Man, top 5 pick or getting swept by the Warriors? Mavs choosing that top 5 pick.
Official NBA 2016-2017 Thread - 30 teams, 1 goal. 2 weeks left, so much can happen!!
Man, top 5 pick or getting swept by the Warriors? Mavs choosing that top 5 pick.
Max what? If they do, Detroit deserves what they get.
Dirk's closer and closer to retirement. Plus they've made the playoffs and it has gotten them nowhere. I'm sure the team's mindset matches fans like D-Town's mindset. Continue to make the playoffs and be mediocre or grab a potential all-star in the draft for the future? Of course I could be wrong but I don't see them really fighting for that last spot.
Dirk's closer and closer to retirement. Plus they've made the playoffs and it has gotten them nowhere. I'm sure the team's mindset matches fans like D-Town's mindset. Continue to make the playoffs and be mediocre or grab a potential all-star in the draft for the future? Of course I could be wrong but I don't see them really fighting for that last spot.
Man D-town been feeling like that but his feels don't mean shit.
If that was the case where feeling matter they would got Wiggins and Towns but Cuban sign solid players after missing out in top prospects , which results into a playoff teams.
Nothing more nothing less, this shit ain't about Dirk. Some folks might not even know he's still in the league.
Mark Cuban don't mind being mediocre.
Grading The Deal: Pelicans Trade For DeMarcus Cousins
BY CHRISTOPHER REINA
FEB 20, 2017 12:49 AM
The Sacramento Kings were always expected to eventually lose DeMarcus Cousins, either in free agency in 2018 or a trade before then. But the addition of a supermax contract provision in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement seemingly took that off the table. The potential for Cousins to sign a five-year deal worth more than $200 million was too rich for him to pass up, while keeping a talent of his caliber is almost always the better option for a smaller market franchise.
The Kings, however, quickly pivoted away from that position and solicited trade offers for Cousins over All-Star weekend and settled on a package from the New Orleans Pelicans shortly after Cousins’ new teammate Anthony Davis was named MVP of the game.
During the lead-up to the All-Star Game, Davis was repeatedly asked questions about his future with the Pelicans despite being in the first year of a five-year, $122 million extension in which he can’t become a free agent until 2020. There were concerns about whether the Pelicans would ever be able to surround Davis with enough talent to become a perennial playoff team, let alone a title contender to match his gifts as a top-5 player in the league.
Cousins and Davis will instantly form one of the NBA’s best big man combinations in recent memory and could do so for the next decade as they are just 26 and 23 respectively. The Pelicans will be big man dominant in a small ball era, yet both Cousins and Davis are capable of spreading the floor as the most enticing bigs of this generation do.
The Pelicans have played their best basketball with Davis at center, but that is something he has been reluctant to do throughout his career as he’s suffered from a series of minor injuries. With Cousins playing center and handling the bulkier big on defense, Davis will be freed up to take one a less demanding physical toll and also be the dominant weakside shotblocker he always been perfectly suited to evolve into. Cousins and Davis are both high usage offensive players and their ability to be inside/outside scorers will give Alvin Gentry (or John Calipari) a number of ways to construct their offense.
With Davis and Cousins as their two centerpieces, and Jrue Holiday presumably re-signed this offseason, the Pelicans can quickly grow into perennial title contenders. The Pelicans could even create max contract space to sign Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry if they decide to expand their ambition beyond Holiday. New Orleans simply needs to surround that trio with 3&D players to space the floor and get out of the way for Davis and Cousins to dominate.
There is a scenario where Cousins and Davis don't make each other better, and Cousins leaves in free agency in 2018, but the upside is so obvious and price so small that the Pelicans do this trade without being skittish about the risk.
The Pelicans have cut corners as a franchise and it will be interesting to see how they grow into their new elevated station on things such as player health, player development and the luxury tax. If Cousins becomes the best version of himself to New Orleans, this is a league-altering trade on the scale of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics except he's five years younger.
Grade for Pelicans: A+
For context on how the Kings failed to get adequate value for Cousins, the Pelicans reportedly offered Tyreke Evans and their own first rounder in 2017 to the 76ers for Jahlil Okafor. The only difference in the offers were the inclusion of Buddy Hield and Philadelphia’s second round pick. The Kings quite clearly think way more of Buddy Hield than the rest of the NBA does.
