2022-23 Team Developments: News / Trades / Free Agents / Rumors

I also think they’re banking on the Nets imploding and doing a Kyrie trade during the season, as he telegraphs that he’s signing here in the off-season. It would still probably cost one pick, if it’s no picks they might as well let Kyrie expire.

 

I’m not optimistic on landing Kyrie. We won’t sign him in the off-season, and I think nets are gonna go on a tear. They’re my pick to win it all if they start off strong.

Irving (41%) / Mills (40%)
Harris (46%) / Curry (46%)
Warren (40%) / O’Neale (39%) / Edwards (35%)
Durant (38%) / Morris (33%)
Simmons / Claxton

I mean that’s a ridiculous roster from an offensive side of things. They should just try to blow teams off the floor.

I think they have something interesting defensively as well with Edwards, Simmons, O’Neale and Claxton on the court. Edwards did a phenomenal job January onwards last year when he was called up and showed really high defence on guards and wings, especially running around screens. Claxton is an interesting PnR defending big and Simmons is basically a defensive player of the year Swiss Army knife.

 

Because I’m living in denial about Westbrook, I’ve come up with a three team trade that I think helps all 3 teams.

A three team trade between Indy, Knicks, Lakers.

There was a rumour during the Mitchell trade that the Knicks were going to send Fournier to a third team and attach a first round pick to get off his salary to do so. So knowing that, here it is:

To Lakers: Hield, Fournier, Reddish, Theis

To Pacers: Westbrook, 2027 1st from Lakers, 1st round pick from Knicks (one of those heavily protected picks they acquired at the draft)

To Knicks: Kendrick Nunn, TJ McConnell, Max Christie, x2 2nd round pick from Lakers

- Indiana unloads long term salary, acquires an unprotected 1st from Lakers, and potentially a 2nd 1st rounder from Knicks.

- Knicks get off Fourniers salary and only have to give up a protected 1st and Reddish. They also get a second round pick and Christie from Lakers. So they’re basically making 2 moves: A protected 1st to get off Fournier. And Reddish for Nunn, Christie, and x2 2nd round picks.

- We get productive players and don’t have to give up 2 1st rounders. Lakers also save a bit of money in the deal.

PG: Beverley/Walker/Schroder/
SG: Hield/Reaves/Fournier
SF: LeBron/Reddish/Brown Jr
PF: Davis/JTA/Gabriel
C: Bryant/Jones/Theis

That’s a damn good team with a lot of depth. Lots of camp battles in the back court: Walker vs Schroder, Reaves vs Fournier, Hield vs Reddish for a starting spot?

I’ll take anything to get rid of Westbrook and acquire a couple guys that can play and fit in next to LeBron and AD.

 

On paper, yes. In reality the roster is as unreliable as they come, mentally, physically and chemistry-wise. I can see Simmons going back into his shell, older guys like Durant+Warren+Harris missing tons of games, and well, Kyrie is Kyrie.

They could go on tear like you say, but more than likely we'll see a repeat of what happened last year.

 

It'll probably have to be a 3-team trade as Durant probably wouldn't want to play with Westbrook.

 

I don’t even think they’re great on paper. There’s this idea that Simmons can be a great small ball 5, but he’s never demonstrated an ability to do so. He doesn’t protect the rim and he doesn’t want to just stand in the dunker spot. He’s a fantastic perimeter defender but gets bullied by players as big as him. Also, with Kyrie/Mills/Curry/Thomas almost half of your rotation are small/slight guards. I don’t see any path to them being a good defensive team, they’ll need to play Claxton just to be a passable one. And if you’re playing Claxton 25+ minutes a game, any Simmons/Claxton lineups will have a hard ceiling offensively. I don’t think they have a chance against Boston or Milwaukee, they’re in the next tier with Philly and Miami.

 

Russ would be bought out, especially if it’s later in the season and the number to do so is significantly lower.

 

I get your pain but no way we are three 3y contracts, that's impossible based on our strategy so far.
Also don't get why we move Max in that deal. We should have high hopes on him

Agree 100%

 

I respectfully don’t agree about the Nets. It’ll be interesting to watch that team this season. I expect them to be a deadly shooting team, but also to have some defenders to slow down other teams.

They have Simmons, Edwards, O’Neale and Durant they can throw at wings. Claxton is a good PnR defender. I understand they might not be able to defend Jokic and Embiid, but who can guard them well?

 

I think us getting Kyrie is dead (not sure if it was ever really a true option).

also don’t think we will be able to move Russ. He will either have to adapt to what Ham is doing and find a way to contribute or be benched.

 

They quite possibly are the most mentally challenged team I’ve seen in decades. They will implode, again.

 

how is Durant going to play for Steve Nash again after it was made public by the owner that Durant wanted Nash gone?

that whole franchise is a dumpster fire regardless of their roster, no way they will be relevant.

 

Time for the facts to get published. Too many people know them, the rumors are only going to be worse.

 

They got everything except a couple things, chemistry and leadership.

Who's the leader of that team? Durant? LOL. Kyrie? LOL. Guess it falls on MIlls then.

 

If it was all that, why didn't they just fire him? I don't get it.

 

No one has to be but this is a quality that should go directly against his value. You have to figure him into your plans, are you adding KD to a team with a preestablished leader (i.e. Curry) and will he work well with them and concede authority? The answer is as Draymond so eloquently put it is that he's "a b*%tch" and until he is surrounded by sycophants, flatterers and brown-nosing coaches and GMs he's gonna sulk and be a dissident and stir the pot. He can not be Chris Paul, Lebron, Giannis or Curry. He's not a big enough human to win over people's loyalties.

 

Weird situation here, your best player asked for a trade, then he wanted the HC and GM fired. Now all of a sudden, you expect this guy to buy in and be committed? KD can go out and do whatever he wants now, who's going to hold him accountable?