2014 NBA Free Agency and Draft

[gkIrish]

Portland would have to fall sharply for Aldridge to leave. Gasol is a possibility though.

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Gasol would be a PERFECT fit for the triangle. Maybe the best big-man passer in the league. Fellow Spaniard Calderon being on the team will help recruit him too.

 

[IrishLax]

Wizards bring in Pierce to replace Ariza, but real dream is Kevin Durant in two years | ProBasketballTalk

 

[greyhammer90]

I just want Marc Gasol

Stay the fuck away from him

 

[irishog77]

Just posting to get this thread off 666 posts.

You're welcome, Johnnykillz.

 

[IrishHokie22]

Durant isn't going to NYC. If he goes anywhere it'll probably be DC.

Next year's free agent class is weak. The Knicks may get Gasol, Rondo, or Jefferson. Aldridge is likely staying in Portland.

I don't fault Melo for staying with NY, but let's not pretend like he made a sound basketball decision here. He stayed for the money. The Knicks are going to be mediocre for the foreseeable future.

 

[Grahambo]

All you New York fans keep dreaming about KD. He has expressed literally zero interest ever in going to NY.

On the other hand, he spends all of his free time in DC and goes out of his way to catch Redskin games, etc. and... if you can believe radio shows?... has expressed interest privately in returning to DC if things sour in OKC.

So you're talking about a better up-and-coming team, better fit, home, and a large media market... or a worse team, worse fit, worse area, and a bigger media market which might translate into bigger stardom/advertising $$. So IF he leaves OKC... which is a bit of longshot... don't get your hopes up.

I was not one of those. They wouldn't mesh well IMO. They are kinda the same player.

I love the quick disses about the Knicks. Keep 'em coming!


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[Buster Bluth]

Wiggins, Bennett, and Jack Cooley are wrecking the Spurs JV squad on NBAtv right now. Bennett looks so much more athletic than last season, he must have lost 40lbs.

 

[zelezo vlk]

It's possible. Dude was put in a bad position.

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[greyhammer90]

Wiggins, Bennett, and Jack Cooley are wrecking the Spurs JV squad on NBAtv right now. Bennett looks so much more athletic than last season, he must have lost 40lbs.

Lol watching the summer circuit? You're not excited about next season are you?

 

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Just got text from Matt Bonner that reads: 'I'm coming back." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Spurs?src=hash">#Spurs</a>.</p>— Mike Monroe (@Monroe_SA) <a href="https://twitter.com/Monroe_SA/statuses/488430820642664448">July 13, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Buster Bluth]

Lol watching the summer circuit? You're not excited about next season are you?

At a sports bar for the world cup final, but yes I am. Haha

 

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Houston will not match the $46M Dallas offer sheet for Chandler Parsons, league source tells Yahoo Sports.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/488441622527750145">July 13, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>RT <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne">@ramonashelburne</a>: Mario Chalmers is back for two more years in Miami, per source</p>— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/statuses/488442978575601665">July 13, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Luckylucci]

Portland would have to fall sharply for Aldridge to leave. Gasol is a possibility though.

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Yea, I highly doubt he leaves. He just wants a longer contract than what he can get now. I think it's. 2 year max extension now or 5 years if he waits. Portland is going to do whatever it takes and he's expressed what seems to be sincere interest in being the best Blazer of all time and ending his career here. Also, a good young group of players that seem to really enjoy playing with each other. Add in that Lilliard might be one of the best point guards in the league over the next 5 years and it will be difficult to get him away.

 

[zelezo vlk]

True. If they had a bench thsy could go a lot farther in the playoffs.

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[Grahambo]

2014 NBA Free Agency and Draft

@YannisNBA: If cap rises to $80M in '16-17, LeBron could make: 28,000,000 in Y1, 30,100,000 Y2, 32,357,500 Y3, 34,784,312 Y4, 37,393,135 - 162.6M total

(Hence the reason he structured his deal the way he did.)


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[zelezo vlk]

The CBA can be renegotiated in 2017 I think. I wonder if that affected his decision.

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[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Yahoo Source: Chris Andersen reaches agreement on deal to return to the Miami Heat. <a href="http://t.co/pyuHwzpjIQ">http://t.co/pyuHwzpjIQ</a></p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/statuses/488483980589957120">July 14, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[Irish#1]

Not putting Anthony in the Top 15 is straight hating.

As for the state of the Knicks: I suppose Derek Fisher has never sat in any meeting involving basketball so what does he know. Not like he hasn't been a student of the game his entire life and learned from Phil. Or not even an endorsement from KD is enough because it's not like he hasn't been an unofficial player/coach the last few years. Or being a PG, not like he hasn't learned how to control the game over his last 18+ professional years of basketball.

As for the future, they open up with $23mil (plus another $11mil if Bargs is dealt). I'm sure nobody will come.

