The Official 2025 Offseason Thread Part 2

[Saberestar]

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Clippers.....Never really thought about them. Not the most enticing draft picks though and not much in the way of interesting young talent

LA Clippers
2025 draft picks
First round: No. 30 (via Oklahoma City)
Second round: No. 51 (via Minnesota)

The Clippers remain in win-now mode for the foreseeable future and can use the draft to help build their bench. They selected Kobe Brown with the 30th pick last year, an ostensible win-now pick that didn't pay huge dividends, but finding a player with a realistic chance at contributing in the short term should be a prerogative for LA. They could use depth up and down the roster, particularly with Kawhi Leonard's history of sitting out game, so there is some flexibility to focus on whatever player they like best regardless of position. (Backup center has been a revolving door, in particular.) -- Woo

Incoming future first-round picks: 5

Own first in five out of the next seven years

Maximum tradeable future first-round picks: 2

Future second-round picks: 4

Future outgoing first-round picks:

Unprotected first to Oklahoma City or Washington (2026)

First-round swap with Oklahoma City or Denver (2027)

Unprotected first to Philadelphia (2028)

Top-three protected swap with Philadelphia (2029)

2026 - They are almost certain to lose this pick to OKC given OKC's pick will be worse
2027 - They are almost certain to get OKC's worse pick
2028 - Straight traded to Philly
2029 - Not too sure how things will look in 2029, they could be worse and Philly might be better by then.
2030 - They own their own pick here.

They have two attractive assets:

1) Zubac

Not sure if they would trade Zubac, he has progressed a lot in recent years and looks now a Top 10 C in the league. He is in his prime and under good contract ($19M per year) for the next 3 years.

2) 2030 unprotected FRP.

They can give us multiple 2nds and FRP swaps but they only have a tradeable good pick.

Norman Powell (yeah, I know...he is a SG) is their other best player that could be on the package. He will be on an expiring $20M contract. Amazing 6th man.

And then we can get one defensive role player like Kris Dunn ($11M/2 years) or Derrick Jones ($20M/2 years).

All in all they can put a better package than most of the other supposed packages out there. I am not in love with the package, but doesn’t look bad at all.

Zubac.
Norman Powell.
Derrick Jones Jr.
2030 unprocted FRP.
A couple swaps and 2nds.

[Slim Charless]

If OKC loses the Finals, do they become a serious player in the KD bidding war?

Nah. I don't seem them making a panic move that guarantees nothing and invites only disaster. Durant is still a big game player but he just isn't that dude he was the last time he suited up for them.

Sent from my SM-F936U using RealGM mobile app

IDK.....if they blow this, its a massive hit to them and changes could be made.

Durant coming "home" to his OG team would be a great story and something you'd have to assume he'd like to do. Get a bit of redemption.

If OKC gets involved, all bets are off. Spurs would have to offer up Castle or #2 and Houston would have to offer up all of our picks back if they wanna keep him from the Thunder.

That said, I still will take OKC in 7...maybe 6 lol.

[thamadkant]

The finals may go to Game 7. Pacers are showing true team work and the defensive help is so good. Thunder's coach is hopeless purely relying on talent to get by. Carlisle is a great coach indeed.

With that said I don't think they will break the core up.

So it means they only have picks to trade and Presti is never the one to give up picks.

[starbosa10]

Not the best big in the game, but one of the best. Certainly one of the top three now in the league. If Embiid does not play, I just see Jokic above him. I do not think the Knicks would do that.
KAT needs a player like Anounoby besides for him to excel, as he is a little bit soft sometimes. It seems like he is tough, because he likes to bang in the low post, but then he is soft in the def end.

Retool with Booker, KAT, Dunn, Oso, Plumlee, Allen, Bol and then Bitadze for Beal and a PG would be great.

Don't think they can because KAT makes like 60M and we need to get under the 2nd apron first.

I believe we can send two players for one, thus gaining some space.
For example, KD and ONeale for KAT and a pick.

No we can't. You can't aggregate salaries when you're a 2nd apron team like we are. We cannot combine anyone with KD unless we get under first

[Bogyo]

The finals may go to Game 7. Pacers are showing true team work and the defensive help is so good. Thunder's coach is hopeless purely relying on talent to get by. Carlisle is a great coach indeed.

With that said I don't think they will break the core up.

So it means they only have picks to trade and Presti is never the one to give up picks.

