Durant to GSW

[LGC88]

Sports is about competition and adversity.

sadly,not anymore.....sports is about money, marketing, and fame. It starts at the top with the leagues themselves, then trickles down to the owners and eventually the players. 

the competition aspect of it is secondary, behind the aforementioned factors.  even the competitiveness is egocentric, as it is about one's legacy

I'm sorry, it's still exist and that's why I'm a Celtics fan. Because we have that.

im a fan too, and love the grit and heart of our team.....but we aren't good.  its easy to root for our team, but we won't be successful being the exception to the rule 

I believe we can with Brad. He sees something other coach don't apparently.
I think with Horford we should reach a step closer to ECF and we are one good player away to compete with the best.
Our defense is too good. We can capitalize on that if we have an above average offense.

[Bobshot]

This should be a thread of it's own, but  the trend now is the big FAs want to sign with the most successful teams. And apparently these teams can clear cap space easily by just shedding players. It took Ainge years to clear cap space. GS does it in 5 minutes.

I hope Silver is astute enough to see this could damage the NBA. Having all the top players coalesce into just 2 or 3 teams. It basically becomes a 2 or 3 team league.

How is it that Golden State could shed players so easily to create cap space for Durant? Ainge spends years creating space for two max players, and a top team creates space in 5 minutes?  He didn't do that to get Allen and Garnett years ago. Those were "legitimate" trades.

We all know the NBA cap rules are a hornets nest created by a bunch of lawyers. But I still don't understand how they could clear cap space after the fact for Durant. It sucks. My understanding of the trades rules is you have to match salaries. That clearly isn't happening here.

Silver needs to change the rules so one or two teams can't hog all the stars. That's the trend.
Trading during the free agency period needs some adjustment.

[JBcat]

I was just thinking the Thunder could have had their version of the big 4 if they never traded away Harden and Ibaka.

[LGC88]

This should be a thread of it's own, but  the trend now is the big FAs want to sign with the most successful teams. And apparently these teams can clear cap space easily by just shedding players. It took Ainge years to clear cap space. GS does it in 5 minutes.

I hope Silver is astute enough to see this could damage the NBA. Having all the top players coalesce into just 2 or 3 teams. It basically becomes a 2 or 3 team league.

How is it that Golden State could shed players so easily to create cap space for Durant? Ainge spends years creating space for two max players, and a top team creates space in 5 minutes?  He didn't do that to get Allen and Garnett years ago. Those were "legitimate" trades.

We all know the NBA cap rules are a hornets nest created by a bunch of lawyers. But I still don't understand how they could clear cap space after the fact for Durant. It sucks. My understanding of the trades rules is you have to match salaries. That clearly isn't happening here.

Silver needs to change the rules so one or two teams can't hog all the stars. That's the trend.
Trading during the free agency period needs some adjustment.

Interesting, good points.
Also, why the GMs didn't lock out any trades with GS? There was one that wanted to do that but shameless Marc Cuban took everything for free.
What if nobody fill up an offer sheet for Barnes. What if nobody takes on Bogut? KD can't go GS.

[Surferdad]

This should be a thread of it's own, but  the trend now is the big FAs want to sign with the most successful teams. And apparently these teams can clear cap space easily by just shedding players. It took Ainge years to clear cap space. GS does it in 5 minutes.

I hope Silver is astute enough to see this could damage the NBA. Having all the top players coalesce into just 2 or 3 teams. It basically becomes a 2 or 3 team league.

How is it that Golden State could shed players so easily to create cap space for Durant? Ainge spends years creating space for two max players, and a top team creates space in 5 minutes?  He didn't do that to get Allen and Garnett years ago. Those were "legitimate" trades.

We all know the NBA cap rules are a hornets nest created by a bunch of lawyers. But I still don't understand how they could clear cap space after the fact for Durant. It sucks. My understanding of the trades rules is you have to match salaries. That clearly isn't happening here.

Silver needs to change the rules so one or two teams can't hog all the stars. That's the trend.
Trading during the free agency period needs some adjustment.

Interesting, good points.
Also, why the GMs didn't lock out any trades with GS? There was one that wanted to do that but shameless Marc Cuban took everything for free.
What if nobody fill up an offer sheet for Barnes. What if nobody takes on Bogut? KD can't go GS.

'Shameless Mark Cuban', lol has a nice ring to it!

Seriously, this was exactly the reason why I thought KD to GS was a long shot.  How did GS do that, not only so quickly, but after the fact?

[LGC88]

This should be a thread of it's own, but  the trend now is the big FAs want to sign with the most successful teams. And apparently these teams can clear cap space easily by just shedding players. It took Ainge years to clear cap space. GS does it in 5 minutes.

I hope Silver is astute enough to see this could damage the NBA. Having all the top players coalesce into just 2 or 3 teams. It basically becomes a 2 or 3 team league.

How is it that Golden State could shed players so easily to create cap space for Durant? Ainge spends years creating space for two max players, and a top team creates space in 5 minutes?  He didn't do that to get Allen and Garnett years ago. Those were "legitimate" trades.

We all know the NBA cap rules are a hornets nest created by a bunch of lawyers. But I still don't understand how they could clear cap space after the fact for Durant. It sucks. My understanding of the trades rules is you have to match salaries. That clearly isn't happening here.

