NBA Off-Season Thread

[nelsonmuntz]

Few players around the league are as divisive as DeRozan. He's the rare wing who can't shoot the three at all, he takes possessions off defensively, and he tends to crash in the playoffs. At 27+ mil over the next three years, I can see why the Raptors wanted out of that contract. It's debatable whether he has made them better at all in their most important games.

This is going to end with the Raptors trading Kawhi before the deadline and I think they're OK with that. If you're going to initiate a full-scale rebuild at some point, why not take a chance on a top five NBA player? LeBron's out of the East, Lowry's still in his prime for now, and you have some nice young pieces (though it's unclear how many of them they gave up in the trade). If it works, you're in the finals. If it doesn't, you use Kawhi as leverage to shed the rest of Lowry's deal and start the process of bottoming out.

On the other hand, I have no idea what San Antonio is doing. We're really, really going to find out how good Pop is, because he seems to be behind this.

Raptors won 59 games last season with DeRozan as the offensive focus, and now the best coach in NBA history wants him. He can't be that bad.

 

[the Q]

Raptors won 59 games last season with DeRozan as the offensive focus, and now the best coach in NBA history wants him. He can't be that bad.

When did Red take over the Spurs?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The 76ers seem like the logical destination for LeBron for a lot of reasons. They are already good, they are still getting better, they are in a big city, they have cap room, and they are in the east which is an easier path to the Finals than LA.

I expect the Spurs to spin Kawhi into something good that can put them back in contention for a title.

After the Celtics and 76ers, the Bucks are the only team in the east that I see possibly getting materially better. The Wizards, Raptors, Pacers, Heat and Pistons all feel like 40-50 win teams depending on who has a good season next year. Hornets might be able to squeeze out 45 wins if everything breaks right. But all 6 of these teams are getting older and have cap problems, except the Pacers. The rest of the conference will be lucky to win 35 games, and most of those teams will be in the 20's.

Popovich is a genius.

My East rankings:

1) Celtics - should win over 60 games

2) Bucks - This is a team that the Freak can win with. They got rid of Parker and his terrible defense, and added good complementary players in Lopez and Ilyasova. Lopez will help a lot on offense. Ilyasova has been one of my favorite players in the NBA for years, hard working, physical and can shoot. He makes every team he is on better. Bledsoe just needs to pass the ball and play a little bit of defense, and this team will be really good. Middleton thinks he is all-star caliber, and next year is the year to show it. I like the bench (Dellavadova, Snell, Brogdan). The Bucks will be an average team defensively, but should be unstoppable offensively. Budenholzer will be a big improvement on the bench too.

3) 76ers - blew the offseason. Took a good bench, and made it bad, blew cap space on a bunch of geezers, and will be mediocre or bad when Embiid is not on the court, which will be a lot.

4) Pacers - I think 2017-2018 was an anomaly. A bunch of players had career years. I like this team, but they definitely have a ceiling.

5) Wizards - on paper, this is probably the 2nd best team in the East, and I could see the Wizards jumping out to a good start next season, but how long will it take for this group to self-destruct?

6) Raptors - I don't like Kawhi on a team that he doesn't want to play on. He could turn a hangnail into 2 weeks off. He has nothing to prove, and he is stalling for a max deal next season. Not a good situation.

7) Pistons - Someone's got to make the playoffs in the East. Dwayne Casey is good enough to get this team to 44-45 wins.

8) Heat - didn't do much in the offseason, and is clearly positioning for next season's free agency. Spoelstra is good enough to squeeze 40+ wins and a playoff berth out of this squad.

9) Hornets - this team is not terrible, and having a steadier coaching situation and no Howard in the locker room will help.

 

[UConnStats]

1) their window with that core is closed.

2) 2 years of DD are less than 1 year of Kawhi in pure value.

3) Kawhi and Lowry is a really good 1-2. And with the youth and potential of Poetl, Siakam and OG and even Van Vleet, you have some a really interesting group of guys (rumors i saw had JV also going in the deal to SA).

They still would have been better off trading DeRozan for draft picks if they were going to give him up. You don’t put all of your eggs in one year’s basket when the defending champions go out and add another all star. Seems like a waste of assets either way IMO unless Kawhi signs long term, which he won’t in Toronto.

 

[Husky25]

Leonard is not getting a max deal if he pouts all year.

