The NBA thread

[bluemax]

Durant took less money.

[etiolate]

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/882105205835411456

wtf

[bluemax]

Yeah they've been rumored to be after him for the past few days. They have to dump Lou Williams and or Jamal Crawford to make it work. Probably Lou Williams since he is younger and cheaper.

Clippers dodged the bullet of having an aging diminutive point guard only to put their chips in on two guys who can't stay healthy.

[Human Snorenado]

I guess the Hawks are tanking, but then again so is like 1/2 the league

[Nola]

https://twitter.com/ringer/status/882305476247072768

[eleuin]

Seems hayward is going to the celtics, he just didn't want it to leak for some dumb reason

[etiolate]

We don't really know anything. An ESPN reporter leaked something that wasn't 100%. Press got some egg on their face and will probably react angrily and blame Hayward, etc. Rather than just say they went too fast on something.

[etiolate]

Official now. Player Tribune up. Hayward to Boston.

[El Babua]

Oh well.

Now the Heat will have to bring the core back together. Sign Dion, James Johnson, and maybe Rudy Gay. Hope Richardson and Winslow make a leap.

Top 3 in the East baby! 

[bluemax]

Galinari to Clippers is happening. And apparently Clips are gonna kick the tires on Derek Rose because Doc Rivers doesn't know what year it is.

[seagrams hotsauce]

Not that stoked on the hayward trade! I hope i'm wrong as fuck!

[benjipwns]

And apparently Clips are gonna kick the tires on Derek Rose because Doc Rivers doesn't know what year it is.

how many MVP awards CP3 got, that's what i thought

Clips now have proven veteran leader to get the ball to Austin Rivers

[etiolate]

Well Doc called his son a "Downhill Guard" and I can't think of another guard going downhill quite as hard as Derrick Rose.

[benjipwns]

So Gordon Hayward was conflicted and wrestling with the decision, yet he managed to own a 2100 word column on it. Legendary deadline writer.

[Brehvolution]

I hate playing against Hayward in 2K17. Dude never misses. Never.

[eleuin]

There were way too many established reporters confirming the 1st leak for there to be no substance to it

[etiolate]

Warriors sign Nick Young. Even the Dubs GM throws up heat checks and hits them.

[Human Snorenado]

Oh god I want to live in this world where Swaggy P will get a ring, I don't even care anymore

[El Babua]

Basketball God Dion Waiters resigned with the Heat!

[etiolate]

I was hoping Nick Young would go to the Pels because I'd like to see them have the firepower to compete for the playoffs. Instead, they're stuck hoping for results on some second rounders and d-league call ups.

[bluemax]

And apparently Clips are gonna kick the tires on Derek Rose because Doc Rivers doesn't know what year it is.

how many MVP awards CP3 got, that's what i thought

Clips now have proven veteran leader to get the ball to Austin Rivers

He cant get the ball to Austin when he's on injured reserve with Blake and Gallo.

[bluemax]

https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/883174604713414660

[benjipwns]

Rudy Gay to the Spurs, Kings replacing him with Vince Carter

Heat getting Kelly Olynyk

[etiolate]

Vince Carter is twice the age of some Kings players

[benjipwns]

on the one side, no more Marcus Morris and not paying KCP an insane amount, on the other punting with Avery Bradley for a year

[benjipwns]

[El Babua]

 

https://twitter.com/SonicFox5000/status/883508097477562368

[El Babua]

Oh, and Harden got a 4 year $228 million extension too.

[etiolate]

omg rick fox

need a response from Doug Christie asap

[benjipwns]

Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has pulled his name out of the New York Knicks' front-office search, a source told The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears.

Griffin turned down the opportunity because he and the Knicks couldn't agree on a role, a source said.

He and the Knicks "just couldn't make it work," a source with knowledge of the talks told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. The issue came down to finding a proper role for Griffin while front-office executive Steve Mills continues to work for the team.

With Griffin having withdrawn from consideration, sources with knowledge of the Knicks thinking said Steve Mills will continue to lead the Knicks' front offices for the foreseeable future, as he has throughout free agency.

Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the Knicks and Griffin were at odds over Griffin not having full authority on basketball decisions and over Griffin's preference to bring in his own staff. No formal contract offer was made.

lol knicks

[benjipwns]

omg rick fox

need a response from Doug Christie's wife asap

fixed for accuracy

[Human Snorenado]

There is only one man that could possibly save the Knicks from an eternity of irrelevance.

[etiolate]

De'Aaron Fox is like a John Wall | Mike Conley hybrid.

