Durant Poll (where does he go)

[Montalban]

I actually liked him when he was with the Cavs the first time. I thought it was a really cool story.

Yep. It was him quitting on his team and going to Miami in an attempt to manufacture a championship that turned me off. Not to mention the way he went about it.

 

[Montalban]

Exactly how I feel about Steph Curry and GS.

Fair enough. Jealousy is a very powerful and irrational emotion so we won't hold that against you.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

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You just know the Lakers will be going after both. And even though there's a bigger chance of snow in Arizona right now, you just never know

 

[Tharvot]

I think he stays in OKC. Outside chance he ends up in LA.


One place he certainly will not end up is in Dallas.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yep. It was him quitting on his team and going to Miami in an attempt to manufacture a championship that turned me off. Not to mention the way he went about it.

While I didn't like the way he went about it, I could have easily overlooked The Decision if he hadn't proceeded to follow that up with The Lebron James World Tour of Douchebaggery and Idiocy.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think he stays in OKC. Outside chance he ends up in LA.


One place he certainly will not end up is in Dallas.

Imo, any chance of him signing anywhere other than OKC ended when they pushed the Warriors to 7 games in the WCF. I think he signs a 1 year deal to see if he and Westbrook can figure it out and get to the finals next year. Then, depending on what happens next season and on what Westbrook does, he'll make a decision on whether or not he finishes his career in OKC.

The one and only way that I see him not returning, at least for next season, is if there is some kind of tension between him and Westbrook that no one knows about.

 

[flyerhawk]

Hard to see him doing anything other than signing a 1 year with the Thunder. That gives him a lot of flexibility and he can wait and see how the Lakers and Knicks develop this year. Heck even the Sixers could be in the picture if Colangelo and make sense of their roster.

 

[Hambombs]

Exactly how I feel about Steph Curry and GS.

I don't know how you hate steph Curry. I couldn't hate him if I was a fan of another team

 

[LogicMan]

I am one who is starting to dislike him. It seems like every other 3 pointer he has to do that freeze frame stand as if it is the first shot he ever hit. Once every few games I get. But every game?

 

[Krispy Treat]

Still Oklahoma City, Washington or Boston in my opinion.

Lol at the Knicks being in the poll. "Other" has a better chance.....

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Imo, any chance of him signing anywhere other than OKC ended when they pushed the Warriors to 7 games in the WCF. I think he signs a 1 year deal to see if he and Westbrook can figure it out and get to the finals next year. Then, depending on what happens next season and on what Westbrook does, he'll make a decision on whether or not he finishes his career in OKC.

The one and only way that I see him not returning, at least for next season, is if there is some kind of tension between him and Westbrook that no one knows about.

Interesting article by Bleacher Report.

They seem to think the Lakers will get Whiteside because the Heat won't offer the max upfront.

They are just guessing like the rest of us. But, it fun to speculate.

NBA Free Agents 2016: Predictions for Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside, More

 

[trojanfan12]

Interesting article by Bleacher Report.

They seem to think the Lakers will get Whiteside because the Heat won't offer the max upfront.

They are just guessing like the rest of us. But, it fun to speculate.

NBA Free Agents 2016: Predictions for Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside, More

Interesting. A lot of folks are saying that Miami won't offer him a max deal, but Riley has said that Whiteside is priority #1.

I think it's a pretty safe bet that the Lakers will offer him a max deal and see if Riley blinks first.

 

[shopson67]

Interesting. A lot of folks are saying that Miami won't offer him a max deal, but Riley has said that Whiteside is priority #1.

I think it's a pretty safe bet that the Lakers will offer him a max deal and see if Riley blinks first.

To think they had him in for a workout before he eventually signed with the Heat, but chose to sign Ellington...

 

[tlance]

To think they had him in for a workout before he eventually signed with the Heat, but chose to sign Ellington...

Well, had the Lakers signed Whiteside then, they would have won a few more games, still missed the playoffs, had worse draft picks and still no financial advantage to retain Whiteside in free agency.

I would say Laker fans are lucky they didn't sign him.

 

[shopson67]

Well, had the Lakers signed Whiteside then, they would have won a few more games, still missed the playoffs, had worse draft picks and still no financial advantage to retain Whiteside in free agency.

I would say Laker fans are lucky they didn't sign him.

