Two weeks of wild speculation...damn, I love the NBA.

Tito Horford out here. Opts out and is now and UFA.

Chris Paul for Eric Beldsoe, Tony Snell and Ersan Ilyasova and a second round draft pick.

Money is about even. They get an upgrade at PG and a better fit next to Giannis. E-Bled is younger but I'd venture that Mil has the same level of diminishing returns over 3 yrs with Paul as they would with Bledsoe and they are already trying to offload Snell and Ersan.

Rockets get a competent PG who's score first so he won't be trying to coach Harden, is use to playing with a ball dominant star/playing second or third fiddle. They get a shooter, a 3 and D bench player and a pick.

Giannis/Paul pick and rolls would be devastating. Lopez, Brogdon, Niko (all re-signed) would love playing with Paul because they'd get better shots. And Paul is still good for the timely bucket if Giannis is struggling. Only issue would be durability but Paul could play the same number of minutes bledsoe did (29) to minimize over use and Brogdon can easily slide over to the PG when needed if Paul has to sit out.

than twice the salary for an older player?

>than twice the salary for an older player?

They are trying to trade Snell (12 mil) and ilyasova (7 mil) right now.

Bledsoe and Ersan's contracts run another 3 seasons. Snell's another 2.

The money is practically the same for almost the same period (could always trade Paul when he's close to expiring).

And Paul is better than Bledsoe and a MUCH better fit next to Giannis.

In the playoffs when the Bucks needed a big play that didn't come from Giannis, they came up crickets. Paul can mitigate that.

you made up in your head?

https://hoopshype.com/salaries/houston_rockets/

https://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee_bucks/

Chris Paul makes more that twice what Bledsoe makes and is 6 years older no matter how to try to spin it lol. Bledsoe had an extra year but still the money is not anywhere close. Bledsoe just made first-team all defense.

Also tell me how:

Bledsoe - $15.6 mil
Ersan - $7 mil
Snell - $11.3 mil

Total - $33.9 mil

Is double

CP3 - $38.5 mil

???

>you made up in your head?
>
>https://hoopshype.com/salaries/houston_rockets/
>
>https://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee_bucks/
>
>Chris Paul makes more that twice what Bledsoe makes and is 6
>years older no matter how to try to spin it lol. Bledsoe had
>an extra year but still the money is not anywhere close.
>Bledsoe just made first-team all defense.

Paul is a better player. Avg'd more stls and .1 less blocks than Bledsoe. Is a better shooter and passer. Most importantly, better fit next to Giannis than Bledsoe.

But yeah, I brought this up, never said it was reported anywhere (hence the question being asked). You don't have to agree or think it's a good trade for both teams...I do.

if you try to "package" those other guys in which doesn't make sense those other contracts could more easily be traded off individually and at this point on their careers CP3 is not that much better than Bledsoe for this to even remotely make sense.

Stay off of realGM fam lol

And I think they should go all in on trying to win next season. CP3 been in the West his whole career. Maybe being on the East side is a little easier for him. Kawhi did it for a yr and got a ring lol

I think the Bucks need a distributor and Houston needs a second wheel (not a semi-alpha).

They should just swap headaches. A 2yr rental of Cp3 isn't worse than E-Bled for 2 more seasons IMO.

that last year of $44mil. No GM in his right mind is taking on that contract.

>And I think they should go all in on trying to win next
>season. CP3 been in the West his whole career. Maybe being on
>the East side is a little easier for him. Kawhi did it for a
>yr and got a ring lol
>
>I think the Bucks need a distributor and Houston needs a
>second wheel (not a semi-alpha).
>
>They should just swap headaches. A 2yr rental of Cp3 isn't
>worse than E-Bled for 2 more seasons IMO.

And what exactly is Giannis supposed to be doing while CP3 is dribbling the air out of the ball?

Lot's of last yr contracts get traded for that reason. Or they could let it rock, get a fresh $44 mil to re-tool for another run. Giannis would be 27/28 right in the middle of his prime.

>that last year of $44mil. No GM in his right mind is taking
>on that contract.

A GM with cap and wants an additional asset who wants to make a run at multiple max free agents the next summer might.

>And what exactly is Giannis supposed to be doing while CP3 is
>dribbling the air out of the ball?

1-CP doesn't just dribble the air out the ball
2-A CP/Giannis pick and roll would be like a CP/Deandre Jordan pick and role but better
3-Even if CP did what you're claiming, Giannis can do what he did when Bledsoe did it this season (seeing as Bledsoe had a higher usage rate than Paul).

>Lot's of last yr contracts get traded for that reason. Or
>they could let it rock, get a fresh $44 mil to re-tool for
>another run. Giannis would be 27/28 right in the middle of
>his prime.
>
>>that last year of $44mil. No GM in his right mind is taking
>>on that contract.
>
>A GM with cap and a wants an additional asset who wants to
>make a run at multiple max free agents might the next summer
>might.

I'm talking about a GM that trades for that contract NOW.


>>And what exactly is Giannis supposed to be doing while CP3
>is
>>dribbling the air out of the ball?
>
>1-CP doesn't just dribble the air out the ball
>2-A CP/Giannis pick and roll would be like a CP/Deandre Jordan
>pick and role but better
>3-Even if CP did what you're claiming, Giannis can do what he
>did when Bledsoe did it this season (seeing as Bledsoe had a
>higher usage rate than Paul).


And apparently CP3 wasn't very happy about his usage rate this year lol

>I'm talking about a GM that trades for that contract NOW.

If it's basically a swap out of cash (almost even money), the GM won't be as worried (and the deal I proposed is within range...maybe one extra throw in to make it even).

>And apparently CP3 wasn't very happy about his usage rate this
>year lol

Even if it increased, an extra 2% usage to 24%, which is what he was at the 2 seasons prior isn't killing the Bucks offense. Dude is a good passer and will find shooters. Much more than Bledsoe. So if he has the ball, other people will likely benefit. Who's going to complain about getting more/easier shots?

likes their job lol

That deal makes some sense for the Bucks maybe, though it's a race against time. They might only get one good year out of Paul, if that.

But how does it make any sense for Houston?

probably have a handshake deal under the table to spread his money out for cap relief

and fml, the celtics have just fucked up this year in record breaking fashion. Al and Kyrie are walking, they have some mid-teens picks in a shallow draft and Rozier's probably not staying which is fine (he was definitely part of the problem this year, even though I think he's a good starting quality guard) except that the team suddenly lacks guards and centers.


and they'd have to renounce all their FAs to be able to make a max offer and who is taking that offer now? damn, danny's taking an L unless a miracle happens.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

That what they said this morning on Get Up.

I kinda see.

Harrison Barnes and Horford are two of those guys that can secure longer term deals

have some leverage.

That's what the guys said, this morning, on Get Up.

Harrison Barnes and Horford are two of those guys that can secure longer term deals.


I prematurely pressed the button earlier when someone unexpectedly stepped into my office.

Its hard for them to go for this, after what happened with the Amar'e - Carmelo mashup that never really took hold.

I hope they trade down. And I would like for us to sign Brogdon (not as a max) and Jimmy Buckets, then draft a big (Hachimura) and a shooter to go with them.

That's just about the perfect spot for him.

Take on the bad two year deals to tread water till next year.

Good luck, man

He might not get the same type of yearly averages that he has now but could secure a four to five year deal that puts him back into a familiar setting and that would call for him to be Steph's sidekick while Klay is down for the year.

Even with KD leaving, the Warriors are going to be over the cap (please correct me if I'm wrong).

So they wouldn't be able to absorb Barnes contract unless he signed for the tax mid-level exception which for them is ~7M.

Barnes signing back with the Warriors would be weird. He'd be replacing the player the team replaced him with.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/cap/

What would happen with KD and Boogie off the books?

Opt out of 25 mil to get a longer term deal for financial security. Someone will throw like 4/70 at him - and it’s less than 25/yr but a lot of teams have money this year. Who knows next year.

.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents/

But I see a clear path to them building the best team in the league before the end of July.

Guys like Taj Gibson, Deandre Jordan, Robin Lopez, Trevor Ariza, JJ Redick, Tyler Johnson, Darren Collison, Pat Bev, Marcus Morris, Seth Curry, Trey Burke, Manimal...these dudes might take that one yr title run. Some of them are old enough (but still productive enough) to ring chase.

Those vet min and exception deals might end up being better than people think.

Wiz got some things to think about.

It would be better if we had an actual front office though.

>It would be better if we had an actual front office though.

He really looks like an idiot right now.

https://twitter.com/Ryan_Cortes/status/1141447639189327878

This NBA "insider" on twitter is saying as much

.

Pistons will have a little less money next summer, and Snell has a player option for another year, but Leuer was a nonfactor and Snell is going to start

and after no 1st round draft pick last year, 15 and 30 feels like more than it probably actually is. good deal.

though I did want them to go after Conley, Jazz beat them to it.

time for a J&J Reboot

Thank about it. He was considered a joke before his friend and former teammate gifted him KG. That totally changed the narrative.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Thank about it. He was considered a joke before his friend
>and former teammate gifted him KG. That totally changed the
>narrative.

I hope McHale gets a percentage of his check every week lol

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2841266-nba-draft-rumors-tracker-analysis-predictions-for-top-prospects-trade-targets#slide7

"Not so fast.

The Kyrie Irving-to-the-Brooklyn-Nets union seemed like a foregone conclusion for the last few days, but rumblings emerged Wednesday suggesting the Nets might pass.

"The Post has confirmed Brooklyn might have qualms about signing the enigmatic Irving if he isn't bringing the injured Durant with him," Brian Lewis of the New York Post wrote."

U beat me to it.....The Nets were basically using Kyrie as "clickbait" for Durant. Now that Durant is rumored to re-sign with GS they want NO PARTS of solo Kyrie....lol

a no defense playing ball hogging time-bomb.

>a no defense playing ball hogging time-bomb.

But as a stand-alone guy it seems like a repeat of the Celtics move at best. I guess they could play Kyrie and Russell together as a combo backcourt.

Nothing would please me more than to see Jah commit himself to improved defense and passing and find a permanent place in this league.

Anti-gentrification, cheap alcohol & trying to look pretty in our twilight posting years (c) Big Reg
http://www.Tupreme.com

right now right...

led by the Bruin Backcourt though..

Agendas-o-plenty

Baynes signed his player option like two weeks ago and now they're trying to trade him. It's mutual because he signed thinking the Cs were contenders. jesus...

anyway,if they can trade Baynes, they get real close to max cap space (like that matters...ain't no one going to boston).

the good news is this basically means Smart/Jaylen/Jayson are THE core and they're fun to watch (but not contender quality) . but there is zero team around them now.

