NBA 2018-2019

[Knicks411]

Bizarre set of circumstances that are fairly irrelevant. They had to refuse to play him gor most of the 2nd half and then still hit on a less than 10% chance.

I get it, I'm not saying I'm predicting it to happen, but especially with how the lottery odds have changed, you can't just assume whats going to happen with first round picks 4 or 5 years down the road.

 

[Knicks411]

As far as the Lakers go, I'm not sure they should be the favorite to win it all, but they probably should be pretty close.

They do need to fill out the rest of the roster, but they do have cap space, and no team has two better players than Davis and Lebron, and that covers up for a lot. Plus, the league/west is super wide open right now. If I had to pick one team to win the west right now, I think I'd have to take the Lakers.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

As far as the Lakers go, I'm not sure they should be the favorite to win it all, but they probably should be pretty close.

They do need to fill out the rest of the roster, but they do have cap space, and no team has two better players than Davis and Lebron, and that covers up for a lot. Plus, the league/west is super wide open right now. If I had to pick one team to win the west right now, I think I'd have to take the Lakers.

I'd go Denver.

Their nucleus is still ascending. They have a wild card in Porter Jr. They went stride for stride with the Warriors and learned what the playoffs are about.

 

[chugg21]

I'd go Denver.

Their nucleus is still ascending. They have a wild card in Porter Jr. They went stride for stride with the Warriors and learned what the playoffs are about.

I might be with you depending on what they do with Millsap's $30m team option. If they figure out a way to upgrade with that money then look out.

 

[Knicks411]

I'd go Denver.

Their nucleus is still ascending. They have a wild card in Porter Jr. They went stride for stride with the Warriors and learned what the playoffs are about.

Don't hate the Denver call. (Not going to lie, kind of totally overlooked them)

 

[Cusefan0307]

I’m ready to hate the Lakers hard. They’re not winning! Plus we still don’t know where the best FA in Kawhi is going yet. That team is the favorite.

 

[Trueblue25]

Would love to see Dion with Steph

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Don't hate the Denver call. (Not going to lie, kind of totally overlooked them)

If the Jazz can pull out a miracle and snag either Tobias Harris or Russell out of free agency, I think they're interesting too.

As for overlooking Denver, there's decent reason to. They did make a rapid rise, so who knows if they can sustain it.

Still - they bring a lot back and depending on Millsap may have some financial flex. They also have what I'd assume is a decent expiring contract in Plumlee. Basically, I don't think they've hit their crest yet.

 

[Trueblue25]

Where do the below land?

Jimmy Buckets
Melo
Kemba
Kyrie
Kawhi


My hopes are
Clippers
Clippers
Knicks
Lakers
Clippers.


Yep.

 

[Alsacs]

Where do the below land?

Jimmy Buckets
Melo
Kemba
Kyrie
Kawhi


My hopes are
Clippers
Clippers
Knicks
Lakers
Clippers.


Yep.

Butler-Philadelphia
Melo-Doneski
Kemba- Knicks
Kyrie- Nets
Kawhi- Raptors or Clippers

 

[Alsacs]

Other FA predictions
Russell- Pacers
Middleton- Bucks
Redick- Lakers
Harris- 76ers
Thompson and Durant- Warriors

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Butler-Philadelphia
Melo-Doneski
Kemba- Knicks
Kyrie- Nets
Kawhi- Raptors or Clippers

Interesting, wouldn't have figured Melo for the Russian league.

 

[SU in Hershey]

Other FA predictions
Russell- Pacers
Middleton- Bucks
Redick- Lakers
Harris- 76ers
Thompson and Durant- Warriors

Redick on the Lakers, as currently composed, would be a great fit. They need that spacing/kick-out-for-an-open-3 player. (And I need to use less hyphens)

 

[Cusefan0307]

LeBron fans funny. Bust on KD and Steph for needing help to win and now saying LeBron finally got help again. How they gonna handle Warrior fans being Laker fans now?

 

[Alsacs]

LeBron fans funny. Bust on KD and Steph for needing help to win and now saying LeBron finally got help again. How they gonna handle Warrior fans being Laker fans now?

The Rockets are still good. I don’t get this Lakers as favorite.
Of course the Lakers could easily pull a 2008 Celtics and go 65-17 and run away with it but I don’t see that.

 

[Alsacs]

Kuzma for CP3 is going to happen IMO.

Just a sneaky move I see happening.

 

[Horn88]

The Rockets are still good. I don’t get this Lakers as favorite.
Of course the Lakers could easily pull a 2008 Celtics and go 65-17 and run away with it but I don’t see that.

Yea I feel like it’s tough to really say who is the favorite going into next year with so many huge pieces still on the board.

My guess is Lakers will probably sign a third big name. With so many teams having cap space role players are going to be expensive this summer. Then they should have a pretty easy time at convincing veterans to sign for the minimum and live in LA and play for a championship with at least 2 top 5 players in the league.

Kawhi is obviously a monster piece. I don’t think he’s staying in Toronto and will end up at one of the LA teams. Vegas thinks it’s Clippers but Kawhi’s family are pretty vocal Lakers fans on social media and been especially active since the AD trade. He’ll be recruited pretty hard by the Laker machine.

 

[Horn88]

Kuzma for CP3 is going to happen IMO.

Just a sneaky move I see happening.

I don’t see that happening. Lakers wanted to keep Kuzma because front office loves him as a person and as I said earlier in this thread they know he’s incredibly cheap for what he can bring to the table. Replacing his production would be so much more expensive in the free agent market.

Edit: I do think maybe LeBron brings Melo in to sign on for the vet minimum as just a lottery ticket type deal to see if it works out as a floor spacer off the bench. I think I read they’ve been working out together this offseason.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

As a Pels fan I'm dying for them to move Lonzo for 6 or 7 then combine that with 4 for Beal. All winners in that scenario.

Wouldn't you rather trade up and get Morant. He and Zion are a great start.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Kuzma for CP3 is going to happen IMO.

Just a sneaky move I see happening.

Good hope they do that. That’s a win for the Rockets.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Kawhi ain’t playing with LeBron. He’s won two titles without him.

 

[cuseattle]

Kawhi just seems old school and not looking to team up.

 

[Horn88]

Kawhi ain’t playing with LeBron. He’s won two titles without him.

The fact he’s already won 2 and has 2 Finals MVP’s makes me think he won’t care about joining LeBron because he has nothing to prove to anyone.

The draw is to be a guy who grew up in LA with a family of huge Lakers fans to go back home and play for the Lakers and know you can team up with AD for the prime of both of your careers. That’s appealing.

I don’t think it’s likely he goes to the Lakers but I think it’s more probable than people want to admit.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I don’t see that happening. Lakers wanted to keep Kuzma because front office loves him as a person and as I said earlier in this thread they know he’s incredibly cheap for what he can bring to the table. Replacing his production would be so much more expensive in the free agent market.

Edit: I do think maybe LeBron brings Melo in to sign on for the vet minimum as just a lottery ticket type deal to see if it works out as a floor spacer off the bench. I think I read they’ve been working out together this offseason.

Re: Kuzma, moreso than his production, the question is one of whether he's one of LeBron's boys.

Pretty clear all the guys traded away were not.

 

[Alsacs]

This Pelicans-Lakers trade being completed on July 6th rather than July 30 will cost the Lakers from 32.5 million cap space to 25 million.
Which means they won’t be able to max any FA.

Pelicans want their pick to play in the summer league and to get their business started.
That is why a Chris Paul trade makes more sense.