Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[mvossman]

The AD thing is so tricky.  I am not sure if there is a right answer.   His market is probably really low now, so he needs to play.   Although, if healthy this team will not be awful.    If you keep him, three years from now when Flagg is 21 what is AD (although he contract would be coming off the books).   

I don't know what I think despite feeling one way for a while.  I guess I am still in not forcing anything.  A healthy AD and Lively at center is probably more enticing for me than moving him for less than ideal return.   I think bringing Lively off the bench is not a hard sell at the moment due to his lack of availability.    For me though, the picture becomes much more clear or murky depending on what level of player they find in the draft next year.

There are just too many reasons to move him.  He doesn't fit the Flagg timeline, injury concerns will always be a problem, his massive contract, don't want anything to do with that extension, trading him is the easiest way to clear cap issues, and he has the Luka stigma here.  I don't think playing him more than a couple of games to show that he is healthy and in decent shape is going to make a difference.  The only question is if you move him soon or wait until the offseason when its easier to make trades.  My concern is that another significant injury could tank his value even farther.