NBA Draft - Trades - Free Agents

TheRainMaker said:

This would end if the NBA enforces a more strict salary cap. It’s easy for big market teams like the Lakers to manipulate the cap or not mind going over the cap and paying the luxury tax.

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Yep....football and hockey have hard caps. I don't see why the NBA cannot....baseball too for that matter...but the Sox are one of the highest spenders so I'll ignore that for now, LOL.

Happy to hear this ... I am team retool.
We need a real center going forward.

Glad Ainge is thinking clearly ... like people who really do know basketball.

Losing Horford would be a bad thing.

Deus Irae said:

Losing Horford would be a bad thing.

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Not really ... when Tatum and Brown are experienced he will be an old man.
He already did not resemble the player we saw in last years playoffs ...

IcyPatriot said:

Not really ... when Tatum and Brown are experienced he will be an old man.
He already did not resemble the player we saw in last years playoffs ...

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He's the only starter level big they have, and they don't currently have the money to go signing a quality C, PF and PG.
Also, he'd be the second big number player to leave without any return this offseason. So, yes, it would be bad to lose him. Now, that doesn't mean that I think Ainge should sign him to a silly deal. It just means that it would be bad to lose him.

Deus Irae said:

He's the only starter level big they have, and they don't currently have the money to go signing a quality C, PF and PG.
Also, he'd be the second big number player to leave without any return this offseason. So, yes, it would be bad to lose him. Now, that doesn't mean that I think Ainge should sign him to a silly deal. It just means that it would be bad to lose him.

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For this year ... yes ... but I think Ainge is thinking modified retool and I agree.
Al for 2 years would be about right IMO ... and that's as a PF - where he belongs now.

In Ainge I trust...for the most part.
I'd miss Big Al...but no way does he get a 3 year deal out of us. It would be salary cap suicide.

Now if Ainge can pull a Houdini he can find a trade partner for Hayward.
That would be great for a modified retool.
Hopefully we become a team that runs more and doesn't rely on 3's every game.
If we also lose Morris and Rozier we almost have a max slot.

IcyPatriot said:

Now if Ainge can pull a Houdini he can find a trade partner for Hayward.
That would be great for a modified retool.
Hopefully we become a team that runs more and doesn't rely on 3's every game.

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Hayword would have to find a team that would only be able to sign him via sign and trade. Ainge can’t just call teams to trade for a free agent.

Ainge is making the right call not maxing him out for a 3 or worse 4 year deal. Max deals should only go to Super Stars. Can’t believe this guy is declining a $30M option. Rumor is he’s going to join Kryrie in Brooklyn.

TheRainMaker said:

Hayword would have to find a team that would only be able to sign him via sign and trade. Ainge can’t just call teams to trade for a free agent.

Ainge is making the right call not maxing him out for a 3 or worse 4 year deal. Max deals should only go to Super Stars. Can’t believe this guy is declining a $30M option. Rumor is he’s going to join Kryrie in Brooklyn.

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Well part of the game plan vs the Nets will be drive to the hoop with your bigs.

Barstool Sports

Harden and Chris Paul hate each other ....
Ah the NBA is ramping up the soap opera drama.

Jackson 2 said:

Jesus H Christ, "we" didn't proclaim on national TV that we'd win 7 or 8. If you can't see the difference in that then this is hopeless dialogue. Holy ****, the revisionist historians on this board, and elsewhere, who still fellate this fraud are astounding. He's a great, really great player. He's also a narcissistic, control freak who always takes credit for his teams' successes and NEVER accepts any responsibilities for his teams' failures.

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It reminds me of Manning. Supposedly calls all the the shots and his own plays. <Gets shanked in the postseason.> He needs more help and better coaching!!!

LeBron calls the shots on personnel; it’s always his idea on the coach and major acquisitions. <Gets shanked in the playoffs.>. He needs help and better teammates!!

They are masters of taking credit when things work and getting on the pity bus when they lose. And I love that the Warriors created a “super team” after LeBron attempted the same thing in Miami...yet the media acts like he’s a poor helpless victim trying to do the impossible.

