2017 NBA Offseason Thread

[Heatles84]

The other key to that statement is "before they won titles".

If Russ signs the extension in OKC, he is never winning one unless he team jumps in the twilight of his career. Just isn't happening.

I said it before, I will say it again. People who blame KD for his decision to leave are missing the big picture. Front office was unwilling to spend and Russ is a nightmare to play with for another elite player. He never publically criticized Russ despite all the brain dead mistakes he continuously made, but eventually that wears on a player.

KD was a great teammate for 8 years, then he made 1 selfish decision. OKC fans need to get over it, because Russ has been making selfish decisions his entire career.

Yup. They back the very player that caused the better one to leave.

KD was getting the constant ringless shots, not Westbrook. I would've made the same choice as KD did. And even if KD didn't go to the Dubs, where else could he have gone?

Miami: We had a lot of question marks and a lot of uncertainty along with Bosh's blood clot issues still unresolved and murky at the time.

San Antonio: That would've went over real well. Join up with the 2nd/3rd best player in the league. Would've fit nearly the same narrative that we have now.

Washington: There have always been rumblings that Beal and Wall weren't getting along and were causing friction with the team.

Boston: Probably the best choice. But Boston's going to be tied into IT after next season and have to give a 5'8 guard that can't play defense max money. As well as a center that's just good, but not great who's vastly overpaid.

KD's going to rack up rings now, he made the best basketball choice given the Warriors run an offense that matches his skillset perfectly.

 

[Heatles84]

To be fair, Cleveland fans disappeared off message boards when Lebron went to Miami so hard to judge.

That is true. Still though, I didn't hear as much as I do now about Lebron's titles meaning dick.

 

[tlance]

Yup. They back the very player that caused the better one to leave.

KD was getting the constant ringless shots, not Westbrook. I would've made the same choice as KD did. And even if KD didn't go to the Dubs, where else could he have gone?

Miami: We had a lot of question marks and a lot of uncertainty along with Bosh's blood clot issues still unresolved and murky at the time.

San Antonio: That would've went over real well. Join up with the 2nd/3rd best player in the league. Would've fit nearly the same narrative that we have now.

Washington: There have always been rumblings that Beal and Wall weren't getting along and were causing friction with the team.

Boston: Probably the best choice. But Boston's going to be tied into IT after next season and have to give a 5'8 guard that can't play defense max money. As well as a center that's just good, but not great who's vastly overpaid.

KD's going to rack up rings now, he made the best basketball choice given the Warriors run an offense that matches his skillset perfectly.

I agree.

He was never going to Washington or Miami. Had KD been a FA this year, Washington would have had a chance. Not last summer.

San Antonio and Boston were the only other real candidates, and Boston was a dark horse at best. But with the seamless fit and all the right personalities in GS, it made for a pretty easy choice.

One more factor that I think gets overlooked:

KD saw how much heat LeBron took when he went to Miami, but he also saw that it became less and less as time wore on and as they won. 20 years from now, people won't be talking about how KD went to GS, they will Be talking about him as a great champion and these Warriors as an all time great team.

 

[bksballer89]

 

[trojanfan12]

The other key to that statement is "before they won titles".

If Russ signs the extension in OKC, he is never winning one unless he team jumps in the twilight of his career. Just isn't happening.

I said it before, I will say it again. People who blame KD for his decision to leave are missing the big picture. Front office was unwilling to spend and Russ is a nightmare to play with for another elite player. He never publically criticized Russ despite all the brain dead mistakes he continuously made, but eventually that wears on a player.

KD was a great teammate for 8 years, then he made 1 selfish decision. OKC fans need to get over it, because Russ has been making selfish decisions his entire career.

And the funny thing is, all of the criticisms that you just made re: Westbrook and his selfishness, would likely be the exact same criticisms that Thunder fans would be making if it had been Russ that went to the Warriors and KD had stayed.

 

[trojanfan12]

Don't know how much truth there is to it. But I heard on Dan Patrick this morning that some of the tension in Cleveland stems from Dan Gilbert wanting to trade Kyrie.

