Official Speculation Thread (Pt. XLVI "Re-Building" Edition)

[OrlandO]

OKC will obviously keep Westbrook and Durant together. I think they'll let Harden go since athletic, shot-blocking bigs are harder to replace.

[mhi]

Sadly these days (new CBA) it's downright impossible to land an All-NBA player through free agency. Their respective teams realize they can't retain them early on (usually a year or two early) and look to move them for assets.

Consider Batum and Gordon (not even perennial All-Stars) whose teams were quick to match their offers all along.

And don't kid yourself, you need at least 2 All-NBA players to be a legitimate title contender.

Harden will probably be matched or extended. Ibaka on the other hand will likely be moved at the deadline if they hear of a team throwing the max at him (Which would be ridiculous but it's gonna happen).

[Darth Magic]

I think the real target of the Magic is Russell Westbrook.

Since he just signed a long term deal, why would they trade him and what would we really offer? Why do you think that's our target. I highly doubt that.

OKC wants to retain both Ibalka and Harden. They can't do that and keep Westbrook. We have the cap space and the picks that they would desire.

[MagicFan41]

I think the real target of the Magic is Russell Westbrook.

Since he just signed a long term deal, why would they trade him and what would we really offer? Why do you think that's our target. I highly doubt that.

OKC wants to retain both Ibalka and Harden. They can't do that and keep Westbrook. We have the cap space and the picks that they would desire.

I don't think they want to break up Westbrook and Durant. I would be pretty shocked if they shopped Westbrook whatsoever. They want to retain all 4 obviously, but they can probably only do 3. I would guess it would be Westbrook-Harden-Durant. IF they decided to go Durant-Harden-Ibaka...they would probably go after our own lottery pick (assuming it was very very high). Other than that I just don't see it, but who knows.

[Def Swami]

I have a hard time imagining that OKC would part ways with Westbrook before Harden or Ibaka, but if they did...

Westbrook
Afflalo
Harkless
BBD
Vucevic

There's your "quick rebuild." Considering we'd still have cap space in 2014 too, perhaps we could add Rudy Gay or Chris Bosh.

[Mannchild]

I would love offering Curry the max and Gortat near max

Curry, Nelson
Afflalo, Redick
Harkless, Harper
BBD, Nicholson
Gortat, Vucevic

I like that team in every way. Good mix of defense, athleticism, heart, depth, and it doesn't even factor in our picks

[backasswards]

I would love offering Curry the max and Gortat near max

Curry, Nelson
Afflalo, Redick
Harkless, Harper
BBD, Nicholson
Gortat, Vucevic

I like that team in every way. Good mix of defense, athleticism, heart, depth, and it doesn't even factor in our picks

Give Curry the max despite his glass ankles? No thanks.

[thelead]

^ I would only be cool with that if we snagged our star in the draft. Otherwise, you're locking yourself into a 3rd-6th place team with virtually zero chance of winning it all.

[Mannchild]

I would love offering Curry the max and Gortat near max

Curry, Nelson
Afflalo, Redick
Harkless, Harper
BBD, Nicholson
Gortat, Vucevic

I like that team in every way. Good mix of defense, athleticism, heart, depth, and it doesn't even factor in our picks

Give Curry the max despite his glass ankles? No thanks.

Well it would only be if Curry is healthy and looks good through next year

[Noonskadoodle]

I really like the hire of AP.

As for being able to offer a max to a 2013 FA, everybody is on the James Harden bandwagon & rightfully so, but I have a feeling with Iggy gone Evan Turner is going to break out this season. I would throw some money at him or Harden & try to lock in our future 2 guard.

Turner was the 2nd pick in the draft for a reason & I think we will all see why this season.

Turner/Harkless as the future 2-3 would have a lot of upside offensively & defensively.

Philly will have their hands full trying to resign Bynum.

[dsg2021]

Gortat is not expiring for another 2 seasons, but maybe try to snatch Curry if his health is looking good, suck some more, get UFA Gortat again the following season where we want to start winning big. Hopefully we have 2-3 lotto guys in those two seasons, and Harkless/Nicholson/Liggins/Player X developed very nicely on top. I could roll with that, that's a pretty much fundamental as you can get PG and C combo, and would gel easily with the rest of the roster.

