The NBA Thread

Man I saw some Spurs fans seriously suggesting the Spurs should move multiple future first round picks or even do #2 for #8 and #19 to pick up Cam Johnson. Buying into Nets PR about how much interest there is in him I guess?

Turns out his real value is a salary dump of one of the worst contracts in the NBA + a pick of unknown value seven years from now!

That’s a great deal for the Nuggets, Cam is overrated but MPJ was an albatross around their necks. I was thinking that in an ideal world they’d turn his salary into two decent role players, but I didn’t see a path to do it. They’ve moved him for Cam who is a fair bit better than Porter right now, they got Brown back on a vet min, and now they have the full NTPMLE to upgrade their defence.

Don’t know who’s left out there for them but Jokic is the kind of player who can take guys who are lockdown on D but with huge offensive limitations and turn them into good offensive players.

I would say this vaults them right back into contention, OKC really struggled to get past them with half their roster on one leg. Jokic is that good.
 
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There is just no market for guys on rebuilding teams. Everyone knows they’re looking for suitors. Unless there’s real value.
Why Portland had to buy out Ayton. Why they’re probably stuck with Grant. Just no market
Utah didn’t even bother waiting, attached a second round pick to Sexton, and bought out Clarkson.

Nets did the best they could for Johnson considering. Get a first that may or may not be good. Denver big winners now getting out of MPJs contract. If we get 2023 Murray and this seasons version of Murray which wasn’t too far off one that can get 23-25 ppg that’s a start.
Now keeping Braun will be no trouble. And they have a bit of a bench going forward.
Probably could have traded him earlier but wouldn’t have had access to the pick.
 
I would now give almost unbackable odds that this will be the West top 3:
1. OKC
2. Houston
3. Denver

And East:
1. Cleveland
2. Orlando
3. New York

Playoffs are a different story - I see Denver & New York as better playoff teams than regular season, and I can see Orlando being a great regular season team that struggles in the postseason.
 
I’m pleasantly surprised by the Hawks as well. Those play in teams just trying to scrap in more to the point where the Bucks will just aim to be better than the Pelicans at this rate.
They have recovered nicely since that disastrous trade for Murray which set them back a bit thinking they were a piece away after making the ECF (maybe by surprise).
Well in the hunt for not avoiding a play in.

Denver are an interesting watch because of the whole Malone v Booth situation and I think they’ll give the younger guys plenty of time this around under a new coach, who seems to have the respect and admiration of his players.
I feel like the Porter trade as expected as it was he had a say in it. Just had no issue hooking Porter against the Clippers and Thunder when he wasnt getting much out of him (not all his fault with the injury)
The Nuggets fans I know were well aware that while narrative was bubbling back in the surface.
Malone probably wouldn’t have made a difference vs the Thunder but at least some of those young guys can play free not worrying about their minutes if they make mistakes. He just loved Russ too much and at least with him gone again the young guys will get play time.
But also didn’t do himself any favours with how bad their defense was, which at times picked up in the playoffs.
 
Yeah if I had more confidence in Tingus Pingus’ availability they’d be right up there. As it stands I think they’ll probably be the fourth seed though.

That Pelicans pick is ridiculous, I wouldn’t rule out the Bucks being a lottery team at all and they get whichever pick out of Mil and NOLA is the best one… so either of those teams gets the #1 pick, they can choose to take it. In a draft with three very, very hyped prospects.

Now, there were five really hyped prospects for the 2025 draft, and only two of them 100% lived up to that hype, but man… the roster they’ve managed to put around Trae is scary - if you handed Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, NAW, Risacher who I assume will be better, and a couple of good rim running centres to Luka Doncic, I would consider that team the title favourites. Trae’s nowhere near that level but they couldn’t have built much better around him. Add a second genuine superstar level prospect to what they have though and gee. That’s a contender for sure.
 
"SHOCKING news this morning: Damian Lillard is a free agent. The Bucks just waived and stretched his contract to make room to sign Myles Turner."

Wow.
 
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Denver just getting to work, adding Hardaway Jr and getting Valanciunus in that trade was excellent. Had to waste a year of Jokic in prime to realise it but better late then never.
You don’t even need to worry about Nnaji and Pickket, maybe even Watson and get out of some of those deals.

I know the above was quoted before Lillard waive and Turner pick up…but just teams being proactive again. For Lillard he gets to pick his next destination so they’re not doing him too dirty. Plus he gets any guaranteed money.
 
Wow huge huge night. There’s zero chance Dame will be the same player when he’s comes back, but I can imagine him still being a really valuable sixth man. He can come back and attach himself to whatever contender he likes without worrying about the financial side.

Those broke *****es at the Pacers kind of doing Hali dirty there. He’d want Turner when Myles is back for 26-27. The exact centre you’d want to pair with Giannis. There’s reports Giannis is upset about them waiving Lillard but that’s laughable, they don’t sneeze in Milwaukee without him okaying it.

Yabu to the Knicks, damn I wanted him but if the money’s the same I understand wanting to go to a contender.

