'25 Playoff Rotation Predictions: A Collaborative Deep Dive

[F Gump]

I agree with all of this, but if you are right about two creators on the floor that means we are going to be relying heavily on two vet min signings, one of which has a terrible injury history and disappeared in the playoffs last year.  It has me really confused about the Grimes/Caleb trade.  You would think getting a creator would be a higher priority than swapping 3&D players, especially after getting Max in the AD trade.

I think the Martin trade was an asset trade. It's the OKC working model of getting more talent wherever you can, then figure out the fit later (and at some point you can sell the excess talent for something you need). Grimes was not a future asset.

As for the fact they didn't trade for a creator, maybe that was a question of availability. (Was there a creator they passed on?) 

I also wonder if Exum is MUCH higher valued in their plans than we give him credit for. I don't buy the meme that his poor play in the playoffs, one time, and perhaps for reasons we don't recognize, has him incapable of being useful or being much better the next time. Brunson went from crap to star from one playoff to the next. If we want a bigger PG that can really defend, and hit a shot from time to time, gotta admit Exum has filled the bill, except for that one playoff run.