NBA Off Season 2022

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $33 million extension, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. The Clippers declined his $7.5M team option for 2022-2023, clearing the way for Zubac's new deal.

Overpay. Zubac is a minimum contract guy.

Show me the guys as good as Zubac on minimum money

Drummond. Dwight.

Zubac is a 3rd stringer pretending to be a starter.

Drummond I will concede, but he is on minimum money because his ego will not allow him to play the role he should thrive in nor work on the things he needs to. There's a reason he earned $20+ million a season for 5 years in a row.

Dwight is not as good as Zubac on either end.

I don't have a great sense of how good Zubac's defense is.  Thoughts?

Productivity wise, 10 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes is definitely passable for a starting center.

He strikes me as average regular season defender. He might get a block or two here or there, but he's neither a great help defender nor a good on-ball post defender. His pick-and-roll defense is meh and he isn't switchable.

This also means I don't think you can play him in the playoffs.

[Celtics2021]

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $33 million extension, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. The Clippers declined his $7.5M team option for 2022-2023, clearing the way for Zubac's new deal.

Overpay. Zubac is a minimum contract guy.

Show me the guys as good as Zubac on minimum money

Drummond. Dwight.

Zubac is a 3rd stringer pretending to be a starter.

Drummond I will concede, but he is on minimum money because his ego will not allow him to play the role he should thrive in nor work on the things he needs to. There's a reason he earned $20+ million a season for 5 years in a row.

Dwight is not as good as Zubac on either end.

I don't have a great sense of how good Zubac's defense is.  Thoughts?

Productivity wise, 10 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes is definitely passable for a starting center.

For what it’s worth, John Hollinger projects him to be worth $10.5 million in terms of production next year, so this extension might be viewed as neither a bargain nor an overpay.

Drummond was projected as $8.7 million value (big time bargain at the minimum), Howard as worth only the minimum.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

For what its worth, I'd rather have Theis' switchability, passing, and shooting -- mediocre as they are -- than Zubac's inside presence, especially on their contracts.

[Phantom255x]

For what its worth, I'd rather have Theis' switchability, passing, and shooting -- mediocre as they are -- than Zubac's inside presence, especially on their contracts.

Yeah, if only we had any of that from Theis in the playoffs instead of him just sitting on the bench for a majority of it

[DefenseWinsChamps]

For what its worth, I'd rather have Theis' switchability, passing, and shooting -- mediocre as they are -- than Zubac's inside presence, especially on their contracts.

Yeah, if only we had any of that from Theis in the playoffs instead of him just sitting on the bench for a majority of it

Ime preferred tired excellence over rested mediocrity.

[RJ87]

If I’m Dallas about to lose Brunson for nothing, I’m at least going to try to get Fournier back in a sign and trade. Fournier, with his shooting, would be a good complementary player to Luka.

According the Bill Simmons on his last Pod, the Knicks offered the Celtics Fournier for nothing. Celtics passed

I'd have no issue with a Fournier reunion. I think posters only remember his shooting slump to start his C's tenure, but he really rounded out after that. He finished the season at 46% from 3 for us and shot 44% in the playoffs. Seems like a nice locker room fit, liked to engage with the fans on social, and he wanted to come to Boston (said he gave management the right to match NYK's offer).

His contract is not perfect, but it's $37m over two years with the final year a team option and completely unguaranteed.

[boscel33]

Saw tweet today that said, Lonnie Walker, you are a Celtic.  Now, this was not a Blue Check tweet, but it at least got me looking at him. 

Five star recruit out of Reading PA.  Signed with Miami over Nova, Kentucky, Cuse, and Zona. 

Averaged 12.1PPG last year in 23MPG over 70 games, only started 6 so already a bench guy.  Career .414FG% and .343 3P%.  Decent length to him, but may need a push on the defensive side.

Maybe trade and sign him into the $6,907,815 – Juancho Hernangomez trade – Expires January 19 slot?  His original contract was 4 for 12.2M. 

[Celtics2021]

Saw tweet today that said, Lonnie Walker, you are a Celtic.  Now, this was not a Blue Check tweet, but it at least got me looking at him. 

Five star recruit out of Reading PA.  Signed with Miami over Nova, Kentucky, Cuse, and Zona. 

Averaged 12.1PPG last year in 23MPG over 70 games, only started 6 so already a bench guy.  Career .414FG% and .343 3P%.  Decent length to him, but may need a push on the defensive side.

Maybe trade and sign him into the $6,907,815 – Juancho Hernangomez trade – Expires January 19 slot?  His original contract was 4 for 12.2M.

We can’t sign-and-trade with TPE’s this year because doing so would push us over the hard cap, which sign-and-trades limit a team to.

The Hernangomez TPE is right around the MLE amount, so that would be a way to get him (although probably is an overpay).

I’m a Lonnie Walker fan ever since I bumped into him in a Reading, PA Doubletree where they were celebrating Lonnie Walker day (his hair was unmistakable back then), but I’d hope we could get a more likely postseason contributor with the MLE.

[Goldstar88]

If I’m Dallas about to lose Brunson for nothing, I’m at least going to try to get Fournier back in a sign and trade. Fournier, with his shooting, would be a good complementary player to Luka.

According the Bill Simmons on his last Pod, the Knicks offered the Celtics Fournier for nothing. Celtics passed

I'd have no issue with a Fournier reunion. I think posters only remember his shooting slump to start his C's tenure, but he really rounded out after that. He finished the season at 46% from 3 for us and shot 44% in the playoffs. Seems like a nice locker room fit, liked to engage with the fans on social, and he wanted to come to Boston (said he gave management the right to match NYK's offer).

