Woj:"Davis expected to tell teams he only wants LA. Ainge will still make offer"

[Sophomore]

I think AD getting traded to the Lakers and then Kyrie signing with the Lakers to join up with LeBron again would likely make me want to tune out from the NBA for a while.

^ This may do me in too., and im serious    There is no reason to have a league .  Or ......else the rest of the NBA teams can leave and form their own league and let CA Hollywood CA just have their own World of,Basketball league unto themselves. 

Lebron has finished off NBA basketball .  It basically exsists in CA only and is robbing the public .  So , theyncan just make up like 12 teams in CA cities and play each other and everybody live in LA . 

Reorangize basket for,the other 49 states and leave CA out .

I get the frustration and I really hope it doesn't happen. But except for a little rotten luck wouldn't we be in a pretty similar position? Suppose Gordon doesn't get injured and continues playing at an all-star level. Odds are we'd be in the Finals last year, with a good chance to win. And we'd be set for this year with a fist full of draft picks for our future. The league didn't block us from any of that; just had bad luck.

And how does this look to the rest of the league? We traded for Irving after he forced his way out of Cleveland, sending back far, far less value. We pulled Gordon out of small-market Utah, a fan base that feels it always gets the short end. We got Horford as a free agent.

I get being frustrated we didn't get Durant, but what we got is awfully, awfully good, and if it weren't for a little bad luck we'd be top of the league. We still might manage it.

[CelticSooner]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

[gpap]

All I know is with more and more concern that Irving is not going to resign, that objective need to change, and change fast.

Horford is declining, Hayward is currently trash contract.

Davis definately doesnt want to come here because he would have never requested a trade at this point in time knowing that Boston could not trade for him.

And if Davis doesnt come, I cannot see Kyrie staying when he can potentially go to play with Davis in LA and the 2 of them take over after lebron(phone calls have repairs their relationship)


Kyrie for Kanter and the Knicks pick

Hayward for expirings

And we end up back in the toilet again??....no thanks.

I am all for trading Hayward, but I don't believe any rumors suggesting there's "uncertainty" over Kyrie staying or going. Also, Al Horford has played really well since coming back from his injury for a guy who's "declining."

Gotta love the gloom and doom.

If I had assurance that Kyrie wouldn't resign, then I would trade him now

The only assurance that Kyrie won't re-sign is being created by the media to stir s** up.

[indeedproceed]

I think AD getting traded to the Lakers and then Kyrie signing with the Lakers to join up with LeBron again would likely make me want to tune out from the NBA for a while.

^ This may do me in too., and im serious    There is no reason to have a league .  Or ......else the rest of the NBA teams can leave and form their own league and let CA Hollywood CA just have their own World of,Basketball league unto themselves. 

Lebron has finished off NBA basketball .  It basically exsists in CA only and is robbing the public .  So , theyncan just make up like 12 teams in CA cities and play each other and everybody live in LA . 

Reorangize basket for,the other 49 states and leave CA out .

This also...pretty nuts. The best record in the NBA is held by a team in Milwaukee. The best rookie the NBA's seen since LeBron is a 6'8 19 year old Slovenian with a dad bod, amazing court vision, and a killer step back 3 that plays in Dallas. If we don't get Anthony Davis and Kyrie on the same team WHO CARES. We got an amazing core and LeBron is 34 years old. The Lakers probably still won't be able to touch the Warriors and Durant is likely leaving next summer probably for the Knicks! Lots of stuff going on and if we're gonna 'lose out' by having to watch Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rozier, Williams and whoever we get with our picks play the line out over the next 10 years, well boo-hoo! Could be worse. NBA still the best league, even if LeBron does manage to construct another super team in LA.

[gpap]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

That's one way to look at it. The Pelicans hold all the cards. Not the unibrow, not Lebron and not this Rich Paul jackass.

The Pelicans could just wait til the summer to see what other offers exist and our name will be thrown in the hat.

If the Pelicans really like the Lakers offer, I am quite sure it will be on the table in the summer (and they'll probably try to make it even more enticing, thus gutting their entire roster.)

[indeedproceed]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

Cannot be said loudly enough. The biggest downside to all this is that now Ainge is going to have to pay the top dollar for the trade, there's a real risk of losing Tatum, and well...that's kind of it, IMO.

