SAS/UTA - Spurs make a run, Ainge Ainges

[HornetJail]

Jazz receive Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, 2025 1st SAS, 2025 1st ATL, 2025 1st CHI (top 10/8/8 prot), rights to swap worst of UTA/CLE/MIN/LAL 2027 1st for best of ATL/SAS 2027 1st

Spurs receive Lauri Markkanen

Spurs waive Champagnie, Bassey, and cap holds on FAs, re-negotiate Lauri to ~ $30.5M this season using cap space (a $12M-ish raise), and then extend for the max... (total 5 years, $218M, virtually identical to Sabonis' contract from last summer)

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Spurs: CP3/Vassell/Barnes/Lauri/Wemby + Castle/Wesley/Sochan/Collins... do I really need to elaborate further? That's how you build around Wemby and bring out the best in him. (In my opinion, the Spurs shouldn't be afraid to add picks if Utah forces them, but I feel this is a fair starting point)

Jazz: Ainge does Ainge things, picking up 1sts from 2 teams possibly starting rebuilds in ATL and CHI, another that is building up from bottom 5, and a potential high value swap in 2027. Keldon Johnson also falls into the archetype of the possibly marginalized player that you can showcase for a year and flip for more, while Jones could also fetch a bit of value as a bench ball handler on a playoff team.

[jbk1234]

After trading for Barnes, I don't see it. Lauri would have to have his contract renegotiated and extended first as the Spurs no longer have the ability to do it after a trade.

[hugepatsfan]

After trading for Barnes, I don't see it. Lauri would have to have his contract renegotiated and extended first as the Spurs no longer have the ability to do it after a trade.

They would in this trade. They’re right at the cap now. He has them sending out Keldon, Tre Jones, Branham which is a combined ~$33M. Also waiving Champaigne. That’s enough to give him a big bump this year and extend.

It forces him to take less than the max this year like Sabonis did last year. But still enough of a bump to be realistic IMO.

[jbk1234]

After trading for Barnes, I don't see it. Lauri would have to have his contract renegotiated and extended first as the Spurs no longer have the ability to do it after a trade.

They would in this trade. They’re right at the cap now. He has them sending out Keldon, Tre Jones, Branham which is a combined ~$33M. Also waiving Champaigne. That’s enough to give him a big bump this year and extend.

It forces him to take less than the max this year like Sabonis did last year. But still enough of a bump to be realistic IMO.

You might be correct. They'd have no available cap space for the next two seasons though and I don't think they'd be good enough to include an unprotected 1st in next year's draft. If either Wemby or Lauri sprains an ankle, that's disaster pants.

[lpbman]

After trading for Barnes, I don't see it. Lauri would have to have his contract renegotiated and extended first as the Spurs no longer have the ability to do it after a trade.

They would in this trade. They’re right at the cap now. He has them sending out Keldon, Tre Jones, Branham which is a combined ~$33M. Also waiving Champaigne. That’s enough to give him a big bump this year and extend.

It forces him to take less than the max this year like Sabonis did last year. But still enough of a bump to be realistic IMO.

You might be correct. They'd have no available cap space for the next two seasons though and I don't think they'd be good enough to include an unprotected 1st in next year's draft. If either Wemby or Lauri sprains an ankle, that's disaster pants.

It doesn't really matter what they do if they lose Wemby, they are toast. Just like the rest of the league.They could tread water if it is just a couple of weeks in the regular season... also like the rest of the league. To me, this deal hinges on if Markkanen still plays SF, because Barnes is a PF. I haven't watched him enough recently to know.

[jayjaysee]

I think I’d want to keep Jones until we see Castle?

What about Keldon and Collins for Lauri and Kessler

That trims the money to pay Lauri in January while not impacting the actual roster.

Throw in whatever picks you’re willing to trade for Lauri and then one more for the Kessler/Collins/cap space swap?

[jbk1234]

They would in this trade. They’re right at the cap now. He has them sending out Keldon, Tre Jones, Branham which is a combined ~$33M. Also waiving Champaigne. That’s enough to give him a big bump this year and extend.

It forces him to take less than the max this year like Sabonis did last year. But still enough of a bump to be realistic IMO.

You might be correct. They'd have no available cap space for the next two seasons though and I don't think they'd be good enough to include an unprotected 1st in next year's draft. If either Wemby or Lauri sprains an ankle, that's disaster pants.

It doesn't really matter what they do if they lose Wemby, they are toast. Just like the rest of the league.They could tread water if it is just a couple of weeks in the regular season... also like the rest of the league. To me, this deal hinges on if Markkanen still plays SF, because Barnes is a PF. I haven't watched him enough recently to know.

It matters quite a bit if another team has their first. It's not true that the rest of league can't absorb an ankle sprain to their best player. All of Mobley, Garland, and Mitchell missed 25+ games last season and the Cavs finished with the 4th seed. The Clippers made the post season 5 years running with one or two of their top players missing a bunch of games. Wemby played in 71 games last season and the Spurs were a 20-win team.

[AingesBurner]

Not enough for Lauri. We will hold on to him.

[AingesBurner]

It’s close though.

