NBA: ***Official NBA Draft and Offseason Thread***

[WalkingCY]

I saw the Bulls are looking to get the #3 from the Celts and more for Butler. And there is talk about Celts getting Butler and then going after Hayward. If they had Thomas, Butler, Hayward I think they could at least give the Cavs a run for their money.

Also saw the Bulls are the leaders to sign the #1 player overseas. Milos Teodosic PG who is considered maybe the best passer in the world. Can also hit from 3 and doesn't play defense.

Would love it if the Celts can get Butler and Hayward. That loads up a roster that can win the East. I would assume there would have to be massive moves from the Celts to make this all happen (but the Celts are holding a lot of cards so-to-speak). Could be great for Nader after a super-impressive D-Leage stint this year. He would HAVE to move up the 15 man roster for this competitive Celtic team.

On the other hand, it could mean he is part of the trade to Chicago/Utah... and even then, would still be better for him. Would like to see him up in the NBA all year.

 

[WalkingCY]

Info on Nader
http://dleague.nba.com/player/abdel-nader/

 

[CyJack13]

Yeah, I think for now the best offer the Pacers will get from LA is Clarkson and the 27th and 28th picks tomorrow night. They're not going to pry away that #2 pick unless another team paracutes in between now and tomorrow night with a big offer. And that's the right play for the Lakers. No reason to give up anything more than spare parts and late first rounders if there aren't any other serious bidders at the moment.

And if that's it, then I think Pritchard is going to wait until the Cavs get their new GM in place in the hopes that they'll be able to revive talks and get a third team involved to reroute Kevin Love. He doesn't have the leverage to do anything else.

You can't understate just how badly PG screwed Indy by telling them that he won't re-sign and then leaking the news. It absolutely destroyed his trade value. I get that it's partly on them for not putting a better supporting cast around him. But his camp knew exactly what they were doing by making it known that not only was PG not going to re-sign in Indy, but that he was only interested in going to LA. So **** that guy. I hope the Lakers suck for another decade.

If I was in the Indy front office, I'd be floating that they were close to a deal with Boston or especially Cleveland. I feel like you could Magic to panic and overrule Pelinka and give up the second pick at the last minute.

 

[rholtgraves]

If I was in the Indy front office, I'd be floating that they were close to a deal with Boston or especially Cleveland. I feel like you could Magic to panic and overrule Pelinka and give up the second pick at the last minute.

I think there is definitely a possibility of this. There is no indication yet that Magic knows how to work in a front office and make personnel decisions.

 

[jbindm]

If I was in the Indy front office, I'd be floating that they were close to a deal with Boston or especially Cleveland. I feel like you could Magic to panic and overrule Pelinka and give up the second pick at the last minute.

Tomorrow will tell the story. I've heard Pritchard wants something done before the draft. So the best possible situation is that the Cavs get Billups or whoever in place, and then Indy has two credible bidders that he can use to force a panic move by the Lakers. I don't think it'll happen, but that's Indy's best case scenario at this point.

 

[rholtgraves]

Rumors that Kyrie Irving told Butler he wouldn't be opposed to playing for Chicago but Bulls don't have the assets to get that kind of deal done if they aren't trading Butler.

Also find it interesting that Rockets are shopping several of their players. Wonder if the Cavs try to get some of them via trade. Anderson and Beverly would seem like good additions.

 

[jbindm]

Rumors that Kyrie Irving told Butler he wouldn't be opposed to playing for Chicago but Bulls don't have the assets to get that kind of deal done if they aren't trading Butler.

Also find it interesting that Rockets are shopping several of their players. Wonder if the Cavs try to get some of them via trade. Anderson and Beverly would seem like good additions.

The Rockets GM was interviewed not long ago and he said something about the need to up their risk profile and be more aggressive as a means to catch up with the Wariors. Blowing up the core of a 55 win team would certainly qualify as risky.

 

[CyJack13]

The Rockets GM was interviewed not long ago and he said something about the need to up their risk profile and be more aggressive as a means to catch up with the Wariors. Blowing up the core of a 55 win team would certainly qualify as risky.

The Warriors being so good is having a pretty crazy ripple effect on the rest of the league. Teams know they either need to go for broke trying to load up to have a chance to hang with them or really looking long term and trying to rebuild and give themselves a young core that can catch them on the downslide in a few years. Teams like the Rockets and Cavs, two of the next three best teams in the entire league, know they aren't really that close to beating Golden St. and I don't know what moves they could really make to even have a chance against them in a playoff series.

