TDL Archived: The 2nd Rnd Pick Yankee Swap

[F Gump]

My tea leaves on the Dragic issue are not that a) they thought they had a better option than Dragic available to replace JB, but rather b) they gauged Dragic at this point in his career to be a Burke-level player who couldn't replace JB.

I think it would be calumnious to assume that the MBT are so cretinously moronic as to not see the absolute binary essentiality of the three + playmakers roster construction after last season. It's just that they can't do it at this point. Can't convince anyone to give them treasure for trash, and don't want to mortgage what little treasure they have. 

Sadly, before all's said and done, I'm afraid that the then-preposterous-to-the-MBT-Dragic-in-the-JB-role is going to look pretty good in comparison to what's actually at hand when we enter the season.

You may be right on their assessment of Dragic. And I agree with you 1000% that, if they didn't have another playmaker locked up and ready to go (which obviously they didn't), they should have offered Dragic the job as the Best Available Option to them.

The reality is that good playmakers are HARDDDDDDDDDDDD to find. Getting one who will take minimum salary and can play good solid minutes and contribute is like a miracle. Finding that type who also wants to play for YOU at the minimum is beyond amazing. Turning that guy down (err, I mean, describing the job in a way where they won't want it) is incredibly short-sighted. The worst possible downside to signing him would have been incredibly microscopic.