While the Kings were perhaps wise in sobering up on how toxic the situation could have become with Cousins for the one season after signing his supermax extension before he would be allowed to be traded, they dealt him away for a package that comes nowhere close to matching his value. There are countless other teams who could have beat the Pelicans’ offer for Cousins and the Kings misread what his market could have grown into, prematurely trading him before it could materialize. The Pelicans even bullied the Kings into a top-3 protection on the 2017 first rounder while not giving up an additional first rounder. New Orleans has none of the future pick upside that can come from a situation that doesn't work out as planned as Boston did with the Brooklyn trade.
The stance took by Vlade Divac both publicly and privately that Cousins would not be traded yet again makes the Kings appear both dysfunctional and as though they’re making it up as they go.
Sacramento will surely tank the remainder of their season and hope to keep their top-10 protected pick owed to the Bulls, though they have a pick swap with Philadelphia if it is higher. The Kings owe their 2019 first round pick outright to Philadelphia and it is difficult to envision a scenario where it is out of the top-10 as they move forward with Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein and their two reasonably high picks in this year's draft.
With how dreadfully the Kings drafted during Cousins’ tenure and the assets they parted with in 2015 to create cap space, building a winning team around him was a constant uphill battle. The Kings drafted Jimmer Fredette over Klay Thompson in 2011, Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard in 2012, Ben McLemore over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2013, Nik Stauskas in 2014, Willie Cauley-Stein over Emmanuel Mudiay in 2015, and a pair of centers in 2016. The rebuild begins sooner than expected, but there's practically consensus skepticism that the current regime is fit to do so. This trade of Cousins, as bad as it is, isn't even the worse trade they've made as that still remains the way they used future draft assets and Stauskas to the 76ers to clear cap space for Rajon Rondo.
Cousins’ personality was often mercurial during his time with the Kings, but considering his issues that were plain to see when he entered the NBA in 2010, he handled it far better than anyone would have guessed.
As was the case for the Pelicans and Anthony Davis, teams do whatever they can to get it right once you have a true superstar on your roster because that's always the goal and it's far easier to luck into the right role players. The Kings were given the opportunity for an extension on their timeline with the supermax, but they passed on that while not getting back enough to truly catapult their rebuild.
Grade For Kings: D-
From a basketball perspective, the present and future immediately looks infinitely more promising for Cousins. But his agent was vociferously posturing against a trade even minutes before it was agreed upon and that’s for the financial hit they will take. Instead of a five-year extension this offseason worth approximately $209 million, Cousins’ next deal will be $30 million to $40 million less over five seasons due to being at 30 percent of the cap instead of 35 percent.
Cousins returns close to home and with a fellow superstar who has more of a deferential personality in Davis.
Finally, Cousins quite clearly wanted to stay and he gets to avoid the reputation damaging spectacle of forcing his way out.
Grade For DeMarcus Cousins: B
BY CHRISTOPHER REINA
FEB 20, 2017 12:49 AM
The Sacramento Kings were always expected to eventually lose DeMarcus Cousins, either in free agency in 2018 or a trade before then. But the addition of a supermax contract provision in the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement seemingly took that off the table. The potential for Cousins to sign a five-year deal worth more than $200 million was too rich for him to pass up, while keeping a talent of his caliber is almost always the better option for a smaller market franchise.
The Kings, however, quickly pivoted away from that position and solicited trade offers for Cousins over All-Star weekend and settled on a package from the New Orleans Pelicans shortly after Cousins’ new teammate Anthony Davis was named MVP of the game.
During the lead-up to the All-Star Game, Davis was repeatedly asked questions about his future with the Pelicans despite being in the first year of a five-year, $122 million extension in which he can’t become a free agent until 2020. There were concerns about whether the Pelicans would ever be able to surround Davis with enough talent to become a perennial playoff team, let alone a title contender to match his gifts as a top-5 player in the league.
Cousins and Davis will instantly form one of the NBA’s best big man combinations in recent memory and could do so for the next decade as they are just 26 and 23 respectively. The Pelicans will be big man dominant in a small ball era, yet both Cousins and Davis are capable of spreading the floor as the most enticing bigs of this generation do.
