NBA free agency/LeBronapalooza 2018

[Alsacs]

Woj watching the world burn?

Nah, he is doing Pop a solid IMO.
Keeping his sources happy.
The Celtics aren't in on Kawhi.
Lakers have no incentive to up their offer so Woj tweets what he did.
Now see if Lakers up offer.
It shocks me the 76ers aren't mentioned more for Kawhi.

 

[Melancer46]

 

[OrangeDW]

Wasn't it Magic who just said if he can't bring the big Free Agents in within the next 2 years he would step down? If I have that comment right (which I probably don't) it sounds like he's in a hurrry.

My personal interpretation of that was him letting the many jumpy Laker fans out there(that haven’t watched a game in 5 years other than Kobe’s last game) Know that we don’t have to do anything this year. If we don’t get anyone this year, it’s ok. Because we’ll be in an even stronger position next summer. I think that’s why he said “next 2 years” and not “this year”.

 

[Trueblue25]

This is making my head hurt. Its true but woj is now playing it both ways.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Boston should just stand pat. They don’t need Kawhi.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Boston should just stand pat. They don’t need Kawhi.

Agreed. I want to see what this team looks like on the floor the way they currently are.

 

[Cusefan0307]

The only contender that really “needs” another superstar is team Lebron.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I just think it's weird because the history of nearly all sports the players have basically had no power. Why shouldn't they have power?

They should. But here's the cycle:

Star* wants to compete. Believes another star is needed to compete. Joins team. Team guts roster to get another star. Team fills roster with scrubs, crusted vets, and ring chasers. Star complains about not having help.

Like, speaking to power to the players, what about the mid-level players that get stripped out to create these teams? And then the secondary guys that are brought in that are secondary players and are able to come in because they are secondary players, and get blamed for not being more than that.

*Bronnie

 

[Melancer46]

 

[OrangeDW]

Boston should just stand pat. They don’t need Kawhi.

Agreed. They’ve got Tatum and Brown. And Hayward coming back!

 

[Knicks411]

They should. But here's the cycle:

Star* wants to compete. Believes another star is needed to compete. Joins team. Team guts roster to get another star. Team fills roster with scrubs, crusted vets, and ring chasers. Star complains about not having help.

Like, speaking to power to the players, what about the mid-level players that get stripped out to create these teams? And then the secondary guys that are brought in that are secondary players and are able to come in because they are secondary players, and get blamed for not being more than that.

*Bronnie

I guess I see what you're saying, but the # of players is a zero sum game, every team has 15 roster spots or whatever it is. So every team that brings in a player, someone else loses a spot no matter what. So I don't see that really as an issue.

I can't really say the Cavs gutted their roster for Lebron; they were pretty awful before he got there and now they've made the finals the last 4 years. I don't think Dan Gilbert is exactly disappointed that he came back.

I get you want to hate on Lebron, but I don't exactly see it here.

 

[moqui]

I guess I see what you're saying, but the # of players is a zero sum game, every team has 15 roster spots or whatever it is. So every team that brings in a player, someone else loses a spot no matter what. So I don't see that really as an issue.

I can't really say the Cavs gutted their roster for Lebron; they were pretty awful before he got there and now they've made the finals the last 4 years. I don't think Dan Gilbert is exactly disappointed that he came back.

I get you want to hate on Lebron, but I don't exactly see it here.

yup. lebron's machinations have on the whole been successful; not as successful as he wanted and certainly not perfect, but successful.

oig's description is actually a fit for carmelo, not lebron

 

[Melancer46]

 

[chugg21]

They can want Boston's assets but Ainge isn't giving them anything good unless he wants to piss off his fanbase.

The Clippers are probably the only team other than the Lakers that can trade for Kawhi and feel he will resign there.

Don't think Ainge is concerned about the fanbase. He can do anything he wants and it turns to gold. People were crying about the draft trade last year and now have to shut up for the next 10 years.

 

[Knicks411]

Is Aaron Gordon good?