Valunciunas to the Nuggets for Saric and NOTHING ELSE reminds me of that anonymous GM quote, “As long as their are 5-7 really stupid front offices, I can always retool and improve my squad.” 😂

Are the Nuggets now the title favourites? They legitimately only had four playable NBA players and they still took the champs to seven. Cam, THJ, Jonas and Bruce Brown added, so now they’ve doubled it. They actually have a rotation. Jonas isn’t the player he was but he’s still pretty good and he can absolutely stop them turning into one of the worst teams in the league in the non-Jokic minutes. They haven’t had a backup even close to this good the whole time he’s been there. Really makes you wonder what the previous GM was doing because they’ve fixed everything in 24 hours.
 
Without much depth, and not much to trade capital it's looking like the Lakers will have to rely on LeBron at 41 to play big minutes in a lot of games and put up big points to be competitive.

The Lakers' new management needs to blow it up. Like KD, LBJ needs to get himself traded to a contender where he can be a role player who can have an impact during the finals.

Otherwise, it's going to be a long slog for a 41-year-old to maybe make the play-in if Luka and Austin stay healthy.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Those broke *****es at the Pacers kind of doing Hali dirty there. He’d want Turner when Myles is back for 26-27. The exact centre you’d want to pair with Giannis. There’s reports Giannis is upset about them waiving Lillard but that’s laughable, they don’t sneeze in Milwaukee without him okaying it.
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Pacers don’t seem to be a team wanting to spend as much as rivals but if there’s a time to not spend it’s probably now. It makes that move with the Pelicans for the Pacers to get their 2026 first back even better. Good vision or they knew they weren’t going to be able to keep Turner all along? I’d say a slight lean to the latter.
Bucks digging themselves in a hole but betting on themselves at the same time making sure that pick is better than the Pelicans. Gotta make moves I guess. Including getting off Connaughton. If Lillard was still rehabbing they’d probably feel pressured to fast track it as much as respectably possible.

HarVeeGee13 said:
Valunciunas to the Nuggets for Saric and NOTHING
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Happened an hour or so later but Kings clearing decks for that Schroder deal. An overpay for mine but an upgrade and taking advantage of his second half of season form. As is Denver taking advantage of kings
Valanciunus can basically be the true five whenever Jokic is off and the spacing should be okay, Murray/Gordon share ball playing duties.
 
Seano said:
The Lakers' new management needs to blow it up. Like KD, LBJ needs to get himself traded to a contender where he can be a role player who can have an impact during the finals.
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With all the moves made won’t be able to do much now, just play it out and see how it goes. Re evaluate in offseason. Probably not enough to be better but could argue be worse like out of the top 4 or 5.
Lebron won’t budge on max salary or close to it. Whatever he makes me makes back for the sport/Lakers and then some so you don’t mind it.
But there’s always a first maybe some one will take a significantly huge (%30 or so) cut.
 
The only thing with LeBron, is that at his age, on that salary, I don't think he has a trade market. And they clearly really, really like Reaves, who's the same age as Luka within six months.

There's chat that their plan is to not commit too hard to long term deals now, and maintain flexibility to go "star hunting" in a future offseason. But I'm not sure that's right. The thing is that stars so very rarely move in free agency now. But we've also seen over this off-season that the shape of the free agency market has changed a lot and good role players are gettable now for more reasonable numbers than previously seemed the case. That's the impact of the new cap rules - someone like Bruce Brown or KCP isn't getting $20 million+ anymore off the back of Jokic making them look good.

If they just passively allow LeBron and a lot of other deals to come off their books, they can probably lock down Reaves long term - what he's worth is debateable, but I'll note his numbers improve a lot (both volume and efficiency) when LeBron isn't on court with him and Luka. For whatever reason.

The thing that really drove me mad about Dallas trading Luka away is that they'd just seen how simple the recipe is with him. One co-star who can both effectively play off a lead initiator and generate their own offence - they think they have that with Austin. Two athletic lob finishing centres to play about half the game each. A bunch of wings who can defend and hit open shots. That's it. Guys who have serious offensive limitations become valuable offensive players in a Luka team, so the pool of viable wings is bigger - in the modern game, guys who can't put the ball on the floor at all are starting to struggle... unless they have that specific context of an elite primary offensive engine like Luka or Joker.

Give it one year. PJ Washington is a UFA next year. Ayo Dosunmu. There are a bunch of RFA's who'd fit with Luka too they can throw cap space at and test the other team's commitment to matching it.

Not sure it's the right plan, but I guess they can argue there's nothing they can trade LeBron for right now which improves them anyway... and they don't give up any assets this way.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Yabu to the Knicks, damn I wanted him but if the money’s the same I understand wanting to go to a contender.
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The Kornet deal to the Spurs is also pretty good.
I thought if you’re Portland dealing with Boston you ask for that, extend as a tradeable piece (as a thank you for taking on Jrue) but I guess they had too many Cs on their roster to make it viable.
I am not sure if it has player or team options at the end of it considering his age and do let me know if that is the case but the money is fine.
The stats and advanced metrics/analytics guys love his game. Contributes meaningful minutes, doesn’t turn it over often, draws fouls, keys offensive rebounds (not angel reese type mebounds). On box scores at end of games it may not look like it but he’s a true veteran who knows his game. Just the ideal compliment to Wembanyama.
 