The Pelicans have played their best basketball with Davis at center, but that is something he has been reluctant to do throughout his career as he’s suffered from a series of minor injuries. With Cousins playing center and handling the bulkier big on defense, Davis will be freed up to take one a less demanding physical toll and also be the dominant weakside shotblocker he always been perfectly suited to evolve into. Cousins and Davis are both high usage offensive players and their ability to be inside/outside scorers will give Alvin Gentry (or John Calipari) a number of ways to construct their offense.
With Davis and Cousins as their two centerpieces, and Jrue Holiday presumably re-signed this offseason, the Pelicans can quickly grow into perennial title contenders. The Pelicans could even create max contract space to sign Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry if they decide to expand their ambition beyond Holiday. New Orleans simply needs to surround that trio with 3&D players to space the floor and get out of the way for Davis and Cousins to dominate.
There is a scenario where Cousins and Davis don't make each other better, and Cousins leaves in free agency in 2018, but the upside is so obvious and price so small that the Pelicans do this trade without being skittish about the risk.
The Pelicans have cut corners as a franchise and it will be interesting to see how they grow into their new elevated station on things such as player health, player development and the luxury tax. If Cousins becomes the best version of himself to New Orleans, this is a league-altering trade on the scale of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics except he's five years younger.
Grade for Pelicans: A+
For context on how the Kings failed to get adequate value for Cousins, the Pelicans reportedly offered Tyreke Evans and their own first rounder in 2017 to the 76ers for Jahlil Okafor. The only difference in the offers were the inclusion of Buddy Hield and Philadelphia’s second round pick. The Kings quite clearly think way more of Buddy Hield than the rest of the NBA does.
While the Kings were perhaps wise in sobering up on how toxic the situation could have become with Cousins for the one season after signing his supermax extension before he would be allowed to be traded, they dealt him away for a package that comes nowhere close to matching his value. There are countless other teams who could have beat the Pelicans’ offer for Cousins and the Kings misread what his market could have grown into, prematurely trading him before it could materialize. The Pelicans even bullied the Kings into a top-3 protection on the 2017 first rounder while not giving up an additional first rounder. New Orleans has none of the future pick upside that can come from a situation that doesn't work out as planned as Boston did with the Brooklyn trade.
The stance took by Vlade Divac both publicly and privately that Cousins would not be traded yet again makes the Kings appear both dysfunctional and as though they’re making it up as they go.
Sacramento will surely tank the remainder of their season and hope to keep their top-10 protected pick owed to the Bulls, though they have a pick swap with Philadelphia if it is higher. The Kings owe their 2019 first round pick outright to Philadelphia and it is difficult to envision a scenario where it is out of the top-10 as they move forward with Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein and their two reasonably high picks in this year's draft.
With how dreadfully the Kings drafted during Cousins’ tenure and the assets they parted with in 2015 to create cap space, building a winning team around him was a constant uphill battle. The Kings drafted Jimmer Fredette over Klay Thompson in 2011, Thomas Robinson over Damian Lillard in 2012, Ben McLemore over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2013, Nik Stauskas in 2014, Willie Cauley-Stein over Emmanuel Mudiay in 2015, and a pair of centers in 2016. The rebuild begins sooner than expected, but there's practically consensus skepticism that the current regime is fit to do so. This trade of Cousins, as bad as it is, isn't even the worse trade they've made as that still remains the way they used future draft assets and Stauskas to the 76ers to clear cap space for Rajon Rondo.
Cousins’ personality was often mercurial during his time with the Kings, but considering his issues that were plain to see when he entered the NBA in 2010, he handled it far better than anyone would have guessed.
As was the case for the Pelicans and Anthony Davis, teams do whatever they can to get it right once you have a true superstar on your roster because that's always the goal and it's far easier to luck into the right role players. The Kings were given the opportunity for an extension on their timeline with the supermax, but they passed on that while not getting back enough to truly catapult their rebuild.
Grade For Kings: D-
From a basketball perspective, the present and future immediately looks infinitely more promising for Cousins. But his agent was vociferously posturing against a trade even minutes before it was agreed upon and that’s for the financial hit they will take. Instead of a five-year extension this offseason worth approximately $209 million, Cousins’ next deal will be $30 million to $40 million less over five seasons due to being at 30 percent of the cap instead of 35 percent.
Cousins returns close to home and with a fellow superstar who has more of a deferential personality in Davis.
Finally, Cousins quite clearly wanted to stay and he gets to avoid the reputation damaging spectacle of forcing his way out.
