We need to talk about Larry Nance

Yeah I love me some Larry, but his role on this team is to be that guy that he physically looks like he isn't anymore. I don't know if it's injury, age, etc...but he doesn't look very playable at the moment.

He had that ankle injury last season and was never the same. He got injections prior to the season on that ankle to help him heal. It doesn't look like that ankle injury has fully healed for whatever reason.

My hope is that it is fully healed by the time the stretch run starts. But that's being super optimistic at this point.

We have $26M tied into JV and Larry, and both of them really need to be moved for better fitting pieces, on top of dumping Kira's $5.7M

It's $31.5M between those 3, and we need to only take back 2 contracts equalling up to no more than $27M, leaving $1.5M to give to Matt Ryan.


I think we should be trying to get Nick Richards from Charlotte. He's making $5M/yr over 3 years, and i would start him.
And then I would target James Wiseman in Detroit, as they have too many big men up there as it is.

Could send Larry to Charlotte, Kira/JV to OKC, Bertans to Pistons, and Wiseman/Richards to Pels. We'd be $11M under the tax.
Ask for a future 1st from OKC (2027 Denver) that they will send to Detroit as well as a 2nd (2024 Houston) that comes to the Pels. Send a Pels protected 1st to Charlotte in return for 3 of their 2nd round picks. If you really wanted a 1st round pick in 2024 you could easily use the 2024 Houston 2nd and other 2nds to move up into the early 20's.

He's an expiring that we can take a flyer on. If it doesn't work out, no big deal. We'd have at the minimum the full MLE, which is like $13M/yr, to use in the offseason on another 4/5, and plenty room under the tax to make trades.
We could probably get a 2nd from Detroit as well in there, so basically trading JV/Larry/Kira/2024 protected 1st for Richards/Wiseman and 5 2nds and ample space under the tax this year and next year, possibly even under the cap depending on where that ends up.

Not trying to jump the gun here but is JRE who we thought Larry was going to be on the court?

JRE is a nice effort player but he doesn't have Nance defensive abilities or IQ when he's fully healthy.

Are we seriously advocating getting Richards and Wiseman? Sheesh, we’re 4-4 not ready to tank here.

quote:

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2024 protected 1st for Richards/Wiseman

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Is that first top 29 protected?

If not then no thanks.

why do you think trading JV and Larry means we are tanking?

I think Richards is a better defender than JV, do you not? Do you really care about JV's offense? Wouldnt' you rather a center who's only going to score on putbacks and on passes to him open under the goal, so that our good offensive players can have more shots?
Y'all are sitting here complaining about Larry, the point of this thread. He's under contract for next year too, so trading him for a chance on someone like Wiseman who's on an expiring is somehow tanking?

We don't need a $15M or $25M center. we just need one that can play good defense and rebound, and Richards fits that bill for $5M.

If you want to konw what i'd really rather do, i'd rather send BI/Kira to Toronto and get back OG, Gary Trent Jr. and Koloko and some 1sts. I'd personally like to do a Larry for Richards swap, but i understand Charlotte might not like that.

A lineup of CJ/GTJorHawkins/OG/Trey/Zion is what i envision to be the best for todays NBA, when not playing against Jokic/Embiid, and allows for Point Zion. That's 4 guys who will hit 3's at a 40% rate surrounding Zion that will still be decent defensively. That's a team surrounding Zion with shooters and high level perimeter defenders, and i think having better perimeter defenders is what leads to having better paint defense. Doesn't matter if its Rudy Gobert sitting under the goal, if the ball handler has a free run at the rim, they are going to win that battle more often than not.