[benjipwns]

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said.

[etiolate]

Rule changes about timeouts to speed up game. Less timeouts at end of games and shorter timeouts.

Trade deadline will be before all-star game.

And season to start Oct 17, meaning more spaced out games?

[benjipwns]

The Knicks and former Kings VP Scott Perry have agreed on a five-year deal for Perry to serve as the Knicks' general manager.

why do they keep giving all these guys five year deals

[etiolate]

Scott Perry did a fine job with the Kings... for 3 months.

Before that he helped Orlando go nowhere over three years.

So no I wouldn't have given him a five year deal. He will help the Knicks improve media relations. The press is very nice to him.

[Human Snorenado]

If only they had been brave.

[benjipwns]

The Boston Celtics signed Paul Pierce Monday so that he could retire as a member of the organization.

surprised this doesn't actually happen as often as it could

[bluemax]

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/7/18/15990700/nba-nike-uniforms-home-away-sports-apparel-deal

Also Doc Rivers said the Clippers will somehow have better ball movement this season without one of the best pure point guards in NBA history.

[FStop7]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2722388-will-dan-gilbert-remember-lesson-from-lebron-james-first-exit-from-cleveland?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Shit article.  Ignores Lebron's no trade clause until a single sentence at the end. 

The Boston Celtics signed Paul Pierce Monday so that he could retire as a member of the organization.

surprised this doesn't actually happen as often as it could

Dafuq?  This dude needs to move on, already.  The whole point of his season with the Clippers was so he could play in LA and have a z-list farewell tour.  Now he wants more?  Just go, Paul.  Hop in the wheelchair and roll off into the sunset.

[etiolate]

https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN/status/888484430410428416

uh why

[eleuin]

he knows lebron is jumping ship next season so he's trying to get out first

[FStop7]

Heat, Clippers, Spurs, Pelicans. 

i want to see him in LA but his best move is probably San Antonio if there is a deal to be made.  Kyrie+Kawhi would be lethal.

[benjipwns]

he wants a bigger role, so wants to go to the spurs?

funny enough if he goes to the clippers he's going to the team that would have originally had his #1 pick before they traded it to get rid of baron davis

[benjipwns]

Was looking at the trade machine and the mentioned teams by Kyrie, the Clippers (via former Rockets) and Heat could offer decent pieces to build up the Cavs depth, especially if the Cavs can make them take Shumpert as penalty...Knicks have Melo but I can't imagine anything else gets put on the table, again unless the Cavs force Shumpert on them then the Knicks have to give some extra pieces back...Spurs and Wolves are just hard to make trades work salary wise, let alone assuming they'd really give up any of the players or the Cavaliers want them. Spurs you almost have to work in a third team and it would be Danny Green (who the Cavs once waived!) and a bundle of reserves.

I assume they'll just tell Kyrie to play out the season with a promise to move him when there's more flexibility and options next offseason if LeBron decides to stay again.

ESPN story is that Kyrie was originally promised they'd build the team around him and then LeBron decided to sign and the Cavs have been building for that instead and he wants to be the center of a Steve Nash like Suns team.

[Human Snorenado]

Can you imagine if they trade him, then a year later Lebron decides to sign wherever Irving has been traded?

[benjipwns]

In all seriousness, I've been thinking that LeBron might kinda need a break year anyway as he's starting to enter the area of the downslope of the standard career peak. Coming off seven straight trips to the NBA Finals, plus an Olympics.

Like a serious one, not skipping eight games but still playing more than anyone in the league. That was Kobe's kind of rests too after 32. But a Spurs style for Timmy 30 minutes a night season. They're too good to drop out of the playoffs anyway, even under attack by injuries and home court advantage probably is still not a big deal against the East when LeBron goes full force for a series. Hell, he's probably too good not to still put up 24/7/6 or something insane in those minutes.

Not like any given game can't become a 35 or 40 minute night. But let him sit more and let Kyrie and Love run a bunch of pick and rolls with Korver and Frye on the floor. Give Kyrie the season he wants, and then LeBron can assume command for the playoffs.

[benjipwns]

Free-agent center Pau Gasol has signed a three-year, $48 million deal to return to the San Antonio Spurs, league sources told ESPN.

The deal includes a partial guarantee on the contract's final year, sources said.

Wow, he's 37.

He's an ideal Spurs big man and they're the kings of minutes management but I figured he'd be considering shutting it down sooner than that.

[benjipwns]

The Portland Trail Blazers are trading guard Allen Crabbe to the Brooklyn Nets, league sources told ESPN.

