2026 NBA Trade Discussion Thread

[NUMBERICA]

Well we don't have to worry about the Pacers making that offer anymore

We never had to worry about the Pacers as they never had the capspace to make us sweat.

That trade actually created a Kessler problem that didn't exist before because the Clippers now have the option of ~$50 million in capspace and no center.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Just really want to underscore that matching any offer on Kessler could be really painful. Or nobody offers him something big and we come out on top? It is a gamble. With how much salary we just took on at a super premium price tag, overspending on anything else quickly becomes substantially problematic. I'm not necessarily hunting for assets, we are just in a VERY new cap environment that handsomely rewards frugality and lashes lavish spending.

To pass on that package the Jazz have to be prepared to match whatever offer he gets. Other teams have to know that and could potentially offer him something just to mess with us.

 

[framer]

To pass on that package the Jazz have to be prepared to match whatever offer he gets. Other teams have to know that and could potentially offer him something just to mess with us.

Or other teams know that we are matching so they look somewhere else. If nobody screwed with the Lakers and Reeves, I don't see them crawling over themselves to go after Utah with Kessler.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Just really want to underscore that matching any offer on Kessler could be really painful. Or nobody offers him something big and we come out on top? It is a gamble. With how much salary we just took on at a super premium price tag, overspending on anything else quickly becomes substantially problematic. I'm not necessarily hunting for assets, we are just in a VERY new cap environment that handsomely rewards frugality and lashes lavish spending.

The handling of Walker gets a new chapter today lol.

In the summer "we won't negotiate an extension... cap space too important" while they quietly shop him.

Trade deadline they turn down a pretty big offer... on a guy they didn't try to extend because cap space was too important... but the cap space was punted into the atmosphere.

You can say this is planning if you want but its wildly inconsistent.


What we saw today is that if Walk is on a 20M contract for the next 2 years he'd be worth a couple good first round picks. So we don't think someone would offer 4/120M or more? I hope they have done more homework and had more conversations... because the league told you they still value bigs. There are still some suitors out there. I'm sure they match anything around 35M or less, but they might wonder at that price if they should have taken the offer.

Do we know if we would have gotten the exact same package that Clips got or was it just the two future firsts?

 

[MTS]

Let's call a spade a spade: The Jazz ****d up by not extending Walker last summer.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

Or other teams know that we are matching so they look somewhere else. If nobody screwed with the Lakers and Reeves, I don't see them crawling over themselves to go after Utah with Kessler.

Very possible, but it's a gamble.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Let's call a spade a spade: The Jazz ****d up by not extending Walker last summer.

That's hindsight. Both sides are reportedly far apart on expectations for Walker's next contract. Jazz aren't going to give him the big number he wants without market pressure.

 

[MTS]

That's hindsight. Both sides are reportedly far apart on expectations for Walker's next contract. Jazz aren't going to give him the big number he wants without market pressure.

It isn't hindsight at all.

Many of us were beating that drum right when the deadline came and went to extend him. It was as easy then as it is now to predict that he's going to generate a high offer in the RFA market.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

Imagine we walk away with Boozer and Wagler for Kessler if Indy offered it to us.

Indy wouldn't offer that to the Jazz. At most, and I mean most, Indy would offer to swap picks with Walker being the difference. But that ship has sailed now that Indiana traded for Zubac.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

That's hindsight. Both sides are reportedly far apart on expectations for Walker's next contract. Jazz aren't going to give him the big number he wants without market pressure.

THAT. IS. NOT. WHAT. HAPPENED.

 

[framer]

Worry? We never had to "worry" about the Pacers as they never had the capspace to make us sweat. But it appears the Clippers now do and need a center so that problem might actually be worse.

I think the Clippers are trying to clear assets and get picks to swap for Giannis in the offseason. It is the only thing that makes sense.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

THAT. IS. NOT. WHAT. HAPPENED.

Tim McMahon is reporting that the Jazz and Walker are far apart on extension expectations. I think that's the main story. The idea that we're preserving cap space makes some sense too and would have given the Jazz some flexibility, but the main question is what his next deal is going to look like. A cap-space team is going to need to offer him something big. Jazz are taking that bet and must be willing to live with the consequences.