Offseason Thread

[Who]

Going back to the MPJ for Cam Johnson trade.

I would love to see Brooklyn play MPJ as a PF instead of a SF from now on. I believe he is more of a difference maker at PF than SF but he couldn't play there for Denver because of the combined defensive weakness of him and Jokic as their bigs. They had to get an Aaron Gordon in there for defensive balance. But in Brooklyn, MPJ will have a high level defensive big man in Nic Claxton who can cover lots of ground and provide help. The type of big that can cover for MPJ at PF.

MPJ's shooting is a threat at SF but he is a nightmare as a PF. The caliber of outside shooting is lower at PF than SF across the league. MPJ is more of an outlier. And at 6-10 230lbs he has enough size to play there. He has improved his defensive rebounding and weakside help over the last few seasons.

I think PF is going to be his best position moving forward.

I have no idea what the rest of the Nets roster looks like. They have so many nobodies on their team. And a bunch of them are free agents this summer. It is hard to keep track of that roster.

G -
G - Cam Thomas
F - Terrence Mann
F - M Porter Jr
C - Nic Claxton

They need a PG. Maybe they start one of the rookies they just drafted. Saraf is the more established Euro guard. Nolan Traore looks more a long term developmental project.

You could also start Jalen Wilson at SF and bring Terrence Mann off the bench as a SG/SF. Or start Terrence Mann at PG and keep Jalen Wilson at SF. Terrence Mann has a basic handle but good enough to be a basic setup guard. It is not like the Nets have better options elsewhere. It would give them a dynamic defensive lineup with Mann at PG.

They also have that rookie Egor Demin. They brought back DayRon Sharpe as their backup center. Danny Wolf 3rd string center. Noah Clowney as backup PF.

G - Terrence Mann, Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore
G - Cam Thomas, Drake Powell
F - Jalen Wilson, Egor Demin
F - M Porter Jr, Noah Clowney, Ziaire Williams
C - Nic Claxton, DayRon Sharpe, Danny Wolf

I think they still have Keon Johnson and Dariq Whitehead at SG too. I don't know. It is messy keeping track of their roster.

[Roy H.]

Imagining Horford on the Warriors

Golden State

G: Steph, G Payton II
G: Podz, M Moody
F: Jimmy, B Hield
F: Draymond, (Kuminga)
C: (Horford), T Jackson-Davis

Others: Q Post (big), G Santos (forward), Cam Spencer (guard).

That team would be so cool. I wonder if they would be better off with TJD as starter to get some more quickness, athleticism, hustle plays alongside those other older starters. Let Horford continue as a 6th man. They preferred Q Post to TJD late last season. I think they wanted a shooting big next to Draymond & Jimmy rather than a rim roller. I believe they were worried about offensive spacing. So it would probably with Horford as starter.

Podz and/or Kuminga will have to step up next season. GSW need a 3rd scorer behind Steph and Jimmy. Neither answered the bell last season. Whether they do or not will likely be the difference between GSW being a true contender or not.

Obviously Horford wants to be playing meaningful basketball, but I don't get it for him.  He's moving cross-country, joining a team that isn't really a contender, and has to share a locker room with Green and Butler.

[Vermont Green]

Imagining Horford on the Warriors

Golden State

G: Steph, G Payton II
G: Podz, M Moody
F: Jimmy, B Hield
F: Draymond, (Kuminga)
C: (Horford), T Jackson-Davis

Others: Q Post (big), G Santos (forward), Cam Spencer (guard).

That team would be so cool. I wonder if they would be better off with TJD as starter to get some more quickness, athleticism, hustle plays alongside those other older starters. Let Horford continue as a 6th man. They preferred Q Post to TJD late last season. I think they wanted a shooting big next to Draymond & Jimmy rather than a rim roller. I believe they were worried about offensive spacing. So it would probably with Horford as starter.

Podz and/or Kuminga will have to step up next season. GSW need a 3rd scorer behind Steph and Jimmy. Neither answered the bell last season. Whether they do or not will likely be the difference between GSW being a true contender or not.

They only have 9 players under contract.  If they have to sign Horford, Kuminga, Payton, and a couple of others, it is going to get pricy for them.

[slightly biased bias fan]

The Lakers are showing interest in Matisse Thybulle, Ayo Dosunmu, and Marcus Smart, per Anthony F. Irwin.
 

[Donoghus]

Happy 15 year anniversary to one of the more ill-advised PR stunts of all time to those who celebrate.

https://awfulannouncing.com/nba/happy-15th-anniversary-lebron-james-the-decision.html

[snively]

Imagining Horford on the Warriors

Golden State

G: Steph, G Payton II
G: Podz, M Moody
F: Jimmy, B Hield
F: Draymond, (Kuminga)
C: (Horford), T Jackson-Davis

Others: Q Post (big), G Santos (forward), Cam Spencer (guard).

That team would be so cool. I wonder if they would be better off with TJD as starter to get some more quickness, athleticism, hustle plays alongside those other older starters. Let Horford continue as a 6th man. They preferred Q Post to TJD late last season. I think they wanted a shooting big next to Draymond & Jimmy rather than a rim roller. I believe they were worried about offensive spacing. So it would probably with Horford as starter.

Podz and/or Kuminga will have to step up next season. GSW need a 3rd scorer behind Steph and Jimmy. Neither answered the bell last season. Whether they do or not will likely be the difference between GSW being a true contender or not.

Obviously Horford wants to be playing meaningful basketball, but I don't get it for him.  He's moving cross-country, joining a team that isn't really a contender, and has to share a locker room with Green and Butler.

Can they make an offer on Beal?

I think he'd make a ton of sense there. Quality scorer would get a lot more on ball opportunities in GSW given Curry's flexibility.

