Offseason Thread

[Who]

Austin Reaves has formally declined a max contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that would have paid him $89.2 million over four seasons. Reaves signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Lakers in 2023, which was the max deal the Lakers could offer at that time.

Rivers can become a free agent in 2026 and command a contract at a significantly higher amount than his current max.

[Who]

I was interested in the Utah Jazz roster after drafting Ace Bailey. I see some people have high expectations for him so I was wondering what type of role he might play next year for the Jazz. I do not think he starts.

G: Keyontae George, Isaiah Collier, W Clayton Jr
G: C Sexton, J Clarkson
F: L Markkanen, Ace Bailey, B Sensabough
F: John Collins, Taylor Hendricks
C: W Kessler, K Filipkowski

Others: Cody Williams (SF), Juzang (SG/SF)

I see Ace Bailey more as a SF in the NBA than a SG but given how crowded that backcourt is and with mostly small guards it will be hard to find minutes for him there.

Markkanen and John Collins are both likely to out-perform Ace Bailey at forward. That leaves as a backup forward. He will be competing for playing time with other recent lottery picks Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams. Ace Bailey should be able to beat them out. Cody Williams was a disaster as a rookie. Taylor Hendricks continues to have injury issues. Brice Sensabough could challenge Ace Bailey but that would be a bad sign for Ace Bailey.

Kessler got 30mpg last year with Filipkowski getting 21mpg. I thought there might be more center minutes available with John Collins playing the five alongside Markkanen & Ace Bailey at forward. But maybe there aren't many minutes available for that option.

I think Ace Bailey will have a quiet rookie season.

Utah should have more depth this year. More balance too. Ace Bailey gives them a legit SF. Taylor Hendricks to return from injury will give them another forward. So hopefully not as unbalanced as last year. Even with balance though, they still have lot of green players. Raw young talent. Guys not ready to win. Still have the look of a 20-25 win team.

[perks-a-beast]

Austin Reaves has formally declined a max contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that would have paid him $89.2 million over four seasons. Reaves signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Lakers in 2023, which was the max deal the Lakers could offer at that time.

Rivers can become a free agent in 2026 and command a contract at a significantly higher amount than his current max.

He was right to turn that down. I?m sure someone will give him $150 mil next year.

I wonder if the Lakers will look to trade him now.

[Who]

"We have big positive news potentially coming here for the Suns," reported ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Friday's episode of Get Up. "Devin Booker is in position to sign a two-year, $150 million extension, which would smash all existing records?at least for the moment?on a per-year annual salary: $75 million a year. He is expected to get that offer and to sign it. The Suns have some work to do on this roster, but Booker has been highly engaged with them this offseason on their coaching search and their Kevin Durant trade."

$150mil for 2 years. Wow.

$75mil a season.

[slamtheking]

"We have big positive news potentially coming here for the Suns," reported ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Friday's episode of Get Up. "Devin Booker is in position to sign a two-year, $150 million extension, which would smash all existing records?at least for the moment?on a per-year annual salary: $75 million a year. He is expected to get that offer and to sign it. The Suns have some work to do on this roster, but Booker has been highly engaged with them this offseason on their coaching search and their Kevin Durant trade."

$150mil for 2 years. Wow.

$75mil a season.

ridiculous $ for a player not even sniffing an MVP consideration and can't get his team to a play-in game.  and people were complaining about what Jaylen was offered.  he's a relative bargain and an ECF and Finals MVP

[Chief]

These contracts dont really work with the current nba salary cap and apron system.

[Vermont Green]

Austin Reaves has formally declined a max contract extension offer from the Los Angeles Lakers that would have paid him $89.2 million over four seasons. Reaves signed a four-year, $54 million contract with the Lakers in 2023, which was the max deal the Lakers could offer at that time.

Rivers Reaves (?) can become a free agent in 2026 and command a contract at a significantly higher amount than his current max.