 

[auror]

They still would have been better off trading DeRozan for draft picks if they were going to give him up. You don’t put all of your eggs in one year’s basket when the defending champions go out and add another all star. Seems like a waste of assets either way IMO unless Kawhi signs long term, which he won’t in Toronto.

I agree.

Do I think it's a hideous trade for Toronto? No. It sets them up both for this year and allows them to start rebuilding next year if they think their core is done.

Do I think they could have gotten more for DeRozan, a 1st, and Poeltl than 1 year of a guy who doesn't want to play for them and 1 year of a guy who's washed?

Yes.

 

[UConnStats]

I agree.

Do I think it's a hideous trade for Toronto? No. It sets them up both for this year and allows them to start rebuilding next year if they think their core is done.

Do I think they could have gotten more for DeRozan, a 1st, and Poeltl than 1 year of a guy who doesn't want to play for them and 1 year of a guy who's washed?

Yes.

Giving up a first round pick is tough too. Toronto fans are going to be bummed when Leonard is gone and they don’t have a first rounder next year. The whole thing is painfully shortsighted.

 

[champs99and04]

I agree.

Do I think it's a hideous trade for Toronto? No. It sets them up both for this year and allows them to start rebuilding next year if they think their core is done.

Do I think they could have gotten more for DeRozan, a 1st, and Poeltl than 1 year of a guy who doesn't want to play for them and 1 year of a guy who's washed?

Yes.

What team is knocking down the door to trade for DeRozan? If this were the NFL he's a candidate to get cut.

 

[champs99and04]

Giving up a first round pick is tough too. Toronto fans are going to be bummed when Leonard is gone and they don’t have a first rounder next year. The whole thing is painfully shortsighted.

The first rounder is protected, and they could very easily get one back in a sign in trade. I don't think it's shortsighted at all.

 

[champs99and04]

Raptors won 59 games last season with DeRozan as the offensive focus, and now the best coach in NBA history wants him. He can't be that bad.

He's a misfit. Lowry has always been far and away the best, most indispensable player on the team. The on/off splits support this.

He's in that Isiah Thomas/Andrew Wiggins category. I'd take Kevin Love over him.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I agree.

Do I think it's a hideous trade for Toronto? No. It sets them up both for this year and allows them to start rebuilding next year if they think their core is done.

Do I think they could have gotten more for DeRozan, a 1st, and Poeltl than 1 year of a guy who doesn't want to play for them and 1 year of a guy who's washed?

Yes.

Of course the trade boils down to is Kawhi capable of MVP form in 18-19 and will he resign. If EITHER of those occurs its a win and at least POTENTIALLY the Raptors have a better chance to win East in 18-19 AND a better possibility to be a contender long-term. Lowery ($31MM), Ibaka (28MM) & Valanciounas ($22MM) are signed for big money for 2 more seasons (DeRozan was 3, hence the one to go), but theoretically based on what happens with Leonard resigning they can restart after next year and dump or buyout/stretch one of those contracts. They are also paying someone named Norman Powell 10MM-ish for the next 4 seasons. I don't even know who that is & I'd guess our collective knowledge of the Raptors roster is similarly surface level. Ie. can OG Anyobudy play alongside Kawhi?

 

[auror]

What team is knocking down the door to trade for DeRozan? If this were the NFL he's a candidate to get cut.

He's in his prime (28) and had his best season last year. He led them to the best record in the East last year. He's signed for 2+ years.

He was All-NBA 2nd team last year and 3rd the year before. He's been an All-Star 4 of the last 5 years.

His advanced stats haven't been as good as the accolades in general, but they were good last year for a volume scorer and his defense was the best it's been in the last couple years.

They'd be able to get a piece with much longer control for DeRozan, Poeltl, and a late 1st. Gary Harris, someone like that.
Poeltl is a real piece (top 10 pick 2 years ago and has played fairly well) and a late 1st is still valuable.

 

[the Q]

This is basically Toronto's shot.

 

[Walker11]

I like the trade just fine for both teams. Realistically, with the Warriors being so far above the crowd, no trade matters for the foreseeable future. This is a good haul for Leonard in that the Spurs will be a upper echelon West team for the remainder of Pops days and the Raptors are giving themselves the best chance to lose in the Finals, which would be their best season in franchise history. If Kawhi seemingly miraculously re-signs, they are giving themselves a good chance to lose in the Finals for several years in a row, and maybe they can outlast the Warriors core because their awesome 2nd unit is so young and the Warriors will be so expensive.

