NBA Off Season 2022

[Who]

Utah wanted Jaden McDaniels in the Gobert trade but Minny said no. Might have cost them 2 first rounders to keep hold of him.

[nickagneta]

Sounds like the T wolves tried for Durant first but refused to give up Edwards or Towns. So, Utah deal got pushed forward.

Brown plus Smart of Williams and picks is potential asking price from us. I have an uneasy feeling and not sure if its good or bad. I think Brown and Tatum can win titles together as they move towards their prime but maybe something else is going on- Perhaps reason we are being showered with Brown malcontent news in media- Are we getting set up for a blockbuster? Brogdon replaces Smart and Gallo,  Williams  if either are included- it looks like Ray before KG stuff from 2007.

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/07/01/kevin-durant-trade-request-celtics-should-deal-nets

Why would Boston leak info that Brown is a malcontent and hence, hurt his trade value. If the Celtics do that they are just making it more difficult to trade for Durant as the Nets would want more high quality players added to the mix.

[Who]

The West is looking strong.

(1) Golden State will be back to defend their title.

(2) LAC and DEN are set to be healthy next year and resume being legit title threats.

(3) Now we have MEM and MIN as very good but not quite title contenders behind them.

(4) Then you have DAL as the 6th best team in the West. That is an impressive 6th best team in your conference. With a bit more ball-handling and passing, they could easily put themselves on a par with MEM and MIN.

So fills out the play-in spots?

Phoenix could still be solid with CP3, Booker and Mikal Bridges. They need a center to fill in for Ayton. Without Ayton, I do not see them as better than any of the 6 teams I have talked about above.

New Orleans look a quality team with Zion, Ingram, McCollum and Valanciunas.

Pretty big drop-off after them. Lakers? I don't really see the Jazz making a push or the Kings. Blazers? Houston still suck. San Antonio took a step back. OKC suck. I guess Blazers and Lakers for the two final play-in spots likely losing to NOP and PHO who are clearly superior to both of them.

[BringToughnessBack]

Sounds like the T wolves tried for Durant first but refused to give up Edwards or Towns. So, Utah deal got pushed forward.

Brown plus Smart of Williams and picks is potential asking price from us. I have an uneasy feeling and not sure if its good or bad. I think Brown and Tatum can win titles together as they move towards their prime but maybe something else is going on- Perhaps reason we are being showered with Brown malcontent news in media- Are we getting set up for a blockbuster? Brogdon replaces Smart and Gallo,  Williams  if either are included- it looks like Ray before KG stuff from 2007.

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/07/01/kevin-durant-trade-request-celtics-should-deal-nets

Why would Boston leak info that Brown is a malcontent and hence, hurt his trade value. If the Celtics do that they are just making it more difficult to trade for Durant as the Nets would want more high quality players added to the mix.

To soften blow of some fans who love Brown perhaps? I wonder what the Nets did ask for- maybe it is Tatum and that is definitely a no.

[nickagneta]

Sounds like the T wolves tried for Durant first but refused to give up Edwards or Towns. So, Utah deal got pushed forward.

Brown plus Smart of Williams and picks is potential asking price from us. I have an uneasy feeling and not sure if its good or bad. I think Brown and Tatum can win titles together as they move towards their prime but maybe something else is going on- Perhaps reason we are being showered with Brown malcontent news in media- Are we getting set up for a blockbuster? Brogdon replaces Smart and Gallo,  Williams  if either are included- it looks like Ray before KG stuff from 2007.

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/07/01/kevin-durant-trade-request-celtics-should-deal-nets

Why would Boston leak info that Brown is a malcontent and hence, hurt his trade value. If the Celtics do that they are just making it more difficult to trade for Durant as the Nets would want more high quality players added to the mix.

To soften blow of some fans who love Brown perhaps? I wonder what the Nets did ask for- maybe it is Tatum and that is definitely a no.

They can't ask for Tatum, he is on a Designated Rookie contract.

Also, it's more important to keep value in a player than label him a bad guy to soften the blow of trading him. If the Cs don't complete the trade for Durant and Jaylen finds out the Celtics leaked he was an issue, it could become a self fulfilling prophecy and he suddenly does become an issue. One the Celtics wouldn't want while trying to win a title.

