The Offseason 2019

ButtersSuki

kmart6 wrote: »

Huge money for any team to take on with Westbrook a d the value isn't really there, hes not going to deliver a championship.

Can the Knicks afford to take him?:P

LeBron is sitting with Palinka and a calculator as we speak.....

A swap with Houston for Chris Paul and assets?

Osmosis Jones

Can't imagine AD is too happy right now, waives his $4m bonus and they end up using it to re-sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee

5star02707

PG13 & Kawhi

ButtersSuki

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

Can't imagine AD is too happy right now, waives his $4m bonus and they end up using it to re-sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee

He’s being played by Rich Paul and LeBron.....

LuckyLloyd

ButtersSuki wrote: »

He’s being played by Rich Paul and LeBron.....

He's not being played, what a silly statement

kmart6

Wouldn't be ecstatic about the resigning of those two but McGee played decently last season and gelled well, they need some element of a big man and they definitely weren't taking on Howard, see he's gone to the Grizzlies. KCP was painful at times, was dealing with that case that didn't allow with the leave California, can be a serious scorer and with LBJ and AD creating more space for him it could be ideal.

Can see some logic in keeping the 2 of them as they have a chemistry with LBJ and Kuzma, who both know the can play with them. Takes away the hassle of trying to incorporate another 2 new players.

The $4m is irrelevant here, AD practically said he didn't care about it, just want to win.

LuckyLloyd

Rondo?
Green
LeBron
AD
Boogie?

Kuzma
KCP?
McGee?
Dudley
Daniels
Caruso?

Something like that could work. JR probably going to come via buyout and some other options in that market also to give them more shooting before the playoffs.

kmart6

Really hope they don't go for Smith, he's such an idiot.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with Iggy, looked like the buyout was on, Grizzlies must have got word someone was interested in trading for him to put a stop to the talk of it.

LuckyLloyd

Korver may also be available in buyout, could be useful for the Lakers as a shooter too

Legion.

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

I can't see why they'd keep Westbrook now regardless of SGA, aside from sentimentality, though the question is... is there actually a market for Russell Westbrook on a contract that sees him making around $42m a year for the next 4 seasons?

Think its almost more likely they package picks and Steven Adams and try to retool.

Also re Kawhi: Disappointed hes gone but totally understand it. Wants to live in LA and created a good situation for himself. Cant fault that. Part of me is excited to just enjoy next season without the angst and dread of contention and just enjoy the ride.

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

He's not being played, what a silly statement

Why is it silly?

If you’re AD’s agent your responsibility is to the player. There’s an inherent conflict in the fact that Paul is LeBron’s agent too, and that’s before we talk about about LeBron’s relationship with/ownership of Klutch. Do you honestly believe Paul doesn’t serve LeBron first, and everyone else in the Klutch stable afterwards?

There’s not another agent out there who’d waive the $4m.

AD has repeatedly shown himself to be naive, easily led and highly impressionable. “Played” might be overstating it, but he’s being very much led by LeBton as the chessmaster via Paul.

And if they win this year (which I don’t think they will btw) it’ll be all LeBron as usual, and if they lose it’ll be everyone else’s fault. As usual....

ButtersSuki

Glad Kawhi didn’t go to the Lakers, the league as a whole will be the most competitive it’s been in years - actually possibly ever - as a result.

Angliru

Kawhi is a ****ing G. How the **** did he manage to get teams to keep all of this under wraps, manage to recruit PG13 and get Clippers to bend over backwards to make it happen without any leaks. Guess it was true last year when he said he didn't want to be playing second fiddle to LeBron at the Lakers. The league is going to be insanely exciting now, such a nice balance throughout.

Is Westbrook next to leave?

LuckyLloyd

https://twitter.com/Chris_Broussard/status/1146779626171068416

A reminder - in the event you needed one - that the media don't know **** and are guessing the whole time. So much nonsense talked up and down sports talk shows and podcasts.

LuckyLloyd

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Why is it silly?

If you’re AD’s agent your responsibility is to the player. There’s an inherent conflict in the fact that Paul is LeBron’s agent too, and that’s before we talk about about LeBron’s relationship with/ownership of Klutch. Do you honestly believe Paul doesn’t serve LeBron first, and everyone else in the Klutch stable afterwards?

