Official Speculation Thread (Pt. XXXII Off-Season Edition)

[cvMagic]

Besides those of you who are just plain refusing to deal with the Nets, for the others, would you deal with them if they could get Orlando an expiring contract, Brooks, and Lopez for 10 mil a year?

Summer of 2013 would be a net gain of 5 million on our capspace and we'd have just 25 million invested into Meer, BBD, Lopez, and Brooks. We could hit FA hard and get a SF, PG/SG. Remember, Lopez would be a 18/8 guy.

Lopez can't rebound or defend, can't muscle with the elite bigs or doesn't care to, and was out all of last season with injury.

The end goal should be winning a championship. Lopez is not a championship calaber starting center. If we can't pull one championship caliber starter by trading the second best player in the league, then were doing something wrong.

I'm okay (but not happy) trading Dwight for an expiring contract, so long as that expiring contract is Andrew Bynum.

So you're Henny, two options on the table, only two.

1) Dwight for Bynum straight up.
2) Dwight for NJ returning Lopez at 10 million a year, 9 million savings over Bynum.

Is Bynum worth the extra 9 million? What can that 9 million buy in addition to our existing space next year?

Bynum is worth waaaaay more than 9 million more than Brooks. I'm starting to think a lot of you were in bed when the Laker games started out here on the West Coast.

[magicman123]

we are not getting rid of duhon, hedo, and jrich in any single trade

[Def Swami]

I still think Bynum for Dwight straight up is a better deal than the Nets deal.

If Bynum walks the following summer, that's fine. We'll have cap space. It's better than having Lopez and Humphries locked up in long-term deals. The prospect of building around Bynum alone is better than having Lopez and Humphries long term.

I don't want anything to do with the Nets deal. I'd rather let Dwight walk. Watching Lopez play center would be like sticking needles in your eyes. No reason to make a trade for the sake of making it.

[SolidSnake008]

Is there anyone out there taking the business into account too? you guys know that it's a business too right?

[T-Rob]

I still think Bynum for Dwight straight up is a better deal than the Nets deal.

If Bynum walks the following summer, that's fine. We'll have cap space. It's better than having Lopez and Humphries locked up in long-term deals. The prospect of building around Bynum alone is better than having Lopez and Humphries long term.

I don't want anything to do with the Nets deal. I'd rather let Dwight walk. Watching Lopez play center would be like sticking needles in your eyes. No reason to make a trade for the sake of making it.

Hand me the needles! I dont want either trade but I REALLY dont want to see Greg Oden Jr unless he bring Pau with him to flip for Real assets

[cvMagic]

Dwight isn't going to be here for the 13-14 season so there is no Dwight to build around either way....so why not try to form a more complete team with talent and set us up with picks for the future which we could either keep or trade? Rob said he wants guys that want to be here and guys that will buy into something that's bigger than themselves....If Rob indeed does the Nets deal then he's basically hitting the reset button and trying to build the team from scratch the right way.....New Front office.....New Coaching Staff.....New players with the right mindset and hungry to win....basically build a whole new family that's committed to being a part of something bigger....That is not Dwight....Imho Dwight is looking out for number 1 which i can't blame him for but he knows that it's time.....deep down we all here know it's time as well...the Dwight era is over.....

I just think you guys are overvaluing those picks. IMO they'll likely be pick #20+, several of them even. That's not worth it to me to completely give up on keeping Dwight, no matter who minute the chances are that Dwight returns.

that's why you can trade picks....trade them to move up or down....or just trade them in for cash considerations....

What the hell would we have to trade with the picks?
And if there's a superstar player available with a top 5 pick, why would the teams holding those picks trade them to us?

This argument for picks is one of the dumbest I've ever seen. It's like everyone assumes three first rounders automatically results in D rose, Unibrow, and a Durant clone.

[Skin]

we are not getting rid of duhon, hedo, and jrich in any single trade

I constantly hear people saying that we need to get rid of Jrich... like his contract is so restricting.

It's not. He was signed after the new CBA, so we can use the stretch provision on him.

AND we can use it on Glen Davis too, if we chose to. We could do them BOTH in the same offseason even.

When we stretch them, their money gets significantly cut and spread out (turning into "dead money").

The only thing we can't do, is we cannot ever have over 15% of our cap space being used in dead money.

--------------

So Turkoglu is our worst contract (because he would still count $6M after we waive him), followed by Q-Rich (because there's no reason to think he'll opt out of his Player Option), and then Duhon (who becomes an easy cut next summer).

[MagicTownBaller]

Off-Topic: Anyone wanna play some Minecraft or NBA 2K12 on Xbox?

[pogiro]

Is there anyone out there taking the business into account too? you guys know that it's a business too right?