Grade For DeMarcus Cousins: B
I dont know how/why Boston doesnt go after and get Cousins; Makes me wonder wtf is wrong with Cousins; Or maybe Boston is going hard for Jimmy Butler or Paul George.......
Dirk's closer and closer to retirement. Plus they've made the playoffs and it has gotten them nowhere. I'm sure the team's mindset matches fans like D-Town's mindset. Continue to make the playoffs and be mediocre or grab a potential all-star in the draft for the future? Of course I could be wrong but I don't see them really fighting for that last spot.
I understand this..
All I'm saying is the shit you talking works here on bgol, works many other places BUT inside Mark Cubans head, that's it pernt blank!!!
We understand what they should do, like I said they could've got Wiggins and then bounce back and got Towns but Mark go after top free agents strike out on them then get the second or third tier players that have us saying well that's an ok squad....not what he wanted but this a normal Mark Cuban ball club good enough to stay outting the lottery
Werd... Sacramento was winning a little bit too much for my taste...
Now, we are like
that's the dumb part about it. they were winning too much for their own taste. they're working for the sixers
their owner just has money you should actually care about basketball to own a team.
I just don't think teams really believed he could be had for such a small price.
Exactly.... we pimped the fuck out of them in the deal to get the pick swap... and then these fools make this dumb ass trade to insure we get a higher pick to swap! They have some of the dumbest management in the history of the league...
In case anyone questions just how fucking dumb the Kings management is... at one point they had all 3 of these motherfuckers on the same team... 
Doesn't matter what they thought;if I'm boston u know he's on the market; so offer say next year's Brooklyn pic and this year boston pic and see what they say; like i said unless they trying to get Jimmy or George doesn't make sense
Shit is great for us though.In case anyone questions just how fucking dumb the Kings management is... at one point they had all 3 of these motherfuckers on the same team...
In case anyone questions just how fucking dumb the Kings management is... at one point they had all 3 of these motherfuckers on the same team...
Well a few squads had Whiteside, it wasn't until he took his self serious
Bro, I completely forgot we have their 2019 1st round pick unprotected as well.
Celtics, Clippers Have 'Intermittently' Held Blake Griffin Talks
FEB 20, 2017 9:13 PM
The Los Angeles Clippers have intermittently discussed a Blake Griffin trade with the Boston Celtics this season though a deal is unlikely at this point.
Griffin will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Celtics would likely seek official permission to talk to Griffin about his future before executing a trade.
The Clippers would seek Jae Crowder, either Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart and multiple picks in exchange for Griffin.
FEB 20, 2017 9:13 PM
The Los Angeles Clippers have intermittently discussed a Blake Griffin trade with the Boston Celtics this season though a deal is unlikely at this point.
Griffin will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Celtics would likely seek official permission to talk to Griffin about his future before executing a trade.
The Clippers would seek Jae Crowder, either Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart and multiple picks in exchange for Griffin.
Big questions, lots of answers before NBA trade deadline
Will another NBA star be on the move before the deadline? Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
9:14 PM ET
Zach LoweESPN Senior Writer
Only a week or so ago, most league executives anticipated a quiet deadline. So many teams were in desperate win-now mode, few would sell off quality veterans to the grease the trade wheels. Teams just outside the contender circle wouldn't mortgage the future for a suicide mission against Golden State and Cleveland.
Ha, ha. Orlando fell so far out of the playoffs, it had no choice but to salvage something from Serge Ibaka -- and the Raptors, flailing pseudo-contenders at the time, scooped him up to chase a suddenly wounded Cavs team. Sacramento punted on their playoff chase by sloughing away DeMarcus Cousins ahead of a draft in which they do not even control their own pick.
Two teams staring at bloated salary sheets -- Milwaukee and Portland -- trimmed their future obligations ahead of a looming cap crunch.
Lowe: Windhorst on the Cousins trade[/paste:font]
Zach talks to ESPN's Brian Windhorst about the Demarcus Cousins trade, deadline buzz and more.
New rules and a new financial reality hover over this deadline. After leaping from $63 million in 2014-15 to $94 million this season, the cap is set to flatten out at just over $100 million in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, per the league's latest projections. Teams who lavished players with mega-deals over the last two summers could find themselves trapped in 2018 and 2019, as guys on cheapo rookie deals graduate to mammoth veteran contracts. First-round picks, minimum salaries, and cap holds will all be fatter under the new deal.
