NBA General Discussion: 2025 Offseason

76ciology · Post #1661 » by **76ciology** » Wed Jul 16, 2025 1:53 am

Nikola Jokić will be a free agent in the summer of 2027.

The Lakers are preserving cap space for 2027, when the team expects to have space to sign a max-salary free agent. Coincidence?

One reporter says everything the Lakers have done is to land Jokic.

"Jokic and Doncic's friendship is well-established, and allusions to the idea of them one day pairing up are starting to seep through. When viewed through that lens, everything about the Los Angeles Lakers' 2025 offseason movement - or lack of it - starts to make more sense. …It is not for nothing that Denver Nuggets president Josh Kroenke recently gave some voice of his own to the idea that, one day, Jokic might leave the team. Nor is it for nothing that Jokic has declined the Nuggets' offer of a contract extension."

(via Mark Deeks)

the_process · Post #1662 » by **the_process** » Wed Jul 16, 2025 4:32 am

76ciology wrote:
Nikola Jokić will be a free agent in the summer of 2027.

The Lakers are preserving cap space for 2027, when the team expects to have space to sign a max-salary free agent. Coincidence?

One reporter says everything the Lakers have done is to land Jokic.

"Jokic and Doncic's friendship is well-established, and allusions to the idea of them one day pairing up are starting to seep through. When viewed through that lens, everything about the Los Angeles Lakers' 2025 offseason movement - or lack of it - starts to make more sense. …It is not for nothing that Denver Nuggets president Josh Kroenke recently gave some voice of his own to the idea that, one day, Jokic might leave the team. Nor is it for nothing that Jokic has declined the Nuggets' offer of a contract extension."

(via Mark Deeks)

Jokic declined his extension because he can make another 80M (or whatever it is exactly) if he waits a year.

However, the Lakers angling for Jokic sounds very Lakers-y.

the_process · Post #1663 » by **the_process** » Fri Jul 18, 2025 10:20 am

Lillard back to POR for basically the full MLE.

Is this an acknowledgement Scoot is a bust, or is it a free asset grab they can flip again in 27 at the deadline if he's back and playing at least okay?

Lillard and Holiday as your backcourt next year, both at 36+, is certainly a decision.

Negrodamus · Post #1664 » by **Negrodamus** » Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:00 pm

I imagine Lillard kept his life in Portland and just wanted to go back.

Post #1665 » by **Stanford** » Fri Jul 18, 2025 2:01 pm

the_process wrote:Is this an acknowledgement Scoot is a bust, or is it a free asset grab they can flip again in 27 at the deadline if he's back and playing at least okay?

I don't think it is either of these.

ProcessDoctor · Post #1666 » by **ProcessDoctor** » Fri Jul 18, 2025 7:37 pm

I have a feeling Jrue is going to be traded back to Milwaukee for Kuzma+

76ciology · Post #1667 » by **76ciology** » Sat Jul 19, 2025 10:28 am

Hmmm..

[x]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=bJcUtOCSwzTqqyZgysWpbQ[/x]

the_process · Post #1668 » by **the_process** » Sat Jul 19, 2025 11:10 pm

Marcus Smart apparently has agreed to a buyout with WSH to go join the Lakers.

the_process · Post #1669 » by **the_process** » Sat Jul 19, 2025 11:11 pm

And the Wizards just waived Blake Wesley. Worth a look?

Post #1670 » by **Foshan** » Tue Jul 22, 2025 3:18 pm

76ciology wrote:Hmmm..

[x]

Read on Twitter
?s=46&t=bJcUtOCSwzTqqyZgysWpbQ[/x]

This would be so funny (and frustrating for MIL fans) lol

76ciology · Post #1671 » by **76ciology** » Sat Jul 26, 2025 3:43 am

I get the sense that one-dimensional scorers, guys who can put up points but offer little else, are becoming less valuable. Not saying they’re useless, but there was a time when they were clearly second in the hierarchy behind the alphas, with the old saying “scorers get paid”. Now, with the sheer number of them available, the constraints of the new CBA and the league empowering defenders by allowing more physicality, their value seems to be dropping.

In contrast, “floor raisers”, guys who can dribble, pass, shoot, defend, and generate extra possessions, are becoming more essential. Ideally, a team is built around a legit alpha, a semi-alpha with floor-raising skills, and a strong supporting cast of floor raisers. The true alphas are hyper-efficient and can carry the offense on the ball when needed. The Thunder and Celtics are great examples of this model.

But again, it’s a copy cat league.

