It may end up being a case where bringing back the same team is just what they need. Outside of Nene, it looks like their entire roster will be back. If they stay healthy they will have one of the best records in the West for sure. I do think this year is probably the end of their window though.
OT: NBA Offseason
- Thread starter nelsonmuntz
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RJ vs. Zion tonight. Knicks are favored to win the championship this year!!!
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LAL's big issue is depth if they don't land Kawhi. LeBron is into his mid-30's load management phase and AD has never been durable. They're gonna need both guys to play 75+ games to get into the postseason. AD's career average is 66.5 games per season. He's going to have to be on the floor more than that IMO.
nelsonmuntz
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Tomorrow is the official beginning of the signing period. It is safe to assume that there are another 10+ signings that weren't announced.
LA is really screwed if they don't land Kawhi. LeBron doesn't have a lot of rebuilding years left in him.
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I know y’all are probably sleeping by now, but insanity just happened. PG and Kawhi to the Clippers. Having them and Beverly is a good start to building an NBA defense.
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uconnbaseball
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Lakers just spent 23 of their available 32 million on aging vets Danny Green and KCP (the latter of whom would be in China if not for Rich Paul). They still need to add several players to fill out their roster, so their signings will all be vet minimums from here on out.
Lakers are done.
1. Clippers
2. Nuggets
3. Rockets
4. Jazz
5. Trail Blazers
6. Lakers
7. Warriors
8. Spurs
Lakers are done.
1. Clippers
2. Nuggets
3. Rockets
4. Jazz
5. Trail Blazers
6. Lakers
7. Warriors
8. Spurs
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I think I am in a fever dream and not ready to process this trade but fwiw KCP is somehow 26 years old and is a fine contact at 2 for 16. China? Lol.
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eebmg
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Pat Beverly, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the same team. 3 great no nonsense players who like hard work and defense.
Thank you Kawhi. Gave the Prima Donna Lakers the Middle Finger
and Toronto goes back to where it belongs. A good but limited team.
Now, more room for Phili, Boston. Milwaukee and Indiana to fight it out.
Thank you Kawhi. Gave the Prima Donna Lakers the Middle Finger
and Toronto goes back to where it belongs. A good but limited team.
Now, more room for Phili, Boston. Milwaukee and Indiana to fight it out.
nelsonmuntz
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The Lakers suck so badly after their top 4 players that 6th place feels kind of high.
I haven't seen an analysis of Paul George trade, but how does it not violate the Stepien Rule about trading future draft picks?
OKC was tired of paying luxury tax. This was a really good trade for them.
Marc Gasol is on the trade block. Raptors don't win the championship without him, but they don't need him now. He doesn't really fit in Rockets' system, but I would not be surprised if the Raptors were contacted last night about him. The Rockets need a 3rd scorer, and they can afford to manage his minutes during the season because they are deep. The Rockets window is closing, but Gasol only has one year left on his contract so he is not expensive long term.
I would ask for a trade if I was LeBron. He turns 35 this season and there is no reason for him to become part of a rebuilding project. The Lakers are challenging the Suns and Knicks for worst run franchise in the NBA. Why would LeBron end his career on a team like this?
AD may want out too.
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Edit: LOL I just remembered that PG dated and then cheated on Doc's daughter
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It's 2021 and 2023 from Miami and 2022, 2024, 2026 of their own picks so they still have a pick in every other year
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The Clippers are sending their own picks in 2022, 2024, 2026. That's all fine.
In 2023 and 2025, it is pick swaps. Like the Nets-Celtics trade. So far so good.
In 2021 and 2023 the picks going are from Miami, not LAC, so the picks don't violate the rule and they still have their own picks (though in 2023 if the pick is better than OKC's the Thunder get it).
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nelsonmuntz
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The Lakers ended the 2018 with a good young team that had won 35 games in a tough West despite Lonzo Ball and Ingram missing over a quarter of the season each, and they barely played Brook Lopez. Then they add LeBron. If they had stopped right there, they would have won 55+ games this past season and challenged the Warriors in the West.
Instead they made stupid move after stupid move, until now they have gutted their roster and their future for what is effectively one year of Anthony Davis. Ball, Ingram, Hart, Randle, and Lopez are gone, in addition to 3 first round draft picks.
Instead they made stupid move after stupid move, until now they have gutted their roster and their future for what is effectively one year of Anthony Davis. Ball, Ingram, Hart, Randle, and Lopez are gone, in addition to 3 first round draft picks.
eebmg
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If AD and LeBron stay healthy, they're going to win games. LeBron won games with worse rosters than this, and a AD is the best player he's every played with. Or, maybe Wade was, but they overlapped more than AD and he do.
