I agree, his current contract has 3 more years after this at an avg of 45 mil per - why the heck do we need to extend him this summer? he will be 32 this July, so 35 when this current contract expires - I suggest wait and see how he ages assuming we keep him.
I'm sure you could probably pay one of the many homeless people camped out along that route to hold your spot for you.
Yeah, the 7'1 big shooting almost 50% from three and 75% from two and can guard out on the perimeter, block shots at an elite level, has great defensive instincts, and handle/pass the ball like a guard is overrated. You're talking about how elite players need elite athleticism but were talking about a 7'1 big. Embiid isn't athletic. Jokic isn't athletic. Towns isn't particularly athletic. Gobert isn't either. Knocking a 7'1 big when he's not an elite athlete and ignoring everything else is super silly to me. Thing is, Jabari Smith isn't particularly athletic either. And he has less length. So I assume you have him below Chet?
Scotto: Jusuf Nurkic is the second-best center available on the free agent market after Deandre Ayton as reflected in our HoopsHype 2022 free agent rankings. There’s mutual interest in Nurkic remaining a Blazer past this season, I’ve heard. He wasn’t moved at the deadline even though they got rid of other veterans, which is something to note. I don’t know if he does an extension, but he’s certainly in the mix to be brought back. If he was going to do an extension, what could that look like? Gozlan: Nurkic can get up to four years and $64.5 million. One thing I can see happening, and I’m not sure this is something Nurkic would want, maybe Portland gives him an extension that keeps his trade eligibility and doesn’t make him untradeable for six months. The Timberwolves gave Patrick Beverley a one-year, $13 million extension. There’s no trade restriction with that extension. They can trade him as soon as the offseason begins for them. Maybe they want to give Nurkic something where the extension doesn’t exceed those limits so he can be trade eligible immediately. It would have to be no more than two years and about $26 million. I think Nurkic can get a little more than that, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Then gets played off the floor in the playoffs. Gobert can't guard Reggie Jackson or Terrance Mann. In the regular season he's a beast.
That’s the perimeter defense’s fault, not Gobert. Doesn’t matter who you have at center if the perimeter guys can’t keep anyone in front of them. There’s not a big man alive on the planet that can keep a Ja Morant (or any NBA guard really) consistently in front of them.
Yeah if there is a Durant or CP3 type of fairly certain elite option instead I'd go with that player that has a body to stay on the court. However if the other options aren't elite... then Chet certainly has a lot of upside so I'd be excited to have him on the team.
But the problem is the offense puts 5 guards on the floor and there is nowhere to hide Gobert. The Rockets did it in multiple playoffs, the Clippers last year, and I'd expect we see it from the Jazz opponent this year. Anthony Davis was a big man that could guard smalls when the Lakers won their bubble title. Thats why he was playing at a level above anything Gobert has ever done. Gobert still has a ton of value and is a good role player. But the above is a reason why he can't be one of your main stars on a contender. He can be played off the floor. Unlike Embiid, he can't punish the opponent on the other end.
And Milwaukee won a championship with Brook Lopez starting at center. But unlike Gobert and the Jazz he was surrounded by plus perimeter defenders. It’s a team game, saying you can’t contend with Rudy is ridiculous.
Portland can generate about $31 million or so, but their situation is to be determined. That projection doesn’t include the return of Anfernee Simons orJusuf Nurkic. If they want to bring both of them back in free agency, they basically wouldn’t be a cap space team anymore. They can still have artificial cap space with their trade exceptions. They’ve got a big $21 million exception and a $6.5 million exception. They’d also still have the mid-level exception left over. They could still sign Simons and Nurkic as well.
