AD fires agent. Bird gang member Chicken Little asks: "Is the sky falling?"

[pelifan]

Bill Simmons had on some guest on his podcast.

First thing was speculating on whether the Pelicans owner really cared about the team as much as the Saints. They also wondered how passionate fans in New Orleans were about the team, implying that it was much more a football team.

Simmons said if the Seattle investors group which wanted an NBA team offered $2 or $2.5 billion for the team, would she turn it down?

Second, they said AD may get frustrated if the team didn’t at least get to the WCF. Supposedly AD didn’t care that they swept Portland, since they lost in the next round. So if the Warriors or some other team beat them in the playoffs again, AD won’t sign that super max extension next summer.

Billsimon fellow knows less than I do. Why would I care what he thinks, he’s a good writer and b-ball historian but beyond that he knows nada.

[wco81]

Simmons as a big Celtics homer may be expressing something he hopes would happen rather than objectively assessing what could happen.

But if AD declines to sign a super max extension in July, the Pelicans would have no choice but to try to trade him?

Looks like Pelicans will have to make a couple of big decisions this summer. Mirotic is a UFA and Radle has a $9 million player option.

Team may have to do whatever it takes to retain Mirotic and maybe Randle if he outplays his contract this year.

Also Payton is a UFA so if not him, they'd have to sign some starter-level PG.

Because if the team loses some of these players and don't replace them with players at least as good, that may not be a good message to send to Davis.

They may also have hard time adding good free agents until they can get rid of Hill's contract and to a lesser extent, Moore's deal. They're both signed through 2019-2020 so maybe if they have to trade AD, they can try to dump those salaries as expiring for other assets like picks.

[wco81]

So some speculation that Pelicans may be interested in trading with the Wizards to acquire one of their high-salary players, though more talk about Wall or maybe Porter than Beals.

Thinking is, an all-star player like Wall may help convince AD to extend with the Pelicans, even at the price of that horrible contract.

Or even if AD forces his way out, at least the Pels would have an all-star player, though it would be a rough switch from AD to Wall.

Wall may try to convince AD to stay but the Wizards have a horrible locker room culture and he may be a big part in the dysfunctional culture so he could drive away AD as much as convince him to stay.

[woosah]

So some speculation that Pelicans may be interested in trading with the Wizards to acquire one of their high-salary players, though more talk about Wall or maybe Porter than Beals.

Thinking is, an all-star player like Wall may help convince AD to extend with the Pelicans, even at the price of that horrible contract.

Or even if AD forces his way out, at least the Pels would have an all-star player, though it would be a rough switch from AD to Wall.

Wall may try to convince AD to stay but the Wizards have a horrible locker room culture and he may be a big part in the dysfunctional culture so he could drive away AD as much as convince him to stay.

I don't think much will come of it. It's not even sure that the Wiz want to get rid of Wall, but if they do then it depends on who they'd take. If it's a salary dump and you don't have to get rid of any starters then maybe give up your first and do it but i just don't think they would do it. I heard the rumblings about Porter and i don't like it either.

[wco81]

Vultures are circling now. Anticipation of the game in LA and then afterwards, the supposed dinner.

Question is other than paying AD, if he should accept the super Max, how committed is the ownership in carrying a huge payroll to try to field a contender?

If they have to trade AD away, would they take back $20-25 million in contracts, some which may be long term or some which may have to be extended?

Would they give out big second contracts to RFAs they get from the Lakers or Celtics?

Or would the ownership just rather sell or move the club to try to increase revenues?

Maybe if the Saints win the SB, the owners would have more interest in trying to build a contender out of the Pelicans, spend whatever it takes to get/keep other good players or if they have to trade, then be willing to commit financially to those players they get in return.

[AGAVE]

Harden did this in Houston.
Before getting a Chris Paul.
I mean, its possible.
It all comes down to ownership and their commitment to build around AD.
Then you gotta sell Davis on the potential of even maybe getting the next player to take the ride in NO.

[darthmerrick]

If yall do decide to go the rebuild way, I think this is about a fair a trade for all three teams if any trade could be fair for the best bigman of alltime. Although you could just cut the Magic out fleece the Lakers for Kuzma, Hart, Ingram, Ball and picks. I don't know if that happens though given how high they are on Ball now.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ydfohe4a

[wco81]

So it would be better for the Pels to wait until the offseason, rather than trade him in the next couple of weeks, because more teams will be able to offer more.

[Maple Green]

So it would be better for the Pels to wait until the offseason, rather than trade him in the next couple of weeks, because more teams will be able to offer more.

Correct! don't rush everything......that can cause a trouble in the future. What NO needs is carefully planning.

[wco81]

Seems like AD is now isolated, reportedly left the arena last night with Rich Paul.

Not to denigrate AD but it seems like Lebron and Paul basically gaslit AD, put the idea into his head that he needs rings and he needs them now, at age 26.

For one thing, AD is leaving a lot of money on the table by forcing his way off the Pelicans. They probably convinced him that in LA, he will make up for that money and much more with endorsement deals in a much bigger market.

That may turn out to be true but of course it's not a coincidence that if they convince AD to prioritize winning over maximizing his NBA money, it just happens to line up with what LBJ wants in his waning years in the NBA.

Even if AD truly believed he has to win championships and has to leave New Orleans in order to win, the real grift is getting him to buy that his best road is to go to the Lakers.

When AD liked on social media one of the proposed trades, which would have been all the Lakers' young players and multiple draft choices for him, you know he's not thinking logically, because he and Lebron can't win by themselves, after the Lakers gut their roster to acquire him.

If he thought objectively, the Lakers would not be the best or only fit for his goal of winning championships, not with a 34-35 year old LBJ who was recovering at the time from the longest injury of his career and a gutted roster.

Seems like Lebron, along with Paul, used the respect he commands from players to convince a relatively immature AD that his best interests is to serve LBJ's best interests.