[Who]

The East is harder to see at the moment because BKN is undecided yet. BKN could be a legit title threat if their owner and front office decide to trust their stars or be anywhere from a .500 to a lottery team if they choose to trade them.

(1) BOS look the team to beat after acquiring Brogdon.

(2) Philly and MIL are legit title threats

(3) Miami have fallen off. They lacked enough big man help for Bam in the paint and size on the perimeter and that has only gotten worse with the loss of PJ Tucker. They are a solid team. More similar to DAL as the 6th best team in the West than MIN or MEM.

Toronto and Chicago are closing on MIA with MIA dropping off. They should round out the top 6 in the East. Neither team is well-rounded enough to be a real threat in the playoffs. All 3 teams in this tier are regular season teams.

I forgot Cleveland. The Cavs are in this tier too. So one of these 4 teams is going to miss out on an automatic playoff spot and instead have to fight through the play-in.

(4) The play-in. So we are looking for three more teams. Probably Atlanta and New York. Not sure about the last one.

DET look to be the worst team in the ECF. Actually maybe not. IND and ORL have big question marks too. That race to the bottom might be more competitive than I first thought. DET a bit more well rounded than they get credit for.

That leaves CHA, WAS and BKN fighting for the final play-in spot. Charlotte have the Bridges situation & the Hayward injury risk. BKN is a wild card. WAS might be the most trust-worthy of the three. I am leaning towards them right now as the final play-in spot.

Atlanta is another question mark with the John Collins situation. I am not a fan of the Dejounte Murray & Trae Young backcourt so I expect them to falter again next season. If that John Collins situation plays out well for them, they could rise into that tier above them alongside CLE, TOR, MIA, CHI. Unlikely though.

New York have good depth with reasonable talent. They should be a .500 team. Randle's undependablability and drop-off last year gives me pause though.

The East looks strong at the top (top 3 teams) but there is a big drop-off to those next group of playoff teams. The play-in teams in the East have more depth but less top tier talent than the Western ones; probably somewhat similar in overall talent but the West is better positioned to take forward steps if they round out their teams due to superior high end talent.

[Big333223]

The Kyrie for Westbrook deal seems to be gaining traction. Say what you want about Kyrie but a big 3 of LBJ, AD, and Kyrie could be a dark horse for the crown? Assuming of course that Kyrie is in his best behavior.

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-lakers-nets-discussing-kyrie-irving-russell-westbrook-trade-233348495.html

Until AD gets hurts and Kyrie decides to go on another sabbatical.

Yeah, that Lakers team wouldn't be a dark horse, they'd be a media darling.

But I agree with PAO. Kyrie is a loose canon, who knows what injury AD might come down with next, and Lebron is going to turn 38 next season. It would look great on paper, though.

About Minnesota, though. They definitely overpaid for Gobert but I'm excited about that team. I love that they're doing something different. Hopefully they go all in on playing big and just really try to punish teams on the glass and see if they can find their advantage there.

[Vermont Green]

Sounds like the T wolves tried for Durant first but refused to give up Edwards or Towns. So, Utah deal got pushed forward.

Brown plus Smart of Williams and picks is potential asking price from us. I have an uneasy feeling and not sure if its good or bad. I think Brown and Tatum can win titles together as they move towards their prime but maybe something else is going on- Perhaps reason we are being showered with Brown malcontent news in media- Are we getting set up for a blockbuster? Brogdon replaces Smart and Gallo,  Williams  if either are included- it looks like Ray before KG stuff from 2007.

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/07/01/kevin-durant-trade-request-celtics-should-deal-nets

Why would Boston leak info that Brown is a malcontent and hence, hurt his trade value. If the Celtics do that they are just making it more difficult to trade for Durant as the Nets would want more high quality players added to the mix.

To soften blow of some fans who love Brown perhaps? I wonder what the Nets did ask for- maybe it is Tatum and that is definitely a no.

They can't ask for Tatum, he is on a Designated Rookie contract.

Also, it's more important to keep value in a player than label him a bad guy to soften the blow of trading him. If the Cs don't complete the trade for Durant and Jaylen finds out the Celtics leaked he was an issue, it could become a self fulfilling prophecy and he suddenly does become an issue. One the Celtics wouldn't want while trying to win a title.