Apparently, since the Cavs can't seem to find anyone to take Kevin Love, Gilbert either tried or wanted to try to trade Kyrie and also get Lebron to sign a long term deal.

Apparently, Lebron said "no" to both.

 

[Heatles84]

Don't know how much truth there is to it. But I heard on Dan Patrick this morning that some of the tension in Cleveland stems from Dan Gilbert wanting to trade Kyrie.

Apparently, since the Cavs can't seem to find anyone to take Kevin Love, Gilbert either tried or wanted to try to trade Kyrie and also get Lebron to sign a long term deal.

Apparently, Lebron said "no" to both.

That's hilarious that Gilbert asked Lebron to sign a long term deal. That takes away any leverage that Lebron has over Gilbert. And to trade away Irving on the contract he's on, I don't agree with that decision.

Anyone else find the irony in Gilbert going to the Cubs white house visit like I am? Celebrating the very team that beat the local city's team in the World Series. That had to irritate some Cleveland fans.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Don't know how much truth there is to it. But I heard on Dan Patrick this morning that some of the tension in Cleveland stems from Dan Gilbert wanting to trade Kyrie.

Apparently, since the Cavs can't seem to find anyone to take Kevin Love, Gilbert either tried or wanted to try to trade Kyrie and also get Lebron to sign a long term deal.

Apparently, Lebron said "no" to both.

"Kyrie would never be offered in a trade" --Ghost of Wiggy

 

[Heatles84]

"Kyrie would never be offered in a trade" --Ghost of Wiggy

I knew we were right on a majority of the discussions that we had with Wiggy. I didn't think they'd all be proven right within such a short period of time of one another. Time vindicates. It was a pleasure, @WiggyRuss

 

[trojanfan12]

That's hilarious that Gilbert asked Lebron to sign a long term deal. That takes away any leverage that Lebron has over Gilbert. And to trade away Irving on the contract he's on, I don't agree with that decision.

Yeah, I mean, I understand him asking Lebron to sign long term. He kind of has to so that, if/when Lebron leaves again, he can say "I tried to sign him long term." I also understand him wanting to trade Kyrie when he couldn't find any takers for Love. He's really the only other asset they can move that has any chance of bringing back enough assets to make them a threat to the Warriors.

Anyone else find the irony in Gilbert going to the Cubs white house visit like I am? Celebrating the very team that beat the local city's team in the World Series. That had to irritate some Cleveland fans.

Any word on what that was about? Seems weird for him to be there.

 

[Heatles84]

Yeah, I mean, I understand him asking Lebron to sign long term. He kind of has to so that, if/when Lebron leaves again, he can say "I tried to sign him long term." I also understand him wanting to trade Kyrie when he couldn't find any takers for Love. He's really the only other asset they can move that has any chance of bringing back enough assets to make them a threat to the Warriors.



Any word on what that was about? Seems weird for him to be there.

I just don't see Kyrie as the weak link on the team, even though is defense is sub par. If you trade Irving for George hypothetically, it's a minor improvement. But you're better off if you could trade Love and some role players for George. Which, I'm not sure of what the trade details are being discussed.

As far as why Gilbert was at the white house - no clue.

 

[trojanfan12]

I just don't see Kyrie as the weak link on the team, even though is defense is sub par. If you trade Irving for George hypothetically, it's a minor improvement. But you're better off if you could trade Love and some role players for George. Which, I'm not sure of what the trade details are being discussed.

Defensively, Kyrie is definitely a weak link. However, offensively he's pretty damn good. Although, he can be a ball stopper which kind of plays right into GSW's hands.

Apparently the problem, and the reason Gilbert even thought about trading Kyrie, is that he can't find any takers for Love. From what I heard, the Pacers don't want him and he hasn't found anyone else that does. Or at least that does and will give him any kind of fair value. That leaves Kyrie as really the only other player he can trade that will net him players that will improve the team.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Defensively, Kyrie is definitely a weak link. However, offensively he's pretty damn good. Although, he can be a ball stopper which kind of plays right into GSW's hands.

