ATL - Bane to Orlando for 4 FRP+

[humanrefutation]

My order of preference:

OKC/MIN








NYK















Being hit by a bus


IND

[midranger]

Givony reporting that Philly is looking to attach the #3 pick to Paul George to acquire a 3rd star...but we're supposed to believe we should be happy to receive the #2 pick and **** all else for Giannis? Lol

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro using Tapatalk

Let me introduce you to Kyle Kuzma….

[raferfenix]

Oh.

Shaquille O'Neal: David Stern asked where I wanted to play in NBA - hot or cold city

Shaquille O’Neal: I don’t know if you heard this story, but in 1992, I think with the draft, was it in June or something? I meet Mr. David Stern in March and he says to me, “Hey, can’t wait for you to come to the NBA.” Then he pulls me to his side and asked me ‘You want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?’ He asked me that. Yeah, he did. He asked me that and I was like, “Hot!” And he smiled and I smiled and then couple days later they had the draft thing and the top three things and then Minnesota was number three, then Charlotte was number two and then Orlando, Florida was number one. I was like I didn’t think anything about it. But you hear a lot of these conspiracy theories and know there’s a lot of situations that could make these things sound good and sound true like ‘okay Dallas gets rid of a one of the one of the best players but oh! we we’re getting a new one.’ Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. So I don’t want to use the word conspiracy theory but it’s very interesting how it all played out.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/shaquille-oneal-david-stern-asked-where-i-wanted-to-play-in-nba-hot-or-cold-city/

[th87]

Oh.

Shaquille O'Neal: David Stern asked where I wanted to play in NBA - hot or cold city

Shaquille O’Neal: I don’t know if you heard this story, but in 1992, I think with the draft, was it in June or something? I meet Mr. David Stern in March and he says to me, “Hey, can’t wait for you to come to the NBA.” Then he pulls me to his side and asked me ‘You want to play where it’s cold or where it’s hot?’ He asked me that. Yeah, he did. He asked me that and I was like, “Hot!” And he smiled and I smiled and then couple days later they had the draft thing and the top three things and then Minnesota was number three, then Charlotte was number two and then Orlando, Florida was number one. I was like I didn’t think anything about it. But you hear a lot of these conspiracy theories and know there’s a lot of situations that could make these things sound good and sound true like ‘okay Dallas gets rid of a one of the one of the best players but oh! we we’re getting a new one.’ Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. So I don’t want to use the word conspiracy theory but it’s very interesting how it all played out.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/shaquille-oneal-david-stern-asked-where-i-wanted-to-play-in-nba-hot-or-cold-city/

Another data point for the pattern.

[rilamann]

Then in 1993 Orlando missed the playoffs on a tie-breaker with the Pacers

And Orlando won the #1 pick....again. Must have been magic. Riiiiiight.

[tedbrogen]

Giving Braun a Suggs type contract is insanity. But this is why I think they might bite on a Kuzma + Pat for MPJ deal.

That’s probably your best bet to unload Kuz and get back someone who could maybe be useful. They need to shed salary and he’s the obvious piece.

KPJ/AJG/MPJ/Giannis/Bobby could be good.

Keep Sims for the bigs rotation.
Keep Rollins as first guard off the bench.
See if Tyler Smith can contribute anything.
Get the best guy available with the MLE if KPJ takes the BAE.

If MPJ doesn’t work out, you’ve got ~$100M in expiring salary next offseason to make trades and four firsts available.

[CharityStripe34]

Isn't MPJ made of glass, though?

[JayMKE]

Idk how much MPJ moves the needle, makes too much money for 1 way guy you can’t really depend on. So does Kuzma ofc

[aboveAverage]

Denver starting to enter their post championship Milwaukee era. Welcome to the new CBA!

Read on Twitter

Sell Giannis on other teams beginning to enter their fire sale. Bucks roster already went through it and can now plan on the other side. Capitalize on teams needing to shed salary and do drastic things to dip the 2nd apron. The stars like Giannis and Jokic are the constants you can continue to build and re-tool around. People act like we need to move Giannis because it's the end of an era, but the new CBA doesn't really allow for long-term success (dynasties), so try and tinker with the roster around your main guy and see if you can hit on new revolving pieces around him. Would help if we had a competent coach to put it all together though...

Exactly. Couldn’t agree with this post more. This is the way forward. This is also why I think Horst will not trade Giannis under any circumstance.

[drew881]

Worth it to restore the order we lost in abbreviations by trading AJJ. MPJ KPJ

[Ron Swanson]

Isn't MPJ made of glass, though?

FWIW he's played/started 77 and 81-games the past two seasons. Think this was more of a concern when he was dealing with the back injury stuff that caused him to sit his entire rookie season. Still only 26 though, and that's why I'd talk myself into it being a good upside play. Dude is an incredibly talented offensive player and I think it's worth seeing what he looks like away from a situation where he's just being asked to spot-up behind the 3PT line.

[CharityStripe34]

Isn't MPJ made of glass, though?

