OT: NBA thread

[babak]

i think everything u said is right but that team needed to do something they couldnt play with the same roster again after so many near misses...you gotta assume with Kawhi they are one of the favorites in the East after Boston and Phili

[Primetyme199]

i think everything u said is right but that team needed to do something they couldnt play with the same roster again after so many near misses...you gotta assume with Kawhi they are one of the favorites in the East after Boston and Phili

Not good for a 1 year rental. I don’t see him staying in Toronto after this year. Maybe Toronto has already talked to the Lakers and has something in the works there.


It’s not just a 1 for 1 trade.

The San Antonio Spurs have agreed to trade Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.

Toronto's first-round pick to San Antonio is a protected 1-20 selection. After one year, it becomes two second-round picks.

[Danielk015]

comes across as a desperate move by Toronto. Lebron could have been their kryptonite. They have a new coach now. Why not see how this team will do in the eastern playoffs. Rolling the dice for most likely a one year rental, is tough. Sure they could swing a trade with the lakers mid year, and that would be their ideal spot. But if Kwahi is healthy, the raptors are a top 3 eastern team. Would they blow that season up mid year and lose the season? That would be hard to swallow as well.

Lebron should fake a quad injury as well. Lakers are going to get worked in the west.

[Just a guy]

Great move by the Spurs... they held out and got some pretty good value in return for Kawhi. DeRozan will be a very, very nice player with San Antonio once he gets over feeling betrayed by his former team. Kawhi is outtie at his first opportunity - let's not get that twisted. Danny Green may not even remain with Toronto... good additional piece for a trade (maybe Toronto will now move Kawhi where he wanted to go in the first place?) if Toronto is not done dealing.

[yoloswaggy911]

i think everything u said is right but that team needed to do something they couldnt play with the same roster again after so many near misses...you gotta assume with Kawhi they are one of the favorites in the East after Boston and Phili

Not good for a 1 year rental. I don’t see him staying in Toronto after this year. Maybe Toronto has already talked to the Lakers and has something in the works there.


It’s not just a 1 for 1 trade.

The San Antonio Spurs have agreed to trade Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.

Toronto's first-round pick to San Antonio is a protected 1-20 selection. After one year, it becomes two second-round picks.

Ibaka, Kawhi, Danny Green, and Lowry make up a pretty sick defensive group. And now the Raptors have the best player in the East. It will be interesting.

[babak]

yea see i think the spurs really want to win now wiht alridge and derozan and didnt want a picks based deal or propsects because i dont see pop coaching for more than 1-2 more years....i think the raptors have the ability to trade Kawhi during the season if they want as well and get more because i think they may choose to rebuild

[treywayln]

yea see i think the spurs really want to win now wiht alridge and derozan and didnt want a picks based deal or propsects because i dont see pop coaching for more than 1-2 more years....i think the raptors have the ability to trade Kawhi during the season if they want as well and get more because i think they may choose to rebuild

That said, yeah, we weren't trying to rebuild. Personally, I think we would've competed with anybody, (Warriors/Rockets), last year if Kawhi was both healthy and not acting like a bitch, but just because he's gone, doesn't mean we should scrap it all. We're pretty close, closer than a lot of people think. I know Derozan isn't ideal, but he was the best guy we could get for the next few years, and we already have a lot of good young talent that will be our future. He's no Kawhi, but last year we were 2 games from the 3rd seed without Kawhi. (Also several injuries throughout the year, Gay missed 2 months, Green missed at least a month, etc).

So if we have a healthy season, I fully expect us to be right there with at least the Rockets. Rockets got a little worse, Warriors are better, and we're worse than our potential could've been last year, but much better than we actually were last year. That Poeltl kid better get Gasol's minutes. He looks good and Gasol is just too damn slow.

Murray, White, Bertans, Walker, and Poeltl should all contribute this year, and will make up our future core. Murray might even be our future Kawhi. Forbes and Metu might be a part of our future as well. The draft pick we got will be low, but our track record with late picks makes that less of an issue. Two late first for the Spurs in next draft will still be good.

Losing Green and Anderson hurts, but overall we brought back way more than we lost in terms of last year. Kawhi was a zero last year, obviously his talent is WAY greater than Derozan, but if he's being a bitch, there's not much you can do. Our young guys will all be better, and they'll more than make up for any slippage of Aldridge, Manu, Mills, and Gasol. Gay might even be better, as he posted a video of him doing a 360 dunk the other day. Further removed from his achilles injury, he might improve a tad, and he was already important for us last year.

Parker fucking sucked the last few years, horrendous defender, and mediocre offensively. His loss alone will help us a lot.

I think we'll for sure be top 5 in the West, but I wouldn't be shocked at finishing as high as 2nd.

[babak]

cause no one saw this coming...michael porter jr just had back surgery, out indefinitly

[Hillsinitialrebirth]

cause no one saw this coming...michael porter jr just had back surgery, out indefinitly

He is the first ever 'Done and Done'...

[daintyhulk]

Melo traded to Hawks, Thunder receive Schroder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly dealt forward Carmelo Anthony and a protected 2022 first round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Anthony is expected to be waived by the Hawks with the Houston Rockets listed as the frontrunner to add the former All-Star after he hits the market.

