NBA Free Agency

[jterrell]

Wow...
Things have gone as expected thus far but it still a shock all the same.

I expect CLE to add more talent and names and then probably even again at the trade deadline.
Unless Indy can figure out their deal and get back to early last year form, CLE is team to beat in East.

I'd rather be CLE than any team in NBA right now.
Too many good teams in West to beat.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I feel like SA has the best shot of the teams with only the MLE to offer - and they can't go above that, so he'd take a significant paycut to come here. But, he already has two rings - he doesn't need to chase a title. If I had to rank them, I'd put them as 1) Chicago 2) NY 3) SA 4) OKC

I'd rank them as NY, Chicago, L.A., OKC, SA.

Unless N.Y. agrees to a sign and trade with Chicago for Bozier, N.Y. has the best chance of signing Anthony (which drags Gasol), and I don't know why N.Y. would do that.
Chicago next because they have the next best chance with Anthony.
L.A. because they can offer him the most money but do they want to keep him?
OKC because his game fits what they do and they have two well established Super Stars on the team already, which would allow for him to compete for more championships.
SA last becuase while they do have a good team, they don't have the young stars that OKC does.

 

[jterrell]

Lin to Lakers is ROFL.

Lakers actually can use that late first tho... and they need players.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Wow...
Things have gone as expected thus far but it still a shock all the same.

I expect CLE to add more talent and names and then probably even again at the trade deadline.
Unless Indy can figure out their deal and get back to early last year form, CLE is team to beat in East.

I'd rather be CLE than any team in NBA right now.
Too many good teams in West to beat.

Cleveland is supposedly working on a deal to land Love. Apparently Waiter, Bennett and a 1st for Love but I don't know if they can make the cap work. Will be interesting to see how that plays out.

 

[jterrell]

Gasol: CHI, SAS, OKC, NYK

I don't think Lakers are in discussion unless they want to hugely overpay. He had bad experiences there two seasons in a row.

NYK have no money but could do a sign and trade for him if LAL(Jim Buss) willing to work with Phil.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Lin to Lakers is ROFL.

Lakers actually can use that late first tho... and they need players.

I think that would be great for the Lakers. They aren't going to get Anthony so the next best thing is to clear the decks for 2015 IMO.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Gasol: CHI, SAS, OKC, NYK

I don't think Lakers are in discussion unless they want to hugely overpay. He had bad experiences there two seasons in a row.

NYK have no money but could do a sign and trade for him if LAL(Jim Buss) willing to work with Phil.

Well, that's the premise though right? If the Lakers want to keep him, they can afford to spend the most on him. The question is, do they want that? I suspect the do not if they want to play a big role in 2015, unless they do a single year deal for big money, which Gasol might or might not be interested in, depending on what happens with Anthony and what his options are with other teams.

 

[jterrell]

Cleveland is supposedly working on a deal to land Love. Apparently Waiter, Bennett and a 1st for Love but I don't know if they can make the cap work. Will be interesting to see how that plays out.

They have cap room to make it work once they renounce Deng and CJ Miles.
Love is only at 15m. Waiters and Bennet at just over 8m combined so only add 6 and change.

 

[Rockport]

I'd rank them as NY, Chicago, L.A., OKC, SA.

Unless N.Y. agrees to a sign and trade with Chicago for Bozier, N.Y. has the best chance of signing Anthony (which drags Gasol), and I don't know why N.Y. would do that.
Chicago next because they have the next best chance with Anthony.
L.A. because they can offer him the most money but do they want to keep him?
OKC because his game fits what they do and they have two well established Super Stars on the team already, which would allow for him to compete for more championships.
SA last becuase while they do have a good team, they don't have the young stars that OKC does.

The Spurs do have Kawhi Leonard (a beast), Green, Mills, and their 1st rd pick this year. Pop re-uped for a reason.

 

[casmith07]

wow...the Rockets are dumber than I thought they were when they did the deal that sent away Goran Dragic.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

They have cap room to make it work once they renounce Deng and CJ Miles.
Love is only at 15m. Waiters and Bennet at just over 8m combined so only add 6 and change.

I've heard that Love wants a Max type contract so I don't know how that equates to 15 Mil. In addition to Deng and CJ Miles, the Cavs would also have to throw in picks and players. They have plenty of picks I think and Wiggins would have to be part of any player deal according to reports.

