Cousins to the wiz (Rumor)

[Fafnir]

I think this was true a year ago but he made real improvement last season. He's still not great but he's improved a lot and, as far as I've seen, is an adequate ballhandler for a third option.

His usage is still so dang low though, it just seems like he floats too many games. Which makes me think of another Georgetown SF......

One of the reasons I'm (as everyone else is) so excited for Tatum. He was already as good as Porter right now as a rookie.

[rondofan1255]

Thanks to Brooklyn, Porter’s overpaid at 26M next season

[Fafnir]

I really wonder what Porter could become if they gave him more chances to actually do things with the ball. Its possible that he's just a Trevor Ariza type, but I really do think he's more talented than that.

he is a better shooter and defender than Ariza right now even with the lack of opportunities.

I'd hope so Ariza is 32.

[byennie]

Otto Porter is a great fit for the Pelicans.  He's a better fit than Cousins.  However, at full health Cousins is the greater impact player.  Anthony Davis looks less dominant when Cousins is on the floor than when Mirotic is next to him (obviously).  But if the goal is taking down GS, the Pelicans clunky lineup with Cousins has the better chance.

The Cousin's injury was the saddest injury of the season after Hayward's....not only would a closer series against GS been exciting for fans, it also would have increased Cousin's value in a sign and trade by a lot.  And it even would have given the Pels the option of keeping Cousins and receiving a landslide of assets for Davis.  As things stand now they'd be foolish to trade Davis unless starting completely over. 

Having said all that....if post injury Boogie can net Otto Porter then the Pels have to think about accepting that...(but with the injury they probably can't ask for a draft pick along with).

Rondo
Jrue
Porter
Mirotic
Davis

Very nice starting lineup....

How is Porter's defense?  Any chance of him slowing/pestering Durant?

Porter is an excellent defender and excellent 3 point shooter.  He is the near prototypical modern SF (though lacks the athleticism to be truly great).

Do you even watch their games? He has no ball skills, can’t make a move to the basket to save his life. Will go down as a terrible contract.

Of course I've seen their games.  Porter is a high level defender, one of the best 3 point shooters in the game (he finished 3rd this year and 4th last year in 3PT%, is 10th all time among active players, and 27th all time in league history), and has gotten better every single year he has been in the league (and just turned 25).  He is a credible rebounder and a solid passer for a 3/4 combo player (66% at the 3 and 34% at the 4 last year).  His on/off court numbers are phenomenal.  Porter is vastly underrated, in part because Wall and Beal are the flashy players who dominant the ball, but Porter is a real catalyst for that team (they were 1-4 in the 5 games he didn't play, as a small sample size example).  He isn't a great athlete, which diminishes his ceiling (and obviously also affects his ball handling), but Porter is absolutely worth his contract and I'd love him on the Celtics.

He's a really nice role player, 3rd or 4th option, but on a max deal he's definitely overpaid. Prototypical SF? Definitely not. Porter will never score 20 per game or close to it, because he can't create his own shot. He rebounds about as well as Marcus Morris... very average for a SF/PF. Mediocre passer.

Nice versatile and efficient healthy player, any team would like to have him - at half the cost.

[dreamgreen]

Porter's contract is AWFUL the only people that would take that deal on are the same people that want to give Smart $11-15m. Deals like that for role players are cap killers that keep teams from ever being contenders!

But I agree giving Cousins big money after that injury is equally dangerous, could be a poison pill for both teams, I like it! Hahahaha

[SHAQATTACK]

would be ablow to Lakers

I think Boogie was a cheaper target to go with PG3 and Lewhine


IMO makes NO a better team

[Celtics4ever]

Good luck guarding modern NBA teams with Cousins and Gortant.

[Jvalin]

Good luck guarding modern NBA teams with Cousins and Gortant.

Gortat got traded to the Clips.

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading guard Austin Rivers to the Washington Wizards for center Marcin Gortat, league sources tell ESPN.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1011752172814589953

[dreamgreen]

would be ablow to Lakers

I think Boogie was a cheaper target to go with PG3 and Lewhine


IMO makes NO a better team

Love it, TP!!

[saltlover]

I think this was true a year ago but he made real improvement last season. He's still not great but he's improved a lot and, as far as I've seen, is an adequate ballhandler for a third option.

His usage is still so dang low though, it just seems like he floats too many games. Which makes me think of another Georgetown SF......

