2018 NBA Offseason & Free Agency Thread

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Underdog

@ShamsCharania: Sources: The Chicago Bulls have rescinded the qualifying offer on guard David Nwaba, making him an unrestricted free agent.

He seems decent. Worth a Mavs look?

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

He seems decent. Worth a Mavs look?

I like him, just not sure if this team needs another guard right now... Although I'd take a look at him if Yogi ended up signing elsewhere.

[Underdog]

@ChrisBHaynes: Free agent sharpshooter Wayne Ellington and Miami have reached an agreement on a deal, league sources tell ESPN.

[EricaLubarsky]

Nwaba is basically Marcus Smart's little brother.

6'4", similar defense (although not nearly as overrated as Smart), 3pt jumper that needs work but is improving.

ORRrrrr you can think of him as a younger, worse-shooting Devin Harris. Lots of slashing. Somewhat undersized for SG. Slightly subpar three point shooting,

[BPo001]

What's up with Rodney Hood? I'd like to take a look at him. Young and can help fill a wing slot. Has the ability to put the ball in th bucket.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by BPo001

What's up with Rodney Hood? I'd like to take a look at him. Young and can help fill a wing slot. Has the ability to put the ball in th bucket.

Still a FA... Just like Clint Capela, Marcus Smart, and Jabari Parker. Kinda surprised these guys are all still (technically) available.

[spreedom]

Faried and Arthur salary dumped to Brooklyn, along with Denver's top-12 protected 2019 first-rounder. Linsanity to Atlanta.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Faried and Arthur salary dumped to Brooklyn, along with Denver's top-12 protected 2019 first-rounder. Linsanity to Atlanta.

@wojespn: Denver has agreed to send Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur, a 2019 protected first-round pick and a future second round pick to Nets for Isaiah Whitehead, league sources tell ESPN. Salary dump for Denver.

@wojespn: Denver unloads $21M in salary on the deal. Nuggets will waive Whitehead, sources tell ESPN.


@wojespn: Brooklyn has traded Jeremy Lin to the Hawks, league sources tell ESPN.

@wojespn: Nets and Hawks will also exchange future second-round picks in the deal, league sources tell ESPN.

[Underdog]

@CBSSportsNBA: NBA free agency 2018: Isaiah Thomas, Nuggets reportedly agree to one-year deal

[saclare]

Back up the Brinks truck for IT

[EricaLubarsky]

Hard to believe that a guy that almost averaged 30ppg and was the Celtics’ Star is now accepting a one year min deal without a major injury or age playing a factor. Same player.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Hard to believe that a guy that almost averaged 30ppg and was the Celtics’ Star is now accepting a one year min deal without a major injury or age playing a factor. Same player.

IT came back from a major injury last season and wasn't the same player. That and 5'9 are deal breakers for pretty much everyone.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Hard to believe that a guy that almost averaged 30ppg and was the Celtics’ Star is now accepting a one year min deal without a major injury or age playing a factor. Same player.

The hip injury? He hasn't quite been the same since...could also be teams, etc. but apparent quickness is/was gone. Who knows, he could show us something this year and perhaps the injury required more rehab.

[EricaLubarsky]

Yeah the surgery was minor, but the rehab was long and drawn out. I still think a bigger part of it is system. Dude was perfect for the Celtics and an afterthought for the Lakers.

But yeah, dude was negotiating 150-200 mill. Now he’s playing for 2mill min

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Yeah the surgery was minor, but the rehab was long and drawn out. I still think a bigger part of it is system. Dude was perfect for the Celtics and an afterthought for the Lakers.

But yeah, dude was negotiating 150-200 mill. Now he’s playing for 2mill min

This... Number-wise, he's basically the same player he was before the Celtics. Obviously the injury plays into it, but from what I've seen it looks more like it was the system that made him look good... Some coaches/systems can utilize undersized guards, most can't. Basically IT benefitted from Stevens much in the same way that JJB has benefitted from Carlisle.

[Underdog]

@DWolfsonKSTP: #Twolves All-Star Jimmy Butler has officially turned down the Wolves' 4-year, $110M range extension offer, per owner Glen Taylor.

