Topic: NBA Discussion

[trimore]

Had some hope after we won the title but never seriously thought Kawhi would return. As long as the Clippers weren't a total train wreck, he was always going there. Doesn't matter, we got the title, we didn't bet a billion draft picks like and it's seems easier than ever to get talent in the NBA. NBA stars seem to turn against their teams more than ever, more talented players are getting squeezed out due to cap space than ever and the non-top-8 picks are producing real talent more than ever. With Masai at the helm, I'm excited to see who he puts around Siakam, OG, and FVV in the future. Another star who wants to stick around. It really is disappointing to read some of the gloom across the net from other Raps fans, it's not ideal, but I'm confident we;ll unearth more talent moving forward.

As for Kawhi, he got us the title, so I will always be deeply grateful, and on top of that it's satisfying to watch Lebron get played. I appreciate he did that and hope he wrecks the Lakers. Still I would rather see Portland or Utah come out of the West. These players' obsession with LA has been building for a while now, and I hope other teams can help deflate this LA or bust attitude. 

[Lush is the best medicine...]

True, which is why I’m glad Lillard has resigned with Portland and seems to be more like dirk, then again only so much money the LA teams can pay so I doubt many would take $8m in LA vs $25m in somewhere like denver

[Yiannis]

Nah. 76ers, Bucks, Nets, Celtics, Raptors, Heat for Top 6 and Pistons-Hawks-Pacers-Magic for last 2 spots for me. I am pretty sure they will be tanking anyways.

Can't see Miami finishing above Indy. Even with an Oladipo-less Indy for the first months of the season.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Going (in no particular order) - philly, bucks, Indy, Boston, Toronto, Brooklyn, Atlanta, heat in the east, clips, lakers, Portland, Utah, Denver, golden state, Dallas and sacramento for the west

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Going (in no particular order) - philly, bucks, Indy, Boston, Toronto, Brooklyn, Atlanta, heat in the east, clips, lakers, Portland, Utah, Denver, golden state, Dallas and sacramento for the west

I like people discount the Spurs every year. Imo, we're finishing as the 7th or 8th seed, we have a deep team and we've improved with Morris coming in. And I can't see Dallas getting a playoff spot ahead of Houston.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

I like people discount the Spurs every year. Imo, we're finishing as the 7th or 8th seed, we have a deep team and we've improved with Morris coming in. And I can't see Dallas getting a playoff spot ahead of Houston.

houston are this years clusterfuck waiting to happen, Dantoni is basically a dead man walking, harden and Paul can’t stand each other and morey seems to want to trade the non harden players which will probably make chemistry even worse there, can see the top team in the west being in the 55-58 range and 9th being around 47-50, right now the only teams I’m confident have zero chance are Memphis (although they’ll have some fun moments during the season and look promising), Phoenix (just shite running it), okc (clearly a rebuild with no PG and it looks like Miami are trying to get russ) and probably Minnesota (unless they can swing a big trade), even New Orleans could get in the mix (but I don’t expect them too, but could easily be above .500)

[Doc Red]

Had some hope after we won the title but never seriously thought Kawhi would return. As long as the Clippers weren't a total train wreck, he was always going there. Doesn't matter, we got the title, we didn't bet a billion draft picks like and it's seems easier than ever to get talent in the NBA. NBA stars seem to turn against their teams more than ever, more talented players are getting squeezed out due to cap space than ever and the non-top-8 picks are producing real talent more than ever. With Masai at the helm, I'm excited to see who he puts around Siakam, OG, and FVV in the future. Another star who wants to stick around. It really is disappointing to read some of the gloom across the net from other Raps fans, it's not ideal, but I'm confident we;ll unearth more talent moving forward.

As for Kawhi, he got us the title, so I will always be deeply grateful, and on top of that it's satisfying to watch Lebron get played. I appreciate he did that and hope he wrecks the Lakers. Still I would rather see Portland or Utah come out of the West. These players' obsession with LA has been building for a while now, and I hope other teams can help deflate this LA or bust attitude.