76ciology · Post #1672 » by **76ciology** » Tue Jul 29, 2025 6:24 am

These bump/push-offs is gonna cause a headache for the league to officiate.

mjkvol · Post #1673 » by **mjkvol** » Wed Jul 30, 2025 5:27 pm

James stans will cry sour grapes, and they might be right, but Morey is 100% dead on here. And I guarantee that a lot of execs, coaches, and players feel the same way but don't have the balls to say it.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-2020-bubble-championship-marked-by-an-asterisk-by-people-around-nba-says-76ers-exec-daryl-morey/

the_process · Post #1674 » by **the_process** » Wed Jul 30, 2025 6:05 pm

mjkvol wrote:James stans will cry sour grapes, and they might be right, but Morey is 100% dead on here. And I guarantee that a lot of execs, coaches, and players feel the same way but don't have the balls to say it.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-2020-bubble-championship-marked-by-an-asterisk-by-people-around-nba-says-76ers-exec-daryl-morey/

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

Iverson Armband · Post #1675 » by **Iverson Armband** » Wed Jul 30, 2025 6:11 pm

the_process wrote:
mjkvol wrote:James stans will cry sour grapes, and they might be right, but Morey is 100% dead on here. And I guarantee that a lot of execs, coaches, and players feel the same way but don't have the balls to say it.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-2020-bubble-championship-marked-by-an-asterisk-by-people-around-nba-says-76ers-exec-daryl-morey/

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

Yeah, he can’t be the one saying it lol

the_process · Post #1676 » by **the_process** » Wed Jul 30, 2025 6:16 pm

Iverson Armband wrote:
the_process wrote:
mjkvol wrote:James stans will cry sour grapes, and they might be right, but Morey is 100% dead on here. And I guarantee that a lot of execs, coaches, and players feel the same way but don't have the balls to say it.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-2020-bubble-championship-marked-by-an-asterisk-by-people-around-nba-says-76ers-exec-daryl-morey/

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

Yeah, he can’t be the one saying it lol

Exactly!

Next time he calls the Lakers about a trade... "ooooh, our 2020 title has an asterisk, huh? Gonna need an extra 1st to do the deal."

And don't think Pelinka and other NBA GM's aren't that petty. They absolutely are.

M2J · Post #1677 » by **M2J** » Thu Jul 31, 2025 12:21 am

Iverson Armband wrote:
the_process wrote:
mjkvol wrote:James stans will cry sour grapes, and they might be right, but Morey is 100% dead on here. And I guarantee that a lot of execs, coaches, and players feel the same way but don't have the balls to say it.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-2020-bubble-championship-marked-by-an-asterisk-by-people-around-nba-says-76ers-exec-daryl-morey/

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

Yeah, he can’t be the one saying it lol

Right Daryl had the Rockets at the time and they got just as far as they would've without the bubble.

I personally think the championship doesn't deserve an asterisk in terms of the single season, it is different in terms of ranking that title compared to others in history. I mean at the end of the day the Lakers were like the #1 seed before COVID and they won the title. People thought the Nuggets run was a fluke and the Heat was a fluke both teams kinda proved that wrong since then and both teams met for a ring in 2023. People also didn't realize how dominant a run Jokic was about to go on. The only asterisk historically is that break gave all teams the ability to improve and be healthier than typical.... The negative was nobody got a home court advantage they earned in the regular season.

mjkvol · Post #1678 » by **mjkvol** » Thu Jul 31, 2025 10:16 am

M2J wrote:
Iverson Armband wrote:
the_process wrote:

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

Yeah, he can’t be the one saying it lol

Right Daryl had the Rockets at the time and they got just as far as they would've without the bubble.

I personally think the championship doesn't deserve an asterisk in terms of the single season, it is different in terms of ranking that title compared to others in history. I mean at the end of the day the Lakers were like the #1 seed before COVID and they won the title. People thought the Nuggets run was a fluke and the Heat was a fluke both teams kinda proved that wrong since then and both teams met for a ring in 2023. People also didn't realize how dominant a run Jokic was about to go on. The only asterisk historically is that break gave all teams the ability to improve and be healthier than typical.... The negative was nobody got a home court advantage they earned in the regular season.

To me the asterisk is because of the truncated season playing into the hands of a team like the Lakers with older players like James and Davis being able to be completely fresh for those playoffs. That, and the fact that many didn't really give a schiit at that point. It was like an afterthought - I mean, I watched exactly zero of those playoffs.

mjkvol · Post #1679 » by **mjkvol** » Thu Jul 31, 2025 10:16 am

the_process wrote:
mjkvol wrote:James stans will cry sour grapes, and they might be right, but Morey is 100% dead on here. And I guarantee that a lot of execs, coaches, and players feel the same way but don't have the balls to say it.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-2020-bubble-championship-marked-by-an-asterisk-by-people-around-nba-says-76ers-exec-daryl-morey/

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

I don't disagree, but I'm still glad someone had the guts to actually say it for once.

Negrodamus · Post #1680 » by **Negrodamus** » Thu Jul 31, 2025 10:52 am

the_process wrote:
Iverson Armband wrote:
the_process wrote:

Morey is right, of course; but why can't he just keep his mouth shut? What does this help?

Yeah, he can’t be the one saying it lol

Exactly!

Next time he calls the Lakers about a trade... "ooooh, our 2020 title has an asterisk, huh? Gonna need an extra 1st to do the deal."

And don't think Pelinka and other NBA GM's aren't that petty. They absolutely are.

That’s a relief; I haven’t wanted anyone on that team in a decade.