Trade & FA 2024-25:

[DanSchwartzgan]

I'm not totally out on the Harris idea, but I highly doubt he'd start in the circumstances you've outlined above. No offense to you or anyone else, but I keep seeing these ideas that play two 4's next to each other, and I just feel like that's willfully missing what just worked for Dallas. They need DJJ or a DJJ replacement. They already have a PJ Washington. They could use another 4 to come off the bench like Harris, Collins, whoever, but not at the sacrifice of the quicker wing, and probably only if they don't move Green (because they need two of that type, really). 

These are all great ideas for replacing Kleber, if the team really is into moving on from him. I don't think they're as ideally suited as Kleber (when healthy) because they can't play the 5 as well, but Harris and Collins CAN defend and shoot a little. Collins can even create some for himself in the post, if that's a dimension they want to add. 

But without the Jones element on the defensive end this is all pointless. That's why it's Jones or Grant for me, so far.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you used to say the same thing about Jones…that he was a four.  I had that conversation with someone a while back and I thought it was you.

No one stays in front of SGA, so setting that as a standard is meaningless.  In the playoffs we funneled guys like that to our rim protectors.  Then SGA basically shoved Green into the first row and got off his mid-range shot.  SGA won’t shove Harris very far.  Harris has played SF a good bit in his career.  I think we’d be fine starting him with PJ (and having Jones be the third man in the PJ/Harris/Jones rotation of non centers and non-ball handlers).

I will give you credit as one of the few here who had a vision for PJ here and pushed it loudly.  But, if both PJ and Harris were signed to the same contract back in February (instead of Harris’s $45mm albatross), I’m not sure many of us would have picked PJ over Harris.  There isn’t really a single stat that argues for PJ other than the fact he’s ours now and we saw it work and we love him here.