I Like your top 8 a lot.
Trade up? What are you willing to give up?
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I think that's pretty much everyone's top 8 at this point, maybe not in that exact order, but those are definitely the top 8 guys in the draft.
I’ll have to see if this is up to date or if the new rules even apply yet. Thanks.
Only player I am trading up for is Walker. The cost of trading up for a top four pick isn't worth it given you could pay the same price for established star and the rest of the guys don't interest me enough to pay whatever price is cost to move from 9 to say 6, Walker being the obvious exception.
Love his fit with our front court especially on defense. If either he or Kessler develop their shooting then all three could comfortably play with each other in the front court as well.
Love his fit with our front court especially on defense. If either he or Kessler develop their shooting then all three could comfortably play with each other in the front court as well.
IDK where to put this but drafting Amen AND Hendricks could be a god-tier move (assuming the players translate). That could position the Jazz to play with two floor-spacing bigs plus Amen (plus a potential legit switch-everything lineup if desired).
I do wonder what Houston is going to do.
I do wonder what Houston is going to do.
I feel like there is something to @Handlogten's Heros basic 3-team structure where Jarrett Allen (and KO, Dunn, and #16) goes to Houston; Cleveland gets Ochai, one of their picks, and a swap back; and Jazz get #4.
Something like that.
Keefe
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Wait, what? What did we give up to move from 16 to 4? Olynyk and Dunn and one pick?
Handlogten's Heros
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It was actually for Portland but Houston might work. It was like Ochai, a Cleveland pick back to the Cavs, and they would get Nurkic for Jarrett Allen. I suppose you could sub in KO... so KO, Cavs pick, Ochai to the Cavs for Allen... who we send to Houston and come away with the #4 (In the Portland thing I gave up the #9 as well).
Here is my semi-bold draft prediction. Houston take Whitmore, and Detroit takes one of Hendricks or Walker... and Amen falls to #6. That is the place to trade up imo that provides the most benefit and the cost may not be crazy.
SoberasHotRod
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That would be awesome, but would still scare me.
I have Amen #3 on my big board, because I do think he has superstar potential, but he would be a scary pick (obviously way less scary at 6 than 3). I also don't know how he fits in with Kessler, and would worry about having too many non shooters, although I think Amen might be a guy that is so athletic he can get to the rim no matter how crowded it is.
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Amen is a bit scary but not Dante levels of scary to me. I think with his body/athleticism/skill he won't flame out of the league if he can't shoot. The Thompsons are workers by all reports (two edged sword a bit here because if they are workers why aren't they further along with the shot?). At 6 I think its a great bet. Not sure its a bet the Magic want to make with Fultz, Suggs, and Anthony in house already... so if you sent #9 and a future pick that might work for them.
I would hope we lean in and give him 30 minutes a night and just take our lumps... so it would end up being a bit of a tank year. Maybe you take on some bad salary to add a few more draft assets... hopefully it show enough promise that Lauri still rides it out. That is the challenge with Amen is if he is a pg and struggles I could see those struggles being pretty rough... who knows though... that league may be the next big thing in player dev.
Utah outgoing:
#16, Cavs pick, Cavs swap, Ochai, KO, Dunn. So, two picks, a swap, and a good rookie scale player (plus good vets). Not nothing, but still spare parts from the Jazz, yes.
The Cavs get one of their picks back and a swap which are uniquely valuable to them since it allows them to be compensated for having a bad season (and opens up the option of tanking). The swap can only hold value with the Cavs since you basically can’t trade one teams swap to another (and the Jazz kinda have too many in ‘26 since one of the swaps owed to them will definitely not be utilized). They also desperately need a wing that can shoot and play defense.
The Cavs are providing the most value in the deal and the Jazz are maximizing the leverage of the Cavs draft assets value to maximize their return value.
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Keefe
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Is Ausar the better defender?
Cause he shot 29.8% compared to Amen’s 25% from 3. More rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game too.
6.4, 7.1, 2.4, 1.1 is pretty silly for those numbers. And 29.8% really worries me but if he can get to 36%, he (Ausar) could be a stud imo.
Keefe
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Respectfully, this isn’t enough to get us to #4. This would get us to 8 imo.
Donovan Mitchell was had for 3 picks, two swaps, and spare parts and everyone here is getting good **** so I respectfully disagree. If Houston doesn’t really like Cam Whitmore and they’re signing Harden they will want players a lot more than reaching on prospects/picks and maybe developing them while Harden is in his mid-late thirties.
Houston desperately needs a real center and they get a real good one (an all-star nod ain’t nothing). Plus #16, an unselfish PG that plays top-level defense (they don’t have a real PG), and a stretch/point big (who also played very well for them not that long ago). Since it’s still a question mark of if their young guys are actually good or not, getting some good vets matters a lot. If their young guys are good, then this gives them needed depth. They can have #28 too, they can turn #16 and/or #28 into other vets if they want.
In any case, the point here is I’m not selling a farm for Amen. The deal has to be right. It’s a stretch for Houston but if I’m them and I’m getting Harden then I easily prefer this deal (a fringe all-star at the position of greatest need, other key roster holes plugged, picks) to drafting a dude a don’t love at #4.
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HeatCheck
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I would move up only so far to take the wing that has fallen to the 7 range.
My guess that would probably be Ausur although maybe Whitmore drops?
Sadly both Amen and Miller are going top 4 and likely out of our reach.
Yes they have question marks but so did guys like Butler, Brown, PG, Kawhi when they came out of college. Everyone thought Ainge reached for Brown in that draft too.
I think the key is to also identify the prospect with insane work ethic who can be developed into a stud wing.
My guess that would probably be Ausur although maybe Whitmore drops?
Sadly both Amen and Miller are going top 4 and likely out of our reach.
Yes they have question marks but so did guys like Butler, Brown, PG, Kawhi when they came out of college. Everyone thought Ainge reached for Brown in that draft too.
I think the key is to also identify the prospect with insane work ethic who can be developed into a stud wing.
Donovan was not traded for 3 picks, 2 swaps and spare parts. Come on now.
3 unprotected picks 2/4/6 years in the future
2 unprotected pick swaps 3/5 years in the future
#14 overall pick of the draft
Collin Sexton
Lauri Markkanen
Both Sexton and Markkanen were serviceable role players at the time.
Secondly, Houston has Sengun why would they trade for Allen?
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Sengun ain’t gonna be anchoring any good defenses. I think with Houston they will move with one player in mind… James Harden. It ain’t smart but that’s I think where they are. I could see Allen being appealing if they got Harden.
Sengun is a tough player to build around imo. Doesn’t have Jokics size so his defense is going to be far more problematic. He needs to shoot it or they need to pair him with a unicorn.
Sengun is good. I’d rather have him than Allen.
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I'll be honest... haven't watched enough of Houston to really have an opinion. I just think he's a tough player type to build around.
I've been skipping through some OTE games. Amen definitely has more superhuman athlete plays than Ausar....but Ausar makes more plays and does more "NBA things". Later in the OTE season Ausar is hunting his own jump shot whereas Amen is still kinda just relying on being a man amongst boys.
If we can't get Ausar at #9 he'd be a guy I'd be willing to move up for.
If we can't get Ausar at #9 he'd be a guy I'd be willing to move up for.