OT - NBA off-season thread

[bballgrda]

Anyone have an idea why the Spurs re-upped on Gasol for 3/48? Baffling

 

[Horatio]

The one I have read that I think could make sense for all

Cavs get Melo and Bledsoe
Phoenix gets Kyrie
Knicks get Josh Jackson and JR

Apparently PHO offered the #4 pick and Bledsoe predraft for Kyrie.

I think this makes sense for both the Knicks and Suns and the Cavs will be screwed either way when Lebron leaves. I think I would prefer to unload Kyrie for picks and prospects next year and just tank. If they can't accept that they should tank, Cleveland just has to mix it up. Bledsoe is a huge upgrade defensively and they have spot shooting to surround Lebron. Melo is still a great scorer who would thrive offensively, and while he is not a good wing defender, I think he would matchup better vs the Warriors @ the 4 than Love, who could either play C in a small ball lineup, or play big minutes as the 6th man.

Knicks get a nice young asset (who I don't absolutely love) and considering the offers they have been receiving, this should be a no brainer on their part.

The Suns would now have an explosive and entertaining backcourt with enough high upside bigs to be intersting (and I also think Warren is underrated because he may not fit the current prototype).

I was kinda thinking the same thing. If the Cavs trade Kyrie they gotta use it as an opportunity to get rid of JR. If not JR then
Get rid of shump or Tristan. The Cavs need depth and if they do things right , they could
Add a top player and 2-3 other decent role players that they need.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

OK, so now that I've had a few hours to digest news, the big question to me is what incentive the Cavs have to trade a young star player with three years left on a reasonable deal. Just because he asked for one? That's not how this works. Unless I can increase my odds of keeping LeBron/winning the championship next season, he's not going anywhere.

One of my first reactions upon hearing this is that Kyrie and Love for Russ and PG makes a tiny bit of sense. It obviously doesn't make Oklahoma City better, but it extends whatever window they have of being competitive two years.

Kyrie may be at peak value. His deep stats aren't overwhelming and he is an average defender, but he can still be traded on potential, which is huge.

 

[MadDogRevival]

Kyrie may be at peak value. His deep stats aren't overwhelming and he is an average defender, but he can still be traded on potential, which is huge.

Agreed. Also, the guy has been injury prone since high school, and he happens to have just come through the healthiest stretch of his career, so that works toward your conclusion.

Funny thing is, I like him as a guy supporting LBJ, but I think he's going to have a Carmelo Effect when he's the only star - guys are going to stand around watching him score, and that kills chemistry on both ends of the floor. Maybe he wants HOF stats and he knows that playing along with LBJ suppresses his numbers.

 

[tzznandrew]

Can Irving be a true PG? He suggested San Antonio as a destination, and that might really work if he got there.

As a Celtics fan, I'd hate to see Isaiah go, but you might be able to get Irving for IT and a few other pieces. Health's an issue, of course, but I'm still convinced you aren't winning a title with Thomas as your #1 or #2 option. You know you can win with Irving as your #2. Cavs won't make that trade, though, because they don't want to help the Celtics.

 

[BUConn10]

Can Irving be a true PG? He suggested San Antonio as a destination, and that might really work if he got there.

As a Celtics fan, I'd hate to see Isaiah go, but you might be able to get Irving for IT and a few other pieces. Health's an issue, of course, but I'm still convinced you aren't winning a title with Thomas as your #1 or #2 option. You know you can win with Irving as your #2. Cavs won't make that trade, though, because they don't want to help the Celtics.

Agreed. IT can not be the main guard on an NBA champion team.

 

[NielsisGood]

Can Irving be a true PG? He suggested San Antonio as a destination, and that might really work if he got there.

As a Celtics fan, I'd hate to see Isaiah go, but you might be able to get Irving for IT and a few other pieces. Health's an issue, of course, but I'm still convinced you aren't winning a title with Thomas as your #1 or #2 option. You know you can win with Irving as your #2. Cavs won't make that trade, though, because they don't want to help the Celtics.

