NBA 2018-2019

[Melancer46]

That contract is so big, I guess there will be teams that could take him into cap space. But like you said, you'd then need a team willing to give the Rockets something; Paul is still really good. Seems impossible to find a match?

A couple teams that come to mind to me:

• Lakers - Obviously friends with Lebron, and IF the Lakers decide to focus on Lebron's timeline rather than the rest of the roster, CP3 makes decent sense, especially if they strike out on the A-list free agents again. They might be the only team that could really make it worth Houston's while.
• Jazz - Have some non-guaranteed contracts (Favors, Korver), young prospects (Grayson, Bradley), decent players (Exum, Crowder), and cap space, and they could badly use a guy that can create shots both individually and for the rest of the team. They also already pursued Conley so they aren't against the idea of taking on a big contract for an aging PG with their talents. Along these same lines, I think a 3 team deal including Conley could make sense too.
• Pistons - Similar to Utah, they already pursued Conley, so we know they're on the look for an upgrade at PG and aren't afraid to take on a big contract to do so. They could offer something along the lines of Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Langston Galloway, and Jon Leuer. They have some cheaper young guys like Bruce Brown, Svi Mykhailuk, Thon Maker, and Khyri Thomas if any of them interest Houston as well.
• Miami - Their cap is a mess, but if Riley thinks he can swing other pieces for a quick reload, they could offer some bad contracts that have some talent such as Olynyk, James Johnson, and Dion and some young potential assets like Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson, and Justise Winslow. Could obviously offer Dragic as well, or hilariously offer Ryan Anderson back to them as an expiring.
• Indiana - Cap space and need at PG. They don't have much they can offer back though: Aaron Holiday, Sabonis, McDermott, TJ Leaf, that's literally all the supporting pieces they have on their roster (assuming they keep Oladipo and Turner). Maybe a sign-and-trade involving Bogdanovic, Collison, or Thaddeus Young could work.
• And two lesser possibilities: Boston (obviously assumes they lose Kyrie, could involve Hayward) and Milwaukee (would require them to think they need an upgrade over Bledsoe and would at minimum require Houston taking Tony Snell back).

I think at least one of these teams would bite on a CP3 trade; a lot of these teams are either in a cap situation where a trade is the only realistic way they can improve or they're a small market team that won't realistically be able to sign any of the A-list or even B-list free agents and could view CP3 as the answer instead. He's still one of the best PGs in the league right now.

 

[Knicks411]

A couple teams that come to mind to me:

I think at least one of these teams would bite on a CP3 trade; a lot of these teams are either in a cap situation where a trade is the only realistic way they can improve or they're a small market team that won't realistically be able to sign any of the A-list or even B-list free agents and could view CP3 as the answer instead. He's still one of the best PGs in the league right now.

I could totally see the Laker thing, like you said, if they strike out in FA.

It's a real weird scenario, Paul is still good, but he is getting paid a ton of $. So it's going to be a tough needle to thread to find a team who wants him and also has the pieces to send back. Houston is only going to do a deal if they think it makes them better. (Right?)

Wait. The Knicks aren't going to get involved, are they??

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Just swap Harden and LeBron.

 

[Alsacs]

Rockets won’t be able to sign max FAs they aren’t going to give Paul away. Harden’s Supermax cap hit makes him untraceable just because of the money.

The Capela contract is the one I am sure Houston wants to move. If I were Morey I call Vlade and try to get him to take Capela.

 

[NateW]

That was REAL basketball! When men were men! LJ and Kurt Thomas would’ve shut LeBron down and made him cry. Now the game is all soft.

Sorry, I didn’t feel like the doing the every other letter caps thing. But those^^^kind of people that say stuff like that might be my least favorite sports fans of all.

I dunno - it was kind of nice when teams actually played or were allowed to play physical defense in the lane & when there were ppl w back to the basket games offensively.

It’s great that so many guys in the league are excellent jump shooters (basketball certainly is easier to watch when the ball goes in the hoop), but the games can get dry when it’s early transition 3 after early transition 3 after early transition 3.

Those Knicks-Heat series were epic and if one can’t appreciate that, then ur just kissing the ring of the league as it exists today which is a player owned - one team league.

I don’t miss all the hand checking but I do miss teams protecting the paint with extreme prejudice.