Previous team always has a financial advantage. Sure, the draft picks would've changed, and they likely would have lost either last year's or this year's as a result. That would just mean chasing a different position in free agency this summer.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Previous team always has a financial advantage. Sure, the draft picks would've changed, and they likely would have lost either last year's or this year's as a result. That would just mean chasing a different position in free agency this summer.

You wouldn't have bird rights unless he had a 3 year deal.

Nobody was giving that kid a 3rd year because he was known as a malcontent.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

To think they had him in for a workout before he eventually signed with the Heat, but chose to sign Ellington...

Might work out in the wash, better, like @tlance said.

You might not have Russell, Nance and whoever you pick this year.

I know you spoiled, entitled.*blacks the fuck out*....

What was I saying.....?

Oh yeah, I know you guys aren't accustomed to all this losing.

But, I think it will be worth it if you brave the storm until next Summer.

There are way more difference makers, that are actually attainable, next year.

 

[shopson67]

Might work out in the wash, better, like @tlance said.

You might not have Russell, Nance and whoever you pick this year.

I know you spoiled, entitled.*blacks the fuck out*....

What was I saying.....?

Oh yeah, I know you guys aren't accustomed to all this losing.

But, I think it will be worth it if you brave the storm until next Summer.

There are way more difference makers, that are actually attainable, next year.

I've been a fan since the early 80's, so I've experienced droughts before, but this recent "bottoming-out" could've been avoided with better leadership at the helm. These Buss children need to leave the basketball decisions to the real basketball people (like GM Mitch Kupchak). Think about where things would be with only a few changes (Stern not killing the CP3 trade, Jimmy Buss not skipping over Phil to pick D'Antoni). With CP3 in the fold, there's no terrible Nash trade giving up 2 1st rounders. Without D'Antoni overusing Kobe until his achilles pops (while chasing off Dwight the year prior), Phil would likely have extended the playoff run and continued to build around that core, instead of (intentionally?) dropping to the bowels of the NBA to take chances on kids to rebuild.

That said, given those unfortunate decisions, bottoming out was the only way to move forward in today's NBA. Free agents are loathe to leave that extra money on the table from their current team unless it was to chase rings on a team that is already a contender. The Warriors/Thunder method of team building is the new model; be bad for a while to add multiple high lottery picks, then make the appropriate trades and FA signings for vets that fill in the roster, allowing everyone to play to their strengths.

It's a bit disingenuous for a Clippers fan to call a Lakers fan spoiled, since the Clippers enjoyed the spoils of that Stern/CP3 BS. Without that, the Clips would still be the perennial lottery team that they had always been before.

 

[trojanfan12]

I've been a fan since the early 80's, so I've experienced droughts before, but this recent "bottoming-out" could've been avoided with better leadership at the helm. These Buss children need to leave the basketball decisions to the real basketball people (like GM Mitch Kupchak). Think about where things would be with only a few changes (Stern not killing the CP3 trade, Jimmy Buss not skipping over Phil to pick D'Antoni). With CP3 in the fold, there's no terrible Nash trade giving up 2 1st rounders. Without D'Antoni overusing Kobe until his achilles pops (while chasing off Dwight the year prior), Phil would likely have extended the playoff run and continued to build around that core, instead of (intentionally?) dropping to the bowels of the NBA to take chances on kids to rebuild.

Disagree. After Stern nixed the CP3 deal, the Lakers went all in on Dwight/Nash in an attempt to get another championship or 2 before Kobe retired. They knew going into that deal that if it didn't work, they were going to "bottom out." It was going to be unavoidable.

The mileage on Kobe and how much he played had literally nothing to do with Kobe's Achilles injury. Every doctor that has commented said as much, including the one who performed the surgery. It could have just as easily happened stepping off of a curb.

The only truly questionable things that the FO have done are the coaching hires of Mike Brown, D'Antoni and Byron. Dr. Buss himself signed off on both the Brown and D'Antoni hires. They appear to have also gotten the coaching hire right this time by hiring Luke.

Considering the position that the Lakers were in after the Dwight/Nash deal blew up, they've actually done a remarkable job gathering young talent through the draft, including getting Clarkson and Nance as arguably the steals of 2 of the last 3 drafts.

 

[trojanfan12]

To think they had him in for a workout before he eventually signed with the Heat, but chose to sign Ellington...

Hindsight is 20/20. There are quite a few teams that took a look at Whiteside and passed. The Heat didn't even see Whiteside coming. The only reason they signed him was because they were desperate for a big, so they took a flier. That's why they didn't sign him until the season was over half way done.