Well, depends on what you consider their core over there, and how much you want to go into a rebuild here. Hartenstein, Isiah Joe, Kenrich Williams for KD work in the trade machine. Then all the picks in the world you can ask for. Joe goes to another team for another starter-type (Orlando for Cole Anthony straight up works), then you have Anthony/Book/Dunn/PF for Grayson+O'neale and picks/Hartenstein. As good as the other packages, but the picks could make it much better.

[Mulhollanddrive]

So we're essentially looking at a Chris Paul from OKC type package for Durant.

Oubre, Rubio, Jerome, Lecque, 1st

[Frank Lee]

Spoiler:

……Isiah Hartenstein, Miles Bridges, DeAndre Hunter, CAM JOHNSON, Dillon Brooks, LOU DORT, HERB JONES, AUSTIN REEVES, Jacob Poetl, Josh Green, Brandon Clarke, Donte Di Vincenzo, Aaron Nesmith, LONZO BALL, Naji Marshall, GOGA BIDATZE, Kenrich Williams, John Konchar, Kris Dunn, TOUMANI CAMARA, GG JACKSON, ANDRE JACKSON, Miles McBride, Trace Jackson Davis, Keon Ellis…..

I’d wager more than half will be signed/extended by then. Likely several traded as well some signed and traded. It will be interesting to compare your Xmas list to reality of two yrs down the road.

Teams aren’t letting young talent just walk away for nothing. And again, we are not the only buyers.

You and others play the game of ‘if I were king’ …. We know otherwise.

Maybe.........Maybe not! You don't need to be king to sign a number of quality free agents when you actually have cap flexibility. And it's 50/50 that many won't be available under this new CBA as it's penalties are going to force many teams to weigh some tough choices that they otherwise wouldn't have entertained in a less punitive CBA climate.

Regardless, there'll be plenty of solid options, and I'm more than willing to revisit this with you in the near future to assess accurate projections man.

There is nothing… absolutely nothing that says Wishbia values cap space. I get your strategies of trying to build for the future with draft picks and cap space…. But you need one foot in reality and reality says we will operate, like most teams, hovering around the tax aprons.

The key to this season, imo, is to get and stay under the second apron, find a pg who can execute Ott’s faster pace offense, while adding a promising youngster or two via draft and or trade. A proper KD trade can facilitate a large part of that. But you have to sign/have legit players to 2-3 yr deals, not one and done fillers, else your cupboards are bare yr in yr out. Trade assets are equally valuable as space

So far, I have seen little suggestions that address our PG deficiency. Gillespie deserves a roster spot, but it’s doubtful he is ‘the guy’. I hate to think that DLo has already been penciled in, but there are so few obvious options. Going to have to dig deep in the hat to pull out this rabbit.

[Rebound Mound]

Don't think they can because KAT makes like 60M and we need to get under the 2nd apron first.

I believe we can send two players for one, thus gaining some space.
For example, KD and ONeale for KAT and a pick.

No we can't. You can't aggregate salaries when you're a 2nd apron team like we are. We cannot combine anyone with KD unless we get under first

Fine, but renouncing to Micic would get us there...

[KdoubleDees23]

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Clippers.....Never really thought about them. Not the most enticing draft picks though and not much in the way of interesting young talent

LA Clippers
2025 draft picks
First round: No. 30 (via Oklahoma City)
Second round: No. 51 (via Minnesota)

The Clippers remain in win-now mode for the foreseeable future and can use the draft to help build their bench. They selected Kobe Brown with the 30th pick last year, an ostensible win-now pick that didn't pay huge dividends, but finding a player with a realistic chance at contributing in the short term should be a prerogative for LA. They could use depth up and down the roster, particularly with Kawhi Leonard's history of sitting out game, so there is some flexibility to focus on whatever player they like best regardless of position. (Backup center has been a revolving door, in particular.) -- Woo

Incoming future first-round picks: 5

Own first in five out of the next seven years

Maximum tradeable future first-round picks: 2

Future second-round picks: 4

Future outgoing first-round picks:

Unprotected first to Oklahoma City or Washington (2026)

First-round swap with Oklahoma City or Denver (2027)

Unprotected first to Philadelphia (2028)

Top-three protected swap with Philadelphia (2029)

2026 - They are almost certain to lose this pick to OKC given OKC's pick will be worse
2027 - They are almost certain to get OKC's worse pick
2028 - Straight traded to Philly
2029 - Not too sure how things will look in 2029, they could be worse and Philly might be better by then.
2030 - They own their own pick here.

They have two attractive assets:

1) Zubac

Not sure if they would trade Zubac, he has progressed a lot in recent years and looks now a Top 10 C in the league. He is in his prime and under good contract ($19M per year) for the next 3 years.

