Trade & FA 2023-24: Paul George to Test Free Agency After No Contract Extension

[Chicagojk]

From the article:

Other note: Contending teams like Boston, Oklahoma City and Dallas have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart, league sources tell The Athletic.

https://theathletic.com/5142623/2023/12/...scenarios/

Didn't read the article, but if real it looks like teams see him as a bench piece.  I think Boston and obviously would have more assets to offer in a trade if they were motivated.  I think he would be a pretty good fit for both.   For OKC, he could provide some much needed bulk.  Maybe even play with Chet and still have an elite shotblocker on the floor as this is something that Stewart is not a strong point.

He was one of my favorites in that draft.  I am just not sure his fit in a playoff atmosphere.  He would provide some needed toughness.  He is probably best as a non shotblocking/non rim running center.   There are fits for him at PF, but is he going to be able to stay on the floor guarding on the perimeter.

In some ways he reminds me of Naz Reid so I can see why Dallas may have interest. Eventhough he is shooting 36 % from 3 this year, I am not sure he will ever be a huge weapon spreading the floor. Dallas would need to decide is this what they want for a backup 5 and also if he could play with Lively together. Both of these questions would determine how aggressive they would look to make a deal.

[Reunion Mav]

After our success with Dante Exum, I was looking through the EuroLeague leaders to see if there might be a center who could solve our backup big problem.  I have rediscovered Georgios Papagiannis and think he could be our next Dante Exum.

You may recall him as the player Vlade Divac drafted 13th overall in 2016.  This was considered a massive reach at the time and Divac was slammed for this.  Papagiannis was cut less than 2 years later and was considered one of the bigger draft busts of the decade.

Fast forward to 2022.  Papagiannis actually led the EuroLeague in blocks in 2022.  He lead the EuroLeague in rebounds in 2022.  He is 7'2" and 270 lbs.  He has a 7'6" wingspan.  He's probably big enough to provide some resistance to Jokic.  He also moves remarkably well for a player that size. 

Skeptics might say that he will kill our spacing on offense.  Prior to 2022-2023, they would have been correct.  However, he discovered the 3-point shot in 2022-2023.  This season in EuroLeague he's shooting at 55.6% from 3!  That's only in 11 games though.  Last season he shot 48.6% from 3 in EuroLeague and 56.7% in the Greek league.  That was on a total of 67 attempts last season.  Those numbers are really impressive for a giant human being.  

He seems to check every box possible in what we need in a backup center.  He's also only 26.  I think a contract similar to the Dante Exum deal would be extremely wise.  I'd actually really like to sign him to a 3-year deal at slightly above the max if we still have part of the MLE available.  Backup center problem solved.

Interesting! What good research. Thank you.

[DanSchwartzgan]

 
He's Poison Pill and there isn't a direct one for one trade on the Mav's that works.  Maxi misses by a couple hundred grand.  So, it would need to involve more players (Holmes or Maxi plus a minor contract works).   

Not sure what possessed me to do this, but I took a look at Avdija to see if the same PP issue applied to him.  Turns out Holmes is a direct match.  Washington is so screwed with the money they gave to Kuzma and Poole.  Their future picks and Coulibaly are probably the future there and Avdija plays the same position as Coulibaly (and Kispert).  Might they be willing to move Avdija?

Avdija would slot in much like DJJ and GWill and OMax in that he's probably a 3/4 or 4/3 who can switch and plays good D.  He's much younger than Bojan and isn't as good from deep, but you can run the offense through him like you can Bojan and he plays better D.  Add Gafford to the deal and you've solved some issues.  Green for Avdija with Holmes and draft compensation for Gafford?

[Nowitzki Way]

7'7"" wingspan.  I'm in.  How do we submit our ideas to Nico Harrison?

I'm watching guys. Keep the suggestions coming.

