2015 NBA Draft & Offseason

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:29 pm

Kevin Love opts out. Expected, of course. I'm betting they sign and trade like has been the scuttlebutt lately. Keep Thompson on a near max multi year deal, one year max for Lebron and try to get 2-3 role players.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:30 pm

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:31 pm

I didn't finish my thought and then edited behind you. Sorry!

My A game is nowhere to be found today.

tennbengal · Post by **tennbengal** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:34 pm

I think Cleveland should keep Wiggins.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 1:43 pm

This qualifies as the final nail in my NBA knowledge coffin.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:02 pm

If he stays, he's at 5-$108 and if he goes he is at 4-$80.

I'm really not sure how this is big news unless he says "I'm opting out because I'm leaving."

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:12 pm

He'll have the option to do a one year and bet on a big bounce back. However, I don't think he will. I think he will sign the max, then get traded.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:38 pm

That doesn't really seem like a great contract structure if the intent is keeping guys at home. Love is 26, so at 4Y/$80MM, he still has time for another max or close deal and logically the cap will go up, right? That extra year at what amounts to a $1.8MM per year bonus isn't that big when you're talking $20MM per year anyway.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 2:45 pm

The cap is making a HUGE jump next season. Like, the max goes to something like 30 million per. If he won't sign a 4 year deal with the cavs (meaning he may want them to give him the 1 year deal to let him hit the market next year) they will give up quickly and move on with Thompson and get what they can for Love, which may be a decent package, especially if a team can lock him in at the lower max deal for a few years. A team could get Love, then still have a lot of cap room next season to sign another marquee guy and then have two stars locked in for a few years.

If the lakers had any pieces, I would think they would be all over it, but I doubt they want to deal the #2 pick to the cavs, and at any rate I don't think they even can include Love in anything since he has opted out.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:02 pm

Will the Knicks go after Aldridge? He seems like a good and fun player.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:05 pm

mister d wrote:Will the Knicks go after Aldridge? He seems like a good and fun player.

Word is the Spurs have interest as well as the other Texas teams. I think he'd be a fool to entertain the knicks if that's the case.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:13 pm

The big Rockets offseason news is whether or not PG Sergio Llull will come over from Spain. Reports have them offering him right around the MLE. That is the biggest weakness on the team, especially if Motiejunas is able to come back and still improve. He was awesome at the 4-spot before his back injury.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 3:16 pm

This article says that lottery teams should strongly consider players from college over internationals.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 5:10 pm

sancarlos wrote:This article says that lottery teams should strongly consider players from college over internationals.

Skewed by Darko and Bargnani.

And fuck Bargnani.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:51 pm

A_B wrote:He'll have the option to do a one year and bet on a big bounce back. However, I don't think he will. I think he will sign the max, then get traded.

This is what the Cavs should do. I think a lot of people think the Cavs would by NBA champions if Love and Irving had been healthy. In that case, I think the Warriors would be the NBA champions, only the finals would have had scores like 128-121.

Johnny Carwash · Post by **Johnny Carwash** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:04 pm

Jay Bilas is more likeable than all other Duke alumni combined.

Johnny Carwash · Post by **Johnny Carwash** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:55 pm

Someone pointed out that Jahlil Okafor looks like a black Dane Cook and now I can't unsee it.

Johnny Carwash · Post by **Johnny Carwash** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:19 pm

If you're not watching the draft or even if you don't care about the NBA, please at least do yourself a favor and look for a video of the Knicks fans' reactions to that pick.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:26 pm

the knicks

howard · Post by **howard** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:32 pm

Bronto just tweeted this. At least it is one knick fan:

[media]https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/CIYpH9OUcAAuUyW.mp4[/media]

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 7:43 pm

Knicks fans loudly booing a white guy, times sure have changed.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:44 am

How the heck does that Porzingis guy have such good english?

