Clippers just sent Bledsoe, Winslow, Keon Johnson, and picks to the Blazers for Powell and Covington.

Honestly a good deal for the Blazers if the goal is to tank and save long term money. That Powell deal was not working out for them (and trading Trent for Powell was obviously a bad move), and they owed him a ton of money over the next four years. Interesting to see if CJ's the next out the door, or if they genuinely consider the option of a Dame trade-- I'd imagine these moves are to tell Dame, "hey, we're committed to spending money on a new roster, better built around you with free agents tailored to fitting your game. Sit out this year, get healthy, resign, we'll come back better than ever." I don't know if that pitch will work, but it's a better pitch than the "let's stick with what we have and only make small moves" pitch they've been using.

And the Clippers obviously get another guy to put alongside Kawhi and PG going forward. Obviously a good deal for them.

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made it easier for Portland to move off of Powell.

...I'm from the era when A.I. was the answer, now they think ai is the answer - Marlon Craft

If anything, they should almost certainly trade Simons while his value is so high. Because I doubt they want to give him the sort of money he’ll command this off-season while they’re looking to rebuild.

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I've heard his name mentioned in so many trade rumors lol, and none of which the return would help the Pistons in any way moving forward.

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

And most of the teams in that position are, like Detroit, looking to accrue young assets and picks, not players like Jerami Grant.

So I've no clue what's going to happen there. I don't really know where he'd be an ideal fit. Maybe the Jazz post-Ingles would be interested in seeing if he works with the knowledge that they could always flip him later.

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https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1489718713259638787
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Sources: The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue Brooklyn's James Harden ahead of NBA trade deadline Thursday – and the Nets are now open to discussing a deal.

Details on @TheAthletic:
https://t.co/asdsGS0Sht
-----

if true...obviously a change in direction from the news of the nets 'shunning' all harden trade offers just a couple days ago.

heres the full article

(btw the athletic is worth every penny)

The Philadelphia 76ers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey had been plotting to wait for the offseason to chase James Harden as a free agent and save Ben Simmons for a potential deal, but they may not have to wait that long after all.

With the NBA trade deadline just days away on Feb. 10, the 76ers are expected to pursue Harden in the coming days and the Nets are believed to be open to discussing a deal, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic. There’s expectation that both the 76ers and Nets will engage in dialogue on a deal around Simmons for Harden, multiple sources say, with Philadelphia holding a chest of role players in Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxeyand Matisse Thybulle that could sweeten a potential package. Still, there’s no urgency for Nets officials, who have had the steadfast belief that the current core, as is, has the means necessary for a championship. However, it’s believed that an opening exists should an offer elevate the team and make the roster more well-rounded as the franchise pursues a championship.

Harden will miss Friday’s game against the Jazz due to tightness in his left hamstring.

Along with the potential of improving the roster depth, the Nets appear in need of change in what is a critical year in Kevin Durant’s prime, with a player option looming for Kyrie Irving in the offseason and with the organization’s championship expectations. When the Nets acquired Harden in a blockbuster trade in January 2021, the Big 3 he formed with Durant and Irving promised to be indestructible, arguably the most lethal offensive combination ever assembled. In the 16 games all three have played together, Brooklyn is 13-3. Their availability together has been a major concern, and perhaps could be a tremendous what-if factor in the grand scheme.

But beyond availability, sources say there have been growing concerns over Harden’s playing style — one of dominant ballhandling and his own pace from his MVP and All-NBA days in Houston — that contrasts with the free-flowing, organic approach from his two co-stars. Nets coach Steve Nash has met with his team’s stars over finding the balance and most beneficial styles, and although there have been bright spots, too often the team has reverted to a more dry offense at the end of games, especially against the league’s elite teams. In addition, the Nets’ game plans tend to shift depending on when Harden is on and off the floor, meaning a different play style at certain points. This has also been a point of contention from the coaching staff and players, sources said.

Harden was named to his 10th consecutive All-Star team this week, and remains a threat all over the floor despite a down season offensively (points per game his lowest since his third season in 2011-12, field-goal shooting percentage of 41.4 percent the lowest since his rookie year). Simmons, over on the Sixers side, has yet to play this season after requesting a trade in the offseason and then informing the team in October that he is not mentally ready to play and needs time to work on himself.

The expected openness to engage does not mean a deal will come to fruition — the Nets would surely want a significant haul from the 76ers. But it has opened the door to the possibility of a major blockbuster deal to occur on deadline week, which means Morey and the 76ers are primed to have their shot at Harden in-season, a potential deal that once seemed only possible in the summertime.