[OrlChamps2030]

I think the Thunder will resign Harden for sure.. He is their Manu. Ibaka is a very valuable player to them but I would not be surprised if a team threw the max at him due to the of big men in the league

At first I was thinking this was going to be a long rebuild and we would use our cap space to pay the guys we draft but Martins saying this will be a quick rebuild definitely contradicts that

Do they think Affalo is Tmac??z

[backasswards]

Obviously Martins is going to say this will be a quick rebuild. He's trying to give fans hope so they will keep buying tickets.

He's not going to say "Yeah well, this rebuild might take 3 years if we really hit on our draft picks and can get key free agents to sign with us. If not we could be looking at a longer rebuild period."

Do you guys believe it when strippers say they like you too?

[backasswards]

I think the Thunder will resign Harden for sure.. He is their Manu. Ibaka is a very valuable player to them but I would not be surprised if a team threw the max at him due to the of big men in the league

At first I was thinking this was going to be a long rebuild and we would use our cap space to pay the guys we draft but Martins saying this will be a quick rebuild definitely contradicts that

Do they think Affalo is Tmac??z

No. Afflalo is not and never will be comparible to T-Mac.

[Noonskadoodle]

I think the Thunder will resign Harden for sure.. He is their Manu. Ibaka is a very valuable player to them but I would not be surprised if a team threw the max at him due to the of big men in the league

At first I was thinking this was going to be a long rebuild and we would use our cap space to pay the guys we draft but Martins saying this will be a quick rebuild definitely contradicts that

Do they think Affalo is Tmac??z

No. Afflalo is not and never will be comparible to T-Mac.

Nope not at all, but if they throw some money at Evan Turner in 2013 he sort of has a game similar to TMac.

[Bensational]

Obviously Martins is going to say this will be a quick rebuild. He's trying to give fans hope so they will keep buying tickets.

He's not going to say "Yeah well, this rebuild might take 3 years if we really hit on our draft picks and can get key free agents to sign with us. If not we could be looking at a longer rebuild period."

Do you guys believe it when strippers say they like you too?

kind of. you're mum's pretty convincing though, you have to admit.

[Noonskadoodle]

Obviously Martins is going to say this will be a quick rebuild. He's trying to give fans hope so they will keep buying tickets.

He's not going to say "Yeah well, this rebuild might take 3 years if we really hit on our draft picks and can get key free agents to sign with us. If not we could be looking at a longer rebuild period."

Do you guys believe it when strippers say they like you too?

kind of. you're mum's pretty convincing though, you have to admit.

[Bensational]

what the Thunder learned in the Finals is that they need all the help they can get on the inside, both on offense and defense. Durant and Westbrook are enough to keep that team firing in any game, and Harden would have been a good bonus, but a bigger role and improved play from Ibaka would have made all the difference in that series.

with the priority for OKC being improving the front court (whether or not that's through committing to Ibaka, or using that cap space elsewhere), i don't see them wanting to match a max or near max offer for Harden.

[TheLastDon]

Larry Ridley‏@mrlarryridley

Caught up with #Magic CEO Alex Martins, you got to hear his message to fans, "will be a quick rebuild" watch at 6,11 on @WESH #Orlando #NBA

For a "quick" rebuild, I'd imagine that means that the Magic have their eye on some ready established talent, which they plan to chase as the franchise player/centerpiece of the team. someone available in the next free agency or two. you can't rely on landing a franchise caliber player through the draft in a short amount of time - too many variables. what you can rely on is targeting ready-now talent.

i think their plan will be heavily based upon loading up on efficiently paid talent as a supporting cast for 1-2 stars, and BPA talent in the draft, with enough financial flexibility to chase a franchise talent.

my gut tells me that James Harden is our man.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy... and not the one from Notre Dame

[NickAnderson]

OKC is definitely keeping Harden, they are stacking up on bigs so they can let Ibaka go.