 

[jterrell]

I think that would be great for the Lakers. They aren't going to get Anthony so the next best thing is to clear the decks for 2015 IMO.

It is hard to envision two guards that would fit worse next to each other than Kobe and Lin. Lin is like a really really poor man's Kobe.

But as the Mavs did two years ago when plan powder goes kaboom you gotta eat dirt for a year.
LAL looks to be doing that for a 2nd straight season.

Kaman was bad last year but Lin in Lakerland is a really strange fit.

Guess he replaces Nick SwaggyP Young.

My thoughts on the Laker front office are well known so we will see.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The Spurs do have Kawhi Leonard (a beast), Green, Mills, and their 1st rd pick this year. Pop re-uped for a reason.

Yeah, but all of that doesn't stack up to Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka IMO.

 

[jterrell]

I've heard that Love wants a Max type contract so I don't know how that equates to 15 Mil. In addition to Deng and CJ Miles, the Cavs would also have to throw in picks and players. They have plenty of picks I think and Wiggins would have to be part of any player deal according to reports.

He is at 15m right now which is all that matters for trade purposes.
He has indicated he would sign max extension with CLE after LBJ signed.
But Bird's rights allows that to happen with no real impact on team cap.

 

[WoodysGirl]

wow...the Rockets are dumber than I thought they were when they did the deal that sent away Goran Dragic.

I keep telling you... You don't listen to me. I know my team. They don't value picks very much. At least 1st rounders. But they'll keep an underpaid 2nd rounder long past its due date. lol

 

[bounce]

I'd rank them as NY, Chicago, L.A., OKC, SA.

Unless N.Y. agrees to a sign and trade with Chicago for Bozier, N.Y. has the best chance of signing Anthony (which drags Gasol), and I don't know why N.Y. would do that.
Chicago next because they have the next best chance with Anthony.
L.A. because they can offer him the most money but do they want to keep him?
OKC because his game fits what they do and they have two well established Super Stars on the team already, which would allow for him to compete for more championships.
SA last becuase while they do have a good team, they don't have the young stars that OKC does.

The only reason I don't think OKC is a good fit is because, while they have stars, the game plan is essentially "roll it out to KD/WB and they'll pass it if they get in trouble." I don't see them changing that game plan much. If they actually utilized him as an option, he'd be a great fit, but I just don't see that system changing much. He'd be a distant 3rd option on that team.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

It is hard to envision two guards that would fit worse next to each other than Kobe and Lin. Lin is like a really really poor man's Kobe.

But as the Mavs did two years ago when plan powder goes kaboom you gotta eat dirt for a year.
LAL looks to be doing that for a 2nd straight season.

Kaman was bad last year but Lin in Lakerland is a really strange fit.

Guess he replaces Nick SwaggyP Young.

My thoughts on the Laker front office are well known so we will see.

This will depend on the picks they get back in return. Lin doesn't really do anything for me but he doesn't hurt the effort and Lin does give you 12/13 pts a game and 4 Assts. a night.

 

[Rockport]

Yeah, but all of that doesn't stack up to Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka IMO.

I'd put Leonard in that category, but your correct on the other 2. Leonard is going to be a certified star. He's just now coming into his own. He can create his own shot (not a single play was called for him this year according to Pop), play defense against anyone including LeMe, makes steals, pass. The future for the Spurs.

 

[jterrell]

wow...the Rockets are dumber than I thought they were when they did the deal that sent away Goran Dragic.

They'll get a 1st back for Asik so it will be pretty close to trading off Asik and Lin for nothing.
I am really shocked people see Morey as a genius.

People hoodwinked by moneyball style stats geekism but ignoring basketball reality on the court.

All that said: Beverly, Harden, Parsons, Bosh, D12 is a great starting 5 offensive team. Perhaps one of the best of all time. That's 120 a game type line up.
Tho not sure they can get any stops when it matters and the depth is RIGHT now puffs of smoke.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The only reason I don't think OKC is a good fit is because, while they have stars, the game plan is essentially "roll it out to KD/WB and they'll pass it if they get in trouble." I don't see them changing that game plan much. If they actually utilized him as an option, he'd be a great fit, but I just don't see that system changing much. He'd be a distant 3rd option on that team.

Gasol is best when he's running the floor. Early offense in the set is better for him then low post offense (though he can do that too). He would fit what they do there.