Great post, particularly  your analysis on the way stars/drafts/team building attitudes have changed.

[Doc Red]

Now that we are spoiled with lots of drama and some crazy signings, 2020 free agency looks like crap already.
AD already locked for Lakers.

Others are:

Draymond Green
Mike Conley
Andre Drummond
Gordon Hayward
Demar Derozan
Ibaka
Kyle Lowry
Gallinari
Dragic

Here is top 30 of them:

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2020-nba-free-agency-top-30-players-available-in-next-years-class-led-by-anthony-davis-draymond-green-kyle-lowry/

This time noone can prevent Knicks from signing top free agents: Jerami Grant and Jae Crowder. Their planes will be tracked

Haha! Don't think you could just slip that through and we wouldn't notice.
I've got a good feeling about next season's free agent strategy,  we've got things all planned, you just wait and see how we lure all the A list stars once again.

[elsewhere]

Kawhi signs 2+1 with the Clippers for some reason..Not that I think it will happen but if PG13 and Kawhi leave after 2 years, Clippers are going to end up being a farm team for OKC! They really have the Clippers by the ball and Clippers really have to deliver in these 2 years.

[elsewhere]

Meanwhile Knicks in the process of signing another PF, Marcus Morris. He initially agreed 2 yrs 20M deal with the Spurs but with a punk move now accepts the 1 year 15M deal with the Knicks.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Meanwhile Knicks in the process of signing another PF, Marcus Morris. He initially agreed 2 yrs 20M deal with the Spurs but with a punk move now accepts the 1 year 15M deal with the Knicks.

Shite behavior that. We offloaded Bertans to make room for him

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Kawhi signs 2+1 with the Clippers for some reason..Not that I think it will happen but if PG13 and Kawhi leave after 2 years, Clippers are going to end up being a farm team for OKC! They really have the Clippers by the ball and Clippers really have to deliver in these 2 years.

think he went 2+1 so he can get the supermax in 2 years. Can deffo see a shamet, Harrell and someone else (zubac?) deal for the next disgruntled superstar (towns?) if they don’t win next year

[rafathegaffa83]

Kawhi signs 2+1 with the Clippers for some reason..Not that I think it will happen but if PG13 and Kawhi leave after 2 years, Clippers are going to end up being a farm team for OKC! They really have the Clippers by the ball and Clippers really have to deliver in these 2 years.

Yep. Even more affirms what I said the other day. They have a two year title or bust window. If they don't win one, they will be a mess for years with nothing to show for it

[elsewhere]

Shite behavior that. We offloaded Bertans to make room for him

Exactly, never liked him or his brother for their antics and dramas. Not an illegal but such a sleazy move by both Morris, Klutch, and the Knicks.

[elsewhere]

Adam Silver says league looking to change rules around tampering after what happened with free agency.

https://www.nba.com/article/2019/07/09/silver-nba-has-work-do-tweaking-free-agency

He has to address this imo:

“Trade demands are disheartening. They're disheartening to the team. They're disheartening to the community and don't serve the player well. The players care about their reputations just as much. So that’s an issue that needs to be addressed.”

and maybe also address when a team signs a player, promises to build around him, and then trades him a year later.

[FlashGordon]

Adam Silver says league looking to change rules around tampering after what happened with free agency.

https://www.nba.com/article/2019/07/09/silver-nba-has-work-do-tweaking-free-agency

He has to address this imo:

“Trade demands are disheartening. They're disheartening to the team. They're disheartening to the community and don't serve the player well. The players care about their reputations just as much. So that’s an issue that needs to be addressed.”

and maybe also address when a team signs a player, promises to build around him, and then trades him a year later.

Exactly, it's always one way loyalty in American team sports I feel.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Exactly, it's always one way loyalty in American team sports I feel.