2) 2030 unprotected FRP.

They can give us multiple 2nds and FRP swaps but they only have a tradeable good pick.

Norman Powell (yeah, I know...he is a SG) is their other best player that could be on the package. He will be on an expiring $20M contract. Amazing 6th man.

And then we can get one defensive role player like Kris Dunn ($11M/2 years) or Derrick Jones ($20M/2 years).

All in all they can put a better package than most of the other supposed packages out there. I am not in love with the package, but doesn’t look bad at all.

Zubac.
Norman Powell.
Derrick Jones Jr.
2030 unprocted FRP.
A couple swaps and 2nds.

We need players. F the draft picks. How many draft picks have the Suns got right in the last 20 years? 2 maybe 3? so 10% chance of getting the next star! Yeah, give me proven players!

[Rebound Mound]

The finals may go to Game 7. Pacers are showing true team work and the defensive help is so good. Thunder's coach is hopeless purely relying on talent to get by. Carlisle is a great coach indeed.

With that said I don't think they will break the core up.

So it means they only have picks to trade and Presti is never the one to give up picks.

Finals lost in 5 or 6 because a team that changes its starting 5 for the Finals is dead.
Just like the Knicks...

[Rebound Mound]

The Clippers are not trading Zubac. 7-2, good contract, excellent seson.
They would be offerin Jones, Powell, etc. NOTHING.

[BobbieL]

The Clippers are not trading Zubac. 7-2, good contract, excellent seson.
They would be offerin Jones, Powell, etc. NOTHING.

If it’s not zubac, hang up the phone with clippers

[BobbieL]

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DColdest is not a reliable leaker

I agree he is not reliable. He had the Suns getting that player from the Blazers I think - forget his name. Guy they got from the Wizards

But if this deal is accurate - Suns would get players from Houston - and if Randle goes to Houston, Jabari Smith goes to the Suns; probably Jalen Green and a couple FRPs. Well that would be my best estimate of a trade.

But as you stated - guy is not reliable.

[garrick]

I believe we can send two players for one, thus gaining some space.
For example, KD and ONeale for KAT and a pick.

No we can't. You can't aggregate salaries when you're a 2nd apron team like we are. We cannot combine anyone with KD unless we get under first

Fine, but renouncing to Micic would get us there...

We would nearly be there by renouncing both Martin and Micic I think but it might not be enough and we may need to try to trade some players in addition maybe.

[garrick]

The finals may go to Game 7. Pacers are showing true team work and the defensive help is so good. Thunder's coach is hopeless purely relying on talent to get by. Carlisle is a great coach indeed.

With that said I don't think they will break the core up.

So it means they only have picks to trade and Presti is never the one to give up picks.

Well, depends on what you consider their core over there, and how much you want to go into a rebuild here. Hartenstein, Isiah Joe, Kenrich Williams for KD work in the trade machine. Then all the picks in the world you can ask for. Joe goes to another team for another starter-type (Orlando for Cole Anthony straight up works), then you have Anthony/Book/Dunn/PF for Grayson+O'neale and picks/Hartenstein. As good as the other packages, but the picks could make it much better.

I doubt OKC gives up that much and Hartenstein is like their only center. Unfortunately having so many players on cheaper contracts makes it difficult to offload a max player on them as you have to aggregate so many players just to match someone like KD. I guess it's a nice problem to have though.

[matt131]

Some interesting nuggets in the Simmons / Lowe podcast from last night.

Both Simmons and Lowe have heard that the clippers are interested in KD, but do not think they would trade Zubac, so it’s an unlikely destination.

Simmons was talking about how involved Isaiah Thomas is with Ishbia’s decision making. Simmons hates the suns and calls us the stupidest team all the time, but he seemed fairly confident about Thomas. There was a part where I thought he said that Thomas even face times into Suns meetings and our head coaching search. However, Simmons at that point had talked about Thomas and Ishbia, and then just said “did you hear he FaceTimes into meetings” so I could tell to which person he was referring. Either way, not good.

[Ghost of Kleine]

The Clippers are not trading Zubac. 7-2, good contract, excellent seson.
They would be offerin Jones, Powell, etc. NOTHING.

If it’s not zubac, hang up the phone with clippers

Hang up the phone either way man. They really have nothing of significant value or that we need. Their best asset in Powell is redundant at SG. And would likely be overpaid by his next increase/ extension. Players like Zubac and D Jones Jr, we could easily get the younger and cost controlled versions of them in this draft's late 2nd- UDFA ranges.

