2013-14 NBA Offseason/Draft Thread

[murrayyyyy]

Could they player option the fifth year?

[murrayyyyy]

According to nbatv just now, kupchek says he has been informed by howard he will not be coming back. I miss the decision... would be better than this.

[sterlingice]

So, basically, ESPN, especially Chris Broussard, was just full of shit.

Howard didn't change his mind back and forth but they wanted to get more eyeballs on ESPN and their Twitter jackassery. Should never have doubted Woj.

SI

[Subby]

Broussard is an abomination before God.

[murrayyyyy]

Woj started it today when he got scooped by someone else. Came out saying nothing is in stone then changed his tune when everyone payed attention to him.

[sterlingice]

USA Today was the one who reported it first

SI

[JonInMiddleGA]

from the bottom of the ESPN article

By going to Houston, Howard will leave $9.3 million on the table in net guaranteed dollars, because he could have received a five-year deal and more money from the Lakers, rather than the four-year maximum deal he will get by signing with another team. This assumes that Howard will be a resident of Texas instead of California, since Texas has no state income taxes, while California has the highest state income taxes in the country.

Comparing just the first four years of what the Lakers could pay Howard with what the Rockets likely will pay him, Howard will net $2.6 million more after taxes in Houston if he becomes a Texas resident.

[nol]

The Hawks just signed Paul Millsap for 2 years and $19 million.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Paul Millsap to Atlanta, 2 yr/$19m. Demare Carroll also to the Hawks.

edit to add: Sorry Nol, you were quicker than me

[Bigsmooth]

As much as I dislike Howard at this point, he is a pretty great fit in Houston. Asik was solid defensively but he couldn't run with the rest of that squad...he kind of lumbered up and down. With Howard crashing the lane and if they land a bomber like Ryan Anderson...whoa.

[Groundhog]

Millsap has to be one of the more underrated guys in the league. Going to be a lot more fun to watch than Josh Smith jacking up long jumpers, anyway.

[Groundhog]

Well, it was pretty obvious that Howard was going to Houston for the past couple of days. Good luck to them, I like the team and the frontoffice, and maybe Dwight will be good enough to repair the damage he's done to his reputation these past couple of years.

I wonder what happens with Asik. The Rockets could end up with a couple of nice pieces after trading him away.

[Simbo Klice]

Man, if you look at who Houston had in 2011 and who they're going to roll out this year, it almost blows your mind. How do you do that in 2 years?

Also, we finally traded Royce White. I hope a plane crashes into his car on the way to Philadelphia.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

I wonder what happens with Asik. The Rockets could end up with a couple of nice pieces after trading him away.

Or do it similar to Orlando with Gortat, keep him as insurance for now at least and see how things go with Howard. At the earliest they should trade at the deadline.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Simbo Klice

Man, if you look at who Houston had in 2011 and who they're going to roll out this year, it almost blows your mind. How do you do that in 2 years?

You tank the season for those two or three years.

[Neon_Chaos]

Sucks about Dwight leaving the Lakers. But he was never happy in LA.

Do the Lakers now have the worst team in the West for the start of the 2014 season?

[JonInMiddleGA]

The lead to J.A. Adande's piece on espn.com

There's a perfect word an NBA source used to describe the way Dwight Howard's free agency is sputtering to a close. Unfortunately, this is a family-friendly website, so it wouldn't be appropriate to use it. Let's just say the word rhymed with "custard truck."

[Izulde]

mustard duck!

[nol]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

You tank the season for those two or three years.

Uh, they've won more games than they've lost in each of those seasons. Try again.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Sucks about Dwight leaving the Lakers. But he was never happy in LA.

Do the Lakers now have the worst team in the West for the start of the 2014 season?

Is that a serious question? No team with Kobe will ever be the worst team in the west.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by nol

Uh, they've won more games than they've lost in each of those seasons. Try again.

Let try this a different way

[SARCASM START]

The only way to rebuild in the NBA is to completely gut your team, tank, and then get a #1 pick or get a top free agent. You can't just try to build a team while still trying to win games.

[SARCASM END]

This does not mean that the Rockets are going to win titles. I am just happy that the Rockets have not bought into the above narrative. Great job by Daryl Morey and the Rockets

[Danny]

Who did the heat get with the #1 pick to help them win titles? Lakers? Celtics?

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Let try this a different way

[SARCASM START]

The only way to rebuild in the NBA is to completely gut your team, tank, and then get a #1 pick or get a top free agent. You can't just try to build a team while still trying to win games.

[SARCASM END]

This does not mean that the Rockets are going to win titles. I am just happy that the Rockets have not bought into the above narrative. Great job by Daryl Morey and the Rockets

I know I had a lot of fun at the playoff game last year

You know, during our tanking season

SI

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Danny

Who did the heat get with the #1 pick to help them win titles? Lakers? Celtics?

I think you missed the "or get a top free agent" part. I'm guessing tanking isn't the way to go due to the fact that you need more parts to get back to the top and that's a far bigger gamble. The Cavs got to the title but couldn't win in in part because it was LeBron and the Cavs. Once he got to a team that had better support, he starts to win titles.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Considering the talent level on Boston's team for the next few years, it will be an elite college team.