Its what does my head in with American sports, not matter how much I live here, I'll never understand it.

[FlashGordon]

Its what does my head in with American sports, not matter how much I live here, I'll never understand it.

Skip Bayless is the worst for this I feel, I think the players are looking more towards footballers and how they can control their own destiny's now, more power too them I say.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Skip Bayless is the worst for this I feel, I think the players are looking more towards footballers and how they can control their own destiny's now, more power too them I say.

Skip isn't the only one, a lot of people feel that way. That's one of the problems I have with the NFL, lack of player movement unless they're free agents

[Lynndenberries]

It feels like the NBA is the first league in the US to be affected by player power. I hope it stays, I think it is more entertaining.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Exactly, never liked him or his brother for their antics and dramas. Not an illegal but such a sleazy move by both Morris, Klutch, and the Knicks.

to be fair the knicks did a deal with reggie bullock and later decided to negotiate it so it goes both ways

Yep. Even more affirms what I said the other day. They have a two year title or bust window. If they don't win one, they will be a mess for years with nothing to show for it

also makes doc’s arse a bit twitchy

[deFacto please, you bastards]

WOJ out here disturbing the peace and dropping bombs like its WW2.

OKC have traded Westbrook to Houston for CP3, and first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, pick swaps in 2021 and 2025

[rafathegaffa83]

WOJ out here disturbing the peace and dropping bombs like its WW2.

OKC have traded Westbrook to Houston for CP3, and first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, pick swaps in 2021 and 2025

'Kinell

Apparently Houston was his preferred destination. OKC with a shit ton of picks, SGA and two of the worst contracts in the league (Paul and Adams)

[Lone Star Red]

Knew it was coming but still tough to take. Watched Russ grow up before my eyes the last decade plus. Will be quite hard seeing the Brodie not in OKC colors.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Also goes to show what I've always known [that CP3 is a twat] and the rumors earlier were true that he and Harden had a falling out. Everywhere he's been, Paul has had a falling out with everyone.

I don't think this gets Houston closer to a championship but it feels better with Russell now.

[GreatEx]

Knew it was coming but still tough to take. Watched Russ grow up before my eyes the last decade plus. Will be quite hard seeing the Brodie not in OKC colors.

Do you mean Bodie, as in Bodie Broadus?

[Garrus]

[elsewhere]

Imagine how stacked that Rockets team would be if they also had Durant and bigs like Adams and Kanter

[elsewhere]

I actually thought Russ was heading to Miami. Great trade by Rockets imo even for getting rid of that piss poor CP3 contract. He is now bulky, injuries have been a concern, locker room problems as well. Mike D'Antoni will have to change the style a bit though. If we know Russ, he won't sit on the corner and wait for the ball, i think he wi be the main ball handler and numbers of Harden will drop.

OKC with CP3 will be an interesting team as well, good chance for CP3 to redeem himself. They are still a good play off team in the West.

[trimore]

There has been talk of the pressure on Morey after yet another gamble. And it is true, he will moght be let go it if it doesn't work out, but to me there is an even more fascinating legacy at stake here.

If OKC decide to tank further they can get assests for Gallo and maybe for Adams if they want off him as well. They either eat CP3's contract while tanking or get little out of it. So it's probably 8 or 9 picks, several more pick swaps and SGA. That's a historic a haul for a still young GM like Presti. But after blowing the just as historic haul as OKC's talent over the last decade, the pressure is going to start ramping up in just a few years to not just build a good team, but a guaranteed championship team. Or Presti is going to go down as the biggest choker in NBA management history. Those picks guarentee another star to pair with SGA, if he continues to develop, but no guarantee of a necessary superstar. Probably the most high pressure tank I can remember.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

'Kinell

Apparently Houston was his preferred destination. OKC with a shit ton of picks, SGA and two of the worst contracts in the league (Paul and Adams)

russ and harden have been mates since they were 10 or so so can understand why, can’t see okc wanting to keep Paul for too long, may try to shift him to Miami or Orlando I reckon as I wouldn’t want Paul with someone like shai

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Paul may now get traded to Miami per Woj

[Lone Star Red]

I actually thought Russ was heading to Miami. Great trade by Rockets imo even for getting rid of that piss poor CP3 contract. He is now bulky, injuries have been a concern, locker room problems as well. Mike D'Antoni will have to change the style a bit though. If we know Russ, he won't sit on the corner and wait for the ball, i think he wi be the main ball handler and numbers of Harden will drop.