That could lead to the sort of cost-cutting deals we used to see under the old, flat cap. Expiring contracts might even have trade value again someday! Teams without much future space might flip real assets for players under contract, instead of waiting until free agency to sign whomever they'd like.
We're not there yet, and we may never get back to a 2010-style world in which only a few teams have real cap room; plenty are set for big space this July, and the league could tap new revenue sources that will lift the cap higher than expected in the future.
But we're not in 2015 or 2016 anymore, either. The era of free money is over. Other teams could hunt money-saving deals in the future, especially if they splurge in free agency again this summer.
The revamped collective bargaining agreement brings key new rules: the designated player extension for certain stars, and two-way contracts for players who shuttle between the D-League and the parent team -- deals that could make second-round picks more valuable trade chips.
Teams are still scouring the CBA, seeking loopholes and leverage points. Some might wait until the draft in June, when they understand it completely, to make big deals.
But we've already had some action, and we'll get more. Let's bounce through the biggest questions as 3 p.m. Thursday approaches:
Will Boston sit tight again?
Fans are growing impatient as Boston sits on its treasure trove. They showed limited interest in Ibaka and Cousins, and some of their best assets are starting to age. Picks have become players, and some of those players are overseas because Boston can't fit everyone on its roster. They've already cut R.J. Hunter, the 28th pick in 2015, and they've dangled former No. 17 pick James Young across the league for at least a year.
Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley will be on expiring contracts next season, seeking huge raises for 2018-19 and beyond; their trade value -- or Bradley's, anyway, since Thomas isn't going anywhere -- declines every day. Al Horford is almost 31, and several other key guys are 26 and older. What is Danny Ainge waiting for?
Boston is threading a tricky needle. Before they lost Kevin Durant, the Thunder talked about the possibility of contending for titles for something like 15 straight seasons instead of flaming out after a half-decade of ring-chasing. That's why Sam Presti, their GM, kept the back of the roster stocked with extra picks, and then turned those extra picks into young players on rookie scale contracts. The coffers would always be full.
The Thunder are no longer contending. Durant left, and he reportedly grew frustrated with Oklahoma City's inability to land quality veterans.
Boston is at no risk of losing a player near Durant's caliber, and if they simply keep their picks, they have a chance to be very good for a very long time. The status quo is the safest route. They won't jeopardize it for a rental (Ibaka) or a ball-dominant star who could ruin their culture (Cousins).
They have talked intermittently with the Clippers about Blake Griffin in recent weeks, per several league sources, but a deal is extremely unlikely. Griffin will be a free agent this summer, and Boston would probably need official permission to talk to him about his future -- a concession Minnesota allowed Cleveland before the Kevin Love trade. The Clips would ask for a bounty, starting with Jae Crowder and one of the Avery Bradley/Marcus Smart duo, plus picks, per league sources.
Boston could contend now and later by dealing some of its chips for an in-his-prime stud under contract, which is why they've zeroed in on Jimmy Butler and Paul George. Snag one, and Boston could still open more than $25 million in cap space this summer if they renounce their rights to Kelly Olynyk. That's not quite enough for a veteran max deal, but the Celtics could sniff that territory if they shed Jordan Mickey and Terry Rozier, convince overseas guys to stay abroad one more year, or get lucky with an unexpected cap bump next season. (Note: If any of those variables flip the wrong way, Boston can't quite get there as constituted.)
Indiana continues to reject any calls about George, per several league sources. They are banking on the new CBA to help retain George; if he makes the All-NBA team this season, they could offer him the new designated mega-extension before he even hits free agency -- a super-rich contract no rival could approach.
One problem: George probably isn't making it unless someone gets hurt. There are only six forward spots on the All-NBA teams, and George ranks behind at least seven guys: Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, and Butler.
The Pacers could still offer the mega-contract in July 2018, but they wouldn't know if George qualified for the deal until just before he hits unrestricted free agency. Talk about taking it to the wire.
Dealing for Butler carries some risk if the Bulls gore Boston. Swap the 2017 Nets pick, Jaylen Brown, Smart, and at least one other non-Nets first-rounder, and you've tossed away a lot of your future to build a team that still might not be on Cleveland's level. LeBron is that good. What if you're left with a good team, but not a great one, as Horford approaches his mid-30s -- and Thomas demands a max contract?