-----------
you think we playing chess, but i'm playing mad-making. Basaglia

>the good news is this basically means Smart/Jaylen/Jayson are
>THE core and they're fun to watch (but not contender quality)
>. but there is zero team around them now.


Hayward is not going anywhere for a couple of years lol

Deandre Jordan
Harrison Barnes
Al Horford
Kyrie Irving
Tobias Harris (I think Jimmy stays not sure about Tobias)
Jonas Valanciunas
Trevor Ariza
Taj Gibson
Ricky Rubio
Robin Lopez
Terrence Ross
Thad Young
KCP
Rudy Gay
Rajon Rondo
Julius Randle
Nikola Mirotic
Dewayne Dedmon
Jeremy Lamb
Pat Bev
D'Angelo Russell
Demarcus Cousins
Born Ready
Marcus Morris
Markeiff Morris
Ed Davis
Elfrid Payton
Rodney Hood
Seth Curry
Jeff Green
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Derrick Rose
Terry Rozier
Lil Zeke
Tyson Chandler
Bobby Portis
Malcolm Brogdon
Tyus Jones
Thomas Bryant
Kenneth Faried
Wes Matthews
Enes Kanter

^^^I think these guys will determine a lot of the story lines of 2019/2020.

.

pajamas out the bottom of the drawer

Gonna be hard enough to root for a bad Knicks team with one Duke player.

Yeah he’s the exact type that would ruin their rebuild. He hasnt made one player better in his entire career. You think he’s gonna start now? FOH

Charlie ward mark Jackson and John starks were all bums


>Yeah he’s the exact type that would ruin their rebuild. He
>hasnt made one player better in his entire career. You think
>he’s gonna start now? FOH

Mark was good early on
Derek Harper was at the tail end of his career, but still good
And Steph was great when he first got there. The team went to shit though.

Walt Frazier was that dude though.Michael Ray Richardson is slept on, he had some really good years in the early 80s. Marbury was aight still when he got there.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1143244996046282752

I generally have minimal investment in these types of headlines, but this KD take sounds way more accurate to me than the "oh yeah he's DEF staying w the team that rushed him back on the court" takes from a week ago

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2842500-kd-kyrie-met-twice-to-discuss-teaming-up-kawhi-still-has-nba-guessing?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national

The bond between two players who have a history of relationships gone awry—Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving—could well determine the biggest winners and losers in this year's All-Star-rich free-agent market.

At the crux of the rising drama and uncertainty surrounding where some of the league's top names will ply their trade next season are signals that Irving is as set on playing for the Brooklyn Nets as Durant is bound for the New York Knicks. Which wouldn't create any problems if not for the fact that Durant and Irving have been plotting for weeks, if not months, to continue their careers on the same team.

So which scenario will prevail? Good question.

It hardly helps that both Durant and Irving have a history of being temperamental and, at times, enigmatic. Irving abruptly went from a preseason pledge to stay with the Boston Celtics to bluntly stating he didn't "owe anybody s--t" when asked again about his intentions in February. No specific reason has been given for his change of heart, although a source close to Irving points to a tiff with team president Danny Ainge about how Irving was attempting to lead the club. Irving also, at one point, pretended to sincerely argue the earth was flat. It's not exactly the kind of track record that engenders confidence when you're about to make him your highest-paid player and team leader.

Durant's reputation for being forthright, meanwhile, has never completely recovered from the discovery that he had a secret social media account through which he commented on his reasons for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder as if he were a fan with inside knowledge—knowledge that Durant had previously publicly denied.

"Whatever Kevin is planning to do," says one league executive who has known Durant since he entered the NBA, "he is going to change his mind at least 25 times before he actually does it."

All of which makes it a challenge to handicap who will end up where. All that is fairly certain is that, eight days from now, more than a half-dozen NBA teams will scrap with one another for the right to hand out maximum-salary contracts to as many as nine players.

While Kawhi Leonard is the most highly sought free agent after winning his second Finals MVP with the Toronto Raptors and Durant is likely to miss all of next season recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, whether or not Durant and Irving make their vision of playing together a reality is expected to be the most important, if not first, domino to fall.

Weeks after he helped the Raptors win their first championship, Kawhi Leonard still has much of the NBA uncertain as to where he will land in free agency.
Weeks after he helped the Raptors win their first championship, Kawhi Leonard still has much of the NBA uncertain as to where he will land in free agency.Ben Margot/Associated Press/Associated Press
Let's sort through what we know as of now...

• Durant and Irving, league sources say, have met twice in recent weeks to discuss their desire to continue their careers on the same team, an idea forged while playing together on the U.S. national team. The first meeting took place in the Bay Area while Durant nursed a strained right calf; the second occurred in New York shortly after Durant had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

• Questions that linger over whether the strained calf led to the Achilles injury, and if the Golden State Warriors made him aware of that possibility, remain unanswered. But the indication from several league sources is that Durant is not happy with the team, and the presumption is that it stems from whatever role Warriors officials played in his decision to suit up. Coach Steve Kerr says he was told Durant could not further injure himself by playing, which obviously proved not to be true. If Durant was told the same, it would give credence to the notion that, as one league executive claims, "He's really pissed off at the Warriors."

• Ever since Durant signed a two-year deal with an opt-out clause after one season last summer, speculation has run rampant, both inside and outside the Warriors organization, that he intended to leave the Bay Area, with team and league sources pointing to the Knicks as his intended destination. In an overtime loss against the Los Angeles Clippers in November, Durant and Draymond Green argued over an end-of-game decision by Green not to give Durant the ball. Green, later that same night, reportedly questioned Durant's commitment to the team. Although both players later insisted the dispute was overblown and quickly resolved, sources familiar with Durant's off-court business say Durant has since purchased a new home in New York and moved his belongings there.

Durant already has multiple ties to the Knicks. General manager Scott Perry was an assistant GM with the Seattle/Oklahoma City franchise when the team drafted him. Durant is the godfather to a daughter of Royal Ivey (Lyric Ella), a fellow University of Texas alum, former Thunder teammate and now a Knicks assistant coach. DeAndre Jordan, who played for the Knicks this past season and is also a free agent, is another Durant confidant. Rich Kleiman, Durant's agent and business manager, is also a New Yorker and a Knicks fan who allegedly has long dreamed of being part of the organization.

• Irving, meanwhile, also recently purchased a new home in South Orange, New Jersey, but league sources say he is pressing Durant to join him with the Nets and is trying to recruit Jordan as well. Durant did have his Achilles repaired by a Nets team physician, Dr. Martin O'Malley, but the New York Post's Mark Fischer quoted one of O'Malley's medical colleagues warning not to read too much into that.

• While sources close to Durant and the teams involved say neither the Knicks nor Nets are concerned about signing him to a maximum four-year deal even if he's unavailable most of next season, his injury has shrunk the number of teams interested overall. One league executive said the Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, who were both at one point interested, have backed off their pursuit because they are focused on building off their playoff success this past season.

• Though Durant is the one who's injured, Irving enters free agency as damaged goods as well. The chemistry issues that undermined his current team, the Celtics, has executives throughout the league as concerned about his leadership skills as they are enthralled with his talent. Signing him as a package deal with Durant is far more appealing than doing so as a lone addition, where he would be the best player on the team, recreating the dynamic that failed so miserably in Boston.

The chemistry issues that plagued the Celtics this season have some NBA executives wary of making Kyrie Irving the leader of their franchise.
The chemistry issues that plagued the Celtics this season have some NBA executives wary of making Kyrie Irving the leader of their franchise.Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
• While the consensus is that neither Durant nor Irving intend to return to their current teams, the picture is less clear among league executives about where Leonard will end up.

While the odds-on favorites are the Clippers—fulfilling Leonard's supposed interest in playing where he grew up—one Eastern Conference vice president says the Raptors still have a "fighting chance" to re-sign him, while a Western Conference VP says the Lakers are operating as if "they think they have a strong shot" at adding Leonard after acquiring New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis to play alongside their incumbent star, LeBron James, in a deal that can't be officially consummated until next month.

To offer Leonard a max salary, however, the Lakers would have to push back the timing of their proposed deal for Davis to late July—which multiple reports state will not happen—or move additional players to open salary-cap room, which would then require a number of veterans to take league-minimum salaries to fill out the Lakers roster.

The Knicks, sources familiar with the team's thinking say, also believe they will get a chance to pitch Leonard on joining Durant in New York if Irving and the Nets strike a deal without Durant as part of it.

• The list of former or current All-Stars on the market grew with the report that Celtics center Al Horford is opting out of his contract and, as with Irving, not planning to return. The other key guys are Khris Middleton, Leonard, Durant, Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Klay Thompson, although Thompson never expressed an interest in leaving the Warriors and is even less likely to do so after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the Finals.

Speculation is that Horford has been made aware that a team is willing to give him a much more lucrative deal than the Celtics are, prompting his change of heart. The Pelicans, Clippers and Dallas Mavericks have all been mentioned as teams willing to make that promise, league sources say.

• More than a few of the players listed above, along with 76ers free-agent forward Tobias Harris, could land maximum-salary contracts—or terms close to one—in part because of their appeal in landing or keeping another bona fide max-salary player, several league executives say.

Tobias Harris may secure a max contract this summer partly based on his ability to lure another star to play alongside him.
Tobias Harris may secure a max contract this summer partly based on his ability to lure another star to play alongside him.Chris Szagola/Associated Press
The Knicks, for example, are not likely to offer Walker anything close to a max-salary deal unless A) they strike out on Leonard and Irving, and B) acquiring him is the link to signing Durant. Butler and Harris appear to be in the same pool: players who could command bigger contracts if signing them is a prerequisite for landing Durant or Leonard or keeping James happy. Similarly, the Bucks are expected to offer Middleton a max-salary contract to maintain their chance of keeping resident superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo when he enters free agency following the 2020-21 season. Thompson is almost certain to receive a max-salary offer, with the Warriors looking to persuade their fanbase the team will be (eventually) worth paying top dollar for tickets in its new San Francisco arena.

Which brings it all back to KD, who also developed a kinship with Butler on the national team and supposedly expressed a desire that they play together. Just as he supposedly told Thompson they had unfinished business after they suffered their respective injuries. Will these envisioned alliances or intentions become a reality? Which ones? In light of all the aspirations of players and teams alike, there's only one certainty:

Someone is not going to get what they had hoped for.

.

B/W Morey is an idiot.

The possible scenario for this to happen...is pretty far fetched

But it would definitely be entertaining

Jimmy leaving PHL would be a mistake

He’s our leader...until Jo/Ben mature into the role

We defer to him in must score situations

I could go on...but I don’t see it.

idk how you can look at cp3 and harden and be like yeah i want to through jimmy motherfucking butler into that frying pan. that's a GREAT idea.

force his way to the Rockets to play 3rd fiddle to Harden & CP3 and watch them dribble the air out of the ball every night and where they already have drama?

