Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[DanSchwartzgan]

I don't like that Herb Jones trade for lots of reasons, but mostly because it's a high price (Lively) to be paid, and I don't think it really offers an upgrade.

On paper, H Jones is a very good defensive player, but he's coming off MAJOR shoulder surgery that imperils his ability to shoot. He only played 20 games last season. It remains to be seen when he will be healthy again (the guess is by next season, but it's far from certain, and his injury was worse than most of that kind) and to what degree he will be impaired going forward -- but his shooting was already very very suspect without the injury. And do we need ANOTHER injured guy?

I could see someone on a NO board making a similar case against Lively.  Super young and already getting broken bones in his feet.  Not a good sign for his long term future yada yada yada.

Part of why I struggle with Gafford trades is it leaves us with two centers who might just be made of glass.  But, I also don't love having so much of our talent based tied up in Gafford, AD and Lively.  What to do?  I don't like trading Lively or Christie, but I could bring myself to do it if it landed a high level youngish player that better balanced the roster.  I'm not sure Jones/#7 does that.  But, I could see such a deal if the replacement for #7 was more of a known quantity.