2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

No I said he’s not the defender Klay was not nearly close. But as good as Klay was he developed into that. Let’s just say I know the family. His father told me draft my son. I hope you draft my son. Actually it was you better draft my son. I got him his workout. Jrue Holiday was my other guy. But I knew Klay since Washington State. Actually WSU Rancho Santa Margarita. He went where Carson Palmer went. Great kid.

When I met Mychal told me this. This was actually after a Laker game in the tunnel. I remember Klay saying I just wanted to let it fly. He cooked Alec Burks.

Knect doesn’t need the ball. One thing I know is if you trust shooters they will be special. Even Curry took time to make strides. You gotta just give him the support to be great.

 

OKC better win it. Cause they got some guys due for serious pay days. I don’t know how they keep them all together. Jaylen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

 

they're lucky SGA was a bit of a late bloomer, too, in terms of awards/all nba stuff, too, as they have him on a huge discount, too. that number is going to go up by like, 75% in his next deal, i think.

i started to comment on this in response to pika's 10 year contention window idea, but i had to go do some work.

they're getting supermax production from a guy making sub-max, they're getting allstar production from williams on a rookie deal, and they're getting high-level contributor semi-star production from holmgren on a rookie deal, too. williams will likely get a max just before SGA gets a supermax, then holmgren will get something near it. all of a sudden, you can't spend 70 million on dort, caruso, and hartenstein, etc.

they need to strike this year and next.

 

Based on the last few months I think it's fair to say those teams suck because NBA makes them suck. It was made clear this year that the draft is rigged if there were any more doubts, let's just accept it by now.
Those teams have been losing generational talent so it goes to where the NBA want, be it Flagg, Wemby, Bron, AD, etc...

I think GS pays Kuminga just because their window is closing. Curry and Green only have a couple years left so it won't hurt them. Maybe he goes crazy when they're tanking and avg 30ppg that makes some team overpay to get him. I would do the same.

I'm not into the financials of those team, but my understanding is that Boston can't keep this top 6 core and Phoenix had a hard realization that with this CBA you can't have 3 superstars and round out the roster. Like you're saying it will happen to OKC. I think that's a good thing, I want stars spread across the teams and winning on the court. Luka vs Ant, Jokic vs Kawhi, Jokic vs SGA, SGA vs Ant, Brunson vs Haliburton, that's beautiful. West playoffs this year were peak NBA for me. Even the East was fun after R1. No Cavs or Warriors winning everytime

Yeah it is what it is. Thing is that this analysis is based on "the casual fan doesn't know who's Haliburton, so Finals suck".
Well...I don't give a f about casuals and believe in exactly the opposite, a sport made for the fans of it and not the casuals. But, obviously and unfortunately, it's a business and in a business you want to extend your client base to generate more revenue, so yeah, it will never change.
I think that's why I'm wishful thinking that OKC keeps those guys together, although it should really raise the bar for us.

But these Finals are really great. 2 opposite styles, 2 great fanbases that provide great atmospheres, 2 young guys reaching their prime having the opportunity of their life. It will be great. OKC seems to have the tools to make it a short series, but Indiana keeps impressing so who knows

 

yeah, i don't buy the rigged lotto conspiracy theories. i do buy that players prefer some markets to others, though, and financial incentives haven't solved that at all. there needs to be like a bonus if you sign as a FA where no all-nba player has played for a decade or something lol.

the reason they do it doesn't matter--the fact that they do it means the system isn't having its intended consequences.

again, we'll see about all this. we'll see how much they cut and whom they cut in order to save costs.

i'm not hearing the rumblings that indicate that boston is going to tear it down to save cash.

btw, this is all really annoying for me, as i remember when we supposedly couldn't trade westbrook's expiring without adding 1sts. in order to really save money, boston would have to get someone to eat holiday or zinger's contract in their entirety, which requires...basically bkn...to either want them or want what a third team would give for them. so if they were REALLY under the financial gun, teams should be able to extract a ton of assets from them just for the courtesy of paying off those deals or being the waystation. especially because bkn or others would have to forego control of their preciously hoarded cap space and/or exceptions to help boston out!

lol, i also just realized that if some rumors happened (like boston trading holiday for williams/thybulle), the system would really be broken because they got to use the CBA as cover for dumping a contract they regret--and they'd still be well into the second apron!

anyway, i just need to see teams actually lose talent for financial reasons before i believe it's working. and that's been pretty rare. and again, perhaps more importantly, i need to see someone truly gain talent because they were able to capitalize on their good financial position.

i agree. i don't want to see any top-5 players on the same team, and i want to see chances for teams that are built with like, two players in the 6-15 range or three in the top 30 or 4 in the top 40 types able to compete for rings. when's the last time we saw the last model? the 2004 pistons (who won largely because malone got hurt)?

i agree that the hoops should be pretty good for us fans of the actual game. but we don't fund it, really. i don't envy the commissioner in this regard.

