[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Bojan for Olynyk and Saben Lee. Pistons are going to be entertaining this year. Jazz have more incentive to tank.

[HitsterParticipant]

Nice move for both sides – The Pistons will have a very young line up and Bojan gives them a very experienced starter or top rotation man from the bench. Also he is an expiring deal so they have the potential to flip him for a first rounder to a contender before deadline day.

Utah have taken on a bit more salary but if they are determined to increase their chances in the Wemby and Scoot stakes moving one of their top players to a rival rebuilding team makes sense. Olynyk gives them extra experience in the frontcourt for next couple of seasons and Lee might have upside as a rotational guard and can help fill Mitchell’s minutes as his playing time in motorcity would have been limited with Ivey’s arrival.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

It could be a nice move for both sides, but imo Pistons won this deal because they aren’t moving any true assets. Marvin Bagley III isn’t cutting it in the league and Pistons will be in the playoff hunt perhaps. Jazz could have got more for Bojan imo. Utah is in the WembyScootstakes for sure.

[sweaterflexParticipant]

Love this trade for both teams from a player development perspective. Olynyk won’t play a lick of defense, but playing a floor spacing 5 will allow the Jazz to evaluate their youth movement in an optimal floor-spacing environment where players who can’t shoot can still get an opportunity. The Pistons grabbing Bojan gives them enough enough spacing from the forward spots to really focus on the Cade/Duren pick and roll and will give Ivey lots of chances to attack closeouts from the weak side with defenders sticking to Bey and Bojan.

[HitsterParticipant]

I’ll be interested to see how the Pistons frontcourt pans out as Cade, Jaden and Bey look the long term 1 to 3. They have extended Bagley and have Stewart as an enforcer and also Duren to fit in but those 3 are more C’s in my view so Bojan being a shooter at PF really spreads the floor as they look to find the right long term fit at 4.

[r377Participant]

Surprised.
I was sure Bojan would go to a contender for a first round pick.
A 18-20ppg scorer @ 40% from 3 don’t grow on trees !

[HitsterParticipant]

Yes I was surprised that none of the contenders came in for Bojan unless they were wary of Ainge and co trying to extract extra assets for them. But with one year on his deal it was always only going to be a future first rounder and that would have stll been asking price going towards deadline day.

But for a team looking to push deep into the play offs giving up a none lottery pick likely in 20 to 30 range for a player like Bojan would have been a none brainer.

The Pistons have the benefit of his experience and will still have the option to flip him for a pick into the new year so a win win for them.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Ainge had Olynyk before in Boston. He knows he can get him to produce at a high level and flip him for what he was looking for out of Bogdanovic at the deadline.

[HitsterParticipant]

Olynyk has a couple of years on his deal so Ainge and co would have a window to move him on but I still feel Bojan could have been flipped for a straight pick. Ainge is probably canny enough to try and extract picks for certain years so he always has options.

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

Detroit has added some nice veterans to support their young core. Bojan, Joseph, Noel, and Burks (I think Kemba is getting sent away) should be helpful. At this point in their careers, Cade, Ivey, and Diallo are not great shooters. Bojan and Burks help. Bey bounced back after a slow start shooting, but they needed other threats from the perimeter. I thought Livers could have been an option, but Bojan is clearly a better one. Noel is limited and likely a 20-25 minute guy for 60-or-so games, but that is enough to allow them to bring Jalen Duren along slowly as a different type of body than Isaiah Stewart. I don’t think the Pistons will be in the play-in conversation, but if Cade or Ivey take a leap faster than expected it is possible.

[HitsterParticipant]

The Knicks can bring Duren along nice and slowly as BTPH says. They have Bojan, Noel, Stewart and Bagley as the FC rotation. It will be interesting to see if Stewart remains as the starting C or they look to use Bagley there given the money they extended him with or do they start both and bring Bojan from the bench this coming season.

I’m excited to see Cade and Ivey as a backcourt duo and if the team does click they could be an outside bet for a play in spot. But the key is the bigger long term picture and getting the young core bedded in and playing as a unit. Anything above 30 wins will be a good sign of progress.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

You meant to say Pistons I take it.

[HitsterParticipant]

Yes I meant the Pistons I don’t know why I typed Knicks. I also read the Jazz were keen to get under luxury tax so moving Bojan achieves that immediately and Olynyk’s contract for 23/24 is only guaranteed for $3 million> So Ainge has a useful further trading chip if teams want to dump salary around draft time next year to free up salary space for FA moves. If he takes back $12 million of guaranteed for what is only $3 million guarenteed of Olynk’s $12 million 23/24 year then he can likely get assets in return.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Ainge is a smooth operator

[HitsterParticipant]

Ainge don’t forgot originally running Boston’s front office didn’t have a good reputation and they went from being a play off team to finishing 24-58 in 2007. PP must have been pretty close to wanting to be traded or Boston even considering moving him when Ainge traded for Ray Allen and the KG and they won the title the next year, reached another final a couple of years later and had 5 consecutive divisional titles but more importantly created the idea of a big 3.

Ainge let Doc Rivers move on and that side was broken up, built up assets and built the current side based on Tatum and Brown before he retired.

He may be the CEO of Utah and not their GM/President of Basketball but we know he is likely pulling the strings or at least being the guy to sign off the deals. He won a title with a big 3, built another Boston side which reached the finals last season so would be pretty confident of getting Utah back into contention maybe 5 years down the line or laying the foundations for it.

As an Executive I’d have him, Pat Riley and Ric Burford/Popps at the top table.

[Author]

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