Anthony at the 4/ KD at the 3. And Koon, his defense and rebounding is much improved so you are correct in that. It's not like he won 54 games two years ago. Enough with the tax argument. It's tiresome and weak.

Sure, not everyone wants the bright lights. Dwight didn't want LA. But money talks. So does Jackson's rings and Dolans open wallet.

Most NYK fans are intelligent and understand. Don't skimp on rebuilding and try to sell us on BS. That was managements fault the past few years.

Oh, and draft picks: everyone trades them.


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Take a chill pill Grahambo, it's not hating, just my opinion. I liked Anthony when he was drafted by Denver, but as I started paying closer attention it became more obvious that while he was a scoring machine, his all round game lacked. Two years ago I watched him shoot the Knicks out of an eight point lead against the Pacers as him came down and kept throwing them up from outside even though he was missing and he wasn't even passing the ball. You think he's great and that's okay. I would take any of the guys on my list before him.

 

[phillyirish]

Kevin Durant is not leaving OKC. They are probably at worst the 3rd best team in the NBA right now and they have one of the best core group of players in the NBA--- ALL of them being 25 and under too. Durant and Westbrook being 25, Ibaka is only 24 and is not just one of the best defensive post presences anymore, as he developed into a legitimate post scoring option last year averaging over 15 a game. Reggie Jackson is also only 24 and one of the better 6th man options in the league.

Add in Kendrick Perkins contract coming off the books next year, that frees up an ~$10 million in cap space giving them room to add another key piece.

More importantly this all coincides perfectly with the Spurs who should fade away in 2 years due to age and retirements, leaving the OKC players to enter their primes together as the premier title contender for the following 5 years.

 

[Grahambo]

Take a chill pill Grahambo, it's not hating, just my opinion. I liked Anthony when he was drafted by Denver, but as I started paying closer attention it became more obvious that while he was a scoring machine, his all round game lacked. Two years ago I watched him shoot the Knicks out of an eight point lead against the Pacers as him came down and kept throwing them up from outside even though he was missing and he wasn't even passing the ball. You think he's great and that's okay. I would take any of the guys on my list before him.

Lol. Didn't mean to come off crazy. Just passionate. His overall game has vastly improved. It'll be interesting to see him in the triangle.

As for KD, I don't think he's leaving OKC either. If he does, I agree the Wiz are the team for him. Great matchup. Most Knick fans, at least the realistic ones, don't focus on him. Looking at guys like Gasoline, Rondo, etc.


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[Irish#1]

Lol. Didn't mean to come off crazy. Just passionate. His overall game has vastly improved. It'll be interesting to see him in the triangle.

NP, I understand the passion.

 

[IrishLax]

Kevin Durant is not leaving OKC. They are probably at worst the 3rd best team in the NBA right now and they have one of the best core group of players in the NBA--- ALL of them being 25 and under too. Durant and Westbrook being 25, Ibaka is only 24 and is not just one of the best defensive post presences anymore, as he developed into a legitimate post scoring option last year averaging over 15 a game. Reggie Jackson is also only 24 and one of the better 6th man options in the league.

Add in Kendrick Perkins contract coming off the books next year, that frees up an ~$10 million in cap space giving them room to add another key piece.

More importantly this all coincides perfectly with the Spurs who should fade away in 2 years due to age and retirements, leaving the OKC players to enter their primes together as the premier title contender for the following 5 years.

As long as OKC stays relevant I agree I don't see him leaving the Thunder. However, I think there is an outside chance they've already peaked as currently constructed.

With Harden they pushed to the NBA finals. Without Harden they've bounced out twice (granted, once due to an injury to Westbrook). The thing is... even with the Spurs inevitable decline... there are a number of other teams in the West with comparable talent to OKC. There's a fair chance that OKC does not contend over the next two years. Should OKC fail to contend, I don't think there's a huge draw for Durant to stay in OKC versus heading to home (DC) where he can play with an equally or more talented supporting cast.

So IMO pay close attention to how well OKC does in the playoffs. If they can't get over the hump, I could definitely see him moving back home close to family/friends who are very important to him.

 

[zelezo vlk]

As long as OKC stays relevant I agree I don't see him leaving the Thunder. However, I think there is an outside chance they've already peaked as currently constructed.

With Harden they pushed to the NBA finals. Without Harden they've bounced out twice (granted, once due to an injury to Westbrook). The thing is... even with the Spurs inevitable decline... there are a number of other teams in the West with comparable talent to OKC. There's a fair chance that OKC does not contend over the next two years. Should OKC fail to contend, I don't think there's a huge draw for Durant to stay in OKC versus heading to home (DC) where he can play with an equally or more talented supporting cast.

So IMO pay close attention to how well OKC does in the playoffs. If they can't get over the hump, I could definitely see him moving back home close to family/friends who are very important to him.