I feel for Demar. He represented Toronto extremely well and good luck finding another top 25 player who wants to spend his whole career in Canada. He apparently was lied to and was also sold on being the face of the franchise for his career and sacrificed money to improve the team but at the end of the day, he is to blame for his naivety. A move like this kinda makes me feel good about the Warriors saying Spartacus-you to everyone else.

It also seems clear to me that Toronto would be fine with Kawhi leaving and simply getting Derozan's contract off the books. They have a very deep backcourt and I really like both Van Vleet and Wright. Even Powell has been quite good when given big minutes and he is the 12th man. I kinda wish they traded Lowry as I think Van Vleet will be better in 2 years but he does have less years. The 3/4 rotation will be an insane 2 way unit if Siakam and OG develop like everyone expects them to continue doing. And Kawhi stays, obviously. So if Kawhi leaves and they decide to ditch Lowry, JV and Ibaka the following season (I think the latter 2 are a foregone conclusion) they begin the tank, but their young role players will be too good to bottom out but I don't see star potential in any of them. They will be be stuck as a mid-tier East team futilely hoping to bring a big time star to complement all the solid pieces around.

What I like about Derozan is that he gets significantly better at one aspect of his game every summer. He has carried the offensive load for the Raptors for years with fine efficiency for such a volume scorer. Footwork, shot creation, mid-range, finishing are all huge pluses. The intriguing factor is pairing him with most highly acclaimed shooting coach in the NBA, by far. To me the trade by SAS means that Pop wants to be competitive and finish 3rd or 4th in the West for his final seasons.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I like the trade just fine for both teams. Realistically, with the Warriors being so far above the crowd, no trade matters for the foreseeable future. This is a good haul for Leonard in that the Spurs will be a upper echelon West team for the remainder of Pops days and the Raptors are giving themselves the best chance to lose in the Finals, which would be their best season in franchise history. If Kawhi seemingly miraculously re-signs, they are giving themselves a good chance to lose in the Finals for several years in a row, and maybe they can outlast the Warriors core because their awesome 2nd unit is so young and the Warriors will be so expensive.

I feel for Demar. He represented Toronto extremely well and good luck finding another top 25 player who wants to spend his whole career in Canada. He apparently was lied to and was also sold on being the face of the franchise for his career and sacrificed money to improve the team but at the end of the day, he is to blame for his naivety. A move like this kinda makes me feel good about the Warriors saying Spartacus-you to everyone else.

It also seems clear to me that Toronto would be fine with Kawhi leaving and simply getting Derozan's contract off the books. They have a very deep backcourt and I really like both Van Vleet and Wright. Even Powell has been quite good when given big minutes and he is the 12th man. I kinda wish they traded Lowry as I think Van Vleet will be better in 2 years but he does have less years. The 3/4 rotation will be an insane 2 way unit if Siakam and OG develop like everyone expects them to continue doing. And Kawhi stays, obviously. So if Kawhi leaves and they decide to ditch Lowry, JV and Ibaka the following season (I think the latter 2 are a foregone conclusion) they begin the tank, but their young role players will be too good to bottom out but I don't see star potential in any of them. They will be be stuck as a mid-tier East team futilely hoping to bring a big time star to complement all the solid pieces around.

What I like about Derozan is that he gets significantly better at one aspect of his game every summer. He has carried the offensive load for the Raptors for years with fine efficiency for such a volume scorer. Footwork, shot creation, mid-range, finishing are all huge pluses. The intriguing factor is pairing him with most highly acclaimed shooting coach in the NBA, by far. To me the trade by SAS means that Pop wants to be competitive and finish 3rd or 4th in the West for his final seasons.

If Kawhi sticks in Canada, then this was a good trade for Toronto.

I think Pops will make Derozan into the centerpiece of a Spurs team that will finish Top 4 in the West for the next 4-5 years. The Spurs killed it with this trade.

 

[Walker11]

If Kawhi sticks in Canada, then this was a good trade for Toronto.

I think Pops will make Derozan into the centerpiece of a Spurs team that will finish Top 4 in the West for the next 4-5 years. The Spurs killed it with this trade.

I think the outcome for the Spurs is more likely than not. I think Toronto is giving themselves a 3% chance to win a title in the next 4-5 years with a more likely outcome of being a 44 win teams, versus keeping Demar and having a 0% chance at a title with a likely outcome of being a 52ish win team over the next few seasons.