Silver needs to change the rules so one or two teams can't hog all the stars. That's the trend.
Trading during the free agency period needs some adjustment.

Interesting, good points.
Also, why the GMs didn't lock out any trades with GS? There was one that wanted to do that but shameless Marc Cuban took everything for free.
What if nobody fill up an offer sheet for Barnes. What if nobody takes on Bogut? KD can't go GS.

'Shameless Mark Cuban', lol has a nice ring to it!

Seriously, this was exactly the reason why I thought KD to GS was a long shot.  How did GS do that, not only so quickly, but after the fact?

And nobody ask them to give up anything (oh well a second rounder).
Danny steal a player + a pick + a trade exception from Cleveland to sign Lebron.

[Fafnir]

Interesting, good points.
Also, why the GMs didn't lock out any trades with GS? There was one that wanted to do that but shameless Marc Cuban took everything for free.
What if nobody fill up an offer sheet for Barnes. What if nobody takes on Bogut? KD can't go GS.

Because doing so would be illegal under both the CBA, and potentially the NBA charter and likely federal law as well.

Leaguewide collusion has an ugly history in sports.

[LGC88]

Interesting, good points.
Also, why the GMs didn't lock out any trades with GS? There was one that wanted to do that but shameless Marc Cuban took everything for free.
What if nobody fill up an offer sheet for Barnes. What if nobody takes on Bogut? KD can't go GS.

Because doing so would be illegal under both the CBA, and potentially the NBA charter and likely federal law as well.

Leaguewide collusion has an ugly history in sports.

I don't understand. You mean the other 29 teams must take on Bogut and Barnes, or else it's illegal according the CBA ?

[Big333223]

Interesting, good points.
Also, why the GMs didn't lock out any trades with GS? There was one that wanted to do that but shameless Marc Cuban took everything for free.
What if nobody fill up an offer sheet for Barnes. What if nobody takes on Bogut? KD can't go GS.

Because doing so would be illegal under both the CBA, and potentially the NBA charter and likely federal law as well.

Leaguewide collusion has an ugly history in sports.

I don't understand. You mean the other 29 teams must take on Bogut and Barnes, or else it's illegal according the CBA ?

What he means is that the other 29 teams can't get together and decide to freeze out another team. If they all, individually, decided to not make deals for Bogut or Barnes, that would be ok but it would also never happen. There are too many teams nowhere close to contending right now that would inevitably let GS be better today to make themselves better for the future.

[Beat LA]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650148-frustration-with-westbrook-sent-durant-fleeing-opens-door-to-trouble-for-nba

Here's an interesting article. Apparently there was quite a bit of tension between Westbrook and Durant, which had a great influence on why he left.

Also, it's looking like a foregone conclusion that there will be a lockout next summer, and this whole GS situation is going to put some radical demands on the table, such as a hard cap. Fun fun. I remember how bad the last lockout sucked.

I'd be frustrated playing with Westbrook as well.   He's a stat hog who isn't nearly as good as people claim.   Watch that team struggle to make the playoffs without Durant carrying them.

People think Westbrook is a superstar for the same reason they thought Rondo was a superstar.

Rondo is a superstar, imo.

[manl_lui]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650148-frustration-with-westbrook-sent-durant-fleeing-opens-door-to-trouble-for-nba

Here's an interesting article. Apparently there was quite a bit of tension between Westbrook and Durant, which had a great influence on why he left.

Also, it's looking like a foregone conclusion that there will be a lockout next summer, and this whole GS situation is going to put some radical demands on the table, such as a hard cap. Fun fun. I remember how bad the last lockout sucked.

I'd be frustrated playing with Westbrook as well.   He's a stat hog who isn't nearly as good as people claim.   Watch that team struggle to make the playoffs without Durant carrying them.

People think Westbrook is a superstar for the same reason they thought Rondo was a superstar.

Rondo is a superstar, imo.

I guess we will actually tell next year and see how Westbrook does without KD. But to be fair, 2 years ago when Durant was out for the season, Westbrook nearly carried the Thunder into the playoffs by himself. I don't think Rondo is at his level offensively to be honest and I love Rondo, but Westbrook is in my books a superstar

[Beat LA]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2650148-frustration-with-westbrook-sent-durant-fleeing-opens-door-to-trouble-for-nba

Here's an interesting article. Apparently there was quite a bit of tension between Westbrook and Durant, which had a great influence on why he left.

Also, it's looking like a foregone conclusion that there will be a lockout next summer, and this whole GS situation is going to put some radical demands on the table, such as a hard cap. Fun fun. I remember how bad the last lockout sucked.

I'd be frustrated playing with Westbrook as well.   He's a stat hog who isn't nearly as good as people claim.   Watch that team struggle to make the playoffs without Durant carrying them.

People think Westbrook is a superstar for the same reason they thought Rondo was a superstar.

Rondo is a superstar, imo.

I guess we will actually tell next year and see how Westbrook does without KD. But to be fair, 2 years ago when Durant was out for the season, Westbrook nearly carried the Thunder into the playoffs by himself. I don't think Rondo is at his level offensively to be honest and I love Rondo, but Westbrook is in my books a superstar

True, but I wonder if you swapped Westbrook for Rondo if they would have, if for no other reason than he would get the most out of all of the talent on that team, unlike Russell, imo.  Jimmy Butler is going to get more great shots and open looks this season than he ever has in his life, lol .