2023-24 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

feel like #7 is a high price for DFS, particularly given his age and the age of the pacers roster.

 

I like DFS but that seems a little bit rich for him. He had a down year from three last season and I've always thought of him as a good defender but not some elite one. I'd trade Beasley + #17 for him and would maybe even be willing to add Vando (even though I think he's a better defender than DFS), but #7 in a draft that still has some good, high-ceiling guys after the Top 3 is a little much for me.

 

I think it's Ja favorable because this is a reoccurring issue and not a one off. The last (time served) suspension was a joke. His last apology was a joke. Regardless of your second amendment stance, it's not the right time for one of the faces of the league to be playing with a gun, involved in threats with said gun, to be in a strip club with it while clearly intoxicated. It's a bad image for Ja, for the Grizz, and for the NBA.

If it tanks the season, that's on the Grizz.
They should have legit gotten him the help he needed instead of letting him play in the playoffs and instead of getting real help, he spent a weekend at Sandals in Florida.

 

The idea that Morant was going to be suspended for the season, or even half a season, was ridiculous in the first place. 25 games is steep IMO, but I guess Silver viewed it as, he had already gave him 12 games for the first incident, he had to look somewhat tough for a 2nd offense occurring that quickly. The kid should stay off of social media, it cost him a lot of cash over some silly stunting.

On another note...I don't get this new found admiration for David Stern. Mister
" You shouldn't be hanging around those Black people "?? WTF??? The commissioner of a league 80% Black? FOH..Stern was a j******.

 

Ja Morant suspended 25 games by NBA for latest gun incident


Copy / paste for anyone wanting all the copy .....



Ben Rohrbach
·Senior NBA writer
Fri, June 16, 2023, 9:52 AM PDT


Ja Morant was suspended for 25 games to start the 2023-24 NBA season following the most recent instance of the Memphis Grizzlies star brandishing a firearm on social media, the league announced Friday.

Two months after NBA commissioner Adam Silver suspended Morant for eight games for a series of off-court infractions, including multiple gun-related incidents, Morant flashed a handgun while in a vehicle during an Instagram Live video last month. The league launched an investigation, which it concluded prior to the NBA Finals. Morant was an indefinite suspension from the Grizzlies.

In a short statement Friday, the Grizzlies said they respected the league's decision to suspend Morant. The team added, "Our standards as a league and team are clear, and we expect that all team personnel will adhere to them."

Morant "will also be required to meet certain conditions before he returns to play," the league said in a statement.

The league "uncovered a fair amount of additional information" during its investigation, Silver said during his annual state-of-the-league address prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat on June 1.

“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” Silver said in the NBA's statement Friday. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.

“For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time. Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”

Morant also released a statement Friday in which he apologized to the league and fans. He said he would spend the offseason working on his mental health and decision making, and would "make it up to" everyone he disappointed.

"I've had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I've caused," Morant said in the statement. "I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera — who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me — I'm sorry for the harm I've done. To the kids who look up to me, I'm sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I'm going to be better. To all my sponsors, I'm going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all my fans, I'm going to make it up to you, I promise.

"I'm spending the offseason and my suspension continuing to work on. my own mental health and decision making. I'm also going to be training so that I'm ready to go when I can be back on the court. I know my teammates are going to hold it down and I'm so sorry I won't be out there with you at the beginning of the season.

"I hope you'll give me the chance to prove to you over time I'm a better man than what I've been showing you."

Nike also released a statement regarding Morant, whose first signature shoe was released in December:

Morant has not been charged with any crimes as a result of his actions. However, the NBA has become increasingly concerned with Morant's behavior during what he has described as a trying year mentally. After suffering a hand injury during his team's first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Morant told the media, "I'm just pretty much numb to everything now. I'm not even surprised. It's one thing after another."

Police conducted a wellness check on Morant in late May after the 23-year-old posted to Instagram a series of captions over pictures of his loved ones that read, "Love ya ma," "Love ya pops," "You da greatest babygirl love ya," and, simply, "Bye." Morant told police "he is fine" and "taking a break from social media."

The NBA suspended Morant for eight games in March after he filmed himself on Instagram Live flashing a gun from the Colorado strip club Shotgun Willie's. The suspension came on the heels of a Washington Post report that outlined three separate incidents involving Morant, two of which were reported to police.

A 17-year-old reportedly alleged to authorities that the two-time All-Star punched him in the head and threatened him with a gun during a pickup basketball game at Morant's house in July 2022. That same month, Morant and his confidantes were reportedly asked to leave a Memphis mall parking lot following a verbal altercation at a Finish Line shoe store. A security guard alleged that Morant threatened him and a friend of the Grizzlies star assaulted him in the parking lot. Neither allegation resulted in criminal charges.


Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant will miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 NBA season after a second livestreamed gun incident on social media resulted in the NBA suspension. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
In January, members of the Indiana Pacers organization alleged to The Athletic that Morant's friends confronted them inside FedEx Forum, allegedly pointing a red laser at them that they believed was "100%" attached to a gun. A league investigation "could not corroborate that any individual threatened others with a weapon," but multiple Morant associates were barred from games as a result of the confrontation.

Morant took a leave of absence from the Grizzlies in early March and entered a counseling program in Florida to "work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being," he said in a statement. He left the clinic days later and met with Silver at the NBA's New York office on March 15.

"Ja’s conduct was irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous. It also has serious consequences given his enormous following and influence, particularly among young fans who look up to him," Silver said in a statement announcing Morant's eight-game suspension without pay, which made him eligible to return March 20. "He has expressed sincere contrition and remorse for his behavior. Ja has also made it clear to me that he has learned from this incident and that he understands his obligations and responsibility to the Memphis Grizzlies and the broader NBA community extend well beyond his play on the court."

