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Anyways, Jrue deal worked out magically. PDX did well under the circumstances so didn't feel it was a classic heist. PDX really should have moved Brogdon/TL to someone like Miami at the time and kept on adding draft assets. If you're going to tank, may as well go full speed ahead
This I agree with, Portland did fine - it's that we basically heisted the entire league, beating them to the punch on an obviously available Jrue. Nobody moreso than the Bucks, clearly.
I think Miami is really the team that missed out. I don't know if they were still reeling from missing out on Dame or if Portland would even take the time to deal with Riley, but Jrue would've fit perfectly into their lineup, in a way that Rozier does not. He's basically a younger, bigger version of Kyle Lowry.
So this is an interesting question (from the KP thread, or one of them) that belongs over here. What other teams could reasonably have benefitted from acquiring Jrue, and missed out? Miami, certainly, is one of them. But from my perspective the answer is "basically any real contender". He's one of the very best defensive guards in the league, you can argue him to be #1. He has an above-average offensive skillset, and obviously is sinking corner 3s this year like a robot. He fits in perfectly even with super ball dominant teammates, because he's not an alpha scorer and his value isn't tied up in being such.
Should be interested:
- Miami, duh
- Minnesota: He's clearly better than Mike Conley at this point in the latter's career, imo.
- Dallas: They desperately need a guard who plays D and isn't a black hole on offense
- Lakers: Reaves can be PG if you wanted to upgrade D'Angelo Russell to Jrue
- Clippers: This might be one of the only real ways you could upgrade the present Clippers starting lineup. Terence Mann is their only weak link, with a negative on/off (career: 0.0)
- Phoenix: They have all the shooting they could want, but they need someone playing D next to Booker, and Grayson Allen is fine as a stopgap but Jrue would be a huge upgrade.
- Indiana: They traded away Hield, and now are more or less starting Nembhard at the 2. They are a defensive sieve.
- OKC: They're starting Josh Giddey, a meaningfully below-average player, despite getting great play at the 2 from Isaiah Joe for a minimum contract (plus team option next year). Upgrading Giddey to Jrue would be huge, if they could pay him.
- He fit in pretty well on Milwaukee, you'd have to say, and Malik Beasley just isn't getting it done - he's historically been a sub-zero DARKO player, just cracking positive numbers in the last few games.
Contenders who wouldn't be fits:
- Cleveland: Donovan Mitchell is technically a 2, you can play him as the PG but they have a staggering amount of money tied up in Darius Garland. So probably not a fit as you'd probably make him into a small-ball 3.
- Knicks: DiVincenzo is signed for 4 more years at incredibly reasonable money (~$11M / yr) for what they're getting out of him
- Philly: You can argue De'Anthony Melton is giving them 75% of Jrue at 25% the price ($8M)
I thought his market should have been piping hot, from teams who could frankly a lot more than we could.
