Rumors, Random Thoughts, and Non-threadworthy Posts The 19th Hole

[jayjaysee]

a random bad idea. That might be bad for Dallas? Still like Mann too much probably even after watching him get dumped..

Mann to Dallas
Martin, Hardy, Powell to Brooklyn

Dallas gets (imo) a better two way player? Opens the roster spots/some tax space for Nembhard and Exum

Brooklyn saves money in two years, splits a bigger negative contract. Martin should be able to easily play his way back to neutral or slightly positive value, if his end of season play/injury dropped his value..

Probably best with a third team?

[daoneandonly]

a random bad idea. That might be bad for Dallas? Still like Mann too much probably even after watching him get dumped..

Mann to Dallas
Martin, Hardy, Powell to Brooklyn

Dallas gets (imo) a better two way player? Opens the roster spots/some tax space for Nembhard and Exum

Brooklyn saves money in two years, splits a bigger negative contract. Martin should be able to easily play his way back to neutral or slightly positive value, if his end of season play/injury dropped his value..

Probably best with a third team?

Fine with me for Dallas, maybe BKN would prefer Omax vs Powell? Still works and may be advantageous to have a seasoned Mav vet in Powell there for Flagg and hopefully Nembhard. I like how this helps resolve the roster imbalance and need to cut someone.

[jayjaysee]

a random bad idea. That might be bad for Dallas? Still like Mann too much probably even after watching him get dumped..

Mann to Dallas
Martin, Hardy, Powell to Brooklyn

Dallas gets (imo) a better two way player? Opens the roster spots/some tax space for Nembhard and Exum

Brooklyn saves money in two years, splits a bigger negative contract. Martin should be able to easily play his way back to neutral or slightly positive value, if his end of season play/injury dropped his value..

Probably best with a third team?

Fine with me for Dallas, maybe BKN would prefer Omax vs Powell? Still works and may be advantageous to have a seasoned Mav vet in Powell there for Flagg and hopefully Nembhard. I like how this helps resolve the roster imbalance and need to cut someone.

The idea only saves 4.1 mil as is. Which is probably barely enough for the two new guards. It might require trading Prosper for a true vet min as well. Picturing signing Kai or something awful..

[jayjaysee]

Another random bad one? Once Beal is stretched..

Grayson to Toronto
RJ to Milwaukee
Kuzma and value to Phoenix

Toronto sends 2-? seconds to Phoenix. Milwaukee can send a watered down 2028 swap?

Phoenix signs another backup point guard and whatever else with their last few roster spots.

[oldncreaky]

Another random bad one? Once Beal is stretched..

Grayson to Toronto
RJ to Milwaukee
Kuzma and value to Phoenix

Toronto sends 2-? seconds to Phoenix. Milwaukee can send a watered down 2028 swap?

Phoenix signs another backup point guard and whatever else with their last few roster spots.

The only reason I can think of for TOR is to duck the tax -- and I've got to think there are better ways to shave $1M or so off the payroll at the TDL without making this big a downgrade in talent

[daoneandonly]

Another random bad one? Once Beal is stretched..

Grayson to Toronto
RJ to Milwaukee
Kuzma and value to Phoenix

Toronto sends 2-? seconds to Phoenix. Milwaukee can send a watered down 2028 swap?

Phoenix signs another backup point guard and whatever else with their last few roster spots.

The only reason I can think of for TOR is to duck the tax -- and I've got to think there are better ways to shave $1M or so off the payroll at the TDL without making this big a downgrade in talent

Grayson is a talent downgrade from RJ? I dont know about that

[jayjaysee]

Another random bad one? Once Beal is stretched..

Grayson to Toronto
RJ to Milwaukee
Kuzma and value to Phoenix

Toronto sends 2-? seconds to Phoenix. Milwaukee can send a watered down 2028 swap?

Phoenix signs another backup point guard and whatever else with their last few roster spots.

The only reason I can think of for TOR is to duck the tax -- and I've got to think there are better ways to shave $1M or so off the payroll at the TDL without making this big a downgrade in talent

Grayson is a talent downgrade from RJ? I dont know about that

Yeah, I think Grayson is the better (and cheaper) player.

Milwaukee just seems to need someone that can create some offense more than a two way guard like Grayson. Where Toronto could use Grayson’a spacing more than RJ’s meh creation with Ingram/Barnes/IQ there

[HadAnEffectHere]

Jazz planning to keep Lauri at least to start the season despite their focus on tanking this year.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45742034/2025-nba-summer-league-buzz-intel-storylines-reaction-las-vegas

Obvious after how badly Lauri played last year.

I expect him to be traded late December but we'll see.

[Scoot McGroot]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

I gotta listen to the newest Pablo Torre Finds Out to learn more on this….

Shams said something not totally clear a month ago that led some people to believe he was reporting that a federal investigation of Terry Rozier involving gambling had stopped and the matter was closed. Pablo Torre reports this week that the federal investigation of Rozier remains ongoing and he has not been cleared. There have no charges filed against Rozier at this time, and a previous NBA investigation uncovered no wrongdoing by the Heat point guard.

[JRoy]

Another random bad one? Once Beal is stretched..

Grayson to Toronto
RJ to Milwaukee
Kuzma and value to Phoenix

Toronto sends 2-? seconds to Phoenix. Milwaukee can send a watered down 2028 swap?

Phoenix signs another backup point guard and whatever else with their last few roster spots.

The only reason I can think of for TOR is to duck the tax -- and I've got to think there are better ways to shave $1M or so off the payroll at the TDL without making this big a downgrade in talent

Grayson is a talent downgrade from RJ? I dont know about that

Grayson provides spacing.

RJ is a more expensive Evan Turner.