OKC with CP3 will be an interesting team as well, good chance for CP3 to redeem himself. They are still a good play off team in the West.

In the West? No f'n way.

Have serious doubts that Paul even plays a single game in a Thunder uniform to be honest. Could see Presti dealing him away for more young assets.

[elsewhere]

In the West? No f'n way.

Have serious doubts that Paul even plays a single game in a Thunder uniform to be honest. Could see Presti dealing him away for more young assets.

CP3, Gallinari, Adams, Roberson, Schroder are all very good players. Ok Schroder is good but not very good
But yes they will probably ship CP3 first to Miami then Adams and Gallo to other teams.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

CP3, Gallinari, Adams, Roberson, Schroder are all very good players. Ok Schroder is good but not very good
But yes they will probably ship CP3 first to Miami then Adams and Gallo to other teams.

would have the two la teams, Portland, Utah, Denver, Houston , golden state, Sacramento, San Antonio, Dallas and New Orleans definitely ahead of okc, Minnesota about the same and only Phoenix and Memphis I’d say will be worse

[RedG13]

In the West? No f'n way.

Have serious doubts that Paul even plays a single game in a Thunder uniform to be honest. Could see Presti dealing him away for more young assets.

unless the deal hasnt been processed CP3 cant be traded from Okc till dec 15. if they changed it to a 3 way then it could happened. He will help out SGA for the first couple of months then moved somewhere else is my guess

[BigJimFinn]

unless the deal hasnt been processed CP3 cant be traded from Okc till dec 15. if they changed it to a 3 way then it could happened. He will help out SGA for the first couple of months then moved somewhere else is my guess

How did you come to this conclusion? The December 15 restriction applies to newly signed contracts. For players whose salary is packaged with other players in a trade the limit is two months. Thus Chris Paul can be traded whenever either by himself or with draft assets. Source: the CBA FAQ by Larry Coon, as always.

[Doc Red]

In the West? No f'n way.

Have serious doubts that Paul even plays a single game in a Thunder uniform to be honest. Could see Presti dealing him away for more young assets.

I can't imagine a team out there willing to blow out their team just to bring in Chris Paul.
Surely there can't be exec's that shortsighted to go for that sort of deal....Hang on a sec.

*frantically checks Knick's roster and sees if they would have enough to offer for a Paul package.
*wipes brow

So as I was saying, not team is that dumb to go for that contract, with that player, and that sort of injury history.
Unless there was a team that had some pieces and were willing to give up picks.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Miami - Dragic and waiters works as Miami has a big trade exception

[RedG13]

How did you come to this conclusion? The December 15 restriction applies to newly signed contracts. For players whose salary is packaged with other players in a trade the limit is two months. Thus Chris Paul can be traded whenever either by himself or with draft assets. Source: the CBA FAQ by Larry Coon, as always.

In addition, teams cannot trade players under the following circumstances:

For two months after receiving the player in trade, if the trade aggregates the player's salary with the salaries of other players. However, the team is free to trade the player immediately, either by himself or without aggregating his salary with other salaries. This restriction applies only to players who were acquired using an exception (and not cap room). (Also see question number 90.)
and also in there is December 15   Players who signed a contract on or before September 15 can be traded2 (see question number 96)

It is not the date he is traded. If u ever played 2k also if u make an offseason trade for somebody they cant be moved till dec 15 also.