What makes you think otherwise? IMO the Bynum deal is a risk business-wise. The Nets deal represents mediocrity... maybe a decade of it. Letting Dwight walk, we'll be bad enough that eventually another franchise player comes through and we can get on building a future competitor, hoepfully. But at least letting Dwight walk, we get right to it. Bring in Lopez with the idea that we'll be competitive, we'll hit our ceiling at a 3 or 4 seed.

[cvMagic]

Give me Bynum & Ebanks for Dwight and lets move on. If Harden becomes FA, do everything you can to pair him up with Bynum next summer.

Harden
Ebanks
One of our 50 talented PFs
Bynum

Just find an upgrade over Jameer and let's roll.

You're ok giving a max salary for the next 5 years to a player who's had 1 healthy season in 7 years?

+1, Keep Bynum away unless he brings Pau with him to flip for other assets.

Some of you have no clue how good Bynum is. It's unreal.

No superstar will play here unless you have a superstar already here. Look at the NBA. The en vogue thing to do is join forces and create "Big three's". If the Magic land Bynum, then other superstars will consider playing here. If not... welcome to Mediocrityville for the next 5+ years.

[Nyce_1]

Either you get Bynum and build around him or you get the nets package and flip them for more useful assets.

[PigsEatHam]

Is there anyone out there taking the business into account too? you guys know that it's a business too right?

But not a real business. Pro sports teams are toys for billionaires more often than not; it's not where they make their money, it's where they spend it. So in that sense, I don't think Devos is looking to turn a profit, he's looking to win a championship. Why? Who knows, but he wants to, and so, ultimately, whatever moves we make or don't make should be in service of that goal. Whether it is the right move or not, we won't know right away, but I'll hope it is. Rob seems like a sharp guy, and he's assembled a team of other sharp basketball minds. I look forward to seeing the team they put together both in the near-term and the long-term.

Speaking of Devos, did he ever meet with Dwight or just Rob?

[Def Swami]

Some of you have no clue how good Bynum is. It's unreal.

No superstar will play here unless you have a superstar already here. Look at the NBA. The en vogue thing to do is join forces and create "Big three's". If the Magic land Bynum, then other superstars will consider playing here. If not... welcome to Mediocrityville for the next 5+ years.

Very well said. Bynum is a championship caliber center. He's a player you can build around.

[SmiteaDwight]

You have to trade dwight. You have to get something for him. No way we're letting him walk.

[jezzer45]

with the current choices available you gotta go with bynum. if sucks or is injured : you clear 17 mil off the books. if he is good but wants brighter lights: you clear him off the books or sign and trade. if he is good or even great then after he signs the new max deal he gets injured: you trade him as his value will still be high and maybe you can get a disgruntled superstar for him. Win/Win/Win.

[SolidSnake008]

Some of you have no clue how good Bynum is. It's unreal.

No superstar will play here unless you have a superstar already here. Look at the NBA. The en vogue thing to do is join forces and create "Big three's". If the Magic land Bynum, then other superstars will consider playing here. If not... welcome to Mediocrityville for the next 5+ years.

Very well said. Bynum is a championship caliber center. He's a player you can build around.

i somewhat agree....but how long is it going to take to build around him?

[cvMagic]

If the options are Bynum, Brooklyn's leftovers, or let Dwight walk...I choose let Dwight walk.

id go bynum and see how his health goes for the year and resign him. hed be foolish to pass on tax free extra money.

And what if he is healthy this year, gets a big extension, and turns into Grant Hill 2.0?

And what if he plays amazing for those five years, leads us to two rings, gets another big contract and THEN gets hurt.

You're right. totally not worth it.

Chicago should cut D Rose immediately. Dwight should be banished to China for his bad back. That D Wade guy looks banged up, Miami should cut him too. How's Bosh's stomach feeling? Why risk it... break up the Heat immediately.

[MagicTownBaller]

Nobody?

[Nyce_1]

Some of you have no clue how good Bynum is. It's unreal.

No superstar will play here unless you have a superstar already here. Look at the NBA. The en vogue thing to do is join forces and create "Big three's". If the Magic land Bynum, then other superstars will consider playing here. If not... welcome to Mediocrityville for the next 5+ years.

Very well said. Bynum is a championship caliber center. He's a player you can build around.

Truth.

[pogiro]

Some of you have no clue how good Bynum is. It's unreal.

No superstar will play here unless you have a superstar already here. Look at the NBA. The en vogue thing to do is join forces and create "Big three's". If the Magic land Bynum, then other superstars will consider playing here. If not... welcome to Mediocrityville for the next 5+ years.

Very well said. Bynum is a championship caliber center. He's a player you can build around.

He's also a player that can set your team back a decade.