And what player on Houston’s roster is Philly trading for?

attention to your dumbass jokes

DM that somehow got made public but wouldn't it have been easier to just type the player's name instead of trying to be cute?

I think its kind of weird for a grown man to call another grown man that anyway but we won't go there.

Like if he met JR Smith in person would he be like "What's up PIPE?" I guess some dudes actually asked him to sign a pipe so its not that far-fetched...: https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/1049841

Its funny because the guys in this pic is what I picture most of the posters on this board looking like lol

or you can use Google

keeps up with your dumbass jokes and personal nicknames no matter how clever YOU think they are lol.

.

I'm sure JR and Bron have laughed that off over some expensive wine, already.

they'll need people on the cheap, he's played with LeBron; he didn't really play at all last season so who knows. I'm thinking it's a James Jones situation.

he nutted up in that Finals and that's what folks will remember, but he knows how to play basketball...with Lebron...and he'll be dumb cheap.

Say what you will about the guy, that takes some big ones to walk away from $30M to just rehab.

GS or somebody else.

literally sit on that $31 million for a year and then handle contract situations next off-season.

but to sign a long term max when sitting for a year? his response would most likely be "do you know who i am" which is valid.

if he knows theres a couple of teams willing to max him out right now he needs to jump on it.

if he signs the option yeah he gets that $31 million now but depending on how his rehab goes theres a risk that teams aren't willing to give him the max next year.

leave a ton of money on the table AND go to new franchise where fans won't be nearly as patient as they would in northern California...

unless he really thinks the Warriors fucked him over with this injury I can't see him leaving.

He COULD do another 1+1 deal but I think he wants to not fuck around and secure the bag now.

Had he opted in, they could have had insurance cover 80% of his salary since it was under an existing contract. With it being a new contract, they can't file a claim against it. It seems a clear indication that he isn't going back to them.

for a pick to flip for Jimmy - Woj/Zach Lowe

I guess they need to clear their next 3 highest salaries to bring Jimmy in...

...but then they literally have nobody else on their roster...

They trade those 3...get Jimmy back...they've got
Beard
CP3
Jimmy
and Nene

+ you can bank on Jimmy and CP3 missing games

= WTF

They like, just signed Capella to this contract last year right?

And he and Tucker are both basically underpaid in today’s NBA.

Jimmy’s going to get paid 10-12 million a season more than their contracts combined.

Even if KD and Klay both resign, they're both out for, at minimum, a massive chunk of next season. If there's a team in the West that was waiting for a break in the Warriors domination, next year is an easy window to target. Plus, with CP3 not getting any younger, it's win now now now. One could argue that next year, with a Big Three, is maybe the best shot they have with this squad.

locker room apart, now you’re gonna drop Jimmy in there to play 3rd fiddle to those ball dominators?

Jimmy ain’t signing up for that lol

$25.6 mil for next season.

>$25.6 mil for next season.

that's a big payday for one year and some team will offer him a longer deal next year anyway. also related, they just won the nba championship

are basically locked in on each other for him to be there as soon as FA starts.

Not as impressive but much more reliable and lower maintenance.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2699335&mesg_id=2699335&page=#2700385

>

the could stall on making a counter-offer tying up our money preventing us from making other moves.

2 as much as Russell showed last season a contract year he is still developing and we are trying to win NOW.

This would be the smart move for the Lakers. D'Angelo will not cost "MAX" money.And it would allow the Lakers to get another starter-quality player.

Not every NBA team can land a ready-made superstar this summer. Here are five players (plus six more) who can make a big difference for a relative bargain.

By Dan Devine Jun 26, 2019, 6:45am EDT

NBA free agency kicks off on Sunday, and, if you’re reading this, it’s a good bet that you’re already very familiar with the most sought-after items on teams’ shopping lists. But you need more than a superstar or two to succeed in this league; just ask the Raptors, who a scant two weeks ago hoisted the Larry O’B powered by one true blue-chipper and a bunch of carefully chosen complementary pieces. Every team would love to add a Kawhi Leonard, a healthy Kevin Durant, or Kyrie Irving (or his talent, anyway). The difference between winning and losing, though, so often exists in the margins, and in the magic smart teams can make within them.

As we get set for this weekend’s feeding frenzy, let’s take a look at some below-the-fold types whom smart teams should be targeting, starting with low-key difference-makers in Indiana ...

Thaddeus Young
Power forward | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 31

OK, OK: I’m aware that focusing on a fill-in-the-blanks power forward on the wrong side of 30 who’s averaged 15 points per game only three times in 12 pro seasons removes all doubt about how thoroughly washed I am. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong! Young is good, and probably better than you think.

The 6-foot-8, 221-pound forward is about as reliable as it gets. He has missed two games in the past two seasons and played in 73 or more in each of the past seven. He’s a dependable, versatile defender with the quickness to slide with guards and swingmen in space and the bulk to bang down low; save for Leonard’s work in the Eastern Conference finals, nobody’s done a better job of checking newly minted MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the past few years than Young.

Young makes his mark in the areas we often overlook. He keeps plays alive and ranks 10th among big-minute forwards in offensive rebound rate since coming into the league in 2007. He uses his length and quick hands to disrupt opposing offenses, ranking fifth in that group in steal percentage over that same period and finishing third in the league in deflections last season. He’s not an elite scorer, but he can bull his way to the basket and get you a bucket in the post. He’s not a playmaking stretch-4, but he can make the extra pass and hit a 3 off the catch. He’s a valued locker-room leader who has, just about every season, made his team better whenever he’s on the floor. Teams with a hole at the 4 could do a hell of a lot worse than looking to fill it with Young, a plug-and-play starter who does just about everything at a B or B-plus level.

Friendly suggestion: Jazz (if they move on from Derrick Favors), Celtics (if Al Horford’s out the door), Nuggets (if they decline Paul Millsap’s $30 million option)

Bojan Bogdanovic
Small forward | UFA | Age: 30

The Croatian forward opened a lot of eyes in the second half of last season while shouldering the burden of being Indiana’s no. 1 offensive option following Victor Oladipo’s season-ending quadriceps injury. He also helped the Pacers stay in the mix for home-court advantage in Round 1 until the dying embers of the regular season. After Oladipo went down, Bogdanovic averaged 20.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, and posted a sterling true shooting percentage of 61.3 percent despite finishing more than a quarter of the Pacers’ offensive possessions. Only five players produced that combination of usage and shooting efficiency over the full 2018-19 season—four league MVPs and one of the most gifted big men in the sport.

Now, no one is saying that the 6-foot-8, 216-pound forward is about to join Giannis, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Karl-Anthony Towns in the ranks of the league’s elite offensive talents. But his ability to stroke the 3 and work off screens, threaten defenses both off the bounce as an emerging pick-and-roll operator and off the ball as a weak-side cutter, and credibly defend both frontcourt spots makes him an intriguing option for teams in need of firepower that lack the scratch to shop at the top of the free-agent market.

Bogdanovic will likely command a significant raise over the $10.5 million he earned last year in Indiana. (In a possibly related story, the Pacers traded for a new offense-first combo forward in T.J. Warren.) But for a team looking for a secondary creator with the juice to do more when called upon, Bogdanovic could be well worth the price.

Friendly suggestion: Spurs (if they can make a couple of moves), Lakers

Patrick Beverley
Point guard | UFA | Age: 30

Beverley is an attractive free-agent target because he can fit into a ton of different roster constructions. Just about every team could use an excellent on-ball defender at the point of attack, a player who can initiate offense, cede control of the action to a more dominant scoring force, and finish a play with a spot-up triple or a drive past a closeout.

He’d make sense grinding alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Lakers, or back with the Clippers as part of an evolved roster possibly built around a certain Finals MVP. He’d make sense for rebuilding teams with high-usage pieces already in place—say, next to Luka Doncic in Dallas, or Devin Booker in Phoenix, or the burbling young core in his native Chicago. It remains to be seen how long teams will be willing to commit to a hard-charging type with a lengthy injury history—Beverley has played more than 65 games just three times in seven NBA seasons (and he turns 31 on July 12). And it’ll be interesting to see whether Beverley, who has never made more than $6.5 million in a season, will prioritize title contention or making the top dollar in what could be his last chance to secure the bag.

Whichever route he goes, dudes who know their roles, never stop playing them, and hold their teammates accountable for doing likewise are worth their weight in gold—especially when they can stand toe-to-toe with immortals in the crucible of the postseason without blinking or backing down.

Friendly suggestion: Lakers, Suns, Mavericks, Bulls, Clippers, Celtics

Jeremy Lamb
Shooting guard | UFA | Age: 27

It went largely unremarked upon, because nobody really paid too much attention to the non–Kemba Walker Hornets last season, but Lamb just had himself a career year. Away from the prying eyes of the basketball-watching public, Lamb has become a versatile and vital complementary wing; the UConn product was one of only 21 players in the league last season to average 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a steal per game—a group full of All-Stars and highly touted youngsters headed that way.

At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Lamb can check a bunch of boxes for teams in need of a multifaceted solution at the swing spots. He’s not necessarily a lockdown artist, but he can reasonably defend multiple perimeter positions. He’s a legitimate threat spotting up off the ball, and shot 38.5 percent from 3 on catch-and-shoot tries in each of the past two campaigns. His shot accuracy on corner 3s last season ranked in the 99th percentile in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. He’s also a viable secondary creator who can run some two-man game; Lamb finished in the 73rd percentile or better as the ball handler in the pick-and-roll in each of the past four seasons on a sample of more than 1,000 such plays, according to Synergy Sports Technology’s charting.

The Hornets obviously have bigger fish to fry in free agency. Charlotte already has nearly $98 million in guaranteed salary on the books before any potential new deal for Walker; if Michael Jordan backs up the Brink’s truck to bring Kemba back, the Hornets will be deep into luxury tax territory, and could have a hard time justifying the extra expenditure to keep Lamb in the fold. Food for thought for teams that might not be able to afford someone like Khris Middleton or Malcolm Brogdon, but could still use some help on the wing.

Friendly suggestion: Lakers, Pacers, Magic, 76ers (if they lose their max guys)

Tomas Satoransky
Point guard | Restricted free agent | Age: 27

Trying to sign another team’s restricted free agent is always a dicey proposition. Having your cap space tied up for two days while the incumbent team decides how to play things can mean missing out on other opportunities to improve your team, and if that team decides to match your offer sheet, you wind up with bupkis to show for it beyond maybe building some goodwill with an agent. If you’re going to target a restricted type to poach, though, it makes sense to go after a guard on a team that has already maxed out two of them. Washington will pay $65.2 million for John Wall and Bradley Beal next year, despite only one of them being able to play, and that number will only go up in the years to come. As a result, a Wizards front office still without a long-term GM might blanch at the idea of flirting with the luxury tax to lock in a third guard.