I'm more worried about the Boston media's effect on his psyche than his ability to run the team

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Is that a serious question? No team with Kobe will ever be the worst team in the west.

You mean the Kobe who is recovering from a major injury and will start the season as a 35 year old?

I hate Kobe, but he is a hell of a player. He is beyond driven. Yet I am not buying he can return in full force so quick.

I still do not belive the Lakers are worst in the west though. Gasol has more left than most people think. They are not winning a titlenect year, but they willbe ok.

Celtcs/Lakers both in. Rebuilding mode. Interesting world.

[fpres]

A nice graphic summarizing how Morey has transformed the Rockets over the past several seasons. The Harden-Howard and Parsons-Howard lines shouldn't be there, but the point remains.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/28...dwight__2_.jpg

Source article: Dwight Howard signing with Rockets was a move years in the making - SBNation.com

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by Danny

Who did the heat get with the #1 pick to help them win titles? Lakers? Celtics?

I'll take missing the point for $100, Alex.

[DeToxRox]

Sigh. Pistons signed Josh Smith, 4 yrs, 56 mil.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Sigh. Pistons signed Josh Smith, 4 yrs, 56 mil.

As long as Atlanta isn't stuck with him any longer, it's a win afaic.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The lead to J.A. Adande's piece on espn.com

It seems like this is a common thought online but I've also seen others arguing that it isn't fair. This was largely media driven bullshit as others here have pointed out re: Broussard and Woj. One guy summarized it as...Howard took his visits, went home for a couple days to think, and then flew to LA to inform the Lakers he wasn't returning.

I'm not a Howard fan but I don't think he's being that big of a prick here.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Sigh. Pistons signed Josh Smith, 4 yrs, 56 mil.

Maybe they will be making a play for Rondo.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Logan

It seems like this is a common thought online but I've also seen others arguing that it isn't fair. This was largely media driven bullshit as others here have pointed out re: Broussard and Woj. One guy summarized it as...Howard took his visits, went home for a couple days to think, and then flew to LA to inform the Lakers he wasn't returning.

I'm not a Howard fan but I don't think he's being that big of a prick here.

I've been compiling the tweets from the last couple of days and that's what it's looking more and more like. He decided on Friday afternoon. Amick reported that Houston was a done deal but Howard's camp said nothing. He flew to LA to tell them he was leaving and then called the Rockets to say he was signing.

Between when it was reported that it was done and it was "officially" done- it was actually Kennedy sho'ing people away, saying it wasn't a done deal and Woj saying Howard's agent said nothing is done yet.

I think this was the courtesy meeting that was talked about a few days ago that he would talk to the Lakers last. But then Kennedy says this is one last chance for the Lakers to change his mind. Broussard lets loose his "it's 50/50 tweet" and, predictably, all hell breaks loose. Kennedy gets too over the top, trying to dispute previous claims. And then ESPN just throws gasoline on the fire so everyone watches the Dwecision last night, even tho the decision had already been made.

SI

[Izulde]

at J-Suck getting that contract.

[bulletsponge]

im so glad the rockets didnt trade for that overrated atlanta guy.

[Neon_Chaos]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Is that a serious question? No team with Kobe will ever be the worst team in the west.

Kobe's realistically going to be out for a big part of the season, right?

[whomario]

Originally Posted by fpres

A nice graphic summarizing how Morey has transformed the Rockets over the past several seasons. The Harden-Howard and Parsons-Howard lines shouldn't be there, but the point remains.

Harden and Parsons tagged along to make the pitch to Howard and "recruited" him all summer, guess that´s the idea with theese lines

[Izulde]

SL caveat and all that, but I've been impressed with Oladipo in the first half of this Magic/Celtics game. Kid's got hustle. Olynyk's shooting is just ridiculous, but dude is soft as a ho on D so far IMO. Loved watching Colton Iverson get up for the block like that. Always liked watching the kid after seeing him play against UNLV.

[Groundhog]

I'm a bit shocked that Clips got Darren Collison for that money. Assuming they manage to sign a big or two for the bench, that's a pretty stacked roster.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Neon_Chaos

Kobe's realistically going to be out for a big part of the season, right?

Still better than the NBA's worst or currently bad because we are tanking.

[MrBug708]

Bynum to the Cavs?

[Groundhog]

If it's for a sane amount of money, I wouldn't mind - the kind where if he falls to pieces, it's no big deal. If it's for $10m+ then... yikes. Maybe if we feed him whatever we fed Big Z after his foot issues early in his career. I would rather take a swing on Oden though.

[Groundhog]

Sounds like a one-year deal. I'm fine with that. Pay him whatever you want and if he falls apart, he's still a trade chip come deadline with teams looking to unload someone for an expiring deal.

[korme]

This is a great take on the Bobcats/Jefferson signing IMO:

Ian Cohen: "I have showed I'm not just the black hole reputation I had years ago. … I showed people that I can do other things."