Curry/Beal/Butler/Draymond/Horford with Payton/Podz/Hield/Moody/TJD/Post and ideally another vet big and that's a very dangerous and deep veteran team.

The West could be brutal once again. 5 contenders.

[Donoghus]

Good news for all you Wilson Chandler fans.

Keith Smith
@KeithSmithNBA
As part of the process to complete their offseason moves, the Brooklyn Nets renounced FA rights for LaMarcus Aldridge, Wilson Chandler, Mike James, De'Anthony Melton, Dennis Smith Jr and Ziaire Williams.

Brooklyn will re-sign Williams with either cap space or the Room Exception.

[keevsnick]

Imagining Horford on the Warriors

Golden State

G: Steph, G Payton II
G: Podz, M Moody
F: Jimmy, B Hield
F: Draymond, (Kuminga)
C: (Horford), T Jackson-Davis

Others: Q Post (big), G Santos (forward), Cam Spencer (guard).

That team would be so cool. I wonder if they would be better off with TJD as starter to get some more quickness, athleticism, hustle plays alongside those other older starters. Let Horford continue as a 6th man. They preferred Q Post to TJD late last season. I think they wanted a shooting big next to Draymond & Jimmy rather than a rim roller. I believe they were worried about offensive spacing. So it would probably with Horford as starter.

Podz and/or Kuminga will have to step up next season. GSW need a 3rd scorer behind Steph and Jimmy. Neither answered the bell last season. Whether they do or not will likely be the difference between GSW being a true contender or not.

Obviously Horford wants to be playing meaningful basketball, but I don't get it for him.  He's moving cross-country, joining a team that isn't really a contender, and has to share a locker room with Green and Butler.

Can they make an offer on Beal?

I think he'd make a ton of sense there. Quality scorer would get a lot more on ball opportunities in GSW given Curry's flexibility.

Curry/Beal/Butler/Draymond/Horford with Payton/Podz/Hield/Moody/TJD/Post and ideally another vet big and that's a very dangerous and deep veteran team.

The West could be brutal once again. 5 contenders.

Rumor has it that the Clippers are front runners for Beal after trading Norman Powell for John Collins. But Beal WOULD fit nicely in Golden State.

[tazzmaniac]

Shams Charania: The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN.

That's Olynyk's 2nd time being traded this offseason.  Spurs will be his 9th team albeit he didn't have a chance to play for Washington. 

[Who]

What will the Suns roster look like without Beal?

Tyus Jones has left. Monte Morris is still a free agent. Not sure if they are trying to bring him back or not. They have Collin Gillispie a contract. He is the only PG on their roster right now. He played only 461 minutes all season last year. Do they go back to playing Grayson Allen at PG like they did a year ago?

G: Grayson Allen, C Gillispie
G: Jalen Green
F: Devin Booker, Cody Martin, R Dunn, Nigel Hayes-Davis
F: Dillon Brooks, R O'Neale, Rasheer Fleming
C: Mark Williams, K Maluach, Nick Richards

That is a strange roster. Only real PG and he is a 3rd stringer. 3 SGs but they might all have to start. One starting caliber SF who will need to play PF. Then 5 backup forwards. A lot of redundancy there. None who are skilled enough to play guard. Then 3 rim running centers. Good depth there.

There is some talk of Chris Paul returning to Phoenix. He could be a good fit for this squad. A guiding hand. A starting PG. Let Grayson Allen return to his bench role where he is one of the top backup SGs in the league.

They have been shopping Cody Martin. That would clean up their bench forward overlap.

[Who]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania

The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN.

Great trade for San Antonio. Quality backup big without giving up anything of value.

I don't understand why Washington would do this deal. What is in it for them?

[Moranis]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania

The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN.

Great trade for San Antonio. Quality backup big without giving up anything of value.

I don't understand why Washington would do this deal. What is in it for them?

They got 2, 22 year old 1st round picks still on rookie deals, a 2nd round pick, and saved some money.

[Who]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania

The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN.

Great trade for San Antonio. Quality backup big without giving up anything of value.

I don't understand why Washington would do this deal. What is in it for them?

They got 2, 22 year old 1st round picks still on rookie deals, a 2nd round pick, and saved some money.

Neither one of them are any good. They are 3rd stringers if not on their way out of the league.

Did they save much money?

[Who]

Spurs Roster

G: D Fox, Dylan Harper
G: D Vassell, S Castle, Julian Champagnie
F: H Barnes, Keldon Johnson
F: J Sochan, K Olynyk
C: Wemby, Kornet

Others: Jordan McLaughlin, Carter Bryant

That is a dang good 11 man team.

Small ball lineups were bad for San Antonio last season. Now they have 2 legit centers, a PF/C in Olynyk and a PF in Sochan. They will be able to play big as much as they want.

The depth they have on the perimeter is incredible. The depth they have in general is incredible.

These guys should be pushing for a title. Not sure their young backup guards are ready for that though. Or Sochan. Unfortunately. But any time you can collect talent like this in one roster, you should be pushing for a Championship run.

I wonder if they would start Olynyk over Sochan. I would.

[Celtics2021]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania

The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN.

Great trade for San Antonio. Quality backup big without giving up anything of value.

I don't understand why Washington would do this deal. What is in it for them?

They got 2, 22 year old 1st round picks still on rookie deals, a 2nd round pick, and saved some money.

Neither one of them are any good. They are 3rd stringers if not on their way out of the league.

Did they save much money?

They saved $3-4 million.  Not a lot, not nothing.

The Wizards owe their 1st next year unless it is in the top 8.  If it is in the top 8, they owe a couple of 2nds instead.  So they are absolutely tanking one more year, and prefer crappy players who won?t help to players who might, so thus this deal.