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[mvossman]

The Lively discussions are not an overreaction. In the rush to blame Luka, Nico and the national media totally overlooked how our centers were a liability against Boston.  At the same time, without those centers we don’t beat OKC

That’s the same dilemma a lot of teams are having. You need defensive centers to be a strong team but the deeper you go into the playoffs, some sort of an outside shot, even if it is a midrange, is needed from everyone on the floor.  We would be lucky if Lively developed into a Gobert type defensive force but even Gobert becomes a liability the deeper his teams progress. 

Two centers like we have are a luxury.  We need to move one when their value is still high. Kai Jones and Moses Brown have shown that there are alternatives for 10-15 min backup.

Again this is not asking to just trade anyone for anything but in a team bereft of assets that might interest others, having two centers that will draw interest should definitely be looked at as an option to improve other positions

I don't think it makes sense to lump Lively and Gafford together.  What you need from a playoff center is the ability to guard in space.  You don't need him to be a shooter as long as he can provide vertical space (and the other four guys can shoot).  Lively was great in the playoffs because he could defend in space, whereas Gafford struggled mightily.  I would argue Lively was far down the list of reasons why this team struggled with Boston.