NBA Draft 2017: Sixers, Celtics and Will LaVar Ball Lose His Shit on National Television Edition

[briantw]

1 minute ago, Tywin et al. said:

Kyrie for Rubio? Deal. 

More like Shumpert for Rubio.  

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

10 minutes ago, briantw said:

More like Shumpert for Rubio.  

Go jump in the lake of fire!

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Now that the Wolves have a legit top 10 player and another top 15 player, I have to ask two questions: what is their ceiling for the next season and can this roster attract any of the better free agents? The West is about to implode this off season with several top teams taking a step back leading to a lot of free agents to target. 

[Jaime L]

8 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Now that the Wolves have a legit top 10 player and another top 15 player, I have to ask two questions: what is their ceiling for the next season and can this roster attract any of the better free agents? The West is about to implode this off season with several top teams taking a step back leading to a lot of free agents to target. 

50 wins and being the 4th best team in the West is possible right now, I think. If you can find a better PF than Gorgui Dieng, now we're cooking. If you can work some magic and sign Gallinari, now we're talking. 

Sky's the limit at that point!*

*Sky being a brutal 5 game elimination at the hands of the Warriors whenever you play them

[Red Tiger]

Chris Paul becomes a free agent. Where does he go?

[briantw]

1 minute ago, Red Tiger said:

Chris Paul becomes a free agent. Where does he go?

Depends on if the Clippers offer him the max or not.  If they do, he's staying.  If they don't, I think he's a Spur.

[Red Tiger]

1 hour ago, briantw said:

Depends on if the Clippers offer him the max or not.  If they do, he's staying.  If they don't, I think he's a Spur.

I don't see him staying in LA even if they DO give him the max. The man wants to win and that's not gonna happen there.

A spur? I could see that, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavs make some strange moves to get him.

[briantw]

26 minutes ago, Red Tiger said:

I don't see him staying in LA even if they DO give him the max. The man wants to win and that's not gonna happen there.

A spur? I could see that, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Cavs make some strange moves to get him.

I don't know...it's just hard for me to see anyone turning down the kind of money the Clippers can potentially offer Paul.  Will they offer him that?  I don't know.  But if they do I think he stays a Clipper.

As for the Cavs, I just see no viable way for Paul to end up in Cleveland unless he signs for the MLE or whatever small amount the Cavs are able to offer him.  I see that as incredibly unlikely.  And I'm not sure how the new CBA has changed things, but I don't think the Cavs can receive a player in the sign-and-trade right now either.  This is likely why there has been zero buzz for Paul to the Cavs.

The Spurs, on the other hand, have an actual path to the cap space necessary to get Paul.

[Red Tiger]

1 hour ago, briantw said:

I don't know...it's just hard for me to see anyone turning down the kind of money the Clippers can potentially offer Paul.  Will they offer him that?  I don't know.  But if they do I think he stays a Clipper.

As for the Cavs, I just see no viable way for Paul to end up in Cleveland unless he signs for the MLE or whatever small amount the Cavs are able to offer him.  I see that as incredibly unlikely.  And I'm not sure how the new CBA has changed things, but I don't think the Cavs can receive a player in the sign-and-trade right now either.  This is likely why there has been zero buzz for Paul to the Cavs.

The Spurs, on the other hand, have an actual path to the cap space necessary to get Paul.

Well, Paul and LeBron are best buds, but I think the Cavs could make it work if they made some space. They have 5 free agents, plus they can bring Paul in with a small deal and give him a bigger contract next year, after some restructuring of LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin Love's contracts, off course.

But yes, SA seems more likely, especially with Parker getting up there in age.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Kyrie for Rubio? Deal. 

Fantasy!

Though Rubio would be perfect for the Cavs, I'll  cede that.

[briantw]

1 hour ago, Red Tiger said:

Well, Paul and LeBron are best buds, but I think the Cavs could make it work if they made some space. They have 5 free agents, plus they can bring Paul in with a small deal and give him a bigger contract next year, after some restructuring of LeBron, Kyrie and Kevin Love's contracts, off course.

But yes, SA seems more likely, especially with Parker getting up there in age.

The Cavs just don't really have a legitimate route to cap space, though.  They're basically at the cap just with LeBron, Kyrie, and Love, who will make about 75 million combined next season.  They also have JR Smith under contract, and he's damn near untradeable (he's great on the Cavs, but no one else wants him).  Including Smith, that's 88 million on the books, and they also have Tristan Thompson (16.4 million), Iman Shumpert (10.3 million), and Channing Frye (7.4 million) under contract.  Probably a few other guys too, but those are the main guys under salary.

You can probably deal those last three guys if you have to, but they don't find a path to enough cap space for Paul without completely gutting their team, which is something you don't do if you're the second-best team in the league and just had the best playoff offense ever.  You retool in the Cavs' situation, not rebuild.  I also assume the Cavs will try to bring back Korver and Williams if they can, which will add further salary.  