[fairweatherfan]

The NBA has a player movement problem, and I don't really see a likely way for the league to fix it.

It's all agent driven, they hold all the power...soccer has the same issue except it's multiplied by transfer fees that the agent takes a cut of. Everyone knew as soon as Davis signed with Klutch that Rich Paul was going to push the Laker agenda, I still believe that LeBron James going to LA had nothing to do with Magic or anyone in their organisation, it was James and Rich Paul knowing that in LA, Klutch could have full control over the free agency market after all these years of being shot down in Cleveland.

The biggest source of the "problem" is that contract lengths are much shorter now, and that's something the owners pushed for to reduce the length of commitment a player could extract from them and increase cap flexibility. Greater player mobility is the flipside of that, and agents are seizing on it because it increases their leverage for their clients. Go back to 7 year deals and see how routinely top players change teams.

I prefer this to having a league where expiring contracts are as valuable as some low level all-stars because teams get locked up on contracts for 7 years.

Definitely agreed, just saying star players having so much leverage picking teams is a direct consequence of the salary cap flexibility (and more protection from stupid signings) that the owners wanted. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

[GreenEnvy]

I think it’s a bluff.

Are the Lakers really going to waste another season of LeBron with a bunch of one year contracts to keep cap space?

If they sign a max free agent next summer (I think Kawhi goes to LAC), will they have enough to sign AD one the following summer?

I’d be pretty confident a season with Kyrie, playing for Brad, under all the banners (maybe hang another), around all the legends, along with a lot more money (I don’t think the marketing gap is that huge between LA and Boston to make up for the salary) will definitely give us a strong opportunity to convince him to stay.



This seems like obviously Rich Paul is feeding him this, which is stemming from LeBron not wanting him to join Kyrie in Boston. Something like “look, Boston can’t make an offer so let’s say this to ensure you don’t go to some random city for the next 1.5 years and then maybe have to take the supermax there like PG13.”

Honestly, Davis has never come off like a diva and has always said and done the right things regarding the Pelicans franchise, so this is such a 180° from how he’s conducted himself, which seems to me like someone is in his ear pumping him up.

[SHAQATTACK]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

That's one way to look at it. The Pelicans hold all the cards. Not the unibrow, not Lebron and not this Rich Paul jackass.

The Pelicans could just wait til the summer to see what other offers exist and our name will be thrown in the hat.

If the Pelicans really like the Lakers offer, I am quite sure it will be on the table in the summer (and they'll probably try to make it even more enticing, thus gutting their entire roster.)

pressure is on Lebron ....hes getting old ....the Lakers, to produce TV money  and get ratings .  They can 't wait another year ,  billions might be at stake if Lakers are not in the finals .  These people will stop at nothing to get the Lakers set up to where they can't fail .  They got a nice team in the building ....but Lebron already wants to fire Walton bring in a yes man coach same as Cavs.   

Ever year Lebron is not winning a championship , its costing HIS CAMP of ( rather mob ) of thugs millions , maybe billion ,  so sports be [dang].   lets make Lebron even richer.

[SparzWizard]

If he ain't signing an extension then let him go to LA. Let all these diva bums go to LA to team up with LeBron.

The Celtics shall build from the draft and continue working on Tatum's growth.

And then what? Never win anything?

As long as you have multiple superteams in California, you or other teams are never gonna win anything until it's dispersed honestly. There's no argument in that.

[BringToughnessBack]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

True..9 days it is.

Persoanlly, If I am NO I attempt to fleece Lakers now...all strong young players, future draft picks and then tank the rest of the season for best draft position.

I guess they could call Danny and see what he would offer at end of season but the Celtics picks are all up in the air and this means Davis plays rest of year and does not allow them to join bottom five teams which they are close enough to now.

I think Lakers will capitulate to an insane trade now. Remember who is in their ear..Lebron is going for his third super team in his career.

We can only hope the NO owner hates the Lakers enough to wait til summer. I feel it is better then 70 percent he is gone by deadline but hope I am wrong!Now, if NO values Tatum and Brown more then Lakers players and chance to nab a top pick in this draft by tanking without Davis, then we have a good chance. But if it’s me, I fleece the Lakers and go for that top pick in draft this year.