The 76ers want to find a star player able to elevate their championship chances this season, and rival teams believe the team will wait on moving Simmons until they find that caliber of player. There’s no question: Harden meets the threshold. And his history with Morey fuels the 76ers with confidence that the pairing of Harden and MVP favorite Joel Embiidhas tremendous title odds.

Across the league, the Simmons market has become more focused as the deadline nears. The Atlanta Hawks have been most engaged with the 76ers in recent weeks, according to sources. The sides have discussed a framework around John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic and draft compensation, those sources have said. The Sacramento Kings, meanwhile, have made clear that they have moved on from the Simmons sweepstakes after being one of the top suitors in the past few months.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have also remained in conversations with the 76ers, but are unwilling to meet Philadelphia’s high threshold for draft picks. Minnesota has indicated an openness to discussing a package that includes Simmons and Tobias Harris, sources said, but that offer would not come with draft capital from the Timberwolves and the 76ers do not view both players as part of a salary dump trade. The gulf in perspective is why there hasn’t been much traction so far. At 27-25, the Timberwolves are firmly in the postseason picture in the Western Conference, have had positive play from All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, rising young guard Anthony Edwards and veteran guard D’Angelo Russell. Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta has been described as dutiful and active in conversations throughout the league.

Teams around the NBA have believed a Simmons deal would wait until the offseason, but as the trade deadline nears, all eyes are now firmly on the 76ers and Nets to possibly get a deal done. There’s a renewed sense of urgency around these Nets, who have lost six straight games entering Friday, and it could create a domino effect for several teams that sets the stage for this year’s deadline to have a major impact.

(Photo: David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

-------------------
I wanna go to where the martyrs went
the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...

i think one of the things that make this trade/destination likely are that rich paul still wants simmons in a major market.

They don't need more guys looking to create offense. They need defense and they need facilitation, and Simmons is brilliant at both. If he's motivated, he's a fantastic fit.

Harden-Embiid together is... interesting. But I don't know that I love the fit. The talent would be hard to deny, but that window becomes very, very, very tight.

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His motivation will always be a question, but those would be two of, like, the five or six best "big" perimeter defenders in the NBA on the same team. They could even play Simmons at the 5 to unlock some absolutely bonkers small ball stuff. Could be, just, an insane, insane dynamic.

And then throw Kyrie's shot creation on top of that in theory? Man.

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3 emotional dudes like that.

lol

I think the Harden experiment is pretty transparently not working out the way that the Nets would like it to. The fit just doesn't seem to be gelling. And while I can't blame Harden entirely, since there's the whole Kyrie/COVID madness and there have been injury concerns, the style of play just doesn't really seem to be meshing. One of the things Simmons does better than most of the NBA is move the ball to the open man.

And the Brooklyn defense has been abysmal. Simmons replacing Harden is obviously a huge, huge, instant improvement there, lol.

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Simmons is gone - so in all likelihood they will try and salvage something meaningful in exchange -- but to land Harden -- a league MVP who is still playing at a *very* high, elite level - and a guy who is ready right now to win with Joel (who is at his peak right this moment) - is absolutely a best-case scenario.

Not so for the Nets - who would be bringing in Simmons- a guy with a lot of baggage already - to try and meld personalities (not to mention chemistry) with a team lacking identity and consistent leadership.

I would be absolutely shocked if this happens. Philly would improve instantly into an elite team IMO if this happens - and I think the Nets regress a bit.

Only way I see this happening is if it's true that Harden is really disenchanted with what's going on and has no intention of re-signing in Brooklyn.


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>Simmons is gone - so in all likelihood they will try and
>salvage something meaningful in exchange -- but to land Harden
>-- a league MVP who is still playing at a *very* high, elite
>level - and a guy who is ready right now to win with Joel (who
>is at his peak right this moment) - is absolutely a best-case
>scenario.

I agree with most of this. Harden's efficiency is nearly the lowest of his career this year, but it's hard to tell if that's just because of the madness around the Nets or if it's his age/work ethic off the court catching up with him a pinch or what. But Harden's never played with a big man as good as Embiid. Certainly very likely that Embiid creates a ton of space for Harden to operate and vice versa. And Harden, basically every season before this one, made teams by himself a top 5 offense. It's a better fit than Dame, probably a better fit than Beal.

My only concern is about going forward. Harden will be 33 next season. There's a non-zero chance that Harden's decline in efficiency this year *isn't* due to the Nets, it's due to him just losing a bit of a step. So if they don't gel in enough time this season to win a title... the window of contention for that pairing is really short imo. That's really the only concern. That and Harden's ability to walk after this season.

And it's not even *really* that big a concern, because, fuck it, they aren't winning a title this year just hanging onto Ben on the bench. Might as well try something while Embiid's on this tear.