I’m hoping the new ownership invests in all this scouting and development the way they do with the Dodgers because the Lakers have been such a baaaaaad draft and develop team for so long as well.

Even Free Agency…unless someone like LeBron falls in their lap…and even then they had to send Mozgov/Russell to the Nets to free up cap space, when Mozgov was a part of that ill fated Fa recruitment drive which picked up Luol Deng and they had to waive and stretch him the way the Bucks are doing to Lillard now. There may have been someone else that same offseason can’t remember.

It catches up with them between having these greats. Pre Kobe injury they drafted terrible and paid for it but had some okay picks after in Randle/Russell then Ingram.

Last drafted decent in the 90s and as early as Divac which set them up for the 3 peat.

And fast forward to since acquiring Lebron and AD. Again just poor drafting and not creating enough value with those guys compared to the guys that helped them land AD. Anyone half decent they gave up on.

Unless another star falls into their lap with Luka it’s gonna be the same cycle.

Re: Reaves, not as high on him as others, but has done excellent for where he came from. Previous contract I’m fine with but now im not as sure. Best to keep your guys but definitely more of a less then spectacular third guy then an eventual second guy.
 
R_A said:
Re: Reaves, not as high on him as others, but has done excellent for where he came from. Previous contract I’m fine with but now im not as sure. Best to keep your guys but definitely more of a less then spectacular third guy then an eventual second guy.
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I agree. For me the thing that makes him a real asset is the contract. If he kept agreeing to these Arenas Rule-affected extensions (ie the 4/90 one he rejected the other day), then F yeah, I am absolutely building around him as guy #2. Luka is only eligible for $55-60 mil extensions, so if you're spending around 80 on those two, yes that's a great place to build from. There actually is then some space to load up on the best free agents.

But are they going to pay upwards of $40 million for Reaves? There is a real, tangible difference in the value proposition there. I can buy building out an ideal Luka roster if Reaves is on a value deal, but not if he's almost on a max...

Plus... does LeBron not look like he has a lot more in the tank? I would buy him being better at 44 than Reaves will be at 30.

I think the thing which makes sense is to trade Austin. Unfortunately the team it makes most sense to trade with is Dallas. They may not be keen as I outlined earlier lol.
 
R_A said:
The Kornet deal to the Spurs is also pretty good.
I thought if you’re Portland dealing with Boston you ask for that, extend as a tradeable piece (as a thank you for taking on Jrue) but I guess they had too many Cs on their roster to make it viable.
I am not sure if it has player or team options at the end of it considering his age and do let me know if that is the case but the money is fine.
The stats and advanced metrics/analytics guys love his game. Contributes meaningful minutes, doesn’t turn it over often, draws fouls, keys offensive rebounds (not angel reese type mebounds). On box scores at end of games it may not look like it but he’s a true veteran who knows his game. Just the ideal compliment to Wembanyama.
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Do not get me wrong. Kornet was absolutely the best target & the best fit. I think the Spurs are making the playoffs and doing so comfortably.

Just really like Yabu lol. Oh well, they probably want to give Sochan a proper chance to cement that 4 spot.
 
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HarVeeGee13 said:
I think the thing which makes sense is to trade Austin. Unfortunately the team it makes most sense to trade with is Dallas. They may not be keen as I outlined earlier lol.
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Yep for sure, good GMs and teams will do those sorts of trades early. It seems like the Lakers are going to be patient.
I don’t know the inner politics of pleasing agents but LaRavia shares the same agent as Reaves and the move is seen as more of a maintaining the relationship sort of deal much like offering Reaves a deal they knew he will reject. Reminding him they’re in their plans going forward.
LaRavia is a fine fit at the Lakers. Won’t solve all their issues but it’s a start.

I thought that the Luka trade initially was going to make anyone question how many players are truly worth the max even trickling down from the elite top 10-15 guys.
Austin Reaves isn’t exactly a name that jumps off the page as a name next to max player.

The 4yr/$98m one after 2026 summer is also fine too in my eyes. Pretty much what you talked about. But on the flipside yeah do not want over 1/2 of your cap or around $100m on Reaves and Luka, yikes.
 
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Unsurprising but biggest story is Ayton signing with the Lakers, fills a need, heard they are still in the market for a back up as well.
Player option second year so if he does kill it he can go on the market.
Good deal for all involved. Or he falls off a cliff, we’ll see
 
LeBron's work ethic rubbing off on Luka, with him getting fit during the off-season, may be the thing that works for Ayton to shed his "soft" label.

Edit: Although one comment I saw was: "I give it 20 games before Lakers fans start cooking this man" to which the reply was "20 at most".
 
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Yeah if he performs on a prove it deal for his next payday it’s a big win but otherwise it could be a disaster before it even begins and a waste of money or in his case his last big payday lol
 
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