Looks like it's time, y'all...
https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1327990349135015937?s=19

NBA Draft is 11/18. Gonna be a whirlwind offseason and then start playing in a month! I’m excited. There won’t be shit else to do just like last spring, but at least the NBA will be on TV.

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we about to drive the tank...another reason we didn't land a big name coach. Bye Gallo, bye Chris.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1328008824578580482?s=19

coach could've made KD, Russ and Harden work. They could've beaten GS. Now all that talent is gone and nothing to show for it. Then Russ, PG & Melo was supposed to be a thing but it wasn't. They traded them away. Now they are about to do another rebuild. How many mulligans does Presti get?

and lost to a better Heat team. Were 48 minutes from the Finals in 16 and lost three straight games...with a different coach than 2012. Is he supposed to get Popovich or prime Phil Jackson? He got a ton of value back from PG. The fact that he even got those players here says a lot. It’s a small market team that players are not falling over themselves to come to and he’s kept it relevant for its entire 12 year existence. Who is going to do more?

He lost Harden because he refused to pay an extra 5 million. The dumbest shit ever.
He messed up a dynasty in the making.

Team was still able to be competitive at a high level with KD and Russ, but instead of doing everything he could to keep KD ( meaning get rid of Russ)...that went out window.

He gets another chance at it, makes some good moves...gets Shai, brings in CP, piles up on first rounders, and solid players , team becomes really competitive. Now he is about to fock that up and break stuff up again....what is the end game? To have tons of draft picks? That’s why Donovan bounced. The blue print is right in front of him, and he still doesn’t know how to follow it.

Clay Bennett writes the checks, not Sam. Who said Presti refused to pay Harden?

He could have kept KD if he got rid of Russ?? Says who? KD sat down with Presti, Russ and Nick Collison, after losing to G.S. In the WCF and said let’s run it back...only to end up leaving.

which I said when Donovan left...which I said yesterday...which I’ve been saying since before the pandemic. OKC is about to strip it ALL the way down. I fully expected Chris, Gallo, Dennis and Steven to be gone. One down.

And I can’t wait for the 30 for 30 on it.

And I bet you lose Shai in two years when his rookie deal is up. So Oklahoma will be a team just sitting on a pile of draft picks in the bum ass basement.

Zero end game.

a decision I actually supported at the time which was a mistake because the league was going small

to be becoming one of the top young big men in the game nobody thought he would peak at age 25.

Contracts the same, but one is old and almost washed. So the prize is a first round 28th pick.

You already got like 12 first round draft picks, so loading up on more picks make no sense. You become a losing culture and shai and dort might want to go elsewhere.

This is going to be up there with refusing to pay that extra 5 mil to Harden.

Thunder were given a blessing last season to build and be competitive at the same time....a smooth transition.

A decade gone by with nothing to show but draft picks.

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I’m just saying it’s another Dumb ass move. Period.

Then it'll be worth it.

There are 6-7 guys that would go first overall in this year's draft. It's *loaded.* So if they tank and get another high first rounder? That'd be awesome for their future.

‘Cause the free agent pool is pretty thin on difference makers. And there’s all the talk of Westbrook, Harden, Paul, George, Oladipo, etc. could be on the move.

Great come up for the lakers. Offensively and defensively.

He is on an expiring contract, and younger and better than green. If it doesn’t work, no real big loss. Danny really wasn’t giving you guys anything. I think this even allows you guys to let rondo walk.

As far as OKC, just making an unnecessary move to get an old ass player with the same expiring contract just to get a 28th pick when you’re sitting on 15 first rounders for the next 6 or 7 drafts.

gives OKC an A, for the trade. But...what does he know?

You know how many trades looked good to critics and scouts, only to be terrible in the end?

It’s usually the moves that look good that suck, and the ones that look bad that turn out out to be good.

Everybody predicted OKC to be in the basement last season and for Paul to be washed.
How did that go down?

All I know is that OKC just gave away one of the best sixth men in the game , and a top 4 fourth quarter player for trash ass green and a draft pick ( what they have now like 16 first round draft picks?):

From okc’s side, right now, the pieces they got back have zero value. We don’t know what the pick is going to turn into and green is a negative.

So OKC is playing from behind, hoping that the pick turns into a really good player. It’s all potential at this point.

Only way that anything that OKC is doing would make sense to me is the pandemic. Since no fans are allowed or coming to the arena, no real need to put stars on the floor to generate revenue or to worry about putting fans in the seats. Take the hit now while everything is slow and hope to be up and competing in 3 years.

However that is a huge risk to take in a league where players run the league, and fans demand star players. A franchise could be assed out for decades. It can happen just like that.

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Reportedly for Oubre, Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first rounder.

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www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

It makes no sense. That’s why I said it.

He still gets the same money, same contract, and goes to if not a similar team, one
that could be worse. PHX didn’t go to the PO, and was terrible pre-bubble.

It makes no sense for both sides...but OKC wants to tear shit up, and This is a desperate move by PHX. I love Paul. But he is 35, two years left on his contract.
Rubio is 30 and formed a solid backcourt with Booker. Now Rubio is not Paul, but
Is defensively sound and an all around PG.

Rubio: 13.7 /8.8 dimes/ 36 pct 3 point shooting
Paul: 17/ 6 dimes/ 36 pct 3 point shooting.

Phx could become old as hell quick at the PG position...never know with an aging player
When shit completely falls off.

Okc: Another draft pick on top of the gazillion picks they already have , and more young players. And even with Paul’s contract on the books, they were still under the salary cap and competing at a high level.

>Okc: Another draft pick on top of the gazillion picks they
>already have , and more young players. And even with Paul’s
>contract on the books, they were still under the salary cap
>and competing at a high level.

They’ll wait a year or two, package some picks in trades to get a major haul back. It’s the smartest thing they can do since they’re gonna have a tough time getting free agents to go to OKC.

They could have still done that with bringing everyone back. I just don’t see the end game, and none of it makes sense based on what they just recently accomplished.

Paul sustained a winning culture while Shai, Dort and Bazely evolved. Keep that going, while you got tons of picks to make moves. Once Paul contract expires, hand the keys over to Shai who would be ready by then, plus his rookie deal expiring. Give him the Max , with Dort and Bazely hopefully playing on a PO level with other quality players that were picked up from the draft or FA.

The goal should have been to sustain a winning culture while rebuilding at the same time.

Once a team becomes a losing culture, it’s hard to get out of it......Phx, Sac, Bulls, Wizards, Knicks. We will see what Rubio ,Shai and Oubre can do.

Anyway, I thank them for Donovan.

With the signing of LiAngelo to their G-League team, this could indicate they're gonna make a move for the #1 overall to take Melo-- which kinda makes sense for them, honestly.

If they can flip picks to get Melo and, let's say, an extra lotto pick in next year's totally loaded draft, in addition to a tank for a high pick in that same 2021 draft? I mean, that's a really nice core. And even in 2022, there should be a good 5-6 guys up top that have star potential.

Plus next years first round pick.

Paul to Phoenix to a team that didn’t go to the PO and isn’t going anywhere but to maybe the first round.

Rubio and Oubre to OKC and another draft pick to OKC.

Neither team gets better.

Now OKC has zero top ten players, where for the past decade they had at least one top ten player. Will this be a decade of losing for OKC?

I know Rubio has to be pissed, because he did find a home in Phx.

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That's a great hand to deal from if you're rebuilding.
Let's see what Presti does with it.

Great deal for Thunder in terms of assets. No brainer there.

And even if this doesn't work out for the Suns, I imagine it helps show their young talent, "Hey, we're not tanking forever, we want to start winning now." One can debate if this is a move that will lead to actual competitiveness in the West, but I think it'll be encouraging for guys like Booker and Ayton that the Suns don't intend on tanking forever.

Get in the playoffs, the risk of course is Paul, 35, and injury prone. Might also be research into getting Ayton to break out into a 20-10 guy. If it doesn't happen under an All-Star in Paul, when would it?

The Suns went 8-0 in the bubble without Oubre Jr. and the core Booker, Bridges, Ayton is maintained and they didn't have to give up Cam Johnson either.

Oubre was traded for Ariza prior and now gets dealt as part of a package for Paul. Quite a step up.

All the fangirls for Kelly will have to shift their fluttering eyes east and I imagine the Suns likely draft a PG at #10

Gallo up, next.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1328423437103230978

Rockets star James Harden wants to be on a contender elsewhere, and Brooklyn and Philadelphia are believed to be his top desired trade destinations, sources tell
@TheAthleticNBA

@Stadium
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Houston is fully comfortable keeping Harden and Russell Westbrook into the season.

And while that's an insane offensive force - you've basically got 3 ball-dominant guys (w/ Harden & Irving you've got two players who don't shine as bright off the ball). I don't see that happening, would be crazy tho.

Philly is intriguing. If they swap Simmons for Harden w/ Doc in - that's about as compelling as Sixers could hope for.

Houston prolly will hold off until they get exactly what they want.

-->

Josh Hart is correct, if Harden goes to Brooklyn cancel the season. I'm sick of this super team bullshit. Give me a solid reason why Nash's first stint as coach gives him Ky, KD, and possibly Harden.

Philly doesn't make sense due to the nature of those deals.

I agree on the Nash aspect. He is sliding into a sweet situation, and if he were to get
Harden, then that would be totally unfair.

If a deal were on the table, could the Commish cancel the deal, similar to what Stern did with the Chris Paul lakers deal? There wasn’t anything illegal about that deal, but owners were upset that the deal was made while the hornets were being run by the NBA.

>If a deal were on the table, could the Commish cancel the
>deal, similar to what Stern did with the Chris Paul lakers
>deal? There wasn’t anything illegal about that deal, but
>owners were upset that the deal was made while the hornets
>were being run by the NBA.

