The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[Phrazbit]

Time for a new thread.

First up, Carmelo Anthony and a 2022 protected first round pick (the double down draft) has been traded to Atlanta, who will waive him. OKC receives Mike Muscala and Dennis Schroeder.

Sam Presti is a bad GM. That trade is awful. They just swapped one of the worst one year contracts and a 1st round pick for one of the worst long term contracts in the NBA. Dennis Schroeder is the 2013 Michael Beasley of point guards, an abomination on both sides of the ball and he's making 15 mil a year. This isn't them getting "something" for Carmelo, Schroeder is a hugely negative asset. As evidenced by Atlanta taking on 30 million in money that they're going to set ablaze just to be rid of him.

Carmelo is expected to sign in Houston, a place where is play style couldn't be more opposite of the system. I expect this to end very poorly.

Edit: It's a 3 way trade. Instead of Mike Muscala, a serviceable reserve big, the Thunder are getting the last guy on the Sixers bench.

 

[Ronin]

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[Phrazbit]

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He's such a friggin turd. Dude accepts his player option while disliking his role and wanting to join a superteam.

 

[JCSunsfan]

He's such a friggin turd. Dude accepts his player option while disliking his role and wanting to join a superteam.

He would be an absolute idiot to turn down that player option. That's just business.

 

[devilalum]

He's such a friggin turd. Dude accepts his player option while disliking his role and wanting to join a superteam.

Screwed over a western conference rival. Works for me. Its not like any kids were left homeless.

 

[Phrazbit]

He would be an absolute idiot to turn down that player option. That's just business.

I know, because he's sunk so low. But I don't know that I've seen a player basically go "I want out!", while accepting their option year.

 

[Mainstreet]

My guess is Sam Presti is still trying to ride a huge wave for all it's worth before he wipes out.

 

[Hoop Head]

I know, because he's sunk so low. But I don't know that I've seen a player basically go "I want out!", while accepting their option year.

Dwight did that in Orlando, threatened he was leaving if he wasn't traded and then when the Magic kept him he opted into his contract and said he wanted to stay. The Magic traded him to LA and he was upset because he thought he would be staying in Orlando.

Melo is a turd though. No class whatsoever to do what he did this offseason. I know it's a lot of money but this is one of the reasons he won't be remembered fondly when he's done.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Dwight did that in Orlando, threatened he was leaving if he wasn't traded and then when the Magic kept him he opted into his contract and said he wanted to stay. The Magic traded him to LA and he was upset because he thought he would be staying in Orlando.

Melo is a turd though. No class whatsoever to do what he did this offseason. I know it's a lot of money but this is one of the reasons he won't be remembered fondly when he's done.

It's not just "a lot of money". It's the difference between probably 2.7 million dollars and 28 MILLION DOLLARS. To call him a turd for deciding against willingly taking a 1000% cut in pay is ridiculous. He got to a position where he could negotiate that contract and did. It's not his fault the Knicks were stupid enough to sign him to it and OKC was stupid enough to trade for it.

I swear, sometimes I think you guys think this is just monopoly money being thrown around. No one in their damn right mind would take a 26 million dollar pay cut... just to be nice. Calling him a turd for getting all he can to take care of GENERATIONS of his family is the only thing lacking class here.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I swear, sometimes I think you guys think this is just monopoly money being thrown around. No one in their damn right mind would take a 26 million dollar pay cut... just to be nice. Calling him a turd for getting all he can to take care of GENERATIONS of his family is the only thing lacking class here.

Well I would but that's just because all my extra money goes to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and the Unicorn Preservation Gathering. And yeah, in this regard, Melo is guilty only of playing the system. Something every one of us would do in the same situation IMO.

 

[Phrazbit]

It's not just "a lot of money". It's the difference between probably 2.7 million dollars and 28 MILLION DOLLARS. To call him a turd for deciding against willingly taking a 1000% cut in pay is ridiculous. He got to a position where he could negotiate that contract and did. It's not his fault the Knicks were stupid enough to sign him to it and OKC was stupid enough to trade for it.

I swear, sometimes I think you guys think this is just monopoly money being thrown around. No one in their damn right mind would take a 26 million dollar pay cut... just to be nice. Calling him a turd for getting all he can to take care of GENERATIONS of his family is the only thing lacking class here.

I'm saying he's a turd for taking the money and then whining about his role and wanting out. Take the giant pile of money and try to help your team.

 

[Finito]

Not a single guy on this board would turn down that kind of money. I know I wouldnt. These teams don't love these guys. Let Lebron get hurt and watch how fast people turn on him. Good for Carmelo

I actually like this trade for OKC. DS is what he is and that is not a star PG who can carry a franchise and that's what Atlanta tried to make him. He's going to provide a good spark off the bench for them

 

[Hoop Head]

Money isn't everything. For a player to openly talk about being unhappy with their team and having the option to leave but choosing not to shows he cares about money more than anything else. That's fine, if he wasn't trying to act like he was forced into staying in OKC. He's trying to have his cake and eat it too. He doesn't like how OKC used him and doesn't want to play the role his coach asked but he still wants their paychecks while he's free to go wherever he wants. He had his choice and he chose the money. Once he did that he should have stopped badmouthing the team but instead he demanded a trade to a preferred destination, which won't trade for him because of his ridiculous contract.

