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

yes, Westbrook is a horrible shooter, but DS's percentage this year was similar to Westbrook's as well so there's no downgrade there and Westbrook is a superior player in everything else.

obviously, Lowry and CP3 are better fits with Lebron and AD but they are older and fitness is a question mark.

after what happened this season and AD's long term injury issues, I think I'd go with the guy who's probably going to be fit throughout all the playoffs.

 

Both are unhappy (for different reasons), but not specifically with each other unless there's something the team kept quiet that I missed. Also, the general unhappiness of role players isn't out of the ordinary for a team that fell short of expectations.

Both their statuses right now are very similar to what I've said before, and it's pretty intuitive. Team wants to move Kuzma but concerned they will get very little for him since his value is at a "low". The Schroder situation depends on whether the team can find a veteran replacement. They've been eyeing Rose for a while now, but are waiting to see what happens with Lillard and Simmons first, since NYK could be involved in those potential deals.

Articles like these are often planted by front offices and agents to affect player's trade values. You'd be surprised how much media perception of a player can impact their next contract or "trade-ability." Front offices are more easily influenced than you think, especially since even if they know the media sentiment is incorrect, their bosses (i.e. team owner/president), may not quite understand the same, putting their job in jeopardy. I'm not saying this story specifically was strategically fed, but be wary of what you read.

Separately, thank you all for the appreciative private messages! Still working my way through them, but will get back to you as my schedule allows.

 

Great quotes and arguments on both sides!

 

Good point

That's not basketball. Westbrook is a terrible fit in the court. We complained about shooting all year long. We criticize DS shooting. Westbrook is terrible, he is even called Westbrick.
Also, his contract is ridiculous. That will take us flexibility the next couple of years while we need to deplete the roster to bring him and lose 3 to 4 rotation guys and probably either Caruso or THT. I don't even see what type of package would entice Washington to trade.

There's so many other better fits

 

So, THT was a "no go" for the Lowry trade but we'll ship him for Russ? Ok...

 

can and does so optimally aren't the same thing, though.

lebron won two titles (out of 4 that they were favored to win) with wade because a) wade gave up the ball, and b) they had some deadly shooters around them to prevent teams from just eliminating the paint for their stars. also, that was nearly a decade ago.

as for irving, he was a great fit with lebron (excellent shooter who can be effective both on and off the ball), which is why his d******ery was less of an issue.

westbrook has never shown that he can play off the ball.

anyway, i actually think it's a longshot we get him. fans and media think westbrook is just a toxic contract that gets dumped every year now, but i think washington isn't interested in dumping him, so it's probably moot for us.

 

I think it would be a perfect play for the Lakers. Westbrook avg 22 12 and 12 this season, obviously the guy can still play. He has a player option after this upcoming season, but even if he opted in, his contract comes off the books at the same time as Lebron's. That's 80 million dollars in cap space. At that point we only owe New Orleans one more 1st round pick in 23 or 24. The team would be in a phenomenal position to make moves in two years. We pick up a guy that can help us win chips right now, and puts us into a position of having a huge amount of cap space in two years, and there is some kind of problem with that? What are we talking about giving up? Schroder, Kuzma,maybe Tucker, Caruso or Harrell..which one is critical? It wouldn't be all of them anyway. This deal would be a no brainer to me. I don't see the downside, the upside is huge. Westbrook wants a chip to validate his career regardless of what he says publicly, you best believe Lebron wants to at least tie Jordan. Do you guys really think that those two are going to have some kind of ego issues about who is the man? I see it as being Russ and AD are the battering rams and Lebron closing the show.

 

Westbrook went to the Finals with KD and Harden. Okc should have beaten Golden State the year before KD left. He isn't that toxic at all, and Lebron takes the load away from him to be the closer. Add AD to that mix and I don't see how it can be perceived as a bad move. That guy is a terror on the court still today. We are supposed to be worried about his shooting? What great shooter are we giving up?