[briantw]

From Chris Broussard, the only guy at ESPN that LeBron's camp informed ahead of time about his return to Cleveland.  They've basically blackballed everyone else who worked for ESPN, especially Windhorst. 

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

17 minutes ago, briantw said:

From Chris Broussard, the only guy at ESPN that LeBron's camp informed ahead of time about his return to Cleveland.  They've basically blackballed everyone else who worked for ESPN, especially Windhorst. 

Bust out your saxophone...

 

[Calibandar]

I understand everyone can't stop talking about the Dwight Howard trade to the Hornets. Changes the NBA landscape completely, I know.

For me the two most interesting possible story lines where what happens to George, and to Butler.

The Chicago trade is just terrible from every angle and there is no defending it. Everyone is jumping on Chicago for making a terrible call, and they did. They got nothing in return for a top 12 player in the league, 27 years old, starting his prime, who didn't need to be traded yet by any means. It's just staggering how bad the deal is, how little they got. But more than that I do not see the need. Why not keep Butler and rebuild around his friendly contract, which you could extend to a max in two years? Why is he not your centerpiece, or one of a trio of guys you'll need? At his age and with his two way prowess?

Thibodeau must not believe how fortunate he is. This is exactly the guy he wanted.

If you're the Bulls, you had a team with Butler, Rose, Noah, Gibson, Mirotic, McDermott, and it all fell apart in such a short space.

Not all of that is on the Bulls for sure, Rose and Noah declined in their own right, Mirotic was not as good as hoped for. But to then trade the best piece that there was and is, and the probably future of the franchise. Maybe in return for a sensational no.1 pick and role players. I understand that maybe they just didn't get good offers, but then you keep him.

As for George, I don't see him going to the Celtics. I am hoping he gets traded to the Cavs and makes them even better.

If not, then the Lakers is an interesting scenario but to me it seems they are not as talented and filled with potential as made out to be. Ingram, Randle, Nance, Clarkson, a fairly unexciting bunch if you ask me. The T-Wolves and Sixers have genuine big talents in their roster bigger than anything LA has, including Ball. I don't see George go there and really win.

 

[Relic]

If the Cavs use Love as the main piece in a three way deal that brings them Paul George I REALLY REALLY never want to hear about that Wiggins trade again. 

[Red Tiger]

1 hour ago, Relic said:

If the Cavs use Love as the main piece in a three way deal that brings them Paul George I REALLY REALLY never want to hear about that Wiggins trade again. 

Oh you shouldn't. So far Love has (in many ways) been better for the Cavs than Wiggins for the Wolves. *shrugs* I don't see why anybody would still hate on the Cavs for making that trade, so I doubt you'll hear much about it in the future.

On another note, this rumour that the Cavs might go after Melo worries me. I don't see him being the kind of asset the Cavs need to knock off the Warriors. Id rather have more of an all-rounder.

[Calibandar]

He doesn't seem like a great fit there at all. I suspect the Cavs will be doing all they can to get George and Anthony would be only be of some interest as a back-up option, and I don't think they'd be willing to lose Love over it either. Who they might part with for George, I imagine.

[briantw]

5 hours ago, Calibandar said:

Why not keep Butler and rebuild around his friendly contract, which you could extend to a max in two years?

Because Butler likely would have been eligible for the DPE, and there was no way in hell Chicago was giving anyone 240 million in guaranteed money.

4 hours ago, Red Tiger said:

On another note, this rumour that the Cavs might go after Melo worries me. I don't see him being the kind of asset the Cavs need to knock off the Warriors. Id rather have more of an all-rounder.

Melo will likely be bought out this summer, as no one is going to trade for him (and he has a no trade clause, so he can nix trades to any team he doesn't want to play for) and Phil has all but ran him out of New York.  Once he's bought out, he's likely to either join the Cavs or the Clippers.  If Chris Paul leaves the Clippers, he'll almost certainly be joining the Cavs.  Same deal with Wade.  They'd basically be getting Melo for free.  It's not like they're going to trade Love for him.

[Red Tiger]

1 hour ago, briantw said:

Because Butler likely would have been eligible for the DPE, and there was no way in hell Chicago was giving anyone 240 million in guaranteed money.

Melo will likely be bought out this summer, as no one is going to trade for him (and he has a no trade clause, so he can nix trades to any team he doesn't want to play for) and Phil has all but ran him out of New York.  Once he's bought out, he's likely to either join the Cavs or the Clippers.  If Chris Paul leaves the Clippers, he'll almost certainly be joining the Cavs.  Same deal with Wade.  They'd basically be getting Melo for free.  It's not like they're going to trade Love for him.

I don't see Melo playing for little money. I've made it clear what I think of Melo's value as a player (Hint: a lot less than most basketball fans on this board), but I think his ego won't allow him to go to the Cavs for a small deal.

[sperry]

One thing I like about the T-Wolves is that Towns is a player the Warriors are not set up to deal with. They're probably still too young to compete in earnest, but their roster is set up well.