 

I’d love the Lakers to sign Carlis Lavert. Perfect player to pair with Luka defense. 3 point shooting. Now he’ll have some games where you’re pulling your hair out screaming at him. But he really gives you what you need. Signing him and Capela would be awesome. And should be at the top of the Lakers list for their off season.

 

Chris Paul came out and said he wants to be with his family and still wants to continue to play.

Strong indication he would sign for the Clippers or Lakers. I’d take him at the minimum for sure.

He can give you 10 mins a game in the playoffs and 15-20 in the regular season.

 

Might make sense if Gabe is sent out in a trade. Problem is he's another guy that needs to be playing closer to the baseline on defense than at the POA. But he as a back-end of the rotation guy maybe.

 

Been calling this for awhile that it's us or the Toilet. He made it clear pretty early last season that his goal was to be able to drive home after home games this upcoming season.

Factor in how close he is with Bron and JJ...

 

i feel like you're doing this on purpose now, and i'm here for it.

it may finally happen! though don't put it past ballmer to use their better financial position and larger available role to pay him more just to keep him out of here. but i think he's already made that mistake once and probably wants to finish his career with the varsity.

i'd gladly take him. play him off the bench/opposite luka and the offensive pressure we put on teams for 48 minutes would be insane.

allows us to move gabe+ for a center with no qualms whatsoever.

i hate some of paul's antics as much as anyone, but he's still effective. he's the al horford of perimeter guys right now.

 

I think Chris will choose LAL to do a favor for Lebron and mentor Bronny.

 

Shirley you jest Lavern!!
Those would be Happy Days indeed!!!
Unless Carlos is eating mushrooms!! Man

 

That would make way too much sense Chris Paul he would be a guy the Lakers would play too much next to Luka cause it would work. Get Luka the ball in space in his right spots.

They’re gonna lean on him. I think they’ll play him a lot. Don’t play him too much and run him into the ground. But he’s an upgrade.

helps our depth. Exactly what we need.

the clippers will be in on it. He can play with Kawaii knows Kawaii. Knows the organization. Knows Harden obviously.

they have backups Bogdonavic and Nunn so they have a lot of their depth.

I think playing with his boy Lebron and being coached by his boy Reddick is too good and he signs.

so now you add Chris Paul what does that cost you. I’m adding Capela already I’m doing it. Feels like a slam dunk. Paul Reed as the young guy.

where are we at??? Tim Hardaway jr. Ben Simmons or too expensive. I think we can make this work. Lavert?

this can actually be a productive off season. Why not sign Deandre Jordan and bring the whole crew back.

 

Gerald LaVert a bit overrated imo.

 

Some KD things

salary wise, he'd have to be involved. So that would force a 3rd team to get involved if Suns don't want KAT. Maybe they still have PTSD from Ayton. Can't say I blame them.



For the Toilet Bowl that makes a lot of sense for Ballmer, but they'd have to gut all their depth to make it happen. Something like Powell, Bogdan, Jones, Eubanks, Christie (? they don't really have any other young prospect to offer). Pick wise they're picked thin, too.

Is Zu, KD, Kawhi, Beard, Dunn, Batum and minimums enough to contend?

 

i don't think it's quite there with kawhi's age/injury status. it would be very much like moving phx to la in some respects, right?

i suppose they'd have a good chunk of the mle left to get one more bench player, though. still, phx had oneale, richards, grayson allen, tyus jones, monte morris...still couldn't make it happen. i get that beal was eating so much room (like russ was for us), but the clips have kawhi in streetclothes for half of each season, too.

can we just get durant to the wizards or something? make the east more interesting, for pete's sake. tired of their top teams getting like, 18 easy wins a year while we only get utah and sometimes portland or something.

 

Yeah, it's much like Phoenix with a fresh coat of paint. I think Zu is the biggest difference. Beard isn't quite as soft as Book. You could argue that 40 games of Kawhi is more valuable than 82 of Beal. I think it's better but injuries and being paper thin probably doesn't do much other than create some buzz surrounding the toilets.

I think Suns could probably do better in a deal too, unless they think that depth can give them a proper balance and maybe they flip Powell elsewhere for a big?


Elsewhere in Suns-ville

Even having a buyout conversation with someone owed that much money who had the player status he had in Washington...just awful pairing. Reminds me of us asking coaches during our interview process of what the potential coach could do to make Russ work, when it was clear nothing was going to work.

 

Can we trade Haliburton for chubby Balkan