2023-24 Around the NBA Thread

[Proximo]

Read that sentence out loud.

Yeah I know.

 

[Chaplin]

Naz Reid at 20million per or Ayton at 32 million. Which is the better deal? Probably Naz Reid at least if Ayton keeps playing like he has been.

Ayton is a far superior player. The only thing Reid has over him is a motor. That's definitely worth something, but Reid isn't even a starter level player. For all his faults, Ayton is.

And I wasn't comparing Ayton's to Reid's contracts. People are saying Minne got a bargain with Reid's new deal. I say they didn't. Not a bad deal, but not a steal either.

 

[Hoop Head]

Gobert is definitely an overpay, but Naz Reid at 20m per is also an overpay. And a pretty bad one at that. You can talk about hometown discount all you want, but if he could get upwards of 20m per year, why would his agent literally leave 18m lying on the table?

Deals like that happen all the time. A few years ago we thought we might lose Cam Payne and he resigned on a team friendly deal of $6m a year. Numbers were regularly tossed around here of $10m+ a year. Some guys are loyal.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Do I detect a bit of shade???

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[Chaplin]

Do I detect a bit of shade???

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That’s oddly specific.

 

[BirdGangThing]

That’s oddly specific.

I think he might be low key jelly

 

[Covert Rain]

Do I detect a bit of shade???

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[overseascardfan]

So UTA is acquiring Collins and they already have Lauri? They like Kessler at C, what’s their plan?

 

[Folster]

I don't get the reported interest Houston has in Harden. He's not the type of player you'd want with your young team.

 

[Mainstreet]

So UTA is acquiring Collins and they already have Lauri? They like Kessler at C, what’s their plan?

My guess is the Jazz will bump up his value and trade him again.

 

[Proximo]

My guess is the Jazz will bump up his value and trade him again.

Exactly, he is an asset they got for real cheap, and the team still stinks. They don't really care at this point if he completely fits their team, they aren't done building it.

 

[Phrazbit]

Jazz also have no interest in signing free agents are they were below the salary floor.

 

[Phrazbit]

I was looking up other stuff and I ran across the name Sabazz Napier.

You guys remember when LeBron leveraged Miami's front office into trading for Napier during the draft, then a week later LeBron bailed in free agency?

That was funny stuff.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

So UTA is acquiring Collins and they already have Lauri? They like Kessler at C, what’s their plan?

They play lauri at the 3. That’s a big front line.

 

[Germz249]

Brook Lopez rumored to sign a 2 year 24mil with the Lakers on July 6.

But let me pass this off as my inside source within the league has told me. Plans can change though if a better deal or fit comes along. Its not set in stone.

Germz from San Tan Valley..

 

[Folster]

Brook Lopez rumored to sign a 2 year 24mil with the Lakers on July 6.

But let me pass this off as my inside source within the league has told me. Plans can change though if a better deal or fit comes along. Its not set in stone.

Germz from San Tan Valley..

Wouldn't the Lakers have to renounce a bunch of their free agents to get the full MLE to offer that to Lopez?

 

[Hoop Head]

Wouldn't the Lakers have to renounce a bunch of their free agents to get the full MLE to offer that to Lopez?

No, ditching Westbrook freed up some space. They'll have the regular MLE available to them and be able to resign a bunch of their own guys.

 

[Phrazbit]

I'm guessing Germz was being sarcastic, "FLEX BOMB BABEEEE"

But I also think the Lakers would be stupid to move Davis out of the paint. He's a bad outside shooter and bad perimeter defender... meanwhile, he is a GREAT rim defender and really good near the hoop.

The bizarre obsession with solid, versatile centers trying to become mediocre, redundant power forwards will forever confuse me.

AD wants to be a 4, as I said, his skill set is a center's, not a 4 at all.

Amare wanted to be a 4, when at the 5 he was a huge matchup problem for every team he faced.

Towns went from being one of the best offensive centers in the league (who struggled on D), to being a... good but not great offensive 4, who sucks on the glass and sucks on D.

And there are constantly posts about converting Ayton to a 4, even though he would quite obviously be terrible there.

The NBA should just get rid of "center" as a position... let all these prima donnas satiate themselves with the idea of being one of 3 forwards on the court.