About that: Depending on what happens this summer, the pool of money for free agents in July 2018 -- when Bradley and Thomas enter free agency -- could be much shallower than we're used to after recent spending bonanzas. Teams like the Knicks, Lakers, Heat, Mavs, and Suns could all be out of the max-level contract game in 2018 if they fill up their space this summer. A ton will happen between now and then, and it only takes one offer to set the market. But Boston has at least a sliver of hope they might be able to squeeze on those guys a bit.
Regardless: a deal for Butler now seems unlikely, unless the Bulls are posturing. There is some debate over whether Boston did or did not ever include the 2017 Nets pick in an official offer, but they'd have to for Chicago to really engage. Perhaps clarity will come at the lottery, after Chicago sees how far Butler can take their current team and everyone knows where Boston will pick. (New rules allow Boston to place protection on the Nets pick. But even if they could offer a top-1 or top-2 protected pick to Chicago, it's not clear they would, and it's not clear that Chicago would accept it.)
Chicago might even demand both the 2017 and 2018 Brooklyn picks. The 2018 pick isn't as valuable as this year's, since the Nets could sign a few free agents and inch up the standings. But name one team that is a lock to be worse than Brooklyn next season. Look at that roster!
Right now, it looks like Boston and Chicago will continue their staring contest past Thursday. But you never know what might happen at 2:55 p.m. A last-minute about-face shouldn't shock anyone.
Who else wants to win now?
The Clippers are still kicking the tires on everything, including their pipedream of snaring Carmelo Anthony from the Kazoos without giving up any of their core four guys. They've called about almost every available small forward type, but no one is in a rush to take Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, and a distant first-round pick. That won't get them Wilson Chandler, and the Wiz threw their phones on the floor when the Clippers inquired about Otto Porter, per league sources.
(The Nuggets, for their part, are seeking a lottery-protected first-round pick and swap rights on another pick for Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, sources say. They want that No. 8 spot in the West, but they think they can get it even if they surrender one of those guys.)
The Clippers might be the biggest wild-card in the league over the next five months. Griffin has looked explosive since his return from knee surgery, but L.A. is three games behind Houston for the No. 3 seed with Chris Paul out another few weeks. They have been hopeless against Golden State. They started this season happy, but the mood has soured at points, and they've gone through severe bouts of angst in prior years. Three of their top four players are headed to free agency, and their coach/president hates rebuilding.
Utah is all-in to keep Gordon Hayward, but they also need to shed some salary before their army of young players ink pricey new deals. They've tested the market for Derrick Favors over the last few weeks, according to several league sources; Favors hasn't been quite the same since coming back from injury, and Utah plays Favors and Rudy Gobert together for only 10 or 12 minutes per game.
Utah's seriousness on Favors is unclear; they are mum as usual, and they don't want to weaken their team ahead of the playoffs with Hayward heading to free agency. Favors is still an important player. They could be testing the market ahead of a trade around the draft.
Meanwhile, Utah has about $13 million in cap room to use at the deadline. They could absorb someone else's unwanted salary and extract something -- a pick, or a useful player -- as the price. If they still have that room after the deadline, here's betting Utah offers George Hill a big raise this season as part of a contract extension.
If Hill takes the deal, it could be a tell that Hayward is coming back -- or that Hill is worried about his lingering toe pain.
Hayward is neck-and-neck with George in the All-NBA race, but in a weird twist, the Jazz might not be able to offer him the designated player mega-deal if he earns a spot. Hayward is about to wrap his seventh season; players can ink that deal as an extension after seven seasons only if they are under contract for the following season. Hayward won't be if he declines his $16 million player option for 2017-18.
He could pick up that option and immediately sign the designated player extension to kick in for 2018-19. That may actually be his most lucrative path, even though he could earn much more than $16 million next season if he opts out and signs a brand new contract. If he opts out, Utah's home-court advantage shrinks.
This is probably all moot, since Hayward -- like George -- hangs just outside the All-NBA picture. Hayward could also sign a shorter three-year contract that would fling him back into free agency after his 10th season, the moment he becomes eligible for the largest possible max deal.
Toronto and Washington are both eager to add another rotation player, per several league sources. The Raps roster is a little heavy on bigs after the Ibaka deal, and they still have trade chips -- all their own picks, and some interesting young guys. They have the maximum 15 players under contract, but if necessary, they could waive Jared Sullinger to clear a roster spot.