 

[champs99and04]

He's in his prime (28) and had his best season last year. He led them to the best record in the East last year. He's signed for 2+ years.

He was All-NBA 2nd team last year and 3rd the year before. He's been an All-Star 4 of the last 5 years.

His advanced stats haven't been as good as the accolades in general, but they were good last year for a volume scorer and his defense was the best it's been in the last couple years.

They'd be able to get a piece with much longer control for DeRozan, Poeltl, and a late 1st. Gary Harris, someone like that.
Poeltl is a real piece (top 10 pick 2 years ago and has played fairly well) and a late 1st is still valuable.

Does it mean anything to you that Toronto played their best quarter of the postseason with him on the bench? How about the fact that they've been swept out of the playoffs - losing by a staggering 14.6 points per game - two straight years? I know the whole transitive property thing doesn't always work, but it probably doesn't help that the team they've been swept by has essentially been swept by a different team.

The guy isn't a bad player. @Walker11 's point about him growing as a playmaker is valid, and he does the ability to get his own shot. You could sell me on him as a second banana next to LeBron or even as a guy who drags a depressing roster to the playoffs.

But at some point you have to either solidify yourself as a heavyweight who can trade blows with the best of the best, or you need to learn a different trade. We've seen this movie with so many players. Sentiment aside, DeMar DeRozan being your franchise player is about as close to NBA purgatory as you're going to get. Unless he's paired with a bonafide superstar, you're not getting anywhere close with that recipe. LeBron leaving the conference means they'd get waxed by Philly or Boston instead. They had no second gear because he had no second gear.

Edit: I agree that giving up Poeltl is not insignificant.

 

[Walker11]

Unless he's paired with a bonafide superstar, you're not getting anywhere close with that recipe. LeBron leaving the conference means they'd get waxed by Philly or Boston instead. They had no second gear because he had no second gear.

The counterpoint is that this fact rings true for all but like 7 guys in the entire league.

Lowry had the same playoff stink on him up until this past season. The team as a whole has been mentally fragile in the playoffs for years and clearly has a mental roadblock in facing the Cavs.

I don't hate the trade at all for the Raptors, I just think the likely outcome is that the Raptors will be considerably worse for several years because of this trade. They do now have a chance at being legit championship contenders, no matter how infinitesimally small, at least it is no longer zero. I do see value in having a guy like DeRozan and being an excellent regular season team for many years without a real championship window but clearly Masai is swinging for the fences. You have to make these extremely bold moves in order to have a chance to get lucky in the current NBA.

 

[UConn990411]

You're wrong.

Kawhi's brand is just fine. Let's start with his name. You look at the players who have been marketable in the NBA and they have great names. LeBron. Kobe. Kyrie. Shaq. Klay. Draymond. Carmelo. Kemba. If you have a name like Chris, you better be able to come up with a cute nickname like CP3. Otherwise you're Chris Bosh. And if you have a name like Dwayne, you should misspell it to get people talking.

It also doesn't hurt that he has enormous hands and vintage hair. Best perimeter defender since Scottie Pippen? San Diego State? Perhaps recruited by the ghost of Ed Martin? I would have a field day marketing him.

His personality works in his favor. You don't seem to appreciate the difference between a boring and mystical. There is an aura about Kawhi that you can't simulate. You've never seen him talk. You don't know if he's ever talked. You aren't sure he knows how to talk. And if he did talk, you sure as hell would listen. Just because he doesn't yell hysterically into the camera and recycle cliches doesn't mean he lacks personality. He has the greatest personality in the NBA besides for Joel Embiid and Kyrie if he's theorizing about the earth's geometry.

I could continue, but next time try to keep your insulting, degrading, and reprehensible remarks to yourself unless they have some basis in truth. This board is a better place when we think before we post and clearly you have not demonstrated a sensitivity to the power your words have on impressionable minds. You're better than this and I want to be the first to extend my heartfelt support as you attempt to repair your image.

Lol, what in the world are you talking about?

I actually don’t even mind that Kawhi’s quiet (although the quitting on his team thing is tough to look past). I’m just disputing the notion that San Antonio - and not his quiet demeanor - is the reason Kawhi can’t get the shoe deals he reportedly wants. This isn’t 1970 anymore. You don’t need to be in LA or NYC anymore to get a big deal.

 

[auror]

Does it mean anything to you that Toronto played their best quarter of the postseason with him on the bench? How about the fact that they've been swept out of the playoffs - losing by a staggering 14.6 points per game - two straight years?

