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

Good read

Heart of Pearl: 11-year NBA veteran Scot Pollard and the emergency transplant that saved his life

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...-scot-pollard-emergency-transplant-saved-life

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id...ies-trade-desmond-bane-magic-blockbuster-deal

memphis tearing it down.

 

Man 4 1st for Bane??? That scares me bridges really screwed the market last year.

 

in fairness, kcp could be viewed as a bad contract given his play last year.

he's a buy-low guy i'd look at. i'd send expirings and a lotto protected swap for him. or maybe some seconds?

we could plug him back into a very similar role here that he had last time (guard pgs and sgs, get out on break, catch and shoot).

 

Memphis was one of the other teams interested in DFS last year, if DFS opts in would you move him and Kleber for KCP?

Probably not happening with DFS’ surgery and him being Luka’s guy.

 

orlando going all in i guess

KCP wasn't that great last season, so i'm sure they're happy to have his contract off their books

 

4 1sts - 3 of which are unprotected - for a good but not great SG that you’re now paying over $40M per for the next 4 years?

This is an absolutely terrible move by Orlando. KCP only has 2 years on his contract, so even if he’s seen as a negative, it’s not that bad. Total panic move by Orlando to stay in the middle of the pack in the Eastern conference.

 

i don't love it for them. after next year, they'll have suggs at 30 per, and bane, wagner, and panchero all at 40+ per. carter's at around 20, and anthony black will be up for a new deal that will likely come in over that number, too. is that a championship core?

i will say that bane fits nicely between suggs and their forwards as a shooter/scorer, though.

curious to see what memphis is thinking with jjj right at this moment. he only makes 23M next year, but is due for a gigantic raise. no way he extends, imo, as he's in a reaves situation (140% of his current deal is well below market value).

you know who projects to have enough space to sign jjj to a max deal next summer (assuming lebron opts in and doesn't do another 1+1)? just sayin'.

 

I like it for Orlando. With Paolo/Franz/Suggs/Bane they have 4 Top 50 guys that are 26 or younger in an Easter Conference that is a huge question mark now that the C Bags have imploded. The picks they traded are #16 this year (meh), the Suns’ 2026 pick (that could be a juicy one), and their own picks in 28 and 30 (when Paolo and Franz are still in their prime).

 

The original article was worded oddly to sound as if they were trading 3 of PHX’s future 1st. Thought that was a little odd as I couldn’t recall a big trade that would have sent all those picks to Orlando, but the ESPN article has been edited so maybe I wasn’t going crazy.

Still think it’s wayyyyy too much for Orlando. I understand the fit, but don’t think this elevates their ceiling enough to justify giving up that much and paying $40M+ to their 3rd option.

 

Seems like Utah would be a good candidate for this, or even Memphis.

 

You absolutely have to explore it *IF you can meet multiple needs

 

ironically, the danger in trading for reaves is that he won't sign an extension with anyone. same reason why i said i'm watching the jjj situation. he's got a LOT of control of his future due to his low salary right now, imo.

 

This Orlando trade is potentially good for us with my dreams of us dealing for Goga. They need a serviceable PG, we have one in Gabe. Make the deal Orlando.

 

Can only imagine how pissed everyone would be 1-2 years from now AR in his All Star level play blown up PRIME on some other team same as we do now for AC … different type players but spectacular in their own ways. Jeanie and Rob are going to want to avoid that at all costs plus you keep forgetting Luka by ALL appearances wants to play with AR at the very least this season to see how contract year /early prime AR works with he and LeBron.

 

Great trade to boost ARs value.

Good move by Orlando too. In the lines of the trade I suggested they could do for AR, they needed a scoring guard

 

I think this trade is a floor raiser, not a ceiling raiser. This year their 3 best guys (Paolo/Franz/Suggs) missed over 100 games combined and one in their top 8 in minutes per game shot 35% from three. I think Bane's spot-up and movement shooting is going to really open things up for them. Their ceiling is dependent on Paolo and Franz continuing to improve. Right now I'd say Paolo is something like the 20th best guy in the league, Franz something like 35th. If next year Paolo is Top 15 and Franz Top 25, I think they very well could be in the Finals in a weird East.

 

Wow 4 first rounders for Bane.

don’t even think about asking for Jaren Jackson.

 

I think the Ayton expiring is the best deal. No getting locked into a contract with Allen or Claxton.

Lakers want to keep money and flexibility for Jaren Jackson Jr.