Any deal involving an expensive Drakes veteran will probably wait until the summer, when the team faces a severe luxury tax crunch.
Several reports have linked the Wiz to Lou Williams, and Washington has indeed explored trading a protected first-round pick for the king of the 2-for-1. That makes me a little queasy, despite Williams' monster season and an affordable $7 million contract that runs through 2017-18 -- big for a capped-out team with limited means to boost the roster in free agency.
Williams' game doesn't hold up as well in the playoffs, when referees don't buy his flailing and opponents pick at his defense over and over. He doesn't move the needle enough toward Cleveland territory to justify sending out a precious chance at nabbing a cheap young player. Washington could also use the midlevel exception -- a real tool again! -- to land a decent backup this summer, though that might rocket them into the luxury tax once they re-sign Porter.
Wait out the Lakers, and Washington might be able to get Williams for a couple of second-rounders.
What else is happening?
- Our Chris Haynes reported the Pacers have floated their first-round pick in search of a veteran, which fits the general notion that a 29-28 mediocrity needs more to sway George. The roster is overloaded with bricky dribblers and plodding bigs; the Pacers need someone who can shoot, and play either on the wing or at power forward. They probably won't find a great fit. They didn't take a real look at Ibaka, sources say, and they're better off keeping the pick after flipping one for Thad Young. Indiana has drafted well on balance. We gush over Houston's ability to reload without bottoming out, but Indiana did the same thing; they haven't won fewer than 32 games since 1989!
- The Bucks are doing their due diligence to see if they can step into a seller's void, sources say. They'll at least listen on anyone but Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, Thon Maker, and Khris Middleton, though the main potential Greg Monroe landing spots have dried up. (Monroe seems likely to decline his $17.8 million player option for next season, at least as of now, a move that would give the Bucks an unexpected batch of cap space.) The Plumlee trade relieved any short-term cap stress, giving the Bucks a little more leverage.
Minnesota has expressed a tepid interest in Tony Snell, who played under Tom Thibodeau in Chicago, sources say.
- As David Aldridge reported over the weekend, Portland and Philly were very close to a Jahlil Okafor deal, according to several league sources. The Sixers did not hold Okafor out for two games just to drum up the price, though they certainly had that in mind as a possible ripple effect. It wasn't just a smokescreen.
- Phoenix is taking calls on most of its veterans, with P.J. Tucker the best candidate to move, sources say. (Watch the Raptors and Clips, among others.) I'd be surprised -- and impressed -- if Phoenix got a first-rounder for him.
- All is quiet in Memphis.
- Houston is chasing a win-now move, sources say, and may send out K.J. McDaniels as the sweetener. McDaniels doesn't play, mostly because of a busted jumper. Some team should take a shot on him at the right price. If there's a lesson of the last half-decade of NBA trades, it's this: When there's a rangy or athletic wing that has even a 10 percent chance of being decent, try to grab that player as a throw-in to a larger deal. Think about how teams landed Crowder, Middleton, Iman Shumpert, Will Barton, and even Tim Hardaway Jr. You cannot have enough versatile wings.
- The free-falling Hornets could tank their way into something like the No. 7 pick, but they are designed to chase the postseason now -- and will almost certainly continue along that path, barring major injury.
Bro, I completely forgot we have their 2019 1st round pick unprotected as well.
If we ever do win a chip I believe we should give their GM a ring!
Real talk.If we ever do win a chip I believe we should give their GM a ring!
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2017/02/cavs_lose_54_million_in_trade.html
Cavs lose $5.4 million in trade exceptions; Anderson Varejao eligible to return
Cavaliers GM David Griffin accepts the trophy for Best Moment in Cleveland Sports at the 17th Annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, Thursday, January 26, 2017. (Thomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer) (Thomas Ondrey)
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By Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
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on February 20, 2017 at 11:57 PM
CLEVELAND -- The Cavs were unable to find a partner to fill the roughly $5.4 million they had in trade exceptions that were to expire by day's end Monday.
Cleveland general manager David Griffin and his staff searched for trades to fit in the $4.4 million exception created last season by dealing Anderson Varejao, but couldn't get anything done in time. There was also a $947,000 exception from trading Jared Cunningham to Orlando. Both expired at midnight.