[ItsGoTime]

From the article:

Other note: Contending teams like Boston, Oklahoma City and Dallas have shown great interest in Isaiah Stewart, league sources tell The Athletic.

https://theathletic.com/5142623/2023/12/...scenarios/

I’ve liked Stewart since his draft. Him developing a 3 has kept me interested. I really think he would be the perfect fit on this team. He’s a Maxi upgrade and replacement. Would be a great fit for the playoff big trio, could fit well with Lively or GWill either way. He would also learn and grow more as a player playing here. Man, I think he would be such an incredible get!

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

The article goes through many of the same names that get thrown around here (PJ Washington, Collins and J. Grant).  They are fan proposed deals, so they don't send nearly enough value out (Grant and Thybulle for expirings and 3 seconds?).  Detroit, unlike Dallas has cap room in the summer, so OG and Tobias are also on the radar (sound familiar?).

I like the idea of Stewart as he could back up Lively and GWill (and possibly compete to start at PF).  All of these PF candidates have warts and he isn't perfect either.  You definitely have to project what he would be here.  But, he's 22, plays with force and is getting better from deep (on a team with no spacing).  He's shown signs in past years that he might be an average NBA player.  A PER of 15 and a WS/49 of .100 are in his past and he's been above average in EPM each of his four years (and actually good at D-EPM three of the four years).  

He's Poison Pill and there isn't a direct one for one trade on the Mav's that works.  Maxi misses by a couple hundred grand.  So, it would need to involve more players (Holmes or Maxi plus a minor contract works).  The other thing that has to be pointed out is that almost all the names that get mentioned for Detroit are an effort to replace Stewart's minutes at PF.  They have their Lively in Duran and consider him and Cunningham and Thompson and Ivey as their "core four".  Stewart is not in that "core".  The other thing to bear in mind when designing trades is Detroit has their version of Hardy in Ivey.  So, Hardy may not hold as much value to Detroit as he would to others (though, I think they really have a core 3...Duran, Cunningham and Thompson, but it is too early to bail on Ivey at this point with his value so diminished).

Some of those fan proposals were hilarious.

I feel like Maxi would definitely be outgoing I would think if we were trading for Stewart because a healthy Maxi on a roster with Stewart would be pretty redundant and only one of them would be getting playoff minutes.  But Stewart certainly makes sense as a Maxi replacement as a 5 out center option who can kind of hang on the perimeter (probably not as well as Maxi) if the front office has decided it's time to move on from Maxi.

The one thing that I would say about Hardy in a trade like this is that I don't get the sense that they are married to Ivey, at least based on Monty's treatment of him.  They need shooting probably more so than any team in the NBA needs any one particular skill and they are not getting that from Ivey.  I think the other three you mentioned are probably all they are really trying to keep at this point and I could see Ivey being moved in a separate trade which would create room for a player like Hardy but to your point, until that happens Hardy is probably not the type of player they are looking for.

Another thing that is important to mention when it comes to the Pistons is that for whatever insane reason, they seem to be allowing Troy Weaver to make decisions this trade deadline so the moves they make may not make any sense from a professional basketball team roster construction standpoint.

[Winter]

Stewart has most of what Dallas needs statistically, and he's averaging 28 mpg. If we're trading Holmes, Maxi and a minor contract, that seems like a plus for us.

And of course, he chased LeBron around the court threatening to beat his ass. So there's that.

Link includes the video

https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissad...a376c6254e

[dirkfansince1998]

https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/statu...5405162595

The asking price for Lauri Markkanen could be around ‘five-ish picks,’ per
@KevinOConnorNBA
“My impression from talking to teams is that it’s something resembling the haul the Jazz received for Mitchell and Gobert: so, five-ish firsts and/or players of comparable value.”

Danny Ainge at it again...

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/statu...5405162595



Danny Ainge at it again...

lol so he's shopping to like 3 teams who actually have that.

[mvossman]

https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/statu...5405162595



Danny Ainge at it again...

Should kill any mention of landing him this TDL, which was never an option anyways.

[RGP1981]

I wonder if a 3-team trade could be arranged.

Mavericks get: Hendricks
Jazz get: Ivey. Trader Danny should be happy with trading a 9th pick for a 5th pick.
Pistons get: whatever the Mavericks and Jazz (mainly the Mavs) have to send to make this deal fair for the Pistons.