 

[Sparky16]

I know, but look where it got them. Mikal got underpaid, and if the Suns had paid Cam the 80 he was asking he would have been underpaid too.

This makes me hate DA even more, if he was Worth a S*** he could have been the piece for KD. I hope the ATL is moving $ in an attempt to get DA that includes Capela and either Murray or Bogdanovic

 

[Germz249]

I'm guessing Germz was being sarcastic, "FLEX BOMB BABEEEE"

Sorry.. my poor attempt..

 

[Covert Rain]

I'm guessing Germz was being sarcastic, "FLEX BOMB BABEEEE"

But I also think the Lakers would be stupid to move Davis out of the paint. He's a bad outside shooter and bad perimeter defender... meanwhile, he is a GREAT rim defender and really good near the hoop.

The bizarre obsession with solid, versatile centers trying to become mediocre, redundant power forwards will forever confuse me.

AD wants to be a 4, as I said, his skill set is a center's, not a 4 at all.

Amare wanted to be a 4, when at the 5 he was a huge matchup problem for every team he faced.

Towns went from being one of the best offensive centers in the league (who struggled on D), to being a... good but not great offensive 4, who sucks on the glass and sucks on D.

And there are constantly posts about converting Ayton to a 4, even though he would quite obviously be terrible there.

The NBA should just get rid of "center" as a position... let all these prima donnas satiate themselves with the idea of being one of 3 forwards on the court.

Amare was a natural 4 and before his injury nobody could keep up with him at the 4 spot as well. I recall someone posting his defensive numbers by position and if I remember correctly the Suns were better in some areas defensively when he played the 4. But we had SSOL and Pringles prioritizing offense. Those teams were notoriously caught in bad rotation defense. Unlike AD or Ayton at least Amare, preinjury, was fast, athletic and mobile enough as a natural PF. AD and Ayton? Yeah, I am with you there. Especially in today's game. Jokic is just a freak of nature and not the norm. I cringe at the prospect of Ayton playing PF. How many times do we see Ayton look lethargic getting back against centers?!

 

[Dan H]

Amare was a natural 4 and before his injury nobody could keep up with him at the 4 spot as well. I recall someone posting his defensive numbers by position and if I remember correctly the Suns were better in some areas defensively when he played the 4. But we had SSOL and Pringles prioritizing offense. Those teams were notoriously caught in bad rotation defense. Unlike AD or Ayton at least Amare, preinjury, was fast, athletic and mobile enough as a natural PF. AD and Ayton? Yeah, I am with you there. Especially in today's game. Jokic is just a freak of nature and not the norm. I cringe at the prospect of Ayton playing PF. How many times do we see Ayton look lethargic getting back against centers?!

Those Amare teams were best with him at 4, and Kurt Thomas at 5. Freaking Sarver probably screwed us out of a championship or two by penny pinching JJ and KT off the team.

 

[Yuma]

I'm guessing Germz was being sarcastic, "FLEX BOMB BABEEEE"

But I also think the Lakers would be stupid to move Davis out of the paint. He's a bad outside shooter and bad perimeter defender... meanwhile, he is a GREAT rim defender and really good near the hoop.

The bizarre obsession with solid, versatile centers trying to become mediocre, redundant power forwards will forever confuse me.

AD wants to be a 4, as I said, his skill set is a center's, not a 4 at all.

Amare wanted to be a 4, when at the 5 he was a huge matchup problem for every team he faced.

Towns went from being one of the best offensive centers in the league (who struggled on D), to being a... good but not great offensive 4, who sucks on the glass and sucks on D.

And there are constantly posts about converting Ayton to a 4, even though he would quite obviously be terrible there.

The NBA should just get rid of "center" as a position... let all these prima donnas satiate themselves with the idea of being one of 3 forwards on the court.

The NBA basically did do away with the Center position. Now for All Stars, you basically just vote for bigs.

So LA Lakers will say Lopez is a five and AD is a four, even though through switching on D it won't matter, and AD will still be low post offense and Lopez will still spread it out at the three point line. It's just names. Their games will still be the same.

 

[JCSunsfan]

That John Collins trade was horrible.

 

[overseascardfan]

That John Collins trade was horrible.

I wonder if this is the same trade value GM's view Ayton.

Markkanen had a nice rebound year in UTA, maybe Collins will as well depending on how he's used.