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 7:59 am

Really like the Rockets' two picks.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:15 am

Why are Knicks fans so pissed about this? I can't really see any other option at 4. Maybe Mudiay. A team like that needs to draft for a potential superstar, not a "solid" player that may average 15 a game.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:16 am

The Pistons mistake wasn't taking Darko, it was taking Darko in a draft where Melo and to some degree Bosh were available.

I don't think anybody expected this much out of Wade.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:30 am

If you go back over almost a decade of drafts, the biggest inefficiency is "best non-white non-big man from a non-major conference". Its like 7 out of 7 being a very good pick if CJ McCollum steps up. So bet on Payne.

2014: Elfrid Payton
2013: CJ McCollum
2012: Damian Lillard
2011: Kawhi Leonard
2010: Paul George
2009: Steph Curry
2008: Courtney Lee

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:42 am

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 8:54 am

Ryan wrote:

WTF

EdRomero · Post by **EdRomero** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 1:54 pm

Kaminsky better be good. Even if Winslow ends up not as good as expected, Jordan passed up 3 first round picks from the Celtics for the #9 pick.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 12:09 am

Tall guy pretends to have been selected in NBA draft. Enjoys free drinks and other perks of the status. (might be considered nsfw)

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 1:51 pm

Well. Love signs the max...I wonder if he gets traded now.

Post by **Sabo** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:26 pm

I also read Tristan Thompson will sign a $90 million deal to stay with the Cavs.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:28 pm

Dan's decided to go #ALLIN

Post by **brian** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:32 pm

Is there not a salary cap in the NBA still?

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 2:57 pm

Soft cap. Then you pay taxes for being over it. Because both guys were on team last year it gives them more flexibility to overspend.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:13 pm

Sabo wrote:I also read Tristan Thompson will sign a $90 million deal to stay with the Cavs.

That is either an over-pay of Josh Smith-ian proportions or I need to dramatically revise my view of Thompson. What other team would pay more than half this rate, unless it's someone like the Knicks after they've been turned down by every big man on the market?

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 6:56 pm

A_B wrote:Well. Love signs the max...I wonder if he gets traded now.

No way the Cavs trade Love. After they made the midseason trades, they had a ridiculous record with James, Love and Irving all in the lineup. And considering that they won several playoff games without Love and Irving, you gotta figure that they really like their title chances if they can avoid another round of bad injury luck. Plus, with the upcoming escalation in player salaries, Love's "max" deal could even end up being a bargain. Love got 5 years, $110 million for his deal, as compared to Anthony Davis, who got a 5 year, $145 million extension. I'm not saying Love is nearly as valuable as Davis, just using the Davis extension as an illustration of just how much "max" contracts will escalate over the next few years.

For that same reason, you could also say that the Thompson extension looks reasonable. Once the superstars all start making $30 million plus per year, which will happen very soon, $16 million per year for Thompson doesn't seem so egregious. Since Thompson is only 24, plays pretty good defense, and is coming off a postseason where he averaged 10 points and 11 rebounds per game (including 4.4 offensive), I'm sure he'd get a comparable deal on the open market.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 7:04 pm

Those are good points. I get the Love deal, as bad as he looked at times last year. I'm curious why he wouldn't prefer to play with another clearly contending team where he'd have a more desirable role. The Spurs, for example, if they strike out on Aldridge.

However, I'm still having trouble with Thompson being worth even $10M per year. Zero offensive game, and a bit below excellent both at rebounding and defending. Perhaps he gets $6M more per year for being approved by the Power Point Guard/Defacto GM as his personal caddy.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 7:16 pm

DC47 wrote:However, I'm still having trouble with Thompson being worth even $10M per year. Zero offensive game, and a bit below excellent both at rebounding and defending. Perhaps he gets $6M more per year for being approved by the Power Point Guard/Defacto GM as his personal caddy.

Thompson does have the same agent as James (Rich Paul), so I've heard people say that there was never any doubt that the Cavs would meet his salary demands.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 01, 2015 7:19 pm

If James really wanted Tristan Thompson retained, would it matter who his agent is?