 

[jbindm]

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/19703254/salary-cap-2m-less-expected-nba-tells-teams

2 million doesn't seem like that big a deal, but it could have implications for the Warriors. They were already going to have a tough time bringing back Livingston and Iguodala. That two mil could be the difference between one or both of them leaving for a more lucrative offer in free agency.

And this is why super teams are unsustainable for any longer than a few years. Eventually you end up with your high paid core guys (because nobody is going to take less than they can get more than maybe once) and you have no choice but to surround them with past their prime ring chasers and unproven rookies. All that talent at the top of the roster is great, but at some point depth comes into play. The same thing happened in Miami and the LA Clippers, and it's starting to show in Cleveland.

 

[rholtgraves]

Rumors the Blazers are offering numerous picks to the TWolves for the 7th pick to get Zach Collins.

Rumors that Sixers are looking to get a late round first or early second pick.

Kings are showing major interest in trading for Andre Drummond.

Knicks trying to move up in the second round.

Love didn't generate enough trade interest to make deals for George or Butler.

 

[jbindm]

Rumors the Blazers are offering numerous picks to the TWolves for the 7th pick to get Zach Collins.

Rumors that Sixers are looking to get a late round first or early second pick.

Kings are showing major interest in trading for Andre Drummond.

Knicks trying to move up in the second round.

Love didn't generate enough trade interest to make deals for George or Butler.

LOL Vlade. Why would you do this when you've taken THREE centers in the last two drafts and you're paying Kosta Koufos 8 mil per year? God bless the Kings for being the Browns of the NBA.

 

[isufbcurt]

Rumors the Blazers are offering numerous picks to the TWolves for the 7th pick to get Zach Collins.

Rumors that Sixers are looking to get a late round first or early second pick.

Kings are showing major interest in trading for Andre Drummond.

Knicks trying to move up in the second round.

Love didn't generate enough trade interest to make deals for George or Butler.

This surprises me considering how Hoiberg uses Love as an example when talking about the type of players he likes.

 

[rholtgraves]

Also saw the Spurs are shopping Aldridge and Green.

 

[jbindm]

I was listening to the Rich Eisen show on ym lunch break, and Eisen was tearing Phil Jackson a new one for his handling of the Porzingis situation.

Honestly, by now I don't know if I should laugh at Knicks fans or just feel bad for them. They are clearly saddled with the worst owner/exec combo in the league right now. Th best part of the Eisen segment is when he finds out that as the draft convenes tonight, James Dolan will be playing a live set with his band somewhere in the city. I couldn't tell because I wasn't watching the simulcast, but he actually sounded like he was almost in tears over how bad things have become for the organization.

 

[rholtgraves]

The Knicks are a mess. Jackson is not a front office guy. He should have been fired by now. It almost seems as if he is intentionally trying to make them bad. Also, you can't have an exec forcing a style of play on a coach and team. If you want to coach, then coach. But if you are going to be an exec you need to hire the coach you believe in and let him do what he does and stay out of his way. You also can't be going around bad mouthing your star players. Just idiocy all the way around and the Dolan sure doesn't help.

 

[jbindm]

The Knicks are a mess. Jackson is not a front office guy. He should have been fired by now. It almost seems as if he is intentionally trying to make them bad. Also, you can't have an exec forcing a style of play on a coach and team. If you want to coach, then coach. But if you are going to be an exec you need to hire the coach you believe in and let him do what he does and stay out of his way. You also can't be going around bad mouthing your star players. Just idiocy all the way around and the Dolan sure doesn't help.

It's the same mind game crap he used to pull back in his coaching days. The problem is that the game and the world have changed so much since then that those tactics aren't going to fly any more. Publicly shaming your best players in an attempt to get them in line is going to fail every single time.

 

[rholtgraves]

It's the same mind game crap he used to pull back in his coaching days. The problem is that the game and the world have changed so much since then that those tactics aren't going to fly any more. Publicly shaming your best players in an attempt to get them in line is going to fail every single time.

Especially when they don't have any respect for him.

 

[jbindm]

Especially when they don't have any respect for him.

That's true. It's one thing if you're winning championships left and right. Different story when the team is something like 100 games under .500 since he took over.

 

[CyJack13]

This surprises me considering how Hoiberg uses Love as an example when talking about the type of players he likes.

Fred's just a puppet coach in Chicago though, it's not like he has any influence on front office decisions.

 

[CyJack13]

It's the same mind game crap he used to pull back in his coaching days. The problem is that the game and the world have changed so much since then that those tactics aren't going to fly any more. Publicly shaming your best players in an attempt to get them in line is going to fail every single time.

I don't think he ever really wanted the job to begin with, he kept making more and more demands, $12M/year, being able to live in LA most of the time and the Knicks just kept saying yes and here we are.