The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[AzStevenCal]

Bleacher Report
@BleacherReport
·
2h

Rob Pelinka allegedly made up a story about Kobe having dinner with Heath Ledger after seeing ‘The Dark Knight’ to study how he “locks in” for a role, per @Baxter


Ledger died six months before the movie came out.

So, either Pelinka lied or Kobe has been messing around with the time space continuum? Tough call.

 

[95pro]

Privileged people do have access to advanced screenings, just sayin

 

[Sunburn]

Privileged people do have access to advanced screenings, just sayin

Ledger died during the editing process of The Dark Knight, before any advanced screenings would be shown.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Bleacher Report
@BleacherReport
·
2h

Rob Pelinka allegedly made up a story about Kobe having dinner with Heath Ledger after seeing ‘The Dark Knight’ to study how he “locks in” for a role, per @Baxter


Ledger died six months before the movie came out.

Um. Hardly the example I would recommend. Ledger killed himself locking in for that role--literally.

 

[Yuma]

Mr. Moon Valley, Richard Jefferson on The Jump today.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Mr. Moon Valley, Richard Jefferson on The Jump today.

Yeah he regularly makes the rounds on all the ESPN shows. Today's episode had Artest talking about his documentary but I paid little attention to it.

 

[Yuma]

Yeah he regularly makes the rounds on all the ESPN shows. Today's episode had Artest talking about his documentary but I paid little attention to it.

Later they had the Artest shot that knocked us out of the playoffs. UGH.

 

[Mainstreet]

It sounds like the Rockets are going to be aggressive in improving the team. I hope the Suns do not go after an older player like Chris Paul.


Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account @wojespn


Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal.


8:27 AM - 29 May 2019

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It sounds like the Rockets are going to be aggressive in improving the team. I hope the Suns do not go after an older player like Chris Paul.


Adrian Wojnarowski‏Verified account @wojespn


Sources: In calls to front offices, Houston GM Daryl Morey is showing an aggressive desire to improve roster with all players and picks available in talks. Hard to imagine James Harden scenario, but the rest under contract - perhaps even Chris Paul - could be moved in right deal.


8:27 AM - 29 May 2019

How can he be aggressive when all he has are low draft picks and no one worth anything substantial other than harden (no way), Chris (who is old and expensive), and capella (if you trade him you open another hole in the team)? They don’t have much to trade.

 

[SunnyBaller]

How can he be aggressive when all he has are low draft picks and no one worth anything substantial other than harden (no way), Chris (who is old and expensive), and capella (if you trade him you open another hole in the team)? They don’t have much to trade.

Maybe he wants to blow the team up (besides harden ) and reload with new players

 

[AzStevenCal]

Maybe he wants to blow the team up (besides harden ) and reload with new players

Well, sure, but the point is, HOW? He has very little to work with. Nobody in their right mind wants Paul on that contract, and I'm not even sure anyone really wants Harden with his supermax deal.

 

[Finito]

they got a lot of money tied up in 3 players. Paul is in his mid 30s and still owed 123 million and Capela is a super limited big man he’s a better Steven Hunter in D’Antonis system.

 

[SunnyBaller]

Well, sure, but the point is, HOW? He has very little to work with. Nobody in their right mind wants Paul on that contract, and I'm not even sure anyone really wants Harden with his supermax deal.

I'm sure plenty of teams will call about harden, and capella but Paul will be the hardest since he doesn't have high trade value , id hate if he was in Phoenix but I guarantee they call about Paul

 

[JCSunsfan]

How can he be aggressive when all he has are low draft picks and no one worth anything substantial other than harden (no way), Chris (who is old and expensive), and capella (if you trade him you open another hole in the team)? They don’t have much to trade.

Has to trade Harden if he really wants to change that team--like Cotton did with Larry Nance. But Harden is everything to that team. Chris Paul is even an afterthought.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm sure plenty of teams will call about harden, and capella but Paul will be the hardest since he doesn't have high trade value , id hate if he was in Phoenix but I guarantee they call about Paul

Every team will likely check it out but no, I don't believe Houston will get even one viable offer. The supermax is a team killer. If you already have a championship level team, you can afford to pay someone 35% of the salary cap. But if you're missing pieces and still trying to build that team, you just can't absorb that kind of contract and still put pieces around him. And I'm confident the rest of the league knows that even better than we do.

Houston knew that it was foolish to give Paul that money but it was the only way they could keep a star next to a supermax Harden. And look at the mess they're in now. Unhappy stars, unhappy fans, and nothing to build with. IMO the only teams that make an offer for Harden will be teams looking to unload bad contracts to offset the bad contract James has. But as far as I know, Houston doesn't want to simply unload him, they would demand real assets in return and that's not going to happen.

 

[Yuma]

Paul looked like he was really grinding during the playoffs. It looked as if his best playing days are behind him. Any team would have to see if an 80% Chris Paul serves their needs.

 

[SunnyBaller]

They are gonna demand alot, there's no way they can trade an mvp canidate for just expiring contracts they'd demand at least 1 or two starter/all-star players and draft picks , question is would any team in the NBA do that? Would the Knicks or lakers try if they miss out on free agents

 

[Finito]

I don’t blame Houston for giving Paul that money they seen they had a window and they went for it.

 

[Sunburn]

I don’t blame Houston for giving Paul that money they seen they had a window and they went for it.

Only problem is that contract is going to prove to be their undoing. Had they not signed Paul to it, they'd have options. As it stands, they're stuck.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Paul looked like he was really grinding during the playoffs. It looked as if his best playing days are behind him. Any team would have to see if an 80% Chris Paul serves their needs.

He is going to miss 20-25 games a year with injury. That is what he has been doing the last few years, and it is only going to get worse.

 

[Finito]

Only problem is that contract is going to prove to be their undoing. Had they not signed Paul to it, they'd have options. As it stands, they're stuck.

What are you supposed to do let him walk and try to sell your fan base and Harden on shutting the window?

Damned if you damned if you don’t.

 

[Sunburn]

What are you supposed to do let him walk and try to sell your fan base and Harden on shutting the window?

Damned if you damned if you don’t.

Agreed. That would've been a very hard sell.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The problem with the cap and max contracts is that every reasonably good player thinks he deserves it and is insulted if he does not get it. I sometimes wonder if there was no individual max, but with the same overall cap restrictions, if the big salaries might be less.

It's kind of like little kids with training wheels. When they have the training wheels on their bikes, they lean against them going around the corners. Once you take the wheels off, they have to balance and they start to lean the right way.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I suspect if the Suns offered Budenholzer the same package as Monty Williams he would be the Suns head coach.

Maybe Jones, Bowers and Budenholzer would have still happened.

Anyway, we are good!

I doubt it. He was likely always going to interview for that Bucks job and was likely always going to take it.

 

[Yuma]

He is going to miss 20-25 games a year with injury. That is what he has been doing the last few years, and it is only going to get worse.

To me, that's not worth the salary being paid out. I am not James Jones. This off season will be very interesting. Just by the nature of all the new people at the top, we will have to wait and see the final product before we can make judgement. That being said, aside from individual achievements, it will be hard NOT to improve from where we are now.