/Barnes).


Only if Ainge enjoys making prank calls.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#18 » by Cappy_Smurf » Mon Mar 10, 2025 1:39 am

HadAnEffectHere wrote:
Cappy_Smurf wrote:
HadAnEffectHere wrote:I think Ainge is pretty clearly constitutionally incapable of trading away enough picks to get another star player so I assume the team will do nothing significantly.


And if he does, you will be here to declare that he traded away too much.


Yes, because I think the strategy Ainge has pursued is extremely stupid and is built around blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...


Yeah, if only Danny had your expertise. Utah would be all the champions by now.

Anyway, that's not why you'd be there to complain. It's because complaining is your favorite sport.

Most fans have unrealistic ideas about rebuilding teams that basically comes down to destroying a team completely so you can lose every game by 40, and then draft MVP caliber players 3 years in a row and then win multiple championships while contending for 15 years. The funny thing about it, is that the team they use as their model for this idea never won a single ring. Not to mention, the NBA has flattened the odds to make it considerably more difficult to draft top 3 for multiple years like that.

Making moves to build an NBA always involves taking gambles. Sometimes those gambles pay off and sometimes they don't. Danny Ainge did pretty good with the last team he built. As far as GMs go, he has probably earned the benefit of the doubt of giving him some time before declaring him a failure.
New York said Mitchell wasn't the guy you trade the sink for, then they traded it for Mikal, lol.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#19 » by HadAnEffectHere » Mon Mar 10, 2025 2:07 am

Cappy_Smurf wrote:
HadAnEffectHere wrote:
Cappy_Smurf wrote:
And if he does, you will be here to declare that he traded away too much.


Yes, because I think the strategy Ainge has pursued is extremely stupid and is built around blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...


Yeah, if only Danny had your expertise. Utah would be all the champions by now.

Anyway, that's not why you'd be there to complain. It's because complaining is your favorite sport.

Most fans have unrealistic ideas about rebuilding teams that basically comes down to destroying a team completely so you can lose every game by 40, and then draft MVP caliber players 3 years in a row and then win multiple championships while contending for 15 years. The funny thing about it, is that the team they use as their model for this idea never won a single ring. Not to mention, the NBA has flattened the odds to make it considerably more difficult to draft top 3 for multiple years like that.

Making moves to build an NBA always involves taking gambles. Sometimes those gambles pay off and sometimes they don't. Danny Ainge did pretty good with the last team he built. As far as GMs go, he has probably earned the benefit of the doubt of giving him some time before declaring him a failure.


I mean, I feel like it's pretty reasonable to complain about a team that detonated a #1 seed because they didn't want to pay the luxury tax, traded a 24 year old Hall of Famer, stumbled around for a year and a half, and then committed to the most blatant tanking in NBA history for the next year and a half.

What the Jazz are currently doing is largely unprecedented. #1 seeds do not do salary dumps. Teams do not trade Hall of Famers in their early 20s (Except the Mavs there too, lol). And teams absolutely do not rest healthy 23 year old centers for dozens of games to intentionally throw basketball games.

Ainge sold Ryan Smith that the Jazz could be a title contender, but they can't in this market and he's kicking the can down the road over and over again to avoid Smith finding out that Ainge was BSing.

You could argue that this had to happen because Mitchell just thought Utah was simply way too racist for him to want to play for... But that's a more existential question for the franchise than an argument for everything that has happened since.
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Re: Utah wins the lottery..what would you do? 

Post#20 » by NYG » Mon Mar 10, 2025 2:35 am

Lauri for Suggs based concept?

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