What Stern did isn't even possible right now. There is no loop hole to be exploited.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

He's just blossomed into his peak and coming off a great year. Dennis can spot up and knock down the 3 as well as get his own, and is a legitimate 2-way player who can up the pace for the Lakers and help they play faster at times (something they couldn't always do w/ last year's roster).

Dennis also played big in the clutch and thrives in closing moments. He may just be the perfect third-option fit to this team. All of a sudden Kuz looks very tradeable.

Green was a competent wing defender - but he's clearly diminished and was disappointingly unreliable as a shooter, especially in the playoffs.

I'd love to see Lakers retain Bradley to bolster the backcourt.

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Haberstroh thinks he would be a good pickup for the Warriors.

he's a younger and better version of pat bev.

Similar defensive ability, and is better offensively. I can see billy running that 3 guard system for certain possessions with Coby at the point, Shaq at the 2 and Zach at the 3.

This was predicted. So far so good.

Btw, Denzel Valentine is getting extended.

Note: Shaq is expected to get extended ...but hasn’t yet. Hopefully we hear something soon. It wouldn’t make any sense if he doesn’t get extended.

That shit just happened 24 mins just I asked about him.

I expected something soon....but not this soon and not this result.

Let Dunn and Shaq go?

ESPN Radio Chicago is going to be lit the fock up in the morning.

That shit just happened 24 mins just I asked about him.

I expected something soon....but not this soon and not this result.

Let Dunn and Shaq go? Either they want to pick Ball or a veteran guard is coming over.

ESPN Radio Chicago is going to be lit the fock up in the morning.

Can't really imagine there's anyone at 4 in the draft that's worth the investment. *Maybe* Haliburton? But I also don't think Haliburton is good enough to punt both of those guys over.

And I'm not sure they have the assets to trade for Ball. I'd have to think the Wolves want picks or young guys, and I don't really think the Bulls are interested in dealing either of those things at this point.

EDIT: maybe they're eyeballing Killian Hayes at 4? He's an overseas guy, so I don't know as much about him, but I'm not convinced he's "start Day One" good. I also think Hayes at 4 would be seen as a bit of a reach by some-- then again, the Ringer has Hayes as their top overall prospect, so what do I know.

Management sees Coby White as a scoring guard and not the PG he was drafted to be. Coby was drafted by the previous management to be the PG.

Also with the extending of Denzel, bulls now have 14 guaranteed contracts with 1 FA spot left unless they eat Felicio’s contract. So either that last spot is for a PG or they are going to draft one.

But not signing Harrison just doesn’t add up. It would have only been for 1.7 million. Dunn’s is 7.1 million, so that made sense to walk away from. I guess they really want some serious 2 way playing guards who can shoot....as opposed to having specialists. Going after Killian Hayes has been rumored, but he is a SG.

At this point, and with the recent moves, a lot of question marks now.

>Going after Killian Hayes has been
>rumored, but he is a SG.

Every scouting report pegs him as a primary creator.

First couple I found:
https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/2020-nba-draft-profile-killian-hayes
https://www.thestepien.com/2020/02/14/killian-hayes-scouting-report-collaboration/

If the Bulls are targeting him, it's definitely as a PG.

I don’t know anything about him, but saw scouting information on him
being a SG

“Prior to signing a Bundesliga contract, he played shooting guard alongside French teammate Theo Maledon at the U17 FIBA World Cup. Hayes was able to finish often in transition and showed his ability to be a slasher. In his current season, he has been a full-time starter”

He is 19, and played SG in the Under 17s. Wiki has him listed as playing SG and PG , so I’m seeing that as a combo guard. He is 6’5. Coby is 6’4, and is also a combo guard basically.

I can’t see room for the both of them. We shall see how this shapes out.

In the mean time, I will look at his skillset.

and end up looking more like Noj.

I clearly noted that he had yet to be extended....

I mean dude let’s not talk about the incorrect hot takes on the future of drafted players by you.

So keep it 100

I never talk about the draft or upcoming nba players. Nice try, though.

offer that would have made him the first player to get 50 million per season.

Dude wants out.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30332878/sources-houston-rockets-star-james-harden-focused-trade-nets%3fplatform=amp

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1328559387212795904?s=20

I like the moves. They get more shooting, a true penetrator, and a good defender.

True,Bog,Middleton,Giannis,Lopez. Now they have do something about that bench. Needs major improvement.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1328555067088269314?s=20

I know RoCo's not exactly a world-changer, but wing was by far the most glaring position of need for Portland last playoffs, and they just filled it with an ideal 3-and-D wing.

I agree with you...but also I didn’t think he was the guy when he went to the Rockets. Despite the fact Harden is better than anyone on the Blazers - Portland just feels like a complete team who just added someone who will glue it all together if that makes sense. This is amazing for Portland and a worthwhile gamble for 2 firsts.

I know they'll still have some issues defending on the perimeter with their small backcourt, but outside of that they feel pretty damn complete.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1328580779966914561?s=20

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1328581484513464323?s=20

people are about to learn about this dude now that he plays on a meaningful squad

Like, I realize Houston may be reluctant to trade with GSW for obvious reasons... but if the Warriors offered, say, Paschall, Poole, Looney, the #2 pick, Minnesota's #1 pick in 2021, the 2022 first rounder, and Wiggins to make the money work? Golden State would be super-loaded, and Houston would get a nice haul of picks and young pieces to build around for the next couple of years. And I've gotta think Harden would be happy. It'd be a win-win-win.

I don't think Brooklyn can make an offer with better future value that actually makes the money work. LeVert/Dinwiddie/Jordan doesn't come close to making the money work. They'd have to trade those three plus at least another three players to make the money work, and I just cannot see Brooklyn doing that.

(Unless Brooklyn offers Irving to Houston instead. And even then, I kinda feel like Houston would rather have a good first rounder in next year's loaded draft plus Wiseman, because they clearly won't be good for a couple of years regardless, and Kyrie's not gonna wanna play for a team with tank aspirations.)

I want to see Steph and Klay as the main options for this team again and I want to see what they do with these picks/assets/young players.

From a legacy standpoint bringing in ANOTHER hired gun all but kills any chance that this Golden State run will be looked on fondly going forward even if they were to win another Finals.

Harden, Durant, and Kyrie kind of all deserve each other at this point.

>I want to see Steph and Klay as the main options for this
>team again and I want to see what they do with these
>picks/assets/young players.

Steph will turn 33 next season and just missed a whole year. Klay will turn 31 next season and is recovering from ACL surgery. Their window, realistically, is, what, another year or two? Tops? Those young players and picks have essentially zero value to Curry and Klay unless they lead to a win today.

>From a legacy standpoint bringing in ANOTHER hired gun all but
>kills any chance that this Golden State run will be looked on
>fondly going forward even if they were to win another Finals.

So if Golden State thinks bringing in Harden wins them another ring, they shouldn't do it because... of concerns that people may not look on them fondly? lol

I vehemently disagree with this. Curry and Klay got their ring on their own without Durant. It's like Wade before Bron. They have absolutely nothing to prove at this point. Everything going forward isn't "can they win on their own?" because that's been established.

But they're both probably on the other side of their prime at this point-- and Draymond is on the other side of his too. If they want to win more titles-- and I'm sure they do-- they will probably need other players to help alleviate that load. That's not a knock against them or their legacies. That's a practical reality that comes with players getting older.

Harden is probably in the same boat, though he hasn't been dealing with injury stuff. There's a real argument that he has another year of prime left, maybe even two. Curry, Harden, and Klay would be a supernova offense, and while you can argue whether you think Harden is a "winner" or whatever, I think that team with Harden is inarguably better than one with Wiggins.

I absolutely think the Warriors do that deal in a *heartbeat*-- I think that trade would potentially make them the favorite to win the West in Vegas (they're currently projected by Vegas as the third most likely team in the West to win it all). And if people want to bitch and moan about *how* the Warriors did it? That shit matters way way less than *if* they did it.

The NBA is just one big AAU thing now......go play with your friends.....pout and get out. I get it.

Winning clearly isn't everything though or Durant would still be in Golden State. His fragile ass feelings couldn't take the backlash. So now He's going to try to go do it with ANOTHER superteam. Like this shit is out of control man as far as agendas go.

IDGAF what anyone says. These teams will never be looked at as fondly as past championship teams before the Heatles.

As far as Harden goes. Dude is an incredible talent. If he feels like he has to do the mercenary thing then that's cool. Go get it.

We see how well that's working out for Kawhi.

He made the all rookie team and avg 14ppg and 4 dimes. He is a really good iso player who can get his shot. I highly doubt they would include him in any trade scenario.

Harden has three years left on his contract. He can complain all he wants to, but Houston doesn’t have to do anything. Just simply let him play out his contract, and he
will be out of his prime by then.

Something really out of this world has to be on the table for Houston to part with Harden. Top 5 player, mega superstar, generational player, puts fans in the seats and brings in tv viewers. I’m thinking superstar for superstar.


But hey, we have seen crazier stuff, so maybe he does get traded. And they just traded Covington so something heavy could be in the works.

Like, they can keep Harden, but no talent is gonna come to play with them, because they know Harden could leave at the drop of a hat and leave them holding the bag.

They already dealt Covington to get another pick... I think that's a telltale sign that they know. I think they'll dealt Westbrook for a future pick, probably Gordon for a future pick, maybe see if a contender gets desperate midseason and try to deal Tucker for a future pick. And Harden could get Houston a hell of a package.

I just don't see the benefit to keeping him beyond waiting for other franchises to get desperate. They should do that, by all means-- they shouldn't trade him for peanuts. Like, they should get more future equity than New Orleans got for Holiday by... a healthy amount, lol. There just aren't a lot of contenders, outside of Golden State, who will realistically be able to do that. (Maybe Philly, if you consider them a contender. I don't, really.)