Despite that third-guard billing, Satoransky has proved capable of handling a lead role in the NBA. He made 84 starts in place of an injured Wall during the past two seasons and put up strong numbers in his stead, averaging 10.6 points, 6.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 31.8 minutes per game, with 50/44/83 shooting splits. He’s not a top-shelf individual shot creator and is much more likely to shoot off the catch than off a live dribble, which can limit the amount of pressure he puts on a defense in the half court. But he’s a steady hand with good vision who makes smart decisions with the ball. He tied for 12th in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio in 2018-19, and is a bona fide glue guy who knows how to run a team unselfishly. (Never forget: #EverybodyEats.) At 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, he’s got the size to help plug gaps defensively at either guard spot, and the smarts to be in the right spot in the team scheme more often than not.

Satoransky’s no star, but he’s solid, and at a position as critical as the point, that matters. Maybe, with Wall out of the picture for the foreseeable future and few other bankable ball handlers and movers in the mix, Washington can’t afford to lose him. But with the tax looming, an offer sheet with some teeth could force the Wiz to swallow hard and part ways with a high-floor table-setter who can also do damage spotting up.

Friendly suggestion: Pacers, Suns, Magic

Some Honorable Mentions

Julius Randle, PF, UFA

I’ll be honest: I still don’t know exactly what to make of Randle. There’s so much to like on the offensive end of the floor. Last season, he turned in a career year in New Orleans: 21.4 points and 3.1 assists in 30.6 minutes per game, a surprising 34.4 percent mark from 3-point range on almost three tries a night, looking for stretches like an unguardable Juggernaut rampaging in the open court to the basket. And then, well, there’s the other end.

ESPN’s real plus-minus graded Randle as one of the least helpful big men in the league last season; opponents shot 64.7 percent at the rim with Randle contesting, which landed him 40th out of 48 bigs to defend at least four up-close tries a game. Even so, he had a positive on-court/off-court differential last season for the first time in his career, and at just 24 years old, with his résumé as a scorer and rebounder, someone’s going to pay to find out whether he can put it all together and become a star. It just might not be a very good team.

Reggie Bullock, SF/SG, UFA

Everybody needs big wings who can shoot, and over the past four seasons, only 14 players who have attempted at least 500 3-pointers have shot ’em more accurately than Bullock. Things didn’t go so hot for him after he joined the Lakers at the trade deadline, but you’d be hard-pressed to pin that clusterfuck on him. Granted a stable role playing alongside facilitators who’ll know when, where, and how to get him the ball, Bullock, 28, seems a good bet to return to being one of the league’s best catch-and-shoot marksmen. And while he’s far from a shutdown defender, he’s got size (6-foot-7, 6-foot-9 wingspan) and enough athleticism to at least compete enough on that end to stay on the floor. He may yet be a central-casting shooter alongside LeBron in L.A.; the Lakers have his Bird rights, so they could go over the cap to re-sign him after making more moves to round out their roster. If he chooses to look elsewhere, though, he’d likely draw interest; he’d be helpful just about everywhere.

Terrence Ross, SF/SG, UFA

Once again: Everybody needs big wings who can shoot, and no bench player made more triples last season than Ross’s 217, a career high and the 10th-best mark in the entire NBA. In his seventh season, the 6-foot-7 former Raptor settled comfortably into a role as Orlando’s designated microwave, an inveterate gunner who started firing as soon as he checked in and didn’t stop until he checked out; only Harden, Steph, Eric Gordon, and kindred spirit Gerald Green jacked more 3s per 100 possessions. Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has said that keeping Ross and All-Star center Nikola Vucevic will be the team’s top priority this summer, but if Ross, 28, is cool with staying in that Human Torch role off the bench, he could be the sort of carry-the-offense-for-a-few-minutes option another playoff hopeful would love to have around.

Ricky Rubio, PG, UFA

Rubio’s time as the starting point guard in Utah ended as soon as the Jazz swung their deal for Mike Conley, a similarly heady playmaker who packs the 3-point shooting punch that Rubio has just never been able to consistently provide. His defensive aptitude, genius court vision, and passing flair still have value, though, especially for teams that could benefit by upgrading from underwhelming to simply solid at the point. Our Kevin O’Connor has reported that the Pacers, who leaned hard on Darren Collison and Cory Joseph last season, are interested in the 28-year-old Spaniard.

JaMychal Green, PF, UFA

The ex-Grizzlies big man made a seamless transition into the Clippers’ playoff rotation after joining the team at February’s trade deadline. That’s thanks in large part to the work he’s put into becoming a rare combination of floor-spacing and glass-cleaning; the 6-foot-9 forward last season became one of just six players in Basketball-Reference’s database to shoot at least 40 percent from 3-point range on 150-plus attempts and have a defensive rebounding rate north of 24 percent. Green’s also a smart veteran frontcourt defender who can moonlight as a small-ball 5 in a pinch—the Clips outscored Golden State by 15 points in 89 Green-at-center minutes in their first-round playoff series, which could make him more attractive to teams looking to add more two-way versatility in the frontcourt.

And One Not-Quite-Free Agent: Derrick Favors

Derrick Favors started 70 games for the Jazz last season, and helped Utah make its third consecutive trip to the playoffs with his bruising work as a screener, interior scorer, and paint-patrolling defender. A team built on its defense has maintained confidence in the viability of a Favors–Rudy Gobert frontcourt, despite the lack of 3-point shooting and floor spacing that combo provides and the challenges that can create in the playoffs. Favors also eats up center minutes when Gobert leaves the floor, ensuring that the Jazz have an elite interior menace on the court at virtually all times. He probably isn’t going anywhere.

And yet: It’s possible that the Jazz, seeing an opportunity to break all the way through to the top of the West given the chaos in Golden State and the addition of Conley, could explore options for more big-game hunting this summer. (Especially considering Utah traded Jae Crowder, its only real stretch-4 and a linchpin of its best lineups during the past two seasons, in the Conley deal.) One quick path to creating significant salary cap space to do so is waiving Favors before July 6, thus striking his non-guaranteed $16.9 million contract from the books. Of note: Tony Jones of The Athletic tweeted Monday that, while the Jazz love Favors, “he’s not a lock to come back” should Utah work its way into something interesting over the next few days.

If Favors shakes loose, expect a bunch of good teams to be in on him. The only reason Gobert’s defensive on-court/off-court numbers weren’t eye-popping during his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year campaign is because Favors was so friggin’ good backing him up. Opponents shot just 50.1 percent at the basket with Favors defending, the no. 1 mark among 107 big men to face at least three such shots per game last season. He’s mobile enough to defend in space, too, while remaining an efficient pick-and-roll finisher, a mauling back-to-the-basket scorer, and an excellent rebounder on both ends. And he’ll turn just 28 on July 15, meaning you’ll still be getting prime years on his next contract.

Favors will probably remain a foundational piece of the Jazz roster as they try to get past the second round for the first time since 2007, and to make it out of the West for the first time since the heyday of Stockton-to-Malone. Just something to keep an eye on as things start to get wild.

>
>Thaddeus Young
>Power forward | Unrestricted free agent | Age: 31
>
>OK, OK: I’m aware that focusing on a fill-in-the-blanks
>power forward on the wrong side of 30 who’s averaged 15
>points per game only three times in 12 pro seasons removes all
>doubt about how thoroughly washed I am. But that doesn’t
>mean I’m wrong! Young is good, and probably better than you
>think.
>
>The 6-foot-8, 221-pound forward is about as reliable as it
>gets. He has missed two games in the past two seasons and
>played in 73 or more in each of the past seven. He’s a
>dependable, versatile defender with the quickness to slide
>with guards and swingmen in space and the bulk to bang down
>low; save for Leonard’s work in the Eastern Conference
>finals, nobody’s done a better job of checking newly minted
>MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the past few years than Young.
>
>Young makes his mark in the areas we often overlook. He keeps
>plays alive and ranks 10th among big-minute forwards in
>offensive rebound rate since coming into the league in 2007.
>He uses his length and quick hands to disrupt opposing
>offenses, ranking fifth in that group in steal percentage over
>that same period and finishing third in the league in
>deflections last season. He’s not an elite scorer, but he
>can bull his way to the basket and get you a bucket in the
>post. He’s not a playmaking stretch-4, but he can make the
>extra pass and hit a 3 off the catch. He’s a valued
>locker-room leader who has, just about every season, made his
>team better whenever he’s on the floor. Teams with a hole at
>the 4 could do a hell of a lot worse than looking to fill it
>with Young, a plug-and-play starter who does just about
>everything at a B or B-plus level.
>
>Friendly suggestion: Jazz (if they move on from Derrick
>Favors), Celtics (if Al Horford’s out the door), Nuggets (if
>they decline Paul Millsap’s $30 million option)


>
>Tomas Satoransky
>Point guard | Restricted free agent | Age: 27
>
>Trying to sign another team’s restricted free agent is
>always a dicey proposition. Having your cap space tied up for
>two days while the incumbent team decides how to play things
>can mean missing out on other opportunities to improve your
>team, and if that team decides to match your offer sheet, you
>wind up with bupkis to show for it beyond maybe building some
>goodwill with an agent. If you’re going to target a
>restricted type to poach, though, it makes sense to go after a
>guard on a team that has already maxed out two of them.
>Washington will pay $65.2 million for John Wall and Bradley
>Beal next year, despite only one of them being able to play,
>and that number will only go up in the years to come. As a
>result, a Wizards front office still without a long-term GM
>might blanch at the idea of flirting with the luxury tax to
>lock in a third guard.
>
>Despite that third-guard billing, Satoransky has proved
>capable of handling a lead role in the NBA. He made 84 starts
>in place of an injured Wall during the past two seasons and
>put up strong numbers in his stead, averaging 10.6 points, 6.1
>assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 31.8 minutes per
>game, with 50/44/83 shooting splits. He’s not a top-shelf
>individual shot creator and is much more likely to shoot off
>the catch than off a live dribble, which can limit the amount
>of pressure he puts on a defense in the half court. But he’s
>a steady hand with good vision who makes smart decisions with
>the ball. He tied for 12th in the league in assist-to-turnover
>ratio in 2018-19, and is a bona fide glue guy who knows how to
>run a team unselfishly. (Never forget: #EverybodyEats.) At
>6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, he’s got the size to help plug gaps
>defensively at either guard spot, and the smarts to be in the
>right spot in the team scheme more often than not.
>
>Satoransky’s no star, but he’s solid, and at a position as
>critical as the point, that matters. Maybe, with Wall out of
>the picture for the foreseeable future and few other bankable
>ball handlers and movers in the mix, Washington can’t afford
>to lose him. But with the tax looming, an offer sheet with
>some teeth could force the Wiz to swallow hard and part ways
>with a high-floor table-setter who can also do damage spotting
>up.
>
>Friendly suggestion: Pacers, Suns, Magic
>

Marc Stein
@TheSteinLine
·
1h
I've heard the same as Sacramento's own @CarmichaelDave
: The Kings intend to offer Harrison Barnes a four-year deal worth nearly $90 million when free agency opens Sunday at 6 PM ET

he who opts out first, laughs last.