Good explanation of the Designated Rookie Contract (DRC) rule here:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/kevin-durant-trade-rumors-nets-nba-free-agency

Tatum has a designated rookie contract as does Simmons.  They can't both be on the same team.  Other players with designated rookie contracts include (per the USA Today article):

Ja Morant
Zion Williamson
Luka Doncic
Trae Young
Andrew Wiggins
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Donovan Mitchell
De’Aaron Fox
Jayson Tatum
Jamal Murray
Joel Embiid

I tried a trade of Horford and Pritchard for Simmons on the Fanspo trade machine ( https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine ) and it worked but it isn't supposed to work because the Celtics would end up with two DRC on the team.  I would have thought that these trade machines would check for that but I guess they don't.

[Vermont Green]

The Kyrie for Westbrook deal seems to be gaining traction. Say what you want about Kyrie but a big 3 of LBJ, AD, and Kyrie could be a dark horse for the crown? Assuming of course that Kyrie is in his best behavior.

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-lakers-nets-discussing-kyrie-irving-russell-westbrook-trade-233348495.html

Until AD gets hurts and Kyrie decides to go on another sabbatical.

Yeah, that Lakers team wouldn't be a dark horse, they'd be a media darling.

But I agree with PAO. Kyrie is a loose canon, who knows what injury AD might come down with next, and Lebron is going to turn 38 next season. It would look great on paper, though.

About Minnesota, though. They definitely overpaid for Gobert but I'm excited about that team. I love that they're doing something different. Hopefully they go all in on playing big and just really try to punish teams on the glass and see if they can find their advantage there.

The LAL Nets trade would need to be:

Westbrook + Davis
for
Durant + Irving

The Lakers would need to add a few pieces around this likely but isn't this a fair deal?  Davis and Simmons could be a formidable duo for some years to come, maybe Westbrook too on a more favorable deal and of course the Lakers would have a hall of fame vet team to make a run at a couple of titles before LeBron fully breaks down.

My original prediction was for Irving to pick up his option (which happened), not get traded (we'll see), and start the season sulking at home while Durant at least plays.  Look how long it took to find a deal for Simmons.  I can see the same thing happening with Irving and/or Durant.  I don't see how BKN can get fair value for players who may demand yet another trade at any point.

[tazzmaniac]

Sounds like the T wolves tried for Durant first but refused to give up Edwards or Towns. So, Utah deal got pushed forward.

Brown plus Smart of Williams and picks is potential asking price from us. I have an uneasy feeling and not sure if its good or bad. I think Brown and Tatum can win titles together as they move towards their prime but maybe something else is going on- Perhaps reason we are being showered with Brown malcontent news in media- Are we getting set up for a blockbuster? Brogdon replaces Smart and Gallo,  Williams  if either are included- it looks like Ray before KG stuff from 2007.

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/07/01/kevin-durant-trade-request-celtics-should-deal-nets

Why would Boston leak info that Brown is a malcontent and hence, hurt his trade value. If the Celtics do that they are just making it more difficult to trade for Durant as the Nets would want more high quality players added to the mix.

To soften blow of some fans who love Brown perhaps? I wonder what the Nets did ask for- maybe it is Tatum and that is definitely a no.

They can't ask for Tatum, he is on a Designated Rookie contract.

Also, it's more important to keep value in a player than label him a bad guy to soften the blow of trading him. If the Cs don't complete the trade for Durant and Jaylen finds out the Celtics leaked he was an issue, it could become a self fulfilling prophecy and he suddenly does become an issue. One the Celtics wouldn't want while trying to win a title.

Good explanation of the Designated Rookie Contract (DRC) rule here:

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/kevin-durant-trade-rumors-nets-nba-free-agency

Tatum has a designated rookie contract as does Simmons.  They can't both be on the same team.  Other players with designated rookie contracts include (per the USA Today article):

Ja Morant
Zion Williamson
Luka Doncic
Trae Young
Andrew Wiggins
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Donovan Mitchell
De’Aaron Fox
Jayson Tatum
Jamal Murray
Joel Embiid

I tried a trade of Horford and Pritchard for Simmons on the Fanspo trade machine ( https://fanspo.com/nba/trade-machine ) and it worked but it isn't supposed to work because the Celtics would end up with two DRC on the team.  I would have thought that these trade machines would check for that but I guess they don't.

Tatum and Simmons could be on the Celtics together.  They couldn't be on the Nets together. 
As it says in the article, the restriction is you can't trade for 2 players with designated rookie contracts.  However since Tatum was drafted by the Celts, the Celts are allowed to trade another player with a designated rookie contract. 