The current deal is OKC gets the top two picks in 2021 of Houston's pick, Miami's pick, and their own pick-- and Houston gets the worst of these three picks. Now, the 2021 draft class is loaded, but Miami's pick will almost certainly be mid-20s-- so that'd be a really bad swap for Houston.

BUT it's top 4 protected, lol. So if they end up with a Top 4 pick-- which, to be clear, is almost certainly a more valuable pick than even the #1 pick in this class-- then they keep the pick.

So they may as well bottom the fuck out, because if you're a rebuild team, you're *desperate* for a top 5 pick in next year's draft.

I don’t value the NBA draft as much as I value the NFL draft. Tanking makes sense in the NFL, because a top QB can make you into a super bowl champion within 3-4years ( Mahomes,Aikman,Ben).

In the NBA, not so much.

Dallas
Heatles
Spurs
Warriors
Cavs
Raptors
Lakers

Those are the champions over the past 8 years...all based on superstar veteran players.
Making moves through FA and the draft while still being competitive, or just going all out spending on FA seems to be the way to go. Or doing thrifty shit with G league players like Miami and Toronto.

You’re solely banking on potential with zero superstar players, so it could lead to a lot of years of losing.

Does Houston want to jump in that hole?

I can definitely see them wanting to get rid of Westbrook, with The hornets making the most sense because of the Jordan factor. But for Harden, someone big time has to come back.

Just because a team bottoms out, that doesn't guarantee they will get a top four pick.

The third worst team in the NBA is nearly twice as likely to win the lotto as the seventh worst team in the NBA. It's been flattened out, true, but I don't think tanking has been completely disincentivized-- especially because one can "tank" by trading all your assets for picks, which makes it a lot easier to trade up for those top talents in the draft.

Now, I'm biased because I fucking hate his game. But I also think that the last few years have shown that he doesn't play well with others. He'd have to be willing to adapt and change how he plays, because running ISO ball through him while he decides to drive or draw contact is completely antithetical to the Warriors run their offense.

Again, I'll admit that the guy is my least favorite player in the league. But I don't see it working out even in the short term. I'd rather focus on building the bench and go from there.

Now, with Melo and Russy, sure-- but they're also guys who famously don't share the ball either, so that kind of makes sense. I think Harden has shown he can be a terrific passer and an intelligent offensive player-- if he was playing with multiple hall of famers known for ball movement, I think he'd do just fine.

The Rockets' best season was when it was Harden, CP3, and Eric Gordon-- they lost like 17 games and they took a *loaded* Warriors team with Durant to 7 games. I think it's easy to argue that, if Golden State has an average 3rd quarter in Game 7, Houston probably goes on to win the NBA Finals, and people look at Harden a lot differently these days.

I think Harden/Steph/Klay is like a super saiyan version of that Rockets team, lol. They'd absolutely be the odds on favorite in 2021 with that imo.

haul be damned, if i'm a rockets fan i'd renounce my fanhood after that.

I don't think there's another contender that can *actually* trade for Harden that has the sorts of package that Golden State can offer.

So if Houston actually wants to tank, then fuck it, it's not like Houston's gonna compete for the next 3 years anyway. You gather young talent while Curry and Klay play out their prime, and then hopefully in 2025 the shoe is now on the other foot.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/james-harden-might-prefer-the-nets-but-its-the-warriors-who-might-be-able-to-offer-the-rockets-the-best-deal/

I doubt Houston would be interested without serious future assets-- George is only signed for two more years, and Houston's not competing in the next two years anyway.

Guaranteed Houston would want Shamet too, and there's just zero chance the Clippers trade him with the deal they have him on. The Clippers could offer, like, PG, Kabengele, and a couple of second rounders-- but if Houston's trying to build the future, that's just not a terribly attractive package.

OKC is a 1 horse town where the fans will show back up anyway, Houston still has to put an entertaining product on the floor. Maybe the Clippers would throw in Lemon People Lou because they definitely wouldn’t need any more dribbling.

I'm not joking when I say there are 6-7 guys in that draft who'd go #1 this year. Like, combine the two drafts and the lotto would only have three guys from this draft.

OKC already has two picks that should be high next year and they have a lot of firsts they can deal to try to get another high pick next year. They'll be stuffed with young talent sooner rather than later.

Houston just has to follow that model. Bomb next season. Deal everyone. Hopefully get a Top 4 pick for yourself (otherwise OKC gets your pick), and try to get another two draft picks next season. That's why I think the GS trade would work out-- they could demand the 2021 first rounder GS has from Minnesota, which has a good shot at being a lotto pick.

You can get exciting talent sooner rather than later if you go *all in* on the tank. The only way you fuck it up is if you try to be good enough to at least win 35-40 games-- then you'll stay in Washington Wizards purgatory forever.

younger the bust potential is higher. In each draft you have maybe like a handful guys out of 60 amount to anything. And half those aren’t ready out of the box and need at least a couple of years of development.

Unless they already have a star, their only realistic chance of landing a star is in the draft. And once they trade Harden, it's exceedingly unlikely they will have the sort of star that attracts free agents. So draft it is.

... but the thing holding it up is that Houston wants more assets. Probably looking for a draft pick or two.

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a S&T for Collins or Capela or draft capital or maaaaybe for a big trade exception? sure--especially for Collins. but if atlanta signs him as a free agent, the Celtics don't really get much FA space--all it would get the Cs is the bigger exception which isn't going to do much.

Hayward isn't necessary for the Cs, but he's better than replacement value. Hayward + a pick for Collins? Yes please.

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

Collins is really good on offense in the PnR, but he's a pretty lousy defender. I feel like having a guy like Capela would be good if the Celtics have aspirations of protecting the rim against guys like Giannis or AD in the playoffs.

but I think Stevens wants a 5 who can shoot a three, on the belief that Robert Williams/Theis/???? is a good enough trio at the five to mix and match.

i'd be happy with either.

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

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YES PLEASE YES PLEASE YES PLEASE COME ON GUYS MAKE THIS HAPPEN

He'll be better than Wendell long term and I like Wendell.

Wendell would be good for the Warriors too. And they'd have #4. That's huge because that's an asset they can use to address their bench or bring in another player if packaged with Wiggins.

While I don't think we NEED Wiseman and I'm ok with #4 being the SF Euro and us walking away with that, I wouldn't be mad at this deal too much. I'd want another asset from the Warriors though. Maybe a future pick or a bench guy.

Givony on Twitter saying the Bulls are big fans of Melo-- and they *did* just let Dunn and Harrison walk. I'm also thinking more and more that he'll be there unless Minnesota unloads the pick.

when he would shy away from other players that came with similar situations in the past. And who replaces Wendell in the middle.

I like Gafford be he's not a starting C in my opinion.

If it ain't Wiseman, why trade Wendell? Doesn't make sense.

... big men who can't shoot are pretty darn replaceable in the league today, and while Carter's shown in the past the potential to shoot, it hasn't happened yet in the league. Combine that with his injuries, and he may just think, "Carter's an asset right now because he's still young, but I think replacing him with Random Big Man X doesn't make a huge difference in our efficiency on either end." And while I still like Carter's upside if he can stay healthy, that line of logic is totally reasonable.

Meanwhile, if he thinks Ball is the highest upside player in the draft (and I'd actually agree with him on that tbh), and he thinks whoever he could get at 4 just wouldn't have the same upside (and while I'm not sure I *totally* agree there, a lot of people do think that)... then it makes sense.

I also tend to think, while Wiseman is a better prospect than Wendell, the flaws in his game are basically the same-- he can't defend the perimeter, and the shooting is far more potential than reality. I don't know if a team should give the equivalent of two Top 5 picks away to move up two spots for an upgrade at true center, the most increasingly irrelevant (or, if you don't like that wording, increasingly replaceable) position in the NBA.

If *I* were the Bulls, I'd keep Carter and draft Isaac Okoro with the 4th pick-- I like Okoro's upside more than Wiseman's, and I think his floor is significantly higher than Ball's. I think a guy whose pitch is "the next Andre Iguodala" is something the Bulls could really use, so I wouldn't pursue Ball or Wiseman unless they totally fall into my lap. But that's just me.

they were going to select him, so I wouldn’t be shocked if that is the pick.

I have never been big on Wendell. He isn’t wack, but he isn’t dynamic either. So
If we can move him ASAP, then cool.

I’m big on Tyrese Haliburton. He is a true facilitator, who avg’d 15 points a game, 7 dimes, and is an outstanding rebounder( 6 boards a game). He shot 50 pct from the field , and for two seasons shot 42 pct from three, and he is a good defender.

That’s our true all around pg right there, since they don’t think Coby is a PG. I just don’t see this veteran pg they keep talking about.

Checked out Hayes, and even though he plays point guard overseas, he looks more like a Manu Ginobilli type. He can pass and is fundamentally sound, but isn’t athletic or explosive the way a pg should be. His first step is slow. I see him playing more as a slasher SG with that euro playing style of his. He is left hand dominant as well..He barely uses his right, and before this past season he wasn’t a good shooter.


I like Wiseman. If we take him, I wouldn’t be upset. However, for what we need right now, I wouldn’t select him.

I am more worried about our perimeter defense since we let shaq and Dunn walk. I’m very worried right now.

I can just sit back and enjoy this shit again, lol

Luckily Goodwill just shut those down... https://twitter.com/VinceGoodwill/status/1329099395502116869

Somewhat efficient 25ppg scorers don't grow on trees. Dude is still young with top-15 potential. You don't trade that away for a bunch of guys. You rebuild while not totally sucking (with proper coaching and management hopefully this is the case). His defense isn't great but it's not like he's getting much help on that end. You don't build around him, you build with him as an elite offensive piece and hope you can attract free agents WHILE NOT TOTALLY SUCKING.