Really starting to like this guy. Just fucking with people.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2019/06/29/darren-collison-sudden-retirement-stuns-pacers-teammates/39638581/

I had the recent misfortune of listing to Mason/Ireland in the car when taking my pops to an appointment. They were going through what role players the Lakers could spend cap space on if they didn't get a max guy. Both hyperlocal, under-studied dunderheads agreed that Melo would be a good option (LMAO). But that was a momentary discussion. The one guy kept pressing "DARREN COLLISON, a point guard who can shoot!" Now like a week later he retires. Do these guys even watch the NBA?

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nikola-mirotic-to-sign-with-euroleague-club-barcelona-walks-away-from-potential-free-agency-deal-worth-50m-per-report/

he's only 28 and left a lot of money on the table.

Easy choice if this is the case IMO https://as.com/baloncesto/2019/06/29/nba/1561827373_717645.html?id_externo_rsoc=comp_tw

get that money, man.

soft ass

nm

By the time Tatum and Brown turn into what Celtics hope they will, Kemba will be in decline. They’ve capped their ceiling at second round exit for four years, and they have zero big men on the roster and no easy way to get them.

leaving has kind of being a forgone conclusion for a while. Despite a lot of big talk AD was a long shot for them all along.

I’m sure Danny had to have a plan B.

If it doesn’t convey next year, it rolls over to unprotected in 2021. So they have a pick that has (back of the envelope math) a 10-20 percent chance of being top 3. Whoopdee damn do.

Danny could pretty much go get whomever he wanted

To write, like, a 30,000 word complete takedown of the Danny Ainge long con and the media’s support for it. Safe to say, if any other organization in the league mad a panic signing like Kemba, they’d be getting annihilated.

the “Danny Ainge is great GM” story is a joke. He probably still gives McHale a percentage of every check he gets or st least he should.

All it’s landed him is Tatum, Brown, and young boy from Indiana they just took. What a damn genius.

after getting "fleeced"

another Great White Hope, his subsequent injury compounded that fact.

he got better year after year. a lot of gms would have given him that same deal, in fact just about any one in a position to do it.

you're really pressed to discredit him.

even here when shit has all gone wrong (hayward injury, kyrie injury, kyrie departure) he is managing to sign a very suitable replacement for kyrie.

So if Kyrie left us and we didn't get anyone in return you'd be roasting us. But we got someone in return and it's still bad???

Tell me again why y'all traded for Butler to end up in the same spot and then let him go?

According to Woj.....

"Free agent Kyrie Irving is meeting with the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Sunday and both sides are motivated to move quickly toward reaching a 4-year, $141M deal, league sources tell ESPN."

"Once Kyrie Irving commits to a deal, Nets are expected to renounce All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources tell ESPN. Russell led Nets to the playoffs this past season. There's tremendous league-wide interest in Russell."

"The Los Angeles Lakers reached out to D'Angelo Russell's agents at CAA -- Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz -- to set up a meeting with the All-Star guard, league sources tell ESPN. The Lakers and Russell share a mutual interest in a reunion. Lakers have the cap space to sign him."

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1145090324370530308

https://clutchpoints.com/3-reasons-the-nets-shouldnt-give-dangelo-russell-a-max-deal/

https://twitter.com/JonKrawczynski/status/894663591047155713

Genuinely the funniest fucking thing I've earned so far this offseason.

Just reminds me of the Team America scene in which she says she'll sleep with him if he promises he'll never die. He turns dramatically and promises he'll never die.

Wiggins is gonna mosey into that meeting, say he's committed to improving with a straight face, sign the max deal, and coast for the half-decade doing the same shit as always.

Just Kawhi left as far as team changers. As long as the Clippers don't get him, I'm cool.

>Just Kawhi left as far as team changers.

What?

That team is capped out with NOTHING.

What a turnaround of the franchise. I don’t believe in this trio for the chip but to take what they had when they were a laughing stock and flip it in just 3+ seasons to be able to sell these 3 on coming is a hell of a turnaround.

It’ll be a different team for Kenny to coach and I’m not sure he can do it— but to be in thIs position is all you can ask for

Broussard though

He’s the one you quoted though

award for the summer of 2019. GSW, INDY, and BKN are serious contenders for the throne too.

Nicolò Melli
Derrick Favors
J.J. Reddick

Zion
Zo
Josh Hart
Brandon Ingram

I can see them becoming a legit FORCE in the next few years.

Griffin and Trajan Langdon are putting in some serious work.

.

If he plays like he did for much of last year for two years, that's a helluva bargain

.

IMO, rather have Brodgon for 4-yr/85 (21mill per) than Middleton for 5-yr/178 (36mill per). Brogdon outplayed Middleton in the ECF.

As long he stays healthy then it's a good deal for Indy considering Rozier got 3yrs/58.

>IMO, rather have Brodgon for 4-yr/85 (21mill per) than
>Middleton for 5-yr/178 (36mill per). Brogdon outplayed
>Middleton in the ECF.

Indy and Utah already had a good chance to improve simply based on healthier rosters, more consistency, etc. Now they both get really solid players in their rotation.

.

Saric, Johnson, Jerome and now Rubio all have well-defined roles on this team. It might be questionable to have started looking for role guys when they had a shot to draft a potential star, but their management went in that direction and they went in it decisively. I kind of like it.

Word Dolan wasn't prepared to give him the max, even more smh. lol


edit: many saw this foolishness the same time

>Word Dolan wasn't prepared to give him the max, even more
>smh. lol


Still can't get over this^^^^^^

on a contract extension for ben simmons.
lol.
might as well.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1145453388739596288

.

.

https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1145471388356100096

he makes Reinsdorf look good

edit: Dstl1 first to report

that is the only earthly reason you don't offer KD the max

An over 30 player coming back off of an Achilles tear...

That's tough from an investment perspective. It could literally be two years before he's back to 'normal'. By then, he'll be pushing 32 or 33 without the explosiveness he once had. Without another legit star coming, there was no reason to dive all in on KD.

"Dis a bidness. You ain't too far gone to see that."

.

.

.

.

gonna take Knox's potential shine away UK on UK crime

.

back on the court LOL.


Anti-gentrification, cheap alcohol & trying to look pretty in our twilight posting years (c) Big Reg
http://www.Tupreme.com

Big Bad Junkyard Ju going to rock with Kev and Young RJ.

They're gonna turn it around.

.

And he's from NY? Happy for him.

Gibson, Randle, Knox, Portis and Robinson. Not shabby, even if there is no huge star there.

.

Start Tobias at 3.

I wouldn’t play both together a lot but it’ll allow them to reduce Joel’s minutes

knew he already had a deal in place

I think it all fits..

Basically it'll be a situation where they are never off the floor at the same time. They'll split them up as much as possible but obviously with both guys playing north of 30 minutes, they will be on the floor together as well. Let's see if it works for finishing games. A lot of this depends on what Harris can do--do we get peak Harris or shitty playoff Harriss--and if some of these other guys can find ways not to let their men double JoJo. Simmons is on that list--he's likely to be guarded by an athletic guard or wing with good length--but so too are their assortment of no-shot wings like the last two guys they drafted in the first round. Can those guys move enough to keep their man from sagging into the paint? Can they find any shooters in the vet min market? There are so many questions for the Sixers now BUT they did diversify here by keeping Harris and essentially plugging in two guys in Butler's place in addition to having Thybulle and a healthy Smith.

Unless Harris can be a consistent 20-25 guy in the playoffs they are going to struggle to score since he's their only other scoring threat besides Embiid. Even ReDick caused havoc w/ his movement & was able to be a dance partner for Embiid.

Right now it looks like a million postups for Embiid & that's not going to work in end of game situation where Butler thrived.

A big thing was that Philly had no capable backup center and consequently their on/off splits for Embiid were AWFUL, especially on defense. So not only can they play together, the time they are split up might be the most valuable part of this deal.

The problem here is Horford's age. Years 1 and 2 better be damn good because year 3 is looking iffy and year 4 is going to be a challenge to unload his expiring deal possibly. The upside is that Horford has never depended on his ability to run or jump, so his game should age pretty well, much like Tim Duncan's did (not to compare their level of play but rather their lack of reliance on athleticism).

I would think they could play together in a lot of situations. Horford’s got some versatility to him.

We know Embiid isn’t playing anywhere near all 82, so it helps having the depth inside too.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=8&topic_id=2699230&mesg_id=2699230&page=#2700626

Klay moving to the 3 ...

> Klay moving to the 3 ...
>
>

.

FIFY

They just sent iggy to Memphis.

I wonder how they’ll fill out the roster

>They just sent iggy to Memphis.

I'm assuming he gets bought out & signs w/ the Lakers or Rockets.

iggy gives them flexibility. i am sure the buyout or flip is coming for iggy. memphis made the deal for the pick, GS made it for the lux tax savings.

>

I'm assuming they're not done, but overall they took a step in the wrong direction IMO. I'm a DLo fan tho so I'm glad he landed where he did

That was their choice. They can figure out the fit or if they move him later. For now they got relief during a full-scale disaster given the injury/departure of KD and the injury of Klay.

Thought they'd work on depth this offseason, then in 2020, bring someone in like DeRozan for when Klay gets back. They did the right thing here

let's see what they get back.

just didn't want to lose KD for absolutely nothing. I did it...but, man did it cost.

instead we get DLO


this is only a win

Losing a player for nothing when you're way over the cap is the kiss of death. Not a great fit positionally long term maybe but for now he gives them an able body with some talent while Klay recovers. If they can't make three guards work, well, it's better to have his contract as an asset than not. Big time move by Myers here.

.

They had a meting with him yesterday. As long as we don't have to give up Covington, I don't give a shit who we're trading.

.

2 years, 31 million.

>2 years, 31 million.

I mean you signed Portis and Randle to all that just to bring one of them off the bench??

and I thought I saw they signed Taj Gibson..

not sure what they're doing

getting deep up front with a couple of trigger happy guards seems smart.

Bullock was a suspect signing. Gibson was overpaying for intangibles/tutelage. Randle was a good signing. This one is indefensibly bad.

They made everyone available publicly and there was no fit to actually make their team better. Now they drag the same core and same coach forward, only with the bitterness of all that spectacle. Dumb.