There’s not another agent out there who’d waive the $4m.

AD has repeatedly shown himself to be naive, easily led and highly impressionable. “Played” might be overstating it, but he’s being very much led by LeBton as the chessmaster via Paul.

And if they win this year (which I don’t think they will btw) it’ll be all LeBron as usual, and if they lose it’ll be everyone else’s fault. As usual....

Sorry, I don't hate LeBron like you so I find this whole post really weird. AD was in New Orleans and due to spend another year out of the playoffs. He's now on a side that has a chance to compete and waiving the $4m increased their chances. And his future is still in his hands next year. All very obvious.

The hatersphere is a strange place tbh.

LuckyLloyd

https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1147399443215335424

https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/1147404085378703361

KCP, 2 years, $16m
McGee, 2 years, $8.2m, player option the second year

Personally feel KCP / Green / LeBron / AD / McGee is a pretty good core. KCP had stuff going on last year and I still think he's a very talented athlete. McGee played well imo too.

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Sorry, I don't hate LeBron like you so I find this whole post really weird. AD was in New Orleans and due to spend another year out of the playoffs. He's now on a side that has a chance to compete and waiving the $4m increased their chances. And his future is still in his hands next year. All very obvious.

The hatersphere is a strange place tbh.

Once again any criticism of LBJ is classed as hate by the fanboys.:rolleyes: I was more criticising Paul and Klutch but go ahead and take offence on LeBron’s behalf again why don’t you? No matter how many times I state that I don’t “hate” LeBron for some of you on here it’s taken as such if I don’t praise him 100% of the time. Ok....

It is nothing but a factual statement to say that Rich Paul’s No. 1 priority as an agent is LeBron James, not AD.

simongurnick

As a raptors fan...absolutely gutted.

LuckyLloyd

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Once again any criticism of LBJ is classed as hate by the fanboys.:rolleyes: I was more criticising Paul and Klutch but go ahead and take offence on LeBron’s behalf again why don’t you? No matter how many times I state that I don’t “hate” LeBron for some of you on here it’s taken as such if I don’t praise him 100% of the time. Ok....

It is nothing but a factual statement to say that Rich Paul’s No. 1 priority as an agent is LeBron James, not AD.

That final “factual statement” is a long way from saying he’s *playing* AD, which is the nonsense point you chose to start.

You should just own your dislike of LeBron, it’s okay. There are many of you out there.

LuckyLloyd

simongurnick wrote: »

As a raptors fan...absolutely gutted.

You got a title out of it, plenty to be positive about. I would personally take one title and a half decade rebuild over a decade of being good but not good enough.

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

That final “factual statement” is a long way from saying he’s *playing* AD, which is the nonsense point you chose to start.

You should just own your dislike of LeBron, it’s okay. There are many of you out there.

It’s not. Just because AD is benefiting from this doesn’t mean he’s not being used to one degree or another by LeBron and Klutch - they’re not necessarily mutually exclusive. LeBron has a long history of being a benefactor by proxy to players he likes but then when he decides they’re of no use to him trading them or just cutting them loose. But let me guess, that wasn’t LeBron, that was the front office with zero input from James?:rolleyes: You could even argue that’s a strength of his - the ruthlessness - and if I say I admire that in his drive to win an I still a hater? Windhorat this week on one of his pods alluded to this by saying “LeBron has a history of saying things in June and July and saying something completely different in January” - specifically about rosters and teammates and playing styles.

You can’t have this position where any and all criticism of him is deemed as hate, it’s not logical. He’s made mistakes, many of them. To defend everything is just daft, sorry. Larry Bird is my all time favourite player but he was a dick of a teammate to most of the roster for his whole career, and so was Jordan - it would be nice if people at least acknowledges some of LeBron’s imperfections some time.

Obviously you’ve missed the countless times I’ve said I don’t hate him and said he was (at the time) the best player on the planet. Why would I say those things if I hated him? Let’s ignore that shall we?

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

That final “factual statement” is a long way from saying he’s *playing* AD, which is the nonsense point you chose to start.

You should just own your dislike of LeBron, it’s okay. There are many of you out there.

