Dragitoff

He reminds me of a big Andre Roberson. That dude was a defensive savant but terrible shooter. This is worse than even he was. He worked because those Thunder teams he started for had some pretty elite offensive talent around him

I think point of attack defense and a true 7 footer should be our targets with our projected 2 FRP this year. Unfortunately, this is a weak draft, but if we're only trying to draft rotational players, I think we can find those. The problem is we don't know for sure who will be here next year. Is Trae or DJM gone? Is Capela or OO gone? While it's probable on both questions, knowing the direction of that could drastically impact that decision. If OO is your starting center, you desperately need a bigger backup center that is capable of playing now (most lilkely) because it's unlikely you keep Fernando as the primary backup behind OO. You'd likely get killed against bigger centers. Dunn is about as plug and play as you get defensively, but is also the poorest offensive wing defender we could have interest in.

To be fair, Gafford is younger and makes less than Capela. With Lively playing well as a rook, I think the ship had already sailed for Capela and the Mavs. I think there were other teams that would've made sense for Capela though.

Jones is a long, athletic defender that's hitting 40% of his 3's. If we are going to build around Trae, you need defenders with length that can hit open shots. With his creation skills, you'll get shots.

Makes you wonder if they'd push all their chips in because Zion is actually healthy. It might be one of their only opportunities to cash in on that. I was invited to a Pels game in a suite. It was Ja's return game and their crowd was rowdy. They showed up and showed out. They are a mid-market team that isn't a FA destination so just like ATL after that ECF run, you sometimes do questionable long-term things to cash in on the short-term. Sometimes they pan out. Sometimes they don't. Shoot your shot NO. Overpay for DJ and OO. I also question how the org views OO as the long-term plan at Center.

He's a big-bodied Center so he's not going to be good in space but has the frame to handle the few big centers that are today's NBA. He is averaging 1bpg so he's not a total non-factor there. He's putting up solid offensive numbers (14+ppg, 9+rpg, and shooting 34% from 3) in only 25mpg.

Going to be hard unless we get our pick back from San Antonio.

Negative

I think Bey might take the QO and try to recoup his value. Before his 3 point shot disappeared this year, someone might've given him $20+ million per season.

I love Alvarado's grit, but his size makes him strictly a Trae backup. I think NO likes him to play him next to CJ or DJ

Just heard him talking about it on B/R live. They've got some interesting pieces like Herb Jones, Troy Murphy and others that could be valuable. Jones is on a reasonable extension and Murphy still has another year left on rookie deal.

He wouldn't fit within our TPE, but what if we pivoted to Jerami Grant? He is a poor man's Siakam isn't he? Can create for himself off the dribble, hit open 3's, play multiple position defense. Seems like Lillard is destined to be traded which would signal more of a rebuild or retool in Portland. Just throwing another idea out there since this Siakam drama is dragging out so long.

If that is indeed the case, I appreciate Landry's backbone. As a rookie GM, most veteran GM's would expect to have the upper hand in negotiations.

40 pages of conversation. 0 pages of actual news.

I think it was more of a serviceable big that is well liked by teammates for basically the vet minimum. When they traded Garuba, they still needed a 3rd center. Fernando is a great person for that role, especially at that salary and with the option years.