Predict the new Rumor dominoes.

[GreenEnvy]

I don’t see this changing too much, to be honest.

It’s the Knicks, so they will sign him regardless. Even if he misses all of next season, they want to secure him for the following 3+. Even with an injury of this magnitude, he can be a top-10 player, maybe top-5 still.

They have to swing for the fences, even if biting the bullet for another season. They can bring along Barrett and sign another max FA to make them respectable enough with the return of KD whetting fans appeitite.

I don’t know why this injury makes KD return to the Warriors any more likely than it was before.

[jpotter33]

New rumors? I bet they go something like this:

Something, something, New York City/Los Angeles Exceptionalism yada, yada, yada. Wash, rinse, and repeat and that’s the cycle that every spring and summer has when it comes to NBA rumors.

[jpotter33]

I don’t see this changing too much, to be honest.

It’s the Knicks, so they will sign him regardless. Even if he misses all of next season, they want to secure him for the following 3+. Even with an injury of this magnitude, he can be a top-10 player, maybe top-5 still.

They have to swing for the fences, even if biting the bullet for another season. They can bring along Barrett and sign another max FA to make them respectable enough with the return of KD whetting fans appeitite.

I don’t know why this injury makes KD return to the Warriors any more likely than it was before.

Sure he can.

People are really underestimating what an Achilles rupture would mean for someone of Durant’s size and mobility.

[Silky]

I think Portland is a dark hours for getting Davis.

Portland gets Davis and Hayward
gives McCollum, Pick 25, 2020 first, Harkless, Leonard

Lillard
Turner
Hayward
Davis
Nurkic


NOP gets
McCollum, Rozier (S&T starting 15 mill), Mo Harkless, Anfernee Simons, Pick 20, Pick 25, 2020 Portland First
Give: Davis, Jrue, Moore

Pelicans get youth, and allstar level player and multiple picks. Also save capspace.

Rozier
McCollum
Harkless
Zion
Randle - Resigned

Boston gets Jrue, Leonard and Moore
gives: Hayward, pick 20, Rozier s&t

Boston adds a replacement PG/SG who is a terrific defender and a capable scorer and some bench depth.

Jrue/Wannamaker
Brown/Smart
Tatum/Moore/Semi
Horford/Leonard
Baynes/Williams

MLE and picks 14, 22 to round out roster

[slamtheking]

I think the amount of player movement the media has pretty much promised..... is a sham!

Watch nobody but a Tobias Harris move. AD to Boston. I'd also predict Jaylen stays and we move Hayward and the Memphis pick for Beal. All after resigning Irving.

KI/Beal/Brown/Horford/Davis

IMO, Jimmy Butler is leaving Philly the minute he can, and Philly will overpay to keep Harris.

Washington isn't trading Beal for Hayward.

No but they might for the Memphis pick. Hayward is just salary.

no, they wouldn't.  Beal's an all-star.  he's worth far more than a recovering Hayward and probable-lottery pick.  Beal's the best player they have.  he's the one they'd want to keep more than anyone else.

Hayward's not going anywhere for a few simple reasons:
1) Hayward has to prove he's recovered to close to his Utah self to gain any real market value.  Trading him while his value is at its lowest would be serious mismanagement.
2) he started to show signs of improvement toward the end of the season.  if he's close to fully back by the start of the season, that's the kind of player we want on the team regardless of whether we have Kyrie and/or AD.   
3) small point but still a point, franchise commitment to an injured player that's allowed to make a full recovery for a team does not go unnoticed by other players in the league.  Builds the C's up as a quality franchise to play for.  along that line, if the C's dumped Hayward as he recovers, would not go unnoticed either and wouldn't be seen as a positive to other players that the C's may want to sign or trade for with the intentions of those players resigning here.

[slamtheking]

I think Portland is a dark hours for getting Davis.

Portland gets Davis and Hayward
gives McCollum, Pick 25, 2020 first, Harkless, Leonard

Lillard
Turner
Hayward
Davis
Nurkic


NOP gets
McCollum, Rozier (S&T starting 15 mill), Mo Harkless, Anfernee Simons, Pick 20, Pick 25, 2020 Portland First
Give: Davis, Jrue, Moore

Pelicans get youth, and allstar level player and multiple picks. Also save capspace.

