Potential Free agent/trade/sign tracker
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
- Start date
If this team keeps playing this well, I’d probably opt for a minor move involving Hierter + a second for a backup center to even the roster out a bit. Richards, Valanciunas, and Collins, as previously discussed, would all be interesting options with different pros and cons. My preference would be Valanciunas.
Fox/Carter/McLaughlin
Monk/Ellis/Colby
DeRozan/Crowder
Murray/Lyles/Isaac/McDermott
Sabonis/Valanciunas/Len
Main rotation is starters + Keon, Devin, Lyles and Valanciunas.
You’re still short a wing, but having Keegan/Ellis/Carter and their versatility on defense could mask that deficiency enough short term to compete for a Playoff spot.
Fox/Carter/McLaughlin
Monk/Ellis/Colby
DeRozan/Crowder
Murray/Lyles/Isaac/McDermott
Sabonis/Valanciunas/Len
Main rotation is starters + Keon, Devin, Lyles and Valanciunas.
You’re still short a wing, but having Keegan/Ellis/Carter and their versatility on defense could mask that deficiency enough short term to compete for a Playoff spot.
If that rumor of Cam Johnson is true and they are willing to give up Toppin and Nesmith plus a first ( I wouldn’t do it if I were Indiana) then why don’t we swoop in and increase our length and athleticism? Nesmith plays with force and can shoot and Obi gives us even more athleticism. We can play him at the back up 5 and then use Len when we need more size.
Fox Devin
Monk Ellis
Deebo Nesmith
Keegan Toppin
Sabonis Len
Fox Devin
Monk Ellis
Deebo Nesmith
Keegan Toppin
Sabonis Len
Ya we need size and pen hasn’t been good
Two centers coke to mind would be Timelord and Jonas both I think can be had for seconds. Do you take the chance on Williams with his all nba defense potential or go for a sure thing in Jonas who would be great offensively. Either way our bench would be solid with the two guards and added size from a backup center
The Len thing isn't totally fair because he had impact the game before. Against small ball teams he's obviously going to struggle. I still really don't get the idea of investing value and money in backup C. The minutes just aren't there. For almost any team. Yeah, the only big out there that I think could work because there is a history of court time together is Valanciunas. The Kings might be able to continue to squeeze more than the 7-8 minutes the backup C position is getting currently on the Kings.
Len’s -11 in the Warriors game is actually not telling at all. I love how people just use #’s without any regard to what happened on the court. Warriors / Curry went crazy from 3’ in Len’s run and he wasn’t even involved in the action being run. Would have happened regardless of what the backup center was out there.
Len has proved to be a reliable backup - an odd 3 or 7 minute stretch here or there is statistical variance at this point. Now if someone is actually analyzing tape and saying “hey if there was this xyz center in there, that wouldn’t happen offensively or defensively” then I’d listen but noticing very shallow analysis lately in critiquing players.
In fact I’d say Len is a better player right now than Valancunis. Jonas can’t guard at all, so you really want to trot him out there with Fox, DeRozan, Carter, & Lyles for example? (The unit Len is paired with as an example). How in 2025 people are blinded by counting stats is amazing to me. Jonas is a backup on the worst team in basketball right now.
Len has proved to be a reliable backup - an odd 3 or 7 minute stretch here or there is statistical variance at this point. Now if someone is actually analyzing tape and saying “hey if there was this xyz center in there, that wouldn’t happen offensively or defensively” then I’d listen but noticing very shallow analysis lately in critiquing players.
In fact I’d say Len is a better player right now than Valancunis. Jonas can’t guard at all, so you really want to trot him out there with Fox, DeRozan, Carter, & Lyles for example? (The unit Len is paired with as an example). How in 2025 people are blinded by counting stats is amazing to me. Jonas is a backup on the worst team in basketball right now.