2024 Offseason Thread

[msusousaphone]

Ayton would be a great pickup. We undervalue the way the midgame can stretch out the floor for Zion. For reference, Brandon Ingram and Zion were a +13 when playing together without CJ. That's damn good. Elite level even.

In our heads, Myles Turner sounds like the perfect fit but in the past five seasons he's only averaging 35% in four threes a game. I mean, that's good. But Ayton's midrange game opens up the rim just as much, if not more. Especially when you have Trey, CJ, and to an extent Herb hitting threes....and a PG that can dish out some assists. If you dig deeper into Murray's numbers you'll see he averaged 9 assists when Trae was out for a long stretch.

I could really see Ayton bring the move.

[Pelicanidae]

Ayton would be a great pickup. We undervalue the way the midgame can stretch out the floor for Zion.

If there is any team that has not undervalued the midrange game over the last 5 years, it's us. We permit so much midranging even in incredibly stupid spots that it's obnoxious.

[Pelicanidae]

Just In: Los Angeles Lakers four-time champion LeBron James intends to opt out of his $51.4 million player option for next season, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The expectation is James will return to the Lakers on a new deal. pic.twitter.com/wQAbSAwCQD

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2024

[PELICANSFAN]

Ayton would be a great pickup. We undervalue the way the midgame can stretch out the floor for Zion. For reference, Brandon Ingram and Zion were a +13 when playing together without CJ. That's damn good. Elite level even.

In our heads, Myles Turner sounds like the perfect fit but in the past five seasons he's only averaging 35% in four threes a game. I mean, that's good. But Ayton's midrange game opens up the rim just as much, if not more. Especially when you have Trey, CJ, and to an extent Herb hitting threes....and a PG that can dish out some assists. If you dig deeper into Murray's numbers you'll see he averaged 9 assists when Trae was out for a long stretch.

I could really see Ayton bring the move.

Ayton costs way too much and is not a rim protector at all. Pass.

[msusousaphone]

A little bit if a sidebar that brings me petty amusement, I was thinking a sad side effect to this great Murray trade for us would be that it makes it so much easier for the Laker to land Trae but Jake Madison pointed out that with us trading the 2025 Lakers pick to Atlanta the Hawks are probably incentive not to send Trae there to keep that pick in a better spot.

[hornetsrebirth]

I totally agree, but he was awesome in last year's playoff; hence, why in the world would they trade him?

Idk it seems like his name has been included in trade talks for a long time now

[fullcourtpress]

Ayton costs way too much and is not a rim protector at all. Pass.

he makes the same as cj mcollum and they're bot h have two years remaining

he makes roughly the same as Brandon as well

[Pelicanidae]

he makes the same as cj mcollum and they're bot h have two years remaining

he makes roughly the same as Brandon as well

And as PelicansFan said, he doesn't really add any rim protection, nor is he truly a spacer. Teams are going to let DeAndre Ayton shoot 17 footers all day over helping off Zion on a drive. Nobody cares.

Now that would be fine if he was a hard rolling vertical threat, but he isn't. So he provides no space in any dimension, and none of the defense we really need.

[Pelicanidae]

Free agent F Royce O’Neale intends to sign a new four-year, $44 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/NaBcMJyiuV

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2024

[donato]

I'd be fine trading CJ straight up for Ayton if nothing better comes along. As mentioned before, both have 2 year deals. Ayton would also save us a little money ($1m this year and $5m next year). You can say he wouldn't space the floor and be a rim protector, but the fact of the matter is he averages almost 17 points and 11 rebounds per game on 57% shooting (over 59% for his career). He also gets a steal and a block a game along with less than two turnovers a game. Lastly he's a career 82% free throw shooter.

I think it's a decent option on a pretty short deal. If he doesn't work out you can move him next year as an expiring. Gives Missi time to develop and to continue finding a longer term solution. He's not the defensive liability CJ is at his position (almost nobody is though).

I doubt Portland wants CJ back, but you could find a third team.

[Pelicanidae]

I'd be fine trading CJ straight up for Ayton if nothing better comes along. As mentioned before, both have 2 year deals. Ayton would also save us a little money ($1m this year and $5m next year). You can say he wouldn't space the floor and be a rim protector, but the fact of the matter is he averages almost 17 points and 11 rebounds per game on 57% shooting (over 59% for his career). He also gets a steal and a block a game along with less than two turnovers a game. Lastly he's a career 82% free throw shooter.

I think it's a decent option on a pretty short deal. If he doesn't work out you can move him next year as an expiring. Gives Missi time to develop and to continue finding a longer term solution. He's not the defensive liability CJ is at his position (almost nobody is though).

I doubt Portland wants CJ back, but you could find a third team.

Trading one of our best shooters for a complete non-shooter in Ayton, and then starting DJM in his place, on a team which still has BI and therefore will keep Trey on the bench.

You guys really really really want us to have the worst shooting lineup in the entire league next year, huh?

[donato]

Trading one of our best shooters for a complete non-shooter in Ayton, and then starting DJM in his place, on a team which still has BI and therefore will keep Trey on the bench.

You guys really really really want us to have the worst shooting lineup in the entire league next year, huh?