He is an offensive juggernaut, and put fans in the seats. However ,doesn’t facilitate and can’t play defense. I don’t think he is part of the bulls’ long plan game unless he can improve defensively. If he improves, then he is a keeper. We will see how things go

And can be ball dominant at times messing up the flow of the offense.

I don’t mind him, and dude can focking score. But if we can get a two way playing scoring perimeter player, I would move him.

But he is definitely a baller!

*and more importantly, the teams defense.

I'm pretty sure Zach and the team can get better on defense. Proper coaching and not being totally dispirited due to an idiot at the helms should help.

I knew the Sixers were desperate for shooting, but my heavens.

.

Wow.

At the minimum Al is a very good backup for a guy that will probably never make it through a season fully healthy. Not to mention a great veteran presence for a bunch of guys that seem to need a great veteran presence.

And to give away decent draft picks... for DANNY GREEN? AHAHAHa. Aren't Thybulle and Korkmaz just as good if not better? So many questions.

.

They get out of that horrid Al Horford contract, big financial savings ..and they take on expiring Danny Green’s Contract


$18M toward the luxury tax for 2020-21 + $7.7M in salary

$42M in savings in 2021/22 and 2022/23 with the Horford contract off the books


Clears up a lot of cap space to go after Harden.

I doubt this was for danny.

The picks were a tax on moving Al's bloated contract.

But if you're not getting Harden (they're probably not) then getting rid of a contract seems kinda strange for a team that considers themselves contenders. Like, Al is a useful piece on a perceived contender.

>But if you're not getting Harden (they're probably not) then
>getting rid of a contract seems kinda strange for a team that
>considers themselves contenders. Like, Al is a useful piece on
>a perceived contender.

They may have a line on scooping Dwight or someone like that. Not sure what their cap situation is overall but I'm guessing they can add what they lost in Al in a more cost effective way. I think Al is about to hit a wall of diminishing returns. Further, Danny brings similar attributes from a different position, while yielding cap relief this summer, or greater trade flexibility until then.

Even as a contender, this gives them room to tinker where they didn't before. Further, if they were going after Harden or anyone else for that matter, that expiring deal could be attractive in a deal.

I'm spitballing here, but those deals may be in greater demand with the current financial uncertainty around the league, so a team that's going nowhere and losing money may be willing to part with a quality player or asset for the additional financial wiggle room.

to go there.

.

That’s really goddamn good.

https://tenor.com/view/sam-presti-scared-money-dont-make-gif-12094049

to Detroit for a future 1st.

Love the move for both teams, tbh.

That’s crazy. He was lighting it up in Dallas.

And he is one hell of a defender.

Nepotism...but a good one. Great pickup by Philly.

Portis, Gibson, Payton, and Ellington are all gone.

I don't know who they're planning to use that space for, but it's a thing that happened.

https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1329530306869641216?s=20

After the Boston’s pick of Aaron Nesmith, best shooter in the draft, I think that’s the writing on the wall for Gordon. He is polished and ready to go now.

So I think Gordon going to NY is his best option.

He- and the Knicks- get what they all deserve if he gets anything close to max money.

.

Knicks gon' Knick I guess.

oh.

don't know what for, yet.

Looks like now he'll start instead of coming off the bench.

.

.

I thought he was the next one when I saw him on the circuit in 2015

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1329888113519259650?s=19

https://twitter.com/Carchia/status/1329913512009863168?s=20

.

I assume Rondo's out.

But this is alright. He's basically a slightly worse version last year's Danny Green on a much better deal.

.

Good for Big Jah! Shout out to Detroit for helping all the Duke bigs cash in, lol.

that was christian wood's money

..

I don't really get what he's doing unless they pull off Blake and Rose trades for a young almost superstar.

I have been wanting the Pistons to be aggressive in the FA market but unless these are the opening moves I don't really get what they're doing.

Hawks 3/61.5

.

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1329961887325331456?s=20

For what it's worth, the "I'm staying" tweet was the only remnants of old Dwight we've seen since he signed. He was a consummate professional all year who will probably be a great mentor to Joel.

But it's very funny he ditched us for Morey a second time.

> who will probably be a great
>mentor to Joel.

lol

Dudes a mercenary now. He’s learned. We saw it this year. And laker fans wanted to hate this dude. But you can’t say he isn’t one of the best defenders ever - and he knows his role. Perfect mentor for Joel.

>.

man, the NBA is something else
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1329977779434053632?s=20

He’s a dog but was borderline unplayable vs Denver and Dwight was crucial vs them. I like the signing and hope it means KCP is back cause this seems like close to MLE money.

Terrible on defense and can’t protect the rim....but y’all lose size like crazy.

But he can get buckets

I hate the loss of size but feels like the shooting has gotten better.

Definitely better offensively....but y’all won the chip because of interior defense ..too much length.

Harrell is a motor and a dog. But maybe he was just blanked out because he didn’t like PG and Kawhi.

But all that said - Green/Wes is a lateral move on D. Schroeder same thing on D (not nearly as good of a floor general as Rondo tho). Trez is a nice piece but I’m not sure how he fits in yet.

>But all that said - Green/Wes is a lateral move on D.
>Schroeder same thing on D (not nearly as good of a floor
>general as Rondo tho). Trez is a nice piece but I’m not sure
>how he fits in yet.

Trez, is cool I just don't see him as a fit.

>Trez, is cool I just don't see him as a fit.

just wait until you see how Trez eats on the pick and roll/fast break w/ Bron.

-->

>Terrible on defense and can’t protect the rim....but
>y’all lose size like crazy.

Yea - Lakers really will be struggling to protect the rim with AD and JaVale on the floor. lol


-->

not much left, Maybe they can get out of JaVale’s money.

The two years before that, he was at or near the top of their roster in every advanced analytics defensive stat, because his defensive positional versatility is exceptional, and his motor is never-ending.

Last playoffs was the worst that I've seen him look in the NBA tbh. I don't know if the recent death of his grandmother played a role in that performance... but I imagine the Lakers are betting that he'll return to what he was before that defensively.

And considering Harrell's one of the best PnR rim runners in the league, and Bron is a very difficult weapon to deal with him in the PnR himself? I really, really like the fit.

We let Dwight, a significant strength this year, walk to sign this guy?

Dwight is better defensively, but Harrell is wayyy better offensively.

Dwight signed in Philly for the vet minimum, didn’t he?

I don’t see how Harrell’s signing means we picked him over Dwight? Thought we wanted both?

And seems we’ll now be finding another big body to replace Dwight with?

If for nothing else - Trez joining the Lakers weakens the Clippers. Every time they match up Trez was a difference maker, and Lakers just got a *lot* faster by adding Schroder & Trez.

They knew Dwight was going to walk - and while he was a huge contributor this year - the Lakers in playoff crunch time were playing smaller, faster lineups for the majority of the time and I think Trez will fit exceptionally well with this squad which will be far more uptempo this year on offense.

Also - with AD anchoring the defense, it's not so imperative that Trez is an all-defense level guy. He'll be able to take more risks getting out on fast breaks where he is a monster.

He setting up that wall for Giannis. Wow. This dude is a G

Huge loss for the Lakers.

.

But yeah I think letting dwight walk was a mistake.

.

Damn. Huge loss for Denver

That dude was a stud ..hit the 3, length, was able to guard lebron. Made Denver tough defensively.

This is crazy.

Detroit’s my number 2 team now.

.

.

.

Could Work. ...but is this our big time Veteran?

He is 34 years old. Got to take this up with bulls nation.

.

SMH.....

Wizards are a shit franchise to root for sometimes.

https://twitter.com/rolopez42/status/1330009214937309186

.

.

gone. This is what a house looks like, stripped to the studs. Wouldn’t be shocked,at all if Tito never puts on a Thunder uniform.

Haliburton is a 42% 3-point shooter. He's 6'5 with a good wingspan. If you want to run a multiple playmaker system, they honestly fit really well together. Fox is more the dribble drive, Haliburton is more the shooter.

He still needs to put on some muscle-- he's got the frame for it, but he's pretty skinny right now-- so I wouldn't be surprised if Haliburton starts his career as Fox's backup, only occasionally playing alongside him. But if Fox is signed to a long deal, playing them side by side seems like the obvious hope for the Kings going forward.

And for an organization not known for ever making the smart basketball decision-- they're still insistent that Marvin Bagley isn't a 5 for some reason-- they're doing something savvy here imo.

Last year their defense was *dreadful,* in large part because Trae Young cannot guard any NBA player.

Now they draft Okongwu, easily one of the most versatile defenders in the draft, and they sign Dunn, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. If guys like Hunter and Reddish continue to develop in their second season defensively, they're making serious steps toward making up for the defensive problems Young inherently carries with him.

With Capela and Danilo, plus their draft selection, it all seems redundant.

His PED situation focked up their season, and it’s going to be expensive as hell to extend him.

There were trade rumors at the beginning of last season regarding a Collins/ Lauri swap with some picks thrown in. If ATL aren’t willing to pay him, maybe we could work something out to bring him in.

He has a year left on his rookie deal. With the Monster year he had, an extension should have been put forth already.

He'll need a big extension after this season, and I can't imagine a team with Trae Young as its cornerstone committing big money to build around a big man whose defense is, to put it mildly, not good.

He's a terrific offensive player, he's deadly in the PnR, and he's become a very good no-dribble catch-and-shoot 3 point option... I just struggle to see a world in which that becomes a winning team defensively when those are your best two players. Furthermore, considering Collins's 3 point percentage drops to under 10% when he dribbles the ball, the Hawks may feel last year's offensive performance looks better than where his actual offensive skills are.

