2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[DanSchwartzgan]

Building on the report that there will not be a McCollum trade. I think it increases our chances of a trade centered around Nurkic and Porzingis.


Nurkic + Jones + Little + Blazers 2023 1st round pick. Added a pick, since it now seems the Blazers are committed to go ALL-IN.

We gain full cap flexibility for 2022.
We can trade all our future picks, cause we own a 2023 pick again.
We get a 26 year old starting center.

Sign Markkanen.
 

I think there is a lot to like about this.  I struggle to see it for Portland and I doubt we'd get a 23 unprotected pick (though I'm glad to see people thinking this way more and more).

Philosophically, if my center is going to get run off the court in the playoffs, I'd rather him not be making $30 million.  Yet, you have to have at least one big body guy to check the few remaining big body guys in the league.  Jones is a salary dump as he was little more than a $10mm version of Wes Iwundu in Portland.  Another guy who looked better in Miami.  I might do this soon so that I could aggregate expiring Jones and expiring JRich for someone making about $25mm while we are still in August.  In a few years, we might call ths the Naz Little trade.  He's got good 3&D potential.  He's got a good NBA body for a wing defender and his shot looks good to me.  He hit .378% of his 3's after the all-star break.

The way you've done this, there is $30mm in space if JRich opts in and you let Willie go (given Nurkic's injury history, you might want to bring Willie back with the rMLE).  I kind of like Markkanen and Maxi handling duties at the four offensively.  But you still have the same defensive issues with LM, Luka and THJ starting.  Also, whether you keep THJ or do something like you suggested with Philly, there really isn't anyone else who can create their own shot.  

Moving on from the spacing KP creates to someone like Nurkic forces you to employ shooters at every other position.  DeRozan might make sense as someone who can create for himself and others, but now you have two non-spacers between DeRozan and Nurkic and two non-defenders between DeRozan and Markkanen.   Keeping THJ helps with the spacing, but not the D.  Maybe Markkanen isn't the answer and you go for someone like Batum who can defend and hit a three.

Luka/Brunson (Terry)
THJ/Green     (JRich)
DFS/Little      (Jones)
Batum/Maxi   (Bey)
Nurkic/Powell (WCS)