Would love to add a two-way shooter to the mix too, like Grimes.

G: Kyrie, Exum
G: Grimes, Hardaway
F: Luka, DJJ
F: Hendricks, G-Will
C: Lively, Kleber

[ThisIStheYear]

Stewart is pretty bad. He checks the measurement boxes so not opposed, just wouldn’t trade anything for him or pay him more than minimum.

[Jym]

Stewart is pretty bad. He checks the measurement boxes so not opposed, just wouldn’t trade anything for him or pay him more than minimum.

He signed a 4 year/ $60 mil extension not long ago

[Chicagojk]

Stewart has most of what Dallas needs statistically, and he's averaging 28 mpg. If we're trading Holmes, Maxi and a minor contract, that seems like a plus for us.

And of course, he chased LeBron around the court threatening to beat his ass. So there's that.

Link includes the video

https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissad...a376c6254e

I just have trouble finding a trade that works.    I did find it interesting last week that both Jaden and Holmes did not get off the bench.  Probably nothing but the Mavs were shorthanded.   Just sort of wondered if something was going on.   

Would Green and Hardy work?   Seems like too much, but would help with the toughness and rebounding.   I can't see a trade with Holmes or Maxi being the headline piece.    Found this interesting.  Loved the responses.  Sure is good when you are talking trades with players who are playing well.

https://twitter.com/KuKhahil/status/1736785100094804198

[ItsGoTime]

I just have trouble finding a trade that works.    I did find it interesting last week that both Jaden and Holmes did not get off the bench.  Probably nothing but the Mavs were shorthanded.   Just sort of wondered if something was going on.   

Would Green and Hardy work?   Seems like too much, but would help with the toughness and rebounding.   I can't see a trade with Holmes or Maxi being the headline piece.    Found this interesting.  Loved the responses.  Sure is good when you are talking trades with players who are playing well.

https://twitter.com/KuKhahil/status/1736785100094804198

THJ/Maxi for Bogi/Stewart works money-wise.

[Winter]

My guess is that Holmes, Maxi, and a minor contract is probably a lazy guess on our part. I suspect it will be a competitive market and require more. If Detroit wants THj then this trade will need to look a lot different and maybe Bojan is in play. I'm not sure I'm as fond of it then, but in any case, it looks like Stewart will be moved. The question will be do the Mavs have enough of what Detroit wants?

[Chicagojk]

THJ/Maxi for Bogi/Stewart works money-wise.

Cool.   I just don't see how that helps Detroit.  Who knows with Detroit though.   

Stewart is a young player on a long term contract.   Bogi has a shorter contract than Hardaway.    Seems like they could get better individual pieces if they traded both seperately.

[DanSchwartzgan]

THJ/Maxi for Bogi/Stewart works money-wise.

I don't know for sure without going back and looking, but I think I proposed THJ/Holmes last week...which also works and leaves Dallas just under the tax.

I'm a fan of the Bojan for THJ swap in terms of putting another offensive creator on the floor.  It will cost something to make that swap.  If we have to pay something for that, then I'd rather pay more and do the Stewart/Holmes swap too.  That gets you someone who can play two positions and hit 3's at a much younger age on top of the THJ/Bojan part.

[ItsGoTime]

Cool.   I just don't see how that helps Detroit.  Who knows with Detroit though.   

Stewart is a young player on a long term contract.   Bogi has a shorter contract than Hardaway.    Seems like they could get better individual pieces if they traded both seperately.

That’s why I said it works money-wise. I think the difference all around is worth a FRP, but I know saying that around here brings out the boo birds. The 2 SRPs we have available are for sure not enough, but maybe a pick swap or 2 gets it done?

[DanSchwartzgan]

Cool.   I just don't see how that helps Detroit.  Who knows with Detroit though.   

Stewart is a young player on a long term contract.   Bogi has a shorter contract than Hardaway.    Seems like they could get better individual pieces if they traded both seperately.

I imagine they are doing it for the unprotected 2027.