Meanwhile, if Collins shot 40% from 3 on catch-and-shoot opps that Trae creates for him, imagine what Gallinari, a much better 3-point shooter on the whole than Collins, can do with that much space. At least that's what I imagine the Hawks are thinking.

Their draft picks and roster moves over the last year say to me, "We're building around Trae," which means two things:

1. Guys who can defend to make up for Trae. Capela, Okongwu, Dunn, and young guys with potential like Hunter, Reddish, Mays, and Khyri Thomas.
2. Guys who can shoot 3s to take advantage of the space Trae creates. Gallinari, Huerter, and, again, the young guys with potential to shoot like Hunter, Reddish, Mays, and Khyri Thomas.

Collins doesn't fit into category 1, and he's not skilled enough a 3 pointer shooter to justify the price they'd have to pay him to stay. Especially since they haven't figured out Trae's long term deal yet. So I imagine they'll try to find a suitor to exchange for picks and other win-in-the-next-two-years sorts of assets.

from a small school getting a bag.

I wonder if they try to move Lowry.

.

Jordan is trash as an owner...good lord. 30 mil per for 4 years for Hayward bum ass???

That team is going to get shitted on.

Zero defense or athleticism.

Holy shit. Didn't think it was possible. Jordan is really bad at this man.

...but then I saw that contract. Oof. Jordan saving the Knicks from themselves.

Bet he’s 20+ ppg there on very good shooting numbers, and his game will mesh with who he’s on the court with. He’s a good player.

It’s an awful lot of money, and his health issues make it a bit risky. But IMO if healthy, he’ll at least play well for them. It’s not like he sucks now or anything.

Really they NEED to finally hit on a superstar in the draft with Ball. Their drafting history is just ridiculously bad.

>Their drafting history is just ridiculously bad.

The last four biggest contracts they've written were for Hayward, Terry Rozier, Nic Batum, and Cody Zeller. It's an embarrassing franchise.

If healthy.

Here are the guys who should almost certainly be the ASG frontrunners in the East next year, health assumed:

backcourt:
Trae
Simmons
Lowry
Kemba
Kyrie

frontcourt:
Giannis
Embiid
Tatum
Butler
Durant
Siakam
Adebayo

now, let's say injuries and/or slips in quality of play lead to 2, maybe 3 of these guys losing their slot-- I'd say that's on the high end, but let's go for it.

Let's see who else is in the East:
Middleton
Sabonis
Jaylen Brown
Oladipo
VanVleet

I've got to think all of those guys would be ahead of Hayward, because they'll all be on good teams, and Charlotte is going to suck.

Hayward's got to be on the tier with someone like Zach LaVine, Kevin Love, or Brad Beal, where the only way he's gonna make an ASG is if (a) the team is playoff-good, or (b) he puts up like 26+ a game.

I honestly think LaMelo would be more likely to make an ASG than Hayward at this point, because if Charlotte's good enough to get its best players into ASG consideration, it'll fall on Melo's shoulders more than Hayward's imo.

but yeah everything you wrote is probably correct.

Slow first step, defensive liability,zero athleticism, injury prone.


No way. The Celtics were actually better without him, because he took possessions away from the other three. He was reduced to a fourth option.

He is now basically the number 1 option for the hornets.

So a fourth option gets overpaid to become a 1st option on a team that is already bad.

He’s a good player. If he’s healthy, he’ll produce.

It’s all about his health.

And yes, it’s still too much money. If you all want to talk like he sucks, have at it.

Just that a third or 4th option getting paid to be a first option is insane!

It’s a W for Gordon.

L for Jordan

He's a fine player

He's not near anything in the planet of what he got

https://www.atthehive.com/2020/11/23/21590868/nba-free-agency-news-gordon-hayward-charlotte-hornets-landed-the-best-truly-available-free-agent

different player
The worst version of Hayward on the court is/was the best Batum could have ever been.
The biggest issue with Batum has been his disappearing usage.
He just stopped shooting. That was always in his personality on the court.
Hayward is simply a different guy. His issue will likely be health, never effort.

.

Butler
Bam
Bradley

Switch all day.

.

Wow. He was good on the heat.

Why is this dude a journeymen?

He is a solid player no matter where he goes,,,but he always goes.

>Why is this dude a journeymen?

Should be a nice vet presence to go along with CP3 and the youngins

.

Lakers were not able to pay him that much - but this also could mean Atlanta is no longer in the Bogdan sweepstakes (I don't believe they have enough to offer after their signings) -- potentially Laker-bound?
-->

.

.

Let’s go.

KCP turned down 5/80 and it’s turning out to be 5/68.

It’s not bad. It’s his value.

>KCP turned down 5/80 and it’s turning out to be 5/68.
>
>It’s not bad. It’s his value.

It’s his value when Rich Paul is his agent and we’re trying to re-sign AD.

Outside of that nobody is giving KCP $40mil but maybe your boy Mitch Kupchak but he was 2 busy giving Gordon Hayward $120mil.

They just bagged Tristan Thompson for 20 mil over 2 years.

12/10...board man. Not a star big, but a solid one to give them some
middle strength. Plus championship experience.

.

Tell me you’re bullshitting?

Good deal, great fit.

Lakers in 5.

Hmm. I don’t know. This is a pretty strong lineup.

Beverly - George -Kawhi - Marcus Morris - Ibaka

Major bench pieces: Lou Wills, Kennard, Zubac - Patterson.

And if Lue could get them to gel....it’ll be very interesting.

will SAC match? Man...Gallo, Bogie and Rondo would be a strong FA period for Atlanta.

John Collins is going to get shipped. Those are a lot of offensive pieces to keep them all.

I live in ATL so I've watched exactly zero Kings games in the last decade.

72 Mil seems like a lot for a dude who's never made an all-star team and didn't make 1st team Rookie or Sophomore.

so they can make an offer to Marc Gasol. Just make it harder for me to understand why Dwight didn’t stay. I really liked him there and he went to Philly for 2.6m

and some insight on Dwight’s departure
https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-dwight-howard-was-under-the-impression-he-had-offer-from-lakers-signed-with-76-ers-instead-024630843.html

But whatever, it's asset-shifting time, well overdue.

JaVale answers the "no Tristan" question and solidifies the Drummond scenario for the time being.

.

.

The lakers got smaller and less defensive in the interior.

Gasol was bad and APPEARED ( not saying he is) to be washed in Toronto.

So if AD gets hurt, who fills in for him like Howard did?

Dennis-Kcp-Bron-Davis-Gasol?

Morris/Harrell/Kuzma, etc ..bench ?

Our great interior defense included the outstanding rim protection they provided. I'm not happy with those departures at all.

Trez is a dog, he has a motor, he gets that 1 block per, etc. I get all that.

I don't think his scoring and P&R is of greater overall value than their rim protection, but we'll see about that. He's a good defensive player and works as a small ball center.

I like the Gasol pickup defensively, but he's not a rim protector like them.

We have a far more dynamic offensive team though. Gasol is a fantasic- and willing- passer. Schroeder is an absolutely massive offensive upgrade from the guard spot. If Kuz shows up this year offensively and improves on D, we should lead the league in scoring.

Because, the more I think about this, we still have AD, who is an absolute defensive beast overall, and a great rim protector is part of that. We just don't have that three headed monster of rim protection anymore.

It is what it is. We're smaller (for now, I'm holding out hope Cuz comes back on a vet min, but I digress) and with weaker rim protection, but the upgrade on offensive is huge.

Where they'd like to play a bit faster and against those kind of high-powered offensive juggernauts, you tend not to play guys like Howard and McGee. Even if you look at what happened in the playoffs, McGee barely played and Howard was only prominently featured against Denver. He was huge in that series on the defensive end, but for the vast majority of the playoffs, Lakers were playing smaller lineups.

I would've also liked to see Dwight and/or Javale retained, but if the exchange is to add Trez and Gasol for those two guys? No brainer. If it were a trade, you'd trade Dwight and 'Vale for Trez and Gasol every day of the week. Especially when you factor in Schroder into the mix, Trez will fit perfect when playing uptempo - and Gasol will be a great fit in the half-court when Bron and AD need supreme spacing.

Lakers will still be on of the biggest front-courts in the game, if not the biggest against the top-tier teams. They will probably also get another big body w/ the veteran min - whether that's Cousins or someone else.

What's the problem?

>What's the problem?

I have no clue how long he'll flourish, but he amazed me with some of those 3's he hit.

with that being said, austin rivers does not strike me as a thibs guy. quite the opposite!

>with that being said, austin rivers does not strike me as a
>thibs guy. quite the opposite!

Defensive minded.....

careers. I guess we can give him credit for Jimmy but who else has gotten better under Thibs?

His offenses generally aren't horrible statistically, but there is usually a lot to be desired. Great players have kinda made up for his lack of imagination and forward thinking on that end of the floor. I think he'll have to eventually settle into a defensive assistant role long term, especially if (when?) he fails in New York.

The weird thing about Thibs is that for all his yelling and meathead sideline antics, players love playing for him. At least the players who truly give a shit (i.e. not Wiggins and/or KAT). Like, he *will* make a player and team better. Thing is, this "better" usually hits a cap after a couple years and things stall out. The great coaches figure out a way to keep the progression going. Thibs hasn't really proved that he can do that yet as a head coach.

I don't think the Knicks are going to get long term "Thib's guys", at least not this offseason. It appears they are tooling up for years down the road since a majority of the contracts are either very small or are one year deals.

With that being said, I was surprised when the team waived Taj Gibson. I not a fan of the dude because his best years are well behind him and he was limited offensively even when he was younger, but the dude was literally a Thib's type dude on those Bulls teams and the man legitimately has NYC roots.