Rozier
McCollum
Harkless
Zion
Randle - Resigned

Boston gets Jrue and Moore
gives: Hayward, pick 20, Rozier s&t

Boston adds a replacement PG/SG who is a terrific defender and a capable scorer.

you are just adamant that you're going to trade away Hayward as well as S&T Rozier regardless of the low-value of Hayward at the moment and the difficulties of making a S&T work under the current CBA.

having said that,  this deal sucks for the C's.  Hayward, if he were to ever be traded, should have recovered enough to be worth well more than just Jrue and Moore.   As crappy a season as Rozier had last year, he's still worth more than Moore.  Suggesting we give up a first rounder as well is just rubbing salt in the wound.

from the perspective of NO, the deal sucks for them too.  AD alone would be worth more than that package nevermind also giving up Jrue and Moore.   A solid starter, an up-and-down combo guard, 2 journeymen and 3 late first rounders.   They're better off taking Tatum, Smart, Yabu/Williams and the 3 C's picks (or exchanging the Mem pick for one of this year's picks). 

[nickagneta]

AD to Celtics
Kyrie to Nets
Durant opts in or re-signs in GSW
Chris Paul traded to Lakers
Butler to Knicks
Kemba to Knicks
Harris stays in Philly
Someone unexpected gets moved to Houston.

just curious why you thijnk Danny would trade for AD with Kyrie leaving.  without Kyrie, what would motivate AD to resign here?

Basketball success. A good PG along with a healthy Hayward, Brown, Horford, Baynes, Morris, Williams, Semi and a couple of good vets on the min could be a team that goes deep in the playoffs. It's not out of the question.

[slamtheking]

AD to Celtics
Kyrie to Nets
Durant opts in or re-signs in GSW
Chris Paul traded to Lakers
Butler to Knicks
Kemba to Knicks
Harris stays in Philly
Someone unexpected gets moved to Houston.

just curious why you thijnk Danny would trade for AD with Kyrie leaving.  without Kyrie, what would motivate AD to resign here?

Basketball success. A good PG along with a healthy Hayward, Brown, Horford, Baynes, Morris, Williams, Semi and a couple of good vets on the min could be a team that goes deep in the playoffs. It's not out of the question.

TP for your optimism Nick.  I personally don't see an AD trade happening without commitments from both Kyrie and AD to play for more than 1 year in Boston togeether

[Chief Macho]

I know it can't be official, but can't Ainge talk to Irving about the offer they'll give him so Ainge can get a yes or a no if he's staying? So much of the draft and the trading of picks and players revolves around who signs where. Free agency is really backwards as it should be before the draft.

from what i've read and heard,  kyrie's camp hasn't even talked to the celtics.    I could have missed something though?

[Erik]

Do we really think that there is a timeline that Kyrie goes to the Nets without any other free agents signing there? That seems very, very illogical to me. He would really have to like that organization/location.

So far the deals that I have heard are Kyrie + KD or Kyrie + Butler. If you're projecting KD and Butler to go elsewhere, not sure how you still think that he's going to the Nets to fight for a playoffs spot with Joe Harris and Dinwiddie... They're just not a good team.

I think that with KD going down, there are 3 options:
1) Kyrie & Butler to Knicks/Nets
2) Kyrie & AD to the Lakers
3) Kyrie stays

[CFAN38]

With the draft 9 days away and the finals near there end I want to toss out my predictions out here,


AD,

Massive trade (with pick predictions)

LAL gets AD and Dunn

NO gets Derozen, Ingram, #4 (Garland), #17 (Bol Bol), future 1st from Lakers

Spurs get #7(Hunter/Reddish) and Kuzma

Bulls get Ball

FA

Irving, goes to the NETS

Butler, goes to LAKERS

Harris, stays with 76ERS

Kemba, signs super max with HORNETS

Durant, takes player option stays with WARRIORS

Leonard, stays with RAPTORS

Thompson, stays with WARRIORS

Cousins, signs with KNICKS

Vucevic, stays with MAGIC

Russell, stays with NETS

Horford, opts out signs a 4 year deal and is traded to the ROCKETS for Capela

Rozier, Celtics match off to retain him

JaMychal Green, signs with Celtics

This is a horrible prediction, mostly because the Lakers benefit and it makes too much sense!! TP for the thought process here, 38.

Would also like your prediction on Celtic draft picks since we are going for youth movement.

Just noticed I screwed up Spurs would be trading pick #19 not #17,


I don't see the makeup of the roster really effecting the picks to much. With the above assumptions my lottery mock would look like this

1. NO   Zion
2. Griz   Morant
3. NYK   Barrett
4. NO    Garland
5. Cavs  Reddish
6. Suns  Culver
7. Spurs Hunter
8. ATL    Doumbouya (think they try to trade #8+#17 that they just got from Nets to move up for Reddish)
9. Wiz   White
10. ATL  Hayes
11. Minn  Clarke
12. Char Washington
13. Heat Little


14. Celtics. Bitadze, with speculative trade for Capela I really don't like this pick but think he will be the BPA and has the added benefit of being a draft and stash. If I'm the Cs I would really try to trade up with Hunter or Doumbouya as the targets. Its a lot of moving parts but lets say ATL trades #8+#17 to the Cavs for #5, then the Cavs trade #8 to the Cs for #14 and #22. That would net the Cavs #14,#17, and #22 for the 5th pick. If they don't love a prospect at 5 those three picks will give them 3 wings at scoring a nice young player.