>Not so for the Nets - who would be bringing in Simmons- a guy
>with a lot of baggage already - to try and meld personalities
>(not to mention chemistry) with a team lacking identity and
>consistent leadership.

Right, as I said in my post, it's all about what a motivated Simmons would bring to the table. And there's definitely a non-zero chance that some of the chemistry problems are between Harden and the others, as The Athletic's article alludes to. I think the fit with a motivated Simmons is incredible.

>Only way I see this happening is if it's true that Harden is
>really disenchanted with what's going on and has no intention
>of re-signing in Brooklyn.

That's certainly part of what the article suggests. And I'm sure that would be at least a mild concern for Morey-- that he could deal Ben after all this hubbub and still watch Harden walk away for free this offseason if it doesn't work right away.

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and I do agree w/ your point about the potential of Simmons on Brooklyn. I always thought LeBron paired with KD would be the deadliest duo the game has ever seen -- and they would just complement each other brilliantly. KD is elite off-the-ball - knows how to spread the floor and would just get wide open look after wide open look off Bron's creation. Simmons has that dynamic to his game to play-make at an elite level. Kyrie is also used to playing off the ball at an elite level from his time with LeBron. Simmons also solves some defensive leaks instantly.

My question there is - what happens in the playoffs when the games get tight? Simmons not only is collecting cobwebs, but the last time we saw him, it was a surreal melt-down on the biggest stage. What happens when the bright lights come on again and you're on a brand new team where the potential to get lost in the headlights is high.

>Harden's never played with a big man as good as
>Embiid. Certainly very likely that Embiid creates a ton of
>space for Harden to operate and vice versa. And Harden,
>basically every season before this one, made teams by himself
>a top 5 offense. It's a better fit than Dame, probably a
>better fit than Beal.

Yup. I think Harden and Embiid are an instant match made in heaven. I was always struck by how much better Harden made Capela in Houston - and I think his facilitating is built to play the two-way game w/ a big. They'd be almost impossible to stop as a big/wing duo.

But yea - you have to question Harden's durability as he ages. But Embiid is playing at an MVP clip, which takes a lot of pressure/mileage demands off Harden at a time when it's natural for him to lessen his load.


-->

..I'm not mad at the attempt, though.




*skatin' the rings of saturn*


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

If this trade did go through, not sure how much help he'd be the next few months.

https://digife.com

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

17x NBA Champions

It handcuffed the Lakers from doing anything meaningful in the trade market.

In retrospect, the Lakers front office really has to some soul searching. Continuity is so underrated in the league right now. I think if the Lakers had just remained intact after winning the 'chip (keeping KCP, Green, Kuz, Caruso etc..) - they would've been able to weather these injury storms much more efficiently - simply because they could rely on their top-tier defense/team identity - and familiarity.

It ain't over yet - and who knows what can happen if/when the core is healthy --- but damn the revolving door of transactions has really hurt this team's ability to play cohesive basketball.
-->

..granted, people were complaining just as much about KCP, Kuz, and Green (everybody loves Caruso).

Something's gotta give, though.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


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

but I'm sure there's a lot of blame to go around. Ultimately - the responsibility lies with the head of the snake to me. Klutch doesn't work for the LA Lakers. They aren't the ones with the ultimate veto power.

Still, as crazy as it sounds, it's a bit premature to judge this current group. I still think they are very formidable if all their pieces are intact.

>..granted, people were complaining just as much about KCP,
>Kuz, and Green (everybody loves Caruso).
>
>Something's gotta give, though.

Right. At the time, a lot of the trades seemed promising. Getting 'Trez on the low, nabbing Schröder etc... but they just never had time to meld, and in 'Trez's case, never really even played (which I still don't understand from Vogel).

I wonder: would the Lakers rather have Green, Kuz, 'Trez, KCP, Caruso right now instead of this supportive cast to AD & Bron? People def were complaining about Green (mainly in the playoffs when he couldn't shoot) - but they neglected how he anchored the back-court on defense. Probably took KCP for granted as well. *Definitely* took Caruso for granted. Kuz felt like a bonus piece - but he did give you some big bonus buckets every now and then. That group had upside.

But I think it's almost a case of accepting that - regardless of the quality of the personnel - there has to be time to allow chemistry to build. I know Pelinka stated that he didn't want to "be complacent" after winning the 'chip - but I did always wonder what that team could've done if they ran it back (without major injuries, of course).

And that's the thing - nobody could've predicted that *both* AD and Bron would miss this much time. Hard to assess under these circumstances.

The one thing Russ has done is be available. Hasn't missed a game. But the fit looks ragged right now.


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What's the worst case scenario? They miss the playoffs? They're gonna miss the playoffs anyway at this rate. There's a chance having a guy who's a better creator for others-- and while not a great defender certainly a more willing one-- fixes some of those problems and makes the whole thing gel.

