Around the League: Offseason

[76ciology]

Lakers is going to be a disaster.

That move only makes sense for me if LeBron projects himself as a grand pa next season where he expect AD and RW to take the lead.

Im talking about LeBron playing kind of Kevin Love role, spacing the floor and playing off ball stuffs

[76ciology]

Umm.. what is the Thunders doing by getting Favors?

[GoSixersBro]

Plus minus and all-encompassing stats suck, IMO.

Shai is clearly one of the best upcoming players in the league. And he's going to get even better once his defense from college makes the jump to the pro level. Presti making him available is almost as dumb as when he chose Ibaka over Harden.

Kobble, do you think replacing Simmons for Shai 1 for 1 makes our team a shoe-in for a conference finals appearance?

[GoSixersBro]

Lakers is going to be a disaster.

That move only makes sense for me if LeBron projects himself as a grand pa next season where he expect AD and RW to take the lead.

Im talking about LeBron playing kind of Kevin Love role, spacing the floor and playing off ball stuffs

In my head the fit between these 3 makes zero sense. Hey, maybe I will eat my words and these 3 will figure it out, but I'm just not seeing it. Seemed like a desperate move to simply have a Big 3.

[blargh]

Umm.. what is the Thunders doing by getting Favors?

Using their cap space to pick up another FRP?

[Kobblehead]

Plus minus and all-encompassing stats suck, IMO.

Shai is clearly one of the best upcoming players in the league. And he's going to get even better once his defense from college makes the jump to the pro level. Presti making him available is almost as dumb as when he chose Ibaka over Harden.

Kobble, do you think replacing Simmons for Shai 1 for 1 makes our team a shoe-in for a conference finals appearance?

Yup, and would put us on a path to a potential dynasty. Embiid/Alexander would be the best post/guard duo since Shaq and Kobe.

[Murray_17]

With Richardson and Horford now on the celtics they can finally end their arc of actually being enemies on the Sixers lore

[Kobblehead]

https://www.courierpress.com/story/sports/2021/07/30/smith-who-earned-all-sec-honors-gains-berth-heat-summer-league-team/5430497001/

Best move of Pat Riley's storied career. Smith was ridiculously overlooked.

[eyeatoma]

With Richardson and Horford now on the celtics they can finally end their arc of actually being enemies on the Sixers lore

They literally have 40% of the Sixers starting lineup from 2 years ago. You can't make this ish up.

[76ciology]

With Richardson and Horford now on the celtics they can finally end their arc of actually being enemies on the Sixers lore

They literally have 40% of the Sixers starting lineup from 2 years ago. You can't make this ish up.

Maybe Ime Udoka plays a factor to these acquisition?

Maybe Brad Stevens also think both are good players.

I like Al but I hate Josh Rich.

[76ciology]

Umm.. what is the Thunders doing by getting Favors?

Using their cap space to pick up another FRP?

Ah you’re right there. I overlooked the FRP

[76ciology]

Would you guys trade gobert if you are the jazz?

I would.

Top tier star? For sure.
Second tier star? Yes.
Third tier star or borderline star? No.

For a player like Hayward? Leaning at yes.

Gobert is one of those toxic players like RW or Melo which is more of a fools gold that would prevent you from winning a title.

Prevent. Im not saying totally impossible. Just making it really hard for you to win one.

[76ciology]

Thinking about it.

RW and picks for Gobert looks like a good move.

They’d just have to trade Conley and the rest of their forwards to better 3&D guys.

Gobert would have complimented Beal.

Then Mitchell and RW can play 1A-1B perimeter playmaker set-up like Suns, Warriors, Blazers, Nets and etc.

It also maxes out Conley’s value. Which is more of a trade asset than a key player, given how much valued PGs who can run PNR, play defense and shoot nowadays. While RW is a better alpha player to play with Mitchell to lessen Mitchell’s load on offense that Conley can’t provide. Next would be to space the floor then let Mitchell and RW be relentless attacking.

[Tomjas]

Would you guys trade gobert if you are the jazz?

I would.

Top tier star? For sure.
Second tier star? Yes.
Third tier star or borderline star? No.

For a player like Hayward? Leaning at yes.

Gobert is one of those toxic players like RW or Melo which is more of a fools gold that would prevent you from winning a title.

Prevent. Im not saying totally impossible. Just making it really hard for you to win one.

Jazz has been a bigger playoff disappointment than the Sixers in the last 2 seasons and Gobert has been played off the floor in consecutive 2 rounds plus he’s now on a massive contract

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/utah-jazz/rudy-gobert-13340/

They need to make changes which is why I suggested Tobias for Bogi & Ingles

They also like Ben as they get killed on the perimeter so maybe a multi team deal as we obviously don’t need Gobert

Basis might be

Utah gets Ben

Mavs get Gobert

Some sucker gets KP

We get Conley

Picks etc chucked in as needed

[Murray_17]

Maybe Ime Udoka plays a factor to these acquisition?

Maybe Brad Stevens also think both are good players.

I like Al but I hate Josh Rich.