[BPo001]

[Jabari Parker is heading to Chicago on a 2 year, $40M deal. (via ESPN)

[EricaLubarsky]

Bjelica agrees to deal with Sixers a few days into FA. Calls them today and tells them he’s going to Europe

[EricaLubarsky]

Kings and Grizzlies make a trade

Kings
Garrett Temple
1mill in cap space for something?


Grizzlies
McLemore
Davis
2021 second rounder

[saclare]

Wonder if McClemore could be had? Is he still a decent 3&D prospect or nah? Seems Grizz wanted Temple despite signing Anderson. Interesting, but I guess they want to keep adding versatile wings.

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by saclare

Wonder if McClemore could be had? Is he still a decent 3&D prospect or nah? Seems Grizz wanted Temple despite signing Anderson. Interesting, but I guess they want to keep adding versatile wings.

Haven’t they heard collecting midget PG’s is in vogue?

[Underdog]

@wojespn: Toronto is close to a deal to acquire Spurs All-Star Kawhi Leonard, league sources tell @ChrisBHaynes and me. Trade package includes DeMar DeRozan, league sources tell ESPN.

@MrMichaelLee: How many trades can you recall where both of primary players involved are furious with the move? Kawhi Leonard asked to go home. Not out of the country. DeMar DeRozan has never wanted to leave Toronto

[mac222b]

HUGE roll of the dice by Toronto. Not sure I'd go anywhere that Kawhi drama.

[BPo001]

Toronto is a team that has always complained about NBA stars leaving. They finally have one guy who didn’t even entertain the idea of leaving, didn’t even take a meeting with his home town Lakers. He chose to stay, and then two years later after you told him you wouldn't trade him?

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Toronto is a team that has always complained about NBA stars leaving. They finally have one guy who didn’t even entertain the idea of leaving, didn’t even take a meeting with his home town Lakers. He chose to stay, and then two years later after you told him you wouldn't trade him?

I agree. Bad optics. Its Majid'd fault they are capped out by that Ibaka trade and re-signing. And he waiting like 3 years too long to fire Casey. And now he gets a guy who doesnt want to be there, who his own teammates will know doesnt want to be there. And who has been behaving very unprofessionally. Who has weird family hanger-ons involved. Just a mess. AND to top it off lingering injury issues. Shouldve stayed FAR away

[tap2390]

IMO Toronto will flip Kawhi to the Lakers or Clippers before the deadline and pivot to a full rebuild.

Spurs somehow came out of this with a guy who was 2nd team all NBA.

Kawhi loses 80 million+ and doesn’t even get what he wanted. Is Nerlens Noel his agent?

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by tap2390

IMO Toronto will flip Kawhi to the Lakers or Clippers before the deadline and pivot to a full rebuild.

Spurs somehow came out of this with a guy who was 2nd team all NBA.

Kawhi loses 80 million+ and doesn’t even get what he wanted. Is Nerlens Noel his agent?

Maybe. How much are those teams willing to give up though? If they have 50/50 odds of signing him outright a few months later? By all accounts Lakers, Sixers and Celtics weren't willing to give up major pieces, only scraps.

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by tap2390

IMO Toronto will flip Kawhi to the Lakers or Clippers before the deadline and pivot to a full rebuild.

Spurs somehow came out of this with a guy who was 2nd team all NBA.

Kawhi loses 80 million+ and doesn’t even get what he wanted. Is Nerlens Noel his agent?

Not sure why either LA team would give up assets for him. Lakers maybe because Kawai can help them make a run in the playoffs. I was looking forward to seeing the Spurs move back to mediocrity, but Demar will certainly help them next season. I imagine they are a top 4 team next season assuming they stay healthy.

[mac222b]

Upon reflection I like this move for the Raptors. Lets say Masai and Nurse decided that leaving their team as is best case scenario is ECF next season. And in two years they had an unsavory decision to make regarding DeRozan; pay him way too much or let him walk. So they are all in for this season- with the outside chance of flipping Kawhi or,even better, convincing him to stay.

They retained their youth aside from Poetl. So they still have the ability to go with a super long defensive-minded lineup to start or close games.