His contract is not perfect, but it's $37m over two years with the final year a team option and completely unguaranteed.

His shooting is fine. Defense isn’t. Seems like that’s the first thing Brad looks for in a player. Everything else is secondary. If he played solid defense, he wouldn’t be available.

[Who]

Saw tweet today that said, Lonnie Walker, you are a Celtic.  Now, this was not a Blue Check tweet, but it at least got me looking at him. 

Five star recruit out of Reading PA.  Signed with Miami over Nova, Kentucky, Cuse, and Zona. 

Averaged 12.1PPG last year in 23MPG over 70 games, only started 6 so already a bench guy.  Career .414FG% and .343 3P%.  Decent length to him, but may need a push on the defensive side.

Maybe trade and sign him into the $6,907,815 – Juancho Hernangomez trade – Expires January 19 slot?  His original contract was 4 for 12.2M.

I root for him but he hasn't really pushed on. He has a lot of physical talent, size & athleticism, he has handles, he can get to where he wants to on the floor and he can defend & rebound.

The skill-level in terms of shooting and passing needed to improve and there has been a lack of improvement over the last two years. His outside shot is dodgy, his midrange shot is dodgy, he doesn't finish as well at the rim as you would expect a big guard like him to do. He doesn't see the floor well, he misses passes.

I remember being wowed by him two years ago in summer league and seeing the same talent in him that I saw in Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey never pushed on either although in fairness to Stuckey he had a higher skill-level and accomplished more.

That all said, I still root for Lonnie Walker. I want him to succeed but I don't have much faith in him at this point. There has been too little development there over the last two years. I don't think he will ever come good if I am being honest ... although I'd love to be wrong.

[Roy H.]

If I’m Dallas about to lose Brunson for nothing, I’m at least going to try to get Fournier back in a sign and trade. Fournier, with his shooting, would be a good complementary player to Luka.

According the Bill Simmons on his last Pod, the Knicks offered the Celtics Fournier for nothing. Celtics passed

I'd have no issue with a Fournier reunion. I think posters only remember his shooting slump to start his C's tenure, but he really rounded out after that. He finished the season at 46% from 3 for us and shot 44% in the playoffs. Seems like a nice locker room fit, liked to engage with the fans on social, and he wanted to come to Boston (said he gave management the right to match NYK's offer).

His contract is not perfect, but it's $37m over two years with the final year a team option and completely unguaranteed.

His shooting is fine. Defense isn’t. Seems like that’s first thing Brad looks for in a player. Everything else is secondary.

That's true. 

So, let's look back at the flaws in our team currently.  Would an all-offense player fit in on the bench unit, next to White, Grant and whoever else we're running out there?  Or, would it ruin our switchability, and therefore be to our detriment?

I think we need a scorer.  I'm not sure if Fournier is the best option, but I would have at least given him consideration.

[Who]

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac has agreed on a three-year, $33 million extension, his agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. The Clippers declined his $7.5M team option for 2022-2023, clearing the way for Zubac's new deal.

Overpay. Zubac is a minimum contract guy.

Show me the guys as good as Zubac on minimum money

Drummond. Dwight.

Zubac is a 3rd stringer pretending to be a starter.

Drummond I will concede, but he is on minimum money because his ego will not allow him to play the role he should thrive in nor work on the things he needs to. There's a reason he earned $20+ million a season for 5 years in a row.

Dwight is not as good as Zubac on either end.

I don't have a great sense of how good Zubac's defense is.  Thoughts?

Productivity wise, 10 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes is definitely passable for a starting center.

Slow footed plodder. Largely worthless on defense. He is a traffic cone that quick skillful players make mince-meat out of.

He is an empty stats guy. A dodgy defender who is easily exposed and a limited skill guy on offense. The only reason he starts and plays 24mpg is because LAC has no talent at center. They're paying MLE money for empty production.

[Celtics2021]

If I’m Dallas about to lose Brunson for nothing, I’m at least going to try to get Fournier back in a sign and trade. Fournier, with his shooting, would be a good complementary player to Luka.

According the Bill Simmons on his last Pod, the Knicks offered the Celtics Fournier for nothing. Celtics passed

I'd have no issue with a Fournier reunion. I think posters only remember his shooting slump to start his C's tenure, but he really rounded out after that. He finished the season at 46% from 3 for us and shot 44% in the playoffs. Seems like a nice locker room fit, liked to engage with the fans on social, and he wanted to come to Boston (said he gave management the right to match NYK's offer).

His contract is not perfect, but it's $37m over two years with the final year a team option and completely unguaranteed.

His shooting is fine. Defense isn’t. Seems like that’s first thing Brad looks for in a player. Everything else is secondary.

That's true. 

So, let's look back at the flaws in our team currently.  Would an all-offense player fit in on the bench unit, next to White, Grant and whoever else we're running out there?  Or, would it ruin our switchability, and therefore be to our detriment?

I think we need a scorer.  I'm not sure if Fournier is the best option, but I would have at least given him consideration.

My gut says if the Celtics came back to the Knicks in two weeks and said, okay, we’ll take Fournier off your hands at no cost, the Knicks would still do it.  It wasn’t the move to make before free agency opens.

[Donoghus]

Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Washington is finalizing a trade to acquire Denver's Will Barton and Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

[Celtics2021]

Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Washington is finalizing a trade to acquire Denver's Will Barton and Monte Morris for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith, sources tell ESPN.

Glad we’ll only see Ish twice next year instead of 3-4 times.