 

[RF2044]

Don't think Ainge is concerned about the fanbase. He can do anything he wants and it turns to gold. People were crying about the draft trade last year and now have to shut up for the next 10 years.

They were? I think the vast majority of Boston fans were in favor of the trade. Fultz didn't make any sense.

 

[RF2044]

Is Aaron Gordon good?

He had a breakthrough kind of season [18 / 8] toiling in general obscurity. Not sure how "good" he is, but he was a one-and-done who is a few years in, and thing are now starting to click.

 

[chugg21]

Is Aaron Gordon good?

Would be a great fit as a stretch 4 and 3rd best player on a really good team. He's just been struck having to try to be the #1 option on a terrible team.

 

[Alsacs]

They were? I think the vast majority of Boston fans were in favor of the trade. Fultz didn't make any sense.

Yeah I was the minority.
I didn't like but most fans were okay with it because of Tatum's offensive game.
I didn't think Tatum could play D because of how did at Duke but Stevens can coach.

 

[chugg21]

I have to imagine that Orlando wants him to sign an offer sheet somewhere because there's no way they can feel ok offering him anywhere near the 5/148 max.

 

[Knicks411]

He had a breakthrough kind of season [18 / 8] toiling in general obscurity. Not sure how "good" he is, but he was a one-and-done who is a few years in, and thing are now starting to click.

Yeah I feel like he started hot and cooled off? He did bump his usage up, his efficiency is very meh. I would hate to give him like $15-20 per year. But like you said, he is still very young, so it can be real hard to evaluate those kind of guys, you need to pay them a ton of money before you really know what you have

 

[chugg21]

They were? I think the vast majority of Boston fans were in favor of the trade. Fultz didn't make any sense.

Fultz and Lonzo were the tier 1 potential superstar guys and Tatum was a tier 2 with Fox, Issac, Jackson and a few others. Pretty sure that most everyone was in agreement with that.

 

[RF2044]

Fultz and Lonzo were the tier 1 potential superstar guys and Tatum was a tier 2 with Fox, Issac, Jackson and a few others. Pretty sure that most everyone was in agreement with that.

I thought Taytum was the best player in the draft last year--was happy that Boston moved back.

Figured that Fultz was overrated [he can certainly still disprove that], that Ball's defensive / shooting limitations limited his upside, and that Jackson's inability to shoot would similarly limit his upside.

Isaac was intriguing due to his size / versatility, and Fox was another guard, which Boston didn't need [ditto Fultz / Ball].

Expressed on this board that I was hoping for Taytum or Isaac. Glad things worked out the way they did. Too much emphasis on raw athleticism, not enough on skill. Taytum has both.

Draft is such a crapshoot. Case in point: even though I may have "called" last year correctly, but the year before I was DEAD SET against them drafting a guy like Brown [remember us complaining about that and bemoaning that likely outcome, Alsacs?]. Couldn't have been more wrong about that one -- can't believe how much his game has developed in a mere two seasons.

 

[chugg21]

I thought Taytum was the best player in the draft last year--was happy that Boston moved back.

Figured that Fultz was overrated [he can certainly still disprove that], that Ball's defensive / shooting limitations limited his upside, and that Jackson's inability to shoot would similarly limit his upside.

Isaac was intriguing due to his size / versatility, and Fox was another guard, which Boston didn't need [ditto Fultz / Ball].

Expressed on this board that I was hoping for Taytum or Isaac. Glad things worked out the way they did. Too much emphasis on raw athleticism, not enough on skill. Taytum has both.

Draft is such a crapshoot. Case in point: even though I may have "called" last year correctly, but the year before I was DEAD SET against them drafting a guy like Brown [remember us complaining about that and bemoaning that likely outcome, Alsacs?]. Couldn't have been more wrong about that one -- can't believe how much his game has developed in a mere two seasons.

You would have been 1 of a very few that thought Tatum was the best player in that draft. Consensus opinion was that he was Jabari/Carmelo like as a one-dimensional scorer.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Is Aaron Gordon good?

I think he's exactly the kind of player you gamble on at this point in his career.