Post#779 » by tmorgan » Mon Jul 7, 2025 3:18 pm
I’m still unsure as to whether trading for Lauri is a good idea, but if we’re going to do it, this is the likely avenue — heavy draft compensation.
You do this trade if you’re confident that the team is ready to be a contender for a few years (thru 2029, but not necessarily next year). You’d think the swap is mostly meaningless, so it’s just Tobias and two firsts in the 20’s for Lauri. That’s not overpaying.
Now (wildly) assuming Utah is interested in such a deal, Detroit has to speculate on the kind of improvement they’ll get from the guys on rookie contracts, because any further avenues for improvement would come from trading those players or just the players themselves. Will Duren play defense? Will Ivey play defense and continue to develop on offense? Will Ausar develop as a ball handler and with his shot? What does Ron Holland become? It’s those guys, Cade, Lauri, Stew, and whatever free agents we end up with over time, that’s the squad barring more trades.
Still waffling. I think I’d like to see another year of development (or lack thereof) before committing to this, but maybe the opportunity to get a potentially near-elite fit and player doesn’t present itself again. Maybe Ainge deals Markkanen elsewhere if we pass. Hard to say.
