AROUND the NBA:

[mvossman]

Lauri to the Warriors would be a nice move to compliment the good offseason for the mavs

Tier 1 - Favorite
OKC - minus weak link Giddy. Added Caruso and Hartenstein. They will be the main problem for years to come. If we were going to build a team to beat someone else, it should be OKC

Tier 2 - Real Contenders
Mavs
Nuggets - lose Brown, J Green, KCP for nothing
Wolves - all in with their draft moves. Only real option with the 2nd apron penalties looming

Tier 3 - Competitive teams

Suns - screwed long term and short term
Pelicans - interesting if they can get a legit big
Kings - Derozan would help but they’re going nowhere
Grizzlies - who knows what to expect
Spurs - they will be a problem soon
Warriors - they are done even with Lauri
Clippers - lose PG but i like their moves
Lakers - one 20 game injury away from Hawks having their high lotto pick
Rockets - no top end talent

Tier 4 - Tank Teams

Blazers
Jazz

—————————————————————-

The tier 3 teams with the most hope going forward are the ones with their own picks. Pelicans, Grizzlies, Spurs and Kings

The interesting teams in the west are the tier 3 teams who don’t have their picks. Suns, Clippers, Lakers, Rockets. The Suns and Lakers are really in a bad spot

The Warriors are at a crossroads. It looks like the pressure to compete now is too great and they will do something big. It’s a great thing for us long term that these top west organizations are in such a bad way. I take it as warning too that we shouldn’t be too aggressive on single player transactions. That’s what did these teams in

Agree with most of this, but hard not to put Mavs in Tier 1.  They just won the West and likely got better.  I think they clearly separated themselves from Minny and Denver got worse and even thinner.  OKC is probably the favorite to be the 1 seed, but I'm not ready to pick them over Luka in a 7 game series.

[BigDirk41]

Agree with most of this, but hard not to put Mavs in Tier 1.  They just won the West and likely got better.  I think they clearly separated themselves from Minny and Denver got worse and even thinner.  OKC is probably the favorite to be the 1 seed, but I'm not ready to pick them over Luka in a 7 game series.

[SleepingHero]

Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has agreed on a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie extension that could become worth as much as $269 million, his agents Jeff Schwartz and James Dunleavy of @ExcelBasketball tell ESPN.

[Mavs2021]

Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn)
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has agreed on a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie extension that could become worth as much as $269 million, his agents Jeff Schwartz and James Dunleavy of @ExcelBasketball tell ESPN.

It´s amazing how much power these agents have. The guy has played 138 career games. That´s basically 1.5 seasons. What are the agents do if the Pistons simply say: here is 150/5. Take it or leave it. 

Nobody has capspace. He´s a restricted free agent. Insane. Just goes to show how much profit these owners make from the appreciation of their franchises they don´t give a f***. And how much power agents have.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I have no idea why they‘ve done that. I really like him, he even started to hit some threes last year. He‘ll probably look for a much bigger role, but Reed instead of Powell and Morris would be a huge upgrade on the floor.

Detroit claimed him off waivers today.

[Knutsen]

Detroit claimed him off waivers today.

Thanks for the update - makes a lot of sense for Detroit, even if they have a lot of talented big men.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Thanks for the update - makes a lot of sense for Detroit, even if they have a lot of talented big men.

Well, they lost Wiseman to the Pacers, so they had to add a 3rd big to go along with Duran and Stewart.

[Chicagojk]

Well, they lost Wiseman to the Pacers, so they had to add a 3rd big to go along with Duran and Stewart.

I wouldn't surprise to see Stewart moved.   He was the old GM draft pick who had a relationship with the family.  I like Stewart the player.  He is an odd fit in todays nba.   Getting better shooting threes, but tough matchup to put him at 4 mostly.   Built like a 5, but not a rim protector.    Good player, but odd fit.   Again, I think he is moved as Detroit is rebuilding their roster to the new GM's liking.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/former-nb...her-lebron


A former NBA player called Bronny getting drafted, and a guaranteed contract was an abuse of power from LeBron.

[SleepingHero]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/former-nb...her-lebron


A former NBA player called Bronny getting drafted, and a guaranteed contract was an abuse of power from LeBron.

Abuse of power is kind of a funny way to put it. 

More like the Lakers FO is that desperate to remain relevant that they'd do anything to please Lebron.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Abuse of power is kind of a funny way to put it. 

More like the Lakers FO is that desperate to remain relevant that they'd do anything to please Lebron.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger, lol

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/enes-kant...ctator-nba


Former NBA player, Enes Kantor calls LeBron the Dictator of the NBA.

[Jmaciscool]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/enes-kant...ctator-nba


Former NBA player, Enes Kantor calls LeBron the Dictator of the NBA.

I don't think that's a fair comparison - dictators don't have as much power as LeBron in the NBA.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/the...q1MAz?ocid=



It's been 20 years, the enduring legacy of the 2004 Detroit Pistons.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5638515...ed_article


Why haven't the Bulls traded Zach Lavine?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4057...ies-age-69


Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, Kobe's dad dies at 69.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5638515...ed_article


Why haven't the Bulls traded Zach Lavine?

At his pricetag you have to be more than scorer.

[SleepingHero]

Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
Bucks star Khris Middleton has undergone arthroscopic surgeries on both ankles this offseason, sources tell me and @eric_nehm. He is expected to be ready for the start of next season.

[F Gump]

I'm wondering if NO can find a taker for Ingram at a reasonably decent price. He's a FA in 2025, and it feels like his contract and play is a really bad fit for what they are trying to build-- in fact, so bad that I'm thinking they'd just let him walk. So it feels like they would try to move him asap and get something of value in return.

But where? Does he fit elsewhere? Or if team X exists, would they just wait until 2025?

Complicating things is that he will be looking for massive money next summer, as in 4 yrs and > $200M.

What's his market? Or is there one?

[RGP1981]

I'm wondering if NO can find a taker for Ingram at a reasonably decent price. He's a FA in 2025, and it feels like his contract and play is a really bad fit for what they are trying to build-- in fact, so bad that I'm thinking they'd just let him walk. So it feels like they would try to move him asap and get something of value in return.

But where? Does he fit elsewhere? Or if team X exists, would they just wait until 2025?

Complicating things is that he will be looking for massive money next summer, as in 4 yrs and > $200M.

What's his market? Or is there one?

I think BI is a really good player... but not worth a max, whatever his max is. This is a really good example of when I think teams should be extremely honest and say, "yes, the CBA sets guidelines for what we could give you, but those are merely guidelines and not must-dos... so, even though we could offer you this many dollars, we don't want to and will not because you have so-and-so holes in your overall game, for which we must pay high-level salaries to other high-level players in order to compensate and cover for your flaws... and most importantly, we won't be able to build a championship team after giving you a max contract.. and therefore, this is how much we are willing to go up to".

30M per season is the absolute maximum I would be willing to pay him. Or 5 years @ 150M... which is a BOATLOAD of cash. Generational money, keeps the family fed, and all that jazz.