If they had gotten a mercurial Kyrie and a version of KD that will be out one year, spend another year getting back up to speed and then maybe be as good as he was, would they really contend?

Here they get Randle and they are forced to, gasp, actually build a team! It was time to stop dicking around with quick fixes and do a true build to erase 20 years of bad faith. Now they get that opportunity.

>Here they get Randle and they are forced to, gasp, actually
>build a team! It was time to stop dicking around with quick
>fixes and do a true build to erase 20 years of bad faith. Now
>they get that opportunity.

The problem is this front office and ownership are so toxic on the whole, we know there is 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000001% of doing absolutely *anything* with a true build. They haven't signed a first round pick of their own to a second contract since CHARLIE WARD.

Their only realistic chance was to make giant free agent splashes, the type that are completely toxic ownership-proof. They didn't do that.

Draft well, develop that talent and don’t overpay for players during free agency.

That’s a much better option.

Dolan is the owner, I feel bad for Fizdale though

We have young talent up and down the roster with some experience mixed in, and a great coach who is in sync with the front office. I look forward to the improvement.

rushing out for them quick fixes. I've watched them with interest since I lived in Jersey back in the day (early 90s).

Stack the team with nice, talented, experienced, and tradeable assets and pair them with the young draft picks you've made in the last couple of years.

This could legit be a different run for them.

They just whiffed on literally all of them. The talk the entire season was “we’ll immediately pursue big name guys.”

So it’s not like they’re actually going to do a slow build. They’ll make another huge push next year to max whatever stars are out there.

not long into free agency, let's you know they are aware that this didn't happen the way they wanted it to.

>let's you know they are aware that
>this didn't happen the way they wanted it to.

seemingly hoped fans would recognize this sort of transparency which may allow them to keep the Gahden filled to capacity while they are building.

They missed out and are now doing what they can to build slowly - Plan B. Prior to 6/30/19, they essentially stated that they would do this.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-free-agency-knicks-weighing-considerable-one-year-offer-for-demarcus-cousins-if-they-miss-on-kevin-durant-report/

It's crazy that the one time they are actually making a smart and risk-averse move, as opposed to the risk neutral stance they've often taken, they're being crucified. Maybe they've turned a corner. We'll know in a year or two.

>They missed out and are now doing what they can to build
>slowly - Plan B.

What they're doing instead is signing a bunch of Dudes to 1 or 2 year deals, so that next year, any of these new signings (a) are gone or (b) are valuable expiring contract deals to trade. They're not trying to do things a new way-- they're just kicking the ball down the field so they can tank for another season and then hope to allure these big names on the next go around.

Or, to put it another way, they've signed... what, Randle, Ellington, Bullock, Payton, Portis, and Gibson so far? In two seasons, guaranteed that, at *most*, one of those guys is still a Knick. They aren't trying to build at all. They're just trying to tank again.

Which is fine, mind you! Tanking is the move. Let your roster of mostly non-shooters chuck endlessly, win 25 games, go back to the lotto, chase big names again next offseason.

I just don't like that the media spin right now is "the Knicks are doing things differently!" I mean, yeah, maybe in that they didn't sign Jeremy Lamb to a 5 year, 95 million dollar deal or whatever. But they shouldn't get a cookie for some shocking stylistic shift that isn't happening. They're doing the only thing they *can* do if they want to keep fruitlessly chasing big free agents in perpetuity. Which is what they have done and will always do.

That's all I got, Frank! It just seems better than what they'd been doing when they struck out in the past.

They didn't rush out after they whiffed on the big name (or three) they went after. They've paid some decent money to a few guys who will help to make them competitive over the next few years when they'll know what they have in Knox and RJ. By then, they may be able to attract the type of free agent superstars again to partner with the young guys they'll be grooming over this period.

Missing on KD isn't as bad as it may seem. I understand the reticence shown in the alleged offer made to KD.

seems to be in harmony with what you are saying.

Like, even if they have that opportunity now, there's zero chance they actually do that. So regardless of them getting "lucky" now, they're still terrible and they still won't pursue building a team the smart way.

and maybe, just maybe, that's for the best.

a lot of people took the 'zingis departure as 'zingis making them pay for their past sins. maybe dolan will fall back slightly. i mean he does almost nothing with the rangers and they are successful, he meddles like crazy with the knicks and they do nothing. maybe that finally sunk into his thick skull.

And I don't know why Knicks fans would believe that front office is actually capable of doing a proper rebuild.

Realistically, they're lost and they only real hope is that some flower rises through the concrete sidewalk that is their organization.

If you look at the actual value of the dollars they dished out, it's probably about 50% of what they paid.

Randle is a fair deal, especially in an open-market context.

Gibson's production does not match up in any way with his salary but they bring him in as a bridge player/exemplary vet, yeah, OK.

Portis is just as unproductive and they are paying him 50% more. Terrible signing.

Bullock is a little better but not a good signing, Ellington I guess is sort of defensible but not really.

Going back to the Mozgov/Deng signings and now this slew of irrelevant contracts, I don't get why teams waste their cap space. Just roll it over, especially if you have no big-name FAs for the following summer (in the Knicks and Lakers cases, they had no big names at all). Just pay the fine to hit the cap floor and KIM to another summer where you might find a legit use for the cap space.

Portis is young enough that maybe they can off his deal in a pinch, but GMs are way smarter than they used to be and will see his value is pretty weak. Those other guys can't be moved. So they basically go into a two-year holding pattern. For what reason? I dunno, I feel like they are not sure where to go from here even though the path has been illuminated for a traditional rebuild.

27

Like, basketball teams need guards and three pointers, right? Ben and Toby as the prime initiators isn’t good enough, right?

On the other hand, they might be able to talent themselves past any concerns and win a title. The fifth best player on this team is Josh Richardson. Jesus.

>Like, basketball teams need guards and three pointers, right?
>Ben and Toby as the prime initiators isn’t good enough,
>right?
>
>On the other hand, they might be able to talent themselves
>past any concerns and win a title. The fifth best player on
>this team is Josh Richardson. Jesus.
>
>

those would be really great complementary pieces (with or without Kawhi).


-->

-->

4 years $32 mil

Danny Green will leave if Kawhi does, but I don't think we can afford both.

Iggy...sure, I guess. But we need that big domino to fall otherwise things are getting a little dicey to fill out the roster.

but the paper wasn't straight.

.

And every time I see his name, I ALWAYS think about it.

.

i don't think i saw it here, just put it together on my own... but yeah, every time.

Old sound bites resurfacing about him never wearing a Heat jersey

Recent sound bites about how important winning is to him and his decision

Yeah...STFU.

In the end, we traded RoCo and Saric for Josh Richardson...I'm okay with that

Good luck to Jimmy, he's gonna need it.

I expected a throw in or 2, maybe picks...but nothing...feels like we got hosed

Or Jimmy really is that much of a pain in the ass.

Brand's 1st offseason at GM is a big ? to date

I hope the rook balls out, Richardson develops and Tito remains healthy...but dayum...that feels like a big ask today.

But didn't give up anything...?

This trade is bizarre.

Seth to the Dallas John McCains.

Four years, $32M

$8 mil for a knockdown shooter is nice.

I had hoped the Lakers could snag him with the MLE if Kawhi came but can't blame him for getting a nice contract - though I think he's still quite undervalued and would have expected $9-$10/per.

with more than 200 FA's this year there's going to be tremendous value there.

A good team would probably pay the $10M to space the floor (Sixers, Lakers, among others have issues with that right now) but they don't have the money. How much is a team like Dallas going to shell out when they are spreading that money between multiple mid-level-ish guys to fill out their roster? Not a premium.

Malcolm Brogdon and Scary T got insane contracts, and Twitter didn’t even have time to make fun of them.

I thought those contracts were pre-determined

4/$85M is not overpaying for a 50/40/90 guy...

The Rozier contract is definitely an over reach...but it's Jorn/Hornets...clowining their signings isn't really fun anymore

SHRUG

Rozier is a Mitch special, I guess.

I knew they were getting paid but Middleton and Tobias' deals look sideways as fuck to me.

*stone face* 180 million dollars for tobias harris is totally reasonable. a veritable bargain.

Brogdon is bankable for 15/5/4 playing under 30 minutes a night, and he can defend. He's 26 years old.

Extend his minutes a little and account for some room to improve, he's a 20/6/5 guy who plays D and has positional versatility. He's also an excellent fit for the Pacers. I wouldn't make fun of that, I think it was one of the five best signings in free agency this year.

can be overpaid. that's what's gonna happen with brogdon. he's a solid player who now makes way, way, way too much. just remember i said it.

That doesn't even take into account his versatility or defense or the fact that he fits very well with Indy. Let's do it just on the most common figures. They have to be guys who were eligible for contracts since the new CBA (so nobody in the final year of a deal or on a rookie deal). I'll wait.

It's a good signing, period.

Middleton is borderline one-dimensional and goddamn did he come up small in the playoffs.

Rozier at $58M? For what? A couple hot streaks in the playoffs two years ago? He is pretty much terrible and the Hornets continue to be one of the worst organizations in professional sports.

Barnes gets someone to repeat the mistakes of the very, very, very recent past.

Portis at $15.5M is a terrible value, at least it's only for two years and I guess he's kind of young are the only things I can say in its defense. Gibson will probably have the worst production/dollar ratio but at least there they are getting a guy to bring along their young bigs.

I like Al

seems like a great team guy

and he's made himself into a modern NBA big

but at 33Y.O., with a history of injuries

and putting up already nominal numbers for that salary

13/7 =/= $25M, IMO

I'm also of the opinion that he won't fit with Embiid on the court

...but again, he seems like the type of guy that will do everything in an attempt to figure it out...

In the end, we're paying $109M, for 2 years at backup C

On one hand, his game is not predicated on running and jumping. Much like Tim Duncan, the things he can do are about positioning, technique, strength and smarts. That said he has a couple serious injuries (well) behind him and he misses a dozen or so games a year pretty consistently. Embiid is never going to be a guy who plays the full 82. So that's a little concerning.

If they can somehow get two really good years out of him or three decent years, I'll take that. The final year of a contract always put it in play for a team looking to shed salary, and today teams aren't just getting rid of bad contracts (some are ducking luxury tax, preparing to give players raises a year later or clearing space for UFA market).

So I'm not ready to put him on the list yet--especially because he killed the Sixers with Boston and now they bring him in--but you're right he could very easily turn out to be a very bad signing.

I guess that's why I'm not an NBA agent lol

i am a little surprised he got the full four years though. i figured he'd get like 3/75-80.

his game will age well imo

based on some recent deals like millsap we've seen teams take that final year off and he seemed like a good candidate because of age.

i think his game has/will aged well, too. he has always played the floor game and a heady game. his major injuries are behind him. you've gotta expect him to miss 10-15 games a year but that's not unusual. the issue will be is if those 10-15 games coincide with the 10-15 that JoJo seems like a lock to miss also.