So Reaves turned down about $22.5M annual?  Wow.  What do people see Reaves as?  Better than Simons?  As good as Derrick White?  How compared to say Herro?  A core rotation, "big 3" type player or a supporting cast player?  Reaves' 2024-25 stats are similar to Simons' but Simons has done it for several seasons, not just 1 season.

He put up about 20 points, 6 assists, 4 rebs with pretty good efficiency last season.  This feels like his ceiling but if he can produce that consistently moving forward, I guess that is a solid #3 guy on a good team.

[blink]

"We have big positive news potentially coming here for the Suns," reported ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Friday's episode of Get Up. "Devin Booker is in position to sign a two-year, $150 million extension, which would smash all existing records?at least for the moment?on a per-year annual salary: $75 million a year. He is expected to get that offer and to sign it. The Suns have some work to do on this roster, but Booker has been highly engaged with them this offseason on their coaching search and their Kevin Durant trade."

$150mil for 2 years. Wow.

$75mil a season.

ridiculous $ for a player not even sniffing an MVP consideration and can't get his team to a play-in game.  and people were complaining about what Jaylen was offered.  he's a relative bargain and an ECF and Finals MVP

exactly.  the people complaining about giving that contract to Jaylen were always over-reacting a bit.  but I  mean we have people on this site who think we should dump JB for draft picks.   JT and JB in general don't get the respect they probably deserve.  Maybe that is only winning 1 title so far?  I dunno for sure.

In another year or two, both JT / JB contacts will not been seen as over the moon anymore at all.

[jambr380]

"We have big positive news potentially coming here for the Suns," reported ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Friday's episode of Get Up. "Devin Booker is in position to sign a two-year, $150 million extension, which would smash all existing records?at least for the moment?on a per-year annual salary: $75 million a year. He is expected to get that offer and to sign it. The Suns have some work to do on this roster, but Booker has been highly engaged with them this offseason on their coaching search and their Kevin Durant trade."

$150mil for 2 years. Wow.

$75mil a season.

ridiculous $ for a player not even sniffing an MVP consideration and can't get his team to a play-in game.  and people were complaining about what Jaylen was offered.  he's a relative bargain and an ECF and Finals MVP

exactly.  the people complaining about giving that contract to Jaylen were always over-reacting a bit.  but I  mean we have people on this site who think we should dump JB for draft picks.   JT and JB in general don't get the respect they probably deserve.  Maybe that is only winning 1 title so far?  I dunno for sure.

In another year or two, both JT / JB contacts will not been seen as over the moon anymore at all.

Booker has 3 more years left on his current contract and Jaylen has 4. They both make exactly the same money over the next 3 years.

Next year, we could be reading about the Celtics extending Jaylen at an even higher number than 2yrs/$150M, since the cap will be higher in 30-31 than in 29-30 (the end Booker's extension)

[perks-a-beast]

Minnesota re-signs Naz Reid 5years/$125 mill.

 Btw, I thought Minnesota quietly had one of the worst drafts of any team. They reached for probably the least NBA ready player in the draft in Joan Beringer at 17 when they desperately need more ball handlers and bench scoring. Also, Fleming would have been a great fit for them at 31 but they pulled a Brad Stevens and just traded the pick for more crap second rounders.

Who knows where they would be if Ant didnt fall in their laps, because besides drafting him, they have been one of the most incompetent franchises for nearly 2 decades now.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Minnesota re-signs Naz Reid 5years/$125 mill.

 Btw, I thought Minnesota quietly had one of the worst drafts of any team. They reached for probably the least NBA ready player in the draft in Joan Beringer at 17 when they desperately need more ball handlers and bench scoring. Also, Fleming would have been a great fit for them at 31 but they pulled a Brad Stevens and just traded the pick for more crap second rounders.

Who knows where they would be if Ant didnt fall in their laps, because besides drafting him, they have been one of the most incompetent franchises for nearly 2 decades now.

The Gobert trade is looking pretty good. You could argue that the KAT trade looks good for them too. The Reid draft pick was good, as was the McDaniels draft pick. They've done a good job developing NAW and I like the Shannon draft pick too.

