Exactly. Why not just say the Pelicans missed out big time not getting Cade Cunningham?
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Ironically, the Pels have now taken in the first round:
PG- Kira Lewis
SG- Nickeil Alexander Walker
SF- Trey Murphy III
PF- Zion Williamson
C- Jaxson Hayes
I think it's pretty clear that Griff and Co.'s main objective is to build a team around Zion from within, for better or worse. I honestly love the fit of those 5 guys together if all of them reach something like 85% of their potential.
Given how low value 2nds are, it really is fishing in sand to whine about giving away future 2nds. Even the $2 mil they got for 53 is about what players in that part of the draft are worth. Last year's 53rd pick, Cassius Winston, spent most of his 1st year in the G-league and can get a $1.5 mil QO from Washington this year.
Theyve just got to make sure they find good use for that amount now. And this just isn't a cap space franchise. So most likely to absorb contracts in a trade.
The better argument to make around 2nds is if there is a particular player in the current draft they could have had but passed up. Like I would have really liked to have Jared Butler at 35 or 40. Passed on him twice. Oh well.
Yeah, if we were going to keep a player on a 2-way, Butler, Thor and Boston are 3 I would have liked to look at or a stash in Petrusev or Bleijenberg. When we selected Boston, I thought that was a good 2-way option to see if he were to blossom into something close to what was expected when he came out of HS.
Vrenz wasn't really available.
He posted a thread on Twitter earlier today talking about how heartbroken he was but his contract in the Euroleague only has an out if he could get a guaranteed contract. IDK if 2 ways would have counted but apparently a lot of teams wanted to give him a 2nd round special deal rather than just guaranteeing him a deal.
Edit: here's the thread
The only option was a guaranteed contract, I didnt received it.
— Vrenz Bleijenbergh (@Vrenzzz) July 30, 2021
It really hurts, I was really close.. But now, it is what it is. Can’t do anything at this moment. Its not in my hands
More fuel to work even harder! See yall soon, I promise
2/2
Idk, I think throwing away 2nd picks for cash in this draft is a bad move. If it was last year, I encourage it. This year... Nahhhh.If JT Thor, Cooper, or Butler turned into great bench pieces. It was a pretty easy tell.
I like Herb if his 3pt shooting continues to improve.
We got future 2nds. Who cares. We have 3 more next season
Once again, you have to get players to come to you. The Pels plan on playing 11-12 deep this season. There's no minutes available for Trey Murphy, much less a 2 way. The Lakers are likely going to run with Westbrook-Hield-Lebron-AD and then minimums. A two way guy for us could legitimately be a rotation guy in LA and have a great chance at a ring
This board begs for wing defenders for an entire season and cries over watch Cam Johnson in the playoffs, then turns around and hates Herb Jones. Makes absolutely no sense to me
When they talked about adding local guys to the G league team, I don't think they meant drafted guys from Alabama.
I think they literally meant adding some local pro/semi-pro guy that belongs overseas to the team for the locals to cheer for.
Thats what I got from it.
I dont think Trajan and Griff are quite that stupid to draft guys at 35 for that reason. I really hope not.
Good G League players...FVV and Siakam most famously, right?
Re: selling 2nd round picks...no GM wants to sell picks, perhaps it was part of the deal to fire SVG?
Griffin: hey, I'd like to fire Van Gundy, it's just not working out.
Lauscha/Loomis/Benson(?): ok, but you just hired him 9 months ago and what about the $xxMM left on his contract?
Griffin, panicking: oh, don't worry about that, I can get some of that money back by selling some useless 2nd round picks. You know, they rarely become good players anyway.
LLB: ok, fire away then!
Or maybe he needed some room in the budget for the upcoming moves? I don't think the decision to sell these picks exists in a vacuum.
"Good" is relative and cost matters. If Trey is Cam Johnsom for 4 yrs/15 mil that is good value and a good player relative to value. Same if Jones is Raja Bell for 3 years and 6 million.
Does that make them good in a vacuum? Debatable. But relative to cost, thereby allowing you to spend financial resources elsewhere - then that is very good
I think it’s easy to forget that we also have Didi coming in as a rookie as well. We’re bringing in 3 high profile rookies. It’s very difficult to develop much else, and that’s why you kick the can down the line a little bit with these 2nd round picks
Funny enough the backup plans last night were Kispert and then Duarte, who both went over Murphy. Shows how much they valued shooting