Veteran's minimum?

[Primetyme199]

Melo traded to Hawks, Thunder receive Schroder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly dealt forward Carmelo Anthony and a protected 2022 first round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Anthony is expected to be waived by the Hawks with the Houston Rockets listed as the frontrunner to add the former All-Star after he hits the market.

Veteran's minimum?

From espn.com


The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to trade forward Carmelo Anthony to the Atlanta Hawks, where he will be waived and will become a free agent, league sources said.

The Houston Rockets are the front-runners to sign Anthony, who also is considering the Miami Heat, league sources said.

Along with Anthony and his $27.9 million expiring contract, the Thunder will send a 2022 protected first-round pick to the Hawks for guard Dennis Schroder and forward Mike Muscala. The 2022 first-round pick is protected 1-14, and becomes two second-round picks if not conveyed in that first year, league sources said.

The Thunder will then send Muscala to the Philadelphia 76ers for forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, league sources said.

[Danielk015]

well, i suppose OKC saw that using the stretch provision on Anthony would cost $10m over 3 years. So they get a productive player at $15m over 3 years. Too bad his 3 point shooting is below average. If he was a better shooter from deep, couldve been a better fit.

btw - I was surprised to read somewhere that Westbrooks salary in the final year of his contract is $46m+ yikes

[daintyhulk]

Schroder's value around the league has plummeted the past couple of seasons. Playing a leading role in the Atlanta offense (his 30 percent usage rate last season ranked 13th in the league among players who saw at least 1,000 minutes of action), Schroder was inefficient, posting a .515 true shooting percentage.

The hope for the Thunder is surely that Schroder can play a role playing behind and alongside Russell Westbrook, as score-first point guard who will take on a leading role with Oklahoma City's second unit. Given that Schroder has spent most of his NBA career playing with the ball in his hands, it will be interesting to see how he adapts playing next to Westbrook. Schroder made just 28 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season, per NBA Advanced Stats, but hit them at a 40 percent clip in 2016-17 and 38 percent in 2015-16, so there's reason or hope to believe he can help space the floor as a shooting guard.

If Schroder is strictly a backup point guard, paying a little more than $6 million for his services above and beyond the cost of Anthony's potential stretched salary might be an overpay for a team deep in the luxury tax. If he occasionally finishes games to give the Thunder a third playmaker along with Westbrook and Paul George, that cost looks a lot more palatable.

[Danielk015]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/kevin-d ... 02147.html

Durant tweeting in response to McCollum. All I can say is Durant has some thin skin. He should just recognize it was a weak move and move on. Durant does not need everyone to like him. He has money, rings, good family etc. McCollum was just stating the obvious. Durant himself just a few years ago said the same thing was weak ass shit on Lebron. WTF is wrong with Durant?

[NoPropaganda 253]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/kevin-d ... 02147.html

Durant tweeting in response to McCollum. All I can say is Durant has some thin skin. He should just recognize it was a weak move and move on. Durant does not need everyone to like him. He has money, rings, good family etc. McCollum was just stating the obvious. Durant himself just a few years ago said the same thing was weak ass shit on Lebron. WTF is wrong with Durant?

McCollum's analogy is about as good as it gets. KD with the most pussified decision I can recall in any sport in recent times.

[J.J.Dillon]

Durant = 2 rings.

McCollum = Shit-talking on Twitter.

Never hear anyone beefing with Robert Horry and how he got 7 rings.

[Danielk015]

Durant = 2 rings.

McCollum = Shit-talking on Twitter.

Never hear anyone beefing with Robert Horry and how he got 7 rings.

McCollum was asked a direct question, so he answered honestly off the cuff. He did not add extra salt in the wound to rub it in. Do you disagree with McCollum's analogy? and if so, why? At least McCollum did not create a fake twitter account to talk $hit about durant.

Was Robert Horry ever a top 3 player in the nba? If he was, I missed it. Kobe leaving for the Celtics after losing to them in the finals or Duncan leaving for the lakers after losing to them. That would be like Durant. Oh wait, that never happened though.

[ObJuan13]

Durant = 2 rings.

McCollum = Shit-talking on Twitter.

Never hear anyone beefing with Robert Horry and how he got 7 rings.

McCollum was asked a direct question, so he answered honestly off the cuff. He did not add extra salt in the wound to rub it in. Do you disagree with McCollum's analogy? and if so, why? At least McCollum did not create a fake twitter account to talk $hit about durant.

Was Robert Horry ever a top 3 player in the nba? If he was, I missed it. Kobe leaving for the Celtics after losing to them in the finals or Duncan leaving for the lakers after losing to them. That would be like Durant. Oh wait, that never happened though.

But honestly who gives a shit? Durant is a little crybaby bitch but he’s the best player on that team and he’s just tryna have fun. I don’t even think it’s all about winning for him, I think he’s more concerned with playing a fun brand of ball and the Warriors are the team more so then any other that does that... because they’re the most talented team? Yeah probably... but fuck playing with a guy like Westbrook, particularly when you’re a better ball player than he is... it’s gotta be frustrating as hell.