The guy isn't a bad player. @Walker11 's point about him growing as a playmaker is valid, and he does the ability to get his own shot. You could sell me on him as a second banana next to LeBron or even as a guy who drags a depressing roster to the playoffs.

But at some point you have to either solidify yourself as a heavyweight who can trade blows with the best of the best, or you need to learn a different trade. We've seen this movie with so many players. Sentiment aside, DeMar DeRozan being your franchise player is about as close to NBA purgatory as you're going to get. Unless he's paired with a bonafide superstar, you're not getting anywhere close with that recipe. LeBron leaving the conference means they'd get waxed by Philly or Boston instead. They had no second gear because he had no second gear.

Edit: I agree that giving up Poeltl is not insignificant.

No it doesn't mean much to me. They lost to LeBron both times (one of which was a ridiculous team). Reminder: LeBron is 24-0 in East playoff series over the last 8 years. Of course, NBA GMs have the opinions that actually matter, so who knows what his value was around the league.

He didn't play well, certainly. He was 0-9 from 3 in the playoffs. I would wager he gets to 34-35% from 3 by the time his contract is up at this year's volume, though.

If anything, I'm more anti the return than pro Demar and co. I don't think their chance of winning the title will be significantly better with Kawhi coming off injury and chance of not buying in + over the hill Green than with Demar + Poeltl considering GSW and Celtics rosters +coaching advantages. And if their championship equity isn't much changed, and I don't think they have a snowball's chance of re-signing Kawhi, that makes the trade just a salary dump to free cap space. I'd rather acquire an asset with longer control (or if I'm planning to tank after this year at least keep the pick).

 

[champs99and04]

Lol, what in the world are you talking about?

I actually don’t even mind that Kawhi’s quiet (although the quitting on his team thing is tough to look past). I’m just disputing the notion that San Antonio - and not his quiet demeanor - is the reason Kawhi can’t get the shoe deals he reportedly wants. This isn’t 1970 anymore. You don’t need to be in LA or NYC anymore to get a big deal.

I'm just messing with you. I'm very protective of Kawhi.

I don't really know who to believe in the Spurs/Kawhi dispute. I want to think it's just a misunderstanding that spiraled out of control, but maybe that's naive.

 

[champs99and04]

The counterpoint is that this fact rings true for all but like 7 guys in the entire league.

Lowry had the same playoff stink on him up until this past season. The team as a whole has been mentally fragile in the playoffs for years and clearly has a mental roadblock in facing the Cavs.

I don't hate the trade at all for the Raptors, I just think the likely outcome is that the Raptors will be considerably worse for several years because of this trade. They do now have a chance at being legit championship contenders, no matter how infinitesimally small, at least it is no longer zero. I do see value in having a guy like DeRozan and being an excellent regular season team for many years without a real championship window but clearly Masai is swinging for the fences. You have to make these extremely bold moves in order to have a chance to get lucky in the current NBA.

For the record, I'm as big a proponent of sticking with 'good' - even in the absence of compelling reason to think it will ever be great - as you'll find, so I agree with that line of thinking. But I thought the situation in Toronto was static to the point that it was pretty obvious you were never going to see a breakthrough. I draw a firm line in the sand between a team that needs a break or two versus one that's DOA in any big game. They were the equivalent of the Titans or Texans trying to win a playoff game in Foxborough.

I don't hold it against DeRozan that he isn't James Harden, but I do find it damning that I'd far rather have Otto Porter or Khris Middleton as a complementary player. I think he's a guy who will ultimately settle into a role he's overqualified for ala Rudy Gay (though he's better than Rudy was).

 

[the Q]

For the record, I'm as big a proponent of sticking with 'good' - even in the absence of compelling reason to think it will ever be great - as you'll find, so I agree with that line of thinking. But I thought the situation in Toronto was static to the point that it was pretty obvious you were never going to see a breakthrough. I draw a firm line in the sand between a team that needs a break or two versus one that's DOA in any big game. They were the equivalent of the Titans or Texans trying to win a playoff game in Foxborough.

I don't hold it against DeRozan that he isn't Steph, but I do find it damning that I'd far rather have Otto Porter or Khris Middleton as a complementary player. I think he's a guy who will ultimately settle into a role he's overqualified for ala Rudy Gay (though he's better than Rudy was).

Now that's a bit harsh.

