re: Stein: Pels want Markkanen with TPE, Bulls want 1st round pick.

I’d tell them to get fricked. They can have a 2nd in 2026 but first they have to give Griff a rimjob.

Markannen would be a great big lineup 4 or small ball 5

I didn’t mean get rid of him.

I meant instead of including him in the Ball S&T, we would just use part of the MLE on him so we could take more back in the Ball deal.

That stuff is beyond me so I’m not sure how we’d need to go forward with it.

I wouldn't pay Lauri more than $10 or $11 million. I wouldn't give the Bulls more than a second round pick. Make the Bulls deal with an unhappy player like we did with Lonzo. Wait to see what the tampering investigation turns up before any deals with the Bulls.

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Just sign him ... Chicago doesn't have the cap space to match

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We don't the space to sign him unless it is with MLE . They have his bird rights.

Charlotte was interested in Lauri.

Do they still have room to sign him and/or work a S&T?

Didn't Woj say that the deal can't be finalized until after the league finished it's investigation and expect it to look a little different than what was first reported.

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I think we could put Temple against our MLE (taking him out of the Ball trade). We could then add Markannen and Gabriel to the trade. I think that may get it done (but not 100% sure). I certainly would not give up a 1st. I would just give them back their 2nd and some cash to cover Gabriel. I would not want to give Markannen more than $12-$13 million a year though.

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this would be win win win

Markannen has had the exact same situation that people ACCUSE the pels of putting Ball through. Different coaches, different systems. He's a great playmaking big and he's only 23.

we're in an era of changeability. The Pels need to have options for all of the different teams and lineups they'd want to play

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PG: Graham
SG: Ingram
SF: Zion
PF: Markkanen
C: JV

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This is a great lineup against teams with a big C, Philly, Denver, etc.

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PG: NAW
SG: Temple/Satoransky
SF: Ingram
PF: Zion
C: Markannen

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But JV can't, won't and shouldn't play against all teams. That would be like a small ball switching lineup where the shortest player is 6'5

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just don’t think you can really do that and expect to be a contender.

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I'm not pitching "starting" lineups because it doesn't matter.

literally every contender has big and small ball lineups. It doesn't matter who starts; it matters who finishes and in what context-- what the other team is doing and what you can do to matchup with them.

Small teams are going to run JV off the floor. It happened in Memphis and it will happen here. The Griz mitigated this by benching him and playing Jaren Jackson Jr at 5 when he got healthy.

The Lakers are going to start Gasol or Howard. That doesn't change the fact that AD is going to play 5 in crunch time with Russ, Lebron and either Monk/Ellington/Nunn

Sometimes the Hawks run out Capela, and sometimes Collins is the small ball 5.

The Nets best lineup had Durant at the 5. But other times they started Jordan.

The Bucks ran out Giannis at the 5, but against big teams they had Lopez.

Today's NBA is about flexibility and ability to play a lot of ways.