Sadly the Celts probably won't get a real '#1 best guy on a title team' franchise type while IT is still in his prime, but Klay Thompson was the 2nd best scoring option on a team that won a title 2 years ago (and should have won last year). Is Klay really all that much better than Isaiah as a #2 scoring option?

 

[tzznandrew]

Sadly the Celts probably won't get a real '#1 best guy on a title team' franchise type while IT is still in his prime, but Klay Thompson was the 2nd best scoring option on a team that won a title 2 years ago (and should have won last year). Is Klay really all that much better than Isaiah as a #2 scoring option?

Scoring? Maybe no. He can't create on his own in the same way as IT. But he's a better shooter, and a better overall player given both sides of the ball.

 

[champs99and04]

I think Kyrie can absolutely be the #1 option on a title team. Whether he can be the best player? I doubt it. Pair him with an Anthony Davis or Giannis type and it's conceivable - likely, even - that he leads the team in shot attempts. I mean, for , the guy averages the same number of shot attempts per 36 minutes for his career as LeBron. That's insane. Wherever he goes, they're probably going to have an elite offense so long as he's paired with another star.

 

[the Q]

Boston should've traded IT but for butler.

But they wanted an insane price for Boston before sending him to minny for peanuts

 

[champs99and04]

I don't know what Philly's interest level in Kyrie is like, but assuming there is interest, they'd be an ideal team to help facilitate a three team trade where Fultz goes to whatever rebuilding situation it is and the remaining coveted player (s) goes to Cleveland. A team like the Clippers come to mind - Jordan has two years left on his deal before he's free to test the open market, and since their current roster figures to fetch a seven or eight seed at best, it makes sense to flip him for a potential blue-chipper now.

Kemba is in a similar situation. The Hornets are capped out, all of their recent draft picks have maxed as rotation guys, and Kemba is going to command a contract in two years that he might not be worth as a singular franchise guy. Maybe somebody like Monk is better than expected and changes their fortunes, but right now they're stuck paying big money to decent players who might help them make the playoffs but won't take them any further than that. Nic Batum is scheduled to make $27 mil in 2021. That's like the contract Boston gave Horford except without all of the young talent and draft picks to supplement it. Kemba is on one of the best contracts in the league and it's possible they could coax someone into taking Batum or Howard if the return is right. Their other rotation players - Williams, Kidd-Gilchrist, and Zeller - are useful pieces that could fit well around a player like LeBron.

 

[NielsisGood]

Scoring? Maybe no. He can't create on his own in the same way as IT. But he's a better shooter, and a better overall player given both sides of the ball.

Was speaking purely offensively here, since your comment was that Thomas couldn't be a #2 option.

 

[Mr. French]

I don't know what Philly's interest level in Kyrie is like, but assuming there is interest, they'd be an ideal team to help facilitate a three team trade where Fultz goes to whatever rebuilding situation it is and the remaining coveted player (s) goes to Cleveland. A team like the Clippers come to mind - Jordan has two years left on his deal before he's free to test the open market, and since their current roster figures to fetch a seven or eight seed at best, it makes sense to flip him for a potential blue-chipper now.

Kemba is in a similar situation. The Hornets are capped out, all of their recent draft picks have maxed as rotation guys, and Kemba is going to command a contract in two years that he might not be worth as a singular franchise guy. Maybe somebody like Monk is better than expected and changes their fortunes, but right now they're stuck paying big money to decent players who might help them make the playoffs but won't take them any further than that. Nic Batum is scheduled to make $27 mil in 2021. That's like the contract Boston gave Horford except without all of the young talent and draft picks to supplement it. Kemba is on one of the best contracts in the league and it's possible they could coax someone into taking Batum or Howard if the return is right. Their other rotation players - Williams, Kidd-Gilchrist, and Zeller - are useful pieces that could fit well around a player like LeBron.

Not that it would happen, but you got me thinkin about Kemba right now, in his prime, pairing up with the rest of that Cavs team in the Kyrie role, but with a more PG-driven game ...

That would be insanely fun for someone who's a UConn and Kemba fan.