Around the NBA II

[MrHill]

Little Cesar's still makes enough money to get naming rights to a new NBA arena?

Yeah, the man (Mike Ilitch) who owned Little Caesar's also owned the Tigers and Red Wings...actually just passed away a few days ago. I'm not the biggest fan of their pizza, but I know the Little Caesar's brand (just like Domino's) is a big brand in Detroit, just Ford, Chevy, and the rest.

I also know part of the Pistons' plan to move to downtown is for the Pistons' holding company (Palace Sports & Entertainment) and Olympia Entertainment (the Tigers/Red Wings' holding company) to combine their concert businesses and leverage their TV rights together. I also believe Tom Gores (the Pistons owner) has more or less a first right of refusal to buy the Ilitch family's teams (or least the Red Wings and the new arena), should the family decides to sell.

[mkwest]

Hoopshype has a breakdown of the upcoming Big3 League that will begin its inaugural season this summer.

Star power, unique rules may make new 3-on-3 league a hit

Players who will suit up include Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, Rashard Lewis, Jason “White Chocolate” Williams, Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells, Al Harrington and Ricky Davis.

George “The Iceman” Gervin, Gary Payton, Clyde Drexler, Rick Barry and Rick Mahorn will serve as coaches (and Iverson has confirmed that he’ll be a player/coach).

Organizers also announced that Kenny Anderson, Jamario Moon, Smush Parker, Ruben Patterson, Etan Thomas Latrell Sprewell, J.R. Rider, Earl Boykins, Brian Cook and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf have entered the league as draft-eligible players.

For starters, the games won’t be full-court. Each game will be played on half a court and will begin with a do-or-die half-court shootout. While the contests will be three-on-three, each roster will have five players so that there are reserves. All defensive strategies will be allowed (and there’s no defensive three-second rule). Teams must clear the ball out to the three-point line after missed shots, but steals don’t have to be cleared. Perhaps most interesting is that there will be a “four-point circle.” If a player makes a shot while touching any part of this circle, it’s worth four points. Halftime starts when one team reaches 30 points. The first team to 60 points wins (but they must win by at least four).

The season will begin on June 24, 2017. The campaign will span 10 weeks, with four games being played each Saturday in a new city. The final two weeks will be the postseason, with the championship game on Aug. 12.

Alex Kennedy, Hoopshype

[Ranma]

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[mkwest]

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As long as CP3 doesn't get nostalgic about New Orleans this summer...

[mkwest]

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[Angel strike1]

weird trade not sure on either side. kings didnt get anything worth back. for NO in a guard league going 2 bigs? if this was 10-15years ago they woulda been best team in league

[UKClipperfan]

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The way he smirked when saying New Orleans was kind of a fantastic.

[QRich3]

Yeah, it's surprising he's valued as low as this. I guess NBA executives are not impressed by volume boxscore stats as most of us are. Apparently, Boston wouldn't even make an offer, the Lakers didn't even want to include Ingram in conversations, the suns package was centered around Alex Len and TJ Warren, and most teams didn't even try to make an offer. And that's with him still having a year and a half on his current cheap-ish contract.

[TucsonClip]

I went in deep on this elsewhere, as the trade angered me and im not even a Kings fan. Ill just sum it up like this: Vlade and Vivek are the equivalent of eight year olds running a freaking professional sports franchise.

Dump Boogie for nothing, pay Barnes to go away, likely pay Galloway to go away, dealt away two #1s to sign Rondo for one year, AND they like Buddy Hield that much (never been a fan and will never be a fan).

[wco81]

Maybe they didn't want to give him a $200 million contract, to be a borderline playoff team during much of that big contract.

[nickhx2]

i wonder if we can bring barnes back?

[wco81]

Yeah it seems like Barnes may have some demand, even at age 39.

The other thing is, some speculation that Chris Paul may be drawn to return to New Orleans when he hits free agency.

[Roscoe Sheed]

Yeah it seems like Barnes may have some demand, even at age 39.

The other thing is, some speculation that Chris Paul may be drawn to return to New Orleans when he hits free agency.

Do the Pelicans even have enough cap space to offer CP3 anything reasonable?

Even if they could offer CP3 the max he'd still be walking away from like $50-70 mill. if the Clippers offered him the max.

Also, Cousins and CP3 don't get along.

[Roscoe Sheed]

Yeah it seems like Barnes may have some demand, even at age 39.

The other thing is, some speculation that Chris Paul may be drawn to return to New Orleans when he hits free agency.

Barnes is 36, almost 37

[og15]

weird trade not sure on either side. kings didnt get anything worth back. for NO in a guard league going 2 bigs? if this was 10-15years ago they woulda been best team in league

Two bigs who can shoot from the perimeter and who can then go and punish smaller teams inside with offensive rebounding and against mismatches. It might actually be a very good combination for the current league. If we look at a team like Memphis who has been doing it for some time and winning, New Orleans can potentially have a better combination. They just need to find their Mike Conley (hopefully that isn't Mike Conley++ with CP3 going back there), and then add some more perimeter defense. Solomon Hill actually looks better for them now that they got Cousins, so they just have to solidify the SG position.

[og15]

Yeah it seems like Barnes may have some demand, even at age 39.

The other thing is, some speculation that Chris Paul may be drawn to return to New Orleans when he hits free agency.

Do the Pelicans even have enough cap space to offer CP3 anything reasonable?

Even if they could offer CP3 the max he'd still be walking away from like $50-70 mill. if the Clippers offered him the max.

Also, Cousins and CP3 don't get along.

I think the money would be the bigger factor than any dislike between players, but depends on what the true feeling around the league about being in a locker room with Cousins is. Maybe Cousins is also a lot less of an issue if he's on a team that's winning a lot more than he's been able to carry his teams to.

[Angel strike1]

weird trade not sure on either side. kings didnt get anything worth back. for NO in a guard league going 2 bigs? if this was 10-15years ago they woulda been best team in league

Two bigs who can shoot from the perimeter and who can then go and punish smaller teams inside with offensive rebounding and against mismatches. It might actually be a very good combination for the current league. If we look at a team like Memphis who has been doing it for some time and winning, New Orleans can potentially have a better combination. They just need to find their Mike Conley (hopefully that isn't Mike Conley++ with CP3 going back there), and then add some more perimeter defense. Solomon Hill actually looks better for them now that they got Cousins, so they just have to solidify the SG position.

works for mem cause they overall are defensive minded team. so slowing pace and girding helps guess will see.

[Angel strike1]

i am the only one that kinda thinks what it woulda been if we just gave up dj and got him? (and yes i know he h8s the clippers and vise versa ) but having a 3rd legit star.....

[nickhx2]

not sure that blake wants to stay by trading his best friend for a guy who talks crap about him too.