Dear Trader Vics
Besides the abject horror of the absurd proposed trades...might it not be prudent to, oh, I don't know...
wait?
Have until February 15, right?
Might not we know/learn more about our "assets" as such, after a month or two playing in a non-Fizzdalian system; after a month or two or developing some semblance of a bond, of some chemistry, after how many new free agents (seven) and rookies (two) have had what, four exhibition games, and 28 regular season games to play together and get healthy?
That is to say.
Having a better idea of who might be keepers?
Having a better idea as to who play well together?
Having a better idea as to whom and what we are committed to moving forward?
For instance, Jeff Teague.
Ending contract. I get it.
Nice player.
SO FUCKING WHAT.
Is 31. Still has some gas left in the tank, but why has Minny soured on him? A fine Free Throw shooter and distributor, observe if you might how dramatically his number of free throws has gone down these past three years. An omen.
Trade Dennis Smith for him? Why not toss in Rod Strickland and see if we could get Mo Cheeks included?
Seriously?
What about the 31 year old Teague is better at this point than Payton. And why give up on Smith for someone we could sign cheaply as a FA this summer?
Elfrid will be 26 in February. Stat wise, his 3-point shooting is up, his FT % is up, steals are up; his turnovers are down; alas, FG% and assists down...let's see where he is in a month of steady minutes and better fitness and health and familiarity.
I liked Trey Burke, and I liked Emmanuel Mudiay, but adding them to the scrum last season inhibited the evolution of Ntilikina.
We have Payton, Ntilikina, Smith, Allen.
Dieng?
This from the forum which mocked Mills for signing Timmy?
Will be 30 in January. Owed 16 million for 2019-2020, and 17 million for 2020-2021.
Hello?
In what way shape or form is he a better fit than Gibson or Portis?
NO ONE on this roster is exempt from consideration for trades.
[Save perhaps Mitchell, RJ and Kevin.]
Even my beloved Morris.
But seriously? "The numbers work." Cripes.
FUCK YOUR NUMBERS.
A trade has to make sense.
Clippers offering a #1 for MM?
Really?
Be still my heart. I'd rather have Morris, competing with Kevin, making him better, making us better.
Now, a #1 and Moe Harkless? Fuck MOE.
Landry Shamet? Montrezl Harrell? Now those are some ACTUAL ASSETS we could grow forward with.
We don't need a second tier 3&D. Shamet can SHOOT. And Harrell may be an undersized C-PF, but he is a beast.
Why would Clippers sacrifice them?
If they want Morris THAT BAD, got to give to get.
By the way, the Clippers traded all of their #1 picks for Paul George, save for #26. The #1 they do have this coming summer is the Sixers' pick from the Tobias Harris trade, presently #25.
Be still my heart. For Morris?
Cough.
Our personnel needs an opportunity to evolve in Miller's new system, to play healthy and to play together.
Most of the trade proposals I have seen here, elsewhere in the media and on line, are jokes. Fire sales.
We are presently, what, 7-21?
HOW THE FUCK IS JAKE LAYMAN going to impact our evolution, team chemistry...win-loss record?
Any deals we could make now, we could make in February.
I know I am traditionally a broken record in this regard, but I have never been a fan of reflexive, OFF WITH THEIR HEAD trades. or trades for the sake of trades.
Morris could leave as a FA this summer?
Fair enough.
Just for the growth in Knox, he would have been a good rental.
Payton's team option is 8 million.
Payton-Ntilikina-Smith TOGETHER are on the books for roughly 20 million next season.
Trier and Dotson come off the books this summer.
Is RJ our 2 or our 3 going forward?
Is Knox capable of being a 3 and a 4?
Mitchell's team option comes due in 2021-2022.
If we are going to suck in 2019-2020, we might just as well suck with Morris and Portis and Smith, as with Dieng, Teague and Layman.
Get a GRIP people.
PS:
Dawg and Carlos and the Forum were right about Fizz. I was wrong. Don't know if Miller is the chosen one, but so far, so good. Miami and Milwaukee could not come at a better time. REALITY CHECK.