>Rozier at $58M? For what? A couple hot streaks in the
>playoffs two years ago? He is pretty much terrible and the
>Hornets continue to be one of the worst organizations in
>professional sports.

s

Gonna be HILARIOUS.

Why?

said he was there and it was actually 45 minutes...still short but, I guess Portland had to quickly decide with the Hassan White thing happening, too.

I guess everything was moving pretty fast and furious

.

in GS for whatever reason

Sheesh.
https://twitter.com/TheWarriorsTalk/status/1145931160612007938

>RE: Woj: There’s no market for Cousins

along with the last two injury-filled seasons, seem to be biting him in the arse. Just a couple years ago, dude was possibly going to get a MAX deal.

No *good* team is going to pay him any more than the vet min and at any rate he had a freefall from his value before that season with New Orleans. But if he puts himself on the open market he'll get a decent, short deal.

Wish they had gotten Fredette too #redeemteam

>RE: Lakers need to get Boogie, Melo, JR, Lance, and Rondo at the least.
>Wish they had gotten Fredette too #redeemteam

I think those sort of dogs are needed especially if you can get them all to buy-in.

Interesting roster...

Bron
AD
Kuz
Troy Daniels
Alex Caruso
Boogie
Melo
JR
Lance
Rondo
Tyson Chandler

What else do you add?

They need shooters to space the floor, first and foremost. After that, they need secondary ball handler types and perimeter defenders. Guys who play good team ball and know their role.

I’d offer Boogie the minimum and take a flier that he recovers fully, because he can shoot and pass when healthy. *Maybe* Rondo, tho this team really doesn’t need non-shooters imo. After that, those others can kick rocks. JR is washed. Melo is hyper washed. Lance is only interesting on paper.

Guys I’d genuinely look at who I think are still available, none of whom are world beaters or even great options on their own, but all of whom could offer shooting/defense/team value: Justin Anderson, Trevon Bluiett, Trey Burke, Quinn Cook, Keenan Evans, Jerian Grant. Tyus Jones would be PERFECT, but he’ll likely get matched by the Wolves. Corey Brewer may be washed but he’d play the role well. Christian Wood could get a flier for the min, same for Lance Thomas, same for Wenyen gabriel if he’s available— guys who could be 3/4 stretch options.

Just don’t take old washed bummy ring hunters who used to be terrific. Look for PIECES. Especially if Kawhi comes. Just guys who will know their role, embrace it, and be good at it.

With Kawhi:
C-Bogut/Chandler/Faried/Williams
PF-Brow/Markieff Morris/Dudley
SF-Bron/Marcus Morris/Aminu
SG-Klaw/Danny Green/Daniels
PG-Rondo/Quinn Cook/Caruso

Bogut, Chandler and Faried all don't need shots. They can get a timely bucket here and there, are experienced and 2 of the 3 are good defenders. Faried can provided a little youth and athleticism when needed but is mostly depth in case one of the other two go down and he can also back up PF. Minutes break down 20/15/5.

Markieff and Marcus might relish playing together for a ring and both are great in back up roles. Marcus could be the small ball 3 when Bron slides to 4 and AD plays C. Marcus is also a decent shooter and competent defender. Aminu would be defensive depth and additional athleticism. Basically, a wing version of Faried.

You add two decent shooters behind Klaw. Decent defense from Danny Green as well. Rondo isn't a scorer but he'll get the big 3 tons of shots and the transition game would be devastating. Quinn and Caruso are both competent back ups that shoot decently. Quinn being very solid with deep playoff experience.

Without Kawhi:
C-Boogie/Chandler/Williams
PF-Brow/Markieff Morris/Dudley
SF-Bron/Marcus Morris/Aminu
SG-KCP/Korver/Stephenson/Daniels
PG-Dragic/Rondo/Caruso

In this scenario, you need another scorer so Boogie would be the 3rd of the big 3. You also try to work out a trade with Miami if they are still looking to unload Dragic. You have the cap to absorb his contract ($19 mil expiring next summer) and should get Cousins on the cheap. Rondo/Cousins/Davis played well together in NO so adding Bron to that should only enhance it. Cousins will likely have a bounceback year as he's trying to reestablish his value. While you lose some defensive prowess, the offense would still be pretty good.

Korver is the designated shooter as you probably don't get Green without Kawhi. Stephenson adds a wildcard factor on both O and D that you might need at SG without Kawhi.

This scenario also allows for flexibility next summer to open up the max slot again and search for an upgrade (or retain boogie if he balls out).

I think both of these teams are title favs with the former being more so.

Everyone I named should be available for the vet min or a mid-level exception.

Can swap out some of the back up SG's for him.

I like it.

-->

here at some point..

it's slim pickens at PG right now...

but Dudley will help...

.

>RE: not mad at it...but we need to get a PG

history with Vogel plus he’s an LA guy.

he should enjoy himself there...

He is the kind of versatile defender that thrives in the GS system. He will learn a lot from their staff and Draymond.

I guess?

Magic and them talk too much. I've heard others wondering if his camp is waiting to see what leaks. Hearing nothing from Clippers or Raptors may end up being good for them

Magic can’t shut the hell up. SMH.

that we should have used the rest of our cap space to build a solid supporting cast around Bron and AD and that would've been more than enough to contend now we are left with scraps.

All that asking to speak to Magic bs? for what?

I contend we wouldn’t have wanted any of those FAs outside of the obvious max ones for their deals.

but as soon as i heard that toronto was getting the last pitch, i was convinced that he was staying.

masai just different, yo. real g's move in silence. shout out to magic's twitter tho.

>we should have used the rest of our cap space to build a
>solid supporting cast around Bron and AD and that would've
>been more than enough to contend now we are left with scraps.

i agree. rob a genius tho. put some respect on his name!

If the Lakers whiff on Kawhi, there are still deals to be made. As we have seen in all three capped leagues--NFL, NBA, NHL--cap space itself can be very much an asset. The Lakers don't have much to offer in trade--they have only three roster players and gutted their draft picks by trading two and tying up more as protection backup/pick swap possibilities--but they have cap space so they can absorb deals and give back only cash or second rounders. They can get guys on short terms that way and they probably won't be much worse quality than the Seth Currys of the world, the type of player that we're sitting here lamenting that they missed out on.

this is frustrating. lol

they are taking the same steps right now the Nets did to get out of the hole they were in. So while Netsmania will be sweeping the league in a season or two while Knicks are on their Squidward outside looking in... I believe they're making the right moves right now. They got RJ, signed Randle, got a lot of solid, functional vets on short deals. They'll be back in it once the clock runs out in 2 years.

RJ is gonna be their new "Melo" only with Paul George intangibles and none of the NyQuil. And I think that will count when the time comes.

Fuck Dolan in the goat ass, but being on the losing end of FAgency doesn't mean complete despair.

- I'm on board with Cuz to the Wiz in the interim, hope it happens

- look out for the Indiana Pacers and the Utah Jazz.

- Celtics took huge symbolic Ls but they'll now need to lean on their "Young Legends" for real now. Kemba fits that team more than the Young GOAT does IMO... and because of that, the agendas will be firing full barrel. I'm not taking the bait. That Baynes trade look hasty AF though

- no comment on Lakers. Do what you gotta to make it a choice for Kawhi, but the Lakers need role players on that team, and fagency has eaten most of the good ones up

- the GOTDAMN Warriors. Steph Slander Season is about to kick in to high gear, but they did what they needed to. Re-up Klay, Re-up Looney. Drafted well. Got D-Lo and WCS. Watch these motherfuckers be an annoyance next season regardless

You could have probably stopped with "they got RJ and Randle" because those are the positives. They also have some decent young guys like Knox and maybe you can throw Robinson and Smith in there, maybe. But I get the sense that a Gordon/Villanueva or Deng/Mozgov type offseason in the horizon for them if the team loses and doesn't draw great. I thought the same thing as you but my gut just won't let me trust it.

Cousins could land any number of places. The idea that there isn't *any* market for him is wrong, there just isn't a market among *good* teams where he can make any sort of significant money at all. DC has needed a center seemingly since the departure of Wes Unseld.

Definitely agree on Utah and Indy. Utah under-achieved a bit last year and now they got better with Bogdanovic and Conley, though a bit thinner in the frontcourt perhaps. They took big swings in the draft but they probably won't pay off immediately if they connect. Indy is gonna be a fuckin' problem because they still have two solid bigs on the upswing, a healthy Dipo and now Brogdon. Same great coaching staff, too, I was a little worried they might lose an assistant.

Boston, I dunno, I think Walker is a nice fit and they have some addition by subtraction going on with Rozier and even Irving. But their frontcourt is ass, man, really booty. How can they match up with the likes of Philly, Toronto and Indiana?

Lakers will get first pick of the veteran scrap heap which means Iggy, Danny Green and others. Also you get the sense that Boogie is keeping a vet min deal with the best possible team in his pocket as a last resort.

I was surprised the Dubs un-qualified Cook but I guess he was talking big dollars to actually sign or there was an offer sheet in the works. Overall given the catastrophic developments of the finals, I'd say they did really well.

>They also have some decent young guys like Knox and maybe you can throw Robinson and Smith in there, maybe.

He's the real deal, and a much better prospect than Knox.

>Boston, I dunno, I think Walker is a nice fit and they have
>some addition by subtraction going on with Rozier and even
>Irving. But their frontcourt is ass, man, really booty. How
>can they match up with the likes of Philly, Toronto and
>Indiana?

Philly lost Jimmy which was a bit of a bummer but retaining Tobias and adding Horford (which for at least 2 years will be a quality signing) kind of makes up for that. They were the best team in the East bar Toronto... I think they're my East favorite if Kawhi doesn't stay. Even so, they have a chance more than anyone else.

Horford >>> Kanter, so Philly is probably gonna crap on them.

>Lakers will get first pick of the veteran scrap heap which
>means Iggy, Danny Green and others. Also you get the sense
>that Boogie is keeping a vet min deal with the best possible
>team in his pocket as a last resort.

>I was surprised the Dubs un-qualified Cook but I guess he was
>talking big dollars to actually sign or there was an offer
>sheet in the works. Overall given the catastrophic
>developments of the finals, I'd say they did really well.

Yeah. They didn't bleed anymore than they could have given the circumstance. the

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27106207/sliding-doors-how-knicks-did-did-not-botch-free-agency

Tim Bontemps

NEW YORK -- This is not how things were supposed to play out for the New York Knicks.

For much of this past season, there was a steady drumbeat of anticipation that this summer would finally represent a sea change for the franchise. This was the year things were supposed to be different.

