I would think Stone asked these vets if they want to be part of a long rebuild. I like those lost players too but we need players who buys in for the long haul for a cheaper price and let go of vets who deserve more money that we don't want to give (EG and Wall are different though lol). We need to position ourselves for a great free agency by 2024.
Guys, did no one read this compelling evidence? This offseason is a disaster. Sell the team to Tennessee.
For this team I actually like Theis more. I like Nwaba, but Brown is the better player overall I think. But this is a low tier team who would be faarrrrr exceeding expectations by just making the playoffs (I hope they do). Olynk and Brown aren't moving the needle a whole lot more than Theis and Nwaba on this team, if at all. Like oh no...We lost out on Olynk and Sterling Brown and Got Theis and Nwaba instead....Oh noOooooOOOoOooooo
There's always one Someone has to be a contrarian Theis and Nwaba are on team friendly contracts and can provide veteran leadership and stability.
Surprised you guys aren't more into this. So many people (including myself) were complaining when Les wasn't down with tanking. Now we're tanking, and we're doing it the right way. I always wondered, how do you avoid the losing culture thing, help kids develop. Stone's answer seems to be, you get guys who play solid defense and no offense and let the Ls come in.
This team is going to suck at least for the next few seasons at least, and his job is to grab more picks and also make sure keeping flexible and tradable contracts only. And you said this is NOT his choice?
There’s a fit concern (3 centers) that some of us have. But if the belief is Wood/Garuba/Sengun/Theis can all man the 4/5 I understand it from that angle. Above all else, I don’t want Theis taking minutes away from Sengun. I’m definitely warming up to the idea of Theis. Nwaba at that price is a no-brainer.
I refuse to cry over the likes of Brown and Olynyk when Stone went with some decent players that can be moved no problem a few years down the road…I can’t do it
Just look at the market for all those trades other teams did, teams are willing to give up multiple second round picks just to shreed a few mils to get under the cap. Taking a garbage 36 mils and 4 years contract like this can probably get you the return more than accepting Ryan Anderson.
People also thought we traded oladipo for nothing. Olynyk turned out to fit just fine. Wood is going to play the bulk of the minutes at 4/5. If he does that then Theis is going to play limited minutes anyways and is probably just an enforcer/ extra body. He could potentially he part of a trade later too. Who knows what Stone is thinking for the future. We aren't getting top free agents because most of those want to go to contenders. We're going to get what we get and like most places and companies these days they just need to fill up the roster and have bodies.
None of these guys (Theis, Nwaba, Olynyk, Brown, etc) move the needle on the worst team in the league. Theis and Nwaba are just bodies who might be able to manage a good 40 games of hot three point shooting and be flipped to a contender for picks. Meanwhile, they’ll get out of the way on offense and play hard on defense to make the rookies’ lives easier. After years of incompetence from this organization, we can be at peace with a couple of months of decent to good management. They did trade Oladipo for nothing. Declined Bradley’s option, lost Olynyk’s bird rights and Miami reloaded devaluing their pick next year.
I agree especially on Brown. Nwaba is loved on here .. he can't shoot .. his defense is overrated. Brown a much better player
Apologies for repeating what's already been said: It's about synergy and creating positive learning experiences on-court over wins and losses. This also includes whether the players in question want to be part of a rebuild at all, how big the contracts are and how they're structured, and the overall fit. Olynik & Brown vs Theis & Nwaba might be a step down in overall talent, but not as much as OP suggests. KO essentially did what Wood already does, with better passing and less shotblocking. Theis, although perhaps a lesser talent than OK, provides a better fit (covering for the weaknesses of) Wood and Sengun at a lower price, and clearly agreed to being a part of the rebuild. With EG, Wall, KPJ, Green, Christopher at the guard spots... the glut was just too great for Brown. He was awesome last year and it's a pity to miss out on such a great 3&D player for such a cheap price, but it's just too crowded at the 1 and 2. Nwaba is awesome and I'm delighted to have him back, even if his 3pt shooting is subpar. He's just sharing time at forward with Tate and KM. The team is absolutely loaded top to bottom with high motor, high effort players. Awesome beginning to a culture. What Stone does with EG (and maybe even Wall?) will have a bigger impact than the loss of KO & Brown.
Are we really crying about role players on a rebuilding team? We drafted 3 offensive minded rookies with high upside. Obviously surrounding them with defensive minded vets was the right move.
Nwaba is 1000x better than Sterling, on and most importantly OFF the court. Kelly is better than the White Orc, but the White Orc was cheaper.