One of the reasons I'm (as everyone else is) so excited for Tatum. He was already as good as Porter right now as a rookie.

His usage is low, but I’d love to see him get away from Wall and to a lesser extent Beal, and perhaps Scott Brooks too.  Once the fourth quarter hits, those two love to run isolation and two-man sets.  They completely ice him from the offense in the 4th.  In the first 3 quarters of a game he averages 3.5 shots per quarter.  In the 4th quarter, a mere 1.5.  It’s pretty absurd that in the 4th quarter the Qizards can only find 1.5 shots on average for the best pure shooter they have.  Meanwhile John Wall, who is supposed to theoretically help distribute the ball, can get himself 4 shots, despite being far less of a shooter.  And it’s not just that Wall drives to the rim — he also takes more 3-pointers in the 4th than Porter, despite shooting under 30% on those attempts (Porter is in the 40s).

Porter’s job, on offense, is to stand in a corner and wait for Wall and Beal to get him the ball.  They rarely run any sets for him.  Stevens picked up on this last year in the playoffs and comically put IT on him, because he knew when the going gets tough in Washington, like in the playoffs, they don’t even look to Porter.

Porter might be a bit overrated by some because he isn’t all that effective at creating his own shot.  But at the same time, Kyle Korver can’t either and is a far more effective weapon even at 37 just because his teams set screens for him to get open.  He’s not ever going to be the best player on a good team, but he could be the third-best player on a great team.  I want to see Porter out of Washington.  It’s a waste there.

That all said, there is a real concern with a chronic injury there, specifically to his hip, and he may have a similar long-term issue as IT has.  The Wizards have kept a bit mum on it, but he’s had something going on since college.

[tazzmaniac]

Good luck guarding modern NBA teams with Cousins and Gortant.

Gortat was traded for Austin Rivers. 

[tazzmaniac]

Makes sense for both teams.  Now if I'm NOP I'd try to pitch Lebron on coming to play with AD, Jrue and Rondo.  Then get the Cavs onboard with taking Porter and a 1st in a 3 team trade.   

[Rakulp]

Cousins for Porter...is it possible BOTH teams lose the deal?

[Beat LA]

Cousins to the Wiz isn’t impossible, but it is very difficult if he signs for the max or within a couple million of it.  For example, if the trade was Otto Porter for Cousins straight up, Cousins could make no more than about $25.5 million in year 1, and the Wizards could have no more than 13 players on their roster without making additional moves, as they would be subject to the hard cap.  Meanwhile, a straight Cousins-Porter swap puts New Orleans above the luxury tax with only 11 players on the roster, so that’s not ideal for them either.

Furthermore, if Cousins negotiates the max, the Wizards would have to send out at least $6.5 million in salary (again leaving them with a 13-man roster).  New Orleans can’t take on that extra salary themselves, because they can only take back $27.2 million in the deal due to Base-Year Compensation rules, and Porter makes a little over $26 million himself.

All this is to say that a Cousins S&T with Washington is a very difficult thing to negotiate, and will likely require at least a third team to help out.  So I doubt that this is a close-to-done deal 5 days before teams can negotiate with players.

Washington giving Porter the max was beyond hilarious in the first place, lol .

[Moranis]

Cousins to the Wiz isn’t impossible, but it is very difficult if he signs for the max or within a couple million of it.  For example, if the trade was Otto Porter for Cousins straight up, Cousins could make no more than about $25.5 million in year 1, and the Wizards could have no more than 13 players on their roster without making additional moves, as they would be subject to the hard cap.  Meanwhile, a straight Cousins-Porter swap puts New Orleans above the luxury tax with only 11 players on the roster, so that’s not ideal for them either.

Furthermore, if Cousins negotiates the max, the Wizards would have to send out at least $6.5 million in salary (again leaving them with a 13-man roster).  New Orleans can’t take on that extra salary themselves, because they can only take back $27.2 million in the deal due to Base-Year Compensation rules, and Porter makes a little over $26 million himself.

All this is to say that a Cousins S&T with Washington is a very difficult thing to negotiate, and will likely require at least a third team to help out.  So I doubt that this is a close-to-done deal 5 days before teams can negotiate with players.

Washington giving Porter the max was beyond hilarious in the first place, lol .

Brooklyn gave him the max. Washington just matched