 

[OrangeDW]

Just swap Harden and LeBron.

I would turn in my fan card, and just become one of those guys who becomes a fan of whatever team has the best Cuse player. Unless it’s Russ’ team.

I dunno - it was kind of nice when teams actually played or were allowed to play physical defense in the lane & when there were ppl w back to the basket games offensively.

It’s great that so many guys in the league are excellent jump shooters (basketball certainly is easier to watch when the ball goes in the hoop), but the games can get dry when it’s early transition 3 after early transition 3 after early transition 3.

Those Knicks-Heat series were epic and if one can’t appreciate that, then ur just kissing the ring of the league as it exists today which is a player owned - one team league.

I don’t miss all the hand checking but I do miss teams protecting the paint with extreme prejudice.

I loved the league in the 90s.

Just the romanticizing of it like today’s stars would shrivel up and die because some stiff off the bench would’ve supposedly beat them up, like it was the Arch Rivals video game or something. It gets annoying. There was not one forward in the league back then who could check LeBron. Same as now. People pretend some of these 6’9 240 guys who never guarded anyone outside of 10 feet in that era’s game would be locking down LeBron...it’s laughable.

I greatly miss the back to the basket post game. I like balanced offense more than anything.

 

[chugg21]

A couple teams that come to mind to me:

• Lakers - Obviously friends with Lebron, and IF the Lakers decide to focus on Lebron's timeline rather than the rest of the roster, CP3 makes decent sense, especially if they strike out on the A-list free agents again. They might be the only team that could really make it worth Houston's while.
• Jazz - Have some non-guaranteed contracts (Favors, Korver), young prospects (Grayson, Bradley), decent players (Exum, Crowder), and cap space, and they could badly use a guy that can create shots both individually and for the rest of the team. They also already pursued Conley so they aren't against the idea of taking on a big contract for an aging PG with their talents. Along these same lines, I think a 3 team deal including Conley could make sense too.
• Pistons - Similar to Utah, they already pursued Conley, so we know they're on the look for an upgrade at PG and aren't afraid to take on a big contract to do so. They could offer something along the lines of Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Langston Galloway, and Jon Leuer. They have some cheaper young guys like Bruce Brown, Svi Mykhailuk, Thon Maker, and Khyri Thomas if any of them interest Houston as well.
• Miami - Their cap is a mess, but if Riley thinks he can swing other pieces for a quick reload, they could offer some bad contracts that have some talent such as Olynyk, James Johnson, and Dion and some young potential assets like Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson, and Justise Winslow. Could obviously offer Dragic as well, or hilariously offer Ryan Anderson back to them as an expiring.
• Indiana - Cap space and need at PG. They don't have much they can offer back though: Aaron Holiday, Sabonis, McDermott, TJ Leaf, that's literally all the supporting pieces they have on their roster (assuming they keep Oladipo and Turner). Maybe a sign-and-trade involving Bogdanovic, Collison, or Thaddeus Young could work.
• And two lesser possibilities: Boston (obviously assumes they lose Kyrie, could involve Hayward) and Milwaukee (would require them to think they need an upgrade over Bledsoe and would at minimum require Houston taking Tony Snell back).

I think at least one of these teams would bite on a CP3 trade; a lot of these teams are either in a cap situation where a trade is the only realistic way they can improve or they're a small market team that won't realistically be able to sign any of the A-list or even B-list free agents and could view CP3 as the answer instead. He's still one of the best PGs in the league right now.

Pistons were the team I instantly thought of but seems like it would be a no go just because of Paul and Blake hating each other. Also could see Paul threatening to retire before being willing to go there even before getting into the lack of assets the Pistons have. Jazz would be a really great spot for him from a team stand point but I'm still hoping that's a Conley landing spot.

 

[Melancer46]

Pistons were the team I instantly thought of but seems like it would be a no go just because of Paul and Blake hating each other. Also could see Paul threatening to retire before being willing to go there even before getting into the lack of assets the Pistons have. Jazz would be a really great spot for him from a team stand point but I'm still hoping that's a Conley landing spot.

Yeah I’d tend to agree with both of those thoughts. I think Houston probably ends up not liking the offers they get and keep CP3 but Utah and maybe Indiana seem like the ones to watch outside of the Lakers IMO.