[Texas Chuck]

RJ does more things. But he does them at a level that isn't good enough. Grayson sticks to the things he excels at and those things make life better for your best players. I don't think there is really any question that if you are trying to win games that Allen is more beneficial than Barrett.

And all of us who play pickup games understand this. There is always that one guy who on pure talent is the best player there, except nobody wants to ever be on his team because they know his game is detrimental to winning. So you pick the far less talented guy who plays to his strengths so you can stay on the court.

[daoneandonly]

The only reason I can think of for TOR is to duck the tax -- and I've got to think there are better ways to shave $1M or so off the payroll at the TDL without making this big a downgrade in talent

Grayson is a talent downgrade from RJ? I dont know about that

Grayson provides spacing.

RJ is a more expensive Evan Turner.

I agree. I was actually questioning why the other poster thought RJ was more valuable than Allen.

[Godaddycurse]

RJ does more things. But he does them at a level that isn't good enough. Grayson sticks to the things he excels at and those things make life better for your best players. I don't think there is really any question that if you are trying to win games that Allen is more beneficial than Barrett.

And all of us who play pickup games understand this. There is always that one guy who on pure talent is the best player there, except nobody wants to ever be on his team because they know his game is detrimental to winning. So you pick the far less talented guy who plays to his strengths so you can stay on the court.

RJ contributed a lot to Canadian national team's success as a role player. Kind of hard to judge his impact on winning in NBA when Raptors were tanking and injuries/lack of depth forced him in roles he's not very good at. I'm interested to see this year how effective he is in a lower usage role on a team trying to win. Hopefully he makes all of us (myself included) outside of oldncreaky eat crow

[K_chile22]

Not sure how to square this with the up to 5/250 language on reporting. Anyone have thoughts?

Read on Twitter

If it's from the pod I heard this is bad aggregation, Lowe didn't know and didn't try to pretend he did he was just rambling trying to figure it out, but maybe he said that somewhere else

[Texas Chuck]

yeah Raps fans should hope he finds the Andrew Wiggins career arc. Though I wonder if that will be easy to do on his existing team when he probably doesn't see Ingram as being meaningful better offensively (nor probably should he lol). And without a clear cut legit first option to fall behind, will he understand he shouldn't be rocking a near 30% usage rate or leading his team in FGA?

I'm not particularly optimistic, nor seemingly are the Raptors if all the rumors of them trying to unload him this summer have any substance.

[Godaddycurse]

yeah Raps fans should hope he finds the Andrew Wiggins career arc. Though I wonder if that will be easy to do on his existing team when he probably doesn't see Ingram as being meaningful better offensively (nor probably should he lol). And without a clear cut legit first option to fall behind, will he understand he shouldn't be rocking a near 30% usage rate or leading his team in FGA?

I'm not particularly optimistic, nor seemingly are the Raptors if all the rumors of them trying to unload him this summer have any substance.

he was productive and happy with a ~25% usage in 23-24 post trade. I dont think willingness is an issue, but i am also not very optimistic on his efficiency and defense even in a reduced role. Hopefully i'm wrong

[jayjaysee]

I still don’t understand RJ being considered a better player (a big downgrade) than Grayson, even if you have faith in RJ..

[zimpy27]

What is going on with the rest of free agency?
Giddey, Horford, Grimes, CP3, Simmons, Kuminga

Is the Beal buyout holding up some stuff?

[MadNESS]

I think a looming LeBron deal, Beals buy out and Giannis potentially saying screw it deal me, are holding everything up

[oldncreaky]

RJ does more things. But he does them at a level that isn't good enough. Grayson sticks to the things he excels at and those things make life better for your best players. I don't think there is really any question that if you are trying to win games that Allen is more beneficial than Barrett.

And all of us who play pickup games understand this. There is always that one guy who on pure talent is the best player there, except nobody wants to ever be on his team because they know his game is detrimental to winning. So you pick the far less talented guy who plays to his strengths so you can stay on the court.

RJ contributed a lot to Canadian national team's success as a role player. Kind of hard to judge his impact on winning in NBA when Raptors were tanking and injuries/lack of depth forced him in roles he's not very good at. I'm interested to see this year how effective he is in a lower usage role on a team trying to win. Hopefully he makes all of us (myself included) outside of oldncreaky eat crow

Agree. Hard to get a read on the efficiency when a bunch of Barrett's games last season included playing next to AJ Lawson cos-playing at PG, and 2 or 3 GLeaguers starting

If Canada's National Men's Team (CMNT) players from WC/Olympics/qualifiers the last 3-4 years were broken into tiers, IMO it would go something like
Tier 1: SGA
Tier 2: ---
Tier 3: Barrett, Brooks, Dort, Andrew Nembhard, Wiggins
Tier 4: Lyles, NAW, Olynyk, other Nembhards
Tier 5: Birch, Joseph, Murray (playing injured), Powell, plus a bunch of guys playing in Europe
(DNP so Incomplete): Mathurin, Sharpe, Edey, Boucher

Of the guys in tier 3, all of them are solid NBA starters, and Barrett has as good an argument as anyone for being the second best contributor on CMNT after SGA. Barrett started every game possible, and that's on merit because no one making roster decisions for CMNT gives a damn about rankings, salary, draft position, media narratives, RGM polls, or anything else other than picking the rotation with the best chance to win. I'll put a lot more weight on the decisions made by Nash, Nurse, Jordi Fernandez et al when making actual roster and PT decisions over a poster's "if there was a pickup game . . ."

OTOH, I'm not sure whether Allen could make the 12-man CMNT given all the other wings, but I'm pretty confident he doesn't start. However, there is a narrative on this board about Barrett, and it probably won't change until and unless he gets traded.