Facing Facts

Ainge wants a first rounder each for Clarkson, Bojan, and Malik. Dude is off his rocker. You fleeced Minny, got a solid young piece in Sexton. Be content w/multiple second rounders or highly protected 1st rounders for role-players. Hilarious. IMO Rob has been smart not to trash the future for role-players. This whole “any trade at all needs first round draft picks to happen” will kill the trade market. Look at OKC, for example, everyone holds them up as some shining star of rebuilding geniusness all while they are stuck in a rebuild with no clear path out. Shai won’t stay, either gets traded or walks in free agency. You can’t trade for star talent without young talent but also don’t draft your way into a banner. You augment your team through the draft, maybe groom an alpha alongside someone aging out of it (but when has that really ever worked?). NBA free agency, like California real estate, is broken right now. Lakers might be doing the exact right thing by not over-paying now and betting that the whole “destination franchise” makes us attractive to the best free agents.