Morant returned to the Grizzlies on March 22, less than three weeks from their game in Denver. He suffered a hand injury during Memphis' Game 1 loss to the Lakers in the first round and missed his team's Game 2 victory. He scored 45 points in Game 3 but just 10 during a 40-point loss in a season-ending Game 6. The Grizzlies won 51 games this past season and entered the playoffs as the Western Conference's No. 2 seed.

Morant's eight-game ban limited him to 61 regular season games and cost him an All-NBA roster spot, which would have boosted his maximum contract another $40 million over the next five years. His latest suspension will prevent him from meeting the new 65-game threshold for All-NBA eligibility in 2023-24.

 

Also in this one, Cs are putting some of their guards on the block

 

The first suspension was 8 games, which is not nothing. That's like missing 2 games of an NFL season. He f***ed up again so they tripled the number of games ata minimum. Yeah it's stupid of him to keep doing this and the NBA has been obsessed with slapping down the "thug" image of its players ever since Malice at the Palice, but people acting like 25 games is "light" in any way is insane. Stephen Jackson got 30 for punching fans in the face. My understanding is that the 25 games is tied for the 9th-largest suspension in league history.

Side note, what "help" should he have gotten after the first suspension? What was ridiculous the first time was pretending this was some mental health thing, no he's just stupid. There's no "help" to get unless the team is going to hire a babysitter to be with him 24/7 which would be ridiculous.

 

MJ won't get talked about enough in the "worst NBA owners of all time" conversation

 

I get your points and agree it's an overpayment.
I really like DFS and I think he's one of those guys who gets you wins if you're a good team. Haliburton is a superstar imo. And they can't tank anymore with him. Same thing with SGA. So the path is forward and making the team better. DFS has 3 years left (PO last year) on a 14/15mil a year, that's a bargain and may justify the overpayment.
On the other side, Indiana need a scorer/bucket getter and not sure if Nembhard/Mathurin will be it. I can see the latter developing to be a Monk type of player. So they can make some noise like Sacramento if they build a good, tough team. DFS helps that.
A #7 pick starts paying off in 2 years, not now. Considering the East is up for grabs, with Wizs, Bulls, Raptors, Brooklyn, Atlanta in some sort of weird limbo and Indiana can take advantage of that in the immediate. I think Haliburton is set for a MVP like season in a competing team

Hope so

True story

 

You're right that Haliburton is already so good that they can't properly tank, but that's why they should keep the 7th pick. However a long-shot it may be, this might be their last chance to add another high-ceiling prospect next to Haliburton and Mathurin. The East is up for grabs but the Pacers aren't grabbing it, they don't have nearly enough talent even with a DFS to compete with Boston or Philly or Milwaukee or Miami as weird/disappointing as those teams are. They are like 2 years away from being able to really compete in the playoffs.

A good example is what's happened to Dallas. Luka was so great right off the bat that they were never bad enough again to pick near the top of the draft. They got the 9th pick in the 2017 draft and took Dennis Smith Jr., and then they get Luka in 2018. Rebuild over. Because Luka was so good right away, they make the playoffs in 2020 so now of course you want to keep the guys that got you there. They lock in Hardaway, DFS, Kleber, etc. and now they're kind of stuck. Now, they've had to trade real assets to find a second star. KP did not work out and it remains to be seen if Kyrie will. If Kyrie doesn't work you start to really sweat over Luka eventually asking out.

The point is you should never be in a rush to jump from a 35-win team to a 45-win team, because the hardest thing to do in the NBA is jump from a 45-win team to a 55-win team. You make the playoffs too early and there starts to be pressure to lock in your roster now, and that makes it really hard to make ceiling-raising moves later on. Indiana should stay put and pick Whitmore or Coulibaly or Ausur Thompson.

 

There is two trade scenarios and both involved Beasley
Brogdon to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Malik Beasley and Max Christie.
And even more interesting
One of the most intriguing ideas is a Lakers-Bulls deals that sends former LA fan favorite Alex Caruso back to Los Angeles. The proposal has the Lakers landing Caruso and two-time All-Star Andre Drummond in exchange for Malik Beasley, the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA draft and two future first-round selections.

Do it,Mitch

 

You bring good points and I understand your vision, we are different GMs
I do think that you need to go from 35 to 45 and then to 55 wins a season. You can't jump from 35 to 55 unless you trade or sign a superstar, which Indiana ain't doing. Unless they jump on Beal. Could make some sense actually for Hield, Theis, something else and the pick.
But Indiana making the playoffs is good for them, brings revenue and they can build from that. Dallas poor's decisions doesn't mean Indy has to do the same. They let Brunson leave for 25mil a year (he said he would have accepted 4/56 in the year they made the Conference Finals).
I do agree that it might be the last chance to get an all-star from the draft and that might make me think twice. Maybe drop Theis contract on them
Let's see what they do

 

Wait. They have the #26, #29 and #32. And the report say they are trading the #7? Damn, they are going for big fish. I would expect them to use the 3 mid picks. Would trade #26 and #32 for DFS instead, should work.
They still have 37M in cap space. Signing Kuz could be interesting:

Haliburton / McConnell
Hield / Nembhard
Kuz / Mathurin
DFS / Smith
Turner / Jackson

This is a big team with shooting, a double threat. Good defense too, I like it

 

3 FRP for Caruso and Drummond? That's the worst trade idea ever.

 

LOL. Silver is soft as f***
That sure as hell would distract people from the Finals.

 

If LeBron sees this list he is moving to GS LOL

 

Magic 4th? Cap is the GOAT

 

Something we all already knew, but...

Trade rumor he floated in his other piece today