[hugepatsfan]

They would in this trade. They’re right at the cap now. He has them sending out Keldon, Tre Jones, Branham which is a combined ~$33M. Also waiving Champaigne. That’s enough to give him a big bump this year and extend.

It forces him to take less than the max this year like Sabonis did last year. But still enough of a bump to be realistic IMO.

You might be correct. They'd have no available cap space for the next two seasons though and I don't think they'd be good enough to include an unprotected 1st in next year's draft. If either Wemby or Lauri sprains an ankle, that's disaster pants.

It doesn't really matter what they do if they lose Wemby, they are toast. Just like the rest of the league.They could tread water if it is just a couple of weeks in the regular season... also like the rest of the league. To me, this deal hinges on if Markkanen still plays SF, because Barnes is a PF. I haven't watched him enough recently to know.

Barnes was a salary dump. I don’t think a decision to trade for or not trade for a guy like Markannen would be dependent on what they think of him. If they can start together or share the court for stretches, then great. If they can’t, then you work his minutes around that.

[louc1970]

Jazz receive Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, 2025 1st SAS, 2025 1st ATL, 2025 1st CHI (top 10/8/8 prot), rights to swap worst of UTA/CLE/MIN/LAL 2027 1st for best of ATL/SAS 2027 1st

Spurs receive Lauri Markkanen

I don’t think Spurs are ready to be competitive yet. Giving that much for Markkanen when the team still needs so many pieces is an overpay.

Then paying Markkanen max money for a team that will be middling just doesn’t work for me.

[pipfan]

Lauri for Barnes (salary filler, harmless vet for Utah) plus the ATL ‘25 pick, Utah pick back, Chi pick, Atl ‘27 pick and the Minny ‘31 pick
Ainge spreads the picks out over the next 7 years

[AingesBurner]

Lauri for Barnes (salary filler, harmless vet for Utah) plus the ATL ‘25 pick, Utah pick back, Chi pick, Atl ‘27 pick and the Minny ‘31 pick
Ainge spreads the picks out over the next 7 years

Utah will want a prospect and a good prospect at that.

[Chuck Everett]

Yeah, Lauri isn't THIS good. He's never going to make all-NBA.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Utah has a few options. 1) Take the best deal on the table now and embrace tanking. 2) Take the best deal at the deadline, which will be less than the current deals on the table. 3) Hold onto Lauri all year and either get a pair of 2nds in a S&T deal, watch him walk next off-season to a team with cap space or he doesn't care about winning and takes a max from Utah.

Option 1 is their best team building move and gives them their best chance at a top 4 pick in 2020. Option 2 likely ends with them picking around 10th again next year or losing their 2025 first to OKC. Option 3 likely costs them their 2025 FRP and is a disaster for the organization. Lauri stays and they keep picking in the 8-12 range for years or Lauri leaves for little or no return.

[babyjax13]

After trading for Barnes, I don't see it. Lauri would have to have his contract renegotiated and extended first as the Spurs no longer have the ability to do it after a trade.

We could take back Barnes as a separate transaction.

[babyjax13]

Utah has a few options. 1) Take the best deal on the table now and embrace tanking. 2) Take the best deal at the deadline, which will be less than the current deals on the table. 3) Hold onto Lauri all year and either get a pair of 2nds in a S&T deal, watch him walk next off-season to a team with cap space or he doesn't care about winning and takes a max from Utah.

Option 1 is their best team building move and gives them their best chance at a top 4 pick in 2020. Option 2 likely ends with them picking around 10th again next year or losing their 2025 first to OKC. Option 3 likely costs them their 2025 FRP and is a disaster for the organization. Lauri stays and they keep picking in the 8-12 range for years or Lauri leaves for little or no return.

You missed the renegotiate and extend option that gives Lauri a 24 million dollar raise THIS YEAR, and the fact that he has repeatedly stressed a desire to stay in Utah.

[babyjax13]

Yeah, Lauri isn't THIS good. He's never going to make all-NBA.

I think he's got a good chance at making the third team. He's better than Randle...

[Kizz Fastfists]

Utah has a few options. 1) Take the best deal on the table now and embrace tanking. 2) Take the best deal at the deadline, which will be less than the current deals on the table. 3) Hold onto Lauri all year and either get a pair of 2nds in a S&T deal, watch him walk next off-season to a team with cap space or he doesn't care about winning and takes a max from Utah.

Option 1 is their best team building move and gives them their best chance at a top 4 pick in 2020. Option 2 likely ends with them picking around 10th again next year or losing their 2025 first to OKC. Option 3 likely costs them their 2025 FRP and is a disaster for the organization. Lauri stays and they keep picking in the 8-12 range for years or Lauri leaves for little or no return.

You missed the renegotiate and extend option that gives Lauri a 24 million dollar raise THIS YEAR, and the fact that he has repeatedly stressed a desire to stay in Utah.

That would fall under the doesn't care about winning and takes a max from Utah. The worst case scenario for Utah if they have a desire to be relevant in the next decade.

[JHFVF07]

I think Lauri already maxed his value, keeping him on the team, trying to be competitive is costing the team better picks. But Ainge is doing his thing, waiting for some good team geting desperate.
But I dont know if will be easier to trade a RE Lauri, receiving 50M, Utah will need to get a lot of bad money, and Ainge will want to get paid for this too.