15. Pistons Alexander-Walker
16. Magic  K Johnson
17. ATL Porter Jr
18. Pacers Langford
19. NO Bol Bol (nice spot for NO to take a high risk prospect with pick they obtained via trade)

20. Cetlics Okpala, I really like this pick at this spot in the draft. He brings elite positional size to the wing and could develop to complement Tatum and Brown really well. He does come with some higher bust potential but by all accounts he is an intelligent person and worth the gamble. If the Cs are able to package 14 and 22 to move up for Hunter/Doumbouya then I would take Nic Claxton with this pick. Out of every big in this class he is the most likely to be able to emulate Horfords role on offense. He has a long way to go but the base appears to be there.   

21. OKC Hachimura

22. Celtics Windler, Its a toss up for me between Windler and Thybulle at this pick. One projects as an elite defender with suspect offense the other is a lights out shooter. I go with Windler the shooter at this pick because I think he will be good enough on D to earn playing time and his potential elite shooting could make him a long time NBA player.

[nickagneta]

I know it can't be official, but can't Ainge talk to Irving about the offer they'll give him so Ainge can get a yes or a no if he's staying? So much of the draft and the trading of picks and players revolves around who signs where. Free agency is really backwards as it should be before the draft.

from what i've read and heard,  kyrie's camp hasn't even talked to the celtics.    I could have missed something though?

Where did you read this? Or is this just your own personal speculation, because there is a lot of that happening on this blog?

To acieEarl, actually, because Boston owns Kyrie's rights, they have been able to talk to him all they want. It's every other team that can't be talking to him yet, though we all know that's a load of garbage and teams are talking to him. How else do superstars agree to sign with a different team just seconds after midnight on July 1st.

[CFAN38]

Not sure why NO would want demar derozan. He does not fit with Zion at all.

A big contract he is as well.
Ingram may never be medically cleqred to play again.

Not sure why sas would trade their leading scorer for the number 7 pick in a 2 player draft and Kuzma.

Derozan isnt a great fit with Zion's prime but he is a good enough player that when paired with Holiday and Zion they will have a chance to make the playoffs. For a team like NO making the playoffs and building a team without a deep tank could be very benificial.

[Silky]

I think Portland is a dark hours for getting Davis.

Portland gets Davis and Hayward
gives McCollum, Pick 25, 2020 first, Harkless, Leonard

Lillard
Turner
Hayward
Davis
Nurkic


NOP gets
McCollum, Rozier (S&T starting 15 mill), Mo Harkless, Anfernee Simons, Pick 20, Pick 25, 2020 Portland First
Give: Davis, Jrue, Moore

Pelicans get youth, and allstar level player and multiple picks. Also save capspace.

Rozier
McCollum
Harkless
Zion
Randle - Resigned

Boston gets Jrue and Moore
gives: Hayward, pick 20, Rozier s&t

Boston adds a replacement PG/SG who is a terrific defender and a capable scorer.

you are just adamant that you're going to trade away Hayward as well as S&T Rozier regardless of the low-value of Hayward at the moment and the difficulties of making a S&T work under the current CBA.

having said that,  this deal sucks for the C's.  Hayward, if he were to ever be traded, should have recovered enough to be worth well more than just Jrue and Moore.   As crappy a season as Rozier had last year, he's still worth more than Moore.  Suggesting we give up a first rounder as well is just rubbing salt in the wound.

from the perspective of NO, the deal sucks for them too.  AD alone would be worth more than that package nevermind also giving up Jrue and Moore.   A solid starter, an up-and-down combo guard, 2 journeymen and 3 late first rounders.   They're better off taking Tatum, Smart, Yabu/Williams and the 3 C's picks (or exchanging the Mem pick for one of this year's picks).

cause team will be better without them, and that is why they should be traded,

Rozier should have been traded at deadline, but Danny has a mancrush on him for some reason.

[moiso]

I know it can't be official, but can't Ainge talk to Irving about the offer they'll give him so Ainge can get a yes or a no if he's staying? So much of the draft and the trading of picks and players revolves around who signs where. Free agency is really backwards as it should be before the draft.

from what i've read and heard,  kyrie's camp hasn't even talked to the celtics.    I could have missed something though?

You missed Ainge saying that he has been having conversations with Irving.