FWIW he's played/started 77 and 81-games the past two seasons. Think this was more of a concern when he was dealing with the back injury stuff that caused him to sit his entire rookie season. Still only 26 though, and that's why I'd talk myself into it being a good upside play. Dude is an incredibly talented offensive player and I think it's worth seeing what he looks like away from a situation where he's just being asked to spot-up behind the 3PT line.

Good point. I'm going off of 2-3 seasons ago where he was in and out. And yea he's a lethal shooter and can actually put the ball on the floor. He's certainly better than Kuzma and would be a fun small-ball 4 next to Giannis and his gravity.

[chonestown]

Ringer piece entitled: "The Stunning Transformation of Julius Randle." Look, I have a powerful distaste for all manners of the superlative machine, yet still I flock to it as a moth is drawn to lit bulbs.

https://www.theringer.com/2025/05/20/nba/julius-randle-minnesota-timberwolves-nba-playoffs-2025

Let's snip the opener (it's a corker)

The NBA playoffs typically reveal players for who they really are, but this year’s postseason has shown Julius Randle to be someone he’s never been. It’s as if every bit of wishful thinking around one of the league’s most talented and frustrating players suddenly snapped into reality. The hang-ups that have followed Randle from team to team for more than a decade—gone. The disengagement on defense he showed even earlier this season—vanished without a trace. At 30 years old, Randle just figured it all out: his decision-making, his focus, his place in the universe.

I guess I'd look at the last 10 years and weigh them more heavily than literally the last 10 games. Local shtposter is a student of history. Say, what happened to John Salmon after his FTD run lo many moons a-go?

Randle has churned out impressive stat lines for years, putting him vaguely in the company of playmaking forwards like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo

For every season: churn, churn, churn.

There are plenty of factors that could explain Randle’s sudden transformation: a better-fitting role with the Timberwolves, a contract year, a perfect coach in Chris Finch. Yet ultimately, the reason Randle is dominating games is because he always could.

Three valid reasons - which are summarily dismissed - in favor of wanting it more? Finding the alpha with-in?

Randle is getting to the basket with ease in these playoffs and converting a whopping 74 percent of his shots around the rim, according to Cleaning the Glass—a mark he’s never hit in any season or playoff run throughout his career.

Yes, point being is it's an outlier. Don't make for sexy copy, but the dude is on a heater in the playoffs. No more, no less. Good timing, Jules!

A hard charge in transition, a forced switch, a desperate zone—and all of a sudden, Isaiah Joe has to hold down a wrecking ball. Even Chet Holmgren could get tossed aside.

I like Chet, but homey is not exactly the unyielding second coming of Nate Thurmond, consult your local library and/or the wizened BigO on Naters which I believe is how his teammates referred to him.

Finally:

There was no reason to believe that Randle would become this kind of playoff performer—save for the fact that he theoretically could. Then he did, and he changed everything.

Jimmy Carter is smarter, but Scooby-Doo can doo-doo. Just give me 1,500 words on White Donte and his work with the Twin Cities Humane Society. Get some pictures of Donte with dogs, make my mom happy.

[emunney]

Denver starting to enter their post championship Milwaukee era. Welcome to the new CBA!

Read on Twitter

Sell Giannis on other teams beginning to enter their fire sale. Bucks roster already went through it and can now plan on the other side. Capitalize on teams needing to shed salary and do drastic things to dip the 2nd apron. The stars like Giannis and Jokic are the constants you can continue to build and re-tool around. People act like we need to move Giannis because it's the end of an era, but the new CBA doesn't really allow for long-term success (dynasties), so try and tinker with the roster around your main guy and see if you can hit on new revolving pieces around him. Would help if we had a competent coach to put it all together though...

Sorry is Bobby Marks advocating 30m/per for Braun on an extension before he hits RFA? Why?

[Matches Malone]

Denver starting to enter their post championship Milwaukee era. Welcome to the new CBA!

Read on Twitter

Sell Giannis on other teams beginning to enter their fire sale. Bucks roster already went through it and can now plan on the other side. Capitalize on teams needing to shed salary and do drastic things to dip the 2nd apron. The stars like Giannis and Jokic are the constants you can continue to build and re-tool around. People act like we need to move Giannis because it's the end of an era, but the new CBA doesn't really allow for long-term success (dynasties), so try and tinker with the roster around your main guy and see if you can hit on new revolving pieces around him. Would help if we had a competent coach to put it all together though...

Sorry is Bobby Marks advocating 30m/per for Braun on an extension before he hits RFA? Why?

Send in... The Negotiator.

[Ron Swanson]

Was Marks also the guy that said Donte was gonna get 4-yrs $100+ million? Dude has a type.

[machu46]

Was Marks also the guy that said Donte was gonna get 4-yrs $100+ million? Dude has a type.

I think that was Hollinger's metrics. Possibly Marks said the same, but Hollinger definitely had Donte in that ballpark.

[MickeyDavis]

I think the Wolves/Thunder series is a coin flip. Slight edge to OKC with HCA. But I would bet on the Wolves at +275 rather than OKC at -360

[jschligs]

I have no data to back this up, but I felt MN fouls a lot when I’ve watched them. SGA gonna eat them up and he’s already doing it and his whistle is great.

[PG Graveyard]

McDaniel is stoning SGA out there but he couldn’t stay in front of KPJ.