Tough break for him to get waived I suppose.

since the league is smaller overall. The point guard situation at this point in time is pretty dismal, so I can understand why there are four point guards on the roster. Only having two or three fours on the roster is a bit odd, which leads me to think rebounding will be an issue for the Knicks, among other things.

Will be interesting to see what Thibs does with this roster. I wonder how much input he had with the players that were drafted and picked up via free agency. I'm not a huge fan of his, but he does garner a degree of respect from some folks in the league.

But he's definitely not worth 15-16 per.

>But he's definitely not worth 15-16 per.

is what I read.

there’s all this talk about Miami trying to hold out for Giannis who happens to have the same agent as Bam

They’re both great players but does the 2 of them next to each other even make sense?

Could Miami play themselves and lose both?

Hope he can have a rebound year.

James
Russ
PJ
Gordon
House
Wood
Boogie
Ariza
McLemore
Wooten
Clemons

LET'S MAKE SOME PULLED BBQ SAMMICHES!

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/reports-miami-heat-to-sign-all-star-big-man-bam-adebayo-to-maximum-contract-extension-185456142.html

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30381291/brandon-ingram-new-orleans-pelicans-agree-5-year-max-extension

And next.

Love to see it! Thanks, Mitch!

>And next.
>
>Love to see it! Thanks, Mitch!

if there's a guy you want making 5 mil without playing it would be him.

He definitely doesn’t need it. His real estate portfolio is bonkers.

.

This season is kinda a wash with COVID anyway.
Put the Lakers and Nets in a bubble for the finals.

then you’re putting all your faith in KD & Kyrie staying healthy

him coming there "anybody can just make stuff up", lol. Gotta believe Harden is on the move, though.

>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is much temptation to use what has worked before,
even when it may exceed its effective scope."

"Roll me further bitch"

You’re never going to win a championship, so why not get people excited and be entertaining in the meantime? Most pumped I’ve been about the Wizards since Gil, easily.

Beal is not nearly as good as Harden, but I feel like Russ is a much better fit next to him. That's a potential 8th seed or better...so...good move.

Wash can score, just wack on defense.

I will give it 3 months before Beal gets frustrated with his jacking up shots and senseless turnovers.

Both Westbrook and Wall are toxic ass teammates...

Harden has to be leaving.

Westbrook is basically an angrier and more charismatic Wall.

Westbrook is the elite-level (perennially underachieving and consistently agitated) athletic point guard Wall wanted to be. One of the guys he always bitched about not being compared to, even though he never played nearly as hard as Westbrook or CP3 or really ever got better as a jump shooter.

It's probably a bad deal:
1) We gave up a first at a time when "assets" matter more than ever

2) we traded one massive albatross of a contract for another

3) Beal barely gelled with Wall, lord knows how he'll play with Russ

4) the ceiling is out-in-6 in the ECF

5) I don't give a shit, it's the most exciting thing this team has done since MJ came back. A historical loser of a franchise with no dynamism to speak of, no tradition to even lean on when times are especially bleak (often.) This makes them more relevant than they've been since the Cheney administration.

Well, it is exciting. And they should at least be able to compete for one of the
play-in games.

Also, he is the healthier player.

Plus, it means that Beal isn’t getting traded.

It's lottery protected and the team is going to be picking middle of draft for at least a couple of years. We don't need more middling bobby portis type guys.

Between Troy Brown, Rui, Avdija, Bryant and Bonga they have plenty of youngins to develop over the next 2-3 years without adding yet another cat who doesn't get the playing time needed to develop.

Russ is hardly a toxic teammate. Damn near everyone he plays with raves about what a good teammate he is, Austin Rivers said, just this season...”Russ is my favorite teammate I’ve probably ever had. Just an amazing guy. One of the most wrongly depicted persons”

Also, Bill Simmons said that Beal, himself was pushing for the deal to get done...so looks like he’s ok with playing with Russ.

Russ probably is a good teammate. How could he not be when he plays as hard as he does? I'd love playing with a guy like that. I said "agitated", like he's manufactured a chip on his shoulder in order to play so aggressively. Never said he was toxic.

Also, didn't say "Beal won't like this". I said I'm just not sure how it's going to work. He's even more ball-dominant than Wall was.

Pretty aggressive way to come at somebody when I didn't even say what you're accusing me of dude hahaha

.

emotional with his posting. It really gives off a certain impression.

you don't even know who you talkin to half the time. You the same dude who accused me of always being wrong in the draft projection posts...I haven't watched a full college basketball game in like 3 years. You just be saying anything.

until you started coming in guns blazing.

Someone pulled me aside, and said something to the effect, you're beefin with Dstl1?

He doesn't get down like that, he's one of the more even-keeled posters around.

I checked back and realized, to the best of my recollection, that he didn't say what I thought he did, or he not in the tone I took it, or something along those lines.

But I paid attention to his posts after that and realized the description of him that I was given was dead on, and it still is.

So I'm going to pay it forward, in hopes that you'll come to your senses and fall back, like I did. He's not that guy, at least not on the boards. There are plenty of cats here to get into a good old fashioned war of words with... but he ain't the one.

If there's a string of overly negative interactions between you two... chances are, he's not the problem.

I enjoy shit talk and giving each other the business, like the next dude...by, I’m never trying to go at anyone’s neck. We’re all just getting through the day and having a little fun while doing it.

..Westbrook is considered one of the most well-liked and respected players in the league (former teammates, execs, etc.).

This dude cleaned his own room (spotless) and left an 8k tip for housecleaning. How can you hate this guy?..


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

Durant got tired of him.

And Harden wanted Wall Over Westbrook. He got tired of playing with him,too

https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/amp/James-Harden-John-Wall-Russell-Westbrook-trade-15772481.php

And so will Beal.

He made his bed and left a tip?

Dude I’m talking about on the basketball court ...good lord. Put the defensive sword down and take a deep breath.

Russell Westbrook is a terrible player to play with.

Where he hurts his team, and he has done that at OKC and Houston.

Playing hard and playing the game the right way are two different things, and he still doesn’t know how to play the game the right way after 13 years in the league.

And Beal wanting him? Like I said ,we will see how he feels after Russ is playing dumb basketball and shooting bricks. Durant got tired of playing with him, and Harden preferred Wall of Russs

Harden didn’t want to play with Westbrook anymore

https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/amp/James-Harden-John-Wall-Russell-Westbrook-trade-15772481.php

This is really going to hurt the chances of him signing with the Bulls.

Anthony Davis has signed a 5 year deal with the Lakers. This means he will not play in Chicago, next season - Magic Johnson's Twitter (not really, but still)

..LMAO!


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

He will be back in Chicago before it is all said and done.

Enjoy him while you have him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRU2qs82DAg

.

Have a great day.

Have a great five years.

..Lakers are primed to make another run @ a dynasty.

Should be fun to watch Pelinka tweak this roster over the next 5 years.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

I hate the Lakers

but

Want to see them win one with fans and a parade

?

Harden requested the move. He refused to play with Westbrook again.

“On Thursday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Harden let it be known that he'd rather play with Wall than Westbrook, helping trigger the trade.”

https://www.chron.com/sports/rockets/amp/James-Harden-John-Wall-Russell-Westbrook-trade-15772481.php

I give it 6 months before Beal demands the same thing.

he called the whole team out, including himself...but, James didn't like it. He wanted Dwight out. He wanted Russ over Chris. Now he wants John over Russ. When they lose in the 2nd round...again. Who's fault will it be, then. Guess we have to wait and see which teammate they pin it on. Strangely...James is the constant.

https://twitter.com/espn_macmahon/status/1335669330294566912?s=20

Harden just now on his Instagram
https://twitter.com/KellyIkoNBA/status/1335684388789612550?s=20

..an entire mess.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

link: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30490332/paul-george-extension-adds-190-million-la-clippers-contract

swipe:

Paul George extension adds $190 million to LA Clippers contract

Adrian Wojnarowski
Senior NBA Insider
1:17 PM ET

Six-time All-Star forward Paul George has signed a maximum contract extension with the LA Clippers that guarantees him as much as $226 million over the next five years, his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA Sports, told ESPN.

The Clippers are extending George's contract for an additional four years at $190 million on top of the $35.4 million guaranteed him for the 2020-21 season.

George had a player option for the 2021-22 season that will be replaced with the four-year extension, which includes a new player option for the 2024-25 season, Mintz said.


Ranking the best NBA players, from 50 to 11
The contract numbers are likely to be affected by lower annual percentage rises in the salary cap because of significant losses in league revenues. George is eligible to be paid 35% of the Clippers' overall salary cap.

This extension is connected to the four-year, $137 million contract that George signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018. In all, George will have turned that Thunder contract and this deal into a massive total of seven years and $290 million.

George, 30, had been determined to return to his Southern California roots and now is contractually committed through the prime of his career with the Clippers.

The extension solidifies one of the Clippers' cornerstone players for the long term, a franchise priority in the aftermath of surrendering a massive package of players and draft picks to Oklahoma City to acquire George at the start of free agency in 2019. George's addition served as a catalyst for Kawhi Leonard to commit to a free-agent deal with the Clippers and create a tandem expected to compete for NBA championships.

The next step for securing the franchise's future will be centered on re-signing Leonard, who could become a free agent after this season.

George was a first-team All-NBA player for the Thunder in 2018-19 and four times has been voted to the All-NBA third team. He has been All-Defensive first or second team four times.

He made a remarkable comeback from a devastating leg injury suffered in the summer of 2014 playing with Team USA. After missing most of the 2014-15 season, George overcame uncertainty about whether he would ever be an elite player in the NBA again.