Apparently the problem, and the reason Gilbert even thought about trading Kyrie, is that he can't find any takers for Love. From what I heard, the Pacers don't want him and he hasn't found anyone else that does. Or at least that does and will give him any kind of fair value. That leaves Kyrie as really the only other player he can trade that will net him players that will improve the team.

Denver is interested in him, from multiple reports, they would like to pair him with Jokic but that would have to be a 3-team trade and the best chance of that happening was before the draft bc Denver had a high draft pick. I dont see that happening now. He is probably headed out West once the Pacers find the deal they like best. Obviously, his best chance to win is on the Cavs and his 2nd best option is Houston.

 

[trojanfan12]

Denver is interested in him, from multiple reports, they would like to pair him with Jokic but that would have to be a 3-team trade and the best chance of that happening was before the draft bc Denver had a high draft pick. I dont see that happening now. He is probably headed out West once the Pacers find the deal they like best. Obviously, his best chance to win is on the Cavs and his 2nd best option is Houston.

As a Lakers fan and a PG-13 fanboy. I'd like to see him go to Cleveland. The Cavs know that they are much closer to the end of any title runs than the beginning, so they are much more likely to take on PG-13 without pushing too hard for an extension.

From the position they are in, if they bring in PG-13 as a rental which results in a title run and that convinces him and Lebron to stick around...great. They get at least a couple more years of being contenders.

If they make a title run and PG-13 and Lebron both leave...still great because they got one last title run before blowing it up and starting over.

As for Denver. I'm not sure what they can offer for Love that helps the Cavs get closer to catching GSW.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Yeah, I mean, I understand him asking Lebron to sign long term. He kind of has to so that, if/when Lebron leaves again, he can say "I tried to sign him long term." I also understand him wanting to trade Kyrie when he couldn't find any takers for Love. He's really the only other asset they can move that has any chance of bringing back enough assets to make them a threat to the Warriors.



Any word on what that was about? Seems weird for him to be there.

I heard he was in D.C. already, on business.
Why he went there with Cubs only he knows.
Prob strategic to piss James off since he has no power this summer.


#wiggybaitV

 

[tlance]

Denver is interested in him, from multiple reports, they would like to pair him with Jokic but that would have to be a 3-team trade and the best chance of that happening was before the draft bc Denver had a high draft pick. I dont see that happening now. He is probably headed out West once the Pacers find the deal they like best. Obviously, his best chance to win is on the Cavs and his 2nd best option is Houston.

Boston gives George a better chance of winning than Houston. Both short term and long term.

 

[shopson67]

I can't even remember all of the best players they had, I think Tyson Chandler was one, We all remember James Hardin, there was a couple of young players who turned out to be studs. They seemed to think that everyone on their team was to take less money and make that sacrifice - Where in the hell does anyone take less money just to be nice? I would give them my first wife for million dollars - screw that

Chandler was never with OKC. It was Dallas that let him go after their finals appearance, ensuring they wouldn't return.

Harden simply isn't a championship player. He baits the referees for trips to the foul line as a large part of his offense, and that simply doesn't work in the playoffs when the refs don't call things as tightly. Plus, he plays no defense.

You certainly can't say they weren't willing to pay Durant; he left of his own cowardly volition.

 

[Heatles84]

Chandler was never with OKC. It was Dallas that let him go after their finals appearance, ensuring they wouldn't return.

Harden simply isn't a championship player. He baits the referees for trips to the foul line as a large part of his offense, and that simply doesn't work in the playoffs when the refs don't call things as tightly. Plus, he plays no defense.

You certainly can't say they weren't willing to pay Durant; he left of his own cowardly volition.

Of course they were willing to pay Durant. It's easier to pay two all-stars and surround them with role players as opposed to 3 all-stars and a really good role player in Ibaka.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

@Mecca @trojanfan12

Blake already out till Dec. apparently.

#youwereright

 

[Wamu]

And the funny thing is

The Lakers current roster?