Brooklyn signed Crabbe to a four-year, $75 million offer sheet a year ago. Portland matched the sheet and, under league rules, needed to wait one full year to include Crabbe into a deal with the Nets.

The Nets will send forward Andrew Nicholson to the Blazers, league sources said. Portland will likely waive the remainder of the three years, $20 million on Nicholson's contract, and use the stretch provision to ease the luxury tax hit on the Blazers' cap, league sources said.

Portland generates a $12.9 million trade exception in the deal, too. The exception expires in one year.

The Blazers have $110 million in salary committed to the 2018-19 season, with center Jusuf Nurkic eligible for his rookie extension before the season.

Had to move somebody from that wing and probably nobody wanted Evan Turner.

Also, Melo/Irving trade possibilities related, Brandon Knight will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL.

[Stro]

NBA contracts are absurd now. I remember, not long ago at all, when NBA players were the least paid of the big 3. Now barely mobile dudes are getting $50M just for existing.

[benjipwns]

Portland has the second highest payroll in the league after Cleveland. They have the highest guaranteed payroll from just five players of any team through 2020. They bet on the cap jumps, signed a bunch of younger reserves hoping they'd blossom like McCollum, and got screwed when neither that nor the cap explosion happened.

Next year, they would have these salary commitments before this trade:
Lillard: $28 million
McCollum: $25.8 million
Crabbe: $19.3 million
Evan Turner: $17.9 million
Meyers Leonard: $10.6 million
Moe Harkless: $10.4 million
Al-Farouq Aminu: $7 million

A year after that, 2019-20 they'd have been on the books for:
Lillard: $29.8 million
McCollum: $27.6 million
Turner: $18.6 million
Crabbe: $18.5 million
Leonard: $11.3 million
Harkless: $11 million

And they have to extend Jusuf Nurkic to a new deal this year which just adds to it.

[benjipwns]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/lamar-odom-done-in-the-dark/

[benjipwns]

Kevin Pelton's Projected 2017-18 Standings
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20225286/projected-records-win-totals-standings-every-nba-team-2017-18-season

Western:
1. Warriors (62-20)
2. Rockets (55-27)
3. Spurs (53-29)
4. Timberwolves (50-32)
5. Thunder (50-32)
6. Clippers (49-33)
7. Nuggets (47-35)
8. Jazz (45-37)
----
9. Pelicans (44-38)
10. Blazers (44-38)
11. Mavericks (35-47)
12. Grizzlies (35-47)
13. Lakers (33-49)
14. Suns (30-52)
15. Kings (27-55)

Eastern:
1. Celtics (49-33)
2. Cavaliers (49-33)
3. Wizards (48-34)
4. Bucks (47-35)
5. Hornets (44-38)
6. Raptors (43-39)
7. Heat (42-40)
8. Pistons (35-47)
----
9. Sixers (33-49)
10. Magic (32-50)
11. Pacers (32-50)
12. Knicks (32-50)
13. Nets (30-52)
14. Bulls (29-53)
15. Hawks (27-55)

[benjipwns]

“My kids’ kids’ kids should be fine,” Wall told The Vertical about the $207 million headed his way over the next six years.

[Phoenix Dark]

“My kids’ kids’ kids should be fine,” Wall told The Vertical about the $207 million headed his way over the next six years.

Thinking about generational wealth/taking care of his family? What a thug.

[etiolate]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2726710-zach-randolph-reportedly-arrested-for-marijuana-possession-with-intent-to-sell

https://twitter.com/TotalProSports/status/895687688959000577

[benjipwns]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20319079/kevin-pelton-weekly-mailbag-including-avery-bradley-defense

"I had an idea for a basketball strategy that goes a little something like this: A player rebounds the ball. His four teammates then surround him and form a wall. Perhaps they even hold hands to form a true circle around the player with the ball. Then they head down the court, and in theory the wall of players should protect the player with the ball, and he will be able to get an uncontested shot from wherever they navigate to. It could be a 3-pointer, it could be a glorified free throw, it could be whatever. After the shot, the players forming the circle would get into rebounding mode, obviously.

"I'm not saying this is a brilliant idea, but I am wondering if it is even a decent idea, or a plausible idea. Could this work? Are there pitfalls to this plan that would render it impossible? Have I accidentally revolutionized basketball forever? Only you can decide for sure." - Chris Morgan

[etiolate]

Pretty sure he stole that idea from Kobe.

[benjipwns]

https://twitter.com/waltertavares22/status/898274145028493312