In 10 NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Thunder and Clippers, George has averaged 20 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

is hesitant in terms of wanting to sign a similar extension given how Pushover P floundered for the most part last year.

Perhaps they both have it planned out to go to Sacramento.

In all seriousness, it would be funny if he left the Clippers since he's the one that forced the Clippers front office to offload all those picks to get Paul George in the first place. Given how banged up PG has been in recent years coupled with how inconsistent his level of play has been, I couldn't be mad if Kawhi wants to pull the rip cord in the whole Clippers experiment.

Didn’t play to seed this year.

Lmao, that post was a lot of fun.

just like Tobias Harris in Philly...with everything they gave up to get him, they simply had to pay him.

>just like Tobias Harris in Philly...with everything they gave
>up to get him, they simply had to pay him.

that Tobias contract hurts though, like nobody even talks about him like he doesn't exist, a complete non'MF factorc(c)EL

But paying Pandemic P 40+ mil when he's 36? Yeesh

re-build what was thought the be a championship roster a year later? they gotta ride this out either way. who knows what Kawhi will do? despite a lot of talk PG is still 1 of the top 2-way players in the league and if you're a franchise that has won nothing and traded everything to get him and you have the opportunity to lock him up long term you do. It looks like they are going to continue to be little brother to the Lakers in LA for at least the next 2-3 years but at least they can keep from falling completely into mediocrity

on several occasions. One time...he just left a statement, LOL. Man, the NBA is amazing.

.

Lakers in 5.

that with Harden now.

The thing is with star players demanding trades is teams have to give up a lot for them and that star may find himself on a team still not good enough.

The most recent "superteams" in Golden State and Miami were the result of free-agent signings, not trades.

Giannis will stay in Deer Land for the Super Max.

https://www.brewhoop.com/2020/12/15/22156118/giannis-antetokounmpo-agrees-to-five-year-228m-super-max-extension

https://sports.yahoo.com/report-russell-westbrook-appalled-by-rockets-team-culture-which-revolves-around-james-harden-173915652.html

Report: Russell Westbrook 'appalled' by Rockets team culture, which revolves around James Harden
Liz Roscher
Wed, December 16, 2020, 11:39 AM CST·3 min read

Between his reported demand for a trade and his training camp hold out, James Harden has headlined all the NBA drama leading into the start of the regular season. But there’s somehow more drama between him and the Houston Rockets lurking just beneath the surface.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on Wednesday that the Rockets have let Harden run the show in Houston, which has led to a “casual culture” on the team. According to MacMahon, Harden’s love of partying in certain cities determines the team’s travel schedule and off days, and his inability to be on time has caused the Rockets to act like “an organized AAU team,” one former staffer said.

While the Rockets hadn’t necessarily viewed this as an issue in the past, those days appear to be gone. The team’s culture, engineered by Harden, may have played a part in driving away Russell Westbrook, who the Rockets recently traded to the Washington Wizards.

Harden’s power within the Rockets organization goes beyond the team’s travel schedule. Sources told MacMahon that Harden could “call the shots” on personnel moves for the team and coaching staff, and would threaten to demand a trade if the team wouldn’t upgrade the roster.

That’s how Westbrook ended up in Houston. Harden reportedly threatened to demand a trade if the Rockets didn’t trade for Westbrook. Harden got his wish and Westbrook landed in Houston.

It didn’t go well. While there were on-court issues around playing style and the fit between Westbrook and Harden, there were reportedly other issues as well: Westbrook just didn’t mesh with the team’s culture. Westbrook’s old team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, were disciplined and professional, and he was reportedly “appalled” by Houston’s casual culture. Tardiness is a way of life on the Rockets, which Westbrook apparently hates.

On one occasion in the Florida bubble, Harden waited to get his daily COVID-19 testing until just before the Rockets' film session was scheduled to start. When he wasn't on time, Westbrook barked, "Start the film! Start without him!" D'Antoni explained that they'd just have to start over when Harden arrived, which didn't do much to calm Westbrook.

With the issues both on and off the court, it’s not hard to understand why Westbrook wanted out of Houston.

‘Whatever James wants’
A former Rockets staffer told MacMahon that the culture on the team has essentially been “whatever James wants.” That’s essentially what’s caused all the recent drama with his maskless partying and training camp hold out. For the first time they’re not giving Harden what he wants, which is a trade.

"Yeah, he's going to act up," a former Rockets staffer said.

"He's never heard 'no' before."

According to MacMahon, the Rockets are determined to get a huge package if they’re going to trade their star, even if it takes awhile to do it, and even if Harden is visibly unhappy about it. So if Harden’s not used to hearing “no,” he might want to get accustomed to it pretty quickly.

.

that's 2 PGs in a row he's brought in and ran out because they dared to hold him accountable. and russ was his boy. i bet CP3 wanted to stab that nigga lol

>that's 2 PGs in a row he's brought in and ran out because
>they dared to hold him accountable. and russ was his boy. i
>bet CP3 wanted to stab that nigga lol

I’m in the same lane. Dude ain’t got no cred with me. I want him gone from the Haitch.

I believe it. I'd never heard the part about the film session...but I did read about Russ basically telling everyone that they had to be better, starting with himself and it pissed James off, that he called him out...even though, he called the entire team out. Read the McMahon article...dude was just allowed to do what he wanted, unchecked. Not even mad at him for doing what they let him do.

in Phoenix because he had Nash to kind of help keep guys in line, he was basically trash in NY with Melo and the team actually got better after Antoni left with Mike Woodson as coach but nobody ever talks about that, I won't even go into the Lakers shit, he was handed what was already a playoff team in Houston and peaked his 2nd year there and got progressively worse every since. He's still considered an "elite" coach and will probably be handed another playoff team next year

If we hadn't just seen him partying maskless for days in Vegas while his team was playing preseason ball.

But...since that's not the case...no.

via their "unofficial" PR guy tim mcmahon in an attempt to make a harden trade seem unappealing as possible. rockets owner and known broke boi tilman fertitta is likely desperate to keep harden because he's a ticket and merch seller plus a near-guaranteed playoff berth. it seems unlikely that other teams are reaching out to tim mcmahon with this info (how would they get it anyway?) in order to lower his value

i'm biased here; harden is my favorite player by far. this has been a rough couple of weeks and he's truly testing my fandom. also it's disheartening to know that all those teenagers on r/nba are nutting endlessly over these semi-hit pieces on my guy

He just used them differently. Russ wants and needs things a particular way, and he got them in OKC. One of those rules was that Russ would take rebounds away from other players. Carmelo Anthony even spoke about this, saying he wanted to fight( push him out the way) him at times on the court , but just learned to deal with it since the team was getting the rebound...but you could tell he was just being nice about it

Harden has his privileges, which are quite the opposite. Russ was hit with the fact that it wasn’t his team and it doesn’t revolve around him.

All mega superstars have been given special privileges. Dennis Rodman was allowed to miss games to go party in order to keep him happy. And Jordan had to deal with it, imagine that. Why? Because Rodman’s celebrity was just as big as Jordan’s, if not bigger from an entertainment perspective.

So both of them are Divas in their own way.....and both of their games kill teams.

I don’t really care about the rest of your argument but Worm was never , ever, more popular than Michael Jordan in either sports or the mainstream

Or the bulls.

continue to cook, but here are some facts for you.

“People also said that during your time with the Bulls, you were actually more famous than Michael Jordan. Could you tangibly feel that?


Rodman: I think that right there is a statement like that where I was saying that, too, like for a minute, I was more famous than Michael Jordan in Chicago. I was different, I was doing all kinds of unique things like going on shows dressed in drag. I wore women's clothes, I was going out to clubs, I was doing this, I was doing that. I was the opposite of Michael Jordan off the court and people loved seeing me doing these other antics and like, "Wow, I mean this guy's interesting." Because back then in 1996, 7, and 8, I was pretty much like on top of the world. In Chicago, Michael is a God and Scottie Pippen's Jesus. I should've been Moses. Like okay, great and I was Rod-Man. I was Rod-Man and like, you know, so I think that the fact that people embraced me more because I was so real and so hard working as far as like doing the most. I think they love the fact that my attitude and the way I present myself in the game. I appreciated what I was doing. I think that people really related to that, related to me like that. That's a cool statement to say, but Michael Jordan's Michael Jordan.”

Or the bulls.

continue to cook, but here are some facts for you.

“People also said that during your time with the Bulls, you were actually more famous than Michael Jordan. Could you tangibly feel that?


Rodman: I think that right there is a statement like that where I was saying that, too, like for a minute, I was more famous than Michael Jordan in Chicago. I was different, I was doing all kinds of unique things like going on shows dressed in drag. I wore women's clothes, I was going out to clubs, I was doing this, I was doing that. I was the opposite of Michael Jordan off the court and people loved seeing me doing these other antics and like, "Wow, I mean this guy's interesting." Because back then in 1996, 7, and 8, I was pretty much like on top of the world. In Chicago, Michael is a God and Scottie Pippen's Jesus. I should've been Moses. Like okay, great and I was Rod-Man. I was Rod-Man and like, you know, so I think that the fact that people embraced me more because I was so real and so hard working as far as like doing the most. I think they love the fact that my attitude and the way I present myself in the game. I appreciated what I was doing. I think that people really related to that, related to me like that. That's a cool statement to say, but Michael Jordan's Michael Jordan.”


And you will probably still reply with disagreement ...lol

What? Dude Rodman was more celebrity famous than Jordan for the time he was with the bulls

https://www.complex.com/sports/2019/09/dennis-rodman-more-famous-than-michael-jordan-30-for-30

I was here..in Chicago when Dennis Rodman arrived they shut down a strip of Michigan
Ave, and that dude came arriving on a Harley and you would think he was the Beatles!