But they aren't the favorites. They're probably a 50 win team that can snag the 3-4 seed. If the two stay healthy.
But they aren't the favorites. They're probably a 50 win team that can snag the 3-4 seed. If the two stay healthy.
There are like 6 teams that are 50 win teams out West. Just crazy.
.-.
nelsonmuntz
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LeBron has not played with a roster this bad since his first few years in the League. This team is going to be terrible after Davis, Kuzma and Green, and Lebron is not the same player he was even 3 years ago.
I don't think the Lakers win 50 games, and I don't even think they make the playoffs, unless they add someone really good, but the Lakers have nothing to trade anymore, so they can't pickup Gasol or someone like that.
The Pelicans are incredibly deep, and the Mavericks are going to be very good too. These other teams aren't going to just get out of the way because its LeBron.
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Lakers have two of the top like 5-10 guys in the league and at least actually put some shooters around them this time. I still think all the sky is falling shit with them is way overblown. Lebron plus a bunch of guys who can catch and shoot has proven to be a good team forever. Add AD's roll threat and rim protection and they will win games.
Their biggest problem is a lack of a second ballhandler. I think the guy that could've really helped them would've been... Rose, actually. I think maybe Satoransky would've been the other guy.
Looking at possible buyouts at pg and it's... not great. maybe Dragic or Delly or Clarkson? lol
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This has to be the best off-season ever right? I mean I feel like every couple years there is talk of the "NBA landscape" completely changing but this is the first time I remember it actually happening. This league has parity with a handful of teams with superstar pairings and 4-5 teams that are good enough through the sum of their parts to win a championship. This might be the NBA's golden era.
nelsonmuntz
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Dragic would be a huge pickup for the Lakers, but that is the kind of splash they need to make just to make the playoffs, and even a guy like Dragic has warts because he is a huge injury risk.
The sky is falling on the Lakers. That is not an exaggeration.
The Lakers would have been better off not trading for AD but signing him next year, and playing LeBron in like 50 games this season, effectively giving him the season off to protect his body.
nelsonmuntz
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It is definitely the Golden Era of the NBA. I also think that "Superstars" are wildly overated. Paul George or LeBron James are not a different species, they are just really good players, but they guys they are going up against are pretty good too for the most part. LeBron has been the best player in the League for about 12 years, and he still needed a lot of help to win his championships. The Freak is the closest thing there is to someone that could be on a different plane from the rest of the League, but he still needs to get a jump shot.
There are 5 teams in the West and 4 in the East that are all pretty close as title contenders. Next season is going to be awesome.
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They don't need Dragic to make the playoffs. They could still win 50 with their current roster. I don't think it's gonna happen, but it's definitely a playoff team. I mean the Thunder are going into full rebuild mode and the Lakers are easily the favorites to replace them as far as playoff teams go. No other team that missed the playoffs last year in the West even really improved in the offseason.
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The Mavericks improved, I'd say. Porzingas will be on the court, and even at 60% is an improvement on old Dirk and whoever else they were playing. Plus Luka is a year older. Still, OKC is out, and I think AD/LeBron is better than the Kings and the Mavs if healthy.
This roster is better than any he had in his first stint in Cleveland. AD and Kuzma are better than anyone he had then. And a healthy LeBron is a more efficient player now now. Better? No. But he doesn't have to be if AD is healthy. He can be the point guard, the second leading scorer, etc.
This team is an injury to LeBron or AD away from missing the playoffs, and given AD's history and LeBron's mileage, that might be the most likely scenario. But granted health, and granted shooters, the team will win games.
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Holy sheeeeeeet, talk about shifting the power in basketball and sticking it to the Lakers. Kawhi just went up another level in my book. Kawhi, PG, and Beverly are gonna cause teams fits on D. Love it!
So Big 3 days are essentially over because the best players want depth. And so that they can relax. Kawhi just revolutionized the NBA. Toronto couldn't match the Clippers for George. Had they, Kawhi would have stayed in Toronto. The players recognize the market Canada provides now.
Lakers should win some but really lack depth. Thunder and Knicks look inept. You don't make a trade for draft picks with a Jerry West-run team. It's unlikely they'll be lottery picks.
Lakers should win some but really lack depth. Thunder and Knicks look inept. You don't make a trade for draft picks with a Jerry West-run team. It's unlikely they'll be lottery picks.
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Nope the Carmelo Anthony of guards. A true ball hog.
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