05-13-2025, 03:13 PM
(05-13-2025, 02:48 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I think a very good argument can be made for that, only they'd have to sell a LOT of talent because they don't control their own draft capital during the time you're thinking of. MAYBE you can turn like every good player they have into draft capital that matters (the majority of draft capital that moves in deals like that doesn't), but I think that would be really difficult - more difficult than we realize.
I think that, as long as the efforts to maximize the next 2-3 window don't involve sending too much youth out for age or putting obstacles in Flagg's path to development, it might actually be EASIER to stay relevant as you develop him. If they hadn't mortgaged the entire next 5-7 years to build around Luka BEFORE deciding they didn't want to build around Luka, I'd probably be right there with you.
We have a lot of talent to sell and we really shouldn't be married to any of it. I could see an argument for Lively. Great kid, lot's of potential, but given the right offer, I'd move off him because of injury concerns. Draft capital matters in that's how deals get done. You can ask for swaps, you can ask the farthest out picks, and you can ask for multiple picks, you can take back bad salary and/or route good returned players elsewhere for bad salary in the matching process and strengthen your negotiating position. Boston's FRP next year probably seemed equivalent to a SRP, but the value of that pick just improved considerably due to the unfortunate Tatum injury. I'm not saying regenerating our asset pool would be easy, but that's why GM's make a lot of money...if only we had a real one, they could take our talent pool and and fill in the 5-7 year hole that Nico dug and in the few years it would take to accomplish that task, you'd give Flagg the time he needs to develop and understand what he needs around him to thrive. Luka elevated Gafford and Lively, but Flagg might need a different type of center around him. The player on our roster I'd most want to keep around at this point is PJ, but I'd still listen to offers. Sell, baby, sell. Sell, sell, sell!