 

kd plays off the ball and harden played off the bench. westbrook was a) in his prime and b) the unquestioned ballhandler/general on the team. just not a sound comparison to what we're talking about here.

i just don't want to hear people complaining about shooting next year when so many are demanding we use 1/3 of our salary cap on westbrook (and trade a minimum of 3 rotation players and probably draft picks for the trouble). i've actually downplayed shooting as a concern a lot, simply because we've won without it. but for all the crap thrown kuz's way, he shot 37% from three last year. can't imagine what this place will look like after the near-weekly russ 10/32 special.

and westbrook still is a good player. just a bad fit.

one point i'll concede to the big game hunters is that all of these guys' contracts are up in two years, which makes it less of a death blow if it fails. though again, you're gambling the last of lebron's prime with a ton of salary concentrated in a few players.

and again (again), people are still bellyaching about AD getting hurt and ruining our title chances this year. you think shrinking the number of baskets for our eggs is going to mitigate that?

brooklyn's theory was that at least 2 would always be available! whoops. maybe if harden was two really good role players, they're in the finals this year.

 

Meh...the shooting stuff is overblown, the guy can score and create period. What is really the big deal about Kuz's three point percentage, or KCP or Caruso's for that matter? I would definitely have more confidence in Westbrook going out and getting a bucket in crunchtime ,over any of the guys mentioned in a trade for him. The idea that Washington somehow has all this leverage in the situation is false too. Westbrook has a player option after this season, he can dictate where he goes if he really wanted to. All he has to do is say trade me where I want to go or I opt out and you get nothing for me. What is Washington supposed to do? From his perspective, he isn't winning any championships in Washington with Bradley Beal in the next two seasons, and he doesn't owe the Washington Wizards anything. At the end of the day we would be giving up what that's so critical? A late first round pick this year, a point guard that many feel isn't worth 20 million, a role player in Kuz that doesn't fit with the two main guys, maybe Montrez who we wont play down the stretch, Tucker a young prospect that might one day be as good as Westbrook is right now? That isn't some franchise crippling package , and it wouldn't be all of those things anyway, plus he comes off the books in two years tops. That's some risk for a huge reward IMO. Yeah I'd gamble the last of Lebron's prime by giving him AD and Westbook as weapons to use over those guys I mentioned, absolutely, I'm sure he would too.

 

He has a player option after this season, I don't consider loss of flexibility a big deal. Ridiculous contract also equals ridiculous cap space in a year or two. Shooting? The Bucks just won a Championship shooting 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from three point range.

 

The last thing is that the Wizards only have a payroll of 120 million this upcoming season with Westbrook on the books, they could absorb Schroder in a sign and trade and get more assets in the deal, and still have room below the hard cap. The question is, how much would they be willing to pay Schroder, because he has to accept the trade.

 

This is one pipe scenario I would be happy with:

- double sign and trade, Schroeder to Toronto for Lowry. Both would have to accept a deal starting around $25 mil, Lowry would be on a shorter deal than DS.
- Kuzma+KCP for Derozen (Derozen would need to agree to a sign and trade for around $23mil/year).
- Sign Dwight for the vet min


Then your starting lineup could be Lowry/Derozen/Lebron/AD/Dwight

lots of moving parts to make it work but to me it seems better to get both Lowry/derozen instead of just Westbrook.

 

Also in the article...

 

We can't accept any player in a sign and trade, the hard cap wouldn't allow us to resign our other free agents.

 

I'm sure they do, I expect a lot of guys wouldn't mind teaming up with Lebron for his last run.

 

Couple things go watch in the upcoming week(s)...


First

Curry, Klay, and Green are pressuring them to swing now. They'd have to deal by Thursday so they can include their 7th and 14th pick.

According to Marcus Thompson with The Athletic, the Warriors have Beal atop of their wishlist. Wiggins, Wiseman, two firsts this year, and future picks. Is that enough to interest Washington? And in the off chance that happens, that will really escalate potential Westbrook trade talks because then they're in full rebuild.

Second

Blazers are playing a very dangerous game if this is true. Can't imagine Dame is OK hearing this. From Jason Quick's article with The Athletic

Running it back? Are they trying to push him out?