They're freeeing cap space, no one actually think Josh richardson is a good player anymore and Al Horford is too old. Horford becomes and expiring after this season that can be used for a trade and Richardson gets out of the books.

The Celtics are just trying to clean up their cap situation to get better again, they need depth at the 5 and a playmaker. This season is probably just of transition for them and to develop guys like Langford, Pritchard and Williams

[Samson]

So quick question-

I posted this yesterday in a relevant Westbrook-trade thread on the main basketball forum but got totally ignored.

Can someone explain to me how the Westbrook trade was actually possible and legal / salary-cap-compliant? It looks like it wasn't even close. Before the draft, multiple times I heard that LA wanted Westbrook and I spent several hours on both here and ESPN's trade machine. There was no possible way to get Westbrook to LA. (Unless you added LeBron or Davis which I didn't even bother.) - But any and every other way, physically impossible. The trade they announced failed on both sites. On ESPN, they have changed the players already, but Montrez Harrell is unclickable on the ESPN trade, so you can't just recreate it in reverse - but on this website, the original and #1 cap trade machine, the trade still fails. I just don't see how this is possible. Could someone explain it to me a little? I've never been a cap genius but I can do basic math, it seems like the salaries aren't even close. Westbrook is making 44 million a year. Websites are saying Harrell makes $9.7, Kuzma makes $13, and Caldwell-Pope makes an almost-identical $13.001 million. Looks like about $35.8 ... it just doesn't look possible to me.

[76ciology]

Been thinking what the Raps is doing. Why were they looking at Ben? Why draft Barnes with Siakam and OG?

Then if you look at the roster, I think it is built to beat the Bucks. They have multiple guys who can defend Giannis, OG-Barnes-Siakam-Boucher (maybe). Then a couple of guards who can attack off the PnR, FVV and possibly Lowry.

When Raps is healthy and ready (some more tweaking in roster, chemistry and dev) I think they can be better than the Bucks.

[blargh]

Been thinking what the Raps is doing. Why were they looking at Ben? Why draft Barnes with Siakam and OG?

Then if you look at the roster, I think it is built to beat the Bucks. They have multiple guys who can defend Giannis, OG-Barnes-Siakam-Boucher (maybe). Then a couple of guards who can attack off the PnR, FVV and possibly Lowry.

When Raps is healthy and ready (some more tweaking in roster, chemistry and dev) I think they can be better than the Bucks.

Tjarks had a pretty good article on this :
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/2021/7/30/22600911/nba-draft-raptors-magic-scottie-barnes-jalen-suggs?utm_campaign=theringer&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true

[mithrandir17]

So quick question-

I posted this yesterday in a relevant Westbrook-trade thread on the main basketball forum but got totally ignored.

Can someone explain to me how the Westbrook trade was actually possible and legal / salary-cap-compliant? It looks like it wasn't even close. Before the draft, multiple times I heard that LA wanted Westbrook and I spent several hours on both here and ESPN's trade machine. There was no possible way to get Westbrook to LA. (Unless you added LeBron or Davis which I didn't even bother.) - But any and every other way, physically impossible. The trade they announced failed on both sites. On ESPN, they have changed the players already, but Montrez Harrell is unclickable on the ESPN trade, so you can't just recreate it in reverse - but on this website, the original and #1 cap trade machine, the trade still fails. I just don't see how this is possible. Could someone explain it to me a little? I've never been a cap genius but I can do basic math, it seems like the salaries aren't even close. Westbrook is making 44 million a year. Websites are saying Harrell makes $9.7, Kuzma makes $13, and Caldwell-Pope makes an almost-identical $13.001 million. Looks like about $35.8 ... it just doesn't look possible to me.

125% of 35.8 is 44.75 so westbrook's contract is within the limit of the trade. You don't have to match salaries exactly. The salaries should fall within 125% of the outgoing salary.

[76ciology]

Been thinking what the Raps is doing. Why were they looking at Ben? Why draft Barnes with Siakam and OG?

Then if you look at the roster, I think it is built to beat the Bucks. They have multiple guys who can defend Giannis, OG-Barnes-Siakam-Boucher (maybe). Then a couple of guards who can attack off the PnR, FVV and possibly Lowry.

When Raps is healthy and ready (some more tweaking in roster, chemistry and dev) I think they can be better than the Bucks.

Tjarks had a pretty good article on this :
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/2021/7/30/22600911/nba-draft-raptors-magic-scottie-barnes-jalen-suggs?utm_campaign=theringer&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&__twitter_impression=true

Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, i also see what tjarks is saying. I guess they’re projecting Barnes to be a better shooter. They can possibly play something like..

FVV
OG
Barnes
Siakam
Boucher

Thats crazy big and very switchable on defense.

There’s no easy solution in winning a championship.

But maybe hoping Barnes becoming a better shooter is easier than hoping for Raps to land a superstar again.

Or maybe raps is betting on those two. Raps have assets to trade for a superstar anytime while betting Barnes to become a better shooter if they ever dont end up with a superstar where they can use Bucks’ blueprint.