Oh and by the way, I love Tatum and believe he will have a stellar career. So if Davis does join super team Lebron, so be it. I get to watch Tatum blossom into a super star.

[RMO]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

True..9 days it is.

Persoanlly, If I am NO I attempt to fleece Lakers now...all strong young players, future draft picks and then tank the rest of the season for best draft position.

I guess they could call Danny and see what he would offer at end of season but the Celtics picks are all up in the air and this means Davis plays rest of year and does not allow them to join bottom five teams which they are close enough to now.

I think Lakers will capitulate to an insane trade now. Remember who is in their ear..Lebron is going for his third super team in his career.

We can only hope the NO owner hates the Lakers enough to wait til summer. I feel it is better then 70 percent he is gone by deadline but hope I am wrong!Now, if NO values Tatum and Brown more then Lakers players and chance to nab a top pick in this draft by tanking without Davis, then we have a good chance. But if it’s me, I fleece the Lakers and go for that top pick in draft this year.

What draft picks though?  They only have their own and they won't be lottery picks.  If they're interested in draft picks the Celtics have multiple, better ones to offer.

I don't watch the lakers much but I'm not all that impressed with their "strong young players".  Are they talented?  Sure.  Special?  I haven't seen it yet.  Certainly not special enough to think that they won't be available in the summer.

The only reason I could see the Pelicans doing something sooner rather than later (assuming their management is competent - something I don't know whether or not is the case) is to tank the rest of the season with the hopes of landing a top draft pick.  That being said, it's not like they've been killing it this season with Davis in the lineup (though his personal stats are really good).

[indeedproceed]

The NBA has a player movement problem, and I don't really see a likely way for the league to fix it.

It's all agent driven, they hold all the power...soccer has the same issue except it's multiplied by transfer fees that the agent takes a cut of. Everyone knew as soon as Davis signed with Klutch that Rich Paul was going to push the Laker agenda, I still believe that LeBron James going to LA had nothing to do with Magic or anyone in their organisation, it was James and Rich Paul knowing that in LA, Klutch could have full control over the free agency market after all these years of being shot down in Cleveland.

The biggest source of the "problem" is that contract lengths are much shorter now, and that's something the owners pushed for to reduce the length of commitment a player could extract from them and increase cap flexibility. Greater player mobility is the flipside of that, and agents are seizing on it because it increases their leverage for their clients. Go back to 7 year deals and see how routinely top players change teams.

I prefer this to having a league where expiring contracts are as valuable as some low level all-stars because teams get locked up on contracts for 7 years.

Definitely agreed, just saying star players having so much leverage picking teams is a direct consequence of the salary cap flexibility (and more protection from stupid signings) that the owners wanted. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

It's kind of funny IMO where it was first, "Wahhhh...we signed contracts that make it hard to sign more contracts and all we don't make as much money as you think we do (just kidding, we do)! Make a better deal! Shorter contracts!"

Now its, "Wahhhhhhhh....now players can decide where they want to play and who they want to play with! THE NERVE!"

[Chief]

9 days, that’s all the C’s have to worry about. If NOLA doesn’t panic AD will be wearing green next season.

That's one way to look at it. The Pelicans hold all the cards. Not the unibrow, not Lebron and not this Rich Paul jackass.

The Pelicans could just wait til the summer to see what other offers exist and our name will be thrown in the hat.

If the Pelicans really like the Lakers offer, I am quite sure it will be on the table in the summer (and they'll probably try to make it even more enticing, thus gutting their entire roster.)

pressure is on Lebron ....hes getting old ....the Lakers, to produce TV money  and get ratings .  They can 't wait another year ,  billions might be at stake if Lakers are not in the finals .  These people will stop at nothing to get the Lakers set up to where they can't fail .  They got a nice team in the building ....but Lebron already wants to fire Walton bring in a yes man coach same as Cavs.   

Ever year Lebron is not winning a championship , its costing HIS CAMP of ( rather mob ) of thugs millions , maybe billion ,  so sports be [dang].   lets make Lebron even richer.

Magic Johnson better watch out. Lebron will have his job next.

[KGBirdBias]

The reason why you want the premium picks is because you will have those guys much longer than you would the Lakers or Celtics players. What if they don't resign, you gave AD away for nothing.