re: Devonte Graham to Pelicans for first round 2022 lottery-protected pick 4yrs/47 million

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We gave up a 1st last season in a trade, then gave up a 1st to trade the 2 dudes we gave up a 1st for.

It's absurd to think that doesn't matter at all.

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Unless it turns into 2nds it's bad value. And Griff is blowing through his margin for error. But if JV and Graham fit instead of disappoint, that will help right the ship.

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Unless it turns into 2nds it's bad value. And Griff is blowing through his margin for error. But if JV and Graham fit instead of disappoint, that will help right the ship.

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Agreed on all 3 points

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First of all, it’s more than slight in my opinion.

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Relative to who we need to pass up in the west to become a true contender? Not really seeing it but feel free to make the case

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2nd, did we need MASSIVE UPGRADES this off-season if you believe in Zion and other young guys?

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In a western conference where teams like Denver with an MVP and two budding all stars added Jeff Green and Jamychal Green as depth, yeah, I'd say we needed to do a bit better than the least efficient point guard in the league of anyone that took more than 650 attempts last season and a 90's center that occupies the same space as our best player.

Furthermore, what kind of argument is this? If all we needed to do was rely on the young guys then the best course of action would have been to just preserve our assets and move the user performing vets to the back. We made the moves we did specifically because we felt we needed to make significant top of the roster upgrades. I mean I seriously hope we didn't just give up a first and Lonzo for a guy that will be a back up.

Yeah let’s handwring on whether we are able to draft a starter for the 2022 season in the 15-30.

Only 1 player from the 2020 draft in those slots started

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Or as a starter on your team

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There’s roughly a ~70% that your player drafted in the second half of the first round isn’t even a rotation player. And an even smaller chance that they are a rotation player for you long term. Late 1sts just don’t do it for me.

Well Graham at least seems happy about New Orleans so that helps

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There’s roughly a ~70% that your player drafted in the second half of the first round isn’t even a rotation player. And an even smaller chance that they are a rotation player for you long term. Late 1sts just don’t do it for me.

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Then I guess it's ok to just tossing them out left and right when it's really not necessary to do so. See the Adams trade last season where it was discussed that no one else was offering 1sts for.

Would you have been ok adding Murphy to the Graham deal instead of the 1st? Or how about NAW instead of the 1st, would you have been good with that?

The Pels have a window to build a roster, and as much as I would love to have the patience to build thru the draft, they simply can’t.

A lottery protected first is the cost of business & frankly it isn’t that steep

I’m not ignoring anything. The moves last year were horrible. But sometimes you have to pay to get out and I think Griff has done a GREAT job of doing so. Way better than anyone could’ve hoped for honestly.

FWIW Graham was John Hollingers 5th rated point guard and expected him to get 19/year we got a damn steal.

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5. Devonte’ Graham, Hornets (restricted): $19,073,555 (9th overall)

People don’t really think about Devonte’ Graham much, and he got a bit lost at times last season with the productivity of the LaMelo Ball-Terry Rozier backcourt in Charlotte. Nonetheless, he’s a good guard who can shoot and pass, and at 26, the team signing him is likely buying the sweet spot of his career.

This number still feels a bit on the high side, but only a bit … like, you wouldn’t be shocked at all if he got three years, $55 million. The issue is that he’s a restricted free agent and the Hornets are in a very strong financial position to match offer sheets; the perception that Charlotte will match is likely to dry up his offer-sheet market.

On the other hand, it could provoke a team to offer something completely bananas in hopes of scaring the Hornets away. Such is the game with restricted free agency, where the rules tend to bifurcate the market into offer-sheet overpays and team-friendly underpays.

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Don't ban me if I'm not supposed to post from a subscription service pls.