OT: Russell Westbrook trade thread

[elindholm]

Oklahoma City must think they can move Paul later. Otherwise they are basically looking at a three-year tank.

 

[elindholm]

This is tough for me. My favorite and least-favorite players in the league are now running mates. Whether I'll be able to stomach watching the Rockets will depend on whose personality emerges as the dominant one.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

OKC has acquired a phenomenal amount of 8 first round picks since draft night.

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They have 14 first round picks over the next 7 years. That’s not even counting four (?) pick swaps available. Holy crap!

 

[Mainstreet]

OKC has respectable players around Chris Paul if they do want to compete in Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

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15! Good lord. That’s just ridiculous.

 

[Mainstreet]

They have 14 first round picks over the next 7 years. That’s not even counting four (?) pick swaps available. Holy crap!

It's insane.

We are seeing the devaluing of draft picks for the acquisition of stars. It's now all about destination.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

OKC has respectable players around Chris Paul if they do want to compete in Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams.

I forgot about gallo and Adams. If I were them I’d go full tank and trade away those two for picks and just build around SGA and 17-18 first round picks.

 

[AzStevenCal]

It's insane.

We are seeing the devaluing of draft picks for the acquisition of stars. It's now all about destination.

I agree but I think the change in the lottery has a lot to do with this approach too. I think the days of season long tanks are mostly behind us and the day of the mega trades involving picks is here to stay (for awhile).

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I agree but I think the change in the lottery has a lot to do with this approach too. I think the days of season long tanks are mostly behind us and the day of the mega trades involving picks is here to stay (for awhile).

A lot of teams are out of tradable picks for the foreseeable future!

 

[GatorAZ]

yup.

next step... firing DA and bringing in someone who can work with those two. I don't know how the hell any of his "systems" can account for the two biggest ball stoppers in the league.

D’Antoni who loves no egos and ball movement yikes LOL

 

[Rab]

OKC has respectable players around Chris Paul if they do want to compete in Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams.

Yeah people keep thinking they are going to tank but this team can probably compete for a low seed in the playoffs still if they keep Paul for the year. I don’t know how they get off his deal without throwing in some of those picks they acquired.

And they have Alexander as well who a lot of people are very high on.

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Yeah people keep thinking they are going to tank but this team can probably compete for a low seed in the playoffs still if they keep Paul for the year. I don’t know how they get off his deal without throwing in some of those picks they acquired.

And they have Alexander as well who a lot of people are very high on.

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Yup it’s entirely conceivable that . . .

Paul
SGA
Danilo
Adams

. . . is better than the suns this year. I hope not. But it’s possible.

Chris Paul must be beyond pissed.

 

[Mainstreet]

I agree but I think the change in the lottery has a lot to do with this approach too. I think the days of season long tanks are mostly behind us and the day of the mega trades involving picks is here to stay (for awhile).

Also how teams are built is changing.

Contending teams will get their players through free agency or mega trades and the other teams will largely serve as farm teams developing the players.

This needs to be examined at the next collective bargaining agreement but I am skeptical of it being fixed. There is too much money to be made.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah people keep thinking they are going to tank but this team can probably compete for a low seed in the playoffs still if they keep Paul for the year. I don’t know how they get off his deal without throwing in some of those picks they acquired.

And they have Alexander as well who a lot of people are very high on.

Excellent points if OKC decides to keep Paul.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yup it’s entirely conceivable that . . .

Paul
SGA
Danilo
Adams

. . . is better than the suns this year. I hope not. But it’s possible.

Chris Paul must be beyond pissed.

It's impressive what OKC has done. That's a pretty good lineup plus all of their future assets.

 

[Phrazbit]

OKC does have an impressive haul of picks but it has to be pointed out that Houston is giving up literally nothing for 5 years in this trade and even after 5 years that pick is lotto protected.

I know they've both got brutal contracts but I thought the talent disparity was wide enough that Houston would have had to give up more.

BTW, my guess is Chris Paul to the Knicks at some point here. It's really the only destination that has a financial fit... and the Knicks are stupid as hell.

 

[Mainstreet]

So could Chris Paul end up in Miami. OKC would likely get Dragic back plus even more assets.

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[Hoop Head]

So could Chris Paul end up in Miami. OKC would likely get Dragic back plus even more assets.

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Thought that would be the next play. Houston did this now in order to move Paul and get back Westbrook. If Miami was able to swing a deal for Westbrook, which was the rumor, then they'd be stuck with Paul for at least the next 2 years unless Washington could be convinced to swap Wall for Paul.

I think we'll only see these supermax deals moved for each other going forward. No one else wants them. By the time a player can sign them they're on the downside of their careers, generally, and locking them in for 35-40% of the salary cap for 3-4 years is a team killer.

It'll be interesting to see Westbrook and Harden drive D'Antoni nuts next year. If they can co-exist we could see teammates each average a triple double, and I think they will be fine next season. It's beyond next season that things will fall apart.

I wish Houston could have done this sooner so we could have gotten a Westbrook vs KD playoff series. That would have pulled in huge ratings for the league and there was a high probability we'd get to see KD cry.

 

[JCSunsfan]

So could Chris Paul end up in Miami. OKC would likely get Dragic back plus even more assets.

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not more assets. Will have to giv up a pick or two.

 

[Folster]

It's insane.

We are seeing the devaluing of draft picks for the acquisition of stars. It's now all about destination.

OKC would be lucky if one of their 14 picks turns out as good as Westbrook.

 

[Mainstreet]

not more assets. Will have to giv up a pick or two.

Maybe. I guess there could be a swap of other players.

 

[Mainstreet]

OKC would be lucky if one of their 14 picks turns out as good as Westbrook.

If OKC actually uses all those draft picks but I think a lot of them will be used in trade.

 

[Proximo]

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Yeah, I think this is going to be a disaster.

 

[Mainstreet]

Thought that would be the next play. Houston did this now in order to move Paul and get back Westbrook. If Miami was able to swing a deal for Westbrook, which was the rumor, then they'd be stuck with Paul for at least the next 2 years unless Washington could be convinced to swap Wall for Paul.

I think we'll only see these supermax deals moved for each other going forward. No one else wants them. By the time a player can sign them they're on the downside of their careers, generally, and locking them in for 35-40% of the salary cap for 3-4 years is a team killer.

It'll be interesting to see Westbrook and Harden drive D'Antoni nuts next year. If they can co-exist we could see teammates each average a triple double, and I think they will be fine next season. It's beyond next season that things will fall apart.

I wish Houston could have done this sooner so we could have gotten a Westbrook vs KD playoff series. That would have pulled in huge ratings for the league and there was a high probability we'd get to see KD cry.

I'd like to see some of the super teams use up their trade assets and be stuck with aging stars but with shorter contracts being in vogue I doubt it happens. They will just reload.

 

[Phrazbit]

OKC has now lost 4 legit superstars, in their primes, in a little over 5 years. They have a lot of assets but rough time to be an OKC fan. Not that I feel all that bad for em... that franchise should be in Seattle. Their owner secretly sucks, he screwed Seattle and he's a cheapskate. We whine about Sarver and finances... they lost Harden over a difference of 2 million a year and while they had the amnesty clause in their pocket and Kendrick Perkins bloated corpse taking up cap space.