I've heard many argue that if Ibaka hadn't been injured this year, they would've beaten the Spurs. I don't think any of the teams in the West as currently constructed would be favored versus the Thunder. Ibaka has only improved so far and once they get rid of Perkins' salary, they could push for a bit more help. They do still need to work on coaching though.

Also, I'm just wondering about this, but it seems like many have different definitions of contending. Do you mean to say that you don't think OKC will be one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the West/have a great chance of making the WCF and advancing? Or do you mean that they need to win a title or he'll leave?

 

[tussin]

Wiggins, Bennett, and Jack Cooley are wrecking the Spurs JV squad on NBAtv right now. Bennett looks so much more athletic than last season, he must have lost 40lbs.

I've been watching the summer games as well and Bennett looks awesome. If I were Cavs I definitely wouldn't trade him AND Wiggins. Gotta keep one of those guys.

 

[IrishLax]

I've heard many argue that if Ibaka hadn't been injured this year, they would've beaten the Spurs. I don't think any of the teams in the West as currently constructed would be favored versus the Thunder. Ibaka has only improved so far and once they get rid of Perkins' salary, they could push for a bit more help. They do still need to work on coaching though.

Also, I'm just wondering about this, but it seems like many have different definitions of contending. Do you mean to say that you don't think OKC will be one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the West/have a great chance of making the WCF and advancing? Or do you mean that they need to win a title or he'll leave?

Good point.

To me, I define contending as playing in the finals or at minimum conference finals. I make exceptions depending on circumstances... for example, I wouldn't consider Indiana as "contending" because they've got no chance of actually winning a championship as currently constructed, and it's obvious that they're a step below some other elite teams. So I don't really care that they solider on through weak teams to the eastern conference finals.

When I think about it critically, I believe OKC has "contended" each of the past 3 seasons because their one early exit to Memphis was due to an injury to Westbrook. I think if they take a step back to the point of not at least making western conference finals then you'd see Durant look around. However, I doubt that happens.

I'd bet a lot of money that IF Durant decided to look around on account of things stalling in OKC that he'd have eyes only for DC. Add him to the current roster this year and the Wizards would be HEAVY eastern conference favorites.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Good point.

To me, I define contending as playing in the finals or at minimum conference finals. I make exceptions depending on circumstances... for example, I wouldn't consider Indiana as "contending" because they've got no chance of actually winning a championship as currently constructed, and it's obvious that they're a step below some other elite teams. So I don't really care that they solider on through weak teams to the eastern conference finals.

When I think about it critically, I believe OKC has "contended" each of the past 3 seasons because their one early exit to Memphis was due to an injury to Westbrook. I think if they take a step back to the point of not at least making western conference finals then you'd see Durant look around. However, I doubt that happens.

I'd bet a lot of money that IF Durant decided to look around on account of things stalling in OKC that he'd have eyes only for DC. Add him to the current roster this year and the Wizards would be HEAVY eastern conference favorites.

I completely agree (especially about the Pacers). I do think that OKC may panic if they think KD will leave by dangling Westbrook for somebody if they are unable to get back to the Finals next year. At the very least, I see Brooks getting fired in that scenario.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I've been watching the summer games as well and Bennett looks awesome. If I were Cavs I definitely wouldn't trade him AND Wiggins. Gotta keep one of those guys.

I'm not trading either one of them if I'm the Cavs. With Lebron back, there's potentially four #1 overall draft picks on that starting five. I'd like to see that through. I like the idea of them going after Love, but not at the cost of Wiggins. They have 3 first-round picks next year too. That team could amazing and deep.

I've grown bored w/ the NBA recently. Suddenly, I have my excitement back.

 

[Luckylucci]

I'm not trading either one of them if I'm the Cavs. With Lebron back, there's potentially four #1 overall draft picks on that starting five. I'd like to see that through. I like the idea of them going after Love, but not at the cost of Wiggins. They have 3 first-round picks next year too. Plus they may possibly sign Allen and Miller. That team could amazing and deep.

I've grown bored w/ the NBA recently. Suddenly, I have my excitement back.

So Love right now is arguably a top 5 player at least top 10. Finished the season 4th in scoring and 3rd in rebounding. You wouldn't trade Wiggins for that? I wouldn't even blink an eye. The goal is to win now and I give very very little chance Wiggins is providing that type of impact in the next 3 years.

 

[gkIrish]

So Love right now is arguably a top 5 player at least top 10. Finished the season 4th in scoring and 3rd in rebounding. You wouldn't trade Wiggins for that? I wouldn't even blink an eye. The goal is to win now and I give very very little chance Wiggins is providing that type of impact in the next 3 years.

Yeah I wouldn't hesitate at all. Draft picks are always unknowns. Being a #1 pick doesn't mean you are going to be a hall of famer. (Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Oden, Bargnani, Joe Smith, etc.). Love is a sure thing.