Plus Wall's deal also goes through next year, same as Russ's, so it's not like they're taking on extra years of salary.

I don't think there's any other available move for Westbrook than that one, lol.

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..that's what I call cruel & unusual punishment.


*skatin' the rings of saturn*


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

That’s at least one reason why not.

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

17x NBA Champions

Lakers backed out of discussions immediately upon that request it seems lol. Lakers have dealt almost all their tradeable assets (including draft picks) - so they are wild limited with maneuverability to make deals happen.

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Like, a late lotto pick in this upcoming draft won't likely become a usable player until Bron is pushing 40. If the deal is Westbrook and a pick for Wall, or maybe like Westbrook and two pick swaps for Wall, I think the Lakers absolutely have to swing the bat there. Because the window for Bron to win another title is, what, this year and next?

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But we’re talking about picks they own. Which go beyond the Bron years:

https://lakersnation.com/lakers-future-first-and-second-round-draft-picks/?amp

So, say a 2025 pick swap? Yeah that’s…not gonna work. I’m all for going all in when you need to but CLEARLY we’re looking at a core that doesn’t warrant that. That’s ADs last year (I think) so they’ve gotta be smart in maintaining future flexibility beyond the current guys.

In general I agree with you - but even the 2nd round picks have SOMETHING of value when talking about the Lakers scouting department (who seem to be the only bright spot these days).

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

17x NBA Champions

Ride out the Westbrook experience and destroy the last two realistic seasons of Bron's stardom? The Westbrook money is on the books through next season anyway, so it's not like they're adding years of contract or negating their freedom to sign free agents if they make this deal.

And I really think it'd likely only cost them a second rounder-- an asset that, again, has minimal real value during the Bron era imo. They should have, if I'm reading this correctly, two second rounders in the 2023 draft-- their own and the Bulls pick (https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/detailed). And they'll have one in 2024 from Washington or Memphis.

Majority of the second round picks of the last 2-3 years basically never play or only play spot minutes. And LA will always be a premier free agent destination, so I don't really think a second round pick in the next 2-3 seasons would have any projected value of immediate consequence. I think the Bron-AD core is worth swinging the bat however you need to try to extract value while/if both can play together.

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>I think the
>Bron-AD core is worth swinging the bat however you need to try
>to extract value while/if both can play together.

You keep saying “swing the bat” as though this is some obvious and massive upgrade.

It’s not- and not even from a fit perspective.

Sure, we need to take advantage of the time Brawn has left.

Giving up one of the last remaining of very few assets, meager though it may be, for a broken John Wall isn’t “swinging the bat” so much as as it is gambling with our rent money.

Let’s say THT goes on a run, Nunn returns and balls out. It would be nice to have a pick to attach to those names.

Right now, we’re in a virtual corner. A trade for Wall potentially makes that corner much more literal if he doesn’t work out.

And “working out” doesn’t mean he needs to show up and drop 17/7 or anything. You have no real basis for assuming he’ll be good at anything, let alone the low standard of things you think he needs to do to work for this team.

In terms of the rumored deals potentially on the table, we’re better off waiting until the offseason and taking that swing then. Not only will Russ’ deal be mare palatable overall, but the circumstances, direction, goals, availability, etc of other teams and players could change.

The “swing of the bat” we need to take should happen there and then, unless a better deal is on the table.

>And “working out” doesn’t mean he needs to show up and
>drop 17/7 or anything. You have no real basis for assuming
>he’ll be good at anything, let alone the low standard of
>things you think he needs to do to work for this team.

I thought Wall looked good enough then to make me believe that, if he's actually in shape today, as reports say he is, he is a guy who can do, like, 16/4/7, especially when he only has to be the third best guy on the floor.

I think that's the difference between me and the reluctant Laker fans in the post-- everyone else believes he doesn't have any gas left in the tank after the last injury. Which is fair to be concerned about, I guess. I just think the Westbrook situation has no improvement ahead, and I'm definitely less optimistic about Westbrook's offseason tradeability. I don't think either he *or* Wall are currently tradeable to anyone, except for each other, lol-- so I prefer the mystery box of what a healthy Wall could like today over what we know Westbrook looks like.

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Not saying I'd do it - but absolutely would explore it. I'd still want to wait to see if Russ turns on the magic in the 2nd half of the year after struggling to mesh (like he did with both the Wiz and Rocket) - but there's no time for that w/ the deadline approaching.

I'd ultimately stay w/ Russ (too many questions about Wall's health/fit on the fly -- he hasn't played meaningful basketball in a long ass time) - but just the fact that it's being considered lets you know how desperate times are - and just *how* bad of a fit Russ has been thus far.

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