Official Speculation Thread (Pt.LIX Offseason Edition)

[silent1900]

@WojYahooNBA
Houston has traded Royce White to Philadelphia, league sources tell Y! Sports.

Can't have two head cases on one team, Lakers tried and failed.

But, when it comes to tank mode, Philly is going ALL-IN...

[rcklsscognition]

future draft considerations and rights to a european player, possibly one gotten from the blazers deal.

[rcklsscognition]

The picks we got are horrible.

http://ht.ly/mHIIB

The problem was that the teams we were dealing with had no picks to give up. Both Philly & LA had already traded future picks to the point where the soonest picks they could trade were 2016 & 2017. The protections aren't bad, they are pretty typical....just the picks themselves are pretty far down the road.

The LA pick, at its best (for us), is Top 5 protected. The Philly pick would be Top 8. Not great...but not uncommon.

For a top 3 players the protections are garbage. We may not have had any choice, but they are still crap.

if we end up with a bunch of 2nd rounders in exchanges for the most dominant center in the league...ugh

Here is to hoping we win the lotto next year and the knicks and nuggets get the 2nd and 3rd picks...

Lakers just got nothing for Dwight.

[LBPTarHeel27]

The picks we got are horrible.

http://ht.ly/mHIIB

The problem was that the teams we were dealing with had no picks to give up. Both Philly & LA had already traded future picks to the point where the soonest picks they could trade were 2016 & 2017. The protections aren't bad, they are pretty typical....just the picks themselves are pretty far down the road.

The LA pick, at its best (for us), is Top 5 protected. The Philly pick would be Top 8. Not great...but not uncommon.

For a top 3 players the protections are garbage. We may not have had any choice, but they are still crap.

if we end up with a bunch of 2nd rounders in exchanges for the most dominant center in the league...ugh

Here is to hoping we win the lotto next year and the knicks and nuggets get the 2nd and 3rd picks...

All I am saying is that in terms of picks, we really got pretty much the best we could.

You have to look at Harkless & Vucevic as the real keys of the deal. They are both great assets and building blocks.

[MellowRose]

Is there any chance we go after Asik?

[BelgianMagic]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/353308752432201728[/tweet]

[rcklsscognition]

Wow, Ryno and Dwight teaming up again? Henny is such an idiot, we could have gotten Asik for Anderson and Bledsoe for JJ.

[Optimus_Steel]

So how and why did Philly willingly take on the headaches and many issues that are Royce White? Why???? He is not even that talented.

[KingRobb02]

So how and why did Philly willingly take on the headaches and many issues that are Royce White? Why???? He is not even that talented.

The better question is, how is he going to get to Philadelphia?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[LBPTarHeel27]

let the nuggets and knicks both suck this year

I thought they were both going to have down years but NY did some nice things already and now Denver is in pursuit of Ellis...

It is starting to look like they both may be substantially more talented. We will see if that translates to wins.

The biggest concern with the Knicks is that they can suck and still make the playoffs

The Nuggets are probably better than the Knicks and yet it has a better chance of being a lottery pick than the knick's

Yeah the Knicks could try and tank and still make the playoffs. The East really is that bad. I agree that the Nuggets will be the better team but probably have 10-15 less wins. Especially with the way the West is beefing up, when it was already strong.

Look at the wave of free agency so far...

Chris Paul: Staying West
Dwight Howard: Staying West
Josh Smith: Probably moving West
Andre Iguodala: Staying West
Al Jefferson: Moved East to bring a team up to a bubble playoff contender
Monta Ellis: Probably moving West (Denver or Dallas)
David West: Staying East
Nikola Pekovic: Likely staying West (Dallas or Minny)
OJ Mayo: Heading East (Milwaukee)
JR Smith: Staying East
JJ Redick: Heading West
Tiago Splitter: Staying West
Tyreke Evans: Staying West
Kevin Martin: Staying West
Tony Allen: Staying West
Carl Landry: Staying West

If I counted right, that is 16 players. Of those, 11 will be in the Western Conference. The guys who did go East are going to make minimal impacts. The guys that went West are going to make a big impact.

[rcklsscognition]

So how and why did Philly willingly take on the headaches and many issues that are Royce White? Why???? He is not even that talented.

Philly's GM was assistant GM on the Rockets when they draft White. Likely has some sort of knowledge of him or relationship.

[Optimus_Steel]

So how and why did Philly willingly take on the headaches and many issues that are Royce White? Why???? He is not even that talented.

The better question is, how is he going to get to Philadelphia?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

At least a four wheel vehicle I am assuming, maybe 6.

He can impregnate more hoes on the way thru the map.

[MagicStarwipe]

Lakers just got nothing for Dwight.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Everyone's talking about Dwight/Harden/Smith...what about Parsons assuming he is t moved. That is a damn good team. The only thing that can hold them back is maybe taking time to gel. That whole "too many guys need the ball to be effective" crap is BS. We said the same thing about Miami. The players will figure it out.

[Noonskadoodle]

OMGGGGGGGG

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 8m
Source close to Dwight Howard: "The reports are inaccurate. The Lakers haven't been informed of anything" WHY WON'T THIS END!?

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 4m
Dwight Howard is en route to L.A. now to meet with Lakers. I'm told the extra money that he could earn in L.A. is still weighing on Howard.

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 4m
The only teams that have been informed that they're out of the running are the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors.

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 3m
I'm really sorry, everyone. I want this to be over too. I'm just tweeting what I'm hearing from very, very reliable sources.

END ITTTTTTTTTTTTT

[Noonskadoodle]

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA 35s
Dwight Howard will meet with the Lakers very soon and then an official decision is expected "tonight or tomorrow morning." #almostover

[magicman123]

So how and why did Philly willingly take on the headaches and many issues that are Royce White? Why???? He is not even that talented.

The better question is, how is he going to get to Philadelphia?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[Truth24]

So how and why did Philly willingly take on the headaches and many issues that are Royce White? Why???? He is not even that talented.

While Royce is a huge headache and I do mean huge although some of it isn't his fault but the majority of it is. The guy is very talented and when he is focused on basketball there really aren't many guys who have his type of skill set. This is high reward low risk type of thing for Philly because if Royce comes out with basketball as his main focus he will be a beast if not they can just let him go and that will be that.

[woosah]

you've got

Spurs- still a threat but age is a factor
OKC- still a threat but depth is a factor
GSW- a threat but youth is a factor
LAC- a threat but weak front court
HOU - a threat but DH/JS scoring???? FT??? will they gel?

The west is sort of wide open to me. I don't see a clear front runner right now. Still plenty of time for a few tweaks and all but this isn't the MIA deal that put a team head-n-shoulders above everyone else. It's in the mix though.

[doct3r dr3]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/353308752432201728[/tweet]

That would be a real game-changer.