Trade & FA 2023-24: Sexton On the Market? | ORL Likes Hartenstein?

[DanSchwartzgan]

My Summer Plan

1 Sign DJJ using TxMLE 1+1
2 Trade THJ (plus 2025 1st, lottery protected) for DFS (plus 2026 2nd)
3 Complete roster by keeping Morris and Lawson

Easy peazy

I like Dorian, but this probably isn't my favorite THJ/25 trade.  I get that DFS is the rumor of the day and you are simply responding to that.  But, I doubt he starts in front of either of our defensive minded starting wings.  He also blocks the development of OMax as a future Maxi replacement.  OMax needs to get "the Hardy treatment" minutes in the second quarter each game next season.  I personally don't think Dorian's position is necessary should we retain DJJ.

Give me the same plan as you've outlined, but insert the Atlanta Bogdanovic instead.  I'd play him as sixth man.  I'd like a little more offense when either Luka or Kyrie are sitting.  He's great off the ball and good on the ball.  He fits well in a bench lineup with Green, Maxi and Lively (or Gafford).  Hardy and Exum and OMax fight for scraps at the 10th-12th men in the rotation.  BTW, I get that I just did the same thing to Hardy that I'm trying to avoid with OMax (block his path with a player who plays the same position).  I can certainly see the argument that Hardy needs to eventually become more entrenched in the lineup too.  But, I think what BB does is more needed here than what DFS does (but not so much that it is a hill I want to die on).

This conversation about turning THJ/25 into Dorian (or BB) kind of points to the issue I have with trades that just give away THJ (or worse, pay for him to go away).  There is going to be value to a functional veteran on a mid-sized expiring contract combined with a first.  I really hate the idea of giving away that kind of potential path to improvement.  The team had regular season success with Green starting (19-14) and most of that was during the parts of the season we didn't have PJ and Gafford.  Kyrie was also missing for a ton of those Green starts.  If I can use THJ/25 to improve another area enough (like Dorian or Bogdanovic) without hardcapping myself, I'd probably be OK with wishing DJJ the best of luck in his new home.  Jason Timpf mentioned in his video that DJJ is playing like someone who should get a $15mm contract this summer.  Capology isn't his thing, but it only takes one team to agree and he's out of reach anyway.