RandomFan

I know you know this, but posting for the board regarding Ayton, it's fair to point out this is based on a max 4 year contract. It changes things dramatically if he doesn't get the max he's looking for, but instead is signed to something like a 4 year $100m to 110m contract. (This is all assuming PHX wouldn't just match a less than max offer instead of trading him, which who knows if they would or wouldn't) I only bring this up because of the many rumors that nobody seems to want to pay him a max, so this is becoming more of a possibility. Getting Ayton on something closer to a $25m yearly avg makes him much more palatable in my view. The big problem would then become trade value to acquire him in the first place, since the first year BYC value at his max contract is barely enough to cover Capela's salary in a trade. A lesser yearly avg would mean they couldn't take Capela back in trade. Is it possible to frontload his offer to where he would be paid close to the $30m in his first year and then have the following salaries descending per year? Or at least a reduced flat amount for years 2 thru 4? Very much this. I think the Hawks appear to be very cognizant of getting OO into the starting lineup immediately. It's one of the things that helps explain the "Capela is a goner" tidbit we got from Sothron previously. There are really only 3 reasons Capela should receive that kind of treatment: 1) if he was a malcontent cancer on the team, and we know that's probably not the case; 2) If he's just not worth his contract, and that's probably not the case either; or 3) he needs to be traded to make room for another player as a starter, whether that's someone at his position or if it's someone that isn't a good pairing with him. OO17. #3 seems to make the most sense of why the Hawks would be pushing to move Capela off the roster. I personally think Big O should just be moved into the starting lineup at C, but with how much the Hawks have flirted with Gobert and Ayton, apparently they don't think so. But I would love for Okongwu to be our starting center since I think he's a 1 inch shorter and younger version of Bam Adebayo; and Bam is the best defensive center in the game when you consider the whole package of what defense is in today's NBA. No, he's not as good of an individual defender of bigs as Gobert, but notice I said considering the whole package of what defense is in today's NBA. Which is much much more than just banging with other centers and/or being an elite rim protector. Playing team defense is much more valuable than individual defense. And being scheme flexible, not being relegated to playing drop coverage, is much more valuable than individual defense. Being able to be effective as an individual defender at the 5, and ALSO be able to switch and guard 1 thru 5 effectively makes what Bam brings to a team as a defender infinitely more valuable than the better individual defender versus centers in Gobert. It's for that reason I still would rather see Big O as our starting center instead of at power forward. Because having him at power forward, while extremely valuable on defense, it robs us of what could be a top 2 or 3 center in terms of defensive impact.

He's a perfect fit on this roster at the 4, considering all factors but primarily the cost. He provides the skills needed at that spot without overpaying for the skills that aren't required, or even being taken advantage of, unlike JC.

I would actually be very much in favor of most of this. Richaun Holmes is one of the handful of centers that are truly capable of playing a full switching scheme on defense and would be a phenomenal backup paired with a more offensive minded PF such as JJ or Griffin. He would not be able to share the floor with OO, but OO should be sharing the floor with Ayton in this scenario. Thad Young should really not be signed. You only do that if you think JJ and/or Griffin are not going to be in the rotation; and I feel very strongly with how willing the Hawks are to trade the top 2 PF's on the roster from last season that JJ is viewed as at the least a backup PF this year. It would make more sense to bring back Solo on a vet minimum contract to be a backfill in case of emergency there, not rob JJ's and Griffin's potential minutes at PF by bringing in Thad Young. Plus, the locker room presence of Solo. Again I'll have to reiterate that Big O is NOT playing the 4 next to Capela, no matter how much you try to claim it so. So if we trade JC off this roster then it should only be done under the expectation that we will be also trading for Ayton to pair with OO as a starter. 12 player roster: Trae/Murray/Sharife Murray/Bogi/Heurter Hunter/Heurter/Griffin Okongwu/JJ/Griffin/Solo Ayton/Holmes/JJ(small ball 5)

Instead of 2 backup SG's, a better way to look at it is can we afford to have $96m invested in 5 players to cover the 144 total minutes for three positions (the 1, 2, and 3)? That's an average of 28.8 minutes split evenly between 5 players; but we know the starters will avg a little more than that during the season, meaning backups get a little less. I think that answer should be obviously a YES. Especially when you consider a playoff rotation consists of only between 8 to 10 players. Would it be more financially feasible to swap Bogi's $18m for someone like Delon at $10m to $12m? Probably, but for this season it is doable.