Who made the above statement? Is it …

1) Someone who got way too high listening to Modest Mouse’s The Moon & Antarctica and can’t even remember the lyrics to “Dark Center of the Universe.” He who without sin, cast the first stone and all.

2) The greatest player in Bobcats franchise history.

The answer is no. 2, but now ask yourself … who does that narrow things down to? Gerald Wallace? Emeka Okafor? Adam Morrison? Alexis Ajinca?

The answer is Al Jefferson, after the former Timberwolf and Jaz (I imagine that’s the singular form of “Jazz”) signed a three-year $41 million contract with the Bobcats last week and, as such, manifested Rod Higgins’s claim that the team would be “ultra aggressive” in free agency. In other words, as much as Jefferson wanted to prove he’s not the dark center of the Jazz’s offense (that quote was from last April), the Bobcats also wanted to prove they’re not a totally lifeless void.

It’s a perfect marriage: Al Jefferson’s going to almost certainly regain his 20-10 form because Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Bismack Biyombo are only effective on the offensive end when treating the basketball like a hot potato topped with sizzling bacon and scalding Velveeta. And the Bobcats let the rest of the NBA know they’re a destination now — in theory, it reminds me of the Phillies signing the similarly all-offense, no-defense Jim Thome back in 2003 after years of both losing and being a total non-factor on the free-agency front. It wasn’t until Thome left that they started making their annual run to the playoffs, but nonetheless, it signified a culture change.

But it's a culture change at a time when the Bobcats’ unyielding futility is starting to prove ahead of its time: Preemptive tanking is all the rage in 2013 and the Bobcats are doing the equivalent of buying a full-price Banana Republic shirt for the first day of school, knowing full well it’ll be on sale like a week later. You’ll be presentable, not “cool.” And you’ll just end up resenting how much came out of pocket.

The player opt-out in Year 2 helps, but as of now, Jefferson will do the following things: (1) help you win a few games against the Bucks and Sixers of the world, and (2) serve as a defensive enforcer only in the respect that he’ll block Biyombo from meaningful playing time as he finishes his rookie contract. Just picture the Bobcats snagging yet another third or sixth or eighth pick in the lottery thanks to AJ’s career year and having Andrew Wiggins posterize that Cody Zeller/Al Jefferson frontcourt on repeat. But then again, this is a franchise that also hired Mark Price and Patrick Ewing as assistant coaches to show “we’re not playing around this year,” and it just looked like Michael Jordan was trolling his former adversaries, asking if legitimate coaching experience is worth more than the championship ring His Airness so frequently denied them. Jefferson might help the Bobcats suck less, but it’s just more proof that the Bobcats can’t even suck correctly.

[MrBug708]

Chris Kamen on a one year deal with the Lakers

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

Depends on what you think about Monroe. He's a under-the-rim PF/C with soft hands, a scorer's touch and good vision. Defensively, about all you can say about him is that he tries hard. He's certainly a fine young player. But his per-36 went down last year and there's a prevailing school of thought that he's all he's ever going to be. While a 17/10 PF/C is nice to have, a defensively-challenged one is not someone you can build a team around. Of course if he manages to take The Leap, then he's one of the best big men in the league in which case getting him for Rondo would be a steal.

I don't know enough about Monroe to know whether he's maxed out or not. I'm not about to pass judgement on him. He's certainly a reasonable return for Rondo. A great return though? Only time would tell that.

Compared to every other potential deal I've seen recently Monroe is the only potential All-League level talent I've seen mentioned. And we don't really have many bad contracts to get rid of - maybe Brandon Bass if we trade for another big like Monroe, or need more 1st round picks that *might* be in the lottery in a few years (although those are always useful and I hope we can get 1-2 more). If Rondo comes back and looks healthy before the trade deadline comes around, we can probably get more then, but that's a gamble. If he misses the whole season, or looks less than 100% (which wouldn't be surprising coming off an ACL injury) suddenly he's not a guy on a fair contract for 2 years/postseasons, but instead a player less than 100% who's only a year away from the acquiring team having to decide whether to pay him a near-max level contract.

Originally Posted by Izulde

Olynyk's shooting is just ridiculous, but dude is soft as a ho on D so far IMO.

Misspelling, or is that an expression I've never heard?

[Dutch]

BREAKING NEWS: ESPN reporting that Kobe Bryant has stopped following Dwight Howard on Twitter.

[Qwikshot]

Originally Posted by Mike D

BREAKING NEWS: ESPN reporting that Kobe Bryant has stopped following Dwight Howard on Twitter.

OH, THE HUMANITY!!!!

[murrayyyyy]

Rondo to Houston or Charlotte?

What's the Knicks and Nets win totals this year? 70 games because Philly and Boston will lose every game?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by murrayyyyy

Rondo to Houston or Charlotte?

What's the Knicks and Nets win totals this year? 70 games because Philly and Boston will lose every game?

Eh, not a big change

Nets & Knicks were both 3-1 against both of them last season anyway. So +2 wins for each.