(12-21-2025, 04:19 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I'm with you on some of this, but I think a combo of Gafford, PJW, Marshall, Russell, etc, can be stretched a little farther as trade bait than you seem to. I think there will be teams that would want each and every one of those players, tbh. Some because they'd fit perfectly into needs, some because they're on team-friendly deals. Can you get THE guy for a combo of them without giving up way future draft capital? No, I think you're right about that.
Where I differ is this: why not move THOSE guys to get smaller pieces who fit better with Flagg, which might actually inch you closer than you expect to a world in which the Flagg/Kyrie/AD trio can compete? I honestly think that if 98% of this team wasn't better scoring from the midrange than anywhere else on the court, the team would be better, even if they were a little less talented. At the end of the day, all you're really after is getting younger and hopefully adding a little more draft capital, right? Why MUST that come from an AD trade? I agree with the emboldened, but you're glossing right over the "if" imo, which is the key word.
IF they don't get really, really good offers, I'm ok with smaller reshuffles that bring in the type of value you're wanting, personally. I think it might be EASIER to get value that way, even, and it might also come with the benefit of maintaining a chance to be competitive in the interim.
I'm on board with moving other pieces as well. I think Klay and Dlo should be moved at the TDL and we should probably sell high on Gafford. It may also make sense to move on from PJ when we can. The reason I focus so much on AD is:
I think (hope) he can generate the biggest long term asset return
I think clearing some of his massive salary will provide a lot of options
I think with his age and injury history he is at most risk of an injury completely tanking his value
I know you are not concerned about this but I worry about an extension that will negative impact in the long term
As long as he is on the roster I think there is a possibility of decisions being made focusing on the short term