This by no means is an end to Griffin's search for more players -- a backup point guard and big man, potentially -- ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, nor are the Cavs much fretting the loss of the $4.4 million exception. They created another $4.8 million exception in the moves that brought Kyle Korver from Atlanta to Cleveland (by fitting him into part of the exception created by Varejao, and creating a new one by trading Mike Dunleavy to the Hawks).
The Dunleavy exception doesn't expire until Jan. 7. The Cavs also have a $2.2 million exception from shipping Mo Williams to the Hawks that also runs out Jan 7.
A team sourced told cleveland.com around 8 p.m. Monday that a deal for a player to fit into the Varejao exception was unlikely. But talks for other potential trades were ongoing.
Varejao, the popular former Cavs big man waived by the Warriors, is now eligible to return to Cleveland's roster as a free agent. Because the Cavs traded him last February, league rules prevent him from rejoining the team for a But don't expect the Cavs to sign anyone until after the trade deadline passes at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Cleveland doesn't play until that night against the Knicks. The Cavs have an open roster spot, and starters Kevin Love and J.R. Smith are out with injuries.
There's a chance -- and a good one -- that the jazziest trade Griffin makes this season was the one for Korver. He's the 7th-most prolific 3-point shooter of all-time, and has made more than half his 3-pointers since joining the Cavs.
It was LeBron James, of course, who continued his call for Griffin to add more players after trading for Korver.
But asked about the roster during All-Star weekend, James said "for me, as the leader of the team, I'm fine with what we have, and we'll continue to push forward."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2017/02/cavs_lose_54_million_in_trade.html
Cavs lose $5.4 million in trade exceptions; Anderson Varejao eligible to return
Cavaliers GM David Griffin accepts the trophy for Best Moment in Cleveland Sports at the 17th Annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, Thursday, January 26, 2017. (Thomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer) (Thomas Ondrey)
By Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com Follow on Twitter
on February 20, 2017 at 11:57 PM
CLEVELAND -- The Cavs were unable to find a partner to fill the roughly $5.4 million they had in trade exceptions that were to expire by day's end Monday.
Cleveland general manager David Griffin and his staff searched for trades to fit in the $4.4 million exception created last season by dealing Anderson Varejao, but couldn't get anything done in time. There was also a $947,000 exception from trading Jared Cunningham to Orlando. Both expired at midnight.
This by no means is an end to Griffin's search for more players -- a backup point guard and big man, potentially -- ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, nor are the Cavs much fretting the loss of the $4.4 million exception. They created another $4.8 million exception in the moves that brought Kyle Korver from Atlanta to Cleveland (by fitting him into part of the exception created by Varejao, and creating a new one by trading Mike Dunleavy to the Hawks).
The Dunleavy exception doesn't expire until Jan. 7. The Cavs also have a $2.2 million exception from shipping Mo Williams to the Hawks that also runs out Jan 7.
A team sourced told cleveland.com around 8 p.m. Monday that a deal for a player to fit into the Varejao exception was unlikely. But talks for other potential trades were ongoing.
Varejao, the popular former Cavs big man waived by the Warriors, is now eligible to return to Cleveland's roster as a free agent. Because the Cavs traded him last February, league rules prevent him from rejoining the team for a But don't expect the Cavs to sign anyone until after the trade deadline passes at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Cleveland doesn't play until that night against the Knicks. The Cavs have an open roster spot, and starters Kevin Love and J.R. Smith are out with injuries.
There's a chance -- and a good one -- that the jazziest trade Griffin makes this season was the one for Korver. He's the 7th-most prolific 3-point shooter of all-time, and has made more than half his 3-pointers since joining the Cavs.
It was LeBron James, of course, who continued his call for Griffin to add more players after trading for Korver.
But asked about the roster during All-Star weekend, James said "for me, as the leader of the team, I'm fine with what we have, and we'll continue to push forward."
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2017/02/cavs_lose_54_million_in_trade.html
If Beal could get the max, KCP will fetch the same price. Not as good of a shooter as Beal but a much better defender an as good of an athlete.
Guess this means he's about to be traded
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NBA Rumors: The Bulls have reportedly told teams they have no plans to trade Jimmy Butler. (via Chicago Tribune)
https://mobile.twitter.com/NBA_Skits
1hNBA SKITS @NBA_Skits
NBA Rumors: The Bulls have reportedly told teams they have no plans to trade Jimmy Butler. (via Chicago Tribune)
The Wiz are stupid enough to do this..
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