We will see about Dillingham and Berninger.

Overall still feels like they need one more piece that compliment Edwards better. KAT wasn't that guy. Randle isn't either. If McDaniels could get to be a 20-25 ppg guy it could be him, but that's not happening.

[tazzmaniac]

Minnesota re-signs Naz Reid 5years/$125 mill.

 Btw, I thought Minnesota quietly had one of the worst drafts of any team. They reached for probably the least NBA ready player in the draft in Joan Beringer at 17 when they desperately need more ball handlers and bench scoring. Also, Fleming would have been a great fit for them at 31 but they pulled a Brad Stevens and just traded the pick for more crap second rounders.

Who knows where they would be if Ant didnt fall in their laps, because besides drafting him, they have been one of the most incompetent franchises for nearly 2 decades now.

Beringer is 18.  Are they bringing him over or stashing him for a year? 

Agree and the TWolves selected another international center in the 2nd round. But I think they were trumped by the Pelicans with that terrible trade and the Blazers selecting Hansen Yang one spot ahead of them.  At least Beringer was a 1st round caliber pick.  I'd put the Sixers in the bottom 5 and I might finish it out with the Celts. 

The Nets selecting all 5 picks was strange.  Not necessarily bad but 4 of the players selected are guards.

As for the good (not necessarily in order), the Mavs, of course.  The Magic, Hornets, Wizards, Grizzlies and Kings.   

[Who]

Minnesota re-signs Naz Reid 5years/$125 mill.

 Btw, I thought Minnesota quietly had one of the worst drafts of any team. They reached for probably the least NBA ready player in the draft in Joan Beringer at 17 when they desperately need more ball handlers and bench scoring. Also, Fleming would have been a great fit for them at 31 but they pulled a Brad Stevens and just traded the pick for more crap second rounders.

Who knows where they would be if Ant didnt fall in their laps, because besides drafting him, they have been one of the most incompetent franchises for nearly 2 decades now.

$25mil a year for a 6th man.

Interesting marker.

They have a lot of money tied up in Ant ($45mil), Randle (?? = $30-40mil), Gobert ($35mil), Naz ($25mil), J McDaniels ($25mil). That is $160-170mil in those 5 players. Plus probably another $20-30mil to round out the rest of the roster. It will be hard to bring in any other quality player to add to that core. They would likely need to trade one of those guys to make the financials work. Important to note because they still need legit help at guard for Ant.

[tazzmaniac]

Minnesota re-signs Naz Reid 5years/$125 mill.

 Btw, I thought Minnesota quietly had one of the worst drafts of any team. They reached for probably the least NBA ready player in the draft in Joan Beringer at 17 when they desperately need more ball handlers and bench scoring. Also, Fleming would have been a great fit for them at 31 but they pulled a Brad Stevens and just traded the pick for more crap second rounders.

Who knows where they would be if Ant didnt fall in their laps, because besides drafting him, they have been one of the most incompetent franchises for nearly 2 decades now.

$25mil a year for a 6th man.

Interesting marker.

They have a lot of money tied up in Ant ($45mil), Randle (?? = $30-40mil), Gobert ($35mil), Naz ($25mil), J McDaniels ($25mil). That is $160-170mil in those 5 players. Plus probably another $20-30mil to round out the rest of the roster. It will be hard to bring in any other quality player to add to that core. They would likely need to trade one of those guys to make the financials work. Important to note because they still need legit help at guard for Ant.

Celts have 155M tied up in 3 players.  I don't think 160-170M in your top 5 players is unusual or necessarily bad.  It all depends on the quality and fit of those players. 

The draft is how you add quality players on cheap contracts not via trade.  They just drafted Beringer, an Intenational center who needs development, to what, be their 3rd center?  The pick after that was Walter Clayton Jr who might just have brought that guard help for Ant.

[Phantom255x]

Cavaliers just traded for Lonzo Ball. Looks like Okoro going back to Chicago

Yeah, looks like a Lonzo for Okoro swap