[NoPropaganda 253]

Durant = 2 rings.

McCollum = Shit-talking on Twitter.

Never hear anyone beefing with Robert Horry and how he got 7 rings.

"That's my gang!"

Just like Kev

[babak]

i dont get how you can see the derozan situation and then call durant soft...this is a business, you all have jobs and you leave and go to other companies for a variety of reasons, pay, ambience, progressoin, fun etc.

he wants to play a better brand of basketball, he wants to get out of OKC (which as a city is pretty boring in comparison) and he has a lot of business things going on that are improved by moving to Golden State. people get too attached to these guys decisions..he wanted to go elsewhere, good for him and hes winning...hes stlil the best player on the team..

theres no loyalty...derozan coulda gone to LA last year for a nice contract and said nah i wanna be a raptor for life and they just tossed him to the curb and sent him to san antonio

[Danielk015]

i dont get how you can see the derozan situation and then call durant soft...this is a business, you all have jobs and you leave and go to other companies for a variety of reasons, pay, ambience, progressoin, fun etc.

he wants to play a better brand of basketball, he wants to get out of OKC (which as a city is pretty boring in comparison) and he has a lot of business things going on that are improved by moving to Golden State. people get too attached to these guys decisions..he wanted to go elsewhere, good for him and hes winning...hes stlil the best player on the team..

theres no loyalty...derozan coulda gone to LA last year for a nice contract and said nah i wanna be a raptor for life and they just tossed him to the curb and sent him to san antonio

Loyalty goes both ways and it is different for very team and player depending on the situation. No one is saying Durant is not a loyal person or teammate. The people of OKC probably would have been pissed at Durant for simply leaving, whether it was to GS or any other team. Just like Cavs fans hated Lebron after he left the first time. The Cavs fans wouldve hated on Lebron no matter what team he went to.

Not sure how that is related to the idea that Durant's decision is soft? He is the best player on the best team, but that decision was soft. If you don't think so, then we just have different viewpoints.

Also, you can't compare regular people whose life and family well being is in the balance in a regular job to someone playing a sport for millions of dollars. What you can compare is executives of companies. Durant's move would be like Steve Jobs leaving Apple to go work for Microsoft when Apple was having trouble in the 1990s and there was a reason to believe Apple could never beat Microsoft. Oh wait, that didnt happen. Steve Jobs went on to build something that he felt was better, kept at it, and now Apple is bigger than Microsoft. Something no one would have bet on in the 1990s.

[TheSickness316]

i dont get how you can see the derozan situation and then call durant soft...this is a business, you all have jobs and you leave and go to other companies for a variety of reasons, pay, ambience, progressoin, fun etc.

he wants to play a better brand of basketball, he wants to get out of OKC (which as a city is pretty boring in comparison) and he has a lot of business things going on that are improved by moving to Golden State. people get too attached to these guys decisions..he wanted to go elsewhere, good for him and hes winning...hes stlil the best player on the team..

theres no loyalty...derozan coulda gone to LA last year for a nice contract and said nah i wanna be a raptor for life and they just tossed him to the curb and sent him to san antonio

You call Durant soft because he went and said shit when Lebron went to Miami, but then does his soft move of going to Golden State.

[J.J.Dillon]

Durant = 2 rings.

McCollum = Shit-talking on Twitter.

Never hear anyone beefing with Robert Horry and how he got 7 rings.

"That's my gang!"

Just like Kev

You're really going to lump me in with Robert Motherfucking Mr. Laker Horry?

Seriously, NoPop...a new low for you.

[Danielk015]

https://deadspin.com/report-tristan-tho ... 1828022407

Wannabe tough guy Dray Green tries to make nice with Thompson but instead gets some fists/hands in his face. Dray is a punk. He has no problem assaulting smaller dudes. He has no problem embarrassing another player after the Finals are over, then going on media talking about how tough he is and how soft Thompson is. And the first moment Dray sees him on the outsides wants to make nice. LOL. Dray always writing checks his fists can not cash, and this one came back to him.

[KiNg_DaDdY_2o9]

Durant will never go down as a legend because he'll always have that cloud hanging over him. There's a lot of guys in the league that look down on him and consider him soft. The rings he won were the easiest rings any superstar has ever won in the history of the sport. All he had to do was show up.

He'll make the HOF, be one of the all time leading scorers, probably win another ring or 2, but that cloud will always be there. You can tell it bothers him because he responds to any social media criticism of him on Twitter or IG. Dirk Nowitzki said recently he doesn't understand why Durant insists on responding to every singly critic.

The people who always compare daily jobs to that of professional sports often forget one thing, we don't compete with our coworkers for championships and legacies. We don't clock in everyday to compete for a playoff spot. The guy working across from you isn't trying to keep you from winning a ring. It's a stupid comparison people often use and it really needs to stop. There's absolutely nothing similar about a person leaving their normal job for another, to a professional athlete leaving their team to join a record setting team to chase a championship. There's legacies on the line. There isn't any legacy on the line at your normal 9-5, folks.