Around the League: 2024-25 Season

[drsd]

Pritchard isn't on a rookie deal and he makes $6.7m...look at the Celtics' payroll, 6 of the top 13 make less than $3m

The Celts long-term payroll is even worse. With 4 players locked in to >30M a year through 2027/28, it is hard to see how Bostan can afford a roster that is more than 11 LLE guys on their four top-salaries.

My point: Pritchard could be extract-able. Certainly the game he plays would transform the roster. Is Gary Harris and a two FRPs for Pritchard really that insane?

Probably the real team to exploit in all this "lot's of contracts aligned to the old CBA" thought line is Phoenix. There are three Suns that will be paid >50M each in 2025/26 .
That means the team will need to both eject two of: Durant, Beal, and Booker. And in doing so, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale , and Cody Martin are all in serious threat of being traded.

The Knicks, the Timberwolves, and Raptors also have salary-line issues for 2025/26.

There will players that can be acquired for Orlando's underperformers (Howard, Caldwell-Pope, Harris, Anthony, Carter, Isaac) if WePark is creative with draft-selection additions in target trades. The reset in the new CBA is exploitable for this team to "get better".

[drsd]

Jose Alvarado had another gem of a game off of the bench in the Pelicans "upset" win over the Clippers. The kids putting up some nice numbers and I believe will be a target for a lot of teams this offseason.

[Skybox]

Jose Alvarado had another gem of a game off of the bench in the Pelicans "upset" win over the Clippers. The kids putting up some nice numbers and I believe will be a target for a lot of teams this offseason.

I like him...but he seems like the next excellent backup that gets overpaid to be a weak starter.

[drsd]

Jose Alvarado had another gem of a game off of the bench in the Pelicans "upset" win over the Clippers. The kids putting up some nice numbers and I believe will be a target for a lot of teams this offseason.

I like him...but he seems like the next excellent backup that gets overpaid to be a weak starter.

And-1

He could be the next "Patty Mills" or "J.J. Barea". That's really, really good!
Or he could become "Jeremy Lin", "Brandon Jennings" or "Jerryd Bayless".

If I was Alvarado, I would just get-paid and accept that I am not really meant to be a starter but do the job anyway. Money is money!

[Skybox]

Jose Alvarado had another gem of a game off of the bench in the Pelicans "upset" win over the Clippers. The kids putting up some nice numbers and I believe will be a target for a lot of teams this offseason.

I like him...but he seems like the next excellent backup that gets overpaid to be a weak starter.

And-1

He could be the next "Patty Mills" or "J.J. Barea". That's really, really good!
Or he could become "Jeremy Lin", "Brandon Jennings" or "Jerryd Bayless".

If I was Alvarado, I would just get-paid and accept that I am not really meant to be a starter but do the job anyone. Money is money!

I think Tyus' career arc sort of follows it too...he played so well, so incredibly efficiently in a reserve role, that he HAD to keep getting raises. He got up to $14.5 and then bet on himself as a starter in PHX for $3m...bad move. Kind of an unusual last year, but PHX was strapped, the opportunity looked PERFECT, and you can bet he has a handshake guarantee of a raise this summer. Happens all the time in NFL history. Some QB gets hurt and some feel-good Rudy comes off the bench and wins 5 of 6 games, going into FA. Some other team "steals" him because the starter is healthy and the original team won't pay him to sit on the bench. Almost inevitably, the brief flash of success was fleeting.

Tyus was the multi-year reigning undisputed "Best backup PG" for a long time. Now, it's probably Alvarado or Pritchard, neither of whom I'd bet my team's future on as THE GUY with the ball for $25m per.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Jose Alvarado had another gem of a game off of the bench in the Pelicans "upset" win over the Clippers. The kids putting up some nice numbers and I believe will be a target for a lot of teams this offseason.

I like him...but he seems like the next excellent backup that gets overpaid to be a weak starter.

bingo.. he's peaking perfectly with mediocre FA options

[drsd]

WWE is having a great season!

Watch on YouTube

[Skybox]

WWE is having a great season!

Watch on YouTube

Damn that’s like 600 lbs crashing 7’ to the floor. Plumlee put his forearm to Adams’ throat. Anything to avoid looking like ORL vs Adams the other night.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Magic are 1 game out of 9th and 2 games back from 7th... Yeah We're going to finish in 8th unless we somehow win a few games B2B

[Idiosyncratic]

Jose Alvarado had another gem of a game off of the bench in the Pelicans "upset" win over the Clippers. The kids putting up some nice numbers and I believe will be a target for a lot of teams this offseason.

I like him...but he seems like the next excellent backup that gets overpaid to be a weak starter.

And-1

He could be the next "Patty Mills" or "J.J. Barea". That's really, really good!
Or he could become "Jeremy Lin", "Brandon Jennings" or "Jerryd Bayless".

If I was Alvarado, I would just get-paid and accept that I am not really meant to be a starter but do the job anyway. Money is money!