Are saying that it’s not a factual statement?

simongurnick

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

You got a title out of it, plenty to be positive about. I would personally take one title and a half decade rebuild over a decade of being good but not good enough.

I know man
I know i should be saying nice things and wishing him the best right now..
But just gutted today. Loads of cap space opening up next year and giannis on the market the year after...thats the hope i suppose.

LuckyLloyd

simongurnick wrote: »

I know man
I know i should be saying nice things and wishing him the best right now..
But just gutted today. Loads of cap space opening up next year and giannis on the market the year after...thats the hope i suppose.

Your front office has demonstrated it’s highly capable, so ye will be back competing pretty soon imo.

LuckyLloyd

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Obviously you’ve missed the countless times I’ve said I don’t hate him and said he was (at the time) the best player on the planet. Why would I say those things if I hated him? Let’s ignore that shall we?

I haven’t missed them, I just find them completely disingenuous. You post up every negative angle / story / take on him and have been doing it consistently for years.

Anyway, no - one is “playing” AD. He gets to play for a potential contender this year as opposed to rotting away another season of his prime with a historically putrid franchise. The only reason you dislike that move is because it helped LeBron.

Anyway, whatever - you can have the last word.

Ah, well. At least he didnt go to the Lakers.

"In the end, Toronto didn't have assets to satisfy OKC --- with or without Siakam in any proposed deal. The fear of Toronto entering into trade talks with OKC only proved to guarantee the Clippers would go the distance with five first-round picks and SGA in deal for George."

That rumoured Westbrook and Geroge to Toronto deal would have been insane!

Anyway, looking forward to how the Raptors can rebuild from here and will never forget the pleasure I had to watch Kawhi ~100 off times play for my team and getting to see him person 5 times this season.

Carcharodon

Always Tired wrote: »

Kawhi will stay in Toronto I'll give anyone who wants to back otherwise 5/1

Where has this dude gone ????
$$$

Carcharodon

Silver lining is that it’s not the Lakers, don’t really mind the Clippers since Chris Paul left, it’s going to suck losing to these teams but there should be very good games plus I’ll get to see some great teams & players a bunch of times next season, the division is stacked

ButtersSuki

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

I haven’t missed them, I just find them completely disingenuous. You post up every negative angle / story / take on him and have been doing it consistently for years.

Anyway, no - one is “playing” AD. He gets to play for a potential contender this year as opposed to rotting away another season of his prime with a historically putrid franchise. The only reason you dislike that move is because it helped LeBron.

Anyway, whatever - you can have the last word.

Re. in bold....what? That's some leap.

I dislike the move for a number of reasons, amongst them how they went about it; but also because I don't think it's actually the best move for AD.

A better move for him in my opinion would have been to go to a franchise that's a contender where he would also be "the man". Does joining the Lakers with LeBron make him a contender? Possibly; but the roster from positions 3 down doesn't look title contending. Will he be "the man" there as long as LeBron is there? That's a no. And if Paul was doing his job and putting Ad's interests first, then that should be his priority - not putting AD's interests into the pot with LeBron's. Even a move like the KD & AD to the Knicks move would have been better as he'd certainly have much more of the spotlight on him there than he will in LA. He'll always be in LeBron's shadow there, no matter how well he plays.

The historically putrid franchise you speak of were in Rd. 2 of the Play Offs last year and likely would have made them this year had they not had their season hijacked by Klutch and co. Last time I checked the Lakers haven't made the Play Offs for a while, and have the joint worst record in the League over the last 6 seasons.

AD to the Lakers is a great move for LeBron, no question. I don't believe it's the best move for AD's career.

This is not Boston sour grapes either in case you think that.

Thanks for answering the question I asked re. Rich Paul's No. 1 priority though. Oh, wait....

ButtersSuki

Interesting comment earlier this week on the Nate Duncan Podcast about Leonard delaying as long as possible to make his decision knowing it would leave the Lakers with very little chance of signing anyone of real note. He said it half-jokingly at the time, but did discuss it again in today's pod.

He also touched on the subject of players not wanting to play with LeBron, and said it's a very real thing. This was also discussed this week by Woj, Simmons, Windhorst...all haters too no doubt.