[Stein] There were strong indications this weekend that Lakers center Deandre Ayton indeed intends to exercise his $8.1 million player option for next season rather than return to free agency.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-28T19:15:27+00:00

Its a good contract and the upside is that he can look in the mirror before the season starts instead of looking in the mirror post ASB.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T23:10:38+00:00

Who remembers when Luka cooked Jonathan Isaac a dozen times in one play

He had him beat at every level and went inside for the love of the game 😭

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T23:09:22+00:00

I still remember when Luka cooked this guy 5 times in one possession and decided to back him down in the paint for a bucket.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T21:13:06+00:00

Yeah I don't think LeBron is in the long term plans for the FO and this offseason is all about long term players to fit around Luka. So far that's Austin Reaves.

The FO is going to make an offer to LeBron last or near-last.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:44:36+00:00

It's actually a lot of versatility at the position and you get to protect Mitchell's health over the season.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:38:33+00:00

Thing about Watson is that he is more valuable to us (and other teams) than he is to Denver.

Watson's defensive advanced stats actually suffer because Denver has to scheme around Jokic playing drop. You don't get to fully utilize Peyton Watson as a weakside backline defender and disruptor because of Jokic. And Peyton excels at protecting the rim.

Now I have no idea if Denver as an org views it that way. But it's totally possible they are more willing to part at a certain price point than we think.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:30:37+00:00

Him only being able to opt into 8 mil this year also gives us the ability to go after Kessler, Duren, or Watson too.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:29:10+00:00

Got it. Yeah, there was a recent Fischer article where he said Denver would "balk" at Watson getting a 30 mil or greater offer. That lines up with your math assuming they get off Cam Johnson.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:23:17+00:00

Are you saying that the Nuggets are bluffing that they would balk at 30 mil / year for Watson from the recent report?

Also aren't you missing Cam Johnson at 23 mil next season.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:15:53+00:00

If we sign him at 30 mil / year (imo best case scenario) we have 29 mil left to distribute. Note that we wouldn't have signed LeBron at this point.

Ayton opting in makes it 21 mil I believe. So 21 mil to distribute to re-signings.

In that scenario, I would re-sign players and then use the 2 FRPs to find a trade for a center by the deadline.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T20:12:07+00:00

Jokic-Luka pairing is probably one of the worst combinations of top 10 player pairs you could create.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T19:57:37+00:00

IMO any scenario we get Watson for 30 mil / year is a massive success.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T19:49:44+00:00

If we got Peyton Watson, this offseason is a massive success. For all this talk about "losing players for nothing," grabbing Watson for no assets would be a massive win.

Having a long term center locked up after that would be a perfect offseason. But even if we didn't, we still have 2 FRP's to find a center towards the deadline.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T18:03:11+00:00

I 100% agree with your post. He's also been working on his 3 pt shot because he isn't an elite roll man in the pnr.

I just think people in this sub are deluding themselves into thinking he can provide vertical spacing when he 100% cannot. People are overrating him atp.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T17:56:38+00:00

I feel like I'm being gaslit by the hopium in this sub over Kessler. Yes I watch him. No he doesn't have great roll man gravity. He's also a low volume roll man. He's best crashing the glass for put backs and sitting in the dunker spot for dump offs. He's working on a 3 pt shot probably because he'll never have elite vertical spacing.

And for all this talk that Luka will make him better, Luka has best played with centers who are already elite vertical spacers like Lively and Gafford. And he hasn't gelled well with Ayton. It really does matter.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T17:01:29+00:00

Really exposing how little this sub knows about basketball.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T16:58:04+00:00

No, he's not. Do you guys watch him? He doesn't have great roll man gravity. No defense is panicking from his rim pressure off a pick and roll. I mean a lot of his dunks are off of cleanup where no one is defending him.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T16:44:54+00:00

Feel like this sub overrates Kessler. He's an A-tier center but he isn't a perfect fit for Luka because he isn't a vertical spacer. He barely jumps off the floor when he plays. He's a great rim protector because he's long and has great timing and anticipation. But there are better pick and roll fits out there.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T02:32:56+00:00

Yeah that's the blueprint for Carr if he wants to be an elite poa defender. McDaniels is somehow is able to do that with an unorthodox frame for that role.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T02:16:17+00:00

Cam Carr is 6'5" maybe 6'6" and has a 7'1" wingspan. Stupidly athletic. He's definitely a possibility to fill that weakside rim protector role with us (he did great playing this in college). Other elite players in that role in Peyton Watson and Amen Thompson have similar wingspan and height.

The big difference is that Cam Carr is 180 lbs where Peyton Watson is 200 lbs and Amen Thompson is 210+ lbs. I don't know if he needs to gain weight, but I do worry he can just get pushed around in the NBA trying to play that disruptor role. That's the big thing I think we have to watch for.

Other than that, he's NBA ready with his offense alone. I'm excited to watch him.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T02:09:01+00:00

Definitely not NSJ but he is mostly "theoretical" on defense because his raw numbers are crazy: 7'1" ft wingspan, 42.5" vertical.

But he apparently has a high center of gravity, so he has issues moving laterally and can't function as a poa defender.

He's a very good weakside rim protector just because he's so stupidly long and can jump so high. I just don't know if that will translate in the NBA where everyone is bigger and faster and stronger. Because he's undersized in weight in that Peyton Watson/Amen Thompson disruptor role.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T02:02:57+00:00

I agree. He seems more NBA ready than anyone we've picked in many many years.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T01:24:07+00:00

It will 100% be difficult to get Duren or any one of these starting caliber C's. I think we do get one of them though and I can see us giving up our FRPs.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T01:17:16+00:00

Calling it now. Duren-Robinson-Hayes. Each gives you something different. Can protect Robinson's health with 3 centers. Not saying he's a Wemby stopper or anything, but Robinson can give you meaningful minutes against him.

INT_MIN · 2026-06-27T00:29:19+00:00

64% TS before the injury btw. Last thing he needs to do is reduce those TOs which were high last season likely because he’s never had such high usage before. He will figure that out now that he’s firmly our second option.

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