We have more than 15M next year. 7% cap increase+10M less of KD salary. We should have quite a lot more breathing room. Shams said "did not reach agreement on multiple fronts" That means Stone prob put some team options or unguaranteed contracts similar to what DFS signed. Like maybe its a 4 yr deal but last two years are team options.
For me, I would need some draft compensation as well. If I am trading Tari, I want a younger similar player or player plus picks.
Kind of a random thought, but what about Deni Avdija? Portland seems to value defense a lot, and Tari would provide that for them (though Deni is certainly no defensive slouch). Tari arguably has more upside than Deni (at least that will be the Rockets' pitch), particularly for a team like Portland who can feature him more. For us, Deni would be great all-purpose floor spacing forward on a great contract that ends after Durant's player option, meaning we should be able to extend him without too much issue. They are both the same age. Now, Portland may not go for this, or may demand more than just Eason given how much they gave up for Deni.
Portland will undoubtedly demand more than just Tari in any deal. Deni has established himself as a near-star by the end of last season and is the same age as Tari, which makes it hard to see why Portland would consider trading him. Suggesting that Tari has more potential than Deni is highly questionable. Given that Tari has yet to log even a 70 game season, it’s premature to make any strong claims about his ceiling. At this stage, there’s little that Tari actually does better than Deni. That could change if he manages to stay healthy, but based on his track record, that’s far from a safe bet.
I would trade Tari for Deni straight up, but think they may want draft compensation due to Deni being on a declining contract that is below the MLTE. He has also been healthy. If I could trade Tari for the version of Avdija before he broke out this past year that would be a good trade. The only player that comes to mind is Jarace Walker - he is still trying to find his way but has the Swiss Army knife skills that would fit the Rockets
Reed Sheppard averages more points, rebounds and assists than Pritchard does this year on a better team. I cant imagine trading Reed for Pritchard straight up let alone adding in Tari and a pick.
OK. Let's see what happens this year. Last year demonstrated what Pritchard can do as a role player on a championship roster. Now it's Reed's turn.