Only other athlete that could command some shit like that at the time was Jordan

Dude Rodman was just as famous on an entertainment/ music level...MTV, rock music level and hanging out with rock groups, Madonna, the tattoos and Hair-dos, being a wrestler on WCW, the TV shows. Dennis Rodman was a huge brand when he was with
Bulls.


Jordan wasn’t doing TV shows, wrestling, performing with music rockstars. Michael Jordan is going to always be the greatest brand and get GOAT attention....but put it like this , Jordan was to Michael Jackson as Rodman was to Bobby Brown...and for about a year or two Bobby Brown was ruling the music charts...and for the few years Rodman was with the bulls he was getting the majority of the attention.

That’s what I’m saying about Rodman , with the bulls ,he was generating more entertainment celebrity than Jordan....ask anybody who lived in Chicago or was a bull fan.

i wouldnt have even given dude a max offer. dude trash on offense and he good on defense but not DPOY good.

He's not worth the supermax.

He's maybe worth the max.

But if they let him go, what then?

Finding someone else who wants him seems like their best bet. I wonder if a team like Brooklyn or GS would be willing to pay him the max.

If they don't pay him the max, he can't get the super elsewhere, but maybe they can get some value for him.

He's making 25 mil this year, and any team trading for him would need to be able to re-sign him, presumably for a supermax. He's nice and all, but what could they get for him?

the thing is he's good defensively he's not dominant, is he better that Dwight RIGHT TODAY(WC)?

C'mon. That's a massive cyse to compare him to Dwight.

>C'mon. That's a massive cyse to compare him to Dwight.

most teams would rather have Dwight at the league minimum than Gobert at the max

>most teams would rather have Dwight at the league minimum than Gobert at the max

Now *this* I agree with, but that's because most teams aren't going to start a big that can't defend the perimeter nowadays. Teams that play drop coverage defense, that rely on the rim protection that a traditional big creates? Unless they're super constrained on money, they'd rather have Gobert. But if they're constrained on money, or if they're not playing drop coverage and just need a big man for 15-20 MPG for specific defensive matchups? Yeah, Howard on the min is a better deal.

But Utah's not in that position. And any team that plays defense in the scheme Utah plays would be happy to pay the max for Gobert, I would think. (Unless they're changing their scheme radically from the past few years, or unless they had the Next Great Defender in the wings, and I don't think either of those is true for Utah.)

I get that the NBA is generally moving to switchability, and I'm all about small ball, but Snyder runs a drop coverage defensive scheme anyway, and Gobert is the best rim-protecting true big man in the NBA. If you're not switching to a more switchable scheme, then Gobert is your guy. Period. Like, I'm not sure there's a debate there. He's made three or four All-NBA teams, the last four All-Defense first teams, and two DPOYs.

And yeah, he had a *relatively* down year last year... and still made first team All-Defense, lol. I don't blame Utah's defensive troubles on Gobert. The Jazz went from starting Rubio and Favors, two net positive defenders, to Conley and Bogdanovic, two net negative defenders. Of course Gobert's numbers are going to slip with that change.

If he is asking for the supermax-- that report has already been denied-- then I get it. He's 28, he's in a scheme that fits him, and he's never gonna get a chance for a deal like that again. This will be his last great contract-- and probably the last great contract a traditional big gets for a long time.

I ultimately think he'll settle for a max, and I think Utah should offer it. They do not have the pieces to play coherent defense without Gobert on board-- and if he left, I think we'd see just how rough many of their perimeter defensive options outside of Mitchell are.

Plus, they're fucking UTAH. How many All-Stars come to Utah in free agency willingly? Like, people who like LA or Boston or whatever may think "fuck it, let him walk, don't spend the money on this guy"... but Utah just doesn't get multiple All-NBA type talents very often. You can't really afford to let guys like that go and remain relevant. And with increasingly few teams running drop coverage, I don't know who'd trade for him.

people to be throwing a ton of money at this guy

Like, Charlotte’s starting Cody Zeller or Bismack Biyombo. Detroit is starting Mason Plumlee. OKC is starting old Al Horford and has a lot of cap room. Sacramento is starting Hassan Whiteside. San Antonio is starting Jakob Poeltl. There are probably more.

I think this is all moot, because I bet he wants to stay and I bet he’ll take less than the Supermax to remain on a good team.

small ball era unless they are special and I don’t think Gobert is special. Most teams don’t even play a true center majority of the time unless they can hit 3’s and run the floor. But like I said we’ll see.

Dennis Smith....pick up the red phone.

Efrid Payton....please report to personnel.

Alec Burk.....Leon needs to see you upstairs in HR

Theo Pinson.....thanks for stopping by, we put the check in the mail.

Austin Rivers.....we have some towel waving videos for you to watch.


Okay, can we trade all these muhphuckas for OG Anunoby or Mo Bamba?

And teams that were in the bubble are going to suffer because schedules are all weirded out. Throw in covid measures and you have a perfect moment to start a youth movement in NY.

Is Efrid Payton and Austin Rivers going to carry us to a sixth seed in the east? Not even fucking close.

I'm not expecting playoffs. I am expecting good basketball, competitive basketball.

Watching Efrid Payton 'probe' the defense while everyone awaits his miss so they can corral the rebound is not entertaining. If Payton is on the floor, then Randle feels compelled to be an outside in player, which we don't need or want from him...but who else looks like a threat from the perimeter? Same for RJ. He isn't a reliable perimeter threat at this point, so the slash to the rim, Harden lite game that he possesses is useless unless he is hot.

Bullock needs a setup man. How are you going to do pick and roll when no one can shoot?

IQ, Bullock, RJ, Randle and Mitch. That's my starting five. Knox and Toppin off the bench with Rivers, Noel an Payton. That works for me. Keep Ntilikina as defender and have him in the gym everyday until he is a 3 and D man. Everyone else is expendable.

It's been reported, but Lin is saying nothing is official yet.

Eh, couldn't hurt.

seems like a genuine dude. He was on ESPN Daily, with Pablo a couple of weeks ago. Really open and honest about his career, injury and how hard it was for him to decide to leave his family in China, during the pandemic and come back to Cali to train to try to get back in the league.

A lot of rabid Lin fans on one end are mad he has to go through gleague, but hes been out of the NBA for almost two years and has been injury prone. His last stop in Tor didnt look good (though he looked good in ATL and thats a big reason why Tor traded for him).

If he wants to get back onto a roster and rotation, I don't mind him grinding his way back through the system. That's a choice he's making, and without a traditional preseason/camp -- this is the best way.

In general across the NBA this season, we can expect a lot of injury and roster issues this year because of COVID, so he should get a shot.

---

On the flip side a lot of haters are making fun of him for needing to go through the gleague -- same thing I said above. He's making a choice and following a path he wants and believes in and is willing to work for it, whats the problem?


He looks sharp in his IG and was interesting to hear about his mentality shift because of China (on the aforementioned Pablo Torre podcast), but we all know none of that is REAL-- so this is his opportunity to show he can still play, contribute, and stay healthy.

.

build through the draft because free agents aren't going to flock there, they couldn't afford to let Rudy walk. They may never win a title with Gobert and Donovan but they'll always be competitive.

damnit

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

.

Utah didn't have to pay the supermax, they have their rim protector that fits their defensive scheme beautifully for the next several years, and they have their stars signed through 24/25. Utah doesn't attract elite outside talent, so if you have homegrown guys, you simply *have* to pay a premium for them.

They only really had two choices:
1. Sign Mitchell and Gobert, hope things go very well in a coming season-- maybe a couple contenders get injured, maybe Mitchell takes a leap, maybe a rookie is better than they thought, etc.-- and, if that happens, maybe they can convince a third star to come through, or maybe they can just totally luck out into a Finals run in the next four years.
2. Tank, because without Gobert, you don't have the personnel for this year (or realistically next year), and you're just hoping the right pieces come to you in the draft or in a trade. You also probably have to look into dealing Mitchell, because he's not going to be happy stuck on a shitty team for five years. So it's just a total restart.

And really, that's not much of a choice-- especially with the flattened out lottery odds. They simply would never be bad enough to be top 3 in the odds/get at worst a top 6 pick, so they'd just linger around late lotto in perpetuity. A miserable existence. Whereas with Mitchell and Gobert, they can be somewhere between a 4 and 6 seed annually, safely a playoff team, and it's not impossible things could fall your way for a WCF run one season. Weirder things have happened. Like, between now and 2025, if two of AD, Kawhi, Luka, and Jokic get hurt in a given year, the door is open for a team like Utah to sneak in and make a deep run.

Meanwhile, Gobert gets his last big contract-- the biggest for a big man ever!!-- at a time when his type of big-man play will grow increasingly out of style in the coming years. He needed a big deal, he worked very hard the last few years to get it, and he got it. Great deal for everyone involved.

Damn good deal for both sides honestly.

>Damn good deal for both sides honestly.

Before preseason, I though that his future lied elsewhere.

My thinking was, whatever he can be, I'll be surprised if he becomes that here, given the logjam of minutes.

I'm not so sure about that now, givent nature of. the coming schedule.

I think if THT and Kuz carry over their preseason performances, they become instrumental in keeping minutes low on Brawn & Brow without a huge dip offensively.

If nothing else, hats a tradable contract, unless he falls off a cliff.

He got paid and didn't have to risk losing out on money if he would have gotten hurt this year.

If he would have balled out this year the Lakers probably would have to pay much more than ~13M to keep him.

It's a win/win and like you said if need be, the Lakers can probably trade his contract relatively easily and probably get a favorable return.

It's a remarkably balanced deal, from all angles.

Rob is showing a deft hand.

FA at 28 years old.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1341145517879930881?s=21