And like you said, Conley will definitely factor in as well. Idk if Memphis wants to keep Conley around as a mentor to Ja up until the trade deadline or not, but if Conley is available, teams will undoubtedly play Memphis and Houston off of each other to try to drive the price down.

 

[Alsacs]

I would turn in my fan card, and just become one of those guys who becomes a fan of whatever team has the best Cuse player. Unless it’s Russ’ team.


I loved the league in the 90s.

Just the romanticizing of it like today’s stars would shrivel up and die because some stiff off the bench would’ve supposedly beat them up, like it was the Arch Rivals video game or something. It gets annoying. There was not one forward in the league back then who could check LeBron. Same as now. People pretend some of these 6’9 240 guys who never guarded anyone outside of 10 feet in that era’s game would be locking down LeBron...it’s laughable.

I greatly miss the back to the basket post game. I like balanced offense more than anything.

Pistons/Bulls Era Dennis Rodman could defend LeBron James.

James physically is similar to Karl Malone and Rodman’s defense on him was really important for those Bulls wins over the Jazz. Rodman wasn’t in his prime but he was a great defensive player.

I would love if LeBron faced a defense that could actually foul without the refs reviewing it for a flagrant.

 

[Alsacs]

Interesting video

 

[OrangeDW]

Pistons/Bulls Era Dennis Rodman could defend LeBron James.

James physically is similar to Karl Malone and Rodman’s defense on him was really important for those Bulls wins over the Jazz. Rodman wasn’t in his prime but he was a great defensive player.

I would love if LeBron faced a defense that could actually foul without the refs reviewing it for a flagrant.

LeBron physically is similar to Malone...except he can handle the ball and shoot 3’s, and drive by people from the perimeter.

Bulls era Rodman couldn’t check Shawn Kemp. I doubt he’d fair well on LeBron.

Pistons era would have a better shot. Still, I don’t think it really matters who is on LeBron. Your best bet is team-wise to make him take more jumpers than he wants to and hope he’s missing.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I think the best person to defend Lebron in the 90's would have been Pippen.

 

[OrangeDW]

I think the best person to defend Lebron in the 90's would have been Pippen.

No! Charles Oakley and Herb Williams wouldve made him cry!

 

[Alsacs]

The Toronto Raptors are the first team in NBA history to make the NBA Finals without a single lottery pick on their roster.

 

[jncuse]

The Toronto Raptors are the first team in NBA history to make the NBA Finals without a single lottery pick on their roster.

Although they did trade away 4 lottery players + one lotto pick to get their current team

#5 jv for gasol
#8 Terrence Ross for serge ibaka
#9 Demar and 9 poeltl for Kawhi and Green.
#12 for Lowry.

The picks they got from 2009-2013 drafts when they missed playoffs are paying off .. but with other players.

One other thing - that #9 pick they used to finalize the Kawhi deal (Jacob Poeltl), came from the New York Knicks trading for Andrea Bargnani

 

[chugg21]

The Toronto Raptors are the first team in NBA history to make the NBA Finals without a single lottery pick on their roster.

Is there even another team without a top 5 pick or 2 lotto guys?

 

[Melancer46]

Is there even another team without a top 5 pick or 2 lotto guys?

Bucks have 2 lotto guys but one of them is Pau Gasol

 

[Alsacs]

Nets are the closest team to the Raptors.
They have only 1 lottery pick in D’Angelo Russell.

 

[Alsacs]

A teammate of Shaquille O’Neal has appeared in the NBA Finals every year since 1984.
1984-Greg Kite, Boston
1985- Bryon Scott and Kite-Lakers/Celtics
1986- Kite- Celtics
1987- Scott/Kite- Lakers/Celtics
1988- John Salley/Dennis Rodman/Scott, Pistons/Lakers
1989- Salley/Rodman/Scott, Pistons/Lakers
1990- Salley, Rodman- Pistons
1991 Horace Grant-Bulls
1992 Grant- Bulls
1993 Grant- Bulls
1994 Robert Horry- Rockets
1995- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
1996- Rodman/Ron Harper-Bulls
1997- Rodman/Harper- Bulls
1998- Rodman/Harper- Bulls
1999- Jerome Kersey- Spurs
2000- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2001- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2002- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2003- Robert Horry- Spurs
2004- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2005- Horry- Spurs
2006- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2007- LeBron James- Cavs
2008- Kobe Bryant- Lakers
2009- Bryant- Lakers
2010- Bryant- Lakers
2011- James/Wade- Heat
2012- James/Wade- Heat
2013- James/Wade- Heat
2014- James/Wade- Heat
2015- James/James Jones- Cavs
2016- James/Jones-Cavs
2017-James/Jones-Cavs
2018- James/Jones-Cavs
2019- Danny Green- Raptors

It’s an incredible streak that 36 of the 73 NBA Finals have had a teammate of Shaq or himself.