All of that left OKC is a tough spot. They could have waived him and ate his salary or tried getting something in return for him from a team that was willing to eat his salary because he would not have signed off on a trade to a team like Atlanta unless they already agreed to waive him. If OKC elected to keep him he'd be a dark cloud hanging over their team all season, or until they met his demands. Yes, he gamed the system but it being legal doesn't mean that his actions and attitude are above reproach.

 

[1tinsoldier]

you can put lipstick on a turd, or pay it 28 million, but it's still a turd.
in my mind, Melo has always been a turd that foolish teams have stepped in.
the Thunder are the latest to wipe him off their shoe

 

[Phrazbit]

Not a single guy on this board would turn down that kind of money. I know I wouldnt. These teams don't love these guys. Let Lebron get hurt and watch how fast people turn on him. Good for Carmelo

I actually like this trade for OKC. DS is what he is and that is not a star PG who can carry a franchise and that's what Atlanta tried to make him. He's going to provide a good spark off the bench for them

IMO, Schroder is simply a bad NBA player. In a more limited role he will have less of a chance to screw his own team's success, but still, more often than not he is going to be a damaging presence on both ends of the court.

 

[JCSunsfan]

you can put lipstick on a turd, or pay it 28 million, but it's still a turd.
in my mind, Melo has always been a turd that foolish teams have stepped in.
the Thunder are the latest to wipe him off their shoe

I agree, even when he was traded from Denver to NY, I was not a fan.

 

[Hoop Head]

The trade lowered the tax bill for OKC substantially, and if they can flip Schroeder it looks much better but that's unlikely. The tax bill dropped from $150 million down to $88 million, saving them $62 million. The pick they sent out isn't that bad either. It's lottery protected in 2022, so #1-14, and if it doesn't convey it will turn into 2 2nd rounders. That's easier to handle. OKC should still be a playoff team at that point, they have Westbrook and George signed long enough that they'll be playing the previous season in which the value is set. Not a great deal, but more understandable at this point. I thought their tax bill would only shrink a little, $62 million is a lot and they can lower that throughout the season as well. If they waived Carmelo and used the stretch provision they could have saved approximately $107 million. Taking on Schroeder cost them an extra $40 million.

To think they could have paid that tax to keep Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Ibaka together though. They would have at least 1 banner in their rafters to show for it by now.

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[Western Font]

No one is really blaming Melo for taking the money, they’re blaming him for being the most disappointing player of his generation, while using all the leverage available to him in ways that hurt his teams. But it should be said that he didn’t just give himself the huge contract, no-trade-clause, and the player option.

 

[DWKB]

This been posted anywhere?

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[Hoop Head]

I know some people liked the idea of signing Jabari Parker, I don't think he was every discussed much as a realistic option though. I'm glad the Suns didn't go after him after this quote came out. It's not as bad as the headline makes it out to be but it's still bad. He tries saying that players who play defense don't get paid to do so. They need to contribute offensively. His reasoning is very D'Antoni-esque. Rather than back pedal when given the chance he tries talking himself up about how he can score 20 or 30 on players that are said to play great defense so he doesn't understand the defensive accolades because there have only been like 2 players in the league who play defense really well. I'm sure Chicago is glad they're paying him $20 million a year for that sort of reasoning.


https://sports.yahoo.com/jabari-par...-dont-pay-players-play-defense-222318389.html

 

[AzStevenCal]

I know some people liked the idea of signing Jabari Parker, I don't think he was every discussed much as a realistic option though. I'm glad the Suns didn't go after him after this quote came out. It's not as bad as the headline makes it out to be but it's still bad. He tries saying that players who play defense don't get paid to do so. They need to contribute offensively. His reasoning is very D'Antoni-esque. Rather than back pedal when given the chance he tries talking himself up about how he can score 20 or 30 on players that are said to play great defense so he doesn't understand the defensive accolades because there have only been like 2 players in the league who play defense really well. I'm sure Chicago is glad they're paying him $20 million a year for that sort of reasoning.


https://sports.yahoo.com/jabari-par...-dont-pay-players-play-defense-222318389.html

He's not wrong though. Offense brings the big bucks. And offense does win championships (a favorite claim of Bill Walton). Not without some defense too but offense drives the bus. It's a little disconcerting to be so cavalier about not playing defense but he does acknowledge the need to be able to slow down or limit your opponent so he's not advocating matador D.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Best quote in offseason so far:

"(Leonard) didn't express a lack of interest to not play in Canada to me," Ujiri said Friday.”

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...iri-apologizes-miscommunication-demar-derozan

Ujiri works in a triple negative!!! That translates to “Leonard doesn’t want to play in Canada”. Lol. Awesome.

 

[Hoop Head]

Montrezl Harrell has agreed to a 2 year deal to return to the Clippers. I know @Mainstreet was interested in him before. We got Holmes now, who is much cheaper, so we have some C depth. $12 for 2 years is a fair deal but a little more than the Suns could have gone.

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[sunsfan88]

He would be an absolute idiot to turn down that player option. That's just business.

There’s not an agent in the world that would advise him to turn down that player option.

 

[sunsfan88]

Dwight did that in Orlando, threatened he was leaving if he wasn't traded and then when the Magic kept him he opted into his contract and said he wanted to stay. The Magic traded him to LA and he was upset because he thought he would be staying in Orlando.

Not just Dwight, many other players have done it as well.

Just off the top of my head, Dwayne Wade did the same thing last summer. He opted in with the Bulls even after Butler was traded knowing they were going to go the route of a rebuild but it’s just far too much money for any human being with common sense to pass up on.