A team is allowed to have up to two of these players on their roster. So, if you draft two guys who end up becoming All-Stars, you can sign them both to designated rookie extensions.

But the difference is only one of those players can be acquired by trade. If you trade for one, you cannot trade for another. And that’s where the hangup is for Brooklyn.

[Who]

So for MIA to be able to trade Herro, Lowry & Bam for Durant & Kyrie, a 3rd team would need to be included into the deal with Bam heading elsewhere and a comparable young star heading to BKN.

Then you could have a workable deal.

[tazzmaniac]

The Kyrie for Westbrook deal seems to be gaining traction. Say what you want about Kyrie but a big 3 of LBJ, AD, and Kyrie could be a dark horse for the crown? Assuming of course that Kyrie is in his best behavior.

https://sports.yahoo.com/sources-lakers-nets-discussing-kyrie-irving-russell-westbrook-trade-233348495.html

Until AD gets hurts and Kyrie decides to go on another sabbatical.

Yeah, that Lakers team wouldn't be a dark horse, they'd be a media darling.

But I agree with PAO. Kyrie is a loose canon, who knows what injury AD might come down with next, and Lebron is going to turn 38 next season. It would look great on paper, though.

About Minnesota, though. They definitely overpaid for Gobert but I'm excited about that team. I love that they're doing something different. Hopefully they go all in on playing big and just really try to punish teams on the glass and see if they can find their advantage there.

The LAL Nets trade would need to be:

Westbrook + Davis
for
Durant + Irving

The Lakers would need to add a few pieces around this likely but isn't this a fair deal?  Davis and Simmons could be a formidable duo for some years to come, maybe Westbrook too on a more favorable deal and of course the Lakers would have a hall of fame vet team to make a run at a couple of titles before LeBron fully breaks down.

My original prediction was for Irving to pick up his option (which happened), not get traded (we'll see), and start the season sulking at home while Durant at least plays.  Look how long it took to find a deal for Simmons.  I can see the same thing happening with Irving and/or Durant.  I don't see how BKN can get fair value for players who may demand yet another trade at any point.

The trade rumors are just for Irving going to the Lakers not Irving and KD.  So it would be Lebron, AD and Kyrie.  Which assuming AD stays healthy is a better fit than Lebron, KD and Kyrie. 

[tazzmaniac]

So for MIA to be able to trade Herro, Lowry & Bam for Durant & Kyrie, a 3rd team would need to be included into the deal with Bam heading elsewhere and a comparable young star heading to BKN.

Then you could have a workable deal.

Assuming the comparable young star isn't also a designated rookie that would work. 
Or else Simmons would need to be included in the deal somehow.  Either to Miami or a 3rd team.   

[tazzmaniac]

The West is looking strong.

(1) Golden State will be back to defend their title.

(2) LAC and DEN are set to be healthy next year and resume being legit title threats.

(3) Now we have MEM and MIN as very good but not quite title contenders behind them.

(4) Then you have DAL as the 6th best team in the West. That is an impressive 6th best team in your conference. With a bit more ball-handling and passing, they could easily put themselves on a par with MEM and MIN.

So fills out the play-in spots?

Phoenix could still be solid with CP3, Booker and Mikal Bridges. They need a center to fill in for Ayton. Without Ayton, I do not see them as better than any of the 6 teams I have talked about above.

New Orleans look a quality team with Zion, Ingram, McCollum and Valanciunas.

Pretty big drop-off after them. Lakers? I don't really see the Jazz making a push or the Kings. Blazers? Houston still suck. San Antonio took a step back. OKC suck. I guess Blazers and Lakers for the two final play-in spots likely losing to NOP and PHO who are clearly superior to both of them.

I wouldn't hold your breath on Denver being a legit title contender.  They are a regular season team like Utah. 

[Who]

Avatar for tyger1147
PERSPECTIVE: If, over the next four years, this team makes the playoffs 4 times, including the 2nd round twice and the western finals once, you’ll still have a 31-year old KAT, a 26 year old Jaden, and a 25 year old Edwards with $46 million coming off the books.

And it would have been the greatest 4 years in franchise history.

Interesting comment from a TWolves fan about the Gobert trade over at their SBNation site.