 

[OrangeDW]

A teammate of Shaquille O’Neal has appeared in the NBA Finals every year since 1984.
1984-Greg Kite, Boston
1985- Bryon Scott and Kite-Lakers/Celtics
1986- Kite- Celtics
1987- Scott/Kite- Lakers/Celtics
1988- John Salley/Dennis Rodman/Scott, Pistons/Lakers
1989- Salley/Rodman/Scott, Pistons/Lakers
1990- Salley, Rodman- Pistons
1991 Horace Grant-Bulls
1992 Grant- Bulls
1993 Grant- Bulls
1994 Robert Horry- Rockets
1995- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
1996- Rodman/Ron Harper-Bulls
1997- Rodman/Harper- Bulls
1998- Rodman/Harper- Bulls
1999- Jerome Kersey- Spurs
2000- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2001- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2002- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2003- Robert Horry- Spurs
2004- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2005- Horry- Spurs
2006- Shaq’s team was in the Finals
2007- LeBron James- Cavs
2008- Kobe Bryant- Lakers
2009- Bryant- Lakers
2010- Bryant- Lakers
2011- James/Wade- Heat
2012- James/Wade- Heat
2013- James/Wade- Heat
2014- James/Wade- Heat
2015- James/James Jones- Cavs
2016- James/Jones-Cavs
2017-James/Jones-Cavs
2018- James/Jones-Cavs
2019- Danny Green- Raptors

It’s an incredible streak that 36 of the 73 NBA Finals have had a teammate of Shaq or himself.

Lol, props to whoever figured that out. Jeez.

I can’t say I would’ve remember Greg Kite (mostly because I haven’t thought of Greg Kite in at least 25 years) or Danny Green as teammates of Shaq’s.

Also would never have thought of Jerome Kersey as being on the ‘99 Spurs. Remember him as a Laker in Shaq’s first year with the team though. He was almost washed then, didn’t realize he was still around a couple years later.

 

[Alsacs]

Lol, props to whoever figured that out. Jeez.

I can’t say I would’ve remember Greg Kite (mostly because I haven’t thought of Greg Kite in at least 25 years) or Danny Green as teammates of Shaq’s.

Also would never have thought of Jerome Kersey as being on the ‘99 Spurs. Remember him as a Laker in Shaq’s first year with the team though. He was almost washed then, didn’t realize he was still around a couple years later.

As a Celtics fan I remember Kite. He was a white stiff backup C for Robert Parish.
He could shoot midrange but wasn’t physical at all. He was Shaq’s veteran backup when Orlando drafted him.
He wasn’t a player most would remember.
Danny Green was with Shaq that one season Shaq was in Cleveland. The Cavs drafted Green so he was a rookie who didn’t play much but was teammates with Shaq.
It’s LeBron’s greatness that kept this streak to be fair.

 

[OrangeDW]

As a Celtics fan I remember Kite. He was a white stiff backup C for Robert Parish.
He could shoot midrange but wasn’t physical at all. He was Shaq’s veteran backup when Orlando drafted him.
He wasn’t a player most would remember.
Danny Green was with Shaq that one season Shaq was in Cleveland. The Cavs drafted Green so he was a rookie who didn’t play much but was teammates with Shaq.
It’s LeBron’s greatness that kept this streak to be fair.

Yeah, I remember Kite and do remember him on Orlando. Just forgot about him from not hearing his name in so long, and doubt I would’ve thought of him on my own.

Do not remember Green on the Cavs at all though.

 

[NateW]

 

[Alsacs]

Yeah, I remember Kite and do remember him on Orlando. Just forgot about him from not hearing his name in so long, and doubt I would’ve thought of him on my own.

Do not remember Green on the Cavs at all though.

 

[OrangeDW]

View attachment 164319

Looking like a character from Reno 911.