Patrick McCaw's departure means another UNLV alum has shed purple and gold
I'll be breaking down each of the three deadline day deals, but I wanted to start off with the one that's seen as puzzling by most pundits - the Lakers sending Georgios Papagiannis, Patrick McCaw, and the Utah Jazz's own first this year to Salt Lake City for Emmanuel Mudiay. It's a deal that speaks to the larger environment of the CSL and the valuation of certain position groups.
Why The Jazz Did This
I've received several emails from readers asking why in the world the Utah Jazz would give up Mudiay - a 22 year old 3 position player who has shuttled between the bench and the starting lineup at SG next to Bryce Cotton. More importantly, why the need for Papagiannis in a Mo Bamba/Kristaps Porzingis frontcourt with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gorgui Dieng down low?
Where does Georgios "Greek Papa" Papagiannis fit in Utah's plans?
On the face of it, Papagiannis's addition might indeed confuse - the 20 year old is a respectable scorer and shotblocker in line with the rest of the Jazz's rotation, but is also only on par with the rest of his new teammates on the offensive boards and is quite poor on the defensive glass. Certainly he doesn't bring the differentiation that Dieng, a hard-nosed rebounder, defender, and shotblocker who doesn't take shots does.
But looking at the immediate impact is the wrong way to go about the review - this was not a move about the current (after their hot start to the season, the Jazz have cooled off into second place in the division behind the Oklahoma City, and are now considered in the second tier of the West's top teams). Rather, this is about the future. Dieng turns 30 next year, and at 20, 22, and 19, the trio of Papa, Porzingod, and Bamba forms a similar age group that create a formidable frontline and cause matchup headaches. All of them have ability to block shots now and with upside (particularly in the newest Jazz's case) and both KP and Papa do it above 50%. While none of the three is great on the offensive glass, Papa does have potential there to grow into fairly good and can become mediocre on the defensive side.
Where the Greek youngster's biggest current asset lies, however, is in his potential to put it in the basket. That will particularly matter in the event of a Porzingis injury. While there's no comparing the two or replacing KP's all-around superstar talent, as a scorer (still with room to grow), Papa provides the inside scoring insurance and depth that deep teams need. We might even see Utah experiment with a Papa/KP lineup that has Bamba play a 6th man role off the bench, depending on the opponent. It's an intriguing possibility - one that would force foes to contend with quality shooting scorers from multiple angles once Papa fulfills his upside.
The first round pick won't matter much - it's a late first in a class that's widely believed to be top-heavy and without the starter-level late depth we've found in the last couple drafts. Call it an opportunity to find a role player, or, far more likely, an asset to be package with other pieces in a consolidation move.
Patrick McCaw doesn't move the needle much in CSL circles, but he's a cheap, young 3 & Dish wing option to come off the bench or be a 5th a starter in some situations. The Lakers liked him a lot as a low usage player who plays solid defense - especially in generating turnovers. Don't be surprised to see him cut in to Trevor Lacey or R.J. Hunter's minutes at SG.
Left unspoken in this deal, but worth considering - Mudiay is in his RFA year. The Utah Jazz are at $80 million for their cap number already. Also in their RFA year - Bojan Bogdanovic, Ish Smith, and Kristaps Porzingis. Even with Bogdan Bogdanovic's 6.5 million expiring, decisions would have to be made - Obviously KP stays. But which of the other RFAs stay? Bogdanovic? Smith? Mudiay if kept? What about 33 year old Stephen Curry, who is also a free agent, and one with a $21.3 million expiring contract?
Dealing Mudiay not only eliminates one of those decisions, but adds two young players in McCaw and Papa who have 1-2 years remaining on their rookie deals, providing more breathing room for what to do this offseason.
Why The Lakers Did This
Emmanuel Mudiay steps in as a new core piece for the Lakers
There's no secret that the Lakers have been hunting for a core point guard since Jeremy Lin left in free agency the summer after the Purple and Gold's lone CSL playoff season. Shane Larkin, Shabazz Napier, Delon Wright - just a few of the names of players who have run point with varying degrees of success or not. The latest is Austin Rivers, who has surprised with his assist numbers, but is a better fit for Napier-style 6th man combo guard role.
Enter Mudiay, who has the best combined floor general skills seen in a Lakers uniform since Lin and an inverse of T.J. McConnell, who was run out of town for not being quite impactful enough on the playmaking end, which won't be a problem for the gifted passing Congolese 22 year old, who has a 2.39 A/TO ratio this season - solid numbers worth of a starting 1 - though most see his future as a 2 guard.
He's also the best on-ball perimeter defender since Lin and McConnell, though his ability to force turnovers is limited and signals a path forward to a brick wall defensive system rather than a pressure-based one - a strategy that's played well in Chicago for years.
The primary concern surrounding Mudiay is, of course, his much-maligned shooting efficiency. In this, he's fortunate to land with the Lakers. GM Jestor is fabled for his ability to correct the shooting mechanics of seemingly flawed players - see Shabazz Napier and DeMar DeRozan, whose career renaissance in purple and gold have continued with their post-Lakers employers. Then there's his NLL successes with late career veteran point guards Jarrett Jack and Steve Francis. All of which is to say if there's anyone in the CSL who can revive a point guard, it's Jestor (hat tip also to emplep7's conversion of Kemba Walker from poor shooter to annual MVP candidate).
Sources tell me the Lakers' vision for Mudiay, whose formative years were in poverty in war-torn Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) before his mother and siblings attained asylum in the United States when he was 5, is to craft him into a pure slasher who can finish inside or kick out to players like Rivers for an open shot. "He's had some conflicting coaching with that other Los Angeles team and in Minnesota," said one team official. "We revived DeRozan who was a former Clipper and we believe we can do the same here."
On the defensive end, some critics have pointed to a 78.4% drive stop rate not in keeping with Mudiay's reported defensive prowess. Another person I spoke to said, "We're not worried about that. It's a situation similar to what George DePaula, another tall point, had early in his career. He got down to his proper playing weight and his defensive numbers skyrocketed. We see the same thing going on with Emmanuel. Another five pounds - get him down to 185 - and he'll see a similar spike."
Although he has the ability to create his own shot, the Lakers aren't predicting their new guard to be a primary option. As one source said, "That's the problem he ran into in San Antonio earlier this year, where he shot 36.6%. The Spurs asked him to be the shot taker in the starting lineup and that's not who he is. He's an ideal #3 option as a slasher and distributor who plays tough defense."
For now, he'll line up at the point alongside Austin Rivers at the 2. Whether Mudiay stays at the 1 or shifts down depends on who else the Lakers acquire. The Bucks are high on Donovan Mitchell and so are the Lakers. In that scenario, Mudiay stays running point. If Frank Ntilikina, whom GM Jestor reportedly raves about, comes to SoCal, Mudiay presumably shifts to SG.
In the frontcourt, the trade solidifies Cheick Diallo's place in the starting frontcourt. It also opens up the possibility for the Lakers to go large in the draft - such as DeAndre Ayton or Wendell Carter. Less certain is Christian Wood's future. Speculation has it that he'll see his team option declined and renounced, but that needs to be weighed against the cap situation across the league, the free agency class, and the loss of Wood's trade value. Further complicating matters - the torn ligament that sidelined the former UNLV star for the rest of the season.
The Goldcess, as Jestor dubbed the Lakers' rebuilding project, still has a long way to go. But in Mudiay, Diallo, and the season surprise in Rivers, we start to see hints of a foundation forming.
2020, 2023, 2027