IcyPatriot said:

Not really ... when Tatum and Brown are experienced he will be an old man.
He already did not resemble the player we saw in last years playoffs ...

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Yes but in all fairness none of them resembled he players they were last playoffs

Deus Irae said:

He's the only starter level big they have, and they don't currently have the money to go signing a quality C, PF and PG.
Also, he'd be the second big number player to leave without any return this offseason. So, yes, it would be bad to lose him. Now, that doesn't mean that I think Ainge should sign him to a silly deal. It just means that it would be bad to lose him.

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Quick question from someone coming late to the discussion. IF Horford leaves doesn't that open up a big enough slot to at least be in the discussion for an upper end FA?

.....And as it always happens, my question gets answered 2 post down. Sorry

ALP said:

Yes but in all fairness none of them resembled he players they were last playoffs

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But here's the thing. These kids enter the league SOOOOO freakin' young these days that linear growth is usually the exception rather than the rule. Both Brown and Tatum are a LONG ways from their primes. Brown had he stayed in college would have just finished his senor year. Tatum would have just finished his junior season. IIRC Yanis didn't start to become what we currently see until he was 4 years into the league.

That's why we saw just flashes of greatness from these 2. As they grow they will become more and more consistent...IF they put in the effort it takes to be great.

Some Celtic thoughts

1. Re Kyrie: Irving came here with the idea that he could be "the man" of consistent championship contender in Boston. CLEARLY, he has the talent to be THAT guy. But it's equally clear he doesn't have the leadership and or personal skills to inspire his teammates to excel. If he really wanted to stamp his imprint on a team he'd take responsibility for this past season and stay here and MAKE it work.

But it looks more and more that THAT isn't going to happen. (though I would be shocked if he stayed) It's a really bad look for Irving, essentially pouting about how mean his teammates were and taking his ball and running to the next gig.

The thing I worry about is that in a moment of clarity Irving realizes that maybe he really is just Robin to someone's Batman and goes back to LA. I have a visceral hatred of the Lakers and all they represent. They are despicable and the fact that DESPITE almost a decade of ineptitude, they STILL are the team most talked about ALL the FREAKIN' time! HATE them!

2. I am still hopeful that when the dust clears the Celts will field a competitive team in the East. I'm hoping that they can build around Tatum, Brown, Hayward and Smart. Those are 4 QUALITY players to start with. Add 30MM in cap space and 3 first round draft picks, they aren't going to disappear.

3. Based on how the draft is going to go, I'd trade their 2 top picks this year and the one they will get from Sacramento next year to move up to the top 5 and grab one of the 2 top PG's in the draft.

4. As for Rozier, I'd bring him back IF he is willing to be the #3 G behind Brown and Smart. A guy like Rubio is enticing because he's a pass first PG and between Haywood Brown and Tatum there are a lot of shots there. Having a guy who looks for everyone else's shot would be a good thing. But he's as bad on defense as Kyrie was. Rozier isn't a good shooter, but he's streaky enough that you can deal with it because he is a good enough defender to make him valuable

5. I'm kind of glad AD went to LA. I would have loved him here, but for a one year rental what we'd have had to give up to get him wouldn't have be worth it for just one year.

I would have been OK giving NO Brown, Smart, a sign and trade Rozier, plus their choice of any 3 draft picks we had available. But that wouldn't have been as good as what the Lakers gave them. Adding Tatum to the mix would have been insane for one year of AD.....even if it meant you kept Irving and Horford.
(and I LOVED Al)

6. Thursday will be fun as will this off season. Any way you think about it, there will be a plethora of good story lines coming out of this off season. Hopefully enough that will get us through the next 4 weeks.

patfanken said:

... I have a visceral hatred of the Lakers and all they represent. They are despicable and the fact that DESPITE almost a decade of ineptitude, they STILL are the team most talked about ALL the FREAKIN' time! HATE them!

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The Lakers are perfect for today's NBA. LA celebrity culture is the perfect match for a star-driven league. What the Celtics have always stood for is twenty years out of date. I don't like it, either.

It seems the egos and levels of immaturity/diva of NBA players are worse than those of the NFL. Do you guys agree?