-Ivaca Zubac.
Vlad Goldin in the 50s, or Hunter Dickinson from the undrafted ranges.

- Derrick Jones Jr.
Drake Powell from the early to mid 2nd ranges, Jamir Watkins and Kobe Johnson from mid to late 2nd round, and Dailyn Swain, Aaron Scott, Obinna Anuchili Killen ( Toumani Camara) from the undrafted ranges.

Kris Dunn.
Alijah Martin from the early to mid 2nd range, and RJ Felton, Lamont Butler, Trey Galloway, Denver Jones from the undrafted ranges.

Plus, their picks are pretty low value overall. And none that are even remotely appealing aside from their 30' 1st way out far.

[BobbieL]

Some interesting nuggets in the Simmons / Lowe podcast from last night.

Both Simmons and Lowe have heard that the clippers are interested in KD, but do not think they would trade Zubac, so it’s an unlikely destination.

Simmons was talking about how involved Isaiah Thomas is with Ishbia’s decision making. Simmons hates the suns and calls us the stupidest team all the time, but he seemed fairly confident about Thomas. There was a part where I thought he said that Thomas even face times into Suns meetings and our head coaching search. However, Simmons at that point had talked about Thomas and Ishbia, and then just said “did you hear he FaceTimes into meetings” so I could tell to which person he was referring. Either way, not good.

So what many thought seems true - that Thomas is involved and again, Gregory is just a figure head because if Ishbia hired Thomas, the public outcry would have been worse

Not sure what the Suns did but to go from Sarver to Ishbia? Its almost like Sarver is giving one more "finger" to the Suns. Why couldnt' Sarver sell to somebody like Jeffery Lurie - a competent owner who lets the professionals do the job.

Will be interesting to see what the final trade for Durant is? My guess, the Suns will screw it up and get even less value than I thought or just the worst possible player(s) to pair with Booker.

[Saberestar]

Michael Scotto

Sources:
The 76ers have engaged with the Spurs about potentially moving up to the No. 2 pick. For now, the Sixers have zeroed in on four NBA Draft prospects with the No. 3 pick, including a private workout last week with VJ Edgecombe and Ace Bailey visiting Philadelphia next week

[Ghost of Kleine]

The finals may go to Game 7. Pacers are showing true team work and the defensive help is so good. Thunder's coach is hopeless purely relying on talent to get by. Carlisle is a great coach indeed.

With that said I don't think they will break the core up.

So it means they only have picks to trade and Presti is never the one to give up picks.

Well, depends on what you consider their core over there, and how much you want to go into a rebuild here. Hartenstein, Isiah Joe, Kenrich Williams for KD work in the trade machine. Then all the picks in the world you can ask for. Joe goes to another team for another starter-type (Orlando for Cole Anthony straight up works), then you have Anthony/Book/Dunn/PF for Grayson+O'neale and picks/Hartenstein. As good as the other packages, but the picks could make it much better.

I doubt OKC gives up that much and Hartenstein is like their only center. Unfortunately having so many players on cheaper contracts makes it difficult to offload a max player on them as you have to aggregate so many players just to match someone like KD. I guess it's a nice problem to have though.

Good points man. The thing is though that when you look at OKCs' roster, Shai is up for a supermax increase similar to Booker's after next season. And more importantly than even that is their other core extensions/ increases too.


So not only do they have some really tough choices to make on whether or not they'll have to break up their core due to cost, they'll absolutely not be able to keep their key core/ players together and pay them all without dumping se major salaries both this summer and probably next after Shais' increase begins.


On top of that, they just won't have the available roster spots to keep bringing in multiple young prospects on 4 yr contracts due to roster limits. And having way too much incoming draft picks.

They'll need to aggressively consolidate their picks into a singular player. Maybe a couple moves of this nature very soon. And then you have Hartenstein. I mean sure he's a very solid productive big.

BUT, he's honestly very similar in limited skillset/ archetype to Nurkic actually. The real difference is that he's more mobile. But then he can't even shoot as well as Nurkic at league average efficiency. AND he's making 30 million.

And honestly, he's not had the best playoff run this season making boneheaded plays and having some lackluster moments. He's certainly not going to he untouchable, especially when you consider he's making 30 million, and they'll desperately need to cut/ consolidate salary to be able to absorb Shais' increase, Holmgrens' extension, J Williams looming increase, Wallace's extension, etc.

KD (even as a rental) is honestly perfect for these critical consolidation/ financial needs. Because when he'd expire, that'd open up 54 million for the Thunder to resign/ extend/ absorb their core salaries rather than having to break up their group!