Siakam
OG
Kawhi
Danny Green/Delon Wright
Lowry/Van Vleet

That is an insanely great defensive lineup. They can switch everything. If Siakam could only shoot 3's they be unguardable. Still have Ibaka, Valenciunas, CJ Miles, Wright and Van Vleet off the bench. Personally, I think they'll start Wright and not Green. I think Wright is going to be a breakout player for them away from the conservative Casey

[Bryan_Wilson]

I love this trade for Toronto. I hope this ends up being a giant fuck u to all those teams just assuming they can sign him for nothing later and keep all their assets too. Paul George was absolutely going to sign with LA, so don't trade for him. And then he didn't. And the first rounder they lose is top 20 protected and decays into 2 seconds?!??!?! DD is unbelievably overpaid. 28m a year for 3 more years for a guy who has a history of being worse in the playoffs and can't hit the 3 in a league that is all about the 3 right now.

I don't agree with it being bad optics personally.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Bryan_Wilson

I love this trade for Toronto. I hope this ends up being a giant fuck u to all those teams just assuming they can sign him for nothing later and keep all their assets too. Paul George was absolutely going to sign with LA, so don't trade for him. And then he didn't. And the first rounder they lose is top 20 protected and decays into 2 seconds?!??!?! DD is unbelievably overpaid. 28m a year for 3 more years for a guy who has a history of being worse in the playoffs and can't hit the 3 in a league that is all about the 3 right now.

I don't agree with it being bad optics personally.

Paul George didn't completly separate himself from the team due to a mysterious year long "injury." If Kawhi just preferred a destination like George, then I think you'd have more of a point. But we're seriously seeing a guy who might just out of the season because he is a baby and wasn't traded to only one team. Such self-sabotaging of an asset needs to be addressed in the next CBA talks.

[sefant77]

Good move for Toronto, they were in Choker- and taxhell land. Now they roll one year the dice with Kawhi for success (or maybe even him pulling a PG) and then they can move on.

The current expensive as hell roster had a 2020 expiration date anyway. If Kawhi leaves its a 2019 expiration date but the Raps save a ton of tax money. So no biggie.

[EricaLubarsky]

Good move for the Spurs. Raptors HAD to do it. Still don't think it's a great move from them, but we'll see

I could honestly see Kawhi pouting and not even showing up. Maybe not even playing a single game.

On the other hand, I'm glad we don't have Kawhi in the West-- at least until next year

[mac222b]

I think there is something in the CBA precluding him from not showing up. And also he wants to get paid- needs to show he's healthy at some point

[sefant77]

Yeah...he has to show on the court he is back and healthy if he wants max money.

My guess is he is playing half of the season and tries then to cry his way to LA near the TDL

[tap2390]

That guy went from next Tim Duncan to bonafide diva in no time.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by mac222b

I think there is something in the CBA precluding him from not showing up. And also he wants to get paid- needs to show he's healthy at some point

Lakers would pay him no matter what. He could easily fake an injury this season and jump on over to them.

I really can't see him playing in Toronto.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by mac222b

I think there is something in the CBA precluding him from not showing up. And also he wants to get paid- needs to show he's healthy at some point

If he doesnt show up for his physical, the trade can be nullified. If the Spurs think that it was malicious to veto the trade they can take it to arbitration.

If he shows up for his physical but claims an injury, the Raptors have the right to get their own doctor to get a physical. If Kawhi refuses then he may lose this year's money and the ability to sign another contract next year. If he agrees, but the two doctors disagree (Kawhi's saying that he's injured, Raptor's doc says he's healthy) then it again goes to arbitration. He'd be unlikely to win with what he did with the Spurs, but if he did, he could remain "injured" and not have to play. If arbitration finds that he's faking his injury (which is hard to prove) then he can face anything from a small fine, to deducting salary for games missed, all the way up to voiding his entire 2018-2019 salary and making him ineligible for a new contract next year.

If he shows up and just plays like crap? Almost nothing they can do. They either keep playing him and look dumb or they bench him for playing poorly and it's on the Raptors.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by mac222b

I think there is something in the CBA precluding him from not showing up. And also he wants to get paid- needs to show he's healthy at some point

If Kawhi doesn't show up he can be fined for every missed game and every missed practice and lose his entire paycheck for the year

[MavzMan]

What the hell happened to Kawahi? He was a solid as a rock player that the team could count on for anything/everything and they were going to crown him as their leader for the next decade. The dude just seriously nose-dived into diva-superstar territory out of the blue. I hate this because I really liked the guy and don't want to see him fail after all of this crap.