1. I never said anything about Ingram. I don't think this changes that situation at all and I expect him to still be moved.
2. If somehow Murray and Ingram played together, there's no doubt Ingram would be shooting a lot more open 3's.

[JJackisangry]

If you trade CJ it has to be for expirings (or a deal too good to pass up). As for Murray… yeah. It was a great deal by Griff in a vacuum. As things stand- that fit is JAAANK

[JJackisangry]

If we want to make this work (which I find a hard time believing), CJ would have to be benched and Zion/BI would have to develop into solid catch and shoot 3 pt shooters as would Murray. It’s just a strange fit. I like the deal though.

[ragincaucasian]

Whatever the case is with BI, he needs to get moved. His skillset just doesn't fit with an offense that has ball movement like Borrego wants to implement. I wouldn't want to watch him play for this team ever again, even if he played for free. The fact that he wants a max contract is hilarious to me, and whatever team we trade him to is going to be time warped back to 1995 with him in their offense.

[JJackisangry]

BI would have to become a catch and shoot 3 pt guy. He could- I just don’t see it as that isn’t the player he looks comfortable being. I don’t question his shooting ability. He has to change some mental habits.

[Pelicanidae]

2. If somehow Murray and Ingram played together, there's no doubt Ingram would be shooting a lot more open 3's.

There is doubt that he'd be shooting them.

Zion was top 10 this year in creating open 3s. BI got a lot of open 3s. His problem wasn't that there was a lack of opportunity. His problem is that he doesn't like taking them and if you pass him the ball behind the 3 point line his personal preference is to dribble into a long 2 instead of taking the 3.

[donato]

There is doubt that he'd be shooting them.

Zion was top 10 this year in creating open 3s. BI got a lot of open 3s. His problem wasn't that there was a lack of opportunity. His problem is that he doesn't like taking them and if you pass him the ball behind the 3 point line his personal preference is to dribble into a long 2 instead of taking the 3.

That's fair and I don't disagree. Shamit made a comment some weeks ago that you could tie salary incentives to 3pt shot attempts which would work for me, combined with if he would accept a reasonable contract. I do expect him to be moved.

[msusousaphone]

The Ingram hate is so strong that we never even saw that AFTER the Murray trade Woj reported the Pels are still trying to negotiate with BI on a new deal.



BI never seemed mentally right after the US team debacle. I think he comes back better than ever this season.

[Pelicanidae]

The Ingram hate is so strong that we never even saw that AFTER the Murray trade Woj reported the Pels are still trying to negotiate with BI on a new deal.

BI never seemed mentally right after the US team debacle. I think he comes back better than ever this season.

It's nothing to do with Ingram hate, it's just not new. Griff was saying in his presser after the first round of the draft that they're still in negotiations with BI and there's mutual interest, but he referenced a financial aspect that comes into effect.

That fits in with everything else we've heard which is that the Pels aren't totally against re-signing him, just not for the max that he wants.

And that's what Woj is saying here (and also on TV earlier today): trying to find common ground. There's interest on both sides but can they agree on a number that is satisfactory to BI and the Pels FO? I doubt it, but maybe.

That said, as mentioned before, I think keeping him creates a huge issue with fit and lineups. Keeping him at this point would basically strangle any hopes of a potent starting offense to death before it even got a chance to get into the fight, and it basically makes it impossible to extend Trey without becoming so massively over the tax that we have no hopes of getting back under - and as we know, this team is not going to pay the tax.

So keeping BI at this point, with Dejounte on the roster, basically means you can't extend Trey or take back anything resembling even salary in a CJ deal. You'd have to just find a way to dump CJ for nothing, somehow, and even that might not do it depending on the precise details of the BI contract.

[RaisingTheBar]

Think CP3 would have interest in coming back to where it started for him??? Appears he might be waived as I don’t see anyone trading for his 30mil contract.

Also what’s the general consensus of a BI trade primarily for Ayton or Allen?

[Pelicanidae]

BREAKING: Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George is declining his $48.7M option and entering free agency, sources tell ESPN. He’s planning to set meetings with cap space teams and the Clippers beginning Sunday night. An opt-in/trade scenario is now gone. pic.twitter.com/kASDp58eDD

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2024

This may be what we're waiting on for a BI trade. Philly are said to have interest in both, so that's hanging over things.

[Pelicanidae]

Think CP3 would have interest in coming back to where it started for him??? Appears he might be waived as I don’t see anyone trading for his 30mil contract.

Also what’s the general consensus of a BI trade primarily for Ayton or Allen?

Ayton? Nah. Allen? Yeah, depending on what the rest of the trade looks like.

I'd love to get CP3 back to run offense off the bench if he was willing to sign for a low enough price. Dejounte is a point guard but he's more of a lay-down passer than a lob thrower, and getting CP3 there to throw lobs (god this team desperately needs someone who knows how to do that) would be awesome.

[Pelicanidae]

Philadelphia 76ers are expected to aggressively pursue Paul George and is a legitimate threat in luring the star away from Los Angeles, sources say. https://t.co/c3JYzn335H

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 29, 2024

Further commentary on the Sixers interest in PG13.

Edit: wrong tweet

[Pelicanidae]

The Orlando Magic are declining Moe Wagner's $8M team option, but both sides have interest in discussing a new deal in free agency, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2024