Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[DanSchwartzgan]

I’ve been seeing reminders popping up in places (mostly Bobby Marks’ team trade videos) that young, cost-controlled players are kind of becoming the most important capital in the league.

Don’t know if they’re right, because we’ve heard this kind of doom and gloom before and the game’s economy has always adjusted, but people sure seem scared of that 2nd apron. Marks basically said trading Hardy, Lively and O-Max was unthinkable because the economics would soon dictate that they’d all be rotation players.

I found that point interesting, because as we all know, the Mavs’ approach to the draft this year came from left field, relative to their usual. Could the desire for cheaper, cost-controlled players have been the driver for the change? I mean we’ve always argued around here in favor of that kind of wisdom, but did the 2nd apron’s penalties inspire Cuban to start thinking 2-3 steps ahead about avoiding them?

If so, I’m not sure those players are as available as sweeteners as our ideas have assumed. And if they ARE available, I think they might have more trade value than we might be dreaming.

I think there is a balance to be struck.  If the youngsters don’t develop, they could actually lose value.  I don’t see how a winning team has room for developmental minutes for both OMax and Hardy.

When everyone is healthy, Hardy is fighting Luka, Irving, Green and Exum for minutes at the 1, 2, 3.  Jones also grabs minutes at the three, so there just isn’t time for him when everyone else is playing.  If we trade for a four, OMax is behind New4, GWill and DJJ unless one of them goes out in the deal (you also have the issue of how to retain DJJ in the summer, though with his shooting tailing off, he’s looking more and more like the bench specialist he’s been his whole career).  

So, I think Marks makes a good point.  It doesn’t have to only apply to guys on rookie scale deals.  PJ or Avdija on a declining contract or Green or GWill at about the MLE is also “cost controlled”, just at a higher level.  I think where you get into trouble is paying Kuzma or Wiggins or Grant money well into the 20’s if they don’t produce at that level and fit well with what you have.  BTW, I’ve watched parts of the last two GSW games.  Wiggins has been engaged and played well…though he defers a lot.  Even with all of his issues, he’s still part of their closing lineup along with Kuminga (who is probably untouchable now), Curry, Thompson and Green.  I can see them trading Wiggins, but not attached to a first or Moody as I once hoped.