They really pushed CLE the year before.

 

[Walker11]

For the record, I'm as big a proponent of sticking with 'good' - even in the absence of compelling reason to think it will ever be great - as you'll find, so I agree with that line of thinking. But I thought the situation in Toronto was static to the point that it was pretty obvious you were never going to see a breakthrough. I draw a firm line in the sand between a team that needs a break or two versus one that's DOA in any big game. They were the equivalent of the Titans or Texans trying to win a playoff game in Foxborough.

I don't hold it against DeRozan that he isn't James Harden, but I do find it damning that I'd far rather have Otto Porter or Khris Middleton as a complementary player. I think he's a guy who will ultimately settle into a role he's overqualified for ala Rudy Gay (though he's better than Rudy was).

I think we see the entire situation pretty similarly so this is more a cheap shot by me than anything but in my eyes preferring Porter over DeRozan is more damning against you than it is DeRozan. If you want to put any weight in playoff performances, one guy averaged 8 per game in a series loss and one guy averaged 27 per game in a series win. DeMar just really needs to start shooting the 3 better to make the next step past a better version of a Gay type player, which has been a fine comparison for most of DD's career.

 

[Huskies4ever]

ESPN published an entire post-mortem on this.



The Spurs have never faced this kind of uncertainty

Looks like most of the blame can really be placed on Kawhi and his camp. You can’t blame Pop or his teammates for what they said when the organization *wanted* to just declare him out for the whole season. The fact that Kawhi played this “will he or won’t he play” for an entire season has GOT to be incredibly frustrating if you’re a coach or player on a team that really needed their best player to at least show up.



It’s also another thing to threaten bailing on your new team too. It really undercuts his whole original argument (did the Spurs organization, coach and teammates really wrong him? he's taking the same position against teams that aren't SA).

If this is true, he's a real headcase.

Who does he want to play for? GS?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

ESPN published an entire post-mortem on this.



The Spurs have never faced this kind of uncertainty

Looks like most of the blame can really be placed on Kawhi and his camp. You can’t blame Pop or his teammates for what they said when the organization *wanted* to just declare him out for the whole season. The fact that Kawhi played this “will he or won’t he play” for an entire season has GOT to be incredibly frustrating if you’re a coach or player on a team that really needed their best player to at least show up.



It’s also another thing to threaten bailing on your new team too. It really undercuts his whole original argument (did the Spurs organization, coach and teammates really wrong him? he's taking the same position against teams that aren't SA).

Someone from Toronto better have talked directly to Kawhi before making this trade, or the Raptors' GM deserves to be fired.

 

[the Q]

ESPN published an entire post-mortem on this.



The Spurs have never faced this kind of uncertainty

Looks like most of the blame can really be placed on Kawhi and his camp. You can’t blame Pop or his teammates for what they said when the organization *wanted* to just declare him out for the whole season. The fact that Kawhi played this “will he or won’t he play” for an entire season has GOT to be incredibly frustrating if you’re a coach or player on a team that really needed their best player to at least show up.



It’s also another thing to threaten bailing on your new team too. It really undercuts his whole original argument (did the Spurs organization, coach and teammates really wrong him? he's taking the same position against teams that aren't SA).

This never gets this far wih the pop cheap shots, the Parker idiocy and the March gang bang.

Plus I have a big issue with the spurs trying to go around his representation. That’s simply underhanded and wrong. Period. Full stop. No excuse.

 

[MadDogRevival]

I love Kawhi's game. Had nothing but respect for him when he had the dominant performance against us in the NCAAs - I still giggle when I think of his team's fans coming on our board to let us know that he had really big hands. hah!
But I hate this move.
Spurs stay good, but not good enough to challenge for the West.
Toronto, maybe, gets a little better, but Kawhi is now buried on a squad that will never seriously contend for a title.
Would much rather have seen Kawhi team up with LBJ and give GS a good series.

Can't wait for the Spurs/LAL matchup to see if LBJ will continue his ownership of DeRozen.

 

[tzznandrew]

Celtics retain Smart at $13M a year for 4 years. I'm glad they were able to keep him.

 

[Husky25]

Celtics retain Smart at $13M a year for 4 years. I'm glad they were able to keep him.

It's a good deal for both sides. Smart is not worth nearly as much to any other team so he would not get the dollars he thinks he's worth anywhere else. At the same time his expiring contract at the end of the deal makes him a real asset in a trade.