Still one more year on his contract, no clue if they trade him, they seem to like him.

Alvarado is best as a 20-25 minute backup because he expends a lot of energy on defense. He is very impactful though.

[Kent]

Can't we just ask Travis Diener to come off Mount Olympus and help us out?

[BadMofoPimp]

D’Angelo Russell has posted a +14.0 net rating swing with the Nets this season. That leads all NBA point guards and ranks seventh among all players (min 500 minutes). Brooklyn is 9-9 in games D’Lo has played at least 20 minutes.

[Skybox]

D’Angelo Russell has posted a +14.0 net rating swing with the Nets this season. That leads all NBA point guards and ranks seventh among all players (min 500 minutes). Brooklyn is 9-9 in games D’Lo has played at least 20 minutes.

Wow...trying not to fall into the "Poole" with DLo too

So many (alleged) bad vibes about this guy...but so many good basketball skills and stats

given our limitations and our FO love of inactivity or "breaking up the family"...could he be had for the MLE?

Basically replace Gary Harris, CoJo, and Caleb on the payroll

[RookieStar]

Can't we just ask Travis Diener to come off Mount Olympus and help us out?

I second this. We need some virgin sacrifices though...

[pepe1991]

Jimmy freaking Butler effect.

14 games post trade.
13 wins.

Guy hardly shoots over 10 shots a game and yet is way more impactful than 99% of a league.

4th best defensive team
2# best offense

Warriors are contender.

[Skybox]

Pritchard isn't on a rookie deal and he makes $6.7m...look at the Celtics' payroll, 6 of the top 13 make less than $3m

The Celts long-term payroll is even worse. With 4 players locked in to >30M a year through 2027/28, it is hard to see how Bostan can afford a roster that is more than 11 LLE guys on their four top-salaries.

My point: Pritchard could be extract-able. Certainly the game he plays would transform the roster. Is Gary Harris and a two FRPs for Pritchard really that insane?

Probably the real team to exploit in all this "lot's of contracts aligned to the old CBA" thought line is Phoenix. There are three Suns that will be paid >50M each in 2025/26 .
That means the team will need to both eject two of: Durant, Beal, and Booker. And in doing so, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale , and Cody Martin are all in serious threat of being traded.

The Knicks, the Timberwolves, and Raptors also have salary-line issues for 2025/26.

There will players that can be acquired for Orlando's underperformers (Howard, Caldwell-Pope, Harris, Anthony, Carter, Isaac) if WePark is creative with draft-selection additions in target trades. The reset in the new CBA is exploitable for this team to "get better".

Pritchard’s path will likely be:
- appear to be underpaid or underutilized in BOS and collect rings, in a limited role
Or
- leave for a big payday and find out how incomplete a player he is
…same with guys like Reaves, Dort, Caruso, KCP a year ago

It’s not a knock on the players…it’s actually more of a kudos to their present team’s GM that knows how to assemble role players into a successful situation. It’s also a plus to recognize when to let them go and tap out of the bidding.

Kind of hard to really knock BOS in the midst of a pretty dominant run.

[Skybox]

Jimmy freaking Butler effect.

14 games post trade.
13 wins.

Guy hardly shoots over 10 shots a game and yet is way more impactful than 99% of a league.

4th best defensive team
2# best offense

Warriors are contender.

Great pickup for GSW…he and Draymond come across as jerks, but they are the epitome of BBIQ & winning.

[pepe1991]

Jimmy freaking Butler effect.

14 games post trade.
13 wins.

Guy hardly shoots over 10 shots a game and yet is way more impactful than 99% of a league.

4th best defensive team
2# best offense

Warriors are contender.

Great pickup for GSW…he and Draymond come across as jerks, but they are the epitome of BBIQ & winning.

They are jerks. But HOF players.

[BadMofoPimp]

Just watched the Pistons/OKC game and it was one of the worst Ref'd games I have ever seen. Thank god for the ability to Challenge a call, because there were times where nobody touched SGA and he was getting calls, but Cade was getting literally hammered every time he drove with no calls then got ejected in the 3rd quarter. Obvious the NBA wants OKC to be champions. After the game, Coach Bickerstaff went OFF he was so angry with the ref's. Man, need a coach like that. He pounded the table and called the ref's out then stormed out of the interview. Awesome.

Read on Twitter

Watch on YouTube

[ogmagicfan]

Jimmy freaking Butler effect.

14 games post trade.
13 wins.

Guy hardly shoots over 10 shots a game and yet is way more impactful than 99% of a league.

4th best defensive team
2# best offense

Warriors are contender.

He's a pros pro. True ceiling raiser. He is their Iggy but even better in every aspecr.

Craziest part is when its necessary, he can go and get you 40 pts easily. Him & the emergence of Post has them in a serious mode

Even more wild is that theyve been doing this without Kuminga, who just came back.