It's a rumor mill website with zero credibility, so no, there is no reason to chill on someone bringing misinformation into the discussion. You are gaining zero insight into the process by muddying the waters with lies. That OO rumor has been debunked by multiple legitimate reporters.

https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-offseason-trade-news-dejounte-murray-fit-atlanta-hawks-trae-young-bogdan-bogdanovic-deandre-hunter-san-antonio-spurs

NSFW: cursing

Keep OO's name outta yo mouf!

In case anyone hasn't seen this already:

I feel the same

Just got home, and WOOT! So stoked to get a perfect running mate for Trae in the backcourt. Eff them picks! Who cares. Gallo will always be a Darn Good Hawk, not only for his 2 seasons here but now also for helping consummate this trade. Would love to be able to somehow turn Bogi and JC into Siakam, but I know that's a very unlikely possibility. OO can play the 4 for us ONLY if we swap Capela for a stretch 5, or at least someone like Ayton who doesn't have to live in the paint on offense. Not happening without that, give up on that dream.

Aww hell naw! The disrespect is unreal...

Yeah, for KD!!! Just hope you don't get the same burrito as Cheech.

Sounds like your typical great vet player that doesn't want to stay for the rebuild that SAS is finally acknowledging needs to happen. I've got no problem with it. I like the mentality of dying to be a winner. Will fit right in with Trae.

Both Peo and Supes don't want the same player? Sign me up for that future 1st team all-star! That's like scouting gold right there. Does there exist a bigger stamp of approval?

OOOOHHHHH!!! @kg01 You done got clowned on bro! If I was you I wouldn't stand for that kind of disrespect. It's time to bow up kg! Let it out mang. Uncage the kg!

There are a lot of players that are behind on fundamentals on both sides of the ball, due to all the missed time from the Covid pandemic. Griffin is just missing a lot of reps and development on defense. There are two questions with him: 1) Is he ever going to recover any measure of quickness and explosion that he seems to have lost due to multiple injuries + weight gain. And we should know that answer fairly early in his career, probably no later than by the end of his rookie year. He absolutely has the athletic ability to turn into not just an average on-ball defender but a really good defender; or at least he had that athletic ability in the past. Getting it back...or not, is a huge part of his future worth. 2) Will he develop off-ball team defensive skills now that he will finally be getting good reps and instruction. This is what kept JJ out of the rotation last year, and with how far behind Griffin is I would not be at all surprised by a repeat of that situation with him. HIs ability to be a good on-ball defender is almost completely dependant on answering question #1. And this will go a long way toward determining his ceiling in the NBA. Question #2 will determine how long it takes for him to establish himself as a rotation player...or not. Kyle Korver was an atrocious on-ball defender, but he stayed in the league for a looooong time because he knew how to play off-ball team defense. I'm in no way comparing Griffin to Korver, just using him to point out how important team defense is, and how you don't have to be an exceptional athlete to be good at it.

If you are what you can defend I don't think we'll be seeing much, if any, of him at the 2. He'll be a 3, small ball 4.

I can't take seriously anyone that doesn't think DJM is worth Collins and two first round picks. For our team construction, for trading a misfit for a perfect fit and also a more valuable player. That is the easiest no-brainer of the offseason. Which means SAS must be asking for more than that. But we still won't know until the KD situation is resolved.

You do you, but that wasn't nitpicking. That was a destruction, showing how someone can be such a great on-ball defender but then turn around and be possibly the worst off-ball wing defender in the league. And we all should know by now being a team defender is much more important than being an individual defender. Should also help explain why young players often don't get the minutes we think they should on playoff teams.

Since someone brought up Cam, this popped up on my timeline today and I don't remember seeing it before. Bottom line is Cam struggles mightily with large portions of the game, and at this point it's close to beyond the time where it's a fixable situation. Might be out of the league in a few years. This is the link that opens into the long thread with a boatload of examples of turribleness.

Some of his stuff was posted here last season. Seems ok, but not overly knowledgeable or more informed than your average Squawker.