But it wasn't.

Even worse, Knicks fans were forced to watch as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving -- the tandem rumored to be eyeing Madison Square Garden as home -- decided to set up shop across the bridge in Brooklyn.

In the wake of their disappointment -- and following an apology to their fans -- the Knicks spent little time mourning their loss. Instead, in the span of about 20 hours, New York went out and spent $92 million in guaranteed money on short-term deals for six players: guards Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington and forwards Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson.

But the question remains: After missing out on their primary targets, was this a prudent course of action by the Knicks, or not?

The case for New York's moves
For weeks now, the Knicks have been communicating the same message: They were going to chase the top-tier free agents. And if none of them was going to come, they were going to avoid handing out long-term contracts to lower-tier players.

It was a path that seemed informed by mistakes of years past (see: Joakim Noah in 2016 and Tim Hardaway Jr. in 2017). And from the moment free agency began, the Knicks seemed determined to stick to it.

When the franchise knew it wasn't getting anything more than a conference call with Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, on Sunday, general manager Scott Perry made sure he was on a plane to Los Angeles to conduct several meetings with free agents the Knicks hoped to land in the event no stars arrived, including Randle and Bullock.

That helped allow the Knicks to line up all of these moves less than 24 hours into the free-agency period, setting up a roster that is now two deep at every position. They also brought in multiple veterans (Bullock, Ellington, Gibson) with strong reputations to help mentor New York's plethora of young talent, led by RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson.

While they're not All-Stars, the veteran additions should help the Knicks be more competitive. If there is anything events of recent free-agency periods have taught us, it is that players are interested in going to proven, good situations, where a positive direction is clear. Even the Los Angeles Lakers team LeBron James joined was coming off a 35-win season, more than double the win total of last season's Knicks.

As painful as it might be, the Knicks should look at the Nets as a blueprint. In the span of three years, Brooklyn went from a team with no young players, no draft picks and no hope into one beating New York out for Durant and Irving. The Nets did that by hitting a lot of singles and doubles, slowly improving their team and their position, setting themselves up to make the splash they did in free agency this week.

Are the Knicks going to be a playoff team next season? No. As a result, they should still get at least one more bite at another high lottery pick to continue remaking their roster. But even as that remains the case, they can start to take steps in the right direction. And in doing so, they can stop trying to rush the process along.

The idea that playing in Madison Square Garden -- or any of the other tropes presented through the years -- would lure players to New York has been proved false. Here is what will draw players to New York: competent management, a burgeoning talent base and winning basketball.

With their moves Monday, the Knicks maintained salary-cap flexibility, and gave their young talent a group of veterans to lean on and coach David Fizdale a roster he can mold into a recognizable style of play and identity that could prove attractive to players in the future.

Does that make losing out on Durant and Irving sting any less? No, of course not. But it does provide a road map for the Knicks to finally get themselves out of this never-ending abyss -- a process that should have started in earnest years ago.

Now it's time to see whether they can follow the directions.

The case against New York's moves
Back in March, Knicks owner James Dolan was confident.

"Look, New York is the mecca of basketball," Dolan told The Michael Kay Show. "We hear from people all the time, from players and representatives about who wants to come. We can't respond because of the NBA rules, etc. But that doesn't stop them from telling us, and they do. I can tell you, from what we've heard, I think we're gonna have a very successful offseason when it comes to free agents."

And, in those four sentences, everything that has led the Knicks to this point over the past two years was laid bare for the world to see.

For the better part of a year, the Knicks have been selling a vision of hope for the future. The franchise finished with the NBA's worst record, leading fans in the tri-state area to spend the season watching Duke games and dreaming of Zion Williamson in blue and orange.

And Dolan wasn't the only one selling it.

"It's much more about the perception of the organization," Fizdale said after a morning shootaround in Boston on Dec. 8. "What I think we've done together with Steve and Scott and Mr. Dolan and myself and all our staff is we changed the perception of how we operate and treat each other and what's important."

Instead, the Knicks didn't win the lottery -- something they had only a 14 percent chance of doing, thanks to the flattened odds from the NBA's 2017 lottery reform. Then they didn't come close to signing any stars, leading them to put out a statement Sunday night:

"While we understand that some Knicks fans could be disappointed with tonight's news, we continue to be upbeat and confident in our plans to rebuild the Knicks to compete for championships in the future, through the draft, targeted free agents and continuing to build around our core of young players."

That statement was a far cry from Dolan's comments a few months earlier.

So despite the prudence of the individual moves the Knicks have made since missing out on their primary targets, they don't deserve a free pass for their mistakes leading up to Sunday. They could have been cautious, and they could have stressed the unlikelihood of an impending superteam. Instead, they were brash and confident -- and it blew up in their faces.

Meanwhile, what happened this week can't be discussed fully without circling back to the decision to trade Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks in February. The Knicks have stressed ever since that doing so wasn't about clearing cap space this summer. The front office said it wanted to invest in players who wanted to be there, and that Porzingis did not. There were concerns about Porzingis' injury history, including the torn ACL he spent this past season recovering from.

And they did get enough of a return -- two future first-round picks, Dennis Smith Jr. and the shedding of multiple large, multiyear contracts -- that the deal, like the moves the Knicks made this week, can be justified in a vacuum.

But nothing at 2 Penn Plaza ever happens in a vacuum.

Remember: The Knicks haven't had a single first-round pick get a multiyear second contract with the franchise since Charlie Ward, who was drafted 25 years ago. That fact -- which demonstrates how bad the Knicks have been at identifying, developing and retaining talent in the draft -- shouldn't excuse New York from missing out on future draft compensation in salary-dumping trades.

Despite already having six first-round picks over the next four drafts, this team needs as many assets as it can possibly get. More first-round picks are more bites at the apple, more chips to throw into potential deals down the road. The Knicks could have gotten involved in the trades that sent Maurice Harkless to the LA Clippers (as part of the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade to the Miami Heat) and Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies (as part of the D'Angelo Russell sign-and-trade to the Golden State Warriors). Both the Clippers and Grizzlies landed future first-round picks for their trouble. The Nets made similar moves -- and drafted key pieces such as Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, among others, as a result.

Perhaps these picks will wind up having low value. But facilitating these bigger trades were shrewd moves by the Clippers and Grizzlies, acquiring useful players on expiring deals with room that wasn't going to be better spent elsewhere.

To remake this roster and dig out of this hole, the Knicks have to utilize every tool at their disposal. Climbing back to the top of the NBA won't be easy. Doing so while limiting their avenues of improvement will make it that much harder.

Grizz getting back Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.

Plumlee and Hill had two years left on their deals and Parsons is expiring, right? I didn't look but I think that's the case.

I don't understand how teams "can't reach a buyout" with a player. Any savings is something or just bite the bullet and pay the guy his last year's check. You'd rather take on two shitty contracts instead?

I hate how many good moves they're making.

It's not an easy situation as they aren't overflowing with money or FA appeal, yet they keep on truckin'

Great, great depth signing. Gonna be weird seeing Markieff there after Marcus was there for 2 years. Pistons are setting up something for the deadline. They are flirting the line between rebuilding and building around Blake pretty well. They can take this either way depending on how things go.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1146514603767152641

Korver will never see the court there and they won't get anything for him. Basically they gave up two second-rounders to dump a guy that they invested the No. 4 overall pick in just two years ago.

I get that his numbers are a little hollow like a lot of guys getting decent tick on bad teams, but Jesus Christ.

.

you name it.

We all need a white guy shooting three's.

the 2nd year is an option probably so

3rd fiddle to Bron and AD after coming off a Finals MVP performance?

Was he going to in sit in the corner and spot up while Bron & AD ran the p&r in crunch time?

It just didn’t make sense.

every summer now.

shit legit might be the most captivating entertainment for me right now.

ive been sitting through espn morning programming on a daily basis...which i havent done in lord knows how long.

Dray and Bron are low key hella tight too

iono.

im sure the writers will figure out something.

would come to the Lakers, if Kawhi comes to the Lakers Danny Green would probably go to Dallas

I was listening to Get Up this morning when they said that and it didn't make sense to me....so Danny is waiting on KL decision and if he goes to LA, he signs with Dallas...but if KL stays in Toronto, Danny leaves anyway??? What???

deal which is what he would be on if Kawhi came there.

So...yeah

Rob Pelinka was like, "Awwww shit, man I left my wallet in the car! Let me go grab it!"

pg to clips.

got multiple stars and they got Julius Randle.

Oh yeah the Nets too

Broussard looks like an idiot today, had the breaking news yesterday morning that Kawhi torn between Lakers and going back to Toronto, Clippers were out.

Jalen looks like an idiot with his 99% certainty Kawhi signs 2 year deal with Toronto.

This move is great tho, especially if he wins a title there would do way more for his legacy than winning alongside Lebron and AD. He's back in LA where he wants to be, PG is back in LA, can't hate on this at all.

Can’t blame him

my guy might get the fuck up outta there.

This fuckery they’re surrounding him with.

Declined his trade kicker so the Lakers could overpay an army of bozos?

>my guy might get the fuck up outta there.
>
>This fuckery they’re surrounding him with.
>
>Declined his trade kicker so the Lakers could overpay an army
>of bozos?

And go where?

Boogie AND rondo.

I recall them working well together and having a solid relationship.

Could be wrong though.

Rondo as well. Although he's 33, I don't see why he can't do something similar for this team that he did for NO

the Knicks have work to do, and this is their one chance to do it.

Miami, on the other hand...

>the Knicks have work to do, and this is their one chance to
>do it.
>
>Miami, on the other hand...

I think Miami would be a good fit

Heat are want in on the conversation as well.

Looks like Russ about to leave OKC. He might as well because it's time.

member is barely mentioned now. Did he fall off at age 28? He was making $7-8mil a year and now he's looking for a minimum deal.

Yesterday Jalen was talking how the game comes fast at a lot of people.

DeMarcus Cousins was selected as the starting center in west in the All-Star game 2 years ago. This offseason he was struggling to find work before the Lakers signed him. He's 28.

IT averaged almost 30ppg a few years ago and finished top 5 in MVP voting, he just signed a minimum deal with the Wizards. He just turned 30.

Then of course there is future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony who appears to still can't find a job at 35 years old. And unless he is desperate for money he might as well retire now so he can go into the HOF with Wade.

Don't think it's much more complicated than that.

IT and Boogie got hurt

Carmelo aged overnight

Avery Bradley got bad RIGHT in his prime Lol

>Avery Bradley got bad RIGHT in his prime Lol

Did he forget how to play basketball?

>
>>Avery Bradley got bad RIGHT in his prime Lol
>
>Did he forget how to play basketball?

IJS his case different than the others


----------------------------



O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

He loved playing for Brad. Credits him for his growth as a player.