Texas Chuck wrote:shrink wrote:Financially, I think it would be a win to turn Russell into payroll relief, and as Texas Chuck noted with Wiggins, at two years $30 mil per, it might be unlikely an expansion team has room for the salary. But he is young, and he will score, and an expansion team could market him. Also, if he’s not protected, and Seattle didn’t take him, what kind of social damage does this do? Is he upset he wasn’t protected? Is Towns? Does Rosas say, “no, you really are our future...?”
You could certainly be right here, and the next player they’d likely protect is Jaylen Nowell, who has been great in almost every opportunity he’s gotten in the crowded guard position for the Wolves. But I’m curious if others have an opinion on this?
I'd rather protect Nowell who I think would be a real candidate to be selected. But I agree with all your concerns about Russell. I think with some players you can go to him and his agent and say look the Sonics would love to have your talent but can't afford your contract and so we are exposing you merely as a mechanism to also keep this young player we really like. But with Russell, and by extension Towns, that's probably a risk not worth taking. And if they Sonics were to target Nowell, rules allow you to offer them incentive to not. So you could send them a future 2nd and a $1M or something to keep him if you wanted.
But these are my favorite protection questions. These big contracts not worth their money but that you don't necessarily want to lose. I'm only okay with leaving KP unprotected because if he got taken Dallas gains pure cap space equal to his salary and even without a star to sign I'm confident they could make good use. If Dallas was well over the cap, I'd protect him.
Interesting about the money and Sonics committing a huge chunk to Russell.
I think the draft order is huge with who they might select. Cavs and Rockets for example. They expose Wall and Love. Would the Sonics offer to select them (probably select and waive) for a swap (4 for 2 let’s say)? Sonics could improve their draft slot for someone like Suggs to excite their fan base.
Back to Russell, I just don’t see Rosas about to risk the bad the optics and broship with Towns, and fact Warriors are using his 1st this offseason (most likely) that he used to